7 Tips for Sharing the Road with Semi-trucks

Driving near large trucks

Did you know 75 percent of commercial vehicle accidents are caused by drivers in passenger cars? While actions like distracted driving certainly play a role in some of these cases, there are likely multiple occasions that happen simply because drivers don’t understand how to safely maneuver around large vehicles.

Though sharing the road with semis is a daily task, not all motorists understand the limitations of a semi — mainly wide turning radiuses, slow stopping times and large blind spots. To help educate the general public on safe driving techniques, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) started a highway safety program called Share the Road. Using some of the ATA tips and our own, we’ve compiled a list of driving habits that will help make the road a safer place.

Seven tips for motorists sharing roads with semis

Roadway safety is the responsibility of all drivers, but you can take certain steps to ensure you’re doing your part. When driving near or around a semi-truck, be sure to:

1. Drive defensively
   Operating a vehicle probably comes second nature to you. But, no matter how comfortable or skilled you are behind the wheel, it’s important to remain alert at all times — especially around large trucks. Semis are bigger in size and weight, making them slower to react to avoid collisions. Pay attention to vehicle locations, traffic flow, vehicle signals and weather so you can anticipate problems and have plenty of time to safely change course if necessary.
    
2. Keep a safe distance
   Driving close to a semi puts you at greater risk for being hurt by sudden stops, tire blowouts or roll overs caused by strong wind. So, whether you’re behind, in front or beside a large truck, leave plenty of space for merging, swerving and maneuvering. It’s best practice to keep at least a four-second following distance between you and the trailer in case of a sudden stop.

3. Avoid blind spots
   The right side of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is the largest blind spot for a truck driver — sometimes blocking their view for three or more lanes. Other areas of concern include directly in front of the cab, behind the trailer and certain zones along the driver’s side. Avoid spending time in these zones to ensure the driver can see you.
    
4. Pass quickly
   Passenger vehicles typically travel faster than semis, so it’s not unusual to pass a lot of trucks along your route. Practice safe passing by driving closer to the shoulder rather than the truck, and speeding up instead of lingering.
    
5. Don’t cut a large truck off
   Semis have much longer stopping distances — up to two football fields when traveling 65 mph. To prevent a rear-end collision, make sure you can see the entire front end of the truck before merging in front of it.
    
6. Dim the bright lights
   When traveling near or past a semi, make sure your bright headlights are dimmed. Bright lights reflecting off large truck mirrors can cause two seconds or more of temporary blindness when traveling at 55 mph. The general rule of thumb is to lower your bright lights when you’re one block (or closer) behind a semi.
    
7. Always signal
   As mentioned, trucks require more time to react to motorists stopping, turning or merging lanes. Because of this, it’s important to signal the driver at least three seconds or more before upcoming changes. This timing allows the truck driver to slow down or move over.

Source: https://fleetnetamerica.com/blog/post/7-tips-for-sharing-the-road-with-semi-trucks

FORD Trucks at the 2019 Work Truck Show

NTEA Work Truck Show, all new Ford F600, RV chassis, E-chassis and of course 2021 F650-750. Commercial trucks chassis cabs will all the safety features of a F150.

Source: MrTruckTV

The Rugby Eliminator LP Dump Body - The Industry Leader in Class 3-5 bodies

The Eliminator LP Dump Body, by Rugby Manufacturing, is the industry leader in Class 3-5. Featuring a sleek, streamline style and designed for maximum durability, these units are available in 9' to 12' lengths with 12 and 17" side height options. Units come equipped with a sloped 1/4 cab shield that has a slotted viewing window. A lower mounting height improves the body’s overall stability. The patented EZ-LATCH™ system is also included for easy tailgate operation and maximum safety.

Other industry leading design features include:

•     10 ga construction throughout on bodies with rigid sides, bodies with fold down sides have 12 ga sides
•     Fully boxed and tapered dirt-shedding top rail
•     Double-walled rigid sides with 6" vertical braces
•     Single-walled fold down sides with 6" vertical braces
•     Pockets for 6" side boards increase load capacity
•     Side design includes fully boxed 45° dirt shedding top rail and a 50° sloped bottom rail for a completely self-cleaning profi le
•     Front body's seamless one-piece design features triple bend top rails for long-term durability
•     Stacked understructure consisting of 5" structural long members overlaid with 3" structural I-beam crossmembers spaced 16" (12" optional) apart
•     1/4 cab shield with viewing window
•     Full height corner posts with rear surface sloped 6° aids in tailgate closing
•     Tailgate double walled panel design fabricated from 10 ga steel featuring fully boxed dirt-shedding top and bottom rails. Two vertical braces to provide additional strength and rigidity

Body Options
2-3 & 3-4 Yard Rigid & Fold Down Side Carbon Steel:

•     Cabshields (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, Full) Standard and Tall
•     7-gauge floor
•     Cross sills on 12" centers
•     Understructure Options: 
• Stacked  
• Crossmemberless

Aluminum Side Assemblies available on 3-4 yard Fold Down Side model

Standard Features

•     Cab Shield Posts
•     Full depth front pillars include easily locating cut-out for fast installation of cab shield insert. Makes all Eliminator LP cab shields interchangeable, helping to keep inventory low.
•     Fold down sides feature a centrally located quick release lever that extends and retracts 3/4" pins at each end using a solid linkage member. Weight-saving aluminum fold down sides are optional on steel bodies.
•     Low Mount Hoist
•     The Eliminator LP's lower mounting height improves the body's overall stability. Actual mounting height 7 5/8".
•     Rugby's patented and industry leading EZ-LATCH™ (located on each side of body) allows for easy body access. The latch system is designed for quick opening and slam lock operation with a cam action to draw-in upper tailgate pins.

Find Rugby Eliminator Accessories  and other products at:
 http://www.rugbymfg.com/light-dump-bodies/eliminator-lp.html

ENTREPRENEURS GOING MOBILE INSTEAD OF BRICK AND MORTAR, DRIVING BOOM IN AMERICA’S VAN BUSINESS

• Ford is seeing an additional increase in sales of its Transit van – already America’s top seller – as small business owners rethink traditional models of operation with the rise of an on-demand economy
• Transit has seen a 5.3 percent uptick in sales for fleets ranging in size from one to five vans; added connectivity, configuration options and available driver-assist features in the 2020 Transit will provide owner/operators even more reasons to go mobile
• Businesses are adding on-site services or going exclusively mobile for the benefit of lower overhead costs and a more personalized experience

DEARBORN, Mich. August 29, 2019 – Steve McBride, executive director of Pewabic Pottery, knew the future success of this historic business couldn’t rely on foot traffic alone. To find new ways to engage with the community and increase awareness of its business, owners of the 116-year-old ceramic studio and school purchased a Ford Transit and created a traveling exhibition space with portable ceramic firing kilns that allows the artists to bring the Pewabic experience to community festivals and schools.

Learn more at: https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2019/08/29/entrepreneurs-going-mobile-instead-of-brick-and-mortar.html

Custom Designed Welders Bodies by Harbor Truck Bodies

Harbor can custom build a Welders Body 
for each customers unique needs

It seems that there's no such thing as a standard Welder Body because every welder want something different.Harbor can custom build a Welders Body for each customers unique needs.Here's a 9' Low Pro 34" Open Top Service Body with Stainless Steel lids and with slightly raised front compartments to the standard height of 40" closed compartment style.

This also has a small sized transverse compartment with two compartments for tall gas bottles in storage, while in the main front compartment are bottle brackets and rings for short gas bottles. This also has the rear compartment cut off and an 18" work platform with V-groove on the back plus the standard 8" step bumper.

This is all mounted on a new Dodge 3500 regular cab chassis and makes for a very clean looking rig.

Let Harbor create a unique body for you! Call 800-433-9452. www.htbi.net

Understanding the Critical Role of the Utility in Fleet Electrification

Proper planning and engagement can aid in the smooth transition to fleet electrification.
Adding electric vehicles to your fleet is not as simple as selecting the vehicle you want and ordering it. Unlike diesel and gasoline powered vehicles, you can’t just pull into a truck stop and plug in your EV to recharge the battery. At least not yet.

But don’t let this scare you off from considering bringing electric vehicles into your operation. Proper planning will help you have a smooth transition to a hybrid or electrified fleet. Even if you’re not an expert on charging infrastructure or fleet electrification, there are resources at your disposal: a local utility can provide helpful guidance and it’s quite likely they already have experience assisting other fleets with electrification efforts.

Engage Your Utility First
When it comes to electricity, rates can fluctuate up to 200% in a given day depending on when and how quickly it’s used. To put things in perspective: imagine if the price of oil varies based on when and how fast you filled the tank. Think how difficult it would be to plan and budget properly.
The 3,300 electric utilities in the U.S. have varying tariffs structures, peak demand rates, time of use charges, etc.; all of which impact what you will be paying to charge your vehicles. Therefore, it is imperative that you work with your local utility and not rely on general information about needed electric charging infrastructure, rates, etc.

So before you even place an order for an electric vehicle, you first want to speak with your electric utility company. They can not only give you information on your current electrical , but can also tell you about special, local funding opportunities that might be available to defray costs. They can assist with everything from your substation to your transformer through to your meter.

Each case is unique and should be dealt with on an individual basis by working in tandem with partners and utility company staff.

Utility as Consultant
Fleet managers also need to determine exactly what their operational needs are going to be, and how charging will fit into this. How many EVs are you planning to add to the fleet? Will they all need to be fully charged at the end of each day? Will they all be charging at the same time of day or will they be returning to the yard at different times and therefore charging throughout the day?

Here again you can bring in a utility partner or specialist consultant to help you model multiple charging scenarios. They can also help you build out an infrastructure that is capable of handling additional charging stations in the future as you bring more EVs into your fleet. When it comes to retrofitting your facility, your energy provider can advise if electrical upgrades may be necessary to accommodate your specific needs.

Now is when you should start thinking about ongoing energy management. This is an area that is often overlooked, but failure to think through how to manage energy and avoid demand charges could result in costly surprises on your energy bills month after month.
Bring up the discussion on load management and best ways to fuel your electric fleet early. Only at this point should you begin constructing the infrastructure and installing the charging equipment.

Don’t Underestimate Planning
In its Guidance Report, Amping Up: Charging Infrastructure for Electric Trucks, The North American Council for Freight Efficiency found that, “Because of the nature of EV charging infrastructure, utilities will need to be involved in the planning and implementation processes as partners, and because they are subject to much regulation and government bureaucracy, it’s best to engage them early, as planning and permitting can take over a year.”

In addition, the report found, “Planning and permitting for charging infrastructure can be very time-intensive process.” This means you need to begin the process well before you take possession of your first electric vehicle. NACFE advises that “infrastructure planning, negotiating, funding, permitting, installation, and certification can take much longer than procuring the [vehicle] itself.”

While different from diesel and gasoline powered vehicles, there is no need to shy away from electric vehicles. With some careful, early planning you can seamlessly integrate them into your current operation.

Muffi Ghadiali is founder and CEO of Electriphi Inc., a developer of EV fleet and energy management solutions. Electriphi offers a planning tool to help fleets begin to electrify their fleets.

Source:  https://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/338418/understanding-the-critical-role-of-the-utility-in-fleet-electrification

 by Muffi Ghadiali Share with FacebookShare with TwitterShare with LinkedInShare by Email
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Originally posted on Fleet Forward

DECKED 101: (Almost) Everything You Need to Know about DECKED

This is a deep dive into DECKED pickup truck and cargo van storage systems : exploring what it does for the customer, how it's constructed, its features and benefits, as well as assembly/installation best practices. While this is intended for DECKED retailers this is also a helpful guide for interested customers as well.