The technological sophistication of today’s trucks has presented carriers with a host of challenges, with some of them disguised as opportunities.
Tom Moore, senior vice president of National Private Fleet Council, notes that today’s trucks offer so much information that many of his membership’s fleets are turning that into actionable information.
Moore served as a fleet panelist at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas Monday looking at the parts and service needs of today’s fleets.
He notes a shift to predictive analytics and using data to manage best times to buy and sell equipment. “From a maintenance standpoint, they’re trying to get more life out of their equipment,” he says.
The volume of available of data can be overwhelming, and Moore says that has prompted many of his group’s members to outsource its maintenance. “Finding technicians is not easy,” he says, “and paying technicians has been a real challenge.”
Outsourcing, he adds, is not dependent on the size of the fleet. “It’s about what they see as a core capability.”
Gloria Pliler, Swift’s director of parts procurement, says the complexity of a truck’s electrical system has prompted her company to partner with dealerships nationwide. Swift has about 60 shops across the country and has placed dealer-employed technicians in many the company’s bays.
