Tampering with aftertreatment devices is still illegal, and the true cost of cheating and deleting can extend far beyond the massive fines you could receive.
p. 14
In The Bay
How to care for trucking’s divine coupling
How the fifth wheel and trailer kingpin consistently hold your equipment together is nothing short of a miracle. But even these durable components need attention sometimes.
p. 18
Shop Operations
How to iron out wrinkles in your hiring process
Hiring may feel like a recurring chore for fleets and shops, but there’s no shortage of tools to smooth out the process.
SPOTLIGHT ON...
p. 26
Predictive Maintenance
Focus on the now
While many fleets are still learning how to employ the future insights of predictive maintenance, some are looking to leverage the real-time power of condition-based maintenance.
p. 28
Electric vehicles
Electric pickups find footing in fleets
Here’s how fleets are using electric pickup trucks in their operations today, and why they’re not going back to gas- or diesel-powered engines anytime soon.
p. 32
News
Old bulldog learns new tricks
Mack’s new on-highway Class 8 tractor, the Pioneer, is a sleek, state-of-the-art beast designed to not only compete with—but barrel through the competition.
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Trevor Milton pardoned by Trump
Noregon
How the ELD mandate helped maintenance evolve
All it takes is one catalyst for a species to undergo an abrupt evolution. For trucking, that was the ELD mandate and mass adoption of telematics.
By John Hitch Editor-in-chief
Sometimes all it takes is the addition of one small variable to spur evolution. For humans, it’s theorized that harnessing fire catalyzed positive social and dietary changes in our prehistoric ancestors, leading to tight-knit tribes and bigger brains. Or maybe it was aliens, as ancient astronaut theorists believe. Whatever it was, we’re here and we do one thing—and do it better than most species: consume. And among humans, nobody does it better than Americans. That’s good for trucking, as the industry accounts for more than 70% of the transported goods people consume. But the speed and cost at which freight is delivered is never fast or cheap enough. After all, if things cost less and arrive sooner, we can consume more of them.
But trucks are driven by humans (for now) who need to rest. They also need money, and make more the less they rest. (Time is money.) Going coast to coast on copious amounts of coffee and a few hours of sleep leads to accidents, though.
Thankfully, the government was there to help and mandated electronic logging devices (ELDs) on over-the-road trucks. Now Uncle Sam (aka, your dad’s Big Brother) could track drivers’ nap times and eliminate truck crashes. OK, it’s the government, so that last bit didn’t happen. From 2016 to 2021, when ELD adoption was growing (with full compliance hitting in Dec. 2019), the accident rate increased by 6%, according to NHTSA’s CRSS data.
To be fair, FMCSA estimates that only 1,844 crashes, 562 injuries, and 26 deaths would be prevented from ELDs. However you feel about ELDs, though, they are now on more than 3 million commercial trucks. And with them came a massive wave of telematics devices to wirelessly send the Hours of Service data back to the fleet. And with that, the data revolution in trucking caught fire.
Over the last decade, the telematics revolution has given fleets the ability to send sensor data from engines, tires, trailers and more from the vehicle to fleet management systems, giving the back office insights into real-time asset health and driver behavior. At a minimum, this transparency positively impacts safety and fuel consumption.
More recently, adding remote diagnostics and data analytics (being fed historical DTC and repair info) to the mix allows fleets and
OEs to perform predictive maintenance. A maintenance platform using this technology can compare the current faults on a truck to those from the past. If the fault code data coming from a specific make and model matches up to what historically has caused a derate in 80% of similar cases, the fleet owner would know to have the driver pull into a shop ASAP.
This may truly be the best legacy of the ELD mandate and onset of telematics, because predictive maintenance is like having your very own PreCrime Division, like in “Minority Report.” Instead of preventing murders, you’re predicting when something will kill your truck’s uptime. And you don’t even have to wrestle with ethical questions regarding free will and determinism to do it.
Once you find the right provider, integrate your data, and train up your people, (not easy feats), you are pretty much ready to hunt down suspected issues before they bring down your assets. This in turn raises availability.
“You’re essentially getting more vehicles for free for the cost of the vehicles you already have,” Uptake CEO Adam McElhinney shared at Geotab Connect 2025.
With skyrocketing truck costs due to new technology and tariffs, getting more with less does help the bottom line.
But the evolution doesn’t stop there, as it won’t be long before condition-based maintenance (CBM), which relies more on real-time data, hits the maintenance sector. With sensors added to the brakes and rest of the wheel end, fleets are finding new ways to keep the trucks
rolling reliably and much safer. If early projections are correct, fleets will save millions of dollars avoiding road calls and extended downtime while also optimizing scheduled maintenance and parts delivery.
According to Andreas Bohman, global product line manager for connected technologies at SKF, the TraX Wheel End Monitor, which alerts fleets to thermal events, has caught at least 10 issues, such as bearing failures, that would cause serious damage. He noted unplanned maintenance costs upwards of four times as much as planned service.
“If ignored, these can lead to expensive repairs or, in the worst case, a wheel-off situation,” Bohman said.
He also noted tanker fleets hauling fuel used TraX to detect multiple high-temp events. In the case of an LNG tanker, a thermal event can spark a $1 million cost. Instead, the driver pulled over and averted the crisis.
“The intense heat generated by the dragging brake could have quickly led to component seizure, a potential tire blowout, or worse— ignition,” Bohman said.
He noted “brake health monitoring is definitely the next frontier” and it’s starting to gain traction. Combined with TPMS and wheel-end data, this omniscient look at axle-level health serves as an early warning system for wheeloffs and brake fading. If adopted at scale, this will likely save far more lives than the 26 that ELDs are thought to prevent. In the end, government intervention accidentally did what it set out to do. Who could have predicted that?
189866128 | Vitpho | Dreamstime
Deleters never prosper
Tampering with aftertreatment devices is still illegal, and the true cost of cheating and deleting can extend far beyond the massive fines you could receive.
By Gregg Wartgow
[ EMISSIONS ]
The current White House and head of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, have made it pretty clear that they aren’t big on regulations, nor on making things harder for businesses than they have to be. As a result, “stopping aftermarket defeat devices” is no longer a top-level priority in the EPA’s 20242027 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative. Add all of that to the personnel cuts that could end up slicing through the agency, and some fleets might be lulled into thinking that diesel deleting—removing or bypassing emissions systems components such as the diesel particulate filter or exhaust gas recirculation system—is something they could get away with now.
Those fleets might want to think again.
“I don’t believe the EPA is going to back off of the federal regulations that are already on the books,” said Bruce Balfour, vice president of Clean Diesel Specialists (CDS), a diesel emissions service and equipment company with a nationwide network of owned and affiliated shops. “As of now, it’s still 100% illegal to modify an emissions system.”
The EPA makes it pretty clear: Don’t tamper with or install kits to defeat emissions systems.
As per the Clean Air Act Title 40, Ch. 1, 1068.101, tampering is defined as “remov[ing] or render[ing] inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in engines/equipment in compliance with the regulations” before or after sale. The EPA may levy a $45,268 penalty for each engine or part in violation. Certain circumstances, such as during a repair or emergency modification, are excluded, according to the code.
If you “knowingly manufacture, sell, offer to sell, or install, any component that bypasses, impairs, defeats, or disables the control of emissions of any regulated pollutant,” you could be assessed a $4,500 fine in each instance found. The EPA could take another $45,268 per day for reporting and record-keeping violations.
And just in case you’re thinking it’s only an issue in deep blue states like California, Oregon, Maryland, and Massachusetts, here are some past EPA emissions-cheating cases from across the U.S. to prove that diesel cheaters never prosper:
Ü Roughly 16 enforcement cases were resolved in 2024, including a shop in Nebraska that agreed to a civil penalty of over $670,000.
Ü Over 40 cases were resolved in 2021, including those regarding a Texas trucking company that settled for nearly $14,000, a Pennsylvania trucking company that settled for around $50,000, and an Indiana shop that was hit with an $80,000 penalty.
Ü Nearly 50 cases were resolved in 2019 during Trump’s first term, including a Texas shop that was hit with a penalty of over $30,000.
Ü Over 30 cases were resolved in 2017, the first year of Trump’s first term, including a shop in Wisconsin that consented to nearly $20,000 in penalties.
Another factor to consider is that aftertreatment systems are already baked into the engineering formula for diesel truck manufacturers.
“I don’t see the Trump administration doing anything to reverse the emissions regulations
that already exist,” said Steve Hoke, president of Diesel Emissions Service (DES), a provider of parts and service with four DPF cleaning facilities covering the West Coast. “To make a model change, a truck or engine manufacturer spends millions of dollars over a five- to eight-year planning period. So, any loosening of emissions regulations won’t be retroactive, in my opinion.
“The Trump administration might kill the 2027 greenhouse gas rule, but trucks will still need aftertreatment systems to maintain compliance with current regulations,” he continued. “It’s not going to turn into the Wild West like some truckers are thinking it will.”
According to Balfour, emissions tampering has also lost much of its appeal over the past five to 10 years as aftertreatment systems have gotten considerably better. But tampering is still going on in certain places, particularly in states or counties that don’t require emissions testing. But even in those areas, the EPA and its state and local partners still have the authority to enforce the law, in this case the EPA’s Clean Air Act.
“Spot inspections happen a couple of different ways,” said Paul Wilson, social media and marketing supervisor at Calibrated Power Solutions, a data-driven tuning business and home of DuramaxTuner.com. “An inspector could plug into the diagnostic port on the vehicle and scan for codes. In Illinois, where we are based, you also see a lot of snap tests on a dynamometer. That is a great way to get a diesel truck to puff some smoke. Inspectors may also look around to see if there’s a DPF, for example.”
Roadside inspectors may also utilize an opacity meter to test the amount of soot coming out of the tailpipe, Balfour added. They may even place a borescope down the tailpipe to see if any of the filter substrates have been removed.
The question some fleets are asking themselves is: What are the chances of getting caught nowadays? According to folks like Balfour, Hoke, and Wilson, those odds are far too great for fleets to take a chance.
Just look at what prior EPA crackdowns have produced—including during Trump’s first term. In fact, a press release from the Trump administration in October 2020 highlighted how Trump’s first EPA assessed more criminal fines, civil penalties, and restitution than the first four years of the Obama administration. (Selective catalyst reduction and diesel exhaust fluid started getting phased in a year after Obama took office). The statement specifically mentioned emissions cheat devices as an area that contributes to violations of air quality standards and negatively impacts American citizens. This shows how an administration’s abhorrence of burdensome regulations can conflict with a parallel loathing for the disregard for law and order.
The EPA has also cracked down hard on diesel tuner manufacturers. In fact, Calibrated Power Solutions got hit in 2024 after it was discovered that one of its tuning devices could allow EGR disablement on older GM Duramax Diesel trucks. Numerous other tuner manufacturers have also been penalized, including
» Bypassing the DPF through illegal tuning won’t stop it from getting packed full of soot and ash. Better driving habits and aftertreatment system maintenance are preferred solutions.
Diesel Emissions Service
» Some people delete emissions systems by drilling holes in the DPF substrate. But that’s illegal and leads to issues downstream from the DPF.
Clean Diesel Specialists
“ It’s not going to turn into the Wild West like some truckers are thinking it will.”
Steve Hoke, president of Diesel Emissions Service (DES)
Derive Systems (Bully Dog and SCT brands), Edge Products, Performance Diesel, Power Performance Enterprises, Sinister Diesel, oroughbred Diesel, VMP Tuning, and others. Some of the penalties have climbed into the millions of dollars.
What drives the desire to delete?
During the pre-2014 era of diesel a ertreatment systems, the desire to delete was o en driven by the desire for more horsepower and fuel economy.
ose pain points went away, for the most part.
“Once the GHG standard was introduced in 2014, the focus shi ed from reducing NOx emissions to lowering CO2 levels,” said Jason Hedman, product manager at Noregon, a provider of diagnostic tools and solutions. “ e only way to lower CO2 was to increase the fuel economy. To a certain extent, more horsepower can contribute to better fuel economy. So, with the start of the GHG standard, vehicles saw an increase in both horsepower and fuel e ciency.”
As proof, a Duramax Tuner worked with a 2015 GMC 2500HD Denali owned by David Schaefer to get 700 hp and still remain emissions compliant and, according to the company, still maintain “factory-like regen intervals.” It’s nicknamed the Time Bomb, and the power/emissions balance was achieved with a S372SXE turbo, Exergy injectors coupled with a 10mm CP4 pump, and a WCFab custom air intake kit and WCFab twin turbo highflow up pipes with an EGR leg. e factory transmission was also swapped for one built by Cold Front Diesel with a 750 hp capacity.
But as they have done in the past, some truck owners today still want to delete. In most instances, aggravation with various a ertreatment system components provides all the motivation that’s necessary. Sometimes, the motivation is born out of fear.
“Years ago, people deleted emissions systems because those systems failed and it was going to cost a lot of money to fi x,” Wilson said. “It was cheaper to delete than repair, so it seemed logical. Nowadays, the people who are still thinking about deleting are simply worried about something failing. Emissions equipment has become wildly more reliable, though. We see far fewer EGR and DPF failures. DEF systems still have their issues, but it’s usually something a ordable like a sensor. But it doesn’t matter to some truck owners. ey are simply afraid of something failing.”
Wilson said fleets running smaller trucks and vans are more likely to be fear-driven. ey operate in a lot of stop-and-go tra c, which can be hard on a ertreatment systems. When a fleet gets hammered with an expensive tow bill due to a failed emissions system, that only fuels their desire to delete even more.
Jacob Lopez, the service manager at Bullet Proof Diesel, agrees. e repair shop in Mesa, Arizona primarily services diesel pickup trucks, some of which are in vocational-type applications that are also hard on a ertreatment systems. If a truck ever comes in for service with deleted emissions equipment, Lopez’s team will not work on it. at doesn’t happen very o en anymore, however.
“ e tuning you need to do to make a truck drivable a er a delete has pretty much been shut down now,” Lopez said.
e likelihood of encountering deleted emissions systems is even smaller among Classes 7 and 8 fleets, particularly tractor-trailers. But it’s not completely unheard of.
“ e most likely scenario is a second or third owner with a truck over 400,000 miles that’s no longer under warranty,” Balfour said. “Owner/ operators and small fleets are the most likely to still want to delete.”
Hoke agrees, adding that third owners with 10-year-old trucks represent the most likely deletion candidates.
“Second owners are typically small fleets that still keep up with maintenance pretty well,” Hoke said. “But third owners are o en owner/operators who typically don’t track numbers like downtime and cost-per-mile. When something goes bad with
a DPF, DOC, or SCR, and the dealer says it’s going to cost $20,000 to fi x, some of these third owners just want to rip everything o —or try to fi nd a shop that will do it.
“But it’s interesting,” Hoke continued. “I’ve heard of some truck owners spending $5,000 to have an EGR deleted when they could have just replaced it for $1,200. And the thing is, when you use a tune to cheat an emissions system, but still leave the physical components like the DPF intact, it’s still having to catch all of that soot and ash. at’s still going to cause major problems down the road.”
Legal alternatives to deleting
Using block-o plates, drilling holes in fi lter substrates, and completely ripping out components are common ways people physically delete emission systems. Please note that they are completely illegal and in no way encouraged by Fleet
» A Bullet Proof Diesel technician installs a new DPF on a truck.
Bullet Proof Diesel
» An advanced diagnostics tool like Noregon’s JPRO can help skilled technicians recognize abnormal data that could suggest emissions system tampering. Shown here is a dataset suggesting a deleted DPF due to all temperatures appearing to be within operating range, but the DPF is freezing. Noregon
Maintenance. at said, it’s beneficial for professional, law-abiding fleets and shops to understand what’s still going on in the darkest corners of the industry—particularly shops that may see a truck come in that has been tampered with. e trickier aspect to cheating lies within the vehicle’s so ware. As Noregon’s Hedman explained, there are a few di erent ways people do this—all of which are also illegal and not recommended:
Ü Emulator: A physical device is installed to mimic normal readings so the modules perceive the system as functioning correctly, even if it’s not.
Ü Tune: is is done with an a ermarket so ware used to “convince” the modules that all readings are within specification or that it should ignore those readings.
Ü Programmer/Tuner: An a ermarket device connects to the truck’s data link and manipulates readings to convey that the system is functioning normally.
According to Hedman, a really good technician can identify tampered vehicles. By using an advanced diagnostics tool like Noregon’s JPRO, a tech could observe the following indicators:
Ü Uniform DPF temperatures that do not fluctuate as the truck operates (e.g., consistent readings like 32 degrees F, irrespective of usage)
Ü Illogical temperature readings, such as a system temperature of 40 degrees F when the ambient air temperature is 80 degrees F
Ü Unnatural or stagnant fluctuations in a ertreatment system readings
One thing to keep in mind with tuning is that a lot of problems can be created if it isn’t done correctly. A tune can also be very di cult to undo, according to Balfour.
“First of all, you’ll have to replace everything that has been modified, right down to the sensors and entire DEF system,” Balfour said. “ en you have to try and untune the tune. is normally won’t work and all the modules that were programmed will have to be replaced. e cost of doing this can be as high as $50,000, if not more.”
“I’ve seen trucks that were tuned so far out of the realm that even the best technician couldn’t figure out what to do with it,” Lopez added. “On the other hand, I’ve also seen trucks where DPFs and catalysts were gutted, but the owner didn’t have a way of tuning it. ey were going for more horsepower, but ended up spending over $7,000 to replace parts they damaged so they could get the truck back out of limp mode. eir delete didn’t work out too well.”
Rather than run the risk of ruining a truck, there are smarter alternatives for fleets that still view emissions systems as the bane of their existence. According to Lopez, it starts with understanding what’s causing the a ertreatment issues to begin with.
“For the people who still want to delete, a lot of it is driven by past experience,” Lopez said. “Maybe they had a truck they had to spend a lot of money on, but the problem kept coming back. More o en than not, that can be tied back to misdiagnosis, along with a lack of understanding of how an a ertreatment system actually works. Maybe the dealer or shop didn’t catch everything when that truck was in for service. ey just treated a symptom, but not the root cause. Our shop likes
» Jacob Lopez, service manager at Bullet Proof Diesel, won’t service trucks with tampered aftertreatment systems. He said his shop focuses on finding the root cause of the issue to provide a “lasting fix.”
» Calibrated Power Solutions says its tuners are designed to increase horsepower, torque, and fuel economy—all while retaining all factory emissions equipment and safety settings in the truck.
Calibrated Power Solutions
to focus on fi nding the root cause so we can give the customer a lasting fi x.”
Because many of his customers are driving heavy-duty pickups in stop-and-go tra c, Lopez said he also takes the time to educate them on what they can do to improve the performance of the a ertreatment system.
“We explain how that type of driving is hard on an a ertreatment system,” Lopez said. “We advise them to drive the truck a bit harder once in a while to try and get those temperatures up to passively cook o some of that soot. If they simply can’t avoid taking a lot of short trips, we recommend that they take a bit longer drive at the end of the day.”
Lopez said the Bullet Proof Diesel service shop also likes to follow an old-school diagnostic process. Some technicians love looking at sensor data. at’s important, but not the end-all.
“We like to check for things like a common boost leak in the air intake system, which can lead to
more soot development that plugs up an EGR cooler or DPF,” Lopez said. “We also check for exhaust leaks, fuel injector condition, and overall signs of engine and a ertreatment system maintenance. at’s where you’ll o en fi nd the root causes of a ertreatment issues.”
Lopez said a lot of issues tie directly to the EGR cooler. Some coolers, even OE coolers on some trucks, are lacking in quality. Bullet Proof Diesel sells its own EGR coolers that Lopez said are heavier-duty and built for better flow. Simply switching to a higher-quality EGR cooler can make a lot of di erence, Lopez said. Plus, it’s entirely legal. Another thing to keep in mind is that some tuning is also entirely legal.
“Not all tuning is bad tuning,” Hoke pointed out. “With an electronically controlled engine, perfecting the injection timing is a good thing. I think fleets should have their own tuners for their own specific trucks, applications, and drivers. But the tuning is for fuel mileage, performance, and carbon atomization to keep their a ertreatment system working e ciently.”
A er getting hit by the EPA, Calibrated Power Solutions is extremely careful to communicate the fact that its tuners are designed to help truck owners optimize truck performance while leaving emissions systems intact.
“Tuning a diesel engine is one of the most ecient things you can do with a vehicle,” Wilson said. “You can actually change the computer programming in the vehicle so it makes more power, but still puts out less soot and smoke than a factory calibration would. We focus on safely increasing horsepower, torque, and fuel economy—all while retaining all factory emissions equipment and safety settings in the truck. We’ve actually done comparison testing. e mileage gains from deleting vs. tuning the right way is less than a half-mile di erence.”
at’s a pretty modest reward for a pretty monstrous risk. When you get down to it, there are right ways to go about improving vehicle performance and e ciency, and there are right ways to go about maintaining a ertreatment systems. When fleets focus on what’s right, they usually can’t go wrong.
Bullet Proof Diesel
HOW TO CARE FOR DivineTrucking’sCoupling
]
How the fifth wheel and trailer kingpin consistently hold your equipment together is nothing short of a miracle. But even these durable components need attention sometimes.
By Lucas Roberto [ TRAILER
Just how important is the coupling between a tractor-trailer’s fi h wheel and kingpin? Last March, Sydney omas, a 26-year-old driver for Sysco, found out it’s the di erence between life and death. As she was driving northbound on the narrow Clark Memorial Bridge that connects Louisville, Kentucky to Je ersonville, Indiana, a driver going southbound wildly swerved his pickup into omas’ lane. e pickup crashed into her semi’s front end and disabled the steering. In an instant, she lost control and her semi careened over the oncoming lane and through the guardrail. e steel bridge’s truss beams caught the back end of the reefer trailer, suspending the battered day cab over the Ohio River.
All that seemed to keep the truck, and omas, from plummeting around 60 . to the cold waters below was the trailer kingpin nestled fi rmly into the truck’s fi h wheel.
Thomas recalled the harrowing event to Louisville news station WBIR: “Well, this is it…I really thought I was about to die,” she thought in the moments immediately a er the collision.
But the kingpin held onto the Fontaine Fi h Wheel No-Slack 6000 Series top plate for another 45 minutes until fi refi ghter Bryce Carden rappelled down, grabbed her through the window, and pulled her to safety.
“Sometimes I pray, and I don’t think God is listening…but he was that day,” omas said.
Sysco CEO Kevin Hourican agreed, surmising “a higher power” must have been involved to keep the kingpin from popping out.
“ e fact that the pin stayed engaged inside that fi h wheel is a miracle,” he said to another local news outlet, WAVE.
e feel-good story went viral, and rightly so. For some, the fi re department’s heroics restored their faith in humanity, and for others, it confi rmed their faith that a higher power watched over them. But for anyone involved in trucking, it should provide one additional thing.
“It just goes to show the importance of that connection,” remarked Troy Widtfeldt, director of sales and marketing at Badger Product Group, a manufacturer of fi h wheels. “You never know when the strength of that locking mechanism between the truck and the trailer might save your life.”
While omas’ scary situation is the most extreme example of this, every day drivers head out with fully loaded trailers—all stuck together by the fi h wheel and kingpin. And it’s management’s responsibility to their drivers, customers, and everyone on the road to get it right when spec’ing, maintaining, and inspecting these coupling devices. A er all, emergency responders and miracles aren’t always around when you need them. at means fleet managers must be the connector to bridge it all together. You’ll also see some uptime and cost reduction benefits, which aren’t life or death, but the key to success.
With these tips, we’ll help make sure you won’t need divine intervention to stay connected.
Greasing done right
e fi h wheel not only has to keep the tractor and trailer together, but do so in a way that doesn’t
impact other parts and increase wear and tear on systems such as the steering system or steer tires, Widtfeldt said. Plus, failure to keep your fi h wheel slick is “one of the main causes of semitruck trailer jackknifes in the winter,” he added.
Many of these issues stem from simple neglect of proper fi h wheel maintenance, and sometimes, all you need is a little grease.
“ e number one maintenance item is just making sure it’s properly lubricated, because obviously it’s metal-on-metal contact and you’ve got a lot of weight, upwards of 40,000 lbs., sitting on a plate that’s connected to the truck,” Widtfeldt explained. “ at’s a rotational point, so the friction forces are pretty high if it’s completely dry or it’s not su ciently lubricated.”
Coincidentally, perhaps the most common mistake when it comes to fi h wheel maintenance is a lack of proper greasing technique, and as Widtfeldt points out, everybody has di erent opinions on how fi h wheels should be properly greased. ere are some methods, however, that are downright ine ective.
“A lot of times there’ll be guys that essentially ‘silly string’ grease on the top of the fi h wheel plate, and then once the driver backs under the fi h wheel, it just gets scraped right o ,” he explained, “so there’s a lot of waste.”
Tony Ryan, technical services manager with SAF-Holland, discussed a similar pattern.
“A lot of customers that we see now in the industry will grease the top of the fi h wheel, but that’s only the contact patch between the upper coupler and the fi h wheel itself,” he said. “Where the magic happens is the mechanism underneath, and they forget to lubricate that.”
e lack of lubrication in the mechanism underneath can result in a few di erent issues, as it “slows down the reaction time of the mechanism and can lead to miscouples, or, more importantly, it makes the handle a lot harder to pull, which can lead to driver injuries,” Ryan added.
e most important areas to lubricate are any contact points or movable parts, like the two jaws and locking mechanism, the yoke tips, and the handle. e most critical point, however, is the cam plate, which contains rollers and a pivot point. According to Ryan, this is the area where problems occur most o en.
“Countless times throughout the year, lots of customers say, ‘I’ve got a fi h wheel and it’s not working; we took it o , we need warranty, or I bought another one to replace it,’” the technical services manager detailed. “And we’ll come up and lubricate it, cycle it three or four times just to make sure the lubrication gets through all the points, and it suddenly works 100% every time.”
is may be a nuisance for the OE technicians, but costly to the fleets.
“ ere are a lot of customers out there a ecting their own ROI by not doing proper maintenance,” he said.
And while insu cient lubricant might be the main issue, overdoing it can be just as problematic.
“We do see a lot of over-greasing of fi h wheels, especially in winter months when it’s really cold outside,” noted Robert Marsh, VP of truck product sales, OEM and fleet, Jost. “ at can cause problems with the locking mechanism on the fi h wheel.”
Modern tech and tools
With technology and innovation moving faster than a well-greased locking jaw, it should come as no surprise that there are a plethora of emerging fifth wheel products on the market to make maintaining them smoother than ever.
Gear Head’s soy-based grease pads are a clean option that eliminates the need for messy grease guns, allowing for simple application.
Self-greasing, auto-lube, and low-lube fifth wheels are readily available for various applications, sometimes taking the responsibility of greasing out of the hands of the technician completely.
Badger Product Group’s BFW1 gear-greased fifth wheel works off of the motion of the truck itself, with no air lines, motors, or outside power sources.
“As the fifth wheel rotates back and forth on the mounts on the truck, it draws grease from two replaceable grease cartridges on the back of the fifth wheel, pressing up from the plate, keeping a consistent fluid film on that fifth wheel plate itself,” explained Troy Widtfeldt, director of sales and marketing at Badger Product Group. “The patent-pending mechanism is fully mechanical and removes the lack of lubrication as a point of failure.”
Similarly, SAF-Holland’s low-lube FW33 fifth wheels don’t require greasing on the top plate, only underneath, which also mitigates fifth wheels’ environmental impact and infractions.
“Certain states have emissions laws that if you have grease hanging off the edge that could potentially fall off onto the road, that becomes an EPA violation,” noted Tony Ryan, technical services manager with SAF-Holland, “so that becomes a non-event with these.”
Jost also offers a low-lube option with Teflon pads on top of the fifth wheel, but the option is more fit for applications with low coupling frequency, said Robert Marsh, VP of truck product sales, OEM and fleet, Jost.
“If you’re coupling up and uncoupling quite a bit, you’re going to damage the pads, so you want to stay married to the trailer the majority of the time if you’re going to use that type of fifth wheel,” he cautioned. “It’s a feature that a lot of people like, because you don’t have to grease the top plate, but you’ve got to make sure that you have it in the right application or the pads won’t last.”
When it comes to proper coupling, Fontaine Fifth Wheel’s SmartConnect system uses a light on the side of the fifth wheel that turns green to indicate to the driver that the truck is properly connected to the trailer.
“The driver gets out, he does his walk around, he sees a green light, he knows he’s ready to pull off the yard,” said Brian Bowen, aftermarket sales manager for Fontaine Fifth Wheel, adding that the system is available on the after-
market. “You buy a new top plate replacement, and it comes with the light already in it. All you do is run a power cable and hook the light up.”
The system goes beyond ensuring proper coupling, indicating to the driver that there may be an issue with components of the fifth wheel that require a closer look.
“One of the coolest features is it’ll blink three times if it needs to be adjusted, and it’ll blink five times if it needs to be rebuilt,” Bowen continued, “so if the driver sees it’s green but it’s blinking, he needs to tell his maintenance guy, ‘Oh, by the way, this needs to be adjusted.’”
SAF-Holland offers a similar ELI-te (Electronic Lock Indicator-technology enhanced) feature as an optional add-on to assist with proper coupling.
Fontaine also offers a pull handle that can be installed without taking the top plate off, meaning it may be an easy swap that can ease technician trouble.
“Our pull handle is a straight pull handle, and we see a lot of pull handles going down the road that are bent, so that actually can mess up the operation, make it harder to pull, make it harder to open,” Bowen offered.
One innovation incorporated into Sampa’s new fifth wheel design is a reinforced steel locking collar. It increases resistance to impact, according to Bruno Scuracchio, VP of OEM sales and engineering at Sampa US.
“In a real-world environment, that fifth wheel suffers a lot of impact from the kingpin when the truck is backing to the trailer, and if you have a plastic collar, although it’s cheaper and easier to replace when they wear out, because of the impact they end up breaking,” he explained. “The resistance on the steel collar is much higher.”
With proper maintenance in mind, having topof-the-line fifth wheel technology won’t be enough to cover all your bases. Making sure to use the right tools and components for the job is just as essential.
Atro fifth wheel parts and bushing kits can help you get the most out of your fifth wheels, as their polyurethane components are 3-5 times stronger than standard rubber parts, according to the company.
Bill Halliburton, area sales manager for Atro, explained that the better durability and resistance is because the polymer used for the components isn’t porous.
“Rubber is porous, so the oil, grease and all that permeates that rubber and starts breaking it down,” he said.
Another item, SAF-Holland’s kingpin gauge, is an easy-to-use tool that can be used to check the length and straightness of the kingpin, helping to identify worn down, undersized 2˝ and 3-1/2˝ SAE kingpins that need to be replaced.
» Shane Wolfe, Fontaine Fifth Wheel’s director of engineering, tests the light function of a SmartConnect top plate. According to Fontaine, the company has the only in-house R&D lab that’s dedicated to fifth wheels.
Loc-Light
to indicate
» SAF-Holland’s optional ELI-te feature assists with proper coupling.
Lucas Roberto | Fleet Maintenance
» Sampa’s new fifth wheel has a reinforced steel locking collar, increasing resistance to impact.
Lucas Roberto | Fleet Maintenance
» Jost’s
turns green
proper coupling with the handle.
Lucas Roberto | Fleet Maintenance
Fontaine Fifth Wheel
IronHowout to wrinkles in your hiring process
Hiring may feel like a recurring chore for fleets and shops, but there’s no shortage of tools to smooth out the process.
By Alex Keenan [ PERSONNEL ]
There’s always going to be repetitive, cyclical chores that shops and technicians need to do for operation, from cleaning and organizing the shop to laundering uniforms. At fi rst glance, hiring new personnel may seem like one of those infi nite tasks, as there will always be some amount of churn due to employees moving to a new location, retiring, or parting with the company in some way, shape, or form.
But in today’s business environment, the simple truth is that no shop can a ord to put their hiring cycle on rinse-and-repeat — not on a frequent basis, and not when the loss in time and productivity is so significant. New hires cost an average of $5,000, according to recruiting service Boulo. And once on the job, it will take up to five months for them to reach full productivity, according to Growthforce.
Inland Empire Fleet Maintenance, an independent repair shop based in Colton, California, found this to be accurate. According to the shop’s co-owner and account manager, Steve Wilson, it takes about $5,000 to fi nd and hire a tech, then another $10,000 in training and onboarding before they start to turn a profit.
at’s the best-case scenario, since technicians can be a rare commodity. And that doesn’t look like it will improve anytime soon. is year, TechForce Foundation, a non-profit that connects techs to shops, bumped up its auto, diesel, collision, and aviation technician demand projections through 2028. Last year, the same report reduced those projections by 20%. Now readjusted, that’s back up to 971,000 total technicians needed.
“ So a huge red flag is someone who is unable to articulate how the people around him or her helped them accomplish their outcomes.”
Debbie Taylor, Transportation Search Group
This means that in today’s job market, most technicians are quickly snapped up. Depending on your location, it can take a long time to find suitable hires to meet the maintenance demands of the industry. That can slow overall shop growth if the number of trucks to repair grows, but your staff doesn’t.
For those experiencing challenges with finding techs and steep onboarding costs, it may be time to review your hiring process and identify where you can iron out some wrinkles. After all, if you’re emphasizing speed—just finding someone to fill a post—you’ll likely have to do it all over again in a short time, hurting your business overall. And while you’re at it, evaluate how you select and integrate new managers, and for bigger operations, executive-level leaders, who can have a large impact on whether the technicians and service advisors you hire want to stay.
For any and all positions you’re recruiting for, the ultimate goal should be to ensure that the people you find stay on for the long haul. The question is how to do that smoothly without being burnt.
Know who you’re hiring for
When starting the hiring process, the first thing to do is understand what role (or roles) you’re hiring for and what qualities you want to find in an ideal candidate.
For many shops, the ideal technician might not always be who’s the most technically informed (although that helps), as a strong mentorship/apprenticeship can help bring untrained folks up to speed. Shops should also look for people who have good soft skills and are ready to work.
Jane Clark, SVP of operations at NationaLease, noted more shops are focusing on training to build technical skills. “[Then] they can bring people in who aren’t necessarily qualified on day one, but have a great work ethic and desire to learn helping them learn the skills needed,” she said.
When hiring for senior management positions, Debbie Taylor, principal and executive search consultant for Taylor Transportation Search Group, said it isn’t just about what positions a candidate has previously held; it’s about why a company needs to hire someone.
“As a CEO, the first and most important thing is to get into their gut,” Taylor stated. “What are they solving for? By the time you’re talking to a recruiter, you want to have a lot of clarity on what is expected of that person in terms of outcomes,” she advised.
» WyoTech often holds career fairs for its students. Four are scheduled for 2025. WyoTech
» At NationaLease, there’s no silver bullet to improve tech hiring practices, only a multi-pronged strategy that refines job postings, school engagement, and more. NationaLease
Should I use a recruiter?
Once a shop or fleet knows what they’re looking for from an applicant, the next step is to figure out where you want to look for your new employee. For busy shops focusing on growing their business and getting vehicles out the door, hiring a recruiter is one option.
Of course, that does come with a cost depending on the position a shop’s looking for. A recruiter may charge between 30-35% for C-suite-level recruits, said Debbie Taylor, principal and executive search consultant for Taylor Transportation Search Group. Technician Find charges $997 per month for the service, as well as a one-time setup fee per location of $497 in the first month. For those prices, daily advertising fees are not included, and the subscription is meant to be paused once a shop’s hired a new technician.
Is that cost worth it? That can vary depending on the position you need, Taylor explained, stating that the cost of having an empty position or having the wrong person in that position can create risk for your customers. This makes the return on using a recruiter much higher.
“If that cost is not the case, maybe you don’t need to hire a recruiter,” Taylor added. “Or maybe you don’t need the position. It’s really a weighing of the benefit versus the investment.”
But if a fleet or shop isn’t sure where to start, Taylor also noted that current leadership trends are shifting away from a ‘management by objective’ style. Instead, companies tend to look for leaders who can hold their people accountable while still being involved and engaged with all the people beneath them, someone who knows about their coworkers’ lives and interests. This type of person, she commented, is someone who leads via their influence, instead of through the weight of their position.
“That humble leadership engages the workforce, and you typically won’t see people scrambling away for 25 cents an hour more, because they feel safer, they feel heard,” Taylor said. “They feel there’s opportunity.”
Conversely, she explained that a red flag when hiring upper leadership, such as CEOs, is if someone takes sole credit for their successes. She argued top leadership accomplishments are only achieved through the people beneath them.
“So a huge red flag is someone who is unable to articulate how the people around him or her helped them accomplish their outcomes,” she said.
Start with job boards
Let’s assume you know what you’re looking for, ranging from an apprentice technician who fits with your culture to a shop manager with a teamfirst mentality. One way to find that person is to go through a recruiter, but that comes with a cost. Another option is to develop programs with schools, but that is a long-term approach and
doesn’t help in a pinch. But you don’t need to look further for recruitment help than beyond your own bays.
“Your best-quality candidate usually come through employee referrals,” Clark asserted.
While there is software to help shops manage their employee referrals, she added, in-person referrals tend to lead to candidates that are hired more often and stay longer.
But you can also do it yourself by posting to job boards.
For shops that take this route, there’s a wealth of different places to turn to. Your options include Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, WrenchWay, and countless others. Jacob Leach, a sr. mobile diesel technician with Fleet Services by Cox Automotive, said that during his job hunt, he made an account on most job boards. He found his current position with Cox through Zip Recruiter. But beyond the free plans many job boards offer (for hiring one position with a limited posting time), costs can stack up fast. Some job boards may have you pay per click and will allow you to set a budget for your spending, while others may offer a per-day or flat rate. For instance, LinkedIn provided an example of a $10 daily budget for a job post that runs for 30 days, leading to a cost that will be $300 or less. Zip Recruiter offered a similar option of paying per day or with a flat, 30-day subscription rate, with the cheapest plan starting at $299 for one position.
Some vocational schools can have their own job boards as well. Cindy Barlow, director of industry relations at WyoTech, an auto, diesel, and collision
technical school based in Laramie, Wyoming, noted that the school implemented a branch of College Central, where industry employers post new jobs for shops nationwide and employers can search the school’s current student and alumni database.
Then there’s always the in-person job board approach, where shop recruiters can attend career fairs. Barlow noted that WyoTech hosts career fairs every quarter. At one of their fairs in 2024, WyoTech had 411 employers attend and conduct over 3,100 interviews. Meanwhile, Clark said that NationaLease has a partnership with Universal Technical Institute to help their members find technicians as well.
As a side benefit, all of these recruitment options offer shops and fleets exposure, lowering the barrier to hiring.
“Talk to trade schools, talk to high schools, talk to colleges,” urged Joshua Taylor, host of the technician podcast Wrench Turners during a presentation on technician recruitment for Auto Hub. “Be on premises and in as many community events as humanly possible talking about your mission, your vision, your values, and [the] culture of your store.”
The job board problem
While job boards can offer shops an easy way
» Shops may struggle to hire if their shop isn’t known in a community beforehand.
Cox Automotive
made for the hard miles.
to reach new hires, they are not without their faults, explained Christopher Lawson, founder of Technician Find, a candidate-sourcing company for shops that can help guide managers by creating job postings, geo-targeted social media ads, and social media posts. It also includes an online forum for shop owners to discuss recruiting and retention. But in launching his company, Lawson identified a flaw with recruiting technicians from job boards specifically.
“We were trying to find technicians who were out looking for work,” Lawson explained. “And what we needed to do is, instead of chasing the same technicians around job boards with all the rest of the shops, go to where the working technicians were.”
Lawson argued companies focused solely on posting on job boards will fall into a money sinkhole. If they can’t find someone quickly, they have to keep paying more for boosted or sponsored postings until they do, falling victim to the sunk-cost fallacy.
“The facts are, if a technician is good, they’re skilled, they have a good attitude, and they want to work, they’re already working,” Lawson added. This leaves shops needing to reach technicians who aren’t just pursuing job boards, but might be considering a move if the righ topportunity came along.
“You really have to think beyond the job board,” Lawson advised.
Your website and job postings
But job boards aren’t the only place a shop should be posting their open positions. Your company website landing page gives potential hires a consistent place to check for jobs if they’re interested in your shop. The trick is to make sure the listings clearly explain the role and what you’re looking for.
“We always start with the ads,” said Technician Find’s Lawson. “The ads are really important, and you have to talk about what’s important to the tech.”
For technicians that are already in a shop, Lawson noted that good ads come from the intersection of three areas: Respect, growth, and money. In talking to technicians, Lawson found that those are the main reasons they may want to leave their shop, so conversely, it can help draw them to a new location, too. These points can help guide shops when writing their job posts.
“You have to write an ad that is focused on what’s in it for them, and you have to be honest and genuine, and show what your unique benefit is,” Lawson said.
And the same criteria applies to new technicians as well as experienced ones. At WyoTech, Barlow said the school encourages its students to look for shops that offer mentorship opportunities, further education, and exposure to new tasks and equipment (growth), as well as those that emphasize collaboration and teamwork (respect).
“A healthy shop culture values respect, open communication, and shared goals that will make
them feel like a part of the ‘team,’” she said.
NationaLease’s Clark also noted that it’s best to keep job postings as engaging as possible.
“Remember that job posting is an advertisement,” Clark warned. “You lose a lot of people if you [only] post the job description, because the job description, by its nature, is kind of a dry, technical document.”
Instead, consider putting what’s fun or interesting about your shop at the top of your posting, such as career advancement opportunities. Marketing departments and sales departments can help here, too, she said, because “they’re the ones out on calls, they know what sells.”
It is worth noting, Clark added, that a shop may have more success splitting up the information they post about a position between what’s on the job board and what’s on the actual application site, which can have a lot more information.
“You have a very short time to get people’s attention,” she stated, citing a LinkedIn study that showed most job postings have about 14 seconds to convince an applicant to apply. “If in [14] seconds, they’re digging through the duties and responsibilities, you’ve lost them already.”
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t provide your applicants with information. Wrench Turner’s Taylor said that one of the “greatest things that I’ve seen from an attraction standpoint” in the industry was a document that a shop posted along with the position that provided an overview of the
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organization. This document included notes about the store, leadership, the geographic area, income, local demographics, and more. It even broke down the average income in the shop and how many average hours techs worked, the tools available, and how much training technicians went to.
“Without having that piece of material that’s done all of the hard work for a technician or service advisor or a salesperson, they wouldn’t know,” Taylor emphasized.
DEPARTMENT
Using social media
Making sure your shop has an engaging, informative job post and a clear careers page on its website is great, but these same principles need to be extended to your social media presence, too. Especially for younger technicians as they enter (or are preparing to enter) the job market.
“Technicians are going to go check you out,” Lawson warned. “They’re going to check out your social media profiles. They’re going to look at your reviews.”
But this doesn’t need to be intimidating for shops. Lawson added that for social media, “It’s a lot cheaper to get eyeballs, so to speak, from a social media platform than it is to pay Indeed per application or with sponsorships.”
It helps to consider which social media platforms technicians are using, perhaps to find used tools or meet with their friends. And even more so, Lawson argued that shops shouldn’t just try to use social media to reach technicians, but their friends and family members.
“How do you get in front of a technician who may not be looking for work, but their spouse is tired of hearing them complain about the shop every night?” Lawson asked. “Social media is a great place to do that.”
Plus, social media gives shops an opportunity to show their culture and win technicians over that way. For example, At Cox Automotive, Leach explained that his team of mobile technicians gets together every quarter.
“Nine times out of 10, one of them gets posted on Facebook or any other social media,” Leach said. “I think that is awesome that they post that, because it gives the future applicants a chance to see that [we] may be mobile and scattered out, but [we] get together.’”
Media and technology
Finally, beyond the traditional ironing boards shops have to de-wrinkle their hiring process, plenty of technology is available as well. Joshua Taylor is a big advocate for using video to help display a shop’s culture, making it a selling point for applicants.
“If you’re doing [something positive in the shop], you have a phone and a $25 tripod that goes up five feet,” he said. “Just record those once a day, every day, and pull something from that.”
These videos give shops something extra to post on social media, and topics can range from technicians discussing a job they’re working on, team-building outings, or a shop owner shouting out a tech or service advisor who’s done a good job.
“He is showing his staff that he appreciates them, and more importantly, he’s showing his
U NITEDSTATES SPACEFORCE
DEPARTMENT
THEAIRFORCE
On hiring veterans
Another hiring resource that shops may overlook is the veteran community. But the men and women transitioning back to civilian life present a great opportunity with a little extra work to make sure shops understand what veterans have to offer, and visa versa.
“What would be great is to work with veterans groups as well, because a lot of veterans are coming out of the armed forces with a lot of great skills,” explained Jane Clark, SVP of operations at NationaLease. “And sometimes it’s the translation issue.”
Matt Trapp, VP of Operations, Fleet Services by Cox Automotive, said his company is working with the military on programs to help prepare veterans who are already looking to transition back to civilian life.
“We do try to look at areas where they are working with their hands and with tools in maintenance already, because they can fast-track into the organization and start from day one,” he explained. But that doesn’t always have to be the case. Trapp noted that veterans don’t have to be mechanically inclined, as long as they’re willing to learn, they can catch up in Cox’s FleeTec Academy.
For more examples, both Averitt and Ryder have worked to employ vets, capitalizing on service members’ attention to detail, timeliness, and teamwork. And many veterans already have at least some mechanical training and respond well to solid leadership.
And if a shop isn’t working with the military itself, “[in] certain communities there are a lot of veterans resources to help bridge that gap, to make sure that everyone is speaking the same language and understands the skill sets [they have and need],” Clark stated.
Shops should keep in mind that when adding a veteran to the shop, they may need a bit of extra support and flexibility, especially if they’re resettling their family or need some help getting started with tools. Some veterans may also have a difficult time readjusting to civilian life. But with open communication between the veteran and management, the camaraderie and support of a shop can be helpful, too.
As an example, TAT Express uses their YouTube channel to advertise positions and provide videos on diagnostics and maintenance tips. Additionally, hiring and referral platforms can help shops be scientific about their hiring practices and adjust as needed. For instance, Lawson noted that shops can benefit from platforms that show how many people have seen their ads, how many have reached their application page, and how many people have applied. If the numbers are dropping off in a particular area, this could suggest that a shop’s compensation isn’t quite right or that the application is too dense.
For NationaLease’s Clark, an applicant tracking system is invaluable.
“It helps you to manage your job applications, track your candidates, schedule interviews, and you can try to make the time to hire shorter,” she added.
Newer technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can assist shops in their hiring as well. Lawson said his business has tried a couple different forms of AI to troubleshoot his ads or to help generate talking points for shops before an interview. They’ve also used Google’s Notebook LM to generate podcast episodes on a shop’s business and used Perplexity AI to do “quick and dirty” salary surveys. But he did caution that AI (which he calls ‘AI Assisted’) is still a developing technology and should be double-checked. For example, Lawson’s team uses AI to augment their own research, processes, and frameworks to help their customers.
“You can use technology to go through applications, and sort and filter and that kind of thing,” Lawson said, “But one thing I’m always cautioning people is that you have to understand the limitations of the technology.”
Strike while the iron is hot
Having done all the legwork to create a strong job post, provide a careers page on their site, and curate a backlog of positive social buzz, let’s say a shop has met with a strong candidate. They’ve had a good interview, and the end of the hiring laundry cycle is in sight. All that’s left is to make the offer.
However, shops need to make that offer quickly, as due to the high demand for technicians, taking your time might stop you from hiring that qualified candidate at all.
“I always tell my clients that you may grab a technician before they’re actively looking, but once they make that decision in their mind that they’re looking, you have to assume they’re talking to at least two other shops,” Lawson warned.
But even once you’ve made the hire, the recruiting work doesn’t end, especially for shops that don’t want to repeat everything they’ve just done to make the hire. Instead, the focus goes to retention. That’s the phase where shops must back up all of those promises they made on their job post, website, and social media. If you don’t, that great tech you found and trained is likely to swap uniforms to a shop that will.
guests that he appreciates his staff,” Taylor said. “That little tidbit can go a very long way, because we’re talking about exponential value here.”
For related content go to FleetMaintenance.com/shop-operations
Focus on the now
While many fleets are still learning how to employ the future insights of predictive maintenance, some are looking to leverage the realtime power of conditionbased maintenance.
By John Hitch
The introduction of telematics and mass sensorization on trucks over the past decade has enabled fleets to gather a lot of vehicle data. This information, in turn, has been used to power predictive maintenance (PdM). Historical fault code and repair data on particular makes and models are aggregated and fed into a data analytics platform. The algorithms inside crunch the data, look for failure patterns, and then make educated guesses on when a similar type of truck will need service to prevent failure.
For example, if the data shows three specific DTCs always appear two weeks before an issue causes an engine to derate, the fleet should anticipate that when those pop up together, the maintenance department should prioritize that unit and schedule repairs. They can refer to past repair history—maybe 90% of the time the NOX sensor went bad—to speed up the diagnostic and repair process, ultimately reducing downtime.
Condition-based maintenance, meanwhile, ditches the guessing game and focuses on the individual vehicle’s current health status. And
it could become the preferred strategy for large fleets in the future.
Sandeep Kar, chief strategy officer at Noregon, noted there is a “rising demand for condition-based maintenance versus scheduled maintenance, and this is coming from the larger fleets.”
The executive had long opined that the industry needs to evolve from a rigid preventative strategy to a prescriptive model, where predictive insights are combined with root cause analysis to optimize maintenance schedules. But he also can see the benefits of focusing on the present.
He reasoned that while predictive strategies can inform on when alternators or brake pads typically should be swapped out, a platform that uses more real-time data provides the more suitable response for specific units. This is because factors such as geography and application matter.
Kar noted brake pad sensors allow a fleet to monitor system health more accurately than a fleet’s aggregate data, allowing them to optimize replacements based on that component’s condition. Ballparking parts replacement intervals based on educated guesses will inevitably lead to useful life and money being “left on the table,” Kar noted.
“When you have a fleet that has thousands of vehicles, we are talking about millions of dollars of savings if I can create a condition-based maintenance system versus a prescribed-schedule maintenance system,” he added.
But Kar noted full-scale adoption will require a “major cultural shift” in the industry and, more importantly, “top-notch solutions,” which he says aren’t quite there yet.
“They have to be highly accurate, otherwise it would actually be counterproductive,” he said.
Planning ahead
That means for now, fleets will settle for looking to the past to prevent failures in the future with PdM. The technology is progressively picking up steam as of late, though hasn’t had the major impact many have predicted. It’s been floated in the industry since at least March 2003, when the Technology & Maintenance Council had a technical session on “fleet prognostics.” At the latest TMC Annual Meeting, Fullbay reported that 12% of respondents in their 2025 State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report deployed PdM in the last year, though it was 29% for those performing in-house fleet repairs.
“What we see is everyone is asking about it, and no one knows what it means or what it’s going to do, or how they’re going to use it,” Fullbay CEO Patrick McKittrick explained.
That’s common with any newer technology, though maintenance departments should start to figure out how PdM could improve uptime.
At Geotab Connect 2025, Uptake CEO Adam McElhinney said predictive maintenance can increase fleet availability from less than 85% to 95%.
He noted predictive maintenance can change a fleet’s maintenance schedule from relying on OEM-recommended intervals and fleet experience based on miles or hours to “using more fine-grain data than just how many miles have elapsed since we last swapped out the coolant pump.”
“You’re essentially getting more vehicles for free for the cost of the vehicles you already have,” he said. He also posited that in terms of AI-based solutions’ impact on fleet management, PdM had an impact score of 7-8, second to autonomous driving’s perfect 10 score. Its viability score, the far more important factor for deployment now, was an 8-9, versus AI trucks’ viability of 2.
For those who do know how to leverage the technology, there’s still the issue of sifting through irrelevant data.
“Fleets are a little bit overloaded with work, and they’ve got to have better technology to help filter through the data and how to know what to focus on,” noted Brian Mulshine, senior director of maintenance products for Trimble.
“There are so many faults that people are not addressing today,” he continued. “On a truck, there are five computers and over 2,000 potential fault codes, but there are only about 120 fault codes that matter—ones that will shut down or derate the truck.”
McElhinney also noted that problem, with Geotab customers using Uptake reporting an additional 300 to 400 fault codes per Class 8 truck generated every month. He said it’s not uncommon for technicians to just clear the codes.
“A lot of time this results in you missing the true issues that are occurring on the vehicle,” the Uptake CEO said.
Uptake’s machine learning algorithms are trained to consider the sequence and duration of fault codes and ambient conditions on specific make and models and then offer recommendations. He likened it to how Netflix uses your viewing history to offer new titles to watch.
Mulshine noted engine manufacturers send customers spreadsheets listing fault codes they deem could cause issues down the road, and an
API working through Trimble TMT is being developed to convert this data into action by generating work orders.
“Instead of sending an email to somebody that could be on vacation this week, why don’t we go ahead and just create the work order in their native system,” he reasoned.
Future is now?
FleetHD, a new entrant to the predictive space that recently emerged from stealth mode with its diagnostic maintenance platform, has been quietly working with some of America’s largest fleets to make CBM more feasible. The company, which works in tandem with various telematics and CMMS providers, integrates fault, sensor, DVIR data, and more into fleet maintenance management platforms like SAP, where its algorithm analyzes the data and converts that into actionable insights displayed on a dashboard.
They’ve also developed wireless brake pad sensors connected to the cloud via CAN bus, third-party telematics, or a mobile device to predict remaining useful life or when a truck may derate
“We suck in all of the work order data, the real fix data, and all of the sensor information,” explained Steve Blair, co-founder and EVP of global sales at FleetHD. “We know the condition based on whether or not the brake pad or the tire is going to go down, and make decisions off of the data, historical information, and all the work orders for that fleet, then put it into our data lake and start training the model.” That data, which FleetHD has gathered from large fleets for more than three years, might detect a combination of five signals or faults on a truck’s clutch that indicate imminent failure.
“Prescriptively, we know that a clutch is going to go out based on a combination of all of the data that we have,” Blair said. The system can then send recommendation notifications to the fleet to change it out.
The integrated info displayed on the dashboards also can show that when the truck comes in for that repair, upcoming regular PMs and defects noted on the DVIR can also be looked at, providing a full view of all of the actionable maintenance items, including parts required.
This has been valuable for
FleetHD’s two Coca-Cola bottler fleets. “They’ve got close to 9,000 assets on the platform and we’re saving them millions of dollars just on driving better outcomes and mitigating unscheduled, unplanned downtime,” Blair said. He added FleetHD’s Coca-Cola customer also relayed that the solution maximizes uptime and has significantly reduced road calls and tows.
It also has direct benefits in the shop, with Blair
saying the solution “increases mechanic productivity because we’re giving them precise fault-tofix data. They’re quicker to fix trucks.”
Most importantly, moving toward a condition-based strategy should help fleets rely less on what history dictates and focus more on the present.
“When the sensor lets you know the brake’s remaining useful life is 15%, that’s real; that’s not some predictive algorithm,” he concluded.
Reduces Maintenance
The Rivian R1T
You might not immediately associate the R1T with the work truck sector, but its power suggests you should. It offers up to 1,025 hp, 1,198 lb.-ft. of torque, and a payload of 1,764 lbs. The 420-mile range and 11,000-lb. max towing best the Lightning (though at a $15,000 higher base cost). The ground clearance is 14.6 in., while the semi-amphibious vehicle can ford up to 3.5 ft. of water. The R1T has an independent suspension.
Other features
Furthermore, the pickup has received the Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety since its launch in 2022—and is the only electric pickup truck to achieve that distinction. The R1T’s safety begins with its construction. It’s made from aluminum alloy, high-strength steel, and carbon fiber. But not only is it constructed with safety in mind, it boasts more than 20 safety features, including anti-roll control, radars, cameras, and sensors with safety-specific software. Camera views include a 360-degree view, backup camera, and blind spot monitoring.
Real-world operation
Rivian designed the R1T as an electric vehicle from the ground up, which is one reason Matt Cahir, CEO of Mevco, an upfitting company for the mining sector, chose to exclusively use the pickup for its builds. Due to a global push for more sustainable practices in the mining industry, the upfitter started by retrofitting F-150s, but that proved less-than-ideal.
When an internal combustion pickup is retrofitted as an electric pickup, “you end up with a vehicle that wasn’t designed to be what it is,”
The Chevy Silverado EV
The Work Truck version of the Silverado EV features the most impressive range of any electric pickup out there, offering up to 492 miles on a full charge with the extended range battery. The powertrain generates up to 760 hp and 785 lb.-ft. of torque, with 12,500 lbs. max towing.
Four-corner air ride adaptive suspension is also available, offering a smooth ride.
“It is the smoothest I’ve felt while trailering a vehicle, because when you’re braking and stuff, you can kind of feel the weight distribute,” explained Aaron Skahen, a sales specialist at Serpentini Chevrolet in Westlake, Ohio, who test drove the EV at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “With the air ride suspension, you’re barely feeling anything.”
Cahir said. “You’ve got all that extra weight in the vehicle that it was never designed to have.”
He added a chassis built for an ICE-powered vehicle cannot protect an EV battery. In an industry where safety is paramount, the potential for battery damage posed a problem, Cahir said.
Desiring an electric pickup designed from the ground up, Mevco trialed the Lightning before turning to Rivian for its vehicle construction and software, which contributes to uptime.
“[Fleets] don’t want downtime,” Cahir said. “And they get a lot of downsides with ICE vehicles. Most mines that we’re talking to, 20 to 30% of their vehicles are out of service at any point. They’re sitting at the local dealership or at the workshop, waiting for a fit or a part.”
But with Rivian’s software, that wait time is drastically reduced, Cahir explained.
“Between Rivian and ourselves, we can see exactly what’s going on with the vehicle. We can diagnose it, typically before it happens with alarms telling us what’s going on. We can send—if we need to—a tech to the site or get a software update that resolves it and/or work through it over the telephone. It saves us a massive amount of money in maintaining and supporting our vehicles.”
An unexpected advantage of EVs in the mining industry is regenerative braking, as it produces less wear and tear on brake pads and rotors when vehicles are descending the steep grades within mines. But many EVs don’t implement regenerative braking if the battery level is too high. Fortunately, Rivian’s software allows owners to set charging limits, which Cahir said helps prevent runaway vehicles due to brakes getting “really hot really fast” when traversing those steep grades.
R1T maintenance
Not only does the software help prevent downtime, it helps that “there are 20 moving parts on an EV, [and] there’s 2,000 on an ICE,” Cahir said.
He also mentioned Rivian’s recommended maintenance schedule compared to an ICE vehicle. While Rivian suggests a tire rotation and multipoint tire inspection every 7,500 miles, other inspection recommendations aren’t until three years of use (brake fluid flush) or until 112,500 miles (coolant change and, for 2022-2024 Quad-Motor AWD vehicles, a drive unit fluid change). However, for Mevco’s R1Ts specifically, cabin air filters are changed on a much more frequent basis due to their operation in mines.
Other features
The WT is also available with technology perks, including a 17.7-in. infotainment screen, 11-in. information cluster, a 14-in. Head-Up display, and walk-up/walkaway lighting around the vehicle. It’s also available with General Motors’ Super Cruise, which allows operators to use hands-free driving on some roads.
Safety features include the Chevy Safety Assist suite of safety features as standard equipment, which offers automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, forward collisions alert, and more.
Real-world operation
To reduce Scope 1 emissions, SoCal Gas has converted 43% of its fleet (4,500 total units) to zero or near-zero emission powertrains, with 124 being Silverado EVs, according to Michael Franco, fleet financial and system manager at SoCal Gas.
“With fewer moving parts, reduced brake wear due to regenerative braking, and no need for oil changes, these vehicles require less maintenance over time, translating to lower fleet operating costs,” he explained.
He added the next-gen technology also “benefit[ted] our field crews in ways that were previously not possible.” For example, the driver-assist technologies and extended range improve field worker safety and operational effectiveness.
Franco did note drivers needed a 90-minute orientation to get used to the new features, as well as how to manage range and charging. The switch to high-voltage and additional diagnostic complexity also required technicians to attend some additional training.
Rivian
Rivian
Mack Pioneer: Old bulldog learns new tricks
The OEM’s new on-highway Class 8 tractor, the Pioneer, is a sleek, state-of-the-art beast designed to not only compete with— but barrel through the competition.
By John Hitch
BROOKLYN—On April 8, in a crowded Brooklyn Navy Yard warehouse, Mack Trucks celebrated its milestone 125th anniversary with the same moxie that made the brand synonymous with bulldogs. The warehouse was chock full of restored vintage Mack truck models—and human models dressed to the nines in early 20th-century fashion.
But this event served the dual purpose of a glitzy truck launch as well as a birthday extravaganza. When it was time, about 800 folks sauntered to an adjacent warehouse for the unboxing of the company’s latest on-highway Class 8 tractor. After a video intro by Mike Rowe and some speeches, the digital wrapping (really three oversized video walls) lifted up to reveal the Mack Pioneer.
The most important thing to know is that the leaner semi keeps the toughness and reliability that built the brand, adding fuel efficiency and driver comfort that fleets are looking for.
It’s been in the works since 2017—the year the Class 8 Mack Anthem was launched—and according to Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of parent company Volvo Group, is the result of a $2 billion investment. It’s because Mack, one of the first and oldest truck OEMs, is now firmly planted in the future, one where the company bullies back some of the on-highway market share it’s lost.
The company currently has a 2% OTR market share.
Market leader Daimler Truck North America owns closer to 40% and its Freightliner Gen-5 Cascadia, itself decked out in the latest safety and efficiency technology, is revving up production this summer. Mack would settle for closer to 10% market share by 2030 for its OTR and vocational segments combined. This will also be helped with the nextgen Anthem and electric Pioneer down the line. Mack also suggested the Pinnacle and Granite would receive a refresh at some point.
president, called the Pioneer the “new standard in efficiency and comfort, safety, and uptime.”
Those are bold statements, but what is a pioneer if not bold?
Here’s the skinny
Where Mack’s over-the-road Anthem, released in 2017, had an arching hood and blocky front profile that would not seem out of place in Minecraft, the Pioneer was crafted with a lither look, one that suggests a pedigree may have some greyhound in its lineage.
It’s sleek and sinewy, as the designers refused to compromise on either the classic Mack toughness or modern fleets’ preference for an aerodynamic aesthetic. If Shell’s Starship is the bullet train of trucking, then this surely is the .50 caliber round.
At an earlier media preview, lead designer Lukas Yates asserted the Pioneer is “the most aerodynamic diesel truck out there.” That’s saying something considering Volvo Trucks North America launched its latest heavy-duty aero feat, the All-New Volvo VNL, less than 15 months ago, which boasted a 10% fuel efficiency advantage over the previous version. The Pioneer blazes through trails and air, owning an 11% advantage over the Anthem, besting even Mack’s internal aero targets, according to Yates.
“Every surface, every interface, was optimized for aero to make sure that air flows the way it needed to give us the air targets,” he explained. Aerodynamics and efficiency features: Recessed bulldog placement: Keeps iconic symbol front and center while reducing wind drag
Three-piece hood: Aerodynamic, but also allows for replacement of individual sections if damaged Aero windshield: Improved visibility in addition to better fuel economy
Front/rear wheel closeouts: Push air around the wheel to reduce drag Chassis fairings: Cab skirt is fully enclosed, covering fuel and DEF tank access
Power up
On this night, they wanted to show that Mack hasn’t lost its swagger or penchant for innovation.
“Today is an opportunity to redefine the new future for Mack, while at the same time staying true to what it means to be built like a Mack truck,” Lundstedt said.
Mack President Stephen Roy also suggested the Pioneer would be a “competitive advantage on wheels” for drivers due to new features and upgrades, from better fuel economy and optional digital mirror systems to wider door entries and expanded berthing space for sleeper models.
Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks North America
Aero accounts for 8% of the efficiency upgrade, while the rest comes from a revamped integrated powertrain, comprising Mack’s new MP13 engine and mDrive transmission. Mack, by the way, takes credit for integrating the engine, transmission, and axles into one cohesive system. The Pioneer’s powertrain comes in a few different power levels, reaching up to 515 hp and 1,950 lb.-ft. of torque.
(The first motorized vehicle made by the Mack brothers, a 20-seater bus in Brooklyn, had 40 hp.)
The MP13 is an improvement over that in power, while over the MP8, it’s about 3%. A new wave piston design and other tweaks enable that, the company said. Other enhancements include the 13-Speed Dynamic Overdrive to switch between efficiency and power modes, and a beefed-up engine brake to get the tractor-trailer to stop. Drivers should notice the updated mDrive has 30% better shifting performance due to sensor
and hardware changes. Founder Jack Mack’s great grandson, Tom Mack, a now retired employee who worked on the Pioneer and attended the event, was quick to remind people his great-great uncle Gus Mack was the one who invented the mesh feature on transmission gears to make shifting from low to high more smooth, and thus helping the metal gears last longer. On the new mDrive, a redesigned clutch improves its durability.
Fleet first impressions
According to Mack, they talked to about 100 fleets and several dealers to make the redesigned semi the perfect truck for today’s demands.
One of those was Pitt Ohio, which relies on several OEMs for its LTL operations, with models including the Anthem and VNR Electric. The company’s red Pioneer day cab is already wrapped in fleet branding and attended the launch party.
“Mack really took a lot of feedback and tried to put a product together that would stand out and be a leader in the space as we move into the future,” explained Taki Darakos, VP of maintenance and fleet operations at Pitt Ohio.
He said the fleet will receive a small order this summer and a larger group in Q1 2026.
“We’re excited about the technology that this tractor provides in the areas of efficiency, maintenance, safety, and driver comfort,” Darakos added.
Jamie Hagen, owner of Hell Bent Xpress and a big Mack backer, already averages over 10 mpg with his high-efficiency Anthem and is salivating at the prospect of possibly reaching more.
“11% puts you over 11 mpg, right?” he said at the event. “So I’m excited to see if that number will hold true. It should with all the extra aerodynamics—we couldn’t squeeze one more fuel-efficient thing in it if we wanted to.”
Hagen tracks fuel costs, a must for fleet underdogs, and thinks this will prove a “competitive advantage on wheels,” as Roy said.
“It’s going to be close to three quarters of a mile per gallon savings, and that’s roughly around six cents a mile in just fuel savings,” he said, using current diesel costs.
Having driven the truck already, he also noted “how much smoother and quieter the cab is,” partly due to the MaxRide Air suspension option with eight tuned airbags and electronic ride height.
“The new air ride suspension that they put on not only lends itself to a better ride, but is non-torque reactive, which is a huge thing for traction,” he said.
Overall look
The semi retains the sharp lines that reflect its rugged reliability and the bulldog, of course, while adding several aerodynamic flourishes to enhance fuel efficiency, such as the two air intakes on the side near the doors and two on the hood. The latter flank the canine hood ornament, which was brought forward into a recess to reduce drag, “making it an integral part of the truck’s performance rather than just an emblem,” Yates said.
“Not only did they improve the aerodynamics, but I think they came out with a really bold looking truck, even though the Anthem was bold
» The Mack Pioneer cab has a wide range of improvements, from the digital gauge cluster and flat-bottom steering wheel to a purpose-built steel plate for ELDs and several inductive charging points for smart devices.
in itself,” Hagen said. “I feel like they’ve got even more rugged with this look.”
It’s one example that Mack’s Pioneer design team pored over every detail to ensure this truck isn’t just the 125-year-old OEM’s crowning achievement, but king of every road it’s on.
Another is how the Mack badge on the bigger grille (reinforced by metal mesh) has a top-down view of the Brooklyn Bridge on it, a nod to the Mack Brothers’ time in the borough before moving to Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Pioneer will be made in the Lehigh Valley Operations plant, with production starting this summer.
Anyone who says this is just a rebadged version of the all-new Volvo VNL needs to look again. While similar, the revamped VNL has a bit more graceful face, giving off Afghan hound vibes.
Driver comfort
There’s some sibling rivalry at Mack, and being so close to Volvo, a leader in comfort, benefited them on the interior. Mack now offers a FlexSuite option for its sleeper cabs, meaning you can flip the murphy bed up and create a little office. The latest VNL introduced this concept.
Driver comfort features
Wider cab: 9 inches of additional width creates a more spacious interior.
MaxRide Air: Upgraded suspension uses airbags to provide the most stable ride ever offered by a Mack truck.
• Steering wheel ergonomics: The flat-bottom design of the wheel provides more room and easy access infotainment/ cruise control operation.
• Integrated parking cooler: Maintains cabin temperature and environment without idling, reducing fuel costs.
• High-back seat: Offers heating, cooling, and massage.
Hagen said, “that’s 100% a game changer for Mack, finally getting that from their sister organization.” Because he drives and manages eight other trucks, it helps that the FlexSuite can become a mobile office or bedroom with little effort.
“As a business owner, now I’m able to not only drive the truck, but now at night, set my laptop up, do some work, eat in the cab, all that stuff— basically live in the truck more comfortably than I did before.”
Getting down from the bunk or in and out of the cab is easier too due to metal extruded grab points. Hagen noted the ergonomics, such as “putting the handles inside the cab versus outside” are also major improvements.
But he goes back to what matters most—being behind the wheel.
“As a driver, I’m more looking forward to just the smooth, quiet ride—not that it was bad before [in the Anthem]. But this thing is a whole next level. It’s super exciting.”
He concluded by calling it one thing you haven’t likely heard much with Mack but will likely hear a lot more about in the future.
“It’s luxury,” Hagen finished.
» The Pioneer (left) is a stark departure from the Anthem with a much more aerodynamic look. Some may still prefer the blocky Anthem style, but the Pioneer’s sleeker looks result in 8% better fuel efficiency. And that’s hard not to love.
John Hitch | Fleet Maintenance (left) Mack (right)
Mack Trucks
How new tech unlocks efficiency in trucking
Fleets can leverage new technology to increase their productivity, but only if they can find a way to make the tools at their disposal work together.
By Kelly Williams VP, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, TRIMBLE
Kelly Williams is the VP, product management, within Trimble’s transportation sector. After spending 20 years at a carrier, Williams is leveraging her experience to develop cutting-edge technology aimed at optimizing and transforming how the transportation industry moves freight.
Trucking is the backbone of North American commerce. It moves the goods we rely on every day, keeping supply chains running and economies strong. Despite its critical importance, trucking has struggled to see the same productivity gains that other industries have experienced from technological innovation.
Having spent 20 years at trucking companies before transitioning to technology, my passion for improving the movement of goods drives my work every day. At Trimble, I lead product vision and execution, aiming to make the movement of freight more efficient and streamlined overall.
While the last few years have seen an influx of venture capital, start-ups, and new technologies aimed at optimizing logistics, the reality is that trucking remains fragmented with the same inefficiencies remaining. Many of these tools improve specific workflows but fail to generate exponential productivity gains
across the industry. At Trimble, we believe the key to unlocking true efficiency lies not just in adding more technology, but in modernizing and integrating existing workflows. When done right, technology doesn’t just support trucking operations—it supercharges them.
The productivity challenge in trucking
Despite widespread investment in transportation technology, trucking productivity has remained relatively flat for decades. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s data on trucking productivity — measuring labor hours against gross output — has not seen the same improvement as other transportation modes. This stagnation is not due to a lack of innovation, but rather the disconnected nature of many technological solutions.
For example, many carriers have adopted AI-driven optimization tools, compliance solutions, and automated procurement technologies. However, these tools often function in silos. While they improve specific aspects of the business, they don’t necessarily translate into a holistic productivity boost across an entire fleet.
The challenge lies in how technology is implemented. Many trucking companies still face inefficiencies because their tools don’t work together seamlessly. Standardization is a persistent challenge—there are still inconsistencies in EDI formats, data-sharing protocols, and regulatory requirements across different platforms. Simply moving legacy systems to the cloud doesn’t solve these problems. Instead, technology providers must focus on integrating solutions in ways that work within existing workflows.
How AI is supercharging productivity
AI is playing a crucial role in the future of trucking, particularly when it comes to workflow automation. While trucking companies have traditionally focused on managing today, tomorrow, and the next day, AI allows us to anticipate disruptions, optimize routes proactively, and automate repetitive tasks.
Imagine a transportation management system (TMS) that doesn’t just process orders but also predicts potential bottlenecks, recommends alternate routes, and automates communication between shippers and carriers. This kind of real-time optimization would deliver productivity, providing a competitive advantage in an industry that has traditionally been reactive.
Key areas where productivity is improving
Certain sectors of trucking have already seen major productivity boosts through technology
adoption. The brokerage sector, for instance, has benefited from digital freight matching and automated pricing tools, streamlining what was once a resource-heavy business. Procurement technologies have evolved beyond shipper-focused solutions to include carrier-friendly improvements, ensuring efficiency for both sides of the transaction.
Compliance and safety measures have also advanced, with modern ELDs and in-cab video systems reducing downtime from accidents and violations while simplifying regulatory adherence. These technologies help keep trucks moving while also ensuring that fleets remain compliant with industry regulations.
A great example of this impact is Polaris Transportation Group. With a high volume of transactions—moving more than 300,000 orders between Canada and the U.S. annually with its fleet of 120 power units and 280 trailers—Polaris needed a technology solution that was both powerful and easy to use. By collaborating with Trimble, Polaris rolled out a new telematics platform and the FR8Focus mobile application, fully integrating drivers with back-office operations.
“ Standardization is a persistent challenge—there are still inconsistencies in EDI formats, datasharing protocols, and regulatory requirements across different platforms.”
The results were dramatic: lost freight was reduced by 90%, document capture delays were virtually eliminated, and freight identification and labeling became more accurate. Late pickups and deliveries are no longer an issue, demonstrating how an integrated solution can drive real operational improvements.
The future:
A more connected, productive industry
The trucking industry is on the verge of major transformations. As technology providers shift
their focus from simply adding new tools to optimizing and integrating workflows, we will finally begin to see the exponential productivity growth that has eluded us for so long. By leveraging AI, enhancing integrations, and prioritizing seamless execution, we believe trucking technology is about to have its moment.
The industry’s future isn’t just about auto -
mation or optimization—it’s about creating smarter, more connected systems that empower carriers to operate more efficiently, safely, and profitably.
Polaris Transportation Group has already demonstrated what’s possible, and as more fleets adopt integrated, intelligent solutions, the entire industry stands to benefit. That future is closer than we think.
LIFTS TO KEEP YOU MOVING
Includes hubodometer and bracket for full assembly
With mileage visible right on the hub, the Valcrum Hubodometer allows fleets to better manage maintenance intervals at the wheel end, track warranties, and assist with mileage cost validation. The measurement device mounts directly to Valcrum hubcaps and fits most 16-17.5” tires. Includes bracket, Torx screws, and L-key for quick installation. Comes with a 3-year/300,000-mile warranty.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55134847
Offers flexible number of measurement points
Tread-Rite from Bartec USA is a companion tool to Bartec’s TECH550Pro and TECH600Pro tire pressure management tools. The integration provides a flexible number of measurement points and offers tire data on both the Bartec tool and in online inspection reports through a Bluetooth connection. It also provides a visual aid depth measurement for quick checks, as well as a configurable number of measurements per wheel. Light and robust, Tread-Rite uses two replaceable AAA batteries and a replaceable pin design.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55135738
Torque setting printed on each spacer
RevHD ’s Rev-Spacers are made of heavy-duty, hardened steel with unique profiles designed to match the hub. These precise bearing spacers have the torque setting printed right on them, with easy-toread part numbers for cross-reference. Made with tight tolerances to simplify the proper torquing of spindle nuts.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283312
Save time and money with LuK clutch sets, featuring matching OE-quality components. Minimize repair times and boost performance for light commercial vehicles.
www.vls.schaeffler.us
FLEET PARTS & COMPONENTS
Offers over 1,800 standard parts
ETCO Automotive Products offers an online catalog of over 1,800 standard parts, including spark plug and distributor terminals, insulation boots, and battery terminals. Manufactured in the U.S. for OEMs and major distributors, they meet SAE J2031 & 2032, and ISO 9001:2015 standards and are offered with compatible automated or manual wire-attach equipment and booters. Supplied in strip form or loose, ETCO Automotive Terminal Products can be stamped from brass, tinned steels, stainless steels, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, and other alloys, including clad and inlaid alloys with thicknesses ranging from 0.006” to 0.078” and tolerances to 0.0005”.
For more information visit
FleetMaintenance.com/55284305
Robust and offers faster load times
Seamless on-board scale system
The iWeigh platform from Air-Weigh is an on-board scale system designed to seamlessly install on trucks, trailers, and tractor-trailers. Engineered with connectivity at its core, the system can transfer data through the SAE J1939 CAN bus or Bluetooth to various outputs and devices. iWeigh is universally compatible and is suitable for air and mechanical suspensions on both steer and drive axles. Real-time data access means drivers can monitor weight data directly on their devices, allowing for immediate load adjustments and road compliance. The platform works across all makes of trucks, tractors, and trailers, allowing for maximum fleet coverage and compatibility regardless of equipment brand.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283225
SmithCo Mfg.’s BRUTE CP30 side dump trailer can be pulled with off-road construction power units or tractors while providing a 30-ton capacity. The trailer uses flotation tires to travel over rough terrain, and includes a 2” drawbar pin-type hit with options for scraper-type adapters also available. Durable and robust, the trailer’s tub hinges can live longer, and the trailer overall features a tongue shock absorber and suspension enhancements for less undulation on a bumpy road. The BRUTE also has a hydraulic front hitch for level adjustments as well as a hydraulic landing and strong, watertight tubs made from AR450 steel and 80/100 KSI steel frames.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283091
Hydraulically driven all-in-one units
The HDI 265 and 325 Air Pak hydraulically driven all-in-one units from Miller deliver peak performance while maximizing efficiency and freeing up truck space. According to the company, these units save up to 400 lbs. and reduce equipment footprint by up to 54% with an integrated air compressor, battery charge/crank assist, and auxiliary power in a single unit. Units feature integrated multiprocess welding with 265 or 325 amps of output at 100% duty cycle to cover welding processes such as stick, MIG, TIG, flux-cored, and carbon arc gouging. They are designed with modular remote panels, simplified maintenance, preventative alerts, and quieter jobsite performance in mind to help get the job done safely and efficiently.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55281293
Offers fast, safe, simple install
The Loaded Steering Knuckles , Nos. 686-448 and 686-449, from Dorman Products are designed to help technicians fix a worn steering knuckle without a hydraulic press or purchasing multiple components. The loaded knuckles include a new knuckle, wheel bearing, hub, and application-specific hardware that’s already assembled for easier installation. These steering knuckles are specifically for front right and front left knuckles on the Ram 1500 2012-2018 and Ram 1500 Classic 2019-2022 trucks.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55285159
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT »
A roundup of the latest tool and equipment offerings.
Adjustable from 34” to 47”
The K-Tool International 30” Adjustable Work Table offers a total capacity of 200 lbs., a worktop capacity of 178 lbs., and it features a top tray, durable drawer liners, and a 12-5/8” by 9-7/8” by 2-3/4” drawer with a holding capacity of 22 lbs. The table is made from 16-gauge steel and adjustable from 34” to 47” with an adjustable leg width from 26-5/8” to 31-5/16” for additional flexibility. It uses four 2-1/2” swivel casters for easy maneuvering and weighs only 32 lbs. The table comes with a year-long warranty.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283302
Prevents oil messes during wheel repair
Features upgraded 304-grade stainless steel worktop
Lisle Corporation ’s Truck & Trailer Wheel Pan , No. 19852, allows technicians to limit oil messes while working on wheel repairs. The pan offers handle compartments to keep hub nuts in one spot and fits rims with 13-3/4” ID and larger. Constructed of polypropylene, the pan is durable and will not warp due to warm oil, and offers a capacity of 88 oz.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55135767
Features integrated jumpstart technology
The Vanair Ranger Air 330MPX is a custom-engineered air compressor designed to deliver industry-leading 40 cfm at 150 psi. The 330MPX features advanced multi-process Lincoln welding capabilities with 330A output. Additional features include integrated battery charging and jump-start technology, an enhanced user interface for improved operational efficiency, and an optimized footprint for work truck applications. This air compressor is field-tested for durability in demanding environments.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283599
Supports up to 1,250 lbs.
The OTC Power Train Lift , No. 1585A, is ideal for engine and transaxle service. The lift supports up to 1,250 lbs. and features a compact design with swivel casters for easy maneuverability. Its height range is 29 1/2” to 68 1/2” and it has a tilting plate. The lift weighs 372 lbs.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55276648
The Extreme Tools RX Series 84”Wx30”D 16-Drawer Roller Cabinet with Power Tool Drawer, No. RXQ843016RC, features a surge-protected power strip with two USB ports, 11 universal docks for storing and charging power tools, shelves, and hand tool and small parts organizers. Each drawer utilizes full-extension slides that are load-rated for 250 to 500 lbs. per drawer. The self-latching drawer pulls are made from all metal components without any plastic. The box offers an upgraded worktop made from 304-grade stainless steel, an updated side handle, PVC drawer liners, and four locking 900-lb. casters with two additional rigid casters. It also features coded locks/keys and an AKZO Nobel powder coat finish.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55282872
Removes brake anchor pins
The Brake Anchor Pin Press , No. 70100, from Cal-Van Tools is designed to remove brake anchor pins and bushings on 16-1/2” S-Cam trailers and Tractor Q brake systems. With this tool, there’s no need to remove the hub or dust shields. Designed for use with 1/2” impact wrenches, it has a 10-ton capacity C-frame and can easily remove seized anchor pins.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55282848
TANK-TO-TANK RECYCLE FUNCTION
TANK-TO-TANK RECYCLE FUNCTION
Off-site RRR for Heavy-Duty Vehicles and Large-Scale Equipment
Fast and simple process to recycle recovered refrigerant and charge back into a source tank for in field recharges. Suitable for 30, 50 and 90 Lb tank capacities with easy access from the MXHD display main menu.
Allows hands-free interaction with data and real-time assistance
The Jaltest Diagnostics AR from Cojali USA allows users to work hands-free with electronic units, technical data, and real-time assistance without interrupting the job at hand or requiring any back-and-forth between a computer and a vehicle. The mixed-reality glasses are fully customizable, allowing them to be tailored for repair bays, end-of-line testing, training programs, and more. For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55278575
250-lb. weight capacity
Milwaukee ’s PACKOUT Rolling Drawer Tool Box features quick, one-handed opening, which provides easy access to tools stored in the base of a PACKOUT stack, allowing for maximum productivity on the jobsite. With a 250-lb. weight capacity, the toolbox is able to store a variety of heavy tools and materials. For additional organization, the product includes a versatile set of dividers for easy customization. Compatible with other Milwaukee PACKOUT Tool Box Attachments. For more information visit
Offers over 30 hours of battery life
The R134A & R1234YF Smart Manifold Gauge Set from Mastercool features a 4.3” color touchscreen for easy viewing of pressure and temperature readings, an automatic shut-off to save battery life, and unit conversions between pounds, ounces, kilograms, and milliliters. It offers extensive pressure readings in psi, bar, MPa, kg/cm2, and kPa for versatility, while the built-in refrigerant database provides factory-recommended capacities for precise recharging. The rechargeable lithium battery offers over 30 hours of use and USB-C charging. For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55278579
35-lb. weight capacity per tray
The Traxion Spinning Tool Tower features a sturdy base with 5” hard plastic casters with smooth-spinning rotation, allowing easy access to every angle of the tower. The round design and multiple shelves and compartments maximize storage space, and each tray has a weight capacity of 35 lbs.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283597
Captures 4,800 distinct temperature zones
The Snap-on Diagnostic Thermal Imager+ uses infrared technology to reveal heat caused by friction, electrical resistance, pressure changes, and more anywhere under the hood or around a vehicle. It offers detailed images composed of 4,800 distinct temperature zones and is capable of identifying temperatures up to 840 degrees F. The imager features image blending, splitscreen view, picture-in-picture view, image capture, and video recording for up to 20 seconds. It includes a database of automotive applications, guided tests, and reference images to help technicians find a more accurate diagnosis in less time.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55272363
Minimizes noise and vibration levels
The Evergrade RGX Pro 316 Cordless Sander with 3/16” Offset offers the power and performance of a pneumatic sander without the need for an airline, according to the company. The sander is balanced for fine user control without any risk of running off. The sander uses patented technology to provide low noise output and low vibration levels for operator comfort. It is lightweight, weighing only 2.65 lbs., and offers speeds of up to 10,000 rpm. The 3/16” offset is ideal for aggressive sanding.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283315
dealer LEVEL DIAGNOSTICS
ONE PLATFORM PLATFORM
Illuminates the entire engine bay
Lumileds ’ Xperion 3000 Under Bonnet LED light is designed to provide enhanced visibility while working in the engine bay. Featuring a selectable output of 1,200, 600, or 300 lumens and two adjustable LED lightbars that pivot and tilt, the light illuminates the entire working area, allowing for more precise and accurate work. With an integrated magnet in the base and two fold-out hooks, the light can be mounted to any location under the vehicle hood, while soft-touch plastic protects painted surfaces and provides grip. The light is rated IP54/IK07 for resistance to impact, water, and dust. The light has a three-hour run time at 1,200 lumens and 12 hours at 300 lumens, and charges fully in under four hours using the supplied USB-C cable.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55282581
Works with existing filtered compressed air supply
The Personal Air Breathing Unit , Model P-20, from Martech Services Company works with the existing filtered compressed air supply, providing Grade “D” Breathable Air for a proper NIOSH-approved respirator. It will also allow for a bypass of air for a paint spray gun with the provided 54” tool air hose assembly. The unit is a complete, belt-mounted system with a built-in filter and filter monitor, and a carbon monoxide monitor with both audible and visual alarms. The monitor runs on a single battery and continuously monitors the air for compliance with current OSHA standards.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283219
Remotely connects to OE tools
The asTech Mechanical from asTech Driven by Repairify lets users connect directly to original equipment (OE) tools remotely operated by certified technicians to perform health checks, programming, calibrations, coding, variant coding, registration, adaptation, configuration, and other functions, allowing repairs to stay in-house. It creates a bidirectional remote connection with an authentic OE tool without requiring any special tooling or training to operate. It allows technicians to perform dynamic calibrations for ADAS systems, set up targeting systems, and perform static calibrations with the OE tool. asTech Mechanical also provides special functions not natively supported by aftermarket devices and can erase DTCs and reset maintenance lights.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55276650
Built-in flow meter prevents false readings
The Lincoln PowerLuber Model 1884 is a dual-battery grease gun featuring a liquid crystal display that provides real-time battery level and grease flow readings. The Model 1884 has a rugged three-point base that provides stability without adding bulk, allowing access to tight spaces. It also includes a built-in LED light for enhanced visibility and a built-in flow meter that detects the loss of prime to prevent false readings.
For more information visit FleetMaintenance.com/55283304
PRO LINK+ ® N +
Professional Power in Your Hands
PRO-LINK+, built for servicing a complete range of commercial vehicles, makes Benny more than just a pitstop technician - it makes him an efficiency expert.
Under the hood, PRO-LINK+ delivers:
• OEM-specific coverage for engines, transmissions, chassis, and brakes
• Code-specific information with detailed testing procedures, component photos and wiring diagrams
Take control with over 200 special tests and 600 user-configurable parameters. Built tough for medium and heavy-duty trucks, PRO-LINK+ is your essential diagnostic companion.
