5 Reasons Why You're Not Using Fuel-Saving Technologies

5 Reasons Why You're Not Using Fuel-Saving Technologies
Posted: Sep 4, 2013 10:24 AM | Last Updated: Sep 9, 2013 09:27 AM

BOULDER, CO. — A new report published by The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and Cascade Sierra Solutions (CSS) has found five hurdles for why fleets may not be adopting fuel saving technologies.

“The report clearly shows the gap between perceptions and reality of the adoption of technologies. If implemented, currently available trucking technologies could earn fuel savings of as much as $20,000 per truck with a payback time of less than 18 to 24 months,” said Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE.

So what are the hurdles?

1. Payback time and high initial cost of trucks

2. Lack of access to capital

3. Lack of credible information

4. Insufficient reliability, and…

5. Unavailability of technology.

All five barriers do not exist in a vacuum, NACFE says in the report, and are inherently linked in many ways. The overarching barrier? Credible information.

"For example, if there is a lack of credible information with respect to verifying the real-world fuel-saving potential and/or reliability of a technology, this makes accurate calculations of payback time a challenge," NACFE explained.

Moreover, lack of information can also affect the ability to obtain capital to invest in new technology.

"Taken together, uncertain fuel savings and reliability as well as lack of access to capital contribute to slow technology adoption," NACFE said.

That depressed demand means that manufacturers are less likely to invest in new technology development, which leads to a reduced number of product offerings. "This lack of technology availability has a feedback effect by reducing technology uptake," NACFE explained, "which in turn limits the ability for technology performance data to be generated."

Data for the study was collected using in-person interviews, focus groups, and online surveys of various stakeholders throughout the on-road freight industry: large and medium sized fleets, for-hire, private, lease/rental, fleets that only purchase used trucks, as well as owner-operators. They also surveyed companies within the truck and trailer supply chain that manufacture, sell, and service fuel-saving technologies.

The five barriers all affected stakeholders to a different degree, with smaller end users naturally more concerned about cost than larger carriers — no surprise there. Interestingly, however, there was a significant difference regarding the availability of technology between the end users and the manufacturers of the technology. All of the end users were very outspoken about the lack of product availability, while the truck and trailer integrators saw it as a non-issue.

You can download the full report here. 

(And it's well worth your time to visit the NACFE website here.)

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Reasons Why You Should Consider a Career in Truck Driving

Ever wonder how most items you buy arrive at the stores and warehouses? If your answer was trucks, you guessed correctly. Trucks drive everywhere: the city, rural communities, the open highway and urban streets. Whenever a truck has to go, there's a need for a person to drive it to its rightful spot. Currently, the trucking industry employs more than 3 million drivers and numerous support personnel like truck loaders, schedulers, and dispatchers. Even with a down economy, the number of trucking companies looking to hire drivers is expected to rise in the coming years.

If you've ever thought of attending truck driving school, there are a lot of encouraging signs that make it worth your while. Compared to other training schools and universities, trucking school graduates earn one of the highest average salaries right after school. In fact, the average salary for a CDL trained and certified driver averages about $42,000 annually. That number can surpass $50,000 within a couple years. Unlike a number of industries, you can expect your career in truck driving to be a steady one. With more than 1.4 trucking companies across the nation, the need for trucker is always present. This is the case any time of year. Furthermore, the market suffers from a shortage of truck drivers that is expected to remain at least through 2018. As an added plus, going to truck driving school can open additional possibilities for you down the road. Truck driver training can also prepare you for future employment possibilities like training, recruiting or managerial positions.

Aside from high pay and stability, trucking schools offer a quick and direct path to gainful employment. Schools will vary, but an intensive truck driver training program can have you career ready in as little as 30 days. Though it will require a financial investment, trucking school-because the training is shorter-also tends to cost markedly less than other education and training facilities. Any decent driving truck school will offer job placement assistance. A good truck driving school can get you pre-hired with a hauling company before completing training and earning your CDL license.

Do your research before choosing a truck driving school. Get a look at their resources. Try and meet the instructors who will teach the driving truck school. See what kind of resources they have and what connections they have in the truck driving school. If you can, really to land a place at a truck school that offers pre-hiring job placement.

Learn more about truck school and see about driving truck schools near you.

Top Reasons to Keep Your Septic Truck Spotless!

Septic trucks are a type of heavy-duty vehicle designed to collect, transport and dispose of the refuse from septic tanks. While the equipment is able to handle this dirty job, it does not mean that the vehicle itself must remain dirty after a job. Cleaning should be at the top of a list of things that need to be performed at the end of every vacuum truck shift.

Benefits

Despite the fact that this equipment is designed to perform a messy job, keeping the vehicle cleansed is something that an operator should not overlook. Following are several benefits in performing this important chore:

Prevent Premature Deterioration - Septic trucks deal with dirty fluids which have potentially caustic properties. Although components of these vehicles, such as the storage tanks and the vacuum units, are protected with a layer of paint or made of stainless steel, continuous exposure to these caustic elements will cause damage. To prevent premature deterioration and increase the service life of these vehicles, it is important to clean the components after use. Daily flushing will reduce the exposure to caustic fluids and extend the life of the equipment.
Positive Image - Although the services that are performed by this equipment deal with unclean material, the vehicle itself does not have to conform to its application. A neat and tidy truck can take away the stigma associated with septic cleaning services and present a positive image to clients.
Better Work Atmosphere - The physical appearance of a septic truck can even affect the attitude of the employees who use the vehicle. Driving a clean and well-maintained vehicle can help boost the morale of the workers.
Lower Health Risk - Waste water contains pathogenic organisms which have the potential to cause disease if they come in contact with humans. Regular cleaning of the equipment will reduce the likelihood of septic truck operators coming in contact with contaminated fluids and reduce the risk of acquiring a disease.

Tips

There are many ways in which to keep this hard-working vehicle clean other than just washing the exterior. Following are some helpful hints to help in a total physical improvement process:

Storage Tank - Debris that has been collected by these vehicles is stored directly in its storage tank until that receptacle is drained at a treatment facility. This tends to leave the inside of the tank full of dirt even after it has been drained. To protect the inside of the tank from rusting, it is important to remove all the remaining debris. A high-pressure water gun can be used to remove the stubborn debris that sticks to the side of the tank. The same procedure should be performed on the sludge pump, which is usually located at the rear of the truck.
Air and Water Separator Cyclone - Another important part of the truck that should be regularly cleaned is the air and water separator cyclone. Solid debris usually collects at the bottom plug of the cyclone during operation and should be removed manually.
Storing Necessities - If the septic truck is going to be stored for a long time, it is important to thoroughly decontaminate the tank to get rid of any pathogenic organisms that could corrode the tank. One way of thoroughly cleaning a septic tank is by using steam. The heat from the steam should kill any organisms inside the receptacle and prevent it from corroding.

Septic trucks are used to collect and dispose of waste fluids. Despite the fact that these vehicles are used to perform such messy jobs, the drivers must ensure they are cleaned on a regular basis. There are so many benefits to having a neat, tidy and spotless vehicle such as longevity and the presentation of a good business image that cleaning it until it is 'spic and span' should be made a top priority!

Christopher M. Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. To find out more about Septic Trucks for Sale, go to the main website at: http://www.vacuumtrucksales.net/home.

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Great Reasons to Rent a Vacuum Truck!

Purchasing a vacuum truck requires a large initial capital expenditure. Even when purchasing this type of vehicle with financing, a considerable down payment is still necessary. Thankfully, this piece of equipment can always be rented or leased. While nothing compares to owning a new one, there are many advantages that come with leasing that make it an acceptable option. Below are the top reasons why leasing may be the best choice.

Avoids Down Payment and Monthly Payments - One of the biggest benefits of leasing this equipment is that it does not require any painstaking applications for financing, large down payments, or costly monthly payments. This is good news for people who are just starting a business that requires the use of a vacuum truck but do not have the financial capability to purchase or finance this type of equipment. Through rentals, a new business can be started without incurring such a large debt.
Frees Capital - Because a new business does not have to spend so much money at the beginning of the company, there is more flexibility with finances that can be diverted to apply towards other important aspects of a new business.
Eliminates Asset Depreciation - Assets, particularly vehicles such as vacuum trucks, depreciate over time. Depreciation is the reduction of the value of property. A vehicle that was originally priced at $100,000 will no longer have the same value in three to five years.
Non-Taxable - Leased assets are non-taxable, so renters have one less asset to worry about when paying business taxes.
Can Acquire Latest Technology - While purchasing this equipment is always the better option if it is possible, there is always the factor that the vehicle will become obsolete. The technology that is used on these vehicles evolves quickly and purchasing locks the owner into the technology that was available at the time of the purchase. Leasing gives renters the freedom to change trucks every time new technology becomes available to the extend that is allowed in the lease terms.
Flexible on Demand - The demand for vacuuming jobs varies during the year. Through leasing, operators can adjust the number of units rented to the demand of each job. By being flexible, operating costs can be adjusted according to the jobs that are available, thus eliminating any unnecessary expenses and increasing profits.
Eliminates Costly Maintenance - By renting, operators can choose whether to perform their own maintenance on the vehicle or have the rental company conduct the maintenance themselves for an additional cost. If they choose the latter, scheduled maintenance concerns are eliminated because the company providing the vehicle will shoulder the cost and responsibility for this function.
Eliminates Breakdown Lost Time - One of the problems with owning this equipment is downtime due to breakdowns. This problem does not exist with rental equipment. If a breakdown occurs, a replacement is requested so the job can continue with very little downtime.
No Storage Space Required - One responsibility of owning a vacuum truck is finding a storage place. Renting eliminates this dilemma as the vehicle is merely returned to the company providing the vehicle.
Allows Testing Before Buying - This is a great way for business owners who are unfamiliar with vacuum trucks to rent this equipment before making an actual purchase. This allows time to handle and maintain the vehicle as well as time to determine what specifications are necessary for the work done by the company. Once a purchase decision is made, it will be much easier to choose one that is right for the company.

Leasing a vacuum truck has many advantages over purchasing. It offers flexibility to users who do not have the financial ability to purchase one. It also allows businesses that are still in the exploration phase the ability to discover how to use the equipment. These are just some of the great reasons to rent a vacuum truck - make the best decision!

Christopher M. Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. To find out more about Vacuum Trucks, go to the main website at: http://www.vacuumtrucksales.net/.

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