Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/740514
Cover Story 44 November 2016 BestDriverJOBS www.bestdriverjobs.com Swihart, though, says he expects day cabs to carve out a larger order slice in the years ahead as freight destinations get closer. "With fewer loads needing to cross from one coast to the other or from one part of the United States or Canada to the other, we anticipate the demand for smaller sleepers and small- er-bore engines to continue increas- ing," Swihart adds. While Ryder has seen its most com- mon spec shrink in size, Perry says when customers still need a sleeper, it's go big or go home. "… we are not seeing a material shift away from full-size, stand-up configu- ration to mid-roof or smaller configura- tions," he says. Embracing the smaller sleeper For weight sensitive operations, Swihart says his company has seen increasing interest among fleets for Kenworth's 52-inch mid-roof sleeper with its saving of up to 700 pounds versus the 76-inch sleeper. In 2014, Rosebud, Mo.-based Woody Bogler Trucking purchased two of the first production Kenworth T680s with the then-new 52-inch mid-roof sleeper for its regional hauling operations targeting fuel efficiency gains. Previ- ously, T680s with 76-inch sleepers and Kenworth T660s with 72-inch sleepers were the norm. "I'm making the T680 mid-roof sleeper our new standard going forward," Tracy Bogler, president of Woody Bogler Trucking, says. "While smaller, it still provides drivers ample room for storage and a comfortable environment to work pro- ductively and get the rest they need," Swihart says. "In the Kenworth T680 or T880, the 52-inch mid-roof sleeper provides the height needed for a driver or passenger up to 6'4" to easily stand up between the seats." Applica- tions like bulk transport, where smaller sleepers have traditionally been favorable, are still the primary market for that spec.