Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/699972
48 commercial carrier journal | july 2016 A s more carriers regionalize their delivery patterns, many of them are re-evaluating their need for larger sleeper tractors. In some cases, the flexibility offered by a bigger sleeper makes sense. But to other customers, the efficiency gains from smaller, lighter trucks are hard to ignore. "Over the last five years or so, we've seen a more pronounced shift en- tirely away from any size of sleeper to day cabs," says Scott Perry, Ryder's vice president of supply management and global product management. "We've seen development of more regional-based delivery operations where a driver can work a shift and then go home. This is more a function of driver lifestyle qual- ity and the ability to recruit and retain drivers versus operations where sleepers and multiday dispatches were previously the norm." Koester says Ford's heaviest Super Duty and its 6.7-liter diesel engine already has begun to carve a niche in several applications, including bever- age delivery, moving companies and car haulers. "The guys who actually haul [Ford's fleet cars], we put two tractors with them, and they're running five-car haul- ers with them," he says. "They're going across the country, up and down through the mountains, and it's working great for them." Anthony Gansle, Peterbilt's on-high- way marketing manager, says the shift toward smaller trucks is what led the company to develop a 58-inch sleeper last year. "There is certainly a measurable trend toward fleets wanting the flexibility to spec trucks with smaller sleepers to accommodate more regional routes and new logistical strategies," Gansle says. "Our customers wanted the same Peterbilt quality, comfort and amenities drivers expect but in a smaller sleeper size, and the 58-inch sleeper length has been received very well." Even smaller-class size OEMs are eye- ing traditional Class 8 customers. Kevin Koester, Ford's medium-duty truck and Super Duty fleet brand manager, says his company has targeted fleets looking to get smaller with its F-650 and F-750 Super Duty models. A nontraditional player in the tractor space, the company has successfully converted customers looking for smaller, lighter haulers once they climb into its cabs, Koester says. "For the tractor guys, we just need Lighter trucks, powerplants have their place – but do your research first BY JASON CANNON