This training video is for Commercial Drivers License CDL holders and teaches them how to drive defensively while operating big rig, semi trucks and other large delivery vehicles.
7/24/24
Smart Solutions for Smaller Fleets with Dave Prusinski | Workshops | Ford Pro™
Dave Prusinski, the Global Chief Revenue Officer for Ford Pro™ Intelligence, delivers a workshop on how Ford Pro helps to level the playing field for small businesses. Our always-on, cloud-based Ford Pro™ Intelligence platform combines data from your vehicles, charging hardware, and daily fleet activity in one place to help simplify your business operations and accelerate productivity. Learn more at https://ford.to/3WgGG1S
7/22/24
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
7/20/24
Cognitive Distraction
7/18/24
The Evolution of the Harbor Landscaper Pro Body
Our original Harbor Master Landscaper Body has evolved. Our customers are always looking for better ways and we are adapting our bodies to meet those needs. We now have three Harbor Landscaper Bodies in our lineup. First, we have the original Master Landscaper that comes with MDO Plywood Gates with dual side exterior laminate, Rear latch swing away rear steel frame gates that lock to side for dumping.
To that great body, we have added the Harbor Pro Landscaper which adds a back of cab 24" storage box that is about cab high. The curbside of the box has three shelves and a pull-out deep steel drawer on Teflon® bushings. This compartment goes almost all the way to the other side so it will carry long tools, gardening equipment, etc. and keep it safe and out of sight.
The other side has a 22" deep compartment for smaller items and/or parts. It is available with one or more underbed boxes to match for additional space. Since this 24" box is in place, a typical 84" CA truck that would take a 12' Landscaper, now would have a 10' Landscape Dump and the 24" storage box. Many customers still prefer the 12' and this just requires the cab chassis to have a 108" CA. The Pro Landscaper has the same MDO Plywood sides and rear gate as the Master Landscaper.
Learn more at: http://harbortruckandvan.com/product/master-landscaper/
7/16/24
7/14/24
Ford Pro™ EV Charging Benefits for Fleet Managers | Ford Pro
Ford Pro™ Charging has a range of options to fit fleet managers' charging needs. Businesses can count on solutions to meet their fleet needs, whether that be home charging, depot charging or public charging. We also offer software to make it easier to keep track of it all and help you maximize uptime. 2022 Ford E-Transit available early 2022.
7/12/24
Curt Payload Calculator | BetterWeigh™ Mobile Towing Scale
What is my payload weight? This video provides simple instructions for how to use the Payload function on the CURT BetterWeigh™ mobile towing scale. With this feature, you can get an active readout on your smartphone of the weight of your truck’s payload as you are loading cargo and materials.
The CURT BetterWeigh™ #51701 is a Bluetooth-enabled OBD2 device that wirelessly syncs with your smartphone to provide a variety of vehicle and trailer weights. This includes gross combined weight, payload and tongue weight, as well as weight distribution setup and trailer brake gain.
To measure the weight of your payload with BetterWeigh™, begin by selecting the weight readout range that best suits your vehicle. To change the readout, tap the gear icon and select Payload. Then, choose a weight range.
Next, select the Payload feature from the BetterWeigh™ app homescreen. Make sure your vehicle is parked in the spot where you intend to load it. Get out of the vehicle and tap Ready. Don’t touch the vehicle while it is taking its initial reading.
Once the pitch of the vehicle is measured, you can begin loading your truck bed and get your payload weight in real time.
7/10/24
NHTSA’s New SaferCar App
Our new SaferCar app allows you to save your vehicles, car seats, equipment, or tires in a virtual garage on your smartphone. If a recall is issued, you’ll get an alert.
7/08/24
Financing Your Electric Fleet | Customer Interview | Ford Pro™ FinSimple™
Watch as leaders from Grade A Construction share how Ford Pro™ FinSimple™ helped finance the chargers at their business and employees’ homes.
7/06/24
Why Fleet Managers Choose Ford Pro™ | Ford Pro
Fleet managers from DHL, Vestas and Grade A Construction share their experiences working with Ford Pro to expand their fleet with electric vehicles, charging, software, and mobile service. Visit http://www.fordpro.com/ to find out how our all-in-one solution can help your fleet run more efficiently.
7/04/24
Inside Billion $ Factories Producing Massive Trucks From Scratch - Production Line
With this feature on FRAME, we explore the production process of the Ford Super Duty trucks. Check out how this American manufacturer designs and builds heavy-duty trucks in its state-of-the-art facility in the United States!
7/02/24
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.
6/30/24
Truck U #905: BOLT Locks
In this segment Bruno Massel and Matt Steele hosts of Speed channel's Truck U Talk about the benefits of using BOLT Locks. This segment was featured on Episode #905 "Tundra Daily Driver" which aired on March 30th 2013.
To learn more go to
http://www.boltlock.com/
6/28/24
Flexible Municipal Fleet Financing | Customer Interview | Ford Pro™ FinSimple™
After the Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Mayor explains the unique vehicle needs of municipalities, the various payment options available to cities wanting to bundle fleet vehicle purchases with upfits are detailed by a Ford Pro FinSimple Municipal Finance Operations Specialist.
6/26/24
Plywood vs. Legend Composite Van Flooring
Here’s the thing. We have a plywood van floor in our lineup too.
But as Experts in Fleet Protection, we’ve come a long way to create a unique, industry-leading composite rigid floor, which is safer, stronger, and much more sustainable than any plywood on the market.
As the EV market continues to take the world by storm, Legend works hard to protect the future of transportation. This starts by protecting the van drivers, and where they walk hundreds of times every day - the floor of the cargo van.
We’d like to share some of the most significant highlights of Legend Composite Flooring in this video.
See floor here: https://blog.legendfleet.com/products...
6/24/24
Tongue Weight Safety Demonstration
Proper trailer tongue weight improves the vehicle and trailer towing experience by improving performance. Not enough tongue weight or force on the hitch/tow ball causes an increase in trailer sway from side to side, making it difficult to control. Conversely, too much tongue weight or force on the hitch/tow ball could overload the rear tires of the towing vehicle, pushing the rear end of the vehicle around. This could also negatively affect the vehicle handling. Performance is impaired as you might not be able to go around corners and curves properly, and your vehicle may not stop quickly enough when you press the brake pedal.
6/22/24
Why Ford Pro™ | Ch. 1 | This is Ford Pro™
Watch as Ford Motor Company President and CEO Jim Farley discusses the history of Ford’s commercial vehicle success and the direction in which the company is headed. He details the inspiration behind Ford Pro and shares how our physical products combine with software and services to provide a comprehensive solution made for CEOs, local governments, and businesses of all sizes.
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 crew on the road.
6/20/24
6/18/24
Harbor 12' Contractor Body Demo - Harbor Truck Bodies
Warren Mason with Harbor Truck Bodies gives us a demonstration of the versitile Harbor Contractor body. See more at http://www.htbi.net
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