Five truck trend takeaways from July

We know it’s not easy to keep up with everything that happens in the world of trucking. So here are the biggest stories from July focused on the latest truck trends, all in one place.

5. Electrification is coming, but where will it be put to work?

Consider July’s magazine the unofficial Fleet Equipment electrification issue. Four out of six editors agree—there’s something electric crackling in the air. Alex Crissey reviews electrification in refuse applications; Seth Skydel hooks you up with electric power takeoff technology; John Martin name-drops UPS experimenting with fuel cell technology; and Editor Jason Morgan caught up with Julie Furber, Cummins’ electrification business development executive director, who made no bones about Cummins’ expanding power strategies.

4. The evolution and benefits of reman engines

These days, there are even more advantages to purchasing reconditioned/remanufactured engines than there have been in the past. Editor-at-Large Carol Birkland takes a deep dive on the topic.

3. Optimizing truck tire inflation pressure in the summer

“The sweltering summer season is when the nation’s highways seem to have more tire debris littering the roads. These road alligators can be dangerous. Drivers slaloming to avoid the alligators can cause accidents. If you do run over this road debris, the combination of steel and rubber can damage your vehicle and sometimes even fly up and hit another vehicle.”

Tire & Wheel columnist Al Cohn goes over tips to make sure your trucks aren’t responsible for those road alligators littering the highways.

2. Fleets that carry refrigerated foods need to comply with FSMA regulations—here’s how

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) looms large for fleets that carry refrigerated foods. The new standards were drawn up and passed by the Obama administration in order to proactively reduce the number of foodborne illness incidents in the U.S. FSMA went into effect this past April for larger carriers (more than 500 employees), while the compliance date for smaller fleets (fewer than 500 employees) is April 2018. The laws will require new levels of compliance for carriers of refrigerated food, with new, more stringent standards on cleanliness and temperature needing to be met.”

Associate Editor Alex Crissey talked with trailer manufacturers and technology companies to find out how fleets can make sure they comply with the new standards.