{"id":4026,"date":"2020-01-08T16:11:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T15:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/?p=4026"},"modified":"2020-01-08T16:11:24","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T15:11:24","slug":"trucking-technology-2019-in-the-rear-view-mirror","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/01\/08\/trucking-technology-2019-in-the-rear-view-mirror\/","title":{"rendered":"Trucking Technology: 2019 in the Rear-View Mirror"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trucking Technology: 2019 in the Rear-View Mirror<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dana set the stage early for electric trucks in 2019 with a test drive of this all-electric Peterbilt Model 320 in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

This is the time of year when the boss comes to you wanting some sort of \u201clook back\u201d at the fading year. You know\u2026 Deep thoughts about the things that I saw and the significance they hold and how they may portend change in the future.<\/p>\n

So, let’s make her happy, shall we?<\/p>\n

From the business side of things, 2019 was about hustling. But the truth is, that while all you fleet folks were running at the red line\u00a0all year long, we trucking journalists had a pretty uneventful year.<\/p>\n

Oh, don\u2019t get me wrong. We were plenty busy.<\/em> After all, we have to deal with the same exact corporate and business pressures that you do. But in terms of grand themes and earth-shattering news, 2019 was kind of\u00a0quiet.<\/p>\n

We did see a lot of technology in isolated bits this year \u2013 I can say that. We got in-depth looks at new steering-assistance programs from Daimler, Volvo, and ZF while out doing our 2019\u00a0test drives<\/a>. These are impressive \u2013 and important \u2013 autonomous driver-assistance tools. They\u2019re so useful at both low and high vehicle speeds, that, in my view, they\u2019ll likely be standard equipment on new trucks in a few years.<\/p>\n

But, those systems \u2013 and others like them \u2013 are merely a single patch of technology. And one day soon, they\u2019ll be merged with other patches of cutting-edge technology into the large quilt that will encompass autonomous trucks.<\/p>\n

But overall, 2019 felt like the tech side of the industry was consolidating the introductions that have been made up to this point, while holding its collective breath waiting for bigger announcements yet to come.<\/p>\n

One technology that did gain serious ground in 2019 was hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems. As recently as 2018, industry observers were scratching their heads wondering if fuel cell-powered trucks were viable at all. But the conversation changed dramatically in April when Nikola finally took the wraps off of its Two and Tre model semi-trucks.<\/p>\n

Our Equipment Editor Jim Park was on hand for that vehicle launch<\/a>. And he reported at the time that the new trucks, when they are finally released to the public for sale, will be able to travel between 500 and 1,200 miles and can be refilled in 20 minutes. In other words, range, performance, and refueling times are to be on par with conventional, diesel-powered trucks.<\/p>\n

Almost overnight, it seemed to me, people were talking about hydrogen fuel cells in a completely different way. The technology went from something that forever seemed to be just over the horizon to a viable, real-world alternative to long-haul diesel trucks that could appear on the market within five years.<\/p>\n

Hurdles \u2013 infrastructure, most notably \u2013 still remain, obviously, But it was striking to me how quickly the concept of hydrogen fuel cells became an acknowledged alternative fuel once Nikola showed its cards. But, as the old saying goes, you\u2019re known by the company you keep. And I\u2019m sure Nikola having friends like Anhueser-Busch, UPS, and FedEx hanging around probably doesn\u2019t hurt them on the credibility front.<\/p>\n

\"Penske
Penske has reported that the Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 trucks it took possession of in August had logged more than 10,000 real-world miles by year’s end. Photo: Jack Roberts\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u00a0started off early at the Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting in Atlanta driving a Peterbilt Model 320 straight truck fitted with Dana\u2019s new electric drivetrain system<\/a> through the city. I\u00a0came away a believer in the technology as a viable means for urban- and short-haul fleets to move freight cleanly, economically, efficiently, and safely. The revelation for me was a simple one: An electric truck is, at the end of the day, just a truck with a different, yet utterly reliable powertrain underneath the hood. And, I said, if you came to trucking cold, with no preconceptions about fuel, range, maintenance, or driver preferences, there\u2019s no reason in the world you wouldn\u2019t seriously consider spec\u2019ing an electric truck for certain appropriate applications.<\/p>\n

\"In
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In September, Volvo announced that it would begin selling its electric EVNR Class 8 tractor in North America by the end of 2020. Photo: Jack Roberts<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the year went on (it both flew by and ground on forever for me at the same time, if that makes any sense), I was fortunate enough to see the new Freightliner eCascadia <\/a>unveiled in August. And, a couple of weeks later, I was on hand at the Volvo Customer Center in Dublin, Virginia, to see the Sweden-based\u00a0OEM take the wraps off its new EVNR electric truck<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The fact that both of these competitive and global OEMs were secretly working on electric\u00a0versions of their most successful Class 8 designs and launched them within weeks of each other,\u00a0is a major sign that these trucks aren\u2019t just publicity stunts. They\u2019re viable work trucks and the OEMs that are developing them feel they\u2019ll be able to make a solid business case for fleets to buy them once production begins.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t tell you what 2020 will bring. But there are already a lot of signs that it\u2019s going to be an interesting year on multiple fronts. There are several big news stories on the electric truck front that may break early next year. And each passing month brings us closer to the dawn of the Autonomous Age in trucking. Throw in the fact that it\u2019s an election year, add a dash of economy anxiety. and there should be plenty on my plate to keep me busy for the next 12 months.<\/p>\n

Author<\/h4>\n
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\"Jack<\/a>Jack Roberts<\/a><\/h5>\n

Senior Editor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As a licensed commercial driver, HDT senior editor Jack Roberts often reports on ground-breaking technical developments and trends in an industry being transformed by technology. With more than two decades covering trucking, in Truck Tech he offers his insights on everything from the latest equipment, systems and components, to telematics and autonomous vehicle technologies.<\/p>\n

View Bio<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

by Jack Roberts<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com<\/a><\/p>\n

FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/h3>\n

Fleet management is the use of a set of vehicles in order to provide services to a third-party, or to perform a task for our organization, in the most efficient and productive manner with a determined level of service and cost.<\/p>\n

Fleet management activities are shown in the following graph 1:<\/p>\n

\"fleet<\/p>\n

Graph 1: fleet management activities<\/p>\n

The proposal audit analyses and assesses all fleet management activities shown in the graph 1, and its main goals are:<\/p>\n