Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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24 commercial carrier journal | may 2018 Workhorse set to deploy all-electric N-Gen van fleet W orkhorse announced it is deploying a fleet of all-elec- tric zero-emissions N-Gen cargo vans this month in San Francisco through a partnership with Ryder, which serves as the exclusive maintenance provider for Workhorse's North American light- and medium-duty range-extended electric vehicle fleet. "is deployment is the first step toward transitioning the largest-growing segment in the truck business into a zero-emissions stronghold," said Duane Hughes, Workhorse president and chief operating officer. e N-Gen cargo vans feature an ultra-low floor and a high roof built to improve worker efficiency and reduce physical stress on the knees and back while also maximizing cargo space. Ryder will support the electric vehicles with a combination of warranty and maintenance services as part of its Ryder SelectCare fleet maintenance portfolio. Ryder offers a net- work of 800 maintenance facilities across North America to support the Workhorse electric vehicle fleet. e all-wheel-drive N-Gen vans are engineered for fast- charging capabilities and a 100-mile all-electric range. Work- horse's built-in Metron telematics system tracks all parame- ters in real time to optimize performance and efficiency. Design options include a collision avoidance system, au- tomatic braking, lane-centering warning and the company's HorseFly unmanned package-delivery drone. Ryder also helped develop Workhorse's larger E-Gen electric range-extended step-van chassis equipped with a Morgan Olsen body. – Jason Cannon Ryder debuts truck, asset sharing platform R yder announced a new asset sharing platform, Coop By Ryder, offering businesses the opportunity to list and rent underutilized commercial vehicles within a network of peers. Coop launched in January an initial market release in the Atlanta metro area with a group of more than 100 fleet owners. Based on feedback from the initial market launch, Coop plans a full rollout to the Atlanta market in April, with several other major markets anticipated in 2019. "Seasonal and cyclical truck shortages, coupled with fleets' excess and unused capacity, demonstrate the benefit of having a technology like Coop available in the marketplace," said Robert Sanchez, Ryder chairman and chief executive officer. Ryder telematics data suggests about 25 percent of the more than 8 million commercial vehicles on U.S. roads today regularly sit idle for more than one day a week, ex- cluding weekends. Sanchez said a 26-foot straight truck traveling 100 miles per day could generate lenders up to $3,300 per month. Through Coop, fleet owners list vehicles on the digital platform, set vehicle availability for idle periods and receive automated payments. Business owners seeking vehicles can search the platform by location for available vehicles, including vans, trucks, tractors and trailers, and pick up the vehicle from the listed location. Ryder said all Coop users are vetted to ensure they comply with safety and reliability standards. Payment is automated and immediate upon the return of the vehicle. Each transaction is covered by physical damage insurance and a $1 million liability policy and includes 24/7 roadside assistance. At the close of each transaction, Coop lenders and borrowers will have the opportunity to rate one another, helping ensure accountability and trust among users. Coop currently is a mobile-optimized website and is anticipated to be available as a mobile application to both Android and iOS users in the fourth quarter of 2018. – Jason Cannon Workhorse's N-Gen cargo vans feature an ultra-low floor and a high roof built to improve worker efficiency and maximize cargo space. Through Coop By Ryder, fleet owners list vehicles on the digital plat- form, set vehi- cle availability for idle periods and receive automated payments.