While the basic principles of Ohm’s Law haven’t changed, the architecture of a truck’s electrical system certainly has. Are fleets doing enough to keep their technicians ahead of the rapidly steepening technology adoption curve? Our guest on this episode of HDT Talks Trucking is Larry Rambeaux, a sales application engineer at Purkeys Fleet Electric in Rogers, Arkansas. He worries truck fleets could face a skills deficit as truck electrical systems grow ever more complex. Larry discusses some of the weaknesses in basic electrical maintenance and provides a few tips to help fleets keep the lights on now and into the future.

Multimeter Training at Purkeys’ Support & Training Resources

HDT: What 24- or 48-Volt Electrical Systems Could Mean for Trucking

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Cruising down the highway at 900 rpm takes a bit of getting used to. Some drivers don’t like the way the truck feels, while others can’t get used to the way it sounds. And there are some drivers who  don’t quite understand the relationship between engine torque and engine speed. There are proven fuel economy benefits to downsped engines, but drivers who drive those trucks the old-fashioned way are missing out. Jamie Hagen of Hell Bent Xpress in Aberdeen, South Dakota – an expert on the gear-fast, run-slow concept – explains how downspeeding works and shares his experience learning to love trucking at 900 rpm. For our fleet listeners, this is an episode you may want to pass along to your drivers.

Hell Bent Xpress

Hell Bent Xpress/Facebook

HDT: Downspeeding Backgrounder

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It’s going to take a lot more than better aerodynamics and low-rolling resistance tires to meet the EPA’s next round of emissions reductions for heavy trucks. Trucks from model-year 2021 are included in the rulemaking. All the OEMs met those requirements handily, and vehicle owners hardly noticed. That probably won’t be the case in 2024 and we will certainly notice the changes needed to meet the 2027 standards. Joining me in this episode of HDT Talks Trucking to explain what these advanced technologies are and how they work is Dr. Mihai Dorobantu, the Eaton Vehicle Group’s director of Technology Planning and Government Affairs.

Eaton Commercial vehicles: Planning for new CO2 and NOx emission regulations

HDT: How GHG Phase 2 Will Change the Way You Spec Trucks

HDT: Eaton Looks to Advanced Engine Technology to Combat Emissions

Dr. Mihai Dorobantu on LinkedIn

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Volvo Trucks has committed to decarbonizing its share of the road transport system by 2050 using hydrogen fuel cells alongside battery-electric vehicles and biofuel- or possibly hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. The Volvo group sees battery-electric and fuel-cell-electric trucks as complementary rather than competitive, depending on the individual customer use case. Volvo believes battery-power will likely dominate the lower cargo weight classes in smaller trucks over shorter distances, while fuel-cell power will do the heavy lifting in long-haul applications. In this episode, Volvo Group's chief technology officer, Lars Stenqvist, explains how Volvo plans to achieve fossil-fuel-freedom by 2050.

cellcentric - A Daimler Truck & Volvo Group Company

HDT: Daimler, Volvo Form Fuel-Cell Truck Joint Venture

HDT: Europe's Zero Emissions Conundrum

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The market for battery- or fuel-cell-electric trucks is still in its infancy. It could be another 10-15 years before production and deployment numbers achieve a critical mass where scale begins to provide significant cost reductions. In the meantime, subsidies and incentives will keep the industry moving forward while the electrical infrastructure is built out and new efficiencies are realized in battery design and execution. Joining me on this episode to talk about the road to an electric future are Jeremy Frenznick, Dana's senior director of commercial vehicle engineering, and Beyza Sarioglu, Dana's senior director of strategy and business planning for commercial vehicles.

Dana e-Mobility 

Dana/TM4 

NACFE Electric Truck Guidance Report 

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The most recent update to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Hours of Service regulations went live September 29, 2020. They were two years in the making, and the changes came only after years of drivers asking for a bit more flexibility in how they manage their time. Did FMCSA get it right this time? To answer that question, we have Jerad Childress of Childress Law PLLC and Truck Safe Consulting along with Chris Woody, the safety manager at M&W Logistics of Nashville. Jerad explains the legal nuances of the changes while Chris shares his real-world perspective.

Trucksafe Consulting 

Childress Law PLLC 

M&W Logistics 

HDT: Safety Advocates, Teamsters Challenge Hours of Service Changes

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Trucking's response to a crisis often tends to be reactive and defensive. That can leave a carrier on its back-foot when trying to defend a claim in court. It's not that we're not good at defending ourselves, it's that plaintiff's attorneys are better; they are often better organized and prepared, and they are better funded. Can trucking level that playing field and start fighting back? Brendan Dawson thinks we can. In fact, he thinks we must. He's an entrepreneur, a risk manager and a former fleet manager. He's also the founder and CEO of Accident Plan and he's the organizer of the Trucking Defense Network. Brendan describe the challenge ahead for trucking and proposes some first steps toward resolving the insurance crisis.

Accident plan 

Trucking Defense Network 

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Autonomous truck teaching and testing is in full swing now, with close to a dozen companies in the game right now. One company, Locomation, says it can commercialize the technology faster by letting human drivers do some of the heavy lifting, while smoothing out the learning curve for the AI system. This, according to Locomation's co-founder and CEO, Dr. Çetin Meriçli, will more quickly transition the company from a research entity to a profitable business. Dr. Meriçli explains why his company is taking a different approach to AI development and how he sees the technology eventually coming to market.

Locomation 

HDT Story about Locomation  

Locomation & Wilson Logistics 

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Aftertreatment systems remain the source of much confusion and frustration for fleets and drivers alike. In this episode we discuss some of the problems that arise from lack of maintenance and a general lack of understanding of how the systems function. Our guests bring nearly three decades of combined experience cleaning and servicing aftertreatment systems. Steve Hoke, president, of Diesel Emissions Service in Redding, California and DES's warranty and training manager, Steve "Junior" Stratton, help us make sense of the systems, explain what can go wrong with them, and reveal how to look after them.

Diesel Emissions Service

FilterTherm

HDT: A New Approach to DPF Maintenance

HDT: What You Should Know About Aftertreatment System Maintenance

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Season 6 of HDT Talks Trucking digs into bunch of hot-button issues, from aftertreatment system maintenance -- a perennial headache for fleets, to managing litigation costs resulting from accidents. We also have a fresh look at the burgeoning electric truck market. How soon will battery-powered trucks hit the mainstream? Automated trucks and Hours of Service are on deck too. We talk with an AI developer with double vision, and we ask the age-old question, are the new HOS rules working for carriers and drivers? And HDT Talks Trucking gets political with a look ahead at what the Biden administration means for trucking.

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