Asset And Maintenance Insights

01/15/2024

I have a friend looking for new opportunities as an asset and maintenance manager. He has a strong background in managing large fleets and dealer operations. Let me know if you are interested and I can put you in contact with him.

06/28/2023

Over the past five years I have attended numerous OEM electric vehicle training programs in support of my customers. I recently published a document titled "Recommended Work and Safety Practices for Shops Maintaining Electric Vehicles" on my blog. To access it go to www.fleetAMI.com and click on the blog heading. If you would like a copy of this publication send me an email at [email protected]

01/03/2023

2022 was an exciting and rewarding year for Asset and Maintenance Insights. During the year, I interacted with twenty-seven clients on twenty-four short-to-medium term projects and three long term projects. During the year, I also travelled to more than thirty cities in support of my client’s projects, two of those were international destinations. Overall, my client base was evenly split between transportation fleets and those that provide services to fleets.

Many, but not all, of my projects during 2022 involved electric vehicles (EV), reflecting the direction of the industry. I helped fleets with selecting the right EV for their application, reviewing and implementing charging system strategies, implementing shop safety and work practices, and developing effective maintenance programs.

To support my EV efforts, I completed the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E training to become a Certified Electrical Safety Technician (CEST) which recognizes my understanding and ability to apply standards for electrical safety in the workplace, During the year I also received certifications from Nikola, Rivian, Workhorse and Brightdrop.

I am looking forward to 2023, and I expect it to also be an exciting year for Asset and Maintenance Insights. If I can assist you and/or your company with your 2023 fleet objectives, please contact me.

12/21/2022

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All!

09/29/2022

This week I participated the Amerit Fleet Solutions Electric Vehicle (EV) Advisor Group meeting in San Diego. Amerit invited customers, vehicle manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies and utilities to a two day summit to discuss the challenges of integrating EVs and their support systems.

During the summit I participated in a panel that discussed the operational challenges faced by fleets integrating EVs. I summarized, based on my experience, the four areas that fleets need to address before beginning their EV journey. Why are we doing this? How will we do this? Where will we do this? When will we do this?

If you want more details or need EV assistance, please contact me.

06/16/2022

The average price of diesel fuel in California crossed the $7.00 per gallon mark this week and continued its upward climb in the rest of the country, averaging $5.78. For truck operators, EcoFlaps can help ease some of your pain at the pump.

As someone who manages large fleets, I am often skeptical about vendor claims of improved fuel economy and ask for third-party verification. EcoFlaps has this in spades, receiving verification on its claims of 1-3% fuel consumption reduction from MVT, Southwest Research, Pitt Group and many others.

EcoFlaps also impacts your driver's and the motoring public's safety during inclement weather through road spray reduction. Testing by Michelin found that EcoFlaps reduces road spray by 68% over traditional flaps and several fleets strongly endorse EcoFlaps due just to their impact on safety.

Mudflap damage and their replacement is a common event in the fleets I manage and can quite often lead to added points during roadside inspections. Fleets using EcoFlaps report significant reductions in mudflap replacements (if any) due to their durable, but lightweight design. For this reason, the manufacturer of EcoFlaps provides a two-year warranty to its customers against any type of failure.

Due to its ability to reduce fuel consumption, improve safety and reduce costs, I strongly recommend the use of EcoFlaps for all trucking operations. For more information, please contact me or Asa Hazelwood.

12/29/2021

This past weekend, Mike Rowe was on TV talking about the 11 million open jobs in the USA. In the open positions, there are thousands of open good paying truck technician positions.

I got my start in this industry as a technician after attending a trade school. Later in my career, I decided to get a four year degree after going into management, but it all started with the trade school.

I recently began working with a new trade school that takes a different approach, offering an accelerated six-month program, partnering with fleets for guaranteed jobs and reimbursement of tuition costs. NVI-Blairsville is the largest and newest tech training facility in the country. To learn more, click on the following link.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211208005137/en/New-Technician-School-in-Blairsville-Pa.-the-Nation%E2%80%99s-Largest-Launches-Innovative-Accelerated-Auto-and-Diesel-Programs-to-Address-Critical-Worker-Shortages

Assisting fleets lower operating costs.

12/24/2021

https://fb.watch/a5EsnrYySW/

11/11/2021

Glad to see a technician getting highlighted in a business publication. Congratulations, Wade!

November 10, 2021, 6:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

10/19/2021

I am looking to purchase a 2019-2022 Ford E450 SD with a wheelbase of 158". This vehicle will be retrofitted with an electric drivetrain, so existing drivetrain does not matter. Location in the USA does not matter and would prefer a gasoline powered unit, but would consider a diesel. Will also consider a unit with a body already attached. Please message me back if you have one for sale.

09/10/2021

I will be attending the TMC Meeting in Cleveland next week. Hope to see you there!

08/22/2021

In the USA, heavy-duty combination trucks (primarily tractor and trailers) make up just 1.1% of the total vehicles on the road today. Due to their high fuel consumption, miles driven and the effort required to move their heavy payloads, heavy duty trucks make up 17% of overall vehicle emissions. This is the primary reason there is so much focus on electrifying the 1.1%, it has the biggest impact on reducing emissions.