Watch: Are low rolling resistance tires right for your trucks?
Finding the right tire for your truck is wholly mysterious and inexplicable, and yet so rare, that the finest poets have never succeeded in fully expressing its joy. You see, choosing the right tire is no simple task, because tire companies today are manufacturing tires to fit very specific, niche applications. The fact that manufacturers
Watch: Prepare your trucks for the 3G sunset
Cellular providers like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint have all already begun to launch 5G networks, and while that means faster and more reliable service, it also means 3G networks need to get out of the way to meet increasing cellular bandwidth demands. Now is the time to take stock of what telematics devices will
Watch: 6×4 or 6×2 – What’s the right axle configuration for your truck?
For a long time, the standard was a 6×4 configuration in which both rear tandem axles receive power. Trucks came with 6×4 regardless of the jobs they were designed to do. However, some fleets and drivers have lately been switching to 6×2 configurations in which only one of the rear axles receives power. The other
Watch: Understanding the truck tire compounding process
Developing tire compounds is like baking bread. It takes just a few basic ingredients mixed together to make the basic recipe. Flour, water, yeast and sugar in the right amount and order will give you basic white bread. But it’s up to the chef to add in the extras, like sweeteners, seeds and butter, to
Watch: An electric truck charging infrastructure for your fleet’s needs
So, you’re ready to find a utility partner to establish your own electric truck charging infrastructure. You’ve already figured out your power needs and you start making calls, but there’s a problem – you quickly discover that heavy-duty charging infrastructure is basically the wild west. Kilowatt charging speed and capacity options are all on the
Watch: What’s next for heavy-duty truck engine oil technology?
In December 2016, two new oil categories were introduced by the American Petroleum Institute: CK-4 and FA-4. Today, these products have proven to be a boon to the industry. But what can we find on the horizon of engine oil technology? According to oil marketers, these new CK-4 and FA-4 oil categories are just the
Watch: Let your trucks’ engines hear what the OEMs have to say with over-the-air updates
It wasn’t so long ago that fleets could essentially only use their trucks’ data as a one-way transmission—streaming off of your trucks and into your telematics dashboard. Today, we can use that data as a full-blown, two-way heavy-duty dialogue thanks to over-the-air engine reprogramming. By taking advantage of cellular networks, OEMs can use over-the-air engine
Watch: How new trucking engine oils are tested
When developing and testing new engine oils, companies must strike a balance between fuel economy and product durability. Once the company has a formula that they feel is a winner, that’s when engine oil development lab testing can begin. And getting the formula just right requires more work in the lab than you might expect.
Watch: Three ways today’s electric trucks are inspiring the electric trucks of tomorrow
Electric trucks have hit the road. Right now, electric trucks from both Peterbilt and Kenworth are in use in California ports; electric Freightliner and Fuso models from Daimler Trucks North America are in use by customers; and Volvo Trucks and Mack both have their own electric models that debuted early this year. There’s a lot
Watch: Avoid downtime with the right electrical wiring specs
Lighting is one of the top three CSA violations, but it can be mitigated with the right electrical wiring specs. An electrical system failure can be serious, imparting onto your fleet fines and unwanted downtime, so invest wisely as you look to put the products on your equipment that will have the lowest total cost
Watch: We investigate the facts surrounding SmartWay-verified truck tires
SmartWay verification on your tires can be a great benchmark to aim for if you’re one of those fleets striving to squeeze every cent out of your fuel efficiency. In many cases, SmartWay tires can even offset lost miles to removal compared to deeper tread depths found on non-SmartWay verified tires. However, there are those
Watch: Implementing trailer tracking systems to streamline trucking operations
Real-time visibility into the location and status of assets has a direct impact on improving productivity and efficiency, and in lowering costs. But if you feel like you have too many dashboards already, it’s understandable you’d be hesitant to want to involve yourself with yet another one. So, we’ve put together four tips for implementing
