The Fleet Lead

This week in trucking: Goodbye DEF derates, hello truck parking

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 9:
EPA is weakening the upcoming NOx rule and removing DEF derates
Rhode Island is preparing for truck-only tolls
USMCA is in an awkward position
Diesel fell 9 cents, but oil futures spiked

This week in trucking: Illinois toll increase, condom heist

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of July 2
Illinois Tollway is planning a 30% increase in toll rates
FedEx is selling its 3PL arm for $1.4 billion
Cargo thieves stole $1.7 million in condoms and lubricant
Diesel prices fell 16 cents
Have a happy 4th of July!

Cutting-edge fleet technology with Samsara VP Arpan Podduturi

In this episode of The Fleet Lead, Jeremy Wolfe sits down with Arpan Podduturi, VP of product for transportation tech company Samsara, fresh off the Samsara Beyond user conference in Las Vegas.
The tech company announced a suite of new cutting-edge technologies for fleet management: from new pedestrian detections to AI dispatch communication, LLMs, and beyond.

Gravitate: How tech is rewriting the fuel supply chain

As downstream fuel margins tighten and market volatility grows, relying on manual spreadsheets and tribal knowledge may no longer be enough for modern fuel haulers. Bulk Transporter's Jason McDaniel sits down with Mike Scharf, CEO of fuel supply chain tech company Gravitate, to discuss how specialized software is transforming the sector.
Timestamps:
01:55 — Gravitate's market footprint
02:35 — From consulting to software
04:40 — Price volatility pushing fleet innovation
08:14 — How generic freight tools fail fuel
14:44 — Autonomous dispatch
21:50 — How software helps smaller fleets
30:27 — Debunking AI misconceptions

Former SpaceX technical trainer on why some leaders fail to launch, others blast off

It's not rocket science, but people management can be a difficult skill to grasp—especially for those technical employees trained to solve machines rather than personnel.
A former pilot instructor and SpaceX training head, Matt Gjertsen has plenty of experience building teams with stellar technical skills. While techs have many attributes that make them ideal managers, they may not realize that management often means stepping away from problems.
Gjertsen is promoting his upcoming book based off just that experience: In this episode, Fleet Maintenance's John Hitch asks Gjertsen how to step back from the wrench, build genuine trust, and help technical management truly blast off.
Check out Gjertsen's podcast, Leadership Launchpad, here.
Timestamps:
01:16 – Introduction
02:39 – Matt Gjertsen’s Background
06:59 – Shift from technical expert to people leader
09:54 – The delegation doom loop
14:21 – Building trust in diverse
17:33 – First principles leadership Framework
24:47 – Navigating generational shifts and labor shortages
30:25 – Root cause analysis for people problems
42:34 – Technique vs. procedure management

This week in trucking: Dana buys Eaton Mobility, "do not drive" warnings

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of June 18:
Dana Inc. is purchasing Eaton Mobility
Nearly 800 Mack and Volvo trucks have “do not drive” warnings
Autonomous truck company Einride goes public
Diesel falls 22 cents, ceasefire hopes rise

Zeem's Paul Gioupis: EVs facing "major inflection year"

What happens when commercial electric vehicles move past the pioneer phase? Paul Gioupis, founder and CEO of Zeem Solutions, has a front-row seat. Managing the ZEV fleet management company, Gioupis sees the massive data behind Zeem's over 350,000 charging sessions.
In this episode, FleetOwner's Josh Fisher talks with Gioupis at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, discussing how the Tesla Semi is shattering range expectations and how the total cost of ownership (TCO) narrative is changing.

This week in trucking: Trailer duties, LTL disruption, World Cup congestion

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of June 11
U.S. imposes duties on Mexican, Chinese trailer imports
Amazon’s LTL arm opens for business
World Cup congestion is underway
Strong spot rates are here to stay
Diesel fell 14 cents

Truck and Roll: Origins of the semi-truck and early auto maintenance challenges

It’s no surprise that America’s economic dominance since the late 19th century coincided with the start of its trucking industry.
What may be surprising is that much of the automotive and trucking industries started not in Detroit, but it’s neighbor to the south, Cleveland. This is where Alexander Winton built the first semi-tractor to haul his company’s automobiles to early customers, and also where White Motor Co. got its start.
For America 250, Cleveland’s Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is hosting an exhibit called "Keep on Truckin" (a phrase coined by artist R. Crumb, who lived in Cleveland for a time) that showcases several early truck models.
Fleet Maintenance's John Hitch visited the museum to discuss trucking’s past and evolution with the museum’s curator of transportation history, Aaron Warkentin.
Timestamps:
01:45 — Origins of the semi-truck
04:30 — Early truck technology
07:10 — Old timey headlights
08:10 — Horsepower vs horses
10:00 — Motorless truck maintenance
11:35 — Truck design evolution
14:15 — The Crawford Museum's founding
22:50 — White Motor Company

A look under the hood at Volvo Trucks' next D13 engine

Volvo Trucks North America unveiled its new EPA 2027-compliant D13 engine at this year's Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.
The Fleet Lead brought on Duane Tegels, VTNA's product marketing manager, to talk about its updated electrical architecture, aftertreatment, and engine block designs. The new engine hits aggressive NOx reductions while maintaining fuel economy and boosting engine braking performance.
Timestamps:
0:57 – New electrical architecture
4:36 – Tips for maintaining the new engines
6:30 – Increased engine braking power
7:56 – Procurement advice
9:34 – VTNA's vocational plan
11:04 – Checking out the new engine