Executive Editor Lauren Fletcher shares her thoughts on vocational work truck and van fleets and keys to fleet management success and growth. Covering the fleet industry since 2006, she shares insights and advice to increase success.
This pandemic has thrown the world for a loop, and the ride is not over. And throughout it all, the vocational truck fleet industry has worked tirelessly, keeping deliveries on schedule and ensuring that necessary services were still being done to help people stay safely home.
Today, the sky is the limit with alternative-fuels and propulsion systems being developed, tested, and produced for the work truck industry.
Work Truck’s annual accident trends report will likely be an anomaly for years to come. It’s clear that the first few months of the year have been incredibly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. But, it’s not all COVID-related impacts.
To say operating a fleet in 2020 is “challenging” would likely be the biggest understatement of the year. Nothing is the same as it was in 2019. Even if your operations never stopped, there are likely big changes you have had to deal with.
Varying lead times, a continued focus on safety and green transportation, and concern over aesthetics are just a few trends occurring with vocational truck and van upfits right now.
Right now, as the coronavirus has become a part of everyday life, everyone is thinking and talking about a return to “normal.” How do we return to our new fleet normal, and what is that going to look like possibly? Here are a few factors to consider and suggestions to navigate the current fleet waters:
During difficult times, how do you keep your morale up, and uplift the spirits of your drivers, too?
By staying calm and weathering the storm, whatever it may be, we can learn, grow, and be better than ever.
The way fleet was run yesterday is not how fleet will be run tomorrow and we have to be open to change.
Technology is leading the pack, but repair costs, the evolution of 5G, and driver safety programs round out the top four factors impacting accident management in the future.
Do your homework, calculate for the long haul, and know what your tech and tire lifecycle costs truly are.
Fleet trucks and vans are moving billboards and can be one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise your business. But installing graphics takes a vehicle out of service, and we all know that time is money. And, one of the top fleet management goals is the reduction of vehicle downtime.
A flexible truck replacement schedule will allow a fleet to keep its trucks in top operating condition, take advantage of incentives or concessions, and avoid unnecessary maintenance costs and downtime.
Work Truck magazine visited a Stanley Steemer franchise office in San Diego to see firsthand how the Netradyne Driveri (pronounced “driver-eye”) system works. Far more than a traditional in-vehicle video system, Driveri helps fleet managers see an incident with in-depth, high-definition video.
Is predictive maintenance any different from preventive maintenance? Both have the ultimate goal of preventing unscheduled problems and repairs. In short, yes! Predictive maintenance takes preventing issues one step further, utilizing data and information specific to a fleet and specific vehicles.
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