Preparing Your Truck and Yourself For Winter Driving

With winter just a few weeks away, this seems an appropriate time to discuss winter weather preparation and driving.

Bad Weather And Wrecks

The majority of weather-related auto accidents in the U.S. occur in late fall and winter. This fact shows the importance of getting your rig and yourself ready for winter driving.

Think Tires

Run tires with lug tread on your driving wheels. The deeper track on lugs makes them better suited to winter driving. Cold lowers tire pressure so check your air pressure regularly. Continually inspect your tires for signs they need replacement. Use tire spray to gauge road conditions. Lots of tire spray, the roads are just wet. A reduction in the mist indicates icing.

Emergency Supply Kit

There is always the risk of becoming stranded in a storm. Carry extra clothing, including shoes and socks in case the clothes you are wearing get wet. Keep a folding shovel, sand, and tire chains handy and pack water and protein bars. Remember a flashlight, cellphone charger, and a blanket.

Pressure Test

With the heater control valves on and the engine cold, pressure test your cooling system and the radiator cap. Check for hoses that are hardened, cracked, or softened. Make sure hose clamps are secure. Replace the warm weather water/antifreeze mix with straight antifreeze.

Braking

To keep your brake lines from freezing, routinely inspect the air dryer and air dryer filter. On slick roads allow at least ten times the usual braking distance. Pump rather than slam on the brakes. Sometimes, it's better to maneuver around an obstacle than to use the binders. Remember, that mound of snow could be a car.

Load Test Your Battery

Load test your battery to be sure it has enough life left to get through the winter. On the subject of things electrical, use headlights when visibility is reduced. Don't use cruise control if you are using your wipers. Pay extra close attention to the taillights ahead of you.

Carry Anti-Gel

Gelling from cold temperature turns diesel fuel to wax. To keep your engine running in wintry climes, use a high cetane (55) fuel and anti-gel. Always have extra anti-gel on hand. You might also think about installing a block heater.

Intersections And Ramps

When roads are slippery and visibility is reduced, use extra caution at intersections. Even if you have the green light, double-check that another vehicle isn't sliding through the opposite corner. On hazardous roads, disengage the engine brake when approaching a bridge or ramp. Remember, bridge decks freeze before pavement.

Use The AC

Yes, we are still talking about winter driving. Running the air conditioner helps the defrosters work more efficiently. Clean your lights, mirrors and reflectors. To determine a safe following distance start counting after the lead vehicle passes a marker like a road sign. If you pass the marker before getting to 15, you are following too closely.

Examining Fuel Management & Your Fleet Bottom Line

Managing fuel costs isn’t just watching pump prices. It’s as much steering drivers to preferred fuel suppliers and considering off route distances and fuel grades as it is using the latest tech and finding eco-friendly solutions.

Fleet owners and drivers have to keep an eye on costs and fuel consumption. Not doing so threatens the bottom line. Here are factors that can benefit fleet fuel management.

Fuel Types & Their Differences

Finding the best fuel type remains a priority.

Propane Autogas

Less than 3% of propane autogas is manufactured internationally. This solution's local production promises better price per gallon stability. Its production is also an eco-friendly solution.

Renewable Diesel

Though renewable diesel has a heftier per gallon price, it improves vehicle performance. There are fewer maintenance and repair costs. This is because the oil’s production leaves almost no impurities that harm an engine.

Keeping Sound Recording of Fuel Costs

If fueling on-site, you have to stay on point with consumption. It’s highly recommended fleets utilize inventory control systems. You want to compare fueling records with retail fuel purchase to manage overlaps.

Depending on consumption, this can be a big job. The latest technology alleviates the process. Management can see real-time data and receive alerts for irregularities.

Auto or Manual Transmission

Advancements in technology flips the idea manual trannys are better at fuel economy. Automatic solutions are extremely sophisticated. With their algorithms, you get an optimized mesh of performance and fuel economy.

With auto options, there is a learning curve for getting peak performance for a fleet. Settings may need customizing for specific engines. It's worth the effort as adjustments can save on mpg and maximize torque.

Gamification Apps

A gamification app tracks productivity. It prompts agenda plans and goals. You can use one to track fuel costs vs. budgeting. It highlights savings and makes reaching financial goals more attainable.

With a gamification app, you’ll have daily fuel management scorecards for drivers. They’ll see how hard braking and speeding impacts fuel economy. Drivers will know how to self-correct driving behaviors.

Tracking Fleet Cards

Tracking purchases via company cards gets complicated. Fleets may contain different types of vehicles and use various cards. Work with a company that accommodates single card use but also manages light, medium and heavy trucks. This lets you track fuel use without managing multiple data sources.

Not all fleets need this design. Each company requires specific needs and not necessarily blanket coverage. The manager of your fuel supply needs a firm understanding of your needs, the market and how to address issues concerning your business.

CO2 Emission Tracking

Reducing your footprint helps the bottom line. Managing guidelines for controlling greenhouse gas emissions may earn tax benefits. Adjustments can lead to better fuel efficiency. And comparing vehicle performance shows which trucks can perform better.

Your due diligence is critical to fleet fuel management. Driver behavior, upgrading tech and equipment and more are great opportunities to design streamlined fuel consumption. These all play a role in fuel use, costs and profit margins.

Sources:
https://www.worktruckonline.com/322139/8-fuel-management-trends-to-follow
https://www.worktruckonline.com/157166/effectively-managing-fuel-in-truck-fleets
https://clevertap.com
https://www.gofleet.com

 

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Robots and AI in Trucking

Businesses depend on the trucks for the movement of their goods. America has more than 3.5 million trucks on the road. From medical supply, groceries, sanitizing supplies, and many others, they all need this automobile industry's services. The changing times have posed a significant challenge to fleet owners, managers, mechanics, and sector employees.

This sector recorded a great profit before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out this year.
However, government fleets were not massively affected compared to heavy-duty private trucks. The epidemic retarded the growth rate of the sector, and many jobs were lost.

Read on to find out current technological trends affecting the trucking industry.

Robotic Automation

The use of robots has ensured that the repetitive processes that were initially done manually are automated. Loading and offloading used to be done manually, and many people earn their daily earning through it. Automation increases the output, and business productivity is enhanced.

Recording clerks during the loading and offload process can be re-assigned to other duties. Conversely, many truck companies have not yet adopted the strategy. If it is utilized, it will boost the business. Regrettably, many will lose their jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

The trucking sector is adopting A.I. There are essential data that will require detailed analysis that human is likely to err. This will ensure that most decisions are made faster, and employees can shift their focus on providing the process works.

Efficient and effective delivery is the core business of the trucking sector. The exact date and information should accompany the freight on transit. On the other hand, the truck managers should ensure this data is transmitted to the container destination via artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence will ensure that all the data on the trucks and loads are reliable. It will also replace the tedious paperwork. However, it will come with operating costs that will affect the net profit.

Autonomous trucks

Trucking companies have started adopting autonomous trucks technologies. It works by alerting the receiver of the departure and arrival times of his consignment.

It is trending news in the USA that driverless trucks are in the offing. However, electric trucks are already on the road. This has affected the price of diesel-powered engines. Companies are looking forward to adapting to new technology, which has caused severe industry challenges.

Autonomous trucks will affect both manual fleet owners and mechanics. Therefore, they will have to upgrade their skills.

Electronic Logging devices

The coming into effect of the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) is slowing the movement of goods. All trucks are required by law to be equipped with ELD. The idea is to bring effectiveness in the management of the trucking industry. However, ensuring that all the trucks are equipped with this technological device is expensive and time-consuming.

In conclusion, the trucking sector continues to experience many trends and news that affect its profitability. With the emergence of automation trucks and electric fleets, the diesel engine trucks and manual operated will become obsolete with time. The introduction of robotics and intelligence renders truck workers jobless.

New York Unveils Eco Friendly Garbage Truck

Mack LR Electric Garbage Truck In New York City

 

Mack Trucks finally unveiled their fully electric Mack LR truck. New York City’s sanitation department will begin utilizing the state-of-the-art vehicle on its routes and its results will be analyzed and review to see if the technology is beneficial to collection routes.

The Mac actually houses two motors that are 130-kW Together have a horsepower of 496. Though electrically powered the Mack Truck can give the same level of power and stability that trucks with traditional engines can.

The unveiling has been anticipated for quite some time as the city of New York has been planning to increase its environmental efforts and reduce fleet maintenance costs with similar rollouts of electric technology.

These advancements will benefit said routes will affect the city's bottom line and ensure its citizens get an even better refuse collection service.

The new electrically powered Mack truck is a brilliant innovation that allows for low noise emitted from the engine and introduces clean energy into the world of heavy trucking.

Dirty Energy Used By Most Cities

Typically, heavy trucks cause much environmental damage and until now there have been no viable solutions to solve the damage caused by the dirtier energy these industrial trucks produce.

These traditional types of large vehicles are used by cities all over the US at stunning rates and most still use environmentally damaging engines.

This new advancement, if tested and proven to be a viable option for cities, could change the environmental Landscape by a large margin. City-operated vehicles contribute to greenhouse gases significantly.

Largest Sanitation Department

New York actually has the biggest Sanitation department in the world. 12,000 tons of garbage is collected each day from the city's five boroughs. Most of the fleet for the sanitation department is made up of these mack trucks.

Reducing greenhouse gases has been a goal of New York City for a while and they aim to decrease these greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035. This new electric Mack truck will be a major benefit to that goal.

New York is actually the first to test this new electric Mack truck and several different factors will come into play when analyzing the performance of the vehicle. This includes the capacity of the payload, the range in which it can operate, and the actual functionality of the vehicle.

Other Innovations Coming

Another company called Nikola is promising to bring to market a semi-truck that utilizes hydrogen fuel cells to power its engine. However, they have not made the vehicle available to public or private users as the Mack Truck company has.

Companies may use city and state departments to test their environmentally friendly Vehicles as many cities often have the infrastructure to accommodate real-world testing.

Demonstrations were held in Allentown, Pa. and included the mack truck being driven around a testing course. This testing course mimicked real-life situations such as stop and go traffic and extremely tight turns so as to give the testers the best understanding of what it would be like actually having to drive this vehicle.

The Present and Future of Automated Trucking

Driverless technology has extended to cars, pickup trucks, and now commercial trucks that take up most of the road. This means that there is no driver controlling the vehicle, or there may be a driver who is monitoring the system but not steering the wheel. Autonomous trucking is already here, but many people wonder if it will grow or decline in popularity.

The Present State of Driverless Trucks

Autonomous trucking has already appeared in a small percentage of trucking companies. Prototypes are being driven out on the public roads. Driverless trucks save companies tens of thousands of dollars a year. The companies that manufacture these vehicles make millions per year. However, the livelihoods of countless truck drivers are at risk.

The Importance of Road Tests

In the U.S. alone, truckers transport the majority of the country's goods for retail stores, office buildings, homes, restaurants and most other businesses. Trucking is a necessary part of life, but many people are concerned about 30,000 pounds of steel speeding down a crowded road with no driver. For this reason, many companies are going through test modes. And the tests are proving to be successful for the most part.

Growing Confidence in its Technology

During tests, it's recommended that a real-life trucker sits in the passenger seat as a backup driver. Truckers with decades of experience are confident in the technology's efficiency. Brand-name retail and shipping companies use autonomous trucks that cost nearly $250,000. This cost is not too expensive compared to paying the annual salaries of several truckers, which vary from $40,000 to $60,000. In addition, automated trucks can reach their destinations in fewer days with fewer breaks.

TuSimple is one type of company that has fleets working on the road. The computer system collects a large amount of data, including maps and driving routes. This collective data is used to improve its driving performance on the road and make it more superior than that of a human.

The workdays of commercial truck drivers are numbered as they are gradually being replaced by smart technology. Autonomous cars and trucks are real and being used for personal and commercial purposes. In the future, drivers should expect to see more of these high-tech vehicles on public roads and highways.

Top 5 trends affecting trucking in 2020 and 2021

The trucking industry has experienced a plethora of changes affecting operations, truck manufacturing, and the complex way in which the industry markets overall.

Especially with the 2020 pandemic, companies and retailers have had to come up with flexible ways to continue their transport efforts and even increase them with new and innovative ideas.

Though this year has been particularly difficult, the rapid growth of innovation and the increase in the production of the trucking industry have been numerous in number and overall variety.

Below are the top five trends that are currently affecting and drastically changing the trucking industry.

1. Change in Location of Production

Some of the biggest trucking companies in the nation have typically kept their production locations the same as this has allowed them to increase efficiency and stable structure over the years.

With the restructuring many companies have had to endure, increasing the agility of these production locations have become the primary focus of many trucking companies

Dry van production locations are shifting to various Midwest states such as Illinois and Ohio.

Reefers have been seen to change production location to California.

And flatbeds are beginning to increase their production locations in areas such as Pennsylvania and Texas.

2. New technology

The integration of technology has not been lost on the trucking industry. Software programs to increase the efficiency of trucking companies’ operations have been integral to the industry's continued growth and survival.

Trucks are increasingly being outfitted with more advanced technology to improve the vehicles themselves and improve the tracking of shipments and goods they carry from one location to another.

This also allows for better communication with customers as to where when and how their shipments are being managed.

3. E-commerce

The influence of this new way of shopping online has greatly affected the trucking industry. Trucking companies have had to become more agile in their distribution because of the growth of this fast-paced online market.

The ability of distributors to adapt to the new e-commerce environment is key for each company's longevity. The e-commerce industry is inevitably tied to the trucking industry, however, it will be the companies with the highest ability to serve the online market that will succeed.

4. Increasing Urbanization

The trucking industry is and will continue to be supported by increasing the urbanization of towns and cities. Increased connection between city centers and rural areas will only improve the ability of distributors to get their products to consumers.

5. Analytics

The operation of data analytics not only runs the agility of most companies today but is a very important technological advancement for trucking companies. Introducing these analytics to trucking companies’ workforce, vehicle usage and routes, and their end-user experiences can have major impacts on companies’ flexibility and positively affect their bottom line.

Using this data will also allow them to predict future workforce strategies and also customer needs which will allow them to get ahead of future market changes.

Annual DOT Inspection Tips For Fleet Managers

Semi Truck Inspection And Repair

Passing the annual DOT (Department Of Transportation) inspection is essential to the smooth operation of your trucking business. Failure to pass the inspection can lead to a loss in profits for your business due to a dented reputation, increased insurance premiums, or even blacklisting.

Fortunately, though, you can increase the likelihood of passing the DOT inspection by simply preparing accordingly.

Read on below to find out more about how you can pass your upcoming annual DOT inspection.

Who And What Is Subject To A DOT Inspection?

According to FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) regulations, different types of vehicle fleets are subject to the annual DOT inspection. In fact, you don’t have to be in the transportation business for your fleet to be subjected to an inspection. Regardless of whether you own or manage a small or large fleet, you should always be ready for a DOT inspection (scheduled or unscheduled).

In most cases, the annual DOT inspection is done on CMVs (Commercial Motor Vehicles) that weigh more than 10,000 pounds. With that in mind, any vehicle fleet, including public utility vehicles, delivery vehicles, rental car fleets and trucking fleets (tractor and trailer), satisfying this condition can be subjected to a DOT inspection.

What Is Included In An Annual DOT Inspection?

A DOT inspection is made up of six different categories. The person conducting the inspection will go through all of these categories rating each one as unsatisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory.

Here’s a brief breakdown of the categories:

1. General Category: Here, the inspector will check the company’s general documents including accident register, vehicle markings, liability cover, training records for drivers and MCS 90 or MCS 82 form that is countersigned by the insurer.

2. Driver Category: Involves a review of the driver’s qualifications and other pertinent information in their employee file.

3. Operational Category: This stage focuses on the review of driver logs, which may be in soft or hard copy format, to ensure that the recommended CMV limitations are not exceeded.

4. Vehicle Category: In this stage, the inspector looks to see whether you, the carrier, have a well-maintained fleet of vehicles. This involves the inspection of all records that document the inspection and maintenance or repair of each of the vehicles in the fleet.

5. Hazardous Materials Category: This stage involves checking whether carriers that are involved in the transportation of hazardous materials strictly adhere to the necessary federal guidelines. These guidelines are normally updated on a regular basis.

6. Accident Category: Here, the inspector goes through the company’s accident record. The records cover any incident that results in vehicle damage, bodily injury or death.

Vehicle Documentation Requirements

You will need to put together a list of documents in preparation for your upcoming DOT inspection. These include:

• A collection of employee files on all drivers and their training records

• Detailed vehicle registration information

• List of drivers your company has used over the past calendar year, their date of birth, state and license number of their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) as well as the date they were hired, and fired where applicable.

• Payroll records for all drivers

• Records on all accidents over the last year

• List of the company’s equipment and their GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), license number, company number, state, make and year

• The gross revenue of the company for the past year

• DVIRs (Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports) covering the last three months

• Lease contracts, if any, and associated maintenance records for the vehicles

• Information on insurance claims for the past year

• Total mileage covered by the fleet for the last 12 months

• The past year’s roadside inspection reports

• Driver logs, expense records, and trip reports for the last 6 months

• The company’s Controlled Substance and Alcohol Policy as well as a testing record for employees

While it might be challenging to collect all this paperwork, using fleet tracking software might make things much easier, and help you stay as organized as possible.

Maintenance And Repair History

The main purpose of a DOT inspection is to ensure that every part of your Commercial Motor Vehicle is safe, in the best condition, and working properly. As such, it is important that you put in place a regular schedule to ensure that the following parts of your vehicles are properly maintained:

• Wheels, hubs, rims, and tires

• Braking systems

• Emergency doors

• Fuel and exhaust systems

• Seat belts

• Electrical cables

• Steering and suspension systems

• Coupling systems

• Windshield wipers

• Lighting systems and lights

Summary

From the above, it is clear to see that passing an annual DOT inspection can be quite challenging for Commercial Motor Vehicle fleet owners and managers, regardless of whether they are new to the industry or not. However, you can easily pass the DOT inspection with better organization and proper preparation. To that end, having the right fleet management software can prove to be invaluable.

Survey Says! Top Trucking Industry Issues In 2020

Semi Truck And Trailer At AirportThe 2020 Top Industry Issues Survey Provides Data That Benefits The Trucking Industry

A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit the American Transportation Research Institute's focus is on making the transportation of freight by truck more efficient, safer, and more secure. For 66 years, the ATRI has collected and analyzed data on issues affecting truckers. The 2020 survey of truckers' concerns is currently open. The information collected will be used to research solutions to the topics respondents rate most important.

The Questionaire

Open to anyone who works in trucking the questionaire is completed online. The gathering of data for this year began on 8 September. The deadline for participation is 16 October. The questionnaire consists of three parts.

  • Information about the participant
  • The three most important industry concerns
  • Respondent concerns not otherwise listed

The results of the study become public on 27 October.

Why The Survey Matters

Stressing the brevity of the survey form Randy Guillot, the American Transportation Research Institute Chairman, described the importance of the information gathered as “immeasurable.” Completing the survey gives voice to those whose livelihood depends on the trucking industry.

ATRI Research

A lack of safe parking for drivers who have reached their maximum number of driving hours is a perennial issue. The efficient locating of available parking is just one of the matters for which the American Transportation Research Institute is seeking a solution.

The GPS Parking Supply Study

An increase in the number of trucks on the road, the utilization of former parking places for other purposes, and a lack of land to build new parking areas are to blame for the shortage of safe places for drivers to stop and rest. Recently, the ATRI conducted a two-part study addressing the locating of rest areas. Both parts involved using a truck's GPS to aid truckers in locating available parking.

Part 1

Part 1 of the study concentrated on four truck stop sites in Minnesota. GPS data was analyzed to determine the availability of truck parking. The break down of data collected included the time-of-day and day-of-the-week.

Part 2

During the second phase of the GPS study, the American Transportation Institute tested methods for relaying parking availability to truck drivers.

  • Electronic signs
  • A web portal
  • Direct messaging to the truck

The University of Minnesota worked in conjunction with ATRI in this study.

Conclusions

Both the use of GPS and the above-listed approaches proved viable in guiding commercial drivers to available resting places. As a secondary benefit of not having to search blindly for a parking place, driver efficiency improved.

More About The ATRI

The American Transportation Research Institute provides advisory services to 31 Departments of Transportation. The institute oversees the U.S. DOT's Freight Mobility Program. Intelligent Transportation Systems America and the Institute of Transportation Engineers have helped finance ARTI's efforts on behalf of the cartage industry. All information compiled by ARTI is available online free-of-charge at truckingresearch.org.

 

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