Addressing uptime and driver retention with the proper equipment

Addressing uptime and driver retention with the proper equipment

Two things that are on fleet managers’ minds pretty much every day: uptime and driver retention. Both are a real struggle for any fleet manager, and many (if not most) equipment decisions are made with these two struggles in mind.

truckdriver-600x300

Two things that are on fleet managers’ minds pretty much every day: uptime and driver retention. Fleet managers want their trucks out on the road generating revenue as much as possible, and they want the drivers of those trucks to stick around, without having to constantly look for replacements.

Both are a real struggle for any fleet manager, and many (if not most) equipment decisions are made with these two struggles in mind. Hendrickson’s ZMD air spring is made to address both of these concerns. ZMD stands for Zero Maintenance Damping; and that phrase—”zero maintenance”—was the focus of its design.

Hendrickson began this project looking for a way to replace the shock absorber, a frequent source of downtime, while retaining its crucial role in the suspension’s mechanics. Shock absorbers, Hendrickson says, tended to wear down over time, reducing damping performance and leading to extra maintenance and roadside inspection violations. Testing began as far back as 2009, and the result was ZMD. ZMD comes standard on Hendrickson’s Ultraa-K suspension and is an option on certain Vantraax and Intraax systems.

According to Hendrickson, the way it works is that the ZMD air spring exchanges pressurized air between the bellows and piston through channels that interconnect to provide continuous suspension damping. This performs the suspension damping function that would usually be filled by the shock.

“After a few years of development testing in our research and development lab, Hendrickson dialed in an air spring design that could effectively replace the damping function of the shock,” said Don Hester, program manager for trailer commercial vehicle systems with Hendrickson. “The ZMD air spring, which has an extended warranty period over a standard air spring, has no hydraulic fluid or internal moving parts. Instead, by using pressurized air, ZMD provides consistent damping over its lifetime, unlike a hydraulic shock absorber, which loses damping capacity over time.”

But there’s another benefit to ZMD, and that’s the improved ride experienced by drivers. To hear Hendrickson tell it, the ride improvement was never intentional; it was simply a very positive byproduct of the design.

“Once we were confident in our design, we worked with our fleet partners to deploy test units into the field,” Hester said. “Nearly immediately, we received feedback from drivers that the ZMD system provided a significantly better ride over existing suspension designs. Further field trials corroborated the driver experience. Similar to the way standard air ride suspensions achieve variable spring rates via pressure adjustment through the height control valve, suspension damping is tailored to the load with ZMD air springs. By eliminating the shock absorber, which transmits forces to the trailer that can be felt by the driver, drivers report feeling less ‘back slap’ or ‘kidney punch.’”

This is especially true when the trailer is unloaded, as the air ride suspensions adjust to the reduced weight while spring suspensions do not and that difference is felt in the ride.

“The idea of eliminating a service item like shocks is exciting for fleet service managers, especially as the availability of trained technicians continues to be a challenge in our industry,” Hester said. “The investment in ZMD technology can pay dividends once the vehicle has been in service for a couple of years. The drivers, however, see and feel the value immediately. It doesn’t take long for an experienced driver who logs hundreds of miles operating an 80,000-lb. vehicle to appreciate ZMD’s ride.”

When you think of equipment that helps retain drivers, creature comforts immediately come to mind, but don’t overlook the operational benefits of hard-working components such as axles and suspensions. In the case of the ZMD, it’s an example of how equipment manufacturers aim to prove out both the ROI of the equipment itself and the value it holds for the driver, which is something that can be hard to determine, as it’s often an either/or proposition. But why choose one or the other when you can have both?

Check out the rest of the July digital edition of Fleet Equipment here.

You May Also Like

New ways to help your trucks maintain the proper tire pressure

Let’s take a look at some of the new products that are helping trucking companies get the most ROI out of their tires.

Tire-Care-Generic-800x400

As evidenced by all the new tire inflation offerings at this year’s NACV show back in October, new technology is allowing fleets to keep a closer eye on tire pressure. Let’s take a look at some of the new products that are helping trucking companies get the most ROI out of their tires:

What’s behind the slow adoption of FA-4 oil?

Introduced three years ago, the American Petroleum Institute (API)’s CK-4 and FA-4 oil categories were billed as the next generation of oil, improving on the engine protection and fuel economy benefits offered by previous engine oil categories.

Slow-Adoption-Oil-800x400
How will today’s ‘customer focus’ translate to tomorrow’s electric trucks?

Over the past three years, OEMs have invested heavily in driver-focused equipment benefits—from cozy creature comforts to uptime- and productivity-boosting technology. Today, significant R&D investment is going into the development of electric trucks—probing the possibilities of untested powertrains in hopes of producing a product that meets application needs.

Volvo-electric-truck-VNR-800x400
Benchmarking success: Utility fleets are using performance metrics to drive measurable improvements

Fleet executives at the annual Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC), discussed benchmarking. For fleet managers on the panel, using data and performance metrics is a means of showing opportunities for improvement, through which cost savings can be realized.

International-800x400
Sleeper supremacy: A focus on the customer has led to more fleets spec’ing large, decked-out sleepers

Across the business world, companies are becoming more and more interested in emulating the success of Amazon. It’s a model that many truck OEMs are now following as they sharpen their focus on fleet customers, learn what equipment will meet the customers’ needs and deliver the products that they want.

Peterbilt-sleeper-800x400

Other Posts

Hendrickson acquires Brunner Inc.

Brunner will operate as a division of Hendrickson Brake and Wheel End and its approximately 325 employees will become employees of Hendrickson.

business-handshake-generic
Raising expectations: Three ways tractor lift axles boost efficiency, savings

There is value that goes beyond decreased tire wear when spec’ing lift axles Lift axles aren’t the first axle option that comes to mind for long-haul, over-the-road applications. But fleet managers would be wise to reconsider their go-to spec when looking to boost fuel efficiency and equipment operation savings. Sure, there’s the obvious benefit of

Why it might be time to reconsider a 6×2 with liftable axles

Let’s talk about the 6×2 elephant in the room and how new equipment technology is addressing it.

optimax-1400
When should you adjust slack adjusters?

Essential maintenance tips for heavy-duty truck slack adjusters in truck safety to ensure optimal brake performance.

wheel-motor-1400