Not too high, not too low: The importance of keeping your truck tire inflation levels just right

 

A fleet manager’s job is focused on the little things. A tenth of an MPG here, an extended maintenance cycle there—across a fleet, these seemingly small points can add up to significant profits. The same goes for truck tire inflation: a few PSI in the right direction can go a long way, while a few PSI in the wrong direction is potentially disastrous. Tires are one of the most expensive components of the truck, and so the importance of keeping them in the ideal shape should come as no surprise, especially considering the substantial weight that air is supporting.

“Under-inflation is the biggest issue in the industry,” says Sharon Cowart, product marketing director for Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “It is the number one cause of premature tire removal.

Learn more at: http://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/importance-keeping-truck-tire-inflation-levels-just-right/

What's Roadcheck got to do with HOS?

It  should come as no surprise that the focus of this year’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Roadcheck will be hours of service (HOS) compliance.

On June 5-7, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) International Roadcheck will take place. This is the annual 72-hour period when commercial motor vehicle inspectors conduct inspections on motor vehicles and drivers.

It should come as no surprise that the focus of this year’s Roadcheck will be hours of service (HOS) compliance. With the recent full enforcement of the electronic logging device mandate, it makes sense that this is what CVSA chose as its focus. And while the ELD mandate did not change the hours of service rules, it did help shed light on compliance with the HOS regulations.

It’s also probably a result of what happened during last year’s safety blitz when violations for hours of service was the number one reason drivers were placed out of service. CVSA reported a whopping 32% of drivers placed out of service for violations related to hours of service.

Ensuring hours of service compliance is a fleet-wide responsibility. It goes without saying that fleets should already have ELDs installed on all their trucks and if they don't, they better get on that today.

Fleet management also needs to take time to reinforce to drivers and dispatchers that it expects adherence to hours of service rules and will not tolerate dispatchers pressuring drivers to drive past their legal hours nor drivers who violate the rules. Drivers’ hours should be meticulously tracked, making it easier for dispatchers to see which drivers have legal hours left to ensure they meet their customers’ need while staying in compliance.


Dispatchers need to make sure they review driver hours and only assign drivers to loads when those drivers can make those deliveries observing the rules of the road including speed limits, and drivers who had been gaming the system by fudging on paper logs need to review hours of service so they can stay in compliance.

The CVSA website reminds us that while hours of service are the focus of Roadcheck, inspectors will be conducting Standard Level 1 Inspections, the 37-step procedures that include an examination of the driver as well as the vehicle’s mechanical fitness. Now is also the time to insist drivers do their DVIRs and that your maintenance personnel pay attention to the issues drivers are bringing to their attention.

You still have time to prepare your drivers and vehicles for Roadcheck and ensure your trucks aren't the ones taken out of service June 5 through 7.

Volvo Trucks - Can cities be quieter and cleaner with electric trucks?

Editorial video documentary around the world premiere of the new Volvo FL Electric in Gothenburg on April, 12th, 2018 with first driving scenes on public roads and quotes of Ann-Sofie Hermansson, Mayor of Gothenburg, and Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks.

 Read the press release: http://www.volvotrucks.com/en-en/news... Read more about the different aspects of electromobility and how we want to contribute to attractive cities in the future: http://www.volvotrucks.com/en-en/abou...

How job surveillance is changing trucking in America

Automation is coming for truckers – but first, they're being watched.

Electric Powertrains Are the Future. Will Fleets Be Ready?

 

Most readers of Government Fleet are seasoned professionals pursuing careers either in public fleet management or in corporate roles in support of public sector fleets. For a moment, however, put aside your current career history and aspirations and try to remember when you were a younger person, weighing career options and considering just what path to take.

The public fleet industry is on the threshold of a truly cosmic shift, and it’s quite possible that young people today are looking at our industry and questioning those options. We should, as those young people may be doing, consider what this shift will mean when it occurs.

The shift will be toward a predominance of electromotive powertrain technology and away from the internal combustion engine (ICE). Is it true that the demise of the ICE is greatly overstated, or, should we, like those young people still contemplating their career paths, be reading the tea leaves and presume they portend a very different future for us?

LEARN MORE AT: http://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/channel/electric/article/story/2018/03/electric-powertrains-are-the-future-will-fleets-be-ready.aspx

TrailerBlade New Test Medium

Trailer Blade Installation and Test

Mid-West truck show 2018

This is a review of the Mid-West truck show in Peoria Illinois 2018. Cool little show all about business and to the point. Check it out, see you next year.

How To Slide The Tandems & 5th Wheel

I scaled my load and was overweight on my tandems. I explain how to resolve the problem.

Overweight on tandems. How to fix a weight issue. How to scale a load.

I scaled my load and was overweight on my tandems. I explain how to resolve the problem.

A&T Road Service is More Than a Towing Service!

Not only do we provide 24 Hour Emergency service, we could come out and do light mechanical work on site to our customer's fleet and avoid the truck having to come in the shop. 

We will go just about anywhere for anything, at any time. We have a wide normal service area and have been known to go beyond those boundaries by request.

See our Service Area.