Gas or Diesel? The Age Old Question

The age-old question of “is a gas or diesel truck better”, always comes up when it’s time to purchase a new truck. Since there is no right or wrong answer to this question, there are still pros and cons to consider. It really comes down to which is the best fit for your business or fleet’s needs.

Recent advancements on gasoline engines, such as direct injection and turbocharging, have bridged that gap on better fuel economy, as well as power, between gas and diesel fueled vehicles. Whereas diesel fuel used to cost less than gas in the past, that is not so much the case any longer. It’s seems to have reversed gears with diesel costing more than gas does. According to motorist.org, the price increase is due to the addition refining to make ultra-low sulfur diesel now required to be legal to use in modern diesel powered vehicles (including heavy trucks). Diesel engines may still have the edge on mileage, but it is not as it was before, also due to the emissions controls and the ultra-low sulfur fuel.

The cost of a diesel truck is an average of $5,000+ more than its gas-powered counterparts. This is also not even considering the costs required to maintain diesel engines. However, diesel trucks generally do offer better resale value; which is a huge plus if you are leasing your truck.

Now, when it comes to power, there is no denying that diesel engines have more torque to give them the edge here. This is an advantage especially if using the truck for extensive towing or heavy duty hauling. These points and more are covered by the guys at TFLtruck.com. Check out this video 

TFLtruck.com Heavy Duty Gas or Diesel? Which Truck Is Best For You?

Whether you choose a diesel or gas powered truck, any of the Fleetwest service bodies will help to complete the ideal work truck. Fleetwest has a variety of steel and fiberglass service bodies that are a universal fit in most full size truck beds. These bodies will also help contribute with the resale value because of the no holes drilled installation. All service bodies are 100% transferable from one pickup truck bed to another even fully loaded. The Load'N'Go Security Top even has a flip top, fully removable, allowing the ability to adjust for larger load items.

Load'N'Go Security Top 

For more information, please visit our website www.fleetwest.net or call us toll-free in the U.S. at (866) 497-7200.

What Is The Lifecycle Of Your Fleet?

When should we replace our vehicles? This is an important question for any business owner or fleet manager. Service vehicles are your company assets and may need some long needed maintenance to extend its longevity, if not replacement. Maybe they lost their shine, are showing their age or just look tired. If it looks like they need some outer TLC, they probably need some servicing on the inside as well. 

How has your vehicle been performing? Take into consideration your vehicles performance history. Think of it like a health check for your fleet. It's important to review your vehicles expenditures. If you feel your maintenance costs are on the climb, you may consider doing a cost analysis. Lifecycle cost analysis is the key to optimal timing for vehicle replacement in fleets. 

According to Work Truck the following are recommendations on what to review:

• Interest cost for capital expenditures
• Inflation rate for adjusting lifecycle maintenance and operating costs
• Vehicle depreciation rate            
• Purchase cost of vehicle
• Estimated maintenance and operating costs

Load'N'Go Security Top by Fleetwest

Fleetwest can add years to the lifecycle of your service vehicle with a transferable service body. All of the units can be transferred off a retired pickup and placed into another pickup truck with a no-holes drilled installation. This creates a higher resell value for the pickup truck and your service body making it a huge asset to any fleet!  

To find out how to add years to your fleets’ lifecycle call (866)497-7200 or visit www.fleetwest.net

Transferable How?

Fleetwest is an innovative fleet solutions company specializing in transferable service bodies for pickup trucks. They offer both fiberglass composite and steel constructed transferable service bodies for standard pickup trucks. Fleetwest service bodies are designed to outlast multiple trucks and be a versatile solution through a universal truck fit design. A no holes drilled installation allows it to transfer from one truck to another in minutes. There are three ways you can transfer the service bodies on/off:

• Forklift
• Lifting Jacks
• Crane

The Load’N’Go steel service body has forklift tunnels built into every model and can be transferred from truck to truck while fully loaded. This saves valuable man hours and there is no downtime on the job site hunting for tools in a borrowed service vehicle.  The lifting jack method allows the service technician more flexibility in transferring the service body on the job site or at a remote location where a forklift might not be available.  Using a crane to transfer the service body is the quickest and easiest method, however this method does require additional lifting tubes. No matter which transfer option you use, the transferable truck body will add valuable flexibility and cost savings to your service fleet. 

For instructional videos please visit their You Tube page at https://www.youtube.com/user/Fleetwest1/videos.

Transferability changes everything!

Call a Fleetwest representative at (866) 497-7200 to discuss making your 

work truck transferable today!

Get Your Vehicle Summer Ready

Summer time is upon us. The hot summer sun, blowing dust and monsoons, combined with all the stop and go traffic, will really take a toll on your vehicle. Let’s not forget too, that you probably went all winter with probably doing very little or no maintenance. Regular vehicle maintenance not only reduces potential mechanical failures, but it increases the longevity and  resale value!

Here are some key things that should be checked:

• Air Conditioning- Should be inspected by a qualified technician and have the cabin air filter replaced.
• Cooling System- Should be flushed and refilled every 24 months. Never remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled! The condition and tightness of belts, clamps and hoses should also be checked by a professional.
• Oil- Change the oil and oil filter regularly every 3,000.
• Windshield Wipers- Replace worn wiper blades and fill windshield wiper fluid.
• Lights- Inspect all lights and bulbs and replace burned out bulbs.
• Tires- Check tire pressures once a month while they are cold. Don’t forget to check the spare as well and make sure the jack is in working order. Tires should be rotated about every 5,000 miles. Examine tires for tread life and uneven wearing which is a sign of poor alignment.
• Brakes- Should be inspected as recommended in your manual, or sooner if you notice noises, grabbing, rubbing or problems with stopping distance.
• Battery- Scrape away corrosion from posts and cable connections; clean all surfaces and re-tighten all connections. Check fluid levels on older batteries. Battery life is diminished in summer heat!
• Emergency Box- Carry some basic tools, first aid kit, flares and a flashlight for emergencies. Additional items, such as, a blanket, water, granola bars, mobile USB charger, duct tape and matches are always good to have on hand. You never know where or how long you can be stranded! 
  

Have a work truck? Get your work truck or fleet summer ready and store all your tools and emergency items in a Fleetwest Load'N'Go service body. Made from Heavy-Duty 16 ga. Steel yet still light enough to fit in 1/2 ton trucks. Call us toll-free in the U.S. for a quote today (866) 497-7200 

Elite Fleets

What is an Elite Fleet? Elite Fleet is an honorary title given to the top fleet in The 100 Best Fleets in the Americas program. Elite Fleets lead the way in innovative and efficient fleet management. This title brings recognition from neighboring fleets as well as national organizations. Once given this title, the fleets are ineligible to compete again for the next five years. The winners of The 100 Best Fleets are announced and awarded at the NAFA I&E. The following is the top 10 of the 2017 100 Best Fleet winners:

1.      City of Chesapeake, VA
2.      City of Bellevue, WA
3.      Alameda County, CA
4.     San Luis Obispo County, CA
5.     DeKalb County, GA
6.     City of Riverside, CA
7.     City of Durham, NC
8.     City of Tempe, AZ
9.     Hillsborough County, FL
10.    The University of Texas at Austin, TX

      Congratulations to our home town, the City of Tempe, for making the top ten!!

How does one become an Elite Fleet? Here are some tips from the experts, aka previous Best Fleet winners.

Maximize ROI

• Maximizing the vehicle return on investment can provide revenue for upfitting fleet vehicles or purchasing new, innovative fleet technologies.
• Having a large fleet means disposal of hundreds of vehicles annually. Creating a higher resale value can provide large savings.
• Vehicle ROI needs to be considered during initial truck acquisition.
• Small details such as adding a bed-liner to a pickup truck, tinting the windows in warmer climates, and picking a popular paint color such as white can increase resale value.
• Bolt-on truck bodies damage both the pickup truck and the service body itself. Fleetwest offer slip-on models that won’t damage the vehicle and are easily removed for a higher resale value and maximized ROI.

Rightsizing a Fleet

• Rightsizing a fleet can mean either increasing or decreasing the number of vehicles and drivers.
• Using vehicles utilization studies can help determine an accurate number of trucks with maximum utilization.
• Underused vehicles or equipment can be sold at auction to increase ROI.
• Integrating transferable truck bodies into a fleet provides more versatility and eliminates the need to purchase more pickup trucks. Load’N’Go truck bodies can be removed from one truck to another when needed if the pickup truck is in the shop or a technician is out.

Load'N'Go Open Bed by Fleetwest
(shown on optional jacks)

Vehicle Maintenance

• Many government fleets develop maintenance partnerships. This strategy works well for both the fleet and the partner because they can benefit from fleet services.
• Investing in durable and secure fleet vehicles and service bodies can reduce overall maintenance costs. Fleetwest service bodies are easily transferred from on pickup truck bed to another, fully loaded, when it comes time for vehicle maintenance. This reduces downtime which in turn saves money.

Durashell 175 by Fleetwest

Go Green

• Investing in a green fleet, when rightsizing or initially acquiring vehicles, initially saves money in fuel costs; and provides companies with an environmental stamp of approval.
• Some organizations have invested in hiring a green fleet coordinator to advise on the best way to incorporate environmental technology into a fleet.
• Goals can be set to reduce fleet petroleum fuel, carbon emissions, and overall environmental impact.
• Lightweight vehicles require less fuel and reduce carbon emissions. Durashell service bodies are made of a lightweight fiberglass composite and can reduce fuel costs to create a greener fleet.

Interested in creating an Elite Fleet of your own? Fleetwest can help with that! Call us for a quote today, toll-free in the U.S. (866) 497-7200 or visit www.fleetwest.net 

Accessories Make a Difference

Ladders and other long cargo items, such as pipes, can take up valuable storage space in a work truck. Simply adding a ladder rack to your service body makes a world of difference. It will optimize that storage space, create organization and make for a safer work environment.

Ladder Rack with Headache Rack shown on Load'N'Go Security Top

Benefits of adding a ladder rack:

• Ladder racks provide the best angle to secure loads. Placing ladders or long material on top of your service body frees up storage space inside for parts and expensive cargo and equipment.

• Accessibility is easier when ladders are securely stored on top of your work truck. Rather than moving tools and material to get to a ladder, simply take it down from atop.

• Road safety is increased when ladders are stored on top the length of a pickup truck. When ladders stick out from the back of vehicles, accidents are more likely to occur; creating expensive accident or insurance costs for you and/or your fleet.

• Easy accessibility to heavy materials, such as ladders, eliminates the risk of personal injury. Maneuvering heavy ladders can cause back injury. Having a secure ladder rack makes accessing these heavy materials easier and safer.

Fleetwest offers multiple styles from simple steel material racks to low profile hydraulic ladder racks. Hydraulic ladder racks further optimize convenience and security because of their drop-down feature that provides easier access to materials. Call toll free today at (866) 497-7200 for a quote on a ladder rack and Load’N’Go service body.

EUFMC is back in Williamsburg

It is time again for the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC). The EUFMC is set for this Saturday, June 4-7 at the Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center in Williamsburg, Virginia. This annual educational conference is for fleet representatives from electric utilities, cooperatives and contractors from more than 70 companies in the U.S., Canada and South America.

Collectively, these companies:

• Spend over $2.75 billion on vehicles annually

• Operate, manage and maintain nearly 150,000 vehicles and an additional 73,000

        pieces of equipment; that breaks down to around 93,000 trucks, more than 23,000

        bucket trucks and over 23,500 service vehicles.

• Employ more than 3,800 technicians and spend more than $1.3 billion on labor, 

        parts and fuel annually.

The EUFMC has a two-day General Session that is educational program based presentations to inspire excellence in utility fleet professionals. The remainder of the event consists of an Equipment Show and Equipment Demonstrations with more than 60 displays to explore. For information about EUFMC or how to register, visit http://www.eufmc.com/

The Load'N'Go by Fleetwest is the perfect fit to an electric utility fleet or independent contractor. The Security Top provides amble storage along with the needed security to protect your technicians tools. Call us toll-free in the U.S. (866) 497-7200 for a quote.