Let’s talk progress!
Some of you may recall the iconic drawings of detective Dick Tracy, of comic book fame, talking into his wristwatch—most likely relaying valuable information back to headquarters. I doubt that when those drawings were penned anyone looking at them thought that some day we’d have the capability to talk into wristwatch type-devices. Yet here we
Mitigating collisions with the latest in safety systems
At the 2015 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Jack Van Steenburg, assistant administrator and chief safety officer at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), reported on trends in commercial motor vehicle safety. Citing 2013 data on crashes involving large trucks, Van Steenburg indicated that the increase from 2012 was less than half that in
Reman powertrains offer optimum TCO, ROI
Getting the most out of your investment is key to maximizing total cost of ownership (TCO) and getting the best return on investment (ROI). One way to achieve those goals is to purchase remanufactured powertrain components. With the high-quality remanufacturing procedures offered today by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which go beyond just restoring component to
‘We don’t need a revolution’
“Sometimes customers ask me, ‘Should we wait [to buy trucks]? When is your best truck coming?’ I tell them: If you wait, you’ll wait forever because the best truck is the one you’re getting today from us,” Martin Daum, president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks of North America, said to a room of
The latest in OE natural gas offerings
Revised in the fall of 2014, the Heavy-duty Truck and Bus Natural Gas Vehicle Technology Roadmap by the California Hybrid, Efficient and Advanced Truck (CalHEAT) Research Center operated by CALSTART concludes that, “The recent increase in supply of natural gas in the United States along with a highly attractive price point, nearly half that of
The value of safety
Standing in the presence of the country’s top 19 professional truck drivers who were named to captain ATA’s America’s Road Team, one stat stood out among all others—30.3 million combined accident-free miles. These drivers are the face of the 3.2 million professional drivers on the road today, and their outstanding safety records are humble reminders
Conducting your truck fleet in 2015
I’ve always had a soft spot for classical music. There’s something about all the individual instruments coming together to make moving, powerful music. It’s not unlike spec’ing a truck. As a fleet manager, you carefully determine what truck equipment instrument goes where to create an application-specific, street-savvy rolling symphony. Taking the first step into the
What’s trucking’s biggest equipment trend?
Without a doubt, the heavy-duty trucking industry took one of its biggest leaps forward in 2014 in terms of getting the latest equipment technologies into fleets and on the road. There was no shortage of efficiency solutions as truck OEs and suppliers showcased everything from downsped engines and integrated powertrains to aerodynamic packages and vehicle connectivity
Mack Truck’s new Uptime Center demonstrates commitment to service, support
Printed on a wall inside Mack Trucks’ new 123,000-sq.-ft. Uptime Center in Greensboro, N.C., is a quote that reads, “When a truck is down our customer’s business stops.” For that reason, Mack Trucks put its technology and personnel together in an environment designed to increase its customers’ uptime. The Uptime Center is a Volvo Group
A smile and positive attitude delights truck operators
A welcoming handshake and a genuine, “How can I help you?” attitude are key requirements to delight and maintain fleet owners’ business at a growing full-service truck dealership, and that’s exactly what this writer received at Nextran’s Mack-Volvo facility in Lake City, Fla. Jon Pritchett, president and chief executive officer, Nextran Truck Centers, and Don
