King of the road for decades when it comes to powering trucks, diesel will not easily nor soon fall from its throne despite the inroads alternative fuels are making into its territory. There are both near- and long-term reasons to argue that the alternative voted most likely to succeed diesel— natural gas in its two fuel forms—will fall short of fully marginalizing diesel’s role in trucking.Indeed, regardless of what alternative fuels exist now or will in the future, why diesel has been so effective for so long as a truck fuel cannot be discounted....More

Much like the overall economy, status quo is the overriding theme for our 10th annual Fleet Owner 500 ranking of the top private fleets in the U.S. Just like America’s sputtering economic growth in 2012, there’s little change from last year in the rankings and equipment totals among the country’s largest private fleets....More

Trucking is becoming accustomed to using data, and lots of it, to help guide business decisions or even to trigger automated responses to certain events. Is a delivery going to be late because the driver doesn’t have enough hours left to finish the trip? Is a tire underinflated? Is there cheaper fuel along the assigned route? Is one APU more cost-effective than the other?...More

Tires and treads have never been so important to a trucking fleet. With greenhouse gas regulations and new fuel-efficiency standards that must be met beginning with 2014 model-year vehicles, the focus on the role a tire plays in a vehicle’s mpg has never been greater. Fleet managers, though, cannot just put any tire on their vehicles....More

The best way to save fuel and the environment— and avoid costly fines for violating anti-idling laws—is to turn those engines off whenever possible. Shutting down engines is not only better for the environment and your fuel budget, it’s also the law in most states, and fines for non-compliance can be large—reaching $5,000 plus jail time in some locations. As demands to reduce heavy-duty truck idling increase, fleet executives and owner-operators continue to look for the best idle reduction technologies available....More

It’s a tantalizing prospect to say the least: spec’ing an engine with near-diesel horsepower and torque without a hefty premium or space-usurping emissions control system. All while using a cheaper yet widely available fuel to boot. That is the enticing proposition offered by gasoline engines in the medium-duty fleet space....More