Rick Mihelic, contributor

Rick Mihelic

Rick Mihelic is NACFE’s Director of Emerging Technologies. He has authored for NACFE four Guidance Reports on electric and alternative fuel medium- and heavy-duty trucks and several Confidence Reports on Determining Efficiency, Tractor and Trailer Aerodynamics, Two Truck Platooning, and authored special studies on Regional Haul, Defining Production and Intentional Pairing of tractor trailers. 

Alternative power
The noise around truck weight
Having taken that diesel system weight out, there are a variety of estimates for what goes back in for a BEV based on many sources, often in disagreement.
December 7, 2021
trailers at a warehouse dock
Regulations
TrailerTails: A tale of tech timing
A fleet manager once summed it up to me that the kiss of death for a technology starts with a designer saying, “All the driver has to do is…”
November 22, 2021
Stemco TrailerTail on the back of a semi-truck trailer
Workforce
Don’t fall victim to stereotypes
As someone who started his working career at a facility with only one woman engineer, we have come a long, long way. Clearly though, there is still room to improve.
November 13, 2021
A group of diverse individuals
Technology
Technology versus humans
We, as an industry, need to stop promoting autonomous trucks by denigrating human truck drivers.
November 9, 2021
robots in a line
Equipment controls
The world is square
Today’s autonomous vehicle (AV) developers describe the driving experience in terms of a square or other geometric shape with edges and corners.
October 31, 2021
globe
Technology
What the opponents of standards don't understand
Run on Less - Electric highlighted for me that we don’t even have agreement on where the plug goes on the truck, much less all the other interfaces critical to designing charging stations.
October 28, 2021
airplane jetway
Technology
The past isn't the best predictor of the future
Freight is going through massive technological disruption with many alternative approaches to reducing emissions, reducing operating expenses, improving safety, reducing maintenance, improving efficiency, and more.
October 18, 2021
card reader
Alternative power
Beyond headlines
NACFE has estimated that if every Class 8 vehicle produced today was magically a ZEV, it would still take 15 to 20 years to migrate them into 100% replacement of the existing vehicles.
September 7, 2021
T280 Box Van
Technology
Appreciating technology obsolescence
The Union Pacific Big Boy in 2021 is an anachronism of a bygone state-of-the-art technology from 1941. Freight transportation will see a similar massive technology change over the next 30 years.
August 24, 2021
Union Pacific steam locomotive
Alternative power
The truth about red herrings
We are continually assaulted by opinions and separating fact from fiction is challenging.
August 9, 2021
red herring fish
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trailers at a warehouse dock
Alternative power
The noise around truck weight
Having taken that diesel system weight out, there are a variety of estimates for what goes back in for a BEV based on many sources, often in disagreement.
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