Tag: construction fleet management

Technology

Caterpillar’s online fleet management quiz is quick way to get acquainted with telematics

Much of Caterpillar’s focus as of late, beyond its corporate focus of drastically reducing costs, has been on technology. Specifically, outfitting machines with more technology and sensors so that Cat customers are able to mine the most minute operation data possible from their equipment, and thus being able to make better decisions when it comes […]

December 4, 2015

Business

Low-viscosity oils are only the beginning; new EPA diesel fuel economy rules will significantly impact your future

Earlier in June, Shell Lubricants went into great detail telling journalists about how the soon-to-come, low-viscosity diesel lube oil category will help heavy duty trucks improve fuel economy by roughly one percent. And while a one percent improvement in fuel economy may not get those of you in the heavy construction business too excited, another […]

June 24, 2015

Technology

REVIEW: Can Lemur’s $100 BlueDriver device and app match up to a $3,000 OBD-II scan tool?

Turn your smartphone or tablet into a $3,000 scan tool for $100? Sounds a bit far-fetched. Is the Lemur BlueDriver more gimmick than genuine? That’s the question we wanted to find out. Scan tools are as important in today’s service tech’s toolbox as any wrench, screwdriver or socket. Maybe more so. They gather data from all the vehicle’s microprocessors and […]

April 23, 2015

Home

Service Truck Trends: How to spec your next truck for maximum productivity

With the recession a distant memory, contactors are buying new equipment again and one of the categories of equipment to benefit from the recovering economy is service trucks. There’s more confidence in the economy today and contractors are putting more hours on their trucks, says Brian Heffron, product specialist at Palfinger. “With new private and […]

April 2, 2015

Technology

In-cab video monitoring with telematics driver scoring brings big benefits to truck fleets

One of the biggest concerns fleet managers have is the safety of their drivers and operators and there is no better way to improve the safety of trucks and equipment than technology. But signing a check for and wiring up a bunch of systems won’t solve your problems if that’s all you do, said presenters […]

March 23, 2015

Construction Equipment

How to spec out your pickup and construction work truck fleet to save on operating costs

Contractors and fleet managers spend a significant portion of their time looking for ways to control operating costs. Fuel is always a big portion of a fleet’s budget, so you may be considering strategies for reducing fuel expenses. There are many technologies, including telematics, that can reduce the total miles your fleet drives. Equipment that decreases unnecessary engine idle time […]

January 20, 2015

Construction Equipment

74 tips for reducing equipment costs (46-55)

Last week, we hit the halfway point in this series of 74 tips for reducing your equipment costs. Here is the next set of tips: 46: Learn more about MRO Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul is the science of inventory control applied to maintenance spares.  Rigorous adherence to inventory control process is a science… not an […]

August 30, 2013

Business

Energy, fuel and the federal regulatory tsunami dominate the conversation at the 2013 Construction Symposium

Contractors and heavy equipment fleet managers got an earful of what challenges await them in the construction industry and what the solutions might be at the Randall Reilly Construction Symposium held Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas, Texas. In a nutshell—the shale oil and gas revolution is going to be great for the construction industry, but […]

August 23, 2013

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74 tips for reducing equipment costs (11-20)

In my first post covering equipment cost-cutting tips 1-10, I addressed several equipment cost cutting basics, including the impact of faithfully using a computerized maintenance management system. Here are cost-cutting strategies 11-20:   11: Eliminate “buddy jobs” I have seen unnecessary use of two-man jobs many times while analyzing maintenance operations.  If they aren’t really […]

August 5, 2013

Telematics

Why most contractors don’t use telematics and how AEMP and AEM are trying to change that

One of the biggest and most confounding challenges in the heavy equipment industry is how to get more construction companies to use telematics to monitor and manage their fleets. The technology is well established and the ROI well proven, yet surveys continue to find only a small percentage of contractors using the technology. The Association […]

July 25, 2013