3/5/2010  Fuel Management Lost at Sea
By Glen Sokolis, Sokolis Group

Fuel Management might be lost at sea, but it hasn't gained any demand on land either. What are we talking about? For the last 18 months or so the volume of fuel being stored at sea on tankers had climbed rapidly. Last year we had almost 90 million barrels of crude oil or fleet fuel or heating oil floating around in this huge stockpile of extra volume.

That amount of fuel floating has declined to 43 million barrels, and we will probably see that number erode even more as in recent weeks freight rates have risen and the spread in the price gap between storing it at sea and selling it at a later date has become even greater to speculate. This fleet fuel sitting on a tanker ship waiting for the price to rise has been another energy speculation that has been going on for a while but several groups feel that this market is drying up. Even though the International Energy Agency expects a 1.8 percent growth in fuel demand in 2010, supply is still plentiful and spare capacity in oil producing countries remains high.....

3/4/2010  Drive Performance Using Key Indicators
By Tom Flies, Xata Corp.

We've all heard the old saying: you can't improve what you don't measure. Yet that is exactly what fleets are trying to do these days.

There are some questions that fleet managers should immediately know about their fleet:

* "What is your fleet's average idle time?"
* "What is MPG this month, compared to last month?"
* "Which customers get the most late deliveries; the most on-time deliveries?"

If these questions can't be answered, it is time to realize an immediate positive impact to the bottom line with key performance indicators (KPIs).

KPIs: Driving Performance the Data Way

KPIs are quantifiable measurements that drive fleet-and corporate-performance. Typically tied to an organization's goals, KPIs provide everyone in the organization with a clear picture of what success looks like. KPIs also clearly state what's going to be measured and how.....

2/12/2010  All Aboard: Getting Drivers on Board With In-Cab Technology
By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

In early December, two executives from Panther Expedited Services traded in their suits and ties to take up the job of Panther's owner-operators for a week, delivering freight in the Northeast. The goal of the exercise was not only to raise money for charity, but also to gain insight into the challenges facing their drivers - including in-cab technology.

Driving a Sprinter cargo van, Panther President and CEO Andrew Clarke and Chief Information Officer Ed Wadel had a chance to evaluate - from a driver's perspective - in-cab technology, which includes Qualcomm's OmniVision system.

Not all fleet executives have the chance to test in-cab technology in the field, and getting drivers on board with new technology can often be a challenge. Panther offers two days of technology training when a new owner-operator joins the fleet. According to Clarke, Panther tries to be sensitive to those who are not comfortable using the technology.

"We don't just say, 'hey, here's something brand new and everyone should use it and adopt it right away,'" he says.

While in-cab technology can provide improved communications and a return on investment for fleets, if drivers do not accept the technology, the benefits go out the window.....

2/10/2010  Lifelines: The Tools You Need to Prepare For CSA 2010
By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

In July, fleets across the country will be hit with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's new Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, or CSA 2010, which will completely redefine the way motor carriers must comply with regulations.

For Fleetmaster Express out of Roanoke, Va., unsafe and fatigued driving will be an issue, as these things will now be a focus of roadside inspections. For specialized hauler Pedowitz Machinery Movers in Branchburg, N.J., the concern will be cargo securement, another area that will be weighted according to its relationship to risk.

But the safety directors at these companies are not just sitting around waiting for doomsday to get here. They have taken it upon themselves to find helpful tools to prepare for CSA 2010.

Under the FMCSA's new system, six is the magic number, as a motor carrier's last six months of data will be rated the heaviest. That means fleets have the opportunity to get good data into the system in order to get a leg up before CSA 2010 kicks in. What happens now will affect your score come July.

Fleets that typically have not had to focus much on safety in the past are all of a sudden experiencing shellshock, as things that didn't hurt before, under SafeStat, will hurt them now. For example, 70 to 80 percent of the points accrued under CSA 2010 are tied to non-out-of-service violations, which were never included in SafeStat.....

2/9/2010  Oil Intelligence
Commentary by Steve Sturgess, Executive Editor

One of the more intriguing devices I have stumbled across at shows is the Intellistick. It is, as you may have already guessed from the name, an intelligent replacement for the humble dipstick.

It's an oil condition and temperature monitor, tracking additive depletion, increasing viscosity, but most importantly, instantly indicating the presence of water or coolant in the lube oil.

When I saw it I was impressed. After all, having the oil condition at your fingertips, so to speak, is a big plus for any machine, especially an internal combustion engine. But when I saw the price at around $500, I could see that the military-derived product would have some significant market objections. After all, you can get a lot of information from ongoing oil analysis at a fraction of the price.

Of course, you don't get the available instant contamination notice, which can be communicated from the truck to the back office in real time. That's information you need to act on immediately to avoid costly damage, especially if the truck has just had an oil change and has thousands of miles to run before the next change and analysis flags the coolant in the oil.....

2/5/2010  Fleet Fuel Prices: What are They Now?
By Glen Sokolis, Sokolis Group

How many of you forget something that you were going to do today, but you won't remember until tomorrow? I know everyone's hands would be raised if we were in a fleet fuel seminar. Do you remember where fleet fuel prices have been in the last couple of years?

Are you ready for the possible rising oil price storm that looks like it could hit your fleet fueling budget in 2010?

Let's take a step back and remind you where fleet fuel prices have been for both diesel fuel and gas. These are Department of Energy national averages, so they could be slightly higher or lower in your area. We have never been big fans of the DOE national average for fleet fuel. As one fuel expert once said to me, "It's like using a globe to find your house!"

Just 24 months ago, diesel fuel prices were $3.387 a gallon, while gas prices were $3.135 a gallon.

Twelve months ago diesel fuel prices were $2.299 a gallon, and gas prices were $1.72 a gallon.....

2/5/2010  Panel: Electronic Logging Technology Addresses Fleet Priorities
By Diana Britton, Managing Editor

According to Allan Lowry, director of safety at Central Refrigerated Service, there are three main priorities for a fleet: safety, service and retention. Electronic logging technology addresses every one of those priorities, Lowry said during a panel session at Qualcomm Enterprise Services' recent user conference in Coronado, Calif.

Lowry joined in on the discussion with some other fleets and a company driver to talk about their use of electronic on-board recorders. The general census was: so far, so good.

Safety

Lowry said the use of EOBRs in Central Refrigerated's fleet has made it much easier to look at every violation, identify risky drivers and take the appropriate actions, such as training drivers. The technology also helps log auditors because the log is much more legible. Central Refrigerated had the technology fully implemented by February 2009.....