Beyond those mentioned in our feature story about how to keep batteries in good shape for the winter, many of the battery maintenance steps you need to take should occur long before that season. It all goes back to that summer heat issue.
When it comes to truck maintenance, choosing the right replacement part is an all-important step. But in the crowded commercial vehicle aftermarket, making that choice can be confusing, especially when selecting remanufactured and rebuilt components.
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) was named as one of the recipients awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the third SuperTruck initiative. In total, the DOE will be funding 25 projects with $199 million following the goal of putting cleaner cars and trucks on America’s roads, including long-haul trucks powered by batteries and fuel cells, and improving the nation’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
What’s coming in the new year in Class 8s: More aerodynamics, emissions reduction, electric expansion, even more emphasis on ADAS, and wider available drivetrains.
Among the many truck components that fall victim to the harsh winter, one of the most prominent is the battery. No-starts, freezing: it’s hardly an exaggeration to say that a dead battery is a death sentence for that truck’s uptime and productivity. Contrary to what many believe, the time to avoid winter’s effects on the truck’s batteries is actually in the summer.
With the right maintenance strategy emphasizing fuel efficiency, a fleet can have it all: better fuel economy, more uptime, and lower maintenance costs.
In today’s market, missing even one scheduled PM appointment can mean a truck broken down on the side of the road along with an unhappy driver and customer. Find out how to stay on top of PM compliance.
Trucking has been clamoring for maintenance-free trucks for decades. We may finally have such a unicorn with battery-electric trucks – or at least as close to maintenance-free as we can get. With something like 30%-40% fewer moving parts, there’s just that much less to worry about.
Even if the pandemic were totally eliminated, the ripple effects it is causing will be with us for a long time to come. Additionally, we do not know where the next disturbance will be coming from. Items such as lumber, chicken wings, and computer chips have suddenly been hard to find. Though the situations with lumber and chicken wings seem to have resolved themselves, it looks like the shortage of computer chips will be with us for a while. And as time passes, we might find out that there are other items that are in short supply due to the shutdown.
Fleet repair shops that use VMRS enjoy some distinct advantages over those that do not. According to Kristy LaPage, business manager for the commercial vehicle group at Mitchell 1, those advantages begin with profitability and efficiency.
Fleets looking to incorporate electric trucks into their fleets should plan thoroughly and well in advance, according to experts assembled at the American Trucking Associations’ 2021 Technology & Maintenance Council Fall Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition.
American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council and Decisiv Inc., reported during TMC’s Fall Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, that costs for parts and labor for repairs rose over the first six months of the year.
The Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards for a long time had two licensing categories. TMC has now added two categories and moved the systems to an annual subscription. The announcement was made during the TMC Fall Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition.
At the ACT Expo in Long Beach, California, Peterbilt General Chairman Jason Skoog mapped out four decisive moves he’d like to see happen to accelerate electric truck sales in North America.
If you’ve ever been in New York City and purchased a beer from a bar, restaurant or similar establishment, there is a sizable chance that it got there by way of Manhattan Beer Distributors. The New York fleet services all of metro New York City with its 400 trucks, delivering 45 million cases of beer a year.