Balancing act: Sleepers keep drivers comfortable while the fleet stays efficient
Driver retention is one of the biggest issues facing fleets today. There simply aren’t enough drivers to go around, and it’s impacting the bottom line. With that being the case, fleets have been going out of their way to provide drivers with all the creature comforts they require, in order to ensure that they stay
Is your fleet’s fuel efficiency improving?
How do you really know that you’ve improved your fleet’s efficiency? On practically every page of any given issue of Fleet Equipment, we detail all the latest equipment options that aim to boost fleet efficiency—from engine and aerodynamic improvements to telematics and service solutions. As a fleet manager, you’re looking for any and every edge over
Alternative fuels: Tank considerations
Compressed natural gas (CNG) holds a much higher pressure than conventional fuel tanks and liquid natural gas (LNG) tanks. In addition, CNG fuel tanks have different connections for filling (see above picture), and CNG vehicles can be configured to be filled via fast-fill or time-fill. Fast-fill takes much less time, but creates more heat in
Staying safer: The improving technology of safety systems
Technology is at its best when it’s moving industry forward. In the trucking industry, it can help make equipment more productive, more efficient and, perhaps most importantly, safer. Safety is a topic that’s always at the forefront of the trucking world—from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability to the National Transportation
Roll on, efficiency: Tires and fuel efficiency
Any time we talk about increasing the trailer part of the fuel efficiency equation, the conversation immediately turns to aerodynamics and light-weighting. But let’s not forget that the proposed rule making also mentions low rolling resistance tires and tire pressure systems. The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the North American Council for Freight
The used truck conundrum
How long are you keeping your trucks? Are you looking for used trucks and having a hard time finding them? If so, you’re not alone. Fleet Advantage recently conducted a survey designed to take the pulse of truck fleet managers on topics that included equipment acquisition and disposition. The survey produced puzzling outcomes. While 70%
Pondering the issue of speed governors
May I ask a favor? It’s OK—I’m not trying to borrow money or power tools. What I really need is for someone to explain to me, in terms that are both simple and concise, what the issue with speed governors is. I am prone to confusion about many things, but speed governors and heavy trucks?
Alt Power: Utility fleets continue to lead the charge
The theme of the 2015 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference— Fleet Strategies to Maximize Total Company Performance— did not disappoint the record-setting 125 fleet representatives from 70 investor-owned electric utilities, electric cooperatives and electrical contractors in the U.S. and Canada who attended the annual educational event. One topic of great interest was electric and alternative
Greenhouse Gas Phase II: Mitigating road and traffic issues
Comments made recently by Martin Daum, president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), focused on the industry’s continuing efforts to address CO2 reductions as outlined in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase II legislation, noting that clean engines are only part of the solution. He suggested that adjusting speed limits and improving the
Data demystified: The continuing evolution of truck telematics
It marches ever onward, growing, adapting, evolving. The rapid progress of today’s technology is like a force of nature. Yet, for all its growing complexity, it becomes more approachable and more applicable. That was the big takeaway from the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) Management Conference and Exhibition (MC&E) held last month in Philadelphia. Data-driven technology
Are legislators out of control? A look at oil regulations
I should be used to it by now, but I just can’t get over the continued lunacy of both state and federal legislators. They continue to advance legislation without trying to understand the applicable science or business reasons for not doing so. They call it “technology forcing legislation.” The latest fiasco to grab my attention
Trucks: Today’s rolling technology platforms
Daimler Trucks North America Senior Vice President Friedrich Baumann is clear as to the direction in which the North American truck industry is going. “Today, it is as much about the service as it is the product,” he says. You have heard this many times before. In fact, it’s been a nigh-on constant refrain from
