Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/426899
11 News FMCSA's insurance hike rule will come slowly, if ever, ATA says … Natural gas adoption stalls on lower diesel prices, ACT says … LaHood again pushes for more highway funding … Driver ha- rassment via e-logs not an issue, FMCSA finds … FMCSA surveying drivers for data on training rule … Driver shortage impacts equipment buying, survey shows 12 InBrief DECEMBER 2014 | VOL 171 | NO. 12 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2014 3 FEATURES 46 JOURNAL LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Most fleets look at a 53-foot trailer as a box to move freight from point A to point B. Others see it as a blank canvas – and an opportunity to advance their company's brand and product message to the driving public. This year's Five Flashiest Fleets stood out above the crowd with evocative and enticing imagery that help propel the story of the fleet's brand or services. Cover design by David Watson CCJ 'S FIVE FLASHIEST FLEETS 50 Virtual coaching Mobile fleet management systems are used widely by fleets to capture data and create reports regarding the performance of vehicles and drivers. Fleet managers traditionally reviewed this information before giving drivers feedback on what they could have done differently to increase fuel efficiency. Today, this after-the-fact approach is waning with the adoption of new applications that put drivers on the front line of visibility. 54 The good old days Some fleet managers are becoming less than enthu- siastic concerning trucking's technological explosion. That's because all the new technology found on to- day's commercial vehicles comes with tradeoffs such as higher prices and technicians who haven't received enough training to support modern rigs. Some indus- try experts predict the rise of cheaper, simpler truck designs to counter today's high-tech models. 43 Innovators: Walmart Transportation The retail giant employs a series of improvements and innovations to deliver more goods with fewer miles traveled.