fleet managers

Liter Fever: The battle between 13-liter and 15-liter engines

The dust has settled, and two engines dominate today’s North American heavy-duty truck market. Which one is right for you? For all the styling cues and creature comforts manufacturers design into today’s trucks, nothing defines the vehicle’s pure essence and purpose more than the engine resting ...

By Jack Roberts Published January 3, 2013

How fleet managers can save on fuel

75 tips to minimize fuel costs by Aaron Huff, Todd Dills, Jack Roberts and James Jaillet With the “new norm” cost of diesel at $4 per gallon, fleets should look at every possible opportunity to lower fuel consumption. Like no other time in the trucking industry, every ...

By Aaron Huff, Todd Dills, Jack Roberts, James Jaillet Published November 1, 2012

CCJ fuel tips: What fleet managers can do

Investigate traffic problems, and plan around them. Slow traffic not only sucks hours from a driver’s on-duty time, it also requires more deceleration and acceleration, which requires more fuel. Check state U.S. Department of Transportation Websites for potential construction projects and traffic on a route. Use ...

By CCJ Staff Published October 31, 2012

Upfront: Getting ready for the road ahead

CVOC sessions highlight future equipment trends By Jeff Crissey The trucking industry has seen more changes in the last 10 years than in all the other years of trucking combined,” Mike Bromhall, FFE Transportation’s vice president of fleet maintenance and facilities, told fleet and supplier attendees at ...

By Jeff Crissey Published September 1, 2012

Tire spec’ing blues

Multiple vehicles, various wheel positions and different performance demands for each can make tire spec’ing a nightmare. Learn how to get a handle on the basics. As the ultimate moving part, tires lead hellish lives. Yet the job they do is so crucial and the operating ...

By Jack Roberts Published July 3, 2012

The Big Picture

Dispatch software can provide fleet managers a consolidated view of what's happening with drivers, helping them anticipate and solve problems in advance. Having a fully electronic office to manage dispatch, human resources, accounting and other core processes is expected in today’s business environment. Even so, many ...

By Aaron Huff Published July 1, 2012

Severe Service

Before and after the DPF Any truck built in 2007 and later requires an additional maintenance interval: servicing the diesel particulate filter. Cleaning the filter element removes accumulated engine oil ash, particularly for heavy-to-severe-duty trucks in high-idle on-/off-road applications. While ash in the DPF typically remains ...

By CCJ Staff Published April 1, 2012

Commercial Carrier University

How to Evaluate life cycle costs The following is an exerpt from How to Evaluate Life Cycle Costs, a manual produced by Commercial Carrier University and sponsored by Castrol. CCU is an educational program produced by Commercial Carrier Journal that includes business management manuals, seminars aimed ...

By CCJ Staff Published October 7, 2011

Closing the Loop

Onboard computers using workflow to turn data into action Exception reporting has become the standard for managing large volumes of data. Many fleet operations now use various exception alerts to detect probable outcomes that fall below the desired performance level. But exception alerts can be a distraction ...

By Aaron Huff Published May 1, 2011

Commercial Carrier University

How to Evaluate Life Cycle Costs The following is an exerpt from How to Evaluate Life Cycle Costs, a manual produced by Commercial Carrier University and sponsored by Castrol. CCU is an educational program produced by Commercial Carrier Journal that includes business management manuals, seminars aimed ...

By CCJ Staff Published April 1, 2011