As more states issue stay-at-home orders, the exemptions continue for truck drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued updated exemptions to include new items considered essential to aiding the emergency relief efforts underway. State officials are joining FMCSA as well to ensure truck drivers can continue making their vital deliveries across the nation. [...]
Most fleet managers are familiar with standard anti-theft measures such as never leaving the keys in the cab and parking in safe locations. However, fleets need to think beyond fundamental safety principals to protect their vehicles from thieves. Part of the problem is what is valuable to one thief isn’t to another. There is no [...]
Keeping trucks on the road and making deliveries is a constant challenge for fleet managers. The costs of unscheduled downtime add up rapidly as money isn’t coming in while overhead expenses to maintain operations continue unhindered. Even scheduled downtime can have unexpected costs if the shop maintenance bay is at maximum capacity already with emergency [...]
Trucking companies have several expenses they need to account for, many of which change on a regular basis. While some expenses remain relatively stable such as planned preventative maintenance, others can shift daily such as the cost for fuel. Less than a decade ago, trucking companies had a decent idea of what to expect financially [...]
Driver safety is always at the forefront of a fleet manager’s mind, and high-tech innovations have led to an explosion of new safety features for trucks. With millions of commercial vehicles hauling cargo at a rate of 2000-3000 miles per week, the industry can’t afford to overlook opportunities to improve safety. Basic safety features such [...]
Every year, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducts a nationwide international roadcheck. In previous years, CVSA launched its vehicle inspection blitz the first week of June. The agency has recently announced its plans for an earlier inspection to take place from May 5-7, 2020. They also announced the safety focus for this year’s roadcheck—driver [...]
Commercial vehicles have undergone a massive transformation in recent years. With ELDs, telematics, and robust safety features ranging from lane departure warnings to autonomous vehicles, the truck drivers of today are much more tech-savvy than those of a decade ago. As artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more common in several industries, many are wondering how [...]
With the expiration of the Automatic On-Board Recording Device (AOBRD) grandfather clause, all fleets must now comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. While many fleets may be adjusting to their new ELDs, the benefits they provide are numerous and worth exploring. The biggest hallmark of ELDs for [...]
Change is inevitable in any industry. With improved technology rolling out on expedited timelines, companies have been able to innovate how they conduct business. For the trucking industry, autonomous vehicles loomed on the horizon as the next big thing to disrupt business as usual. However, the road to autonomous fleets is a long one and [...]
Winter weather can wreak havoc on trucking companies as they attempt to stick to delivery schedules despite snowy or icy conditions. Wintry environments worsen existing risks while adding new ones into the mix so fleets need to take every precaution they can to improve driver safety. Winterizing fleet vehicles in the following ways can help [...]