Mes: septiembre 2022

Watch out for fatigue when driving. Take a break if you experience any of these: headaches, tired eyes or fuzzy vision, drifting attention, drowsiness or yawning, delayed reaction times or the car wandering across the road.

Plan your rest stops to avoid fatigue on long journeys.

Regular breaks

Plan to stop for 15 minutes every two hours. Get out and stretch your legs. Official rest areas are ideal.

Time limits

Don’t drive for more than 10-12 hours a day and don’t drive when you should be sleeping.

Sleep well

The most effective way to avoid fatigue is to regularly get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep.

Power nap

Take a 15-minute power nap if you feel you’re becoming drowsy.

You should read: 5 Truck Driving Tips to Become a Better Driver

Plan your breaks

Trucks and heavy vehicles need to use rest areas for short and long breaks, and to check their loads are restrained properly. This is required for heavy vehicle drivers under fatigue management laws. Always be courteous and ensure you leave marked truck parking or long bays clear for those who need them such as vehicles that are towing, and other heavy vehicles. Plan your trip before you leave to avoid stopping in designated truck parking areas wherever possible.

Even when you’re not on the road, it’s critical that you get plenty of rest, both before and during a long voyage as a truck driver. Sleeping for at least seven to eight hours a day is the best way to ensure that you are always alert. Keep in mind that sleep deprivation can have life-threatening consequences. Don’t put yourself or others in danger—sleep is a need!

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Awareness of the importance of caring for the environment is gaining strength among commercial vehicle manufacturers. Discover three surprising innovations.

Caring for the environment through innovation

The emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere, a product of the combustion of engines, is one of the causes of climate change. Aware of this and encouraged by public administrations, which want to meet objectives such as those set out in the Kyoto Protocol, the industrial road transport industry has set to work in search of more ecological ways of transferring loads. Innovation is the best ally to achieve this goal. Little by little, the new fuels stop being an illusion to become a reality, as in the case of natural gas, biodiesel, or ultra-low sulfur diesel, as well as other alternatives, such as liquefied petroleum or biofuels.

Thanks to innovation, lighter vehicles are also manufactured, in which thermoplastics and aluminum replace the old materials. These improvements are already applied in many cases, but others are less implemented and even more innovative, which may be extended in the coming years:

Rice husked for making tires

Such an unexpected material can have a lot to say in tire manufacturing. Rice husk, which is usually thrown away, can become essential when combined with rubber. The silica obtained from its ashes can minimize the friction between the wheel and the asphalt, which generates fuel savings and makes circulation more sustainable and respectful with the environment. The manufacturer working on this project, Goodyear, seems to have hit the nail on the head with a biodegradable material that is greener from the manufacturing process.

You should read: 5 Truck Driving Tips to Become a Better Driver

Battery recharging during braking

Recovering part of the energy generated when the brakes act on the wheels is an innovation developed for Formula 1 cars. Its efficiency has led to several industrial vehicle manufacturers working to extrapolate it to trucks. Volvo, Scania, MAN, and Mercedes-Benz are some of them. The rationale for this advance is that vehicles can recharge their batteries during braking moments so that it is possible to circulate with the thermal part of the engine on flat and descending sections of the road. Estimates are that more than 12 tons can be moved with a range of up to 200 kilometers, and there is talk of an implementation date close to 2020.

Hybridization before the electric truck arrives

Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Nikola Motors are three leading companies in the electric truck’s bet. All are in a testing phase of this type of vehicle, whose main advantages are a drastic reduction in polluting emissions and noise pollution reduction. Meanwhile, manufacturers such as DAF or Volvo are developing hybrid models, in which they take advantage of the advantages of electricity without, for the moment, completely stopping the use of traditional fuels.

The advantage is that they increase autonomy and solve one of the main drawbacks for the implementation of fully electric vehicles, the lack of charging points along a route of many kilometers by road.

To get more information about us, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Or call us right now for a road service on: repairtrucktrailer.com

Whether you run a trucking company, or a car rental, you should not neglect proper fleet maintenance. Fleet maintenance is the practice of keeping your service vehicles in good condition to avoid vehicular breakdowns. It is a systematic approach to preventive vehicle maintenance that involves planning, scheduling, analysis, and execution.

Keeps your drivers safe

Driver safety is an important aspect of any operation. Management must take all of the necessary steps to ensure that the risk of preventable road accidents are reduced. Some of the leading causes of crashes include worn tires and blowouts, faulty brakes, and steering/suspension issues, all of which can be remedied by proper fleet maintenance.

Depending on your operational needs, preventive maintenance can be time-based (once every year), or after reaching a set mileage per vehicle.

You should read: 5 Truck Driving Tips to Become a Better Driver

Reduces operational cost

Preventive maintenance costs are significantly lower compared to reactive repairs. Paying for the repercussions of poor fleet maintenance costs even more than the two combined. According to OSHA, “motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity.”

Perform vehicle inspections to identify maintenance and repair opportunities before they become a serious problem to avoid downtimes and improve your adherence to operational schedules.

Boosts productivity and manages business downtime

Business downtimes can cause a domino effect that leaves your operation reeling. Trying to make up for a missed delivery or appointment because your fleet truck broke down can delay the fulfillment of succeeding obligations down the line. When you fail to deliver a product or service to an expectant client as scheduled, your reputation and brand trust suffers.

Keeping your fleet in good working condition all-year round helps you avoid operational delays and maximize your productivity.

As a business owner, there are many business variables that you cannot steer in your favor. Proper fleet maintenance is not one of them. It reduces the likelihood of accidents caused by vehicular malfunction and keeps your drivers safe. It saves you money by addressing the “little difficulties” before they turn into big ones. Ultimately, your business becomes more efficient overall with proper fleet maintenance.

A vehicle maintenance log can help you record the condition and repair work performed on an individual vehicle. This can help you manage preventive maintenance schedules, prioritize specific vehicles, and triage issues that need immediate resolution.

To get more information about us, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Or call us right now for a road service on: repairtrucktrailer.com