The Fleet AdvantEDGE

As we kick off June, the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” are officially underway. This period that runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day consistently sees an uptick in serious and fatal crashes nationwide. And while the spike in risk is often associated with younger or distracted drivers, fleet managers and heavy-duty truck drivers face the ripple effects every single day on the road. 

Majority of Fleets Report They Are Running Longer Life Cycles, Need to Replace Trucks Over Next Few Years; Many Still Don't Have a CARB Plan

Fleet Advantage recently announced results of an industry-wide survey that measured the pulse of fleets on their life cycle strategies, how many fleets are aware of the anticipated CARB prebuy mandate, and their anticipated plans for equipment acquisition over the next few years. It’s imperative for fleets to understand the significant implications of the anticipated CARB mandate. Truck procurement and life cycle management continue to be significant topics within the transportation fleet industry, especially given all the focus on the CARB mandate, which will result in the largest truck prebuy ever leading up to 2027, beginning in 2025 into 2026, with the cost of diesel trucks increasing between $25,000 and $30,000 more per unit.

During the "100 Deadliest Days" of summer, which falls between Memorial Day and Labor Day, there is a significant increase in fatal crashes, presenting heavy-duty truck drivers with added challenges on the road as summer unfolds. With longer daylight hours, a rise in outdoor activities, and a surge in construction projects, a heightened sense of awareness and focus is paramount. As the roads become busier with motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and vacationers, drivers must prioritize their mental and visual acuity to ensure a safe journey ahead.

The "100 Deadliest Days'" of summer is the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when fatal crashes increase dramatically and heavy-duty truck drivers face additional challenges on the road with the arrival of summer. Longer daylight hours, increased outdoor activities, and a surge in construction projects demand heightened awareness and focus. As the number of motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and vacationers rises, it becomes vital for drivers to prioritize mental and visual acuity to ensure a safe journey.

Fleet Advantage, a leading innovator in truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing, and lifecycle cost management made public today its 2017 Truck Lifecycle Data Index (TLDI) comparing all-in operating costs of early-model Class-8 trucks to 2018 model-year replacements. The TLDI shows significant cost savings when replacing older-model vehicles with 2018 MY trucks. According to Fleet Advantage’s ATLAAS (Advanced Truck Lifecycle Administrative Analytics Software), the TLDI shows that fleet operators can realize a first-year per-truck savings of $22,162 when upgrading from a 2012 sleeper model-year truck to a 2018 model, a 17% increase in savings compared with year-ago figures ($19,023) for 2017 model-year upgrades. 

For heavy duty truck fleets, the winter months are more than just that risky season when they have to be extra careful in driving. As fleets prepare for the harshest season for trucks, the question of MPG performance, disruptive breakdowns, fuel supply and how to effectively treat fuel that can be used in cold temperatures emerge. Download this whitepaper today to learn about winter’s effect on MPG and how to prevent delays due to winter fuel problems without compromising your MPG performance.

The impact of a preventive maintenance inspection today compared to the same inspection 10 years ago is monumental.  Today, there are many components on the powertrain that are costly to replace; including Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), Turbo, EGR coolers, etc.  These components can have catastrophic failures and affect other components downstream.  If an internal coolant leak in the engine occurs, it results in the coolant being burned through the exhaust.  This will have a definite impact on the DPF - causing it to have premature failure.  This is just one example of additional repair expenses that could have potentially been prevented with Great Preventive Maintenance (PM).  

Proper tire inflation is one of the most important items when it comes to fleet maintenance.  On a daily basis, tires lose pressure even when there is not a parasitic loss. Studies show that on average, tires lose one pound of pressure per month.  Gone unchecked, this can result in serious monetary loss to the company and loss of time to the driver.