Optimize routes, save money
So, you run a logistics and distribution fleet and are juggling the rising cost of fuel and equipment—and equipment utilization—as well as a variety of other issues that have left you trying to figure out the best way to optimize your resources. You are not alone. These days most major carriers are focusing on becoming
Help shape the future of Fleet Equipment
Ever-focused on delivering the most relative truck equipment-related content that increases your fleet’s efficiency, improves uptime and delivers real-world business results, Fleet Equipment is reaching out to readers like you to help us understand your trucking challenges and opportunities. That’s why we put together our 2016 Reader Survey. By filling out the survey, you’re helping
Tire program optimization for the winter
With the beginning of another long winter season approaching, now is the best time to ensure that your tires are in optimal condition to brave the snow, ice and slushy driving situations. Even though the legal tread depth is 4/32-in. for steer tires and 2/32-in. for drives, trailer and dollies, running tires down to these
Government energy projections: The expected growth rate of different sources of energy
I realize that looking to our government for future energy pricing and usage projections has less to do with fact and more to do with fiction. However, I perused the 2016 U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook report so that I could see what our administrators are thinking (or not). In typical government
Plotting a course for truck platooning
Truck platooning technology often gets lumped into the overall autonomous technology conversation. While platooning is certainly a building block toward a more autonomous truck, its merits are worth investigating separately. The recent Trucking Efficiency Confidence Report looked at a two-truck platoon case study and found that a separation distance of 40 to 50 ft. could
GHG Phase 2: The effects on heavy-duty truck fleets
According to John Flynn, chief executive officer of Fleet Advantage, “The initial Greenhouse Gas (GHG) mandates have already saved Class 8 transportation fleets millions of dollars in operating costs by reducing fuel consumption.” On Aug. 16, the federal government passed the proposed regulation, GHG Phase 2, to further tighten emissions and improve fuel economy for
The value of telematics solutions for progressive utility fleets
It should come as no surprise that the educational program at the annual Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC) included a series of presentations on telematics. A growing trend in many light- and medium-duty fleets, telematics was ranked among the highest topics by fleet managers attending EUFMC and a perfect addition to a comprehensive program
Global innovations & megatrends: A look at fully electric and connected vans
At the recent IAA International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany, the focus was on future megatrends, which included fully electric vehicles, digitalization for e-mobility and connectivity. I got a look at a concept city deliver van— the nearly completely integrated Vision Van (pictured above)—which optimizes many levels of connectivity, and the all-electric and networked
California, GHG Phase 2 and trucking
California’s government, its governor and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) continually amaze me by their apparent lack of logic. California recently passed legislation requiring electricity retailers to purchase at least 125 MW of biomass power within five years. They claim the biomass will be provided by dead or dying trees from high-hazard fire zones. Yet,
Tumbling down the truck data rabbit hole: The realities, possibilities and dangers of trucking’s datafication
Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because you know something. You see how data and telematics technology is re-shaping the trucking industry. ECU info streams off of your trucks as they roll productively down the road, as does the location data from your smartphone as you drive into the office and take
Fuel efficiency increases continue for progressive fleets
A recent study from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and Carbon War Room followed 17 fleets and found that they saved $500 million in fuel compared to the national average in 2015, thanks to their adoption of various fuel efficiency technologies. These fleets also saw a 3% improvement in fuel economy compared
How proper tire practices can reduce roadside service calls
Commercial fleets take tires and tire programs seriously. With the average price of a new tire in the $500+ range, tire-related expenses play a major role in a fleet’s bottom line. Being stuck on the side of a road waiting for a flat tire to be serviced is not just costing your fleet money—it is