Fleet Owner - March 2025

YOUR OIL MAY WORK AS HARD AS YOU. SHOULDN’T IT WORK SMARTER, TOO?

16 Women in transportation

Along with profling six women who have built success within transportation, our annual WIT feature includes tips on how your operations can foster female success.

What

34 The future of lubricants

Developers are creating ways to improve diesel emissions and fuel economy while also meeting alternate-fuel equipment needs.

42 Tougher electronics

Trucks don’t play nice with electronics. Electronic devices in a truck are under siege by vibrations, extreme temperatures, dust, and more. What can fleets do to protect their devices?

Photo: Nas | 1108831122

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Photo: Aziz Shamuratov

Photo: Vitpho

Online

Is trucking’s mirrorless future in sight?

Are side-view mirrors going the way of film cameras, record players, and VHS movies? While it’s hard to tell when passenger cars will drop their mirrors, a mirrorless future is dawning in heavy-duty trucking. Stoneridge has offered its high-definition camera and display systems that replace side-view mirrors as an aftermarket solution for several years. But OEMs are starting to offer factory installation of the MirrorEye in new Class 8 tractors. Truck makers are touting the added safety, fuel savings, and driver comforts of the system. FleetOwner.com/Mirrorless

Online Exclusives

Blogs

Finding fleet efficiencies: One of the most effective, yet overlooked, ways to prevent unexpected downtime, reduce operating costs, and extend the life of your machinery is proper lubrication. See our feature (p. 34) on the future of lube in this issue and read more about strategies you can implement today at FleetOwner.com/ShiftingGears.

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Market Pulse

Industry outlook: The commercial vehicle market is in flux with uncertainties around freight markets, new and used-truck sales, and environmental regulations. Can the industry capitalize on this transitional moment? Or will the shifting sands leave some players buried? ACT Research analysts unpack the trends shaping this dynamic landscape in the latest Market Pulse conversations. Watch at FleetOwner.com/MarketPulse.

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[ Lane Shift Ahead ]

Now

is not the time to be

average

10 ways to take advantage of all this chaos

By Josh Fisher Editor in Chief

@TrucksAtWork

Chaos creates opportunities that redefine your operations. Do you want to be above or below the trend lines that define 2025?

NOBODY WANTS TO be average. Yet we focus on average freight rates, average safety scores, average fuel prices, and stock market indexes. Are you average? Is your company average? Are your challenges average? Do your customers think you’re average?

“We can all calculate average this or average that. But what is average?” Ken Vieth asked during the recent ACT Research Market Vitals seminar. “That means you got somebody up here doing this, and you got somebody down here doing that. There’s almost always opportunity to improve, to go after whoever it is that is up here—even in an uncertain and volatile marketplace.”

Five years ago, we were coming to terms with an unknown, unprecedented global pandemic that created trucking opportunities amid chaos. As dust gathers on those boxes of personal protective equipment, we face new uncertainties over lagging freight rates, rising equipment prices, supply-chain-bending tariffs, and rewritten regulations that many have been designing business plans around since before most of us knew what PPE stood for.

Change creates chaos. President Donald Trump returned to the White House determined to change America. There’s no telling what Trump 2.0 could do to the averages. [Analysts at ACT Research’s seminar spent time considering this, see Page 10.]

Chaos and opportunities could define your operations. Do you want to be above or below the trend lines of 2025? Here are 10 factors that might help your operations be above average—if you can take advantage.

1. Market volatility: As Vieth pointed out, even when the overall market struggles, some companies outperform. Consider different segments, services, or needs you can fill.

2. Capacity shifts: Tim Denoyer, ACT Research VP and senior analyst, was the first to document how much private fleets were eating into traditional for-hire carrier freight after the pandemic boom. Those private

fleets that built out in-house freight networks during the supply chain crunch were rewarded. Denoyer told me traditional trucking companies have chances to regain market share as private fleets slow procurement.

3. Used trucks: If Trump tariffs increase new-truck costs—ACT warns prices could rise 8% to 10%—that will also drive up used-truck demand, according to Steve Tam, ACT VP and analyst. Import taxes coupled with looming EPA ’27 price increases create opportunities for fleets, dealers, auctioneers, and truck traders.

4. Regulatory changes: As Trump’s EPA and DOT dismantle and delay regulations, manufacturers get more time to prove what alt fuels, such as natural gas, work if EVs continue not to be an all-encompassing solution, ACT Research analyst Lydia Vieth told me.

5. Infrastructure development: With more time for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to develop powertrains, energy providers could take early leads in alternative fuels, charging networks, and maintenance systems.

6. Innovation: Challenging times can create innovation opportunities. Use lulls to improve operational efficiencies, explore technologies, and develop new services.

7. Procurement: With potential tariffs driving up prices, discuss long-term and shortterm order opportunities with your dealers.

8. Consolidation: Look for opportunities to acquire struggling competitors and expand into new segments or markets. The next freight boom could be around the corner.

9. Supply chains are still shifting: Nearshoring and reshoring are still occurring. Tariffs accelerate this process, potentially boosting interstate freight lanes for years.

10. Data is vital: Identifying trends early better position you over competitors, optimize operations, and help you find opportunities. Explore ever-smarter transportation data analytics solutions to find ways to see how you compare to average competitors. FO

Trump 2.0’s ‘Self-inflicted uncertainty’

As industry eyes freight rebound, tariff threats push decisions out further

by Josh Fisher

Trade war uncertainty has engulfed U.S. business decisions since President Donald Trump resumed office and threatened tariffs on trading partners. The trucking industry could be an economic casualty if this cold trade war heats up—or if it continues to hiccup.

“Trump risk is truly self-inflicted uncertainty,” Ken Vieth, ACT Research president and senior analyst, said during his firm’s Market Vitals seminar in Columbus, Indiana, on February 20.

After the president granted a reprieve from the 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and doubled the 10% tariff already imposed on Chinese imports, Trump said February 27 that he plans to enforce them. [FleetOwner went to press before the March 4 deadline.]

While Vieth was speaking before Trump’s deadline, his ACT Research team laid out potential tariff problems:

• Class 8 vehicle prices in the U.S. would increase 8% to 10%.

• Mexico and Canada’s economies would likely fall into recessions.

• Trump’s advertised policies would likely boost U.S. inflation, keep interest rates elevated, and stifle growth.

“We try to avoid politics because trucking is about moving freight,” Vieth told the audience of industry executives, supplier and OEM analysts, and dealers. “It’s about putting food on our tables and clothes on our bodies, finding a place to live. That’s what we’re focused on. But certainly tariffs, inflation, interest rates, medium-term uncertainty, short-term pull forwards—this is not the way to conduct business.”

Tariffs could halt the trucking industry’s freight recession recovery as it’s picking up, Chris Spear, the American Trucking Associations’ leader, said. “A 25% tariff levied on Mexico could see the price of a new tractor increase by as much as $35,000,” he said February 1.

Vieth estimated 80% of the seminar audience was Republican, adding: “I don’t think I’ve talked to a single person in this room in the last two days that was like, ‘Yeah, we’re just loving this.’”

‘TARIFFS ON STEROIDS’

A theme of the two-day seminar focused on the uncertainty in Washington as trucking climbs out of a freight recession. While analysts see signs of better rates and fundamentals for carriers in 2025, the industry needs more certainty.

“Don’t leave everybody hanging because you can’t make decisions if you don’t know what it will be,” Vieth said. “If it’s going to be tariffs, make it tariffs, and we can make decisions from there. If it’s not going to be tariffs, we can go from there. But don’t leave everybody not knowing what’s going to happen.”

David Teolis, ACT Research’s chief economist, said tariffs were among the critical policies that could make or break the freight economy. “If we don’t get tariffs and things are kind of normalized, we’ll have a pretty safe economic outlook for 2025 to 2026.”

However, the economist called Trump’s 2025 plan “tariffs on steroids” compared to the 2018 and 2019 tariffs imposed during his first term. Teolis said

tariffs could create three key risks for U.S. transportation industries:

• Inflation remains high

• Higher equity-price volatility

• Consumer confidence falls

BUT HOW COULD TARIFFS BENEFIT TRUCKING?

While the economic outlook for tariffs remains uncertain, reducing imports— particularly from China—could boost trucking movement within the U.S.

Randy Flanagan, VP of sales for SAF-Holland, used washing machines sold in the Midwest as an example. When imported from Asia, they arrive at a U.S. port by ship and are likely transported by train to Chicago, where they are loaded onto a truck that delivers them to a retail point of sale.

“That’s really just one truckload that happened,” he noted.

However, tariffs could push for more domestic production of products such as washing machines. “If our friends at Amana in Iowa start building washing machines like crazy, there might be 400 truckloads that move to Amana Colonies with paint and steel and copper wire for the motors, etc., etc.,” Flanagan described. “That could potentially raise what we all do here.” FO

Ken Vieth, president and senior analyst for ACT Research, discusses the freight and commercial vehicle markets during ACT’s Market Vitals seminar in Columbus, Indiana, on February 20, 2025. Photo: Josh Fisher | FleetOwner

Top carriers slash spending

FO500 fleet execs want to see ROI in 2025 after years of investments

by Geert De Lombaerde

The bottom line is back.

Some of the biggest names in trucking told investors they plan to spend substantially less this year than in 2024 on equipment and real estate as they increasingly focus on price and profitability in a freight market that is steadily—albeit still slowly—returning to pre-pandemic normal.

In recent earnings reports and conference calls, the leaders of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., XPO Inc., Saia Inc., Werner Enterprises Inc., and ArcBest Corp.—all 2025 FleetOwner 500 top 25 carriers that span the truckload and less-than-truckload segments—detailed their spending priorities for the year ahead. The headline number coming out of those discussions is 23.6%. In other words, the five executive teams’ combined capital spending budgets for the year are forecast to be a shade under $2.4 billion, nearly a quarter less than their collective 2024 outlays of more than $3.1 billion.

“With a lower capex profile and sustained earnings growth, we can generate higher levels of free cash flow, giving us greater flexibility to return capital to shareholders over time,” XPO CFO Kyle Wismans told analysts February 6, exemplifying the mindset of several other C-suites.

The aggregate capex forecast is broken down as follows:

• Old Dominion (FO 500 No. 10) forecasted 2025 capex of $575 million versus more than $771 million last year.

• Werner (No. 11) expected a capex budget between $185 million and $235 million versus $235 million last year as the company’s investments lean more toward its asset-light business.

• XPO (No. 13) said it plans to spend between $600 million and $700 million this year. That’s down from $789 million in 2024, which was the second year

of a big expansion push that included acquiring dozens of former Yellow Corp. terminals.

• At Saia (No. 19), spending plans are about $700 million, a big drop from last year’s total of a little more than $1 billion. As with XPO, Saia placed big bets on filling some of the hole in the market left by Yellow’s end.

• ArcBest (No. 24) capex will be between $225 million and $275 million this year versus $288 million in 2024.

The step back from spending comes after several years of large investments across the trucking sector as fleets sought first to capitalize on booming demand during and immediately after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and then to grab market share in the wake of the collapse of Yellow.

But enduring overcapacity and an industrial sector that is only now getting off the mat after two years of stagnation have kept a lid on carriers’ pricing power and, thus, profitability. On recent conference calls, several leadership teams pointed to some positive price metrics from late last year—often noting that rate increases have barely, if at all, offset increases in operating costs—and made it clear they view 2025 as the year that dynamic will start to change in earnest.

IN SHORT: DONE WITH DISCOUNTS

“It’s an exciting time, but it’s one where we have to be careful and cautious,” Werner Chairman and CEO Derek Leathers said in February. “We have to improve the performance—not just in dedicated but across the portfolio— and rate is the single biggest lever to do so. So that is at the forefront […] It’s going to be more of a rate initiative and rate approach as we go forward.”

XPO Chief Strategy Officer Ali Faghri

Most executives have talked about the need for rates to rise quite a bit more if their companies are to reach historical levels of profitability.

struck a similar tone. The leaders of the Connecticut-based LTL carrier have been pushing hard to improve the company’s performance by, among other things, investing in technology and bringing in-house business it previously outsourced. Now, it’s time to reap some of the rewards from that work.

“Our service quality is at record levels, and we expect our pricing initiatives to continue to drive above-market yield growth,” Faghri said after a 2024 in which XPO grew yield (excluding fuel) by 7.8%. “We’re just beginning to capture the massive pricing opportunity ahead of us.”

Other carriers’ executives have said similar things of late despite also putting up solid numbers. At Werner, for instance, revenue per truck per week rose 6.4%. ArcBest’s team produced a price increase of 4.9% in 2024, which Chris Adkins, the company’s VP of yield strategy and management, pointed out is a top-five result over the past two decades.

Still, executives have talked almost uniformly this earnings season about the need for rates to climb quite a bit more so that their companies can reach historical levels of profitability. FO

Photo: Werner Enterprises Inc.

Analysts expect rate upturn within months

Low rates have hampered for-hire carriers for years. Following the pandemic freight booms, rates below average costs of operation forced countless fleets to shutter operations. Industry analysts expect a rate upturn to finally arrive in the second half of this year.

“Overall, we expect a positive year in trucking, and we expect that [rates] will go up,” Hamish Woodrow, head of strategic analytics for Motive, told FleetOwner. “But that doesn’t mean that within a quarter or a month, you couldn’t see volatility in pricing.”

Forecasts from FTR Transportation Intelligence, DAT Freight & Analytics, ACT Research, and Motive see for-hire freight rates rising the second half of the year. However, volatility and competition remain genuine risks.

Avery Vise, VP of trucking for FTR Transportation Intelligence, described 2024 as a “holding pattern” for trucking. “It has been a year of under-the-waterline improvement,” he told FleetOwner. “We are ending the year in not much different shape than we were beginning the year, especially when we look at the rate environment.”

DAT Freight & Analytics estimated that 2024’s dry van spot rates were still below the segment’s average operating costs for almost the entire year.

According to data from DAT, average dry van spot rates remained persistently year-over-year negative in the first months of 2024, ranging from minus 12% in the year’s first week to minus 2% in mid-May. Dry van spot rates began to achieve regular single-digit year-over-year growth from 1% in June to 9% in November.

Industry outlooks suggest that the second half of 2025 will see stronger rates across most segments. Overall, analysts expect carriers to feel stronger financially by the end of the year.

“From a freight perspective, 2025 looks better, and we do continue to expect the rate environment to improve,” Vise said. “The recovery that

I’m talking about for next year is going to come primarily from stronger freight, not from a decline in capacity.”

Many industry outlooks predict rising freight volume demand throughout 2025, bringing upward pressure on rates. Meanwhile, analysts also expect trucking capacity to increase, bringing some downward pressure on rates.

The firms’ outlooks broadly agree

that rate improvements will be slower in the first half of the year.

“We expect that rates will start to rebalance—initially, probably on the slower side. But going to the back end of this year, we could see really positive movements on freight rates,” Motive’s Woodrow said.

ACT Research, in its 2025 forecast, made similar predictions: Spot rates

increase gradually throughout the year, “driven by incremental improvements in inventory normalization and slight demand gains from e-commerce and retail activity by year-end.”

“With supply slowing and demand growth continuing, we see room for a modest acceleration in rates in 2025,” Tim Denoyer, ACT Research VP and senior analyst, wrote in a blog post.

ACT expects that overcapacity will remain a problem in for-hire trucking, particularly as private fleets expand their operations.

Shippers reevaluate costs, carrier partnerships

Shippers had the upper hand for a few years but are now preparing for anticipated rate increases. Freight market forecasts expect better conditions for carriers in the second half of 2025. Annual industry reports predict truck volumes to grow about 1.6%, and leading analysts predict a rate upturn later in the year. The transportation market has a bright outlook for fleets.

“There is some anticipation that, as demand increases, we will see the market dynamics change,” Jenny Vander Zanden, COO of Breakthrough, told FleetOwner. “We are seeing this as a gradual shift as demand is increasing.”

In its 2025 Freight Trends analysis, Breakthrough predicts freight demand and linehaul rates to rise gradually. The company expects freight demand to average 1.4% growth beginning in May. It also predicts dry van contract rates to increase by 3.2% and dry van spot rates to jump by 9% throughout 2025.

For Breakthrough’s 2025 survey, cost is again a leading shipper concern. When establishing carrier partnerships, 57% of shippers list cost as the top consideration, making it the most critical factor among surveyed shippers. On-time services (48%) and favorable shipment schedules (37%) are also top concerns for shippers in 2025.

Shippers’ strategies for the year reflect their concerns about cost;

many respondents are looking to cut expenses and optimize operations. Shippers are shifting their strategies for the market flip by chasing lower rates ahead of time, carefully considering their transportation partners, and investing in supply chain technology.

The top strategy for shippers is in weighing alternative transportation modes for their loads, respondents said. The majority (55%) list using other modes as possible solutions. Securing lower rates ahead of time (52%), expanding volume with core strategic carriers (47%), and investing in supply chain tech (42%) are also top strategies.

Notably, while almost half of shippers focus their volumes with key partners, 39% plan to diversify their carrier relationships to ensure capacity.

“It is split as we look to the forward market: There’s a number of shippers that are diversifying their carrier base, and there’s a number of shippers that are consolidating their carrier base,” Vander Zanden said.

Jack Cooper closure creates auto-hauling opportunities

With storied competitor Jack Cooper Transport Co.—No. 2 U.S. auto hauler— winding down its operations after key customer losses, Proficient Auto Logistics Inc. executives expect to pick up business. But those gains will likely spread out over several quarters as the market dust settles.

Jack Cooper CEO Sarah Amico announced the 97-year-old company’s closure after it lost key business from Ford and General Motors. The carrier employed 2,500 workers.

Speaking on February 11, after reporting Q4 results, Proficient CEO Rick O’Dell and President and COO Amy Rice told analysts their team is well positioned to add some of the business—estimated at 10% to 15% of the market—that’s up for grabs after Jack Cooper’s closure. Giving them confidence, they said, is the capacity Florida-based Proficient added last

year through about $30 million of equipment investments.

Rice noted that some spending was more maintenance-focused than purely growth-oriented. But those investments—made when the broader auto haul sector appeared healthier than it has turned out to be—now look set to pay off in a different way for Proficient, which ranked third in fleet size behind United Road and Jack Cooper.

Rice and O’Dell said that Jack Cooper’s exit from the market won’t result in a sudden influx of business for rivals—although Precision Vehicle Holdings already took on more Ford work. Instead, O’Dell said, it’s likely many auto OEMs will, for continuity’s sake, turn first to backup carriers they’ve already lined up and only later put contracts out to bid. He added that a two-step dynamic is likely as some fleets attempting to quickly fill Jack Cooper’s shoes might stumble and lead OEMs to return to the broader market.

Nikola files for Chapter 11

Long-troubled Nikola Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection February 19. CEO Steve Girsky said Nikola had faced certain “market and macroeconomic” factors that impacted its ability to operate.

“In recent months, we have taken numerous actions to raise capital, reduce our liabilities, clean up our balance sheet, and preserve cash to sustain our operations. Unfortunately, our very best efforts have not been enough to overcome these significant challenges,” he said, adding that Nikola’s executive team decided Chapter 11 was the “best possible” path.

The company has faced several recent financial struggles, starting with the 2023 recall of 209 battery-electric trucks due to a fire hazard posed by the vehicles’ battery packs. The setback was evident in the company’s financials for the year, which saw its net losses jump 20% to $988 million for 2023.

Trump admin suspends national EV charging program

The Trump administration is pausing charging infrastructure funding under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program indefinitely.

The Federal Highway Administration issued a memo February 6 announcing the NEVI Formula Program’s suspension. This indefinitely pauses all new funding approvals, leaving between $885 million and $1.5 billion in limbo while the Department of Transportation reviews its policies. FHWA also wiped public NEVI data from its websites.

Suspending NEVI funding is part of a flood of actions from the Trump administration against climate policies. The president is pursuing his campaign promise to weaken environmental regulations for industries. On his first day as president, Trump signed a slew of executive orders that included:

• Ordering a review of Greenhouse Gas Phase 3 regulations

• Requiring EPA to review its authority to regulate greenhouse gases altogether

• Ordering federal agencies to eliminate any “harmful” climate policies

• Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement

EPA readies to dissolve CARB waivers

President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency made its first procedural attack on California’s heavy-duty emissions regulations.

New EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will submit reports to Congress on its Biden-era waivers for the California Air Resources Board’s vehicle emissions regulations. The reports would include waivers for Advanced Clean Trucks, Heavy-Duty Omnibus, and Advanced Clean Cars II. The reports allow Congress the opportunity to rescind CARB’s waivers

through majority votes under the Congressional Review Act.

California can set its own emissions standards but must get EPA approval to enforce them. Before Trump’s inauguration, the state gave up trying to waive its other heavy-duty EV mandate.

Trump orders end to NYC congestion pricing

New York’s congestion pricing program is dying again, this time because of Trump administration orders. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revoked DOT’s tolling scheme approval last month. He argued the congestion pricing program was ineligible for two reasons: Drivers had no toll-free alternative route; and it determined rates on revenue rather than congestion.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the tolling would remain in effect while it battles DOT’s decision in court. FO

WOMEN

IN

How to foster women’s growth in the industry

This male-dominated industry o ers great opportunities for women to build careers. Men can also help foster these e orts to help bring in the best of the next generation. by Jade Brasher

Women make up 50% of the population and— as is evident on the following pages—have proved to be a vital part of the trucking and transportation industries.

“Whether they’re in operations, safety, recruiting, management, maintenance, or behind the wheel, women are an integral part of trucking and are driving our industry forward,”

Sarah Rajtik, American Trucking Associations’ COO, told FleetOwner.

As Trimble’s lead data scientist, Tawni Marrs, pointed out to FleetOwner last year: Studies show that diversity and inclusion are linked to workplace innovation; therefore, having women and other diverse perspectives in the industry “drives that innovative front.”

Not only should the industry foster women’s growth, but it should also focus on attracting the next generation of leaders. And while the industry has a long way to go in fully supporting women and ensuring their growth, it is ripe for capable women leaders to rise up. Here are some tips to help foster women’s growth in transportation.

For over a decade, FleetOwner has looked at ways to shine a light on how women are shaping the transportation industry in the 21st century. The following pages include profiles of six of these women along with a special Women In Transportation: By the Numbers.

Work where women are valued

Women looking to enter the industry can start by applying for jobs at companies with women-focused goals or initiatives, whether those are internal women-focused groups or whether that company employs men and women who are supporters of external women-focused organizations.

“A core priority at J.B. Poindexter & Co is development of women and all team members across our nine business units,” Suzanne Frawley, director of talent management at the manufacturer, told FleetOwner. One of the company’s business units, Morgan Olson, dedicates a whole webpage to its diversity initiatives, with a promise to foster equal growth and advancement among its entire staff, and even includes employee testimonials.

The company also seeks to actively support its workforce through skill development.

“We foster a mindset of improving by providing individuals with parameters for their position and supporting them to develop the skills, attributes, and training to achieve the next level,” Frawley said.

Continued on page 30

Photo:

Leaders can come from anywhere

Amy Hudson proves operational talent doesn’t require industry experience

by Jade Brasher

Some days, she’s the only woman in meetings. Other days, she’s accepting awards, like the 2024 Cincinnati Chief Operating Of cer of the Year. Most days, she’s training future leaders, mentoring both women and men on her team to help sharpen their skills.

Amy Hudson, chief operating of cer at Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, didn’t start out in the transportation industry but has found her niche by jumping on opportunities that were presented to her.

“I like to say that the stars aligned a little bit,” Hudson told FleetOwner about her role at Mike Albert.

A good fit for fleet

Hudson holds degrees in accounting and computer programming. She spent most of her career working in IT and operations at a lab testing company.

During this time, Hudson had only a basic awareness of the eet industry. Her eyes were opened to transportation and all its opportunities when a former coworker persuaded her to apply for a job at Mike Albert Fleet Solutions. He explained that moving to eets would be “quite a deviation” for her, but that Mike Albert was “the greatest place he’d ever found.”

Six years later, Hudson is still grateful for that advice.

“The combination of my accounting and my IT background and just a lot of my operational experience … I felt like that was a good t here, and it has worked out very well,” Hudson said.

A talent for leadership

Hudson, now COO, is currently the only woman in C-suite leadership at Mike Albert. When asked how she feels about being the only woman in the room, Hudson said, “In the meetings,

“You want to talk to me about how we can get stu done more quickly, more e ciently, and more profitably? I’m going to be the first one speaking up.”

I don’t really think about it. I’m proud to have achieved a chief operating ofcer title, period. That gives me great, great pride.”

Regardless of Hudson being the only woman in the C-suite, women make up at least 50% of Mike Albert’s total employees, if not more. Further, many of the senior leaders are women, but there’s still work to be done to “continue to lift those folks up beyond just the senior level,” Hudson said.

Hudson has found her perfect role in the eet industry without having a background in eets. She admits she probably isn’t the most knowledgeable about what’s under the hood of a vehicle, and “truth be told, neither do any of the rest of the executives that I work with,” she said. “But I do know how to run departments, increase operational efciencies, focus on KPIs and leadership, celebrate wins, and [strive for] continuous improvement.”

Hudson knows where her skill set adds the most value, and that is where her condence and leadership are most evident.

“You want to talk to me about how we can get stuff done more quickly, more ef ciently, and more pro tably? I’m going to be the rst one speaking up,” Hudson explained.

Good leaders never stop learning What’s helped Hudson achieve her professional goals thus far—and her advice to others—is to nd a good mentor, practice continuous learning, and sharpen data storytelling skills.

It’s important to nd not only a good mentor but one that will also act as an advocate on your behalf, she elaborated. Hudson also practices continuous learning by earning industry- or skill-speci c certi cations and by listening to podcasts.

“I listen to podcasts every single day— that’s what I do with my commute time,” she said. “If I can [learn] something on my drive in the morning and my drive home at night—winner!”

Finally, data storytelling is a skill that might require some practice but pays off professionally.

“Anybody can throw together a PowerPoint,” Hudson said. But “you need to be able to present effectively at an executive level. So, invest in yourself and in learning how to speak and how to make the data tell the story.”

Finding success as a woman in transportation doesn’t require mechanic knowledge. This industry presents multiple opportunities for women, and Amy Hudson is a testament to that. FO

Championing problem solvers

Jennifer Miller’s journey at DHL Supply Chain: Helping others grow

by Jenna Hume

Like so many transportation professionals, Jennifer Miller ended up in this industry by accident. While she was in college studying economics, she happened upon a supply chain internship, and the rest is history.

Miller, who today is DHL Supply Chain’s VP of integrated transportation, credits this internship with jump-starting her love for the industry and her work.“I just happened into the supply chain internship, and it really suited my nature,” Miller said. “It’s very logical, very process-focused, and it just suited me.”

Miller’s internship grew into a job with the same supply chain company. During this time, her work focused on customer service, and she loved working with clients and strengthening those relationships.

Eventually, Miller’s career led her to DHL Supply Chain, where she’s spent nearly 24 years. Miller credits the culture at the company for why she’s stayed at DHL for so long.

“I tell people all the time [that] I wouldn’t have stayed [at DHL Supply Chain] for 24 years if it wasn’t a great place to work,” she said. “We have this culture of growth. We have this culture of doing the right thing and doing it the rst time, executing for our customers.”

At DHL, Miller held multiple titles: director of solutions, director of operations, senior director of operations, and now VP of integrated transportation. The most rewarding part for her has been helping others, whether they be customers or fellow team members.

“I love working with people,” Miller said. “I love helping people, building relationships, building long-term relationships with customers, and helping to make a difference. We deliver a lot

“I’ve seen so many young women say, ‘Oh my gosh, transportation. I would never want to do that.’ But you don’t really know … I’d say, challenge yourself, challenge your paradigms, challenge what others have said to you.”

of different goods and services here–whether it’s automotive parts that get someone’s car back on the road, or medicine that people need, or even your selected convenience store–helping people achieve their goals and building those relationships and then building teams. Building teams is so important, and watching our associates and all of our groups evolve and grow and progress their careers.”

Throughout her career, there have been multiple times in which Miller was the only woman in the room or at the conference table. However, she has never seen being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry as a challenge.

“If you have the passion and you have the expertise, and you’re driving toward excellence, and you’re driving toward delivering value for whomever you’re working with, that tends to fall by the wayside pretty quickly,” Miller claimed.

Miller believes that the transportation industry could offer so many opportunities if more people would just consider the industry, especially women.

“I’ve seen so many young women say, ‘Oh my gosh, transportation. I would

never want to do that,’” Miller said. “But you don’t really know … I’d say, challenge yourself, challenge your paradigms, challenge what others have said to you.”

Miller points out that the transportation industry is especially suited for problem solvers who want a challenge and who don’t want to sit at a desk all day.

At DHL, Miller is now working to make sure other women are given a chance and their voices are heard.

“I really try and be active in the industry, active with our partners and who we work with, and really making sure on our teams, we are looking at diverse applicants, really trying to recruit who’s best,” Miller said. “But also let’s nd some women who we think would be really good at this, or let’s recruit someone from another area or department and bring them over.”

“Let’s sell them on what a great place this is to work,” she continued. “It’s both being visible out there overtly but also that grassroots recruitment of young women in particular to bring them into what we do and build our teams because the more diverse we can make our teams, the better that they’re going to be.” FO

TIME WELL SPENT “

“

“This is by far the best event I have attended in my 25 years of doing this.”

“The 1:1 time whether it’s during the meetings or after hours events was immensely valuable.”

“The interaction with other fleet leaders was invaluable.”

“It was a great opportunity to network with other professionals in the transportation industry. Received a lot of best practices as well as lessons learned that I will apply here with my company.”

“The amount of knowledge in one room was astounding.”

“Summit provided the opportunity to learn about numerous innovative ideas from a diverse supplier base supporting products that affect our fleet business.”

““It truly felt like fleets and suppliers were looking to work together”

“This is not your typical trade show“

“The targeted & focused format is very valuable”

June 16-18, 2025 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

Showing the industry what she can do

Toni Nastali rose from comptroller to owner over four decades

by Alex Keenan

Sitting in a quiet of ce as the only woman on a board of directors is intimidating enough, let alone when the board president says, “We could use a pretty girl at the table.” But Toni Nastali, who rst joined Spring-Align Inc. in 1981 and has owned the company since 2004, has never been easily intimidated.

She didn’t inch when this happened to her in 1999 when she was a new board member of the Service Specialists Association, which is now part of the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network.

“I just kept my mouth shut,” Nastali recalled. “I said, ‘I’ll show them what I can do.’”

And so she did, eventually becoming the rst female president of SSA in 2004, where she was instrumental in the organization joining CVSN, and receiving the inaugural Women in Leadership award at the 2025 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week. Add this to her work recruiting more technicians to the industry and training them for successful careers, and it’s clear that Nastali has helped hold the industry to a higher standard.

Breaking in Nastali began her journey in the commercial vehicle space after spending about eight years as an auditor for a public accounting rm. When she divorced, she needed a job that allowed her to be home more with her children, who were then 6 and 5 years old. So, she searched through the help wanted ads in the paper and found a position at Spring Align as comptroller.

While she was well-equipped for the nancial end of her role, Nastali still had a lot to learn about the technical side of the industry. She visited the shop to watch the technicians work, where she learned about rebushing and using

“Follow your dreams. If you’re interested in it, there’s a spot for everyone.”

the U-bolt machine. She also attended industry gatherings, which allowed her to learn from the other shop owners.

But even when she rst started, Nastali encountered some of the pushback she later experienced in the SSA boardroom.

“There was a certain amount of the men thinking, ‘OK, who’s this young girl coming [in]? Is she an armpiece?’” Nastali recalled. “I was 30 years old at the time.”

While the industry at that time was not the most welcoming, Spring Align was. After ve years with the company, Nastali received a 2% share in Spring Align as a Christmas bonus in 1986.

“They felt it would help be more of a buffer between the two men that owned 49% each. [I was] the deciding factor,” she said. “They were very receptive to my ideas.”

Thirteen years later, Nastali’s rapport with the other shareholders led to one of them, John Gyan, selling his 49% to her in the same year she joined SSA’s board.

Pushing the industry forward

Throughout her four-decade career, Nastali has continued to support small shops and technicians. For the former, she was part of the committee that promoted the transition to CVSN.

“I’m very happy with that,” she commented. “I think that that is very progressive for the service industry to be involved in that, and I think it’s going to lend a lot of opportunities to the small-service shop owners.”

For Spring Align, Nastali has also implemented an Earn While You Learn program to help boost technician recruitment. The program sees Spring Align hiring people as parts drivers rst, and they then rise through the ranks. Now, 24 of Nastali’s team members are younger than 30.

She ensures they perform to her expectations by tracking each technician’s time and reviewing a monthly report on their activity. Beyond their overall competencies, she also works to promote high standards of safety and dedication.

“I’m a stickler for being on time and in uniform at the start time,” Nastali stated. “I’m very strict on that. For me, the most important thing is their work ethic and their willingness to learn.”

However, as long as they maintain these standards, Nastali always wants to ensure that her shop is open to all, including women.

“Follow your dreams. If you’re interested in it, there’s a spot for everyone,” she urged. “Go for it.” FO

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The matriarch of Dedicated Logistics

Ruth Riels built a trucking company at a time when others might retire

by Jade Brasher

Her artwork hangs in the of ce. Her car show awards line shelves. Her company was recently named Business of the Year by the local chamber of commerce. To the unfamiliar, she might seem like a Wonder Woman of sorts, but to her employees, she’s “Mama.”

Ruth Riels, an 82-year-old mother of three, grandmother of six, great-grandmother of eight, and honorary mother to many, is the co-founder of Dedicated Logistics, an Arkansas-based for-hire trucking company.

It was because of Riels and her business sense that the company has grown tremendously since its inception.

A trucking company is born Riels and her son Alan started their trucking business in 2002 when most of Riels’ peers had already retired. She initially told Alan she’d work for him for 22 months. Twenty-three years later, she’s still here.

Riels has held multiple careers. She rst began working in banking, then worked for herself as the owner of a small store. Eventually, she sold the store and decided to retire—but she couldn’t keep still. She went back to work part-time in a ling position for a trucking company where Alan worked. A few days a week eventually turned into a full-time position.

When the time was right, Alan decided to start his own trucking company, and he wanted his mother’s involvement. Dedicated Logistics was born, and the rest is history.

Matriarch of Dedicated Logistics

When Riels and Alan started Dedicated Logistics, Alan assumed the operational roles, and Riels handled the nancials. It was Riels’ conservative bookkeeping that allowed the company to grow from

It’s true that many smallbusiness owners refer to their company culture as family, but at Dedicated Logistics, that term holds more weight. How many businesses can say they have an in-house ‘mama’?

just one borrowed truck to 75 owned trucks—with zero debt.

She said she agreed to start a trucking company with her son at retirement age because she wanted to spend more time with Alan, she wanted to see him succeed, and they both agreed to run their business conservatively. As she explained, “We both watch what goes out and what comes in.”

The pair built a company that they say feels like a family in many ways.

“We have the drivers, we have the of ce members, we have the mechanical side,” Riels said. “It’s been good. It is a family.”

It’s true that many small-business owners refer to their company culture as “family,” but at Dedicated Logistics, that term holds more weight. How many businesses can say they have an in-house mama?

“She treats them like they’re her kids,” Alan said, explaining why their employees call Riels “Mama.”

Jimmy Woods, Dedicated Logistics’ operations manager recalled having lost both of his parents while working with

Riels. She “took care of me and was there for me before and during the time of my loss and even after,” Woods said. “I can talk to her as I would my own mother or father.”

Woods and his coworkers also can’t talk about their work mama without mentioning how hard she works. Scott Richardson, Dedicated Logistics safety manager, said: “For years, [Riels] put in many 60- and 70-hour workweeks ... Even when she cut back on her work hours several years later, she still worked a 40-hour week every week.”

A love for trucking

How did Riels’ promise of working 22 months turn into 23 years? There are many possible reasons, but Riels said of all the places she’s worked, she has enjoyed her jobs in trucking the most.

“There’s something different that we do every day,” she said. “It’s a challenging business. You have to really stay on your toes.”

While Riels is past the age that many retire, she said she enjoys working and has no plans to retire soon. FO

Enjoying transportation’s complexities

Andrea Sequin views trucking as a challenge she’s been tackling for 20 years

by Jenna Hume

For the past 20 years, Andrea Sequin has grown her career at Schneider National with positions in information systems, operations, and now safety, as the director of regulatory compliance. But this career path might not have happened had it not been for some early support she received.

“I don’t know if I’d say the transportation industry speci cally was on my radar when I was younger, which is why I’m proud when Schneider hosts events for young people to learn more about what we do at our company and in our industry overall,” Sequin said. “That early exposure could have gotten me on my path even sooner!”

Sequin credits the mentorship and encouragement she has received at Schneider for continuing her career there for so many years. This emboldened her to seek internal opportunities at Schneider instead of searching outside the company to further her career. She even obtained her MBA through Schneider’s tuition reimbursement program.

“Schneider’s No. 1 core value is safety, which is demonstrated in countless ways across the organization every day—from the equipment we use, to the training we provide, to the policies we have and uphold, to the quality of people we hire—we do not compromise on safety,” Sequin emphasized. “In my role as a safety leader, having top-down support from the executive team con rming that we will not sway from our values is really empowering.”

Throughout her 20 years at Schneider, Sequin has had the privilege of seeing the company grow and evolve. And she has felt rewarded for her loyalty.

“I’ve seen the company embrace new technologies, expand its services, and adapt to changing market demands,”

“Seek out mentors and allies who can support your growth and advocate for you. Additionally, stay curious and open to learning because the industry is constantly evolving.”

Sequin said. “Schneider is really focused on being exible and adapting to our customers’ changing needs through creative, innovative solutions that always keep us a step ahead, and that includes innovation in the safety realm.”

Overall, the complexities and challenges the transportation industry brings have kept Sequin engaged—whether those be market cycles, economic uctuations, or technological advancements. Sequin believes trucking is the perfect place for problem-solvers, and she’s always amazed at the solutions Schneider and the rest of the industry come up with.

Sequin has personal strategies in place to ensure she’s con dent in her skills and leadership.

“One of my strategies for success is to make sure I feel con dent in my knowledge and competence so that when questions arise, I have the data and facts to support my position,” Sequin said. “Staying informed and educated in my areas of expertise and in the industry as a whole is important. I strive to be the well-respected, sought-after expert who is known for leading with facts and solving problems.”

- Andrea Sequin

Aside from focusing on safety at Schneider, Sequin is actively involved in the Schneider Women’s Network. This organization is “the longest-standing business resource group at the company and was developed with the intent to attract, develop, and retain the best talent and ensure nothing stands in the way of women growing their careers here,” according to Sequin. She participates in this organization as a mentor and sponsor for other women, helping them further their careers.

Sequin believes that “by creating a supportive and inclusive environment, we can empower more women to take on leadership roles and drive positive change in the industry.”

For women considering careers in transportation, she offers the following advice: “Be con dent and not be afraid to take on new challenges. Seek out mentors and allies who can support your growth and advocate for you. Additionally, stay curious and open to learning because the industry is constantly evolving. Your unique perspective and skills are valuable assets that can drive innovation and success.” FO

Driving from the cab to the shop

After 10 years in trucking, Jennifer Wilson forged the shop where she belongs by

Alex Keenan

When Jennifer Wilson, co-owner and operations manager of Inland Empire Fleet Maintenance, rst walked into the shop she and her husband owned in 2019, she had already been in the transportation industry for over a decade. After serving as a driver, dispatcher, and terminal manager, it was safe to say she’d already faced all kinds of challenges.

“I’ve been dealing with the ‘women have to do it twice as good to be equal to a man’ the whole time,” she noted at a conference panel on women in heavyduty repair in 2024. “No matter what it was—driving, turning wrenches, etc.”

“You have to prove yourself a little bit, but when you know your stuff, you know your stuff. It doesn’t matter who you are,” Wilson added.

But looking at the shop she and her husband Steve Wilson built together, she knew she’d found her place and was determined to succeed.

“It’s just my own stubbornness of, ‘You know what? We’re not going to fail at this,’” Wilson recalled later.

Luckily, the 51-year-old has practice handling the unexpected problems that pop up in the shop. Her grit has seen her thrive in a eld where only 10.4% of truck and tractor operators and 21.8% of transportation, storage, and distribution managers are women, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From driver to owner

Wilson has certainly proven her expertise, starting from day one behind the wheel of a truck pulling refrigerated trailers across the country and Canada. She started driving professionally when she was 21, attending a neighbor’s truck-driving school after graduating high school in San Bernardino,

“You just have to be confident that you know what you’re doing and that you get it.”

California. As a driver, she was dedicated to putting in the work so that she could nesse the 53-ft. trailers carrying chemicals, ice cream, and more on her own.

After driving for eight years in one eet, Wilson knew she was ready for the next step. She applied for a dispatch position and found that learning the system was not hard, so much so that her then-supervisor—her future husband Steve—claims she hip-checked him out of the way after ve minutes of training.

But the experience was even more valuable because it helped her learn the big picture of running a eet. “It gave me a sense of what it’s like to run a business,” she explained.

Wilson continued to work dispatch while taking on management responsibilities whenever Steve worked at another location. This led to her becoming terminal manager. But when another company acquired the eet, Steve and many others were laid off.

“The day that they laid him off, I walked out with him,” Wilson recalled.

“By that time, we had become pretty close friends,” she said. “A relationship grew after that.”

While employed as a dispatcher, Wilson had split her time between work and the San Bernardino County

- Jennifer Wils

Fire Department since April 2018. She handled local emergencies and helped with some maintenance tasks for the re engines, and after the eet’s layoffs, she played a more prominent role there.

Wilson explained that while she has stepped back from her volunteer reghter work, “I’m still pretty involved. I just don’t actively respond to calls, but they’re still my re ghter family.”

A few months after the layoffs, the Wilsons found a truck repair dealership selling its territory and offering to help the buyers establish themselves. This allowed Wilson to flex the business understanding she gained from working as dispatch and terminal manager, but this time on her terms. So, the couple attended some trainings, made a down payment, and got to work opening Inland Empire Fleet Maintenance.

The shop got its rst customers in September 2019, and they added another technician that year. Since then, the shop has continued to grow, even through COVID-19, and in 2024, they moved to a bigger shop with 6,000 sq. ft. of repair space plus 3,000 sq. ft. of of ces.

Nowadays, Wilson relishes the independence she’s forged for herself.

“I probably could never work for another company again,” she said. FO

WIT BY THE

Women have found their place in the transportation industry.

Here is a broader look at where women are working with fleets and the industry at large, using data compiled by Women In Trucking. by Jade Brasher

It’s clear that women belong in the transportation industry. Yet, according to data compiled by Women In Trucking, a nonpro t organization that works to encourage the employment of women in the industry, there is still room for women to succeed—“from the driver’s seat to the C-suite,” as the organization writes.

Women In Trucking recently released its WIT Index, a report of gender diversity data within the industry for 2024 and 2025. The Index compiles survey results from those who were authorized to respond to the survey questions on behalf of their organization within the industry.

The following statistics make up the average responses of these survey participants. The data concerning professional drivers are based on CDL holders who drive medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

28% of C-suite executives in the industry are women

• 43.5% of respondents report that 20% to 49% of C-suite members in their organization are women

• 6.5% of respondents report more than 90% of their C-suite consists of women

Women make up 34.5% of transportation company leaders

• 18.5% of respondents report between 20% and 49% of company leaders are women

• 20% of respondents report having women make up only 1% to 19% of company leadership

Women make up 29.5% of those serving on boards of directors

• 40% of WIT Index respondents report that women make up 20% to 49% of their board of directors

• Roughly 19% say no women serve on their organization’s board of directors.

Women hold only 4% of technician roles

Women hold 74.5% of positions in human resources/ talent management

• Nearly 54% report that women fill more than 90% of their organization’s HR/talent management roles.

• 35% say that women fill 50% to 89% of these roles

• 47% of respondents indicated there are no women in technician roles in their organization, highlighting that the industry is barely tapping into the talent pool of an entire half of the human population

• The 2022 WIT Index revealed women made up only 3.7% of technicians in the industry, which indicates a slight increase over the years.

Women make up 9.5% of professional drivers

• The WIT Index 2024-25 shows a 2.5% decline of women drivers from WIT Index 2023.

• Women make up 12.5% of professional drivers in companies with less than 500 employees. Women make up 5% of the driver workforce in organizations with more than 10,000 employees.

38.5% of dispatchers are women

• 36% of respondents report that women make up 20% to 49% of their dispatcher workforce

• 31% of respondents report that women make up 50% to 89% of their dispatchers

Women make up

38.5% of safety roles in the industry

• 32% report that women make up 20% to 49% of their total safety professionals

• 14.5% of respondents report having no women in safety professional roles

TRANSPORTATION WOMEN IN

Continued from page 16

It’s worth noting that, considering there are many more small businesses in the industry than publicly traded ones, not every organization will have a public initiative celebrating women. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t value women’s contributions or won’t consider them for leadership positions.

The same could be said for the former: Simply posting a webpage or social media post dedicated to supporting employees isn’t a sure sign of fostering success among women. The best way to understand if a company truly appreciates and supports its women is to speak with its employees. Or perhaps, you might learn this intel from a mentor in the industry.

Find a mentor

Just as in any industry or life, mentorship in the transportation industry is valuable. Amy Hudson, one of FleetOwner’s featured Women in Transportation, spoke on this as one of her top tips for women seeking to grow in transportation.

While Hudson didn’t outright say she mentored others, she shared examples of how she guides and encourages them. For the women—and men—on her team, she stresses the importance of being prepared for meetings, listening, and “I do push them for continuous learning,” Hudson said.

Suzanne Frawley echoed her sentiment, explaining that mentorship is encouraged at both JBPCO and its business units as well, though on an informal level.

Frawley shared the valuable lessons she’s learned from mentorship.

“The most important thing I learned from my mentor was to focus on learning along the way,” she said. “Don’t get so focused on achieving the next position that you miss the learning aspect. Focus

on developing skills that will help you improve. It’s okay to move laterally if there is learning to be had.”

Get involved

One way to ensure women succeed in the industry is to get involved in company-led initiatives that amplify women’s voices and foster their growth. One such example is JBPCO’s Women’s Initiative Network.

“The Women’s Initiative Network [is] a resource group dedicated to developing and supporting female team members and their allies,” Frawley said. “The program was developed at Morgan Truck Body and has been embraced across our JBPCO business units. The goal of the network is to celebrate women’s strengths and provide an outlet for supporting women in their professional goals.”

For those working at companies without internal women-focused groups, and for men and women looking to bring broad-scale change to the industry, joining an external women-focused

“Recognize and appropriately combat unequal treatment, expectations, pay, etc. The only way we will ever get to a point of equality is through action— and it will take the highest level recognizing it and cascading those expectations down.”

organization could prove beneficial. Organizations such as Women In Motion and Women In Trucking are great examples.

“The American Trucking Associations is committed to empowering women at every career level and within every segment of our industry. That was our motivation behind the creation of Women In Motion, a council launched to support women, amplify their successes, and foster a strong network of mentorship and collaboration,” ATA’s Rajtik, a Women In Motion board member, said. “We are also on a mission to recruit more women to join the industry.”

Advice to women and industry leaders

In addition to prioritizing working for businesses that value women, nding a mentor, and getting involved, there are other steps women can take to ensure success in the transportation industry.

“I recommend developing a valued presence by speaking the language of the business, being collaborative and curious,” Frawley encouraged. “Be willing to learn from and use the input and information you gather so you can adapt to the situation you are in. Take time to

learn the business and talk to colleagues to learn what they do and how their role affects the business and customers. Use your voice to convey your ideas laterally as well as upward by bringing solutions to the table that help the overall team achieve goals.”

Christina Hartzler, national client partnership manager at Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, noticed her coworkers gained more respect for her by her simply asking questions and being honest and transparent with her leadership. She also said that relationships are key to success, and they can be built when you “put in the work, act with integrity, and demonstrate commitment.”

Another leader at Mike Albert, Casey Morris, dealer purchasing manager, said that sometimes, building those relationships and gaining respect from male cohorts requires women to speak more bluntly.

“Being in a male-dominated industry naturally comes with a culture of ‘bravado and bluntness’—an approach many women don’t take,” she said. “Sometimes you have to professionally meet that person where they’re at and with the same approach. If you do it correctly, it often ends up with mutual

respect, and you can move forward professionally.”

Although women should strive to succeed and be valuable assets to their company on their merit, women need allies in the transportation industry. Frawley, Hartzler, and Morris share their words of wisdom with the industry’s men as well.

“Lead with empathy, trust, and transparency,” Frawley said. “Throughout my career, there have been instances when I had to take time off to care for my family. Those situations turned out best when I was working with leaders who believed in me, had my back, and weren’t afraid to publicly reinforce their support. When your boss has that level of con dence, you work even harder to deliver results for the team, and I did!”

What makes a good leader to Hartzler is one that actively supports and uplifts their employees no matter their gender.

“Male leaders should take an active role in mentoring and sharing their knowledge, fostering the passion and dedication of their female employees, rather than assuming success in this eld is determined by gender,” Hartzler said. “Success in this industry isn’t about gender; it’s about expertise, dedication, and the willingness to learn. Equally important is having leaders who are willing to stand behind and support their employees as they grow.”

Good leaders also strive for equality, according to Morris.

“Recognize and appropriately combat unequal treatment, expectations, pay, etc.,” Morris advised. “The only way we will ever get to a point of equality is through action—and it will take the highest level recognizing it and cascading those expectations down.”

The transportation industry is known for rapidly changing—especially in this decade. More women are nding homes in the industry, and that momentum should continue. It’s up to those of us already here to make these great opportunities known for women and to help make it an industry that little girls dream about one day becoming a part of. FO

by David Heller

What awaits next FMCSA leader?

Trucking innovations are already moving faster than regulators

TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF timing as I write this month’s column, it is Super Bowl Sunday, and we just went through a minor ice storm here in Virginia with more snow on the way. Similar to the Mid-Atlantic weather forecast, there is a regulatory freeze in Washington due to the change in administration.

Trucking’s regulatory docket is perpetually full as carriers still await some clarity on long-standing rules stuck in Washington, D.C., purgatory.

Regulatory freezes are inevitable each time our nation transitions from one administration to the next—and are not limited to one political party.

Stopping a process that usually travels at a snail’s pace in the first place comes as the hunt continues for a new Federal

Motor Carrier Safety Administration leader. The FMCSA administrator post has seen enough turnover to make most wonder what is going on with a job that could have its eighth person in the role since 2018. Since it’s Super Bowl Sunday here, I am imagining what a commercial for that prestigious FMCSA position would look like.

It is not as easy to serve as an FMCSA administrator. The regulatory docket seems perpetually full for this agency, whose primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses on our nation’s roads. It is not as if they have carte blanche on the rules either. Pacifying the interests of those who have commented on some issues over 15,000 times can be daunting, but someone will undoubtedly rise to the challenge.

The issues are not easy either. I’ve written many times in support of the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, for example. Could this administration and its eventual administrator be the ones to complete the clearinghouse and its corresponding data to include the results of hair follicle testing? On behalf of the truckload community, I certainly hope so. Although the clearinghouse has proven to be an effective tool, the multiple agencies tasked with running it have been detrimental to improving a tool that would benefit our industry and its safety record significantly.

Like any other industry, technology continues to be introduced at a breathtaking pace. Since introducing electronic logging devices to our industry through a final rule in 2015, technology has permeated trucking in the blink of an eye. Advanced driver assistance systems or even fully autonomous vehicle testing have become prevalent in today’s trucking world. As part of that introduction,

automatic emergency braking technology continues to play the waiting game in the rulemaking process undergoing the regulatory freeze.

Most in the industry already spec these technologies when purchasing a new truck. Still, as one of the smartest safety people I know says: “Innovators will beat regulators every time” when it comes to technology.

No one said the FMCSA job would be easy; it is challenging, to say the least. The next leader must address a speed-limiter rulemaking that can only be described as highly contentious.

While the Truckload Carriers Association is supportive of the rulemaking in general, not knowing at what speed the agency is seeking to limit trucks makes it difficult, at best, to truly support a regulation that has had tremendous success in Canada. North of the border, it has reduced speed-related accidents. But here in the U.S., it remains in regulatory purgatory as the publication of the next regulatory step continually gets kicked down the road.

My experience has taught me that continuously pushing for rulemaking often results in no rulemaking at all.

From this 10,000-ft. view of the trucking regulatory landscape, the eventual FMCSA leader has a lot to face on their eventual Day One—once they make it through the Senate hearing and confirmation process.

Whoever it is, our industry is ready and willing to help them ultimately fulfill the agency’s primary mission and make our roads safer for all to travel.

by Seth Skydel

Developers are creating ways to improve diesel emissions and fuel economy while also meeting alt-fuel equipment needs.

Stringent greenhouse gas emissions regulations over the past decade are impacting future lubricant technologies. The American Petroleum Institute (API) is developing PC-12, its latest heavy-duty engine oil category, to support original equipment manufacturers’ ef ciency developments. The rst licensing of oils under the new standard is targeted for January 1, 2027.

PC-12 is being designed for two subcategories: PC-12A, which will be

backward compatible with previous speci cations, and PC-12B, which may have different viscosity and soot control capabilities. The oils will feature tighter chemical limits for phosphorous, sulfur, and sulfated ash to protect advanced aftertreatment systems.

“The second new PC-12 category will offer additional bene ts based on lower high-temperature/high-shear (HTHS) oil viscosity,” said Darryl Puri cati, senior technical adviser at Petro-Canada Lubricants, an HF Sinclair brand,

and chair of the American Petroleum Institute. “API is also creating two separate subcategories of HTHS oils as part of PC-12 to meet the diverse needs of OEMs. By having two options available, OEMs using speci c hardware architecture will be able to take advantage of lower HTHS oils.”

According to Puri cati, the second HTHS subcategory will offer even lower viscosity grades, including SAE 0W-20s, while still providing outstanding durability and wear protection, further

reducing viscous drag to improve overall fuel economy.

“PC-12 is expected to continue the journey toward lower viscosity oils while maintaining durability and improving performance,” Purificati said. “Using the latest lubricant technology, these oils will contribute to improved fuel economy and reduced carbon emissions for fleets, supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Introducing low-viscosity engine oils is an effective but often overlooked method of addressing fuel economy,” he continued. “With the ability to flow more easily while reducing engine drag and pumping and rotational losses, lower viscosity oils enable the engine to use less fuel, resulting in improved fuel efficiency.”

“Low viscosity engine oils also undergo the same qualification test programs as higher viscosity lubricants,” Purificati added, “proving their ability to protect the engine’s internal hardware from wear.”

John Sander, VP of research and development at Lubrication Engineers, pointed out that while emissions come primarily from the combustion of the fuel needed to power the engine, they also come from engine oil that finds its way past the piston rings and into the combustion chamber.

“Lubricants that escape the engine crankcase can be burned and contribute to emissions, especially particulates,” Sander explained further. “Certain emissions [such as] particulates, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides are managed via exhaust gas aftertreatment systems, which are part of the vehicle and installed to either capture or change the emissions into something not harmful to people or the environment. However, the main concern is carbon dioxide because increased levels of it in the atmosphere have been linked to climate change, and it can only be reduced by reducing fuel consumption.”

“Lubricants help reduce emissions because proper lubrication between

moving parts in the engine and the powertrain results in less frictional drag,” Sander continued. “In trying to overcome frictional drag, a vehicle burns more fuel; therefore, reducing friction in any of these components results in small contributions to fuel economy and reduced emissions.”

Engine manufacturers continue to be pushed by fleets and government regulations to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy, Sander also noted. “An interesting trend in engine and drivetrain lubricant formulations has been increased use of synthetic base and lower viscosity fluids,” he said.

Overall, using high-quality lubricants in the engine and drivetrain helps achieve better fuel economy and reduces emissions, according to Steven Bowles, a senior lubes product specialist at Citgo. The benefits he noted include:

• Reducing friction: Formulated engine oils, drivetrain, and wheel end lubricants help address diesel emissions

and fuel economy by reducing friction between moving parts, which helps the equipment run more efficiently. This reduction in friction leads to better fuel economy. Other factors that help reduce friction are synthetic lubricants, which tend to have lower coefficients of friction than conventional lubricants, and the use of lower viscosity lubricants, which reduce fluid friction in the equipment and lead to better fuel economy.

• Cleaning: Engine oils contain detergents that clean the engine by removing soot and contaminants produced during combustion. Cleaner engines run more efficiently and produce fewer emissions.

• Enhancing durability: Engine oils and drivetrain and wheel end lubricants protect against wear and corrosion, ensuring that components operate efficiently over a longer period, contributing to consistent emissions and fuel efficiency.

“Lubricants and proper maintenance are critical components in maximizing vehicle efficiency by minimizing friction

An internal combustion engine’s gear system depends on specialized lubricants to handle high torque and rotational speeds, improving overall drivetrain efficiency and longevity. Photo: Citgo

and wear,” Jeffrey Granger, a technical services manager for Volvo Group North America, explained. “Through practices that reduce friction, trucks can operate at peak performance when converting fuel into motion.”

“Fuel economy improvements are often measured in fractions of a percentage,” he added. “Using approved lubricants and following maintenance schedules directly impacts both daily operating performance and long-term vehicle longevity.”

EV lubricant requirements

Lubricant suppliers also addressed the product requirements for electric commercial vehicles. Furthermore, they provided insights into how EV lubricants are different than products for internal combustion engine (ICE) powered equipment and their specific maintenance needs.

“Electric commercial vehicles require specific lubricants to function optimally,” Citgo’s Steven Bowles said. “Gear oils, which play a crucial role in the differential and gear reducer, need to withstand high torque and rotational speeds and have excellent anti-wear properties and thermal stability. Greases used for various components such as bearings and chassis parts require compatibility with a wide range of materials, including plastics and metals.”

“Thermal management is crucial for EV lubricants, which need to possess higher thermal stability to efficiently manage the heat generated by electric motors and battery packs,” Bowles continued. “Additionally, EV lubricants must provide reliable electrical insulation to prevent short circuits and ensure safe operation.”

“Given the diverse materials used in EVs, including plastics and copper, these lubricants need to be compatible with a wide range of materials without causing degradation,” Bowles added. “Furthermore, EV lubricants typically have lower viscosity to reduce friction and enhance efficiency at high rotational speeds.”

Efficiency in the driveline unit is vital for EVs, noted Petro-Canada’s Purificati. “A unique challenge is that heat must be removed from the motor as quickly as possible to improve its performance and overall system efficiency,” he said. “This means that EV lubricants must have exceptional heat transfer characteristics. The fluid’s viscosity is a major enabler of improved fluid thermal management, which means that EV lubricants typically have lower viscosity than conventional lubricants.”

“Electric motors also run at high revolutions per minute, meaning the driveline lubricants need to work hard to protect gears from wear damage,” Purificati continued. “But combining sufficient protection with the high performance expected in the next generation of vehicles can also be a challenge. EV lubricants need to reliably transfer power to the wheelbase with minimum drag and churning in the gear set while also providing the protection required to keep the asset working longer.”

In addition, Purificati noted that lubricant compatibility is essential with EVs because of copper hairpin windings and electronic components. “Unsurprisingly, an EV fluid’s electrical properties are a key factor,” he explained. “Whereas an ICE-based driveline fluid is primarily focused on durability and performance, for EV lubricants, it is critical to include a balance of conductivity while avoiding issues with electrical arcing or sudden electrical discharge. A quality EV fluid will protect the e-driveline unit by providing adequate wear protection, electrical properties, and compatibility with copper and new materials while improving the unit’s efficiency.”

EV hardware fundamentally differs from internal combustion engines; in many cases, the motor is in the same compartment as the gearbox, Purificati explained. “As there is an electrical current going through more components, lubricants must be designed to their optimum conductivity. The aim is to keep it low but avoid electrical discharge

and damage to the electric drive unit.”

According to John Sander at Lubrication Engineers, a key difference in lubricants for battery-powered vehicles is the need to sometimes be conductive and other times insulating. “In other words, the lubricant may conduct or insulate heat,” he said. “Electrical leads between batteries and motors or between wires and boards may need to be coated to reduce corrosion and arcing between other grounded parts of the vehicle. At the same time, bearings still need to dissipate heat, so while greases aren’t greatly efficient at heat transfer, additives can be used to improve either heat transfer or electrical transfer if needed.”

Sander also noted that a combination of lubricants must be employed in hybrid-electric vehicles powered by both an ICE and a battery. “Certain lubricants, mostly greases, are common to both,” he said. “Examples include door hinges, CV joints, wheel bearings, seat slide rails, and various motors that drive small components and often contain small amounts of grease.”

“Electric vehicles also often require the use of coolants to cool the batteries,”

Precision lubrication is essential for valve springs and camshaft gears, helping to minimize wear, ensure proper timing, and optimize combustion performance. Photo: Citgo

Sander added. “The formulas of some of these coolants are more like synthetic lubricant chemistry than the antifreeze coolants used to cool the crankcase oil in an ICE.”

Jeffrey Granger at Volvo Group North America noted that electric trucks share many lubrication requirements with their ICE counterparts, including chassis grease, transmission oil, power steering fluid, and axle and hub oils. “Many maintenance tasks are also common across both ICE and electric truck platforms,” he said, “particularly in areas like chassis lubrication, power steering systems, and axle and hub maintenance. One notable difference for electric trucks is the specialized lubrication required for the electric air compressor.”

Regular inspections are vital for maintaining electric commercial vehicles and ensuring that oils are within recommended levels and free from contaminants, Steven Bowles at Citgo pointed

out. “Scheduled replacements of these lubricants should follow the manufacturer’s guidelines, and it is essential to verify that any replacement lubricants are compatible with the specific materials and components used in the vehicle,” he said. “Additionally, monitoring for leaks, especially around the battery pack and electric motor, is crucial, as undetected leaks can lead to significant issues if not promptly addressed.”

Next-gen lubes

Working with heavy-duty diesel engine and electric vehicle manufacturers, oil and lubricant suppliers are focused on the next generation of products. Their efforts include developing new tests and evaluating new reference oils to establish benchmarks. As part of the process, they are addressing challenges.

Oil and lubricant providers continue to focus on their roles in transportation, such as Phillips 66, which has laid out

current and future fleet focuses for traditional and alternative powertrains.

“Our vision of being the leading integrated downstream energy provider ensures that we prioritize innovation in delivering affordable and reliable energy while exploring lower-carbon opportunities,” Rich Harbison, Phillips 66 EVP of refining, said at a recent energy transition conference. “That mission drives everything we do as we strive to meet today’s energy needs while preparing for the future.”

With fleets expecting new technologies to be incorporated in model year 2027 heavy-duty diesel engines and ongoing regulatory activity aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving fuel economy, the PC-12 oil specification is being developed in an effort to provide protection for new systems as well as to ensure consistent performance and compatibility with new engine designs. FO

by Kevin Rohlwing

CSA: Wheel ways to stay safe

How

rim maintenance

can help your fleet keep moving through inspections

IN 2010, THE FEDERAL Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, or CSA, changed how fleets maintain equipment. For the first time, law enforcement had a road map to identify carriers with operational deficiencies. Before CSA, drivers and vehicles with insufficiencies slipped through the cracks. A truck with no violations would be selected for inspection, while another with multiple safety-related problems drives by. CSA made it harder for deficient carriers to avoid enforcement.

C ommercial motor vehicles with wheels and rims in good condition will be scrutinized less by enforcement officials with or without CSA.

Shortly after implementation, I spent time with a state trooper responsible for roadside inspections. He explained that, on average, he had less than 10 minutes to assess a vehicle’s condition and the driver’s status. In this game of hit-andmiss, less-than-stellar carriers sometimes evade enforcement because there are not enough officers or time to inspect every commercial motor vehicle on the road. Maintenance scores became a flashing

red light for the tire and wheel industry. Carriers with poorly maintained vehicles were easily identified, and those with tire and wheel issues could count on tread depth checks at a minimum. Wheel or rim condition was the most obvious visual sign. For steel wheels/ rims, corrosion was a sign of a wheel end in need of extra attention; aluminum rims with dull or cloudy appearances signified the potential for further maintenance violations.

Steel wheel/rim reconditioning was not a new concept in 2010. Some carriers already saw value in refinishing—but not without occasional problems. At the time, the process was very dependent on the technician doing the work. Coatings were applied by hand, which increased the possibility of uneven thickness. On the weather side, inconsistencies affected the cosmetic appearance. A wheel-off could occur if the coating on the mating surface of the wheel where it contacts the hub, drum, or another wheel in a dual application is uneven or too thick.

Aluminum wheel refinishing at the time had its challenges. Caustic cleaning solutions could remove protective coatings and expose the surface to corrosion. Environmental concerns also existed regarding the disposal of the chemicals after cleaning, which too often resulted in irresponsible practices.

A lot has changed since 2010—and mainly for the better. On the steel wheel/ rim side, coating removal processes have improved, so the life of the finish has improved. Coatings are also more advanced, and there is less dependency on technicians to control the thickness. Industry standards set the maximum thickness at 3.5 mils, and current technology results in a more consistent coating on all surfaces. One method for determining the quality of the finish is

to check the rim stamp after reconditioning. If the removal process makes the stamp difficult to read and/or the coating has the same effect, the process does not meet the industry standard of care.

The stamp condition also applies to aluminum wheel refinishing or polishing. Cleaning methods cannot make the stamp difficult to read. Likewise, if the wheel is polished to the point where the stamp is fading or completely removed, it doesn’t meet industry best practices.

Wheel and rim reconditioning programs create more than cosmetic advantages. It’s easier to identify damage after removing the old coating on the steel side. Out-of-service conditions are also more evident on aluminum wheels after the cleaning process. The offending assembly or assemblies will be carefully analyzed and inspected in a wheel-off accident. When they are reduced to bare metal, the problems that lead to the loss of a wheel or wheels can be avoided.

Commercial motor vehicles with wheels and rims in good condition will be scrutinized less by enforcement officials with or without CSA. Regular inspection and refinishing or polishing will also improve the life and performance.

Wheels and rims are critical components that cause major problems when they fail. Fleets that invest in maintaining wheel and rim appearances see both direct and indirect benefits. While it won’t hide poor CSA scores for maintenance, it will give the officer one less reason to conduct a roadside inspection. Conversely, corrosion and poor appearance on the wheel end attract the type of attention that carriers do not want. FO

Kevin Rohlwing | krohlwing@tireindustry.org

Kevin Rohlwing is the chief technical officer for the Tire Industry Association. He has more than 40 years of experience in the tire industry and has created programs to help train more than 220,000 technicians.

Photo: Kolbz | 2196460744 | Getty Images

Rivian opens sales for Commercial Van

The announcement comes 16 months after ending exclusivity with Amazon

by Jade Brasher

Rivian Automotive opened orders for the Rivian Commercial Van.

“We believe our van will be an industry leader in eet vehicles,” Tom Solomon, senior director of business development at Rivian, told FleetOwner

The Commercial Van is built on the same platform as the Amazon custom electric delivery van, which Rivian designed from the ground up exclusively for the e-commerce giant.

This news comes just more than a year since Rivian ended its exclusionary agreement with Amazon in November 2023 and nearly one year since Rivian announced a partnership with truck body builder Morgan Olson, signaling Rivian’s rst foray into the commercial vehicle segment apart from Amazon.

The van features a Rivian-made chassis and body. It is available in two sizes: the 500 with a 161-mile range and 9,350-lb. GVWR, and the 700 with a 153-mile range and 9,500-lb. GVWR.

The Commercial Van features automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, and 360-degree visibility. Rivian also offers a telematics solution, real-time vehicle health tracking, remote commands for locking and unlocking doors, advanced analytics, and more.

Solomon added that the Commercial Van is low maintenance, and its software and ergonomics “make it an investment that will pay off over time.”

Rivian trialed the Commercial Van with large U.S. eets for the past year

with a positive response, Solomon said.

“Rivian spent the last year … preparing our business to ensure we can successfully deliver eet services to many eet customers,” Solomon explained.

“We’ve focused on building out our service infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and gathering feedback.” FO

Wabash acquires cargo security startup

Company bought TrailerHawk.ai to further its Trailers-as-a-Service ambitions

by Jeremy Wolfe

Wabash acquired TrailerHawk.ai, a cargo security and access management startup, to integrate into its Trailers-as-a-Service offering.

TrailerHawk’s solutions aimed to provide secure and ef cient freight movement. The company provided smart asset access management with veri ed asset chain of custody. Brett Suma, TrailerHawk’s founder and CEO, will join Wabash to develop the company’s solutions further, according to the OEM.

“His tech will now help improve the way we acquire [trailers], do those damage audits, create those cases, and supercharge our on-demand capacity offering,” Cory O’Brien, Wabash’s VP of digital enablement, said during the acquisition’s announcement webinar.

“We’re going to continue to develop these platforms and merge them together to create an enhanced offering that addresses the cargo security element.”

Adding security to Trailers as a Service

Wabash said the acquisition will strengthen its TaaS by enhancing its customers’ freight security, visibility, and operational ef ciency. The company’s TaaS provides a nationwide trailer subscription model with maintenance support and data insights, allowing customers access to trailers on demand without the usual signi cant capital investment. With on-demand trailer offerings, Wabash also needed a technology that

Wabash launched Trailers as a Service in July 2022, providing customers quick access to trailers and maintenance services. Photo: Wabash

would allow them to ef ciently and securely control the acquisition/disposition processes: trailer access, inspection technology, damage attribution, and more.

As part of the acquisition, Suma will join Wabash Marketplace to lead the ongoing development and scaling of the TaaS and TrailerHawk.ai solutions. FO

The Commercial Van is available in two sizes: the 500 with a 161-mile range, and the 700 with a 153-mile range. Photo: Rivian

NPTC’s Annual Conference and Exhibition is the marquee national private truck fleet show of the year! With 1,300+ attendees and 200+ exhibitors, this is an event you won’t want to miss. The Annual Conference features:

INFORMATION: General sessions featuring professional leadership and Driver Hall of Fame recognition award ceremonies; Certified Transportation Professional Class of 2025 graduation; industry benchmarking insights; and the latest legislative and regulatory affairs update.

EXHIBITS: A world-class exhibit hall packed with more than 200 companies offering products, resources and solutions that will increase the effectiveness of your private fleet.

NETWORKING: Unparalleled peer-to-peer interaction forged in an environment of safety, security, and discretion.

EDUCATION: More than 45 top fleet practitioners will serve as speakers and panelists at 20+ workshops showcasing the latest, most innovative and best ideas in private fleet management.

BEST PRACTICES: More than 20 best practices breakfast roundtable sessions in which private fleet professionals share in a culture of trust and confidentiality – challenges and opportunities.

RECOGNITION: Honoring the private fleet community’s best and brightest practitioners for achievements in safety, leadership, and certification, and for their years of innovative leadership and contributions to the industry.

SOCIAL: Meals, events, and activities that create an engaged learning atmosphere.

LOCATION: A great location with numerous flight options from anywhere in the country.

Protecting electronics for the road

Trucks don’t play nice with electronics. What can fleets do to safeguard their devices? by Jeremy Wolfe

Telematics equipment is essential to efficient fleet operations, but a truck’s environment introduces countless dangers that threaten to break these connected devices.

“The heavy truck represents one of the most demanding environments for technology deployment in the transportation sector,” Prateek Bansal, senior director of product management at Motive, told FleetOwner “These vehicles essentially operate

as mobile industrial sites, subjecting the onboard technology to multiple threats.”

Long-haul trucks can operate for more than 10 hours daily, subjecting electronics to constant wear in various extreme environments. The threats include constant vibration, extreme temperatures, ultraviolet rays, and foreign particles.

While consumer-grade electronic devices can work for a time, they are not engineered to endure commercial trucks’ environments for extended

periods. For essential devices, such as gateways and dashcams, reliability is not optional. To build eet solutions that are reliable and long-lasting, technology providers need to tackle these challenges in their designs.

Designing around threats

Vibrations occur constantly whenever the truck is in motion and can damage electronic components or their wiring connections, Bansal said. The nation’s extreme temperatures—from subzero to triple-digit temperatures within a couple days on the road—can make components brittle, slow, and more prone to malfunction. Sunlight can degrade camera lenses.

Dust and water ingress further corrodes and damages components.

To mitigate these threats, Bansal said Motive approaches ruggedized design by carefully choosing reliable components, putting its products through rigorous testing, and designing resilient housing and mounting.

The company carefully picks its component vendors to ensure they can absorb regular impacts and maintain long, reliable performance; Motive tests its devices under simulated trucking environments for resistance to vibrations, heat, dust, and other challenges; and its device housing/ mounting uses durable materials and

vibration damping technology to protect electronics.

Ingress protection

Water damages electronics by introducing corrosion and short circuits. Dust— or solid particles generally—damages electronics by retaining moisture, causing overheating, and shorting circuits. Unfortunately, dust is common in the truck cab, and both dust and water frequently cover other truck surfaces.

An electronic device’s enclosure is the first and best line of defense against water and dust intrusion. The standards defining this defense are the ingress protection rating determined by the International

“These vehicles essentially operate as mobile industrial sites, subjecting the onboard technology to multiple threats.”

– Prateek Bansal, senior director of product management, Motive

Electrotechnical Commission and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s eponymous NEMA enclosure types. Under IEC’s IP code, the first digit represents solid particle protection, with 0 meaning no protection and 6 offering complete protection. The second digit represents liquid protection, with 0 meaning no protection and 9 offering total protection. Additional letters add special protection meanings, such as K, which means high-pressure ingress resistance. Not every telematics provider knows or discloses their devices’ ingress protection ratings.

Motive’s interior dashcam has a rating of IP52, while its exterior Omnicam has a rating of IP69K—one of the highest possible scores. The Trimble gateway (recently acquired by Platform Science) has a protection value of IP67.

Mounting to reduce vibrations

Mounting is an important consideration for anything in the truck. Even drivers suffer significant health problems due to heavy vehicle vibrations, and a well-designed seat can mitigate the issue.

The same applies to hardware. The fixtures that mount a gateway or dashcam—and the housings for those devices’ components—provide the perfect opportunity to reduce vibrations. This is particularly true for dashcams, where vibrations can interfere with picture quality. The mounting mechanism must also be adaptable to accommodate the wide range of models, operations, and objectives of carriers.

“Heavy-duty vehicles represent the majority of our deployments, yet there

Electronic devices in a truck are under siege by vibrations, extreme temperatures, dust, and more.

Photo: Aziz Shamuratov | 2152991806 | Getty Images

is certainly not a single windscreen and cabin design,” Ben Calderon, EVP and chief technology of cer of hardware and operations at Samsara, told FleetOwner . “These cameras have to be adaptable to many mounting situations and have the ability to detect activities inside and out.”

Samsara’s gateways can use a mounting bracket that is af xed to the vehicle with screws or zip ties. Its dashcam mounts use an adhesive to stick to any part of the windshield. Additional zip ties or cable clips can also help to secure the devices’ cables.

Similarly, the Isaac Instruments ELD tablet is built for ruggedness. The company also utilizes custom-designed docking stations as mounts to keep the device rmly in place.

One carrier, Peters Brothers Trucking, encountered several issues with consumer-grade ELDs. When the carrier began to use an ELD designed for the truck, it quickly saw the bene ts of rugged design.

“The shop was constantly taking dashes apart to change hardware out,” Ann Reifsnyder, safety director of Peters Brothers Trucking, said in an Isaac webinar. “My shop only installs an Isaac when I get a new unit. They don’t have to touch it any other time. It’s basically set and forget.”

Resilience in action

When designed for ruggedness, telematics equipment can endure all kinds of extreme conditions.

Phoenix Global provides services for metal and mining operations worldwide, operating hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment off-road. The company’s services place their vehicles in extremely harsh conditions.

“Most of our on-site equipment, especially loaders, pot carriers, and those types of things, are next to molten metal. That’s 1,700 degrees plus,” Jeff Suellentrop, chief information and technology of cer for Phoenix Global, told FleetOwner. “And it’s a very unique, very dusty, very dirty environment.”

Working next to molten metal resulted in melted tail lights and backup cameras on multiple occasions.

“Not too many customers, I doubt, ask Motive what the melting point of their hardware is,” Suellentrop said.

The company is pursuing an aggressive digital transformation, primarily to enhance its operational safety and efciency. About a year ago, Phoenix Global underwent a full RFQ process, evaluating different suppliers to implement new,

o erings include dashcams, telematics gateways, environmental monitors, and more.

rugged devices in its equipment.

The company piloted with Motive and decided to further its partnership. Motive’s component choice, housing, and rigorous testing ensured its devices could withstand the challenge.

Phoenix Global deployed hundreds of pieces of Motive equipment to almost all of its U.S. sites, in addition to using several of Motive’s digital solutions.

Phoenix Global installed Motive dashcams, Omnicams, gateways, and asset trackers on its equipment—and the company was satis ed with the performance of the devices.

“It’s been fantastic,” Suellentrop said. “We’ve de nitely put it to the test.”

Motive helped coordinate the installation and maintenance of the hardware across all of Phoenix’s different equipment models and brands, including ideal mounting locations and additional covers to protect from dirt and debris.

“We’ve yet to melt a piece of equipment down—and, believe me, we’ve tried,” Suellentrop said. FO

The Isaac Instruments ELD tablet includes a rugged docking station to keep the device safely and firmly in place. Photo: Isaac Instruments

Motive says it puts its devices, like its AI dashcam, under rigorous testing to simulate the vibrations, heat, dust, and other challenges trucking brings.

Photo: Motive

Samsara’s hardware

Photo: Samsara

Latest in equipment tracking tools

This product spotlight highlights asset tracking solutions tailored for the challenging environments encountered in the transportation sector. Many of these solutions offer real-time monitoring of powered and non-powered assets that can integrate with existing eet management systems. GPS tracking, geofencing, and customizable alerts can ease eet managers’ minds by enhancing asset visibility. Most of these products are designed for the rugged trucking, construction, and transportation industries.

Geotab

Geotab says its GO Anywhere offers a secure and scalable solution for managing and tracking critical assets across industries. Including trailers, construction equipment, and logistics tools, GO Anywhere allows businesses to monitor powered and non-powered assets. Built on Geotab’s platform, it can integrate with existing eet management systems. With GPS tracking and real-time location updates, Geotab says GO Anywhere provides dependable data on asset movement. Featuring MyGeotab integration, users can manage all assets through a single platform, optimizing asset utilization and enhancing operational ef ciency.

Lytx

when a vehicle has remained dormant, when an asset enters or leaves a custom geofence, or when battery life drops below a designated threshold.

Phillips

Phillips Connect offers solutions that support fleet asset monitoring with gateway solutions. Fleets can get realtime visibility into trailer location, status, and health with options ranging from fully integrated gateways to covert installation, connected, battery, and solar power. GPS tracking enhances visibility, ef ciency, and security across all eet assets. Advanced GPS tracking and customizable dashboards are available through the Connect1 Platform. Scalable expansion options with a wide range of sensors provide deeper insights to enhance trailer health, cargo capacity, and overall asset performance.

Road Ready

Road Ready’s telematics solutions for all trailer types are designed to optimize eet ef ciency and asset protection. The company says its track-and-trace system provides real-time GPS location updates, geofencing, and movement history. The Road Ready sensors offer volumetric cargo monitoring, helping eets maximize trailer utilization and reduce empty miles. Through seamless integration into the Road Ready platform, eets gain actionable insights that enhance safety, reduce downtime, and improve operational performance.

with Samsara’s Connected Operations Cloud, it enables fleets to streamline asset management, reduce losses, and improve operational ef ciency. Featuring long battery life, rugged design, and scalable deployment, Samsara says the Asset Tag helps organizations locate assets faster, optimize utilization, and prevent theft.

Trimble

Lytx’s asset tracking application helps eet managers get real-time insights on asset locations, optimize utilization, and secure critical machinery. The company says its GPS asset tracking technology enhances visibility into usage and integrates with existing eet management tools, ensuring resources are allocated as ef ciently as possible. Customizable noti cations and geofencing streamline operations. Fleet managers are noti ed

Samsara

Samsara’s Asset Tag is a compact, durable tracking device designed to enhance visibility and security for physical operations. Built for construction, transportation, and manufacturing industries, the Asset Tag uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology to provide real-time location data for non-powered assets such as tools, trailers, and equipment. Integrated

Trimble says that its Transporeon Visibility allows users to access the locations of shipments and vehicles in real time and provides accurate estimated time of arrival information. Integrations with Trimble TMS products and the Trimble Trust Center allow seamless connections between solutions and automated data sharing when consent is given and speci c criteria are met. Transporeon Visibility offers real-time freight tracking via an at-a-glance, customizable user interface and reliable ETA predictability to stay ahead of disruptions and proactively manage exceptions.

Verizon Connect

Verizon Connect Equipment Asset Tracker (EAT) provides real-time location tracking, status updates, and productivity insights, enabling businesses to optimize operations and reduce downtime. With wired and battery-powered options, the EAT suits various equipment, including powered heavy machinery, trailers, and dumpsters. According to the company, the EAT’s compact size and discreet installation help deter theft and aid in asset recovery. Its centralized tools and reporting capabilities allow eet managers to address issues and enhance device performance proactively. FO

Photo: Geotab

Photo: Samsara

Mack updates OTA, plans new truck

As the OEM turns 125 years old, it plans more U.S. investments

by Josh Fisher

As it celebrates a rare American business milestone, Mack Trucks is enhancing its over-the-air capabilities with automated advancements to help fleet managers increase vehicle performance and reduce administrative tasks.

The new automated software deployments via “AutoSend” and “Self-Service Parameter Updates” update Mack connectivity software in under 30 minutes and without drivers having to wait for back-office approvals. The updates make it easier for customers to keep their fleets optimized through Mack’s Over The Air service, Nicole Portello, Mack SVP and chief digital officer, said during a February 24 virtual press conference.

“We know that this optimizes fleet performance,” Portello said. “We know that this drives fuel efficiency. It drives safety as well. All of this we do to make sure that our customers have the most uptime. They have the least unplanned downtime as well.”

Along with these technological advancements, OEM leaders confirmed what Mack Trucks’ social media accounts began teasing in late February: a new truck. Mack is celebrating its 125th anniversary since it was founded in Brooklyn, New York. The OEM, part of the Volvo Group, is gearing up to launch a new highway truck this spring.

“This is a monster, monster year for Mack for a lot of different reasons,” Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America, said. “First and foremost is we’re celebrating 125 years of innovation. There’s not many companies that actually get to celebrate 125 years of existence—never mind relevance in an industry.”

Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt used his keynote address during CES 2025 to tease the big year for the bulldog brand. “Mack Trucks, which literally

built the United States, is turning 125 years this year,” Lundstedt said on January 8. “I can tell you that there will be great news coming along this year for Mack Trucks, and we are investing more than ever in the United States.”

Randall said Volvo Group’s investments within North America are “in the billions of dollars for the Mack brand … We’re incredibly proud to have earned that investment, and we’re very excited for it to hit the ground running and actually start reaping the rewards.”

Automated updates for uptime

While Mack prepares to launch a new truck, it is highlighting its continued focus on combining innovative technology with advanced vehicle design. The new features are built upon Mack’s Over The Air service that launched in 2017.

The new connectivity advancements are Mack’s latest steps in streamlining fleet management for the 21st century, eliminating manual processes, and helping fleets get more from their vehicles with less effort. “This is all kind of driven around this ecosystem of a connected truck—a truck that’s updated with the latest software performs better and has less downtime,” Portello added.

The automated software deployment

strategy, AutoSend, will be standard for customers with trucks equipped with Driver-Display Activation, Mack’s in-cab digital interface.

Available through Mack’s Integrated Uptime subscription service, AutoSend is part of the Mack OTA service at no additional charge. Driver Display Activation capability comes standard on most Mack-powered trucks built since December 2020. This proactive approach completes updates within 30 minutes, according to the OEM, ensuring fleets maintain optimal performance with minimal disruption to operations.

Additionally, Mack is introducing Self-Service Parameter Updates through its Mack Connect customer portal—the company’s comprehensive fleet management and uptime solutions platform— in the second quarter of this year. This will allow fleet managers to create and deploy custom parameter profiles directly from Mack Connect.

This feature enables customers to manage critical vehicle settings such as road speed limits and idle shutdown parameters without requiring assistance from Mack’s Uptime Center, the company’s command center that provides around-the-clock vehicle monitoring and support services. FO

Mack Trucks is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a new highway truck it plans to unveil in April in Brooklyn, New York, where the company was founded. Photo: Mack Trucks

by Gary Petty

Champion of drivers

Leadership strengthens private carrier transportation network

JOHN ROBBINS, CTP, is senior director of operations for Standard Logistics and a member of the National Private Truck Council Board of Directors. Additionally, he serves as a board member for Heroes for Children, a charity that provides financial support and social assistance to families of children battling cancer.

Robbins’ journey began with an unexpected twist. Inspired by his grandfather’s service in the Marine Corps, he walked into a Marine recruiting office ready to follow the family legacy. A recruiter’s dismissive attitude changed everything. Frustrated but undeterred, Robbins walked down the hall to the Army recruiting office and never looked back.

After 10 years of active military duty as an airborne infantryman, Robbins joined the Army Reserve and spent the second half of his Army career in transportation. He started in a civilian job for Safety Kleen (now Clean Harbors) as a transportation manager focused on third-party carrier relationships and eventually moved up to director of logistics and later to VP of transportation and logistics.

In 2021, Robbins joined Standard Logistics in a fleet management role. Standard Industries owns the company, which is the private fleet and logistics transportation services partner for GAF, North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing company. The primary business of the fleet is the transportation of raw materials and finished products for commercial and residential applications.

“When I started, we had 140 drivers—all leased—and 15 support staff,” Robbins said. “Today, our ratio is 60% employee drivers and 40% leased drivers, which gives us better control and

flexibility. Now, we have 435 drivers operating out of 21 locations, 75 support staff, 405 tractors, and 700 trailers.”

“We have concentrated our growth by partnering with the GAF Supply Chain team and determining where we could add value and reduce risk within the network,” he explained.

“The best part of my job is talking to drivers, being their advocate, helping them in any way I can. The care and respect we show our drivers is a differentiating selling point in recruiting and retention. Reducing turnover is always our goal,” Robbins said. “We provide excellent pay and benefits, a high-quality work environment, and company-paid in-service training.”

“A mentor is assigned to help each new driver get off on the right foot,” Robbins continued. “Our driver culture is a competitive advantage. Creativity and transparency have been key to attracting new drivers and building a culture of empowerment. As a result, we are attracting a top-quality class of seasoned and younger drivers.”

Robbins said the key to the company’s success is an amazing team of people who work miracles.

“The way our people come together to help or boost one another is just incredible. We have more than tripled our business in the past four years, and we’ve only gotten closer as colleagues as the work volume grows.”

Engagement with NPTC also contributes to the team’s success.

“We have sent several people through the Private Fleet Management Institute and Certified Transportation Professional programs,” Robbins said. “The Institute is probably the best consolidated educational program in transportation I’ve ever seen. NPTC’s annual conference is a great event

because everyone is open, willing to share and learn from one another. The one-on-one networking conversations are incredibly valuable.”

The company had a banner year in 2023. Standard Logistics was one of three companies awarded FleetOwner 500 Private Fleet of the Year honors in a special ceremony at the NPTC annual conference in Orlando. Standard Logistics also became a Five-Star Member of the NPTC, and Robbins was elected to the NPTC Institute Board of Governors. This coming May, at the NPTC Annual Conference in Orlando, Robbins will receive the NPTC Leadership Award for Private Fleet Executive of the Year. FO “The best part of my job is talking to drivers, being their advocate, helping them in any way I can. ”

– John Robbins

(Left to right) Carlos Aguirre, former driver, current asset and maintenance associate); Cesar Martinez, former driver, current driver supervisor; Kealond Brown, driver; Nancy Carbins, driver; and Dylan Stephenson, regional driver)

Photo: NPTC

Safety culture breeds excellence

Breckenridge Trucking, among the safest carriers on the road, prioritizes customers   by

Seth Skydel

The numbers are impressive. In the 24 months before mid-January, Breckenridge Trucking Inc.’s inspections scored well above the average carrier. The fleet has about 85 tractors and 130 tank trailers that run more than 5 million miles annually.

Based on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration SAFER data, Breckenridge Trucking’s equipment underwent 190 vehicle inspections over the past two years, scoring only two out-of-service violations. This 1.1% OOS rate falls well below the 22.26% national average. Over the same period, the carrier had 212 inspections of its drivers and 186 hazmat inspections without any violations, compared to nationwide outof-service rates of 6.67% and 4.44%, respectively. Those successes demonstrate how safety is ingrained into Breckenridge’s operations. At the Wenona, Illinois-based tank carrier, noted Daniel Breckenridge, the culture of safety begins with every employee.

“Everyone is involved, from office personnel to drivers, technicians, management, and ownership,” Breckenridge said. “Starting with an extensive orientation program and through ongoing initiatives, we train everybody equally.”

Family-owned Breckenridge Trucking was founded in 1973 by Donald Breckenridge, Daniel’s father. Daniel owns and operates the business today with his wife Susan and their daughter Courtney.

As a 100% tank operation, Breckenridge is a bulk hazmat carrier that transports a range of alcohols, petroleum products, and food-grade commodities. Along with hauling fuel products, such as ethanol, gasoline, and diesel, the fleet is expanding its food-grade division. With its fleet of late-model Kenworth T680 tractors and Polar tank trailers, the company operates mainly in the Midwest

Breckenridge Trucking’s fleet includes 85 tractors and 130 tank trailers that run more than 5 million miles annually.

and Texas; however, it routinely ventures from Colorado to the East Coast as it hauls loads for customers across the 48 lower states and Canada.

“Part of our focus on safety has been on adopting the latest technologies,” Breckenridge stated. “We use ELDs (electronic logging devices) and forward-facing cameras, for example, to track driving behaviors and manage hours-of-service compliance. Knowing we have well-rested and safe drivers is extremely important to safe operations.”

Breckenridge’s commitment to safety includes spec’ing solutions from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems. In selecting the technologies, the carrier did extensive homework that included demos and test drives, where Breckenridge noted they were able to re-enact real-life situations.

“That’s why we were sold on Bendix ADB22X air disc brake systems and became an early adopter in 2010,” Breckenridge said. “As a tank operation hauling hazmat loads, we believe the shorter stopping distance of air disc brakes is a huge factor. We’ve also found that the quicker pad replacement and longer pad life of ADBs leads to greater uptime and lower maintenance costs.”

Breckenridge Trucking was an early user of the Bendix ESP full-stability system in 2015 and the Bendix Fusion

advanced driver assistance system. “We were immediately convinced that this technology helps assist drivers in potentially mitigating crash situations, including rollovers and loss-of-control scenarios,” he said.

Additionally, Breckenridge Trucking specs Bendix TABS-6 Advanced trailer roll stability and Bendix BlindSpotter side object detection systems on trailers to enhance vehicle safety. “Our drivers appreciate our investment in safety technologies,” Breckenridge said. “That’s part of the reason our turnover rate is much better than the industry average.”

Breckenridge Trucking also boosted its recruitment and retention efforts with programs that allow two-thirds of its drivers to be home daily and regional operators to be off the road every weekend. Company drivers receive weekly settlements and vacation, PTO, holiday and detention time pay, a company-matched 401(k), and fully paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance premiums. The drivers are also compensated for orientation and provided with uniforms and personal protective equipment.

According to Breckenridge, his fleet always prioritized customer service while never compromising safety. This is why it continues to rank among the safest motor carriers on the road. FO

Photo: Breckenridge Trucking Inc.

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There is a lot going on in the world, our country, and the trucking industry. I am not going to get into politics here, but uncertainty around geopolitical and economic factors, legislation governing trucking, bankruptcies, and new technology can be a little unsettling for eets. It adds complexity to the “what if” scenarios eet managers go through when deciding whether to retire assets, increase eet size, or hire more drivers or technicians.

One thing I have always said is the clothes you are wearing, the food you ate this morning, and that chair you are sitting in all arrived on trucks. But I also want to remind all of us that trucking has seen tough times in the past and has weathered them successfully. The industry has survived wars, economic downturns, emissions reduction mandates, skyrocketing fuel prices, an oil embargo, and a global pandemic. Need I go on?

The word “resiliency” has been used a lot lately, but I think trucking has a legitimate right to lay claim to it. If you look back over history, you will see that the trucking industry has always rallied to make sure that raw materials and nished products were delivered to their nal destinations.

We did that by carefully spec’ing the vehicles we purchase and adjusting those specs as market conditions changed. Think about the impact e-commerce has had on many eets.

We’ve invested in technologies to help us get more miles from a gallon of diesel fuel.

We’ve tweaked maintenance schedules to keep older assets

running when we couldn’t get new assets because of supply chain shortages.

We’ve sharpened our pencils and gotten creative to arrive at rates that were acceptable to shippers but allowed us to still make a pro t.

We adapted when used-vehicle prices soared and then tanked.

We’ve operated through an avalanche of legislation, including some that regulated emissions and others that mandated things like electronic logging devices and anti-lock braking systems.

On a really practical level, trucking has continued to operate through tornadoes, hurricanes, wild res, and other natural disasters. We simply just “keep on trucking” no matter what the obstacles.

That’s why I really don’t understand why trucking isn’t thought of more highly by the general population. And I think that could be in part because those of us in trucking aren’t doing enough to talk about what a great industry this is, all the jobs we provide, and the value we bring to the economy.

When was the last time you promoted the trucking industry to a young person and talked to them about all the opportunities for them to have long, successful careers in an industry that has deployed technology in many ways? When was the last time you talked about all the ways eets give back to the communities in which they operate?

I challenge each of you to go out into your communities, or even with your friends and families, and talk about the many bene ts of trucking and its importance to our lives. FO

How your community can help boost the trucking industry by Gino Fontana

Photo: Vitpho 132053137 Dreamstime

Photo: supersizer | 1550848147 | Getty Images