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Get Prepared for the Year’s Busiest Driving Season

Summer is here and that means its time for the biggest, busiest driving season of the year.

As school lets out and work slows down, many Americans families take to the roads for everything from beach weekends to cross country trips. It isn’t just families taking to the roads more often. Commercial and industrial vehicles are also being driven more. This, coupled with the rising temperatures, leads to a lot of extra wear and tear on vehicles. That is why it’s important to ensure your vehicles are prepared.

“When preparing your vehicle for the summer, it’s important to think about how you will be utilizing the vehicle,” Jeff Cox, President of the Automotive Maintenance Repair Association (AMRA), said. “Are you going to take any road trips? If so, you will want to make sure components like your tires, battery and air conditioning are in good shape. Many local repair facilities perform comprehensive inspections and I highly recommend having one done prior to any road trip.”

While the impact of cold weather on motor vehicles is well documented, summer heat can be just as dangerous as winter chills. Most drivers would correctly assume cooling systems are heavily strained in hot weather, but few consider its impact on other components, like batteries.

“Hot weather can put a strain on your vehicle and one particular item is the battery,” Cox said. “Most people think of a cold winter day when their battery fails but it’s the heat that destroys the battery. The vehicle’s cooling system will be strained on hot summer days. Ensuring the cooling system is not leaking and filled with the correct type of coolant is a great way to ensure your vehicle doesn’t overheat. If you do notice a leak, take it to your local repair shop for a diagnosis.”

Maintenance is key in keeping vehicles running and there are steps owners can take to reduce breakdowns. While some maintenance can be taken care of at home, other tasks are better left in the hands of professionals.

“Owners who want to be proactive can check some items like tires and fluids on their own,” Cox said. “There are some item’s where it is best to leave to professionals. Having the battery tested or the A/C services should be left to someone how is certified to work on those systems especially with the complexity of today’s vehicles.”

The summer is also a busy season for auto shops and repair facilities. This can lead to additional business and serve as a great opportunity to attract new customers. However, owners must ensure they are ready to provide the best service they can.

“For shop owners, it’s important to be prepared for those first hot days,” Cox said. “Your customers are counting on you to get them where they want to go so ensuring your equipment is working properly and your staff is trained on the various system will help you move through the increased car count efficiently.”

The summer is always a busy season for driving, so planning ahead is critical. Preparation will go a long way in helping vehicle owners avoid breakdowns and auto shop owners better serve their customers.

“People who plan will be ahead of the rest,” Cox said. “If you are taking a summer road trip and want to have your vehicle inspected, don’t wait until a few days before you have it done so if your vehicle does need a repair prior, it can be accomplished prior to the trip.”

Takeaways from the 2019 NTEA Work Truck Show

The National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) hosted its annual Work Truck Show last week, March 5-8, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

While most tradeshows focus on innovation and new tech in passenger cars, the Work Truck Show caters exclusively to heavy duty vehicles used in a wide range of jobs. While the focus is a little different, this year’s Work Truck Show focused on some of the same issues that have also been hot topics for passenger car enthusiasts. Here are the top takeaways from the 2019 NTEA Work Truck Show:

Electricity and Green Trucks – Several manufacturers displayed new electric models at the show, while the NTEA hosted a green truck panel focused on the long-term goal of zero emission work vehicles. Freightliner brought its eM2 Class 7, a medium duty electric truck, a vehicle set for production in 2021. Fuso also brought the latest version of its eCanter truck, an electric vehicle designed for short term hauling in urban environments, while Spartan Motors introduced two electric vehicles of their own. While many believe we ar a long way from fully electrified fleets, it’s clear that heavy duty vehicle manufacturers have taken interest in the technology.

Diesel Still Rules – Electric trucks may be the future, but its clear diesel trucks aren’t going away any time soon. A majority of the trucks at this year’s show were diesel powered, including Navistar’s new International CV Class 4 and Class 5. Fuso, Isuzu, Ford, Nissan and several other manufacturers presented one or several new diesel vehicles.

Ford Fills Out its Lineup – Ford introduced a new F-600, a smaller, scaled down version of its F-650 chassis. The American automaker is the only company that produces a full line of trucks, from its F-150 all the way up through its F-750. Other American automakers also announced changes to their lineups, as Chrysler debuted commercial versions of its heavy-duty Ram pickup trucks and chassis cabs.

Inside the Cabin – Many of the automakers that presented showed off improved interior trims, onboard computers and other safety tech. The aforementioned Ram Heavy Duty trucks will include new and improved informational displays at all trim levels. Preco Electronics also announced updates to it’s blind spot platform Side Defender, adding new audio and visual alerts and improving its lane change assist feature.

California to Transition to 100 Percent Zero-Emission Busses by 2040

California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) released a statement saying the state will transition to 100 percent zero-emission busses for its public fleets by 2040.

According to reports, the state currently has 153 zero-emission busses as part of its various fleets, with the goal of having more than 1,000 by the end of 2020. The Innovative Clean Transit would aim to replace 12,000 diesel busses currently in service throughout the state. The regulation will require all busses purchased after 2029 to be electric.

According to a press release by CARB, the initiative will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 19 million metric tons from 2020 to 2050. They also claim transit agencies in the state would save $1.5 billion in maintenance and fuel costs.