Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/407095
will be allocated across several jobs or sites. The impact of reduced costs varies depending on whether costs are assigned to a single project or several projects and may influence whether higher initial costs for some advanced features will have an acceptable payback period. Here are seven over-the-road trends that may impact your trucking operations. "Value" trucks Several OEMs offer models devoid of all but necessary components and are fully-optioned models appealing to owner-operators. The comfort and operational features of these models falls between entry-level and highly- optioned trucks, as does their pricing. David Hillman, vice president and general manager of vocational products at Navistar, says the first question in assessing the real value of value trucks is whether there's a life- time benefit. If the features will continue to deliver satisfaction, they will continue to de- liver value. But keep in mind, Hillman says, one benefit of slightly upscale specs is they may help with driver retention. Charles Cook, marketing manager for vocational products at Peterbilt, agrees. "Recruiting, training and retaining drivers is expensive. Losing one because the seat was uncomfortable or the ride quality was poor is a costly loss." But "value" is a relative term, says Stu Russoli, Mack vocational product manager, and needs to be looked at as a business case that includes upfront price, repairs, November 2014 | EquipmentWorld.com 22 machine matters | continued Mack Trucks' GuardDog telematics solutions, built upon the existing GuardDog maintenance monitoring system, helps strengthen communication between the truck, driver, customer and dealer. The system quickly diagnoses issues, enables scheduling for repairs and confirms that needed parts are in stock, all while the truck is still on the job.