An at-a-glance look at PACCAR OTA engine reprogramming
Peterbilt and Kenworth have both joined the OTA engine reprogramming space since the last time we covered this topic in 2018 (you can find that story here). Here’s a quick run-down on getting started with OTA updates from those companies: Peterbilt Peterbilt Class 8 trucks with a model year 2017 or newer PACCAR MX-13 and
Don’t ‘yada yada yada’ the OTA engine reprogramming details
What’s the deal with over-the-air engine reprogramming? That’s no Seinfeld bit – it’s what OEMs are starting to hear from customers every day. Most manufacturers who offer it say OTA reprogramming had already been steadily gaining traction pre-pandemic among fleets looking for a boost in engine effectiveness and reliability. Today, the contactless nature of this
Smoking is expensive: How proper maintenance can help avoid tire burnouts
Smoking is expensive! Now, before anyone thinks I am going off on a tangent lamenting the cost of a pack of smokes, rest assured that is not on the agenda. The smoking under consideration here produces the unmistakable aroma often noticeable at intersections or from the underside of a trailer just before a shower of
Peterbilt GM Jason Skoog charts today’s truck support, tomorrow’s truck solutions
Peterbilt made headlines recently when it became the first major North American OEM to open orders for an electric truck, the Peterbilt 220EV. In this exclusive interview, Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Vice President Jason Skoog details the technology investments that are keeping fleets productive during this year’s trying pandemic and laying the groundwork for
How retreaders have survived the pandemic
As the curtains closed on 2019, retreading companies were feeling generally optimistic about their expectations for the new decade. The U.S. retread industry was in the upswing, bouncing back from a challenging few years in the commercial truck tire sector, and all signs pointed to continued progress, says David Stevens, managing director for the Tire
Can a change in application impact your truck axles?
The easy answer to the headline question is: Yes! The more complicated answer to the seemingly simple follow up: How? … that will take some explaining. The impact on your equipment operation The pandemic put all fleets in a do-what-you-gotta-do predicament. With so much uncertainty, no one could fault you for rolling your trucks into
Your questions about electric trucks, answered
Despite the many unexpected challenges that 2020 has brought to every industry, progress towards electrification continues in the trucking industry. For evidence of that, look no further than the plethora of electrification news that the late summer brought us, from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA)’s Customer Experience fleet of companies that will test eCascadia and
Answering your tire pressure management questions
You’ve heard the stats: tires are the second-highest annual cost for the average fleet, behind fuel; and a major component of that is tire pressure. But why is that, and what can you do about it? FE spoke with many major players in the truck tire industry to answer your biggest questions about tire pressure
Fleet Profile: Queen Transportation & Logistics
Since 2006, the family-owned Queen Transportation & Logistics has been focused on providing shippers with trucking and logistics services they can always trust, notes Daniel Queen, the fleet’s vice president. “Our customers appreciate our ‘whatever-it-takes’ spirit and our expertise in meeting their transportation needs,” Queen says. “What really sets us apart from the competition, however,
Must-do truck battery maintenance in the shop
You want to catch as many potential truck battery problems before they happen as you can, and that means checking the truck electrical system during preventative maintenance. Here’s how to get started. First, safety. “Technicians should always follow the shop rules for PPE equipment,” said Larry Rambeaux, sales application engineer for Purkeys. “The most obvious
Addressing advanced driver assistance system differences
Every piece of trucking equipment has its nuances. It’s those little operational differences that add up to big fuel efficiency savings while boosting productivity. When it comes to safety, you want to make sure that the truck safety systems work how you expect them to—seat belts click, trucks stop when you apply the brakes. But
Hidden pearls of mechanic wisdom
Virtually every technician in the vehicle service industry with more than a few years of experience knows the mechanic proverbs passed from one generation to the next. These proverbs are basic wisdom in a simple, yet memorable form that help the technician in performing maintenance and repairs. It really is okay to admit that the
