Fleet profile: Plastic Express drives for efficiency today and tomorrow
Plastics are everywhere. From automotive to construction to simple packaging, plastic products are possessed of a ubiquity almost like no other. Nearly all of the plastic around you has, at some time, been on the back of a truck. Based out of City of Industry, Calif., Plastic Express is an operation that is an almost
Smoot Brothers Transportation: Conquering CSA citations
Smoot Brothers Transportation (SBT) was founded in 1988—with one truck—by Mike and Matt Smoot. In 1991, Kenny Smoot, who is now the vice president, joined his brothers in the company. SBT has since grown to more than 50 trucks and can be seen on highways across the entire continental United States and Canada. The fleet
Five truck trend takeaways from August
1. It’s time to start preparing for GHG Phase 2 “The new standards separate rules for engines and vehicles, an approach that some manufacturers supported while others preferred a single standard. In general, industry reaction was positive.” It’s time to gear up for phase 2 of greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards. The new standards
Upgraded dealer service relationships
What do you expect from your dealership? I’ll bet top on your list is throughput time; in other words, how much time it takes for the vehicle to enter the shop, be serviced, and get back on the road making money. Also on your list might be parts availability, quality of repairs and service, attitude
Five truck trend takeaways from July
1. The summer months spell trouble for truck tires Rubber on the road, more commonly called “road alligators,” increase dramatically on the nation’s highways during the summer driving season. The majority of the motoring public clearly believes that these road alligators are caused by bad retreads; this is just not accurate. The alligators on the
Class 8 used truck prices flat in May
ACT Research Co. released its State of the Industry report on US Class 8 truck sales and prices and found that volumes fell in May but were up over the year, while prices have remained flat. ACT, one of the foremost sources for new and used commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis and forecasting services
In the driver’s seat
There has been a lot of talk about autonomous trucks of late. Note, please, that the talk has been about autonomous trucks and not driverless trucks. Had there been at any point—in no order of particular preference—a toaster oven or the collected works of Robert G. Ingersoll within reaching distance of the steering wheel this,
Bold, meet efficiency: The Western Star 5700XE rolls out
“Bold,” “burly” and “workhorse” are just a few adjectives that often describe Western Star’s hard-working trucks. You can add “efficient” to that long list of superlatives as the Western Star 5700XE rolls off the line and onto roads across the country. The 5700XE is Western Star’s first fully aerodynamic truck, and it’s the marriage of
Investing in aerodynamics to improve fuel efficiency
Wind resistance is a total drag—literally. Wind resistance is one of the top forces working against the truck as it runs down the road. (The other factors being: grade resistance; tire rolling resistance; and engine accessory and/or drivetrain losses, according to Cummins MPG Guide: “Secrets of better fuel economy”.) Did you know that every 2%
Three ways 6x2s are winning over fleets
Often times, any topic filled with apprehension can be seen in a new light thanks to a bit of old fashion education. There’s no clearer example of that than the growing interest in 6×2 axle configurations from fleets across the country. In the past, fleets had three main concerns with 6×2 axle configurations: 1. Traction;
