The Fleet Lead

Calling plays for mobile maintenance

In the age of convenience where everything is delivered, even commercial vehicle maintenance comes on wheels. But why would a shop decide to go mobile? In this episode John Hitch interviews Kevin and Kyle Coltrain, who just launched Coltrain Onsite Fleet Care earlier this year. The brothers are drawing on their family's maintenance and football roots to run their company like a winning team.

Great Dane’s secret to 125 years is focusing “on the right thing”

To reach 125 years, trailer manufacturer Great Dane continually adapted and innovated to remain a leader in the transportation space—and kept focused “on the right thing,” as its leaders would say.
In this episode, President and COO Rick Mullininx and EVP of Sales Chris Hammond highlight the company's history, key milestones, and future vision.
Listen to the interview on this week's episode of The Fleet Lead podcast below or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorite podcast app.
 
00:45 - From blow pipes to trailer manufacturing
01:53 - The pivotal 1997 Crown family acquisition
02:32 - Challenging times in the 1980s
03:11 - During COVID, drawing inspiration from World War II efforts
05:33 - Safety as a core company value
06:44 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution, future innovations

Trucking today: trailer manufacturing, English requirements, emissions regs

The Fleet Lead’s team of transportation experts break down some of the industry’s hottest topics today: re-shoring manufacturing, trucking’s overcapacity problem, English proficiency requirements, and emissions regulations.
The roundtable hosted five editors from major trucking brands:
Josh Fisher, Editor-in-Chief, FleetOwner
Jason McDaniel, Editor, Bulk Transporter
Jeremy Wolfe, Editor, FleetOwner
Kevin Jones, Editorial Director, Trailer Body Builders
John Hitch, Editor-in-Chief, Fleet Maintenance

How smaller fleets can use AI to survive the freight recession

Another trucking software company has launched a product that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI). PCS Software unveiled several new offerings that use Cortex AI to automate tasks, from assigning drivers to finding loads.
Mark Hill, PCS Software’s CEO, sat down with FleetOwner to share how he thinks solutions like these can support small- to midsized carriers.
“They’ve done all the right things. These guys, they’ve cut where they need to cut. They’ve extended the life of their assets, and they’re out there talking with customers,” Hill said. “We need to help them by showing them new areas that they can get profit points.”

The future of electric truck adoption is dimmer

The electric truck market faces big changes this year. State and federal incentives are dissipating in the wake of the Trump administration's disruptions.
In this episode, FleetOwner interviews ACT Research analysts Lydia Vieth and Ann Rundle. Vieth and Rundle explain the current market and regulations, as well as their projections for future electric truck adoption, battery technologies, and beyond.

Tank trucks explained

Tanker trucks are often easy to identify: a tractor hauling a metal cylinder to transport liquid or gas cargo in bulk. But what else separates them from the other tractor-trailers on the road?
In this episode, Jason McDaniel, editor of Bulk Transporter, gives a digestible run-down on tank trucks: their designs, safety regulations, cargo, and more. Jason’s explainer is based on the Fleets Explained series on FleetOwner.

Trailer/Body Builders Buyer's Guide: 65 years and counting

Trailer/Body Builders is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its Buyer’s Guide—an annual complete directory of materials, components, supplies, and services for the trailer and body manufacturing industries.
The Buyer’s Guide is a massive print product: it contains 800 product categories and nearly 5,500 company listings. A former TBB publisher would judge the success of each new issue by dropping it on the floor to hear the “thump” it made.
While many publications have moved away from print, TBB is still a print-first publication. A search bot might save you 10 seconds, but a reliable, physical directory can serve the reader and manufacturer better.

How to launch an electric truck company during the Trump era

Countless commercial electric vehicle (EV) initiatives in the U.S. have either failed or stalled. Despite this, manufacturers still plan to succeed and grow where others failed.Zero-emission truck manufacturer ZM Trucks opened its first truck assembly plant in Inland Empire, California, in late August. The company constructed the plant in only 88 weeks and plans to sell as many as 1,200 zero-emission trucks next year.Joost de Vries, CEO of ZM Trucks, emphasized the importance of total cost of ownership and return on investment (ROI) for fleet managers, regardless of emissions.“Customers are starting to understand that there is an ROI if you go electric,” he told FleetOwner during the company’s plant opening. “It has nothing to do with the environment.”

For-hire’s overcapacity problem

Since the pandemic, growth among private fleets and owner-operators weakened for-hire pricing. ACT Research’s senior analyst Tim Denoyer explains the problem and shares his predictions for a “capacity crunch.”

Tanker segment to outpace GDP through 2029

The dedicated contract carriage segment of the national liquid and dry bulk truckload market could U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth through 2029.
The forecast is from a market study by Logistics Capital and Strategy. The firm expects tanker growth due to nearshoring trends driving demand for industrial gases, and sluggish electric-vehicle adoption buoying gasoline demand.
Jason McDaniel, editor of Bulk Transporter, dives into the details.