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Next Step in the UPFIT Process: Ensuring Proper Maintenance.
Top Upfit Maintenance Challenges:
A huge challenge many fleet managers face in maintaining upfits is simply communicating the value and importance of proper upfit maintenance to field personnel and drivers.
“Most drivers understand the importance of oil changes, brake services, etc., and will typically make sure their vehicle is serviced in a timely manner. But prioritizing upfit maintenance in a similar fashion typically isn’t something that comes naturally. The fleet manager must educate their frontline personnel on the critical aspect of properly maintaining the vehicle’s equipment; not only to maximize its effective lifecycle and control costs but also to ensure the safety of their fleet personnel in the field,” said Jeff Klinghoffer, regional engineering manager for Holman Enterprises.
At the end of the day, it comes down to education and awareness.
“As a fleet manager, you’ll need to communicate the importance of proper upfit and equipment maintenance to your drivers. Beyond that, you can certainly implement processes and procedures to assess the condition of the vehicle and its upfit regularly. You can also explore potential gamification or incentive programs to help secure buy-in from your drivers,” Klinghoffer added.
Let’s face it; fleet managers have a lot on their plate.
“Fleet managers face daily challenges mixed in with bigger picture issues that include building a safe, reliable, and appropriate truck for the job while making executives and stakeholders happy. Finding the time to answer all of the challenges can be difficult,” said Mathew Marcussen, director of customer relations for BrandFX. “Taking the time to do research and learn more, in the beginning, will reap great savings, benefits, and efficiency in the end. Also, purchase a body that maintains its good condition over a long period will reduce the cost of repairs and service.”
When it comes to the different types of materials used in upfitting, you need to select the right material for the job.
“Ladder racks on top of cargo vans are impacted by either the snow and ice removal chemicals in the Midwest or the salty air near coastal regions. Using aluminum and stainless steel in those products is a must to provide the customer a quality product that gets them a good return on their investment,” said Katie Groves, national fleet sales manager for Adrian Steel.
Don’t forget to depend on those who know upfitting best.
“Partner with an upfitter that has a national presence and a team that can support these instances,” Groves recommended.
6 Mistakes Maintaining Upfits
While mistakes may not often happen when maintaining upfits, they can occur. Here are a few top ones to avoid:
Mistake 1: Lack of Inspection
Just as drivers need to inspect your vehicle for leaks, tire wear, etc., they should examine their upfits, too.
“Constantly check routing and clipping for rub points, just because a battery cable was tied up nicely last time you inspected it doesn’t mean a clip didn’t break loose since then,” said Brad Howard, director of Operations for Fontaine Modification.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Preventive Maintenance
When it comes to the vehicles themselves, preventive maintenance (PM) second nature, but that may not be true for upfits.
“Fleet managers realize that adhering to a recommended PM schedule is vital to optimizing the vehicle’s lifecycle and controlling the total cost of ownership. However, the same methodology also applies to a vehicle’s upfitting and equipment, but preventive maintenance for these items is often overlooked,” said Kelly Klemisch, regional engineering manager, Holman Enterprises.
To avoid this mistake, work upfits into your PM strategy for your vehicles.
“Regular service for equipment such as air compressors, material handling units, and aerial devices should be included in the unit’s PM schedule. Additionally, you can also include inspections in the schedule as well, so drivers receive reminders for those items as well. Or, at the very least, take measures to keep these PM items top-of-mind for drivers and operators. For example, you can track crane or compressors hours on an interior door decal,” Klemisch added.
Mistake 3: Not Adjusting Upfits Correctly
Make sure that ladder racks are correctly adjusted to your ladders.
“A properly adjusted ladder rack will keep the ladder secured on the van during transportation, reduce noise that could cause driver distraction, and extend the life of both the ladder and ladder rack,” said Katie Groves, national fleet sales manager for Adrian Steel.
Mistake 4: Misusing Upfit Equipment
You should also ensure your drivers and frontline workers fully understand how to use the vehicle’s equipment properly.
“Many vocational vehicles feature sophisticated and complex attachments, so training your employees on the best practices for using these units will help to minimize premature wear and tear and maximize the equipment’s effective lifecycle. This also applies to something as simple as a vehicle’s storage units. We often see fleet personnel overloading a service body or interior shelving with more than it is intended to hold, and this really impacts the longevity of these items,” said Klemisch of Holman Enterprises.
Mistake 5: Wrong Service Timing
When you service certain upfit items is also essential.
“When you service trucks, and related upfits is a big item. One example is a snowplow: make sure to service at the end of the snow season AND beginning of the season,” said Patrick Clark, director of fleet sales for Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment.
Mistake 6: Improper Equipment Storage
Where you store your equipment has a considerable impact on its useful service life.
“Also storing equipment inside helps preserve the life. Work with the local upfitters to make sure you are servicing cranes, liftgates, plows etc correctly,” said Clark of Dejana Truck and Utility Equipment.
Source: https://www.worktruckonline.com/10120069/value-of-effectively-maintaining-upfits
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Unpacking DOE's 7 Billion Push Toward Hydrogen Commercial Vehicles
Unpacking DOE's The push for net-zero emissions is growing in the commercial vehicle industry, predominantly leading to a shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) for carbon footprint reduction. However, although EVs are a great match for some use cases, they have limitations for others, which leads to a focus on other fossil fuel alternatives hat exist.
Apparently, that fact has not been totally lost on the Biden-Harris administration in their goal to lead America to "remove all emissions from the transportation sector by 2050."
Although much of the net-zero discussion has revolved around fleet electrification, the DOE's October announcement of a$7 billion investment to launch seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) across the nation is having a big impact on that conversation.
“Unlocking the full potential of hydrogen—a versatile fuel that can be made from almost any energy resource in virtually every part of the country—is crucial to achieving President Biden’s goal of American industry powered by American clean energy, ensuring less volatility and more affordable energy options for American families and businesses,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With this historic investment, the Biden-Harris Administration is laying the foundation for a new, American-led industry that will propel the global clean energy transition while creating high-quality jobs and delivering healthier communities in every pocket of the nation.”
Although the DOE’s official announcement is only months old, we are already seeing the market respond with positive steps toward making commercial hydrogen applications available to businesses.
What is a Hydrogen Hub?
A hydrogen hub is a regional center that champions hydrogen production, storage, and distribution. These hubs are collaborative efforts and partnerships of organizations, companies, government offices and agencies, non-profits, and other regional entities. The idea is to create a network of hubs that can develop a reliable supply of hydrogen and an efficient infrastructure to deliver it to the public.
The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) is one of the projects selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to operate as a regional clean hydrogen hub.
“This is a historic day for MachH2 and the entire Midwest,” said Dr. Dorothy Davidson, CEO of MachH2. “Our hub and the region bring an unparalleled supply of clean energy, significant regional hydrogen demand, heavy industry, and an ideal location at the crossroads of America—all of which was recognized by the DOE’s selection of MachH2. Our hub will scale the production and delivery of abundant, reliable, and increasingly affordable clean hydrogen to support our national climate goals in the coming decade, all while creating jobs and lifting up underrepresented communities that have been overburdened by pollution.”
The DOE identified national regions as having high potential for hydrogen production, and has to date selected seven hub projects that show promise in meeting this goal.
Projects selected include:
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNWH2 Hub)
The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2)
Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub
Heartland Hydrogen Hub (HH2H)
HyVelocity Hub
ARCHES
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This funding marks a new era for hydrogen technology development, infusing it with the momentum and lifeblood required to orchestrate essential improvements and innovations. With this extra financial muscle, we can expect significant technological and infrastructure advancements to make hydrogen a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
“By choosing Appalachia, the new hydrogen hub will be where there is an abundance of natural resources, including low-cost natural gas production and storage, existing pipelines and transportation networks, and vast end-use markets as well proximity to end-use markets in the Midwest and Northeast,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Creating a hydrogen hub is also an important component of a diversified and reliable energy portfolio."
Implications for Commercial Vehicle Stakeholders
Fast-tracking the development of hydrogen fuel and infrastructure should instill in industry stakeholders a new confidence in the future of hydrogen for commercial applications.
For manufacturers, this heralds an opportunity to serve sectors unsuitable for electrification. For example, hydrogen fuel cell technology is ideal for long-haul trucking and other heavy-duty applications where range and payload are critical considerations. Such a large investment by the government should encourage manufacturers to diversify their product portfolios and invest in capturing new markets.
Fleet operators can expect to see a wider range of vehicles available for purchase or lease, giving them more options when it comes time to replace aging vehicles. Simultaneously, this funding will help to accelerate the development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, making it easier for businesses to adopt hydrogen-powered vehicles in their fleets.
As more fleets are willing to adopt hydrogen-powered vehicles, commercial vehicle dealers will have a more diverse range of solutions for their customers' needs. This could result in an opportunity to differentiate themselves as solution partners rather than just a sales outlet.
Benefits to the Environment
he impacts here are twofold, benefiting both environmental health and green business objectives. Transitioning to hydrogen as an energy source greatly reduces carbon emissions, remarkably inching closer to the ambitious goal of a net-zero carbon emission future with more tools to mitigate volatility in the energy sector.
Note that Hydrogen technology as a transportation solution is multifaceted in that it can be used as an internal combustion (ICE) fuel, such as the latest from Cummins, which “is leading the charge in hydrogen internal combustion engine technology,” or as a charging source in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), such as those produced by the GM / Honda collaboration FCSM LLC, Nikola Corp, and those jointly designed by Toyota and Kenworth.
The Road Ahead
We've witnessed the results of a federal push towards electrification; more electric commercial vehicles are available than ever before, and more are on the way. Well-established OEMs are already offering BEV options for light, medium, and heavy-duty configurations, and commercial EV startups are also gaining traction.
With that in mind, the staggering $7 billion earmarked by the DOE to "accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost clean hydrogen" will significantly accelerate the prospects for hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles, with developments anticipated to spin off within the innovation, manufacturing, and market acceptance domains.
This move signifies a monumental leap in the trajectory of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Stay tuned to NuPropel for more updates on this emerging hydrogen revolution.
Source:
https://www.comvoy.com/article/unpacking-does-7-billion-push-toward-hydrogen-commercial-vehicles-2?utm_medium=email&utm_source=activecampaign&utm_campaign=Jan112024