Keeping a fleet vehicle operational is an expensive endeavor. The cost of maintenance, repairs, and fuel can add up to more than the original cost of the truck itself. That is why it behooves fleets to remain in constant contact with their vehicles. With progressive technology, fleets can monitor all of their trucks in real [...]
Driving a commercial vehicle has more safety challenges than a typical desk job. Fleet managers need to familiarize themselves with common safety concerns affecting their drivers. This allows them to implement solutions and strategies to improve safety for drivers and other motorists. The following are the most typical safety issues fleets can expect to encounter: [...]
Fuel represents one of the biggest expenses of operating a trucking business. By focusing efforts on a few key areas, fleet managers can experience a significant uptick in fuel savings. Some of the biggest opportunities for fuel savings include improvements to truck tires, driver behavior, and safety efforts. Reducing Tire-Related Fuel Costs Putting cheaper tires [...]
The trucking stats for 2017 are in and the numbers are grim. Fatalities related to large trucks rose by 9% while fatalities since 2009 are up by a whopping 41%. When a crash involves a large truck and a passenger vehicle, occupants in the passenger vehicle account for 97% of the fatalities. Clearly, highway safety [...]
The driver shortage has plagued the trucking industry for years as fleets try to woo a limited number of candidates while retaining those drivers they already have. However, many fleets are opting to focus on bailing water out of their ship rather than locating the hole. Identifying the primary issues that led to and continue [...]
Most GPS devices are designed to “ping”, or register their location, regularly. Cost efficient devices typically do so every 60 seconds. Expensive, high-end units are available to provide a more frequent ping. The problem with a 60 second ping, or even a 30 second ping, is that drivers traversing windy roads or areas of high [...]
The driver shortage has many trucking companies scrambling to fill vacancies to meet deadlines and remain competitive. However, fleets need to be vigilant to ensure that the fear of not having enough drivers doesn’t result in poor hiring decisions. Taking the time to train an employee who is a bad fit wastes time and resources [...]
While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) electronic logging device (ELD) mandate has been in effect since December 2017, not everyone is compliant yet. Drivers operating a vehicle equipped with an automatic onboard recording device (AOBRD) have until December 2019 to implement an approved ELD. Many other drivers fall under exemptions as well; however, [...]
The holiday season is in full swing and traffic won’t slow down for several more weeks. With more consumers making online purchases, stores are deploying additional trucks to keep up with delivery demands. The increased congestion isn’t the only safety concern on the roads, however. Wintry weather creates snowy and icy conditions, increasing the likelihood [...]
Fleet managers are always looking for ways to improve driver safety and many of them rely on telematics to do so. However, while having the data is useful, combining it with outward facing cameras provides the visual component required to take safety initiatives to the next level. Many drivers’ initial reactions to having a camera [...]