![\"Armando](\"https:\/\/fleetimages.bobitstudios.com\/upload\/business-fleet\/content\/article\/march-issue\/img_5923-__-416x516-a.jpg\")
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Armando Cardoza, a driver for\u00a0P&R Supply Co.\u00a0in the Bay Area, faces many challenges negotiating the narrow city streets and hills of San Francisco.\u00a0\u00a0Photo courtesy of\u00a0P&R Supply Co.<\/em><\/p>\n When Jason Karnes left home in suburban Redlands, Calif., to become a driver for P&R Paper Supply Co. in the Bay Area, he couldn\u2019t have imagined how difficult it would be to navigate the congested 47-square-mile city of San Francisco.<\/p>\n Unlike suburban or rural routes, Karnes had to constantly fight for limited parking, negotiate heavy traffic, make deliveries on narrow streets and San Francisco\u2019s infamous hills, judge bridge and tunnel clearances, and mitigate security issues.<\/p>\n He relied heavily on navigating via a GPS unit. \u201cWhen we first opened up in the city, it was very challenging when the signal didn\u2019t pick up,\u201d Karnes says. \u201cI\u2019d be watching my Garmin (GPS unit) but it would be spinning in a circle.\u201d<\/p>\n With five locations today in the western U.S., P&R operates a fleet of 65 medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The company utilizes five Kenworth models \u2014 mostly medium-duty T270 and Class 7 T370 straight trucks with 24-ft. bodies, plus four T680s and two T800 straight trucks with 28-ft. boxes.<\/p>\n In addition, the company runs two Kenworth K270 cabovers with 20-ft. boxes.<\/p>\n Karnes is now the company\u2019s operations manager. Newer P&R drivers like\u00a0Armando Cardoza\u00a0face those same challenges in addition to contemporary ones, such as looking out for scooter riders\u00a0 and pedestrians who are buried in cell phones while looking to hail rides from Uber and Lyft.<\/p>\n Karnes and Cardoza, along with experts in the fields of truck specification, safety training, and telematics, offer advice on how to operate in city environments safely and efficiently.<\/p>\n Medium-duty cabover (or low cab forward) models are an ideal option for city fleets. Compared to conventional trucks, they provide better visibility, a sharper turning radius, and a cab that tilts to allow easier access to the engine. Some models offer Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWR) up to 25,950 lbs.<\/p>\n The following manufacturers offer medium-duty cabover models:<\/p>\n \u201cThe K270 was a game changer for us, especially in the city where some of the turns are extremely sharp, the roads are narrow, and when we have to parallel park,\u201d Karnes says.<\/p>\n \u201cFor those tight urban markets, our leasing customers are considering our cabover models more and more,\u201d says Tom\u00a0Pecyna, director of sales for\u00a0PacLease, the leasing division of Paccar and lessor of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. \u201cIt\u2019s not just for their maneuverability. The cabovers have the same durability as our conventional straight trucks along with a positive total cost of ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n Cardoza noticed the benefits of cabovers when he had to rent a truck with a traditional nose and a bigger box. \u201cI had to double park (the rented truck) most of the time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n P&R\u2019s first iteration of the K270 had a side door in the box and a side liftgate, which was helpful when parallel parking with little room for rear unloading. However, the side liftgate took up too much square footage and valuable cargo volume, so Karnes switched to a rear liftgate for future trucks.<\/p>\n Other specification considerations for city driving include:<\/p>\n Safety technologies:\u00a0Collision mitigation technologies that are now widely available on passenger cars have migrated to the medium-duty truck market and are available as factory options. Kenworth and Peterbilt\u2019s safety suite can be configured with options such as adaptive cruise control with active braking and alerts for following distance and stationary objects.<\/p>\n Automatic transmission:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThis almost goes without saying these days,\u201d\u00a0Pecyna\u00a0says. But for the non-believers, \u201cWe have evidence out of our leasing division that an automatic transmission leads to fewer accidents, particularly in inner city driving.\u201d<\/p>\n Box height and length:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWhen spec\u2019ing a vehicle for the city, it\u2019s better to go smaller, because two smaller trucks will get the job done faster than one big truck,\u201d Karnes says, adding that length is more of a consideration than box height.<\/p>\n Axle configuration:<\/strong>\u00a0On some trucks, front axles can be spec\u2019d in wide-track configurations for a sharper wheel cut and enhanced turning radius,\u00a0Pecyna\u00a0says.<\/p>\n Side mirrors:<\/strong>\u00a0From the factory or in the aftermarket, side mirrors can be ordered that not only offer a wider view, but also have shatter-resistant safety glass and can break away cleanly if hit.<\/p>\n Rub\u00a0rails:\u00a0<\/strong>Pecyna\u00a0suggests installing\u00a0rub\u00a0rails (metal beams) across the length of the outside of the truck box. In the event the box hits an object, the\u00a0rub\u00a0rail \u2014 not the box \u2014 will catch the brunt of the impact and damage.<\/p>\n Combo liftgate\/ramp:\u00a0<\/strong>For unloading in tight spaces, or when a loading dock isn\u2019t level with the box floor, a liftgate that works in conjunction with a ramp can do the job with less space,\u00a0Pecyna\u00a0says.<\/p>\n Rear window:<\/strong>\u00a0Aside from box trucks, some vocational truck bodies provide at least some rear visibility. To take advantage of this, consider spec\u2019ing a window in the back of the cab,\u00a0Pecyna\u00a0says.<\/p>\n Disc brakes:<\/strong>\u00a0Disc brakes are ideal for city driving because they reduce stopping distance and increase stopping power. They also last longer, thus reducing cost.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a whole different animal to operate trucks in an urban area. Some skills need more attention, so drivers don\u2019t end up in a bad situation,\u201d says Karl New, president of Advanced Driver Training Services (ADTS), a provider of fleet driver safety training.<\/p>\n Recommendations for safe city driving include:<\/p>\n Up your scanning game: <\/strong>With the exponentially greater number of people, objects, and distractions in the city, New says drivers must widen their scanning area and look building to building.<\/p>\n Scanning takes on added importance with the proliferation of electric scooters, newly installed bicycle lanes, and pedestrians on cell phones.<\/p>\n With greater visibility and a sharper turning radius, low cab forward (or cabover) models are ideal for urban driving. Chevrolet reentered the market in 2016. Chevrolet offers cabovers in Class 3-6 with regular and crew cab bodies, two diesel and one gas engine, and GVWRs up to 25,950 lbs. Photo courtesy of General Motors.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll park in loading zones, block driveways, stop in the middle of the street, and make U-turns out of nowhere,\u201d Cardoza says. \u201cAnd the bicyclists and people on scooters, they\u2019re pretty fast. I\u2019m constantly checking my mirrors and looking out when making turns.\u201d<\/p>\n Create escape routes:<\/strong> When pulling up behind a stopped vehicle, make sure drivers\u00a0can\u00a0see the vehicle\u2019s rear tires touching the pavement, New says. This allows enough space to go around the vehicle instead of backing up.<\/p>\n Leave space at crosswalks:\u00a0<\/strong>When pulling up to a crosswalk, drivers should be able to see the \u201cstop line\u201d (a painted line before the crosswalk) over the front of the truck\u2019s hood, New says.<\/p>\n If the truck is hit from behind, this cushion\u00a0can help\u00a0keep the truck from being pushed into the crosswalk or vehicle ahead.<\/p>\n Establish a safe distance:<\/strong>\u00a0Compared to a highway, it\u2019s more difficult to leave a sufficient gap with the vehicle in front \u2014 but it\u2019s\u00a0even more\u00a0important.<\/p>\n As a rule of thumb, calculate a four-second following distance. \u201cWith the weight, momentum, and speed of a Class 4 or 5 truck, you need four seconds to stop it,\u201d New says. \u201cIf someone cuts in front of you, you must slow down to get that cushion back.\u201d<\/p>\n Route efficiently:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe most challenging aspect to operating in the city is proper routing,\u201d says Jason Walton, segment marketing manager for telematics provider Verizon Connect.<\/p>\n Telematics systems can optimize routes based on many factors, including traffic, time windows, and customer preferences. Systems become more intelligent with crowdsourced information on traffic and road hazards.<\/p>\n Verizon\u00a0Connect\u2019s\u00a0right-side routing function guides the driver to the correct side of the road when making a delivery, which can be critical in an urban environment, Walton says.<\/p>\n Minimize in-cab distractions: <\/strong>If you\u2019re using a GPS navigation tool, particularly on a cell phone, drivers should set the app in \u201caudio only\u201d mode, or turn the phone away from them, New says.<\/p>\n Instead of tossing the phone anywhere, install a holder on the driver\u2019s side A-column or near a vent in the center of the dash.<\/p>\n Consider a telematics system that includes turn-by-turn voice navigation, says Walton.<\/p>\n Know your dimensions:\u00a0Drivers should be familiar with their truck\u2019s dimensions before hitting the road to avoid any clearance issues with bridges and parking structures. This becomes more acute when renting a truck or using an unfamiliar unit.<\/p>\n Truck dimensions can be inputted into telematics systems, which can create routes accordingly to avoid height or weight issues, Walton says.<\/p>\n Check the truck:<\/strong>\u00a0After a stop, do a quick walkaround of the truck to uncover damage on the spot. The walkaround also mentally switches the driver away from the last delivery in preparation for getting behind the wheel. \u201cDriving is a mentally complex task,\u201d New says.<\/p>\n Safety doesn\u2019t end when the truck arrives. Making deliveries with larger trucks calls for extra caution around parking, unloading, and backing up.<\/p>\n Parallel park safely:\u00a0<\/strong>When attempting to parallel park, Cardoza isn\u2019t afraid to stop the truck and get out to more accurately assess an available parallel parking space while being sure to calculate extra room for the liftgate, he says. New recommends enlisting a spotter if available.<\/p>\n When assessing a parallel parking situation, Cardoza is also mindful of trees, which can be overlooked but do more damage than expected to the truck, not to mention the tree.<\/p>\n Double park with caution:\u00a0<\/strong>If parallel parking isn\u2019t an option, Cardoza will double park in the road, but only if he\u2019s on a street with enough room for both same-side and oncoming traffic to pass. He also makes sure to avoid parking close to a stop sign, which would create an extra stopping hazard.<\/p>\n Cardoza has learned from experience to park as close to the curb as possible and to tuck in his side mirrors so they don\u2019t get side swiped. \u201cI\u2019ve had my mirrors hit at least five times in San Francisco in two and a half years,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Understand parking rules:\u00a0<\/strong>In cities, parking tickets are a fact of fleet life. P&R pays for parking tickets but doesn\u2019t pay for moving violations, Karnes says. Cardoza makes sure to never park in bus zones or handicapped spaces, even for a minute. \u201cIn San Francisco, they\u2019re the biggest fines,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Go electric:\u00a0<\/strong>During deliveries, P&R drivers use palette jacks and hand trucks. For drivers with stops on hills who must park further away from the point of delivery, an electric palette jack accommodates a bigger load, thus reducing back-and-forth trips and strain on the driver, Karnes says.<\/p>\n Enhance security:<\/strong>\u00a0Cardoza is always careful to lock his truck, even for quick drop offs. He hides his tablet computer in a compartment underneath the dashboard to mitigate smash-and-grab thefts.<\/p>\n Theft recovery is another benefit of telematics because GPS tracks vehicles in real time. The\u00a0quicker the recovery time the greater chance of recovering the contents of the truck, which is what thieves are really after, Walton says.\u00a0Verizon Connect also offers a panic button option for drivers in eminent danger.<\/p>\n Plan the exit in advance:\u00a0<\/strong>When there\u2019s no forward exit from an alley, P&R drivers are trained to back into the alley instead of pulling in headfirst, Karnes says. This allows the truck to exit in a forward direction, instead of backing out onto a busy street.<\/p>\n New recommends parking further away if it allows for a forward exit. Dealing with a San Francisco hill \u2014 Cardoza will park a block away on a flat surface instead of a steep grade, even if means an extra walk.<\/p>\n by Chad Simon<\/p>\nMeeting the Challenges of Safely Operating an Urban Fleet<\/h3>\n
Spec\u2019ing for City Driving<\/h4>\n
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On the Road<\/h4>\n
![\"With](\"https:\/\/fleetimages.bobitstudios.com\/upload\/business-fleet\/content\/article\/march-issue\/2016-chevrolet-4500-low-cab-forward-001-1-__-688x516-a.jpg\")
Uber and Lyft drivers are another hazard.<\/h4>\n
Making the Delivery<\/h4>\n
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I\u00b4m\u00a0a Fleet Management expert, and the manager of\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Cartel-Valencia-2019-1.jpg\")
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