Happy New Year from Harbor Truck Bodies!
12/31/24
12/28/24
OnStar Business Solutions: Insights DualCam | GM Envolve
Both drivers and fleet managers can benefit from a record of driving incidents. Working together, with some help from the Insights DualCam, you too can help mitigate financial liability and get to the bottom of things at the same time.
12/26/24
Harbor 8' Service Body With RollTop and Drawers
John shows off this great Harbor 8' Service Body mounted on a Ford F-250 chassis. This unit has a 3-piece Cargo Bed Enclosure (Rolltop), standard pop-out lock system, Master Locking System, and a couple of drawers in the front streetside compartment. See more about Harbor Truck Bodies at http://www.htbi.net, and more from Hansel Ford at http://www.HanselWorkTrucks.com
Hansel Ford Commercial/Fleet Dept
12/24/24
12/19/24
15 Essential Tips for Safe Holiday Driving
12/17/24
Ford CEO Jim Farley discusses the rapid evolution of electric vehicles
Ford CEO Jim Farley joins CNBC's Julia Boorstin for a discussion on EVs, rapidly evolving vehicle technology, and how drivers' shifting priorities are reshaping what we expect in cars and trucks. NBCUniversal News Group is the media partner of Aspen Ideas Festival.
12/15/24
Get the Peace of Mind of Ford Pro™ Insure For Your Fleet
You have an entire fleet of vehicles out there. Running from point A to points B, C, D, and beyond. It’s a lot to be proud of. It’s also a lot to be responsible for. At Ford Pro™, we know how important it is to protect you and your fleet. This is Ford Pro Insure, from The American Road Insurance Company: Insurance that keeps your fleet moving forward. Protecting your fleet is our business. We cover vehicles, from accident liability and physical damage to theft and vandalism. And we cover people, from medical payments and loss of earnings to towing, Roadside Assistance, and rental reimbursement. Ford Pro Insure products can help protect your vehicles, your employees, and your business against the unpredictable. Plus, you’ll get the benefit of a range of plans designed with the flexible coverage that meets your needs. Ford Pro Insure is just one essential component in the world of Ford Pro services. Get a quote today or speak to one of our experts to learn more about how Ford Pro Insure can start protecting your fleet.
12/13/24
Keeping Your Business On Wheels: Pro Strategies to Manage Your Fleet | Ford Pro
When your business runs on vehicles, it’s critical to use tools to help keep your fleet fresh, efficient and on the road as much as possible. Watch this webinar for pro strategies on tools and technologies to help manage costs and make the most of your vehicle investment. Subject matter experts will go over how you can:
12/11/24
Venco-Venturo Industries History - Work Truck Week 2024.
Ian Lahmer, vice president of sales and marking for Venco Venturo Industries, discusses the company’s history with NTEA, plans for the future and more at Work Truck Week 2024.
12/09/24
Report: Larger Vehicles Safer In Crashes
Every day, about 100 people are killed in an auto accident. A new report finds the size of your car can play a major role, Danielle Nottingham reports
12/07/24
Isuzu truck production - Japan
Isuzu Truck factory in Japan, Watch this, how the best trucks are made
Isuzu Motors Ltd. : いすゞ自動車株式会社, , commonly known as Isuzu (Japanese pronunciation: [isɨᵝzɨᵝ], /iˈsuzu/), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines.
KondorCars
12/05/24
E-transit Driver Resource | FORD
This video guides E-transit customers through the onboarding process and offers step-by-step instructions on vehicle operations, phone pairing, drive modes, climate controls, preconditioning, and charging.
12/03/24
New 2025 John Deere pick up truck unveiled -First look! the Most powerful pickup
Welcome to Car Updater! In today’s video, we take a first look at the all-new 2025 John Deere Pickup Truck, marking John Deere’s entry into the pickup truck market. Known for their durable agricultural machinery, John Deere is bringing that same rugged reliability into the world of light-duty trucks. Whether you’re a farmer, contractor, or outdoor enthusiast, this truck is designed to handle the toughest jobs with ease.
12/01/24
Starting Your Fleet | Customer Interview | Ford Pro™ FinSimple™
Find out how Ford Pro™ FinSimple™ helped Grade A Construction start their fleet with a Commercial Line of Credit (CLOC) when they were a new company with limited resources. We have financing options for businesses of any size.
11/29/24
Welders Bodies Custom Designed by Harbor Truck Bodies
Harbor can custom build a Welders Body
for each customers unique needs
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.
Visit us at http://www.harbortruckandvan.com/
11/27/24
Next Step in the UPFIT Process: Ensuring Proper Maintenance.
- Photo: GETTYIMAGES.COM/KARANDAEV
Top Upfit Maintenance Challenges:
A huge challenge many fleet managers face in maintaining upfits is simply communicating the value and importance of proper upfit maintenance to field personnel and drivers.
“Most drivers understand the importance of oil changes, brake services, etc., and will typically make sure their vehicle is serviced in a timely manner. But prioritizing upfit maintenance in a similar fashion typically isn’t something that comes naturally. The fleet manager must educate their frontline personnel on the critical aspect of properly maintaining the vehicle’s equipment; not only to maximize its effective lifecycle and control costs but also to ensure the safety of their fleet personnel in the field,” said Jeff Klinghoffer, regional engineering manager for Holman Enterprises.
At the end of the day, it comes down to education and awareness.
“As a fleet manager, you’ll need to communicate the importance of proper upfit and equipment maintenance to your drivers. Beyond that, you can certainly implement processes and procedures to assess the condition of the vehicle and its upfit regularly. You can also explore potential gamification or incentive programs to help secure buy-in from your drivers,” Klinghoffer added.
Let’s face it; fleet managers have a lot on their plate.
“Fleet managers face daily challenges mixed in with bigger picture issues that include building a safe, reliable, and appropriate truck for the job while making executives and stakeholders happy. Finding the time to answer all of the challenges can be difficult,” said Mathew Marcussen, director of customer relations for BrandFX. “Taking the time to do research and learn more, in the beginning, will reap great savings, benefits, and efficiency in the end. Also, purchase a body that maintains its good condition over a long period will reduce the cost of repairs and service.”
When it comes to the different types of materials used in upfitting, you need to select the right material for the job.
“Ladder racks on top of cargo vans are impacted by either the snow and ice removal chemicals in the Midwest or the salty air near coastal regions. Using aluminum and stainless steel in those products is a must to provide the customer a quality product that gets them a good return on their investment,” said Katie Groves, national fleet sales manager for Adrian Steel.
Don’t forget to depend on those who know upfitting best.
“Partner with an upfitter that has a national presence and a team that can support these instances,” Groves recommended.
6 Mistakes Maintaining Upfits
While mistakes may not often happen when maintaining upfits, they can occur. Here are a few top ones to avoid:
Mistake 1: Lack of Inspection
Just as drivers need to inspect your vehicle for leaks, tire wear, etc., they should examine their upfits, too.
“Constantly check routing and clipping for rub points, just because a battery cable was tied up nicely last time you inspected it doesn’t mean a clip didn’t break loose since then,” said Brad Howard, director of Operations for Fontaine Modification.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Preventive Maintenance
When it comes to the vehicles themselves, preventive maintenance (PM) second nature, but that may not be true for upfits.
“Fleet managers realize that adhering to a recommended PM schedule is vital to optimizing the vehicle’s lifecycle and controlling the total cost of ownership. However, the same methodology also applies to a vehicle’s upfitting and equipment, but preventive maintenance for these items is often overlooked,” said Kelly Klemisch, regional engineering manager, Holman Enterprises.
To avoid this mistake, work upfits into your PM strategy for your vehicles.
“Regular service for equipment such as air compressors, material handling units, and aerial devices should be included in the unit’s PM schedule. Additionally, you can also include inspections in the schedule as well, so drivers receive reminders for those items as well. Or, at the very least, take measures to keep these PM items top-of-mind for drivers and operators. For example, you can track crane or compressors hours on an interior door decal,” Klemisch added.
Mistake 3: Not Adjusting Upfits Correctly
Make sure that ladder racks are correctly adjusted to your ladders.
“A properly adjusted ladder rack will keep the ladder secured on the van during transportation, reduce noise that could cause driver distraction, and extend the life of both the ladder and ladder rack,” said Katie Groves, national fleet sales manager for Adrian Steel.
Mistake 4: Misusing Upfit Equipment
You should also ensure your drivers and frontline workers fully understand how to use the vehicle’s equipment properly.
“Many vocational vehicles feature sophisticated and complex attachments, so training your employees on the best practices for using these units will help to minimize premature wear and tear and maximize the equipment’s effective lifecycle. This also applies to something as simple as a vehicle’s storage units. We often see fleet personnel overloading a service body or interior shelving with more than it is intended to hold, and this really impacts the longevity of these items,” said Klemisch of Holman Enterprises.
Mistake 5: Wrong Service Timing
When you service certain upfit items is also essential.
“When you service trucks, and related upfits is a big item. One example is a snowplow: make sure to service at the end of the snow season AND beginning of the season,” said Patrick Clark, director of fleet sales for Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment.
Mistake 6: Improper Equipment Storage
Where you store your equipment has a considerable impact on its useful service life.
“Also storing equipment inside helps preserve the life. Work with the local upfitters to make sure you are servicing cranes, liftgates, plows etc correctly,” said Clark of Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment.
Source: https://www.worktruckonline.com/10120069/value-of-effectively-maintaining-upfits
11/25/24
Get Things Done | Ford®
No matter how you want to power up, or what you want to build with that power, we've got a Ford® F-150® for you. Hybrid, all-electric, or gas. The power is yours.
11/23/24
The Power is Yours | Ford Pro™
When it comes to power, Ford Pro™ has options. Whether it’s gas, diesel, hybrid, or all-electric, the power is yours.
About Ford Pro: Ford Pro™ is a productivity accelerator designed to drive business forward, delivering solutions to commercial customers of all sizes. We offer the right tools, software and services designed to keep your business on track and your crews on the road.
The Power is Yours | Ford Pro™
/ @fordpro
/ @fordpro 
11/19/24
CURT CrossWing™ Lightweight 5th Wheel Hitch | Features & Benefits
The CrossWing™ 5th wheel hitch #16600 by CURT gives you the best of both worlds by packing extraordinary strength into one lightweight hitch. With the main body weight of only 60 pounds, it is 65% lighter than most traditional 5th wheel hitches while still offering a 20,000 lb. weight capacity, so strength and muscle are not sacrificed.
Its patent-pending ShockDrop technology provides a smoother towing experience by reducing jerking and jarring, and its structure allows fore, aft and lateral head articulation when connecting on uneven terrain, so you can be comfortable and confident in your ride no matter what type of rugged roads you encounter.
The CrossWing™ also features a reinforced head connection point that provides exceptional strength, along with a unique coupling system that eliminates guesswork by offering a visible contact surface.
Features and benefits of the CURT CrossWing™ lightweight 5th wheel hitch:
- Premium steel construction offers robust 20,000-lb. capacity
- Features patent-pending ShockDrop technology to reduce jerking and jarring
- Reinforced head connection point for superior strength and peace of mind
- Easy, one-person installation and removal (fits industry-standard rails)
- 65% lighter than most traditional 5th wheel hitches (main body weighs 60 lbs.)
- Unique coupling system eliminates guesswork by offering visible contact surface
- Head channel guides kingpin into place for easier hookup
- Allows fore, aft and lateral head articulation when connecting on uneven terrain
- Easy-to-reach release handle for ergonomic operation
- Three points of height adjustment from 16-3/8" to 20-3/8"
- Coupling point offset 5" rearward for added turning clearance
- Premium, carbide textured black finish for lasting rust resistance
- High-grade steel design for added strength vs. aluminum
- Tested for safety in accordance with SAE J2638
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