Freight Efficiency with NACFE‘s Mike Roeth & Friends

Tim Reeser, CEO and co-founder of Lightning eMotors, talks about the company’s history, how and why it pivoted from hybrid vehicles to electric vehicles, drivers’ role in the success of new technology, the efficiency of EVs, the importance of scaling the technology to make the TCO story work and what it will take to scale the technology.

George Miller, director of sales at BYD, talks about BYD’s relationship with Anheuser-Busch, their experience in Run on Less – Electric and what it is about beverage hauling that makes it a good fit for EVs. He also shares his thoughts on bi-directional charging, the need for standardization, the role of utilities in the successful deployment of EVs, the lessons the US and Canada can learn from China and the importance of battery recycling.

Rob Ulsh, vice president of dealer and international sales at Great Dane, talks about why trailers are more than boxes on wheels, dealing with the ups and downs of trailer demand, new trailer designs, and how data and electrification are impacting trailer development. He also shares his thoughts on the role trailers will play in trucking in the future and on what he thinks people need to know about trailers.

Randy Cornell, vice president of maintenance and asset management at CFI, talks about the diversification of CFI, the perennial driver shortage, things that have changed since he started his career, why CFI has short trade cycles, and the best way to bring new technology into a fleet. He also shares his thoughts on alternative fueled vehicles which he said are in the company’s future.

Jim Sharkey, vice president of global sales and marketing at Pressure Systems International, talks about the evolution of automatic tire inflation systems, the importance of company culture, PSI’s involvement in industry organizations, and the company's opinion on the GHG Phase 2 regulations. He also shares his opinion on some of the new technologies like EVs and AVs and says one barrier to their adoption is having enough trained technicians.

Avra Brahma, principal engineer at Locomation, shares his thoughts on human-guided autonomy and explains why it is the most practical approach. He also talks about autonomous convoys, why AVs are a feasible near-term opportunity to reduce emissions and improve the quality of life for drivers, the challenges of reliability and robustness of AVs and how AVs merge with a variety of powertrain options.

Selda Gunsel, president, Shell Global Solutions and vice president, Global Lubricants and Fuels, shares her thoughts on the power of technology to change the world and improve the quality of life and the need to work on multiple solutions in transportation to increase the efficiency of today’s products while developing products for the future. She also talks about the need for innovation, collaboration, and partnership to tackle the climate challenge and Shell’s short- and long-term plans for the trucking industry.

Todd Mouw, president of Roush CleanTech, talks about what the company learned from its experience with propane and natural gas, Roush’s role as an integrator, why application and duty cycle matter when selecting the powertrain, the need to focus on the entire ecosystem when it comes to electrification, and the importance of having a trusted partner that separate fact from fiction when it comes to new technology.

Taki Darakos, vice president of maintenance at Pitt Ohio, talks about what the fleet is doing to create new pipelines for drivers and technicians through apprenticeship programs, what causes the company to embrace new technology, the ease of the integration and roll out of safety technology, the harder journey to electrification and he reminds us that with any technology it still is about moving freight.

Scott Sutarik, vice president, commercial vehicle solutions at Geotab, talks about what keeps him in trucking, the insights that can be gotten from data, how data challenges the notions of what we think we know, how to leverage information to turn it into actionable data that allows you to solve problems, the company’s role in NACFE’s Run on Less events – which have provided detailed proof of what is happening in the real world with fleets – and the importance of continuing to push boundaries and being innovative.