Seeing the safety difference of camera monitor systems
The “no zones.” Long before I was editor of Fleet Equipment, a driver’s ed. video introduced me to the multitude of blind spots that surround a truck. Corny to be sure, but effective as I’ve remembered that song for (counts the years since getting a license)… far too long. Fitting then that another video would
Don’t overlook truck OTA engine reprogramming
Over-the-air updates are a great way to give trucks a boost in engine effectiveness and reliability without requiring a ton of downtime. Click here to watch more of FE’s On the Road video series. Here is a transcript of the video: What’s the deal with over-the-air engine reprogramming? It sounds like the start of a
The important thing truck drivers need to know about ADAS
In the world of ADAS, the way one system works in one truck could be subtly different from the way it works in another one. It all comes down to equipment and system integrations. Click here to watch more of FE’s On the Road video series. Here is a transcript of the video: Every piece
Bi-directional testing: How it can speed up truck shop operations
What is the problem? It’s the most basic and, oftentimes, most perplexing question in truck repair. Trucks are complex machines driven by computer controls. Fault codes do their best to point technicians in the right direction, but being able to quickly to diagnose the root cause of the service problem is paramount. Enter bi-directional testing.
Growing hybridization options and their role in electrification
With electric trucks available for order and fleets that fit the application profile talking with utility companies about electric charging infrastructure, there’s a conversation percolating under the surface of early electrification adopters that revolves around the question: Where does the energy come from? That’s the fun part about electric powertrains: You can generate the energy
How the right truck tire pressure puts cash back in your pocket
What if there was a simple way to save as much as $1,000 per vehicle, per year on fuel and maintenance costs? Depending on the state of your tires, there might be. Click here to watch more of FE’s On the Road video series. Here is a transcript of the video: One thousand dollars. That’s
Finish them! The top trucking paints and finishes trends
The truck is the first thing a client sees when their load rolls onto the lot, and you know what they say about first impressions. When a truck is new, there’s not much to worry about when it comes to paints and finishes, but the road is long and a truck’s work is hard. Dings,
Is your truck’s alternator failing, or is it something else?
Sometimes alternators can get a bad rap, as some fleets have found themselves replacing more of them on their trucks than seems reasonable. Click here to watch more of FE’s On the Road video series. Here is a transcript of the video: The strange thing is, most of today’s alternators are more durable and generally
You need to update your truck shop software
Seriously, if you’re not sure if your shop software is updated, you should probably stop what you’re doing and check right now. If your truck shop scan tools and service software solutions don’t have the latest software build, update them now. It’s important that your shop’s diagnostic and scan tools operate the latest version in
Telematics solutions that can tell you if your truck has a service problem
Do I have a service problem? Whenever a fault code is triggered or a telematics alert goes out, it’s one of the first questions fleet managers have. Telematics systems are evolving to present information more actionable—providing guidance in the form of prescriptive maintenance—as opposed to alerts that don’t give you much direction. The onus of
What’s that liquid? Tips to tell if a truck is leaking coolant
If your driver is out on the road and notices liquid is leaking from the engine area, they might suspect it’s a coolant leak, but how can he or she know for sure? Click here to watch more of FE’s On the Road video series. Here is a transcript of the video: Complicating matters is
Time to take truck data rights seriously
Let’s get a hard data truth out of the way: You probably don’t own your truck’s data. You know those giant end-user license agreements (EULAs) that you scroll through and accept? Yeah, those are reason you don’t own your truck data. But you should have a say (a BIG say) in how that data is
