The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is seeking help from Technology & Maintenance Council members, trucking operators and fleet managers nationwide to participate in a survey to better understand
the apparent increase in truck fires.
During the last few meetings of ATA's Technology and Engineering Policy Committee and its Technical Advisory Group, members have expressed concern that the incidence of truck fires is growing. Some attribute this phenomenon to the increased emissions requirements that are raising operating temperatures and others speculate that a contributing cause is the increased use of accessories especially those with sleeper cabs, such as TVs, computers, microwave ovens, heating and cooling devices, APUs and battery packs .
"Data has been difficult to find and most often it doesn't show a big picture," said Brian Routhier, ATA automotive engineer. "To gather accurate data, ATA is asking for your participation in a survey to collect real-world information from member's personal experiences."
Survey responses will be kept confidential and only aggregate data will be shared. The link to the online survey is at www. truckline.com/truckfiresurvey . Or contact Brian Routhier at (703) 838-7933, or brouthier@trucking.org.