TESTING 2010

Getting an advance feel for how new emissions reduction technology is going to work in the real world is critical for fleets, especially in terms of detecting potential problems. That's a tactic Michael Brannigan, senior vp and chief of operations for the fleet management solutions at Ryder System Inc. , employed for his company in the run-up to 2007 and he expects to do the same for 2010.

“We do, in fact, work closely with OEMs to test new engine technology in addition to all the ongoing work we do with them on performance of existing vehicles/components, new product design and so forth,” he says. “We believe that our customers expect us to bring all of our experience and leverage to bear to work with OEMs to address any performance issues or opportunities to improve overall vehicle/component performance.”

Brannigan says Ryder expects to have 2010-model test trucks and engines from multiple OEMs running in its fleet within the next several months for a complete evaluation, placing test units in its own internal fleet operations as well as with full-service leasing customers to gather performance data in different climates (warm or cold) and different applications (high mileage, short haul, etc.) to get a better understanding of the technology.

“Our testing is designed to evaluate performance of the engines in more of a real-world application with real customers in a real operating environment,” he explains. “In the latest testing in advance of EPA '07, we were able to provide feedback and recommended solutions for a number of ‘bugs’ we encountered in the test vehicles.”

He notes that Ryder will ultimately test products from at least three different truck and four different engine OEMs, with evaluations encompassing both SCR and non-SCR technology. “We will be testing both medium and heavy-duty product consistent with the vehicles in operation in our fleet,” Brannigan says. “We understand that the only 2010-compliant engines in operation at this point are in the OEMs' reliability fleets [but] we expect to be among the first private customers to receive test product.”