July_2021 - 44

TMC Special Section
SESSIONS AND SPECIAL FEATURES
Educational sessions
TECHNICAL SESSIONS
The Great Debate - The Future
of Tractor-Trailer Connectivity
and Communications
Technical Session 2
Wednesday, September
15 - 2:30-4 PM
Rapid technological advances
are driving manufacturers and
suppliers to developing a myriad
of systems for next generation
combination vehicles that promise
to improve safety, maintenance,
reliability, and readiness. Smart
trailers and telematics are completely
changing the way trailing
vehicles are being spec'd, and
the trend will only continue
to escalate in the future.
Add to this the industry's move
toward electric vehicles, platooning,
and automated and autonomous
truck technologies and it
becomes clear the current data
bus and communication systems
onboard commercial vehicles
will not be up to the demands of
tomorrow's units. Higher voltages
and greater communications
bandwidth will be a necessity for
these cutting-edge systems.
But what is the right solution
for fleets?
When antilock braking systems
were reintroduced to industry in
the 1990s after a disastrous first
go-round in the 1970s, government
regulators and some manufacturers
were keen on doubling the
connections between tractor and
trailer to increase capacity for
other systems. But most fleets
at the time objected, questioning
the value of adding a second
connector and cable when the
costs of maintaining the industry
standard seven-pin connector
were troublesome enough. From
this dissatisfaction emerged
the PLC4Trucks solution, which
preserved the single connector/
cable arrangement and helped
contain maintenance costs, especially
those caused by corrosion.
Now the industry is revisiting
the future of tractor-trailer connectivity
and communications
and the great debate is this: Do
we need additional cables and
connectors or are there other
solutions that can do the job with
less maintenance concerns?
This session will be organized in a
classical debate format between
opposing points of view on this
central question. Audience mem44
Fleet Maintenance | July 2021
STUDY GROUP SESSIONS
bers will be able to pass judgment
on the arguments presented
by both sides. This is a session
you will not want to miss.
Electrified Vehicle Specifications
and What's Important (Batteries,
Motors, Energy Efficiency, Duty
Cycle, & Range Capability)
Technical Session 1
Tuesday, September
14 - 8:30-10 AM
Electric powertrains are fast coming
to the medium- and heavy-duty
Class 5-8 markets, spurred on by
state and federal regulators' interest
in reducing emissions and fleet
interest in meeting customer-driven
social, regulatory and sustainability
goals. Is your operation ready for
this technological revolution?
Commercial vehicle industry leaders
have been closely watching
developments in California that
are driving adoption of all-electric
powertrains. In 2020, the California
Air Resources Board (CARB) updated
its policy on the percentage of
Class 7-8 zero-emission vehicle
(ZEV) sales in the state, raising its
mandated target from three to
five percent by 2024. By 2030, that
mandate will rise to 30 percent,
double the state's original target.
Nearly all of the major manufacturers
and some newcomers to trucking
have either announced plans
to sell or are actively taking orders
now to sell commercial electric
trucks. By 2021, the major vehicle
manufacturers are expected to
deliver electric units in albeit small
volumes as compared to their conventional
offers, but the numbers
are expected to grow. These will
join a short list of suppliers such as
Lion Electric that are already producing
units for commercial use.
Spec'ing electric trucks will be quite
different than spec'ing their diesel
counterparts. Fleet managers will
have to take a fresh look at what is
important in setting specifications,
especially when it comes to batteries,
motors, energy efficiency,
duty cycles, and range capability.
Attend this session and hear
from our expert panel what your
operation needs to know when
venturing into the brave new world
of electric vehicle specification.
Electrification is Coming ... Are
You Plugged in? Infrastructure
Development and Factors
Fleets Need to Consider
S.18 Automated & Electric
Vehicles Study Group
Tuesday, September
14 - 3:15-4:45 PM
Vehicle electrification is coming
and sooner than you may think.
As noted in the description of
our full technical session- " Electrified
Vehicle Specifications and
What's Important (Batteries,
Motors. Energy Efficiency, Duty
Cycle, & Range Capability) " -many
manufacturers will be delivering
all-electric offerings as early
as 2021, and fleets will have to
deal with the special nuances
associated with these units.
How will electric vehicles be
recharged and how fast? What
will be the power requirements
for the charging stations that
will need to be installed at fleet
locations and fueling stations
on the road? What will the configuration
be for those charging
stations-vehicle side (left/right),
vehicle front, or something else?
Then there are the changes
that will come to the shop
environment when servicing
these new vehicles. How will
preventive maintenance change
and what additional training
will your technicians need?
Attend this session and learn
what fleets will need to do to
prepare for all-electric vehicle
infrastructure and other factors
associated with taking delivery
of these revolutionary trucks.
Accelerating Advancements in
ADAS: Ongoing Progress with
FMCSA's Tech-Celerate Now
S.5 Fleet Maintenance
Management
Tuesday, September 14
- 5-6:30 PM
Advanced Driver Assistance
Systems (ADAS) can help drivers
avoid crashes, whether
they result from driver error or
from circumstances outside the
driver's control, such as sudden
intrusions into the driver's lane
(e.g., road hazards and other
vehicles). ADAS technologies are
especially helpful for avoiding or
mitigating the impact of rear-end
crashes, which represent nearly
half of all two-vehicle crashes.
These technologies improve a
driver's view of the roadway, alert
drivers to impending danger ahead
of or on the side of the vehicle,
maintain safe travel distances
between vehicles, and warn drivers
if they perform a maneuver that
could increase the risk of a crash
(such as abrupt lane changes).
Some systems even initiate braking
if drivers don't (or can't).
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration's (FMCSA) new
initiative in partnership with the
Intelligent Transportation Systems
(ITS) Joint Program Office-entitled
" Tech-Celerate Now " -is focused
on accelerating the adoption of
ADAS by the trucking industry to
reduce fatalities and prevent injuries
and crashes. Many industry
leaders are working together on
the " Tech-Celerate Now " Program,
under the leadership of the
American Transportation Research
Institute (ATRI), the American
Trucking Associations (ATA),
ATA's Technology & Maintenance
Council (TMC), and the OwnerOperator
Independent Drivers
Association (OOIDA) Foundation.
TMC task forces are working to
develop recommended practices
in support of this program in
the areas of technician training,
nomenclature standardization,
specifications, and inspection/
enforcement. Attend this session
and learn about the current and
future trends for ADAS technology
and what developments
your operation can expect now
and in the near future. We will
hear from veteran and new fleet
users and designers of ADAS
technology. There will also be
the opportunity to test your
knowledge on ADAS through a
special interactive segment.
How to Spec Trucks in
2022 and Beyond
S.3 Engine Study Group
Tuesday, September
14 - 5-6:30 PM
Spec'ing commercial vehicles
has changed dramatically since
the turn of the century, and even
more substantial changes are
yet to come. Is your operation
ready for the next shakeup?
While electric vehicles are gaining
much media attention these days,
it is a safe bet that diesel-powered
trucks and tractors will be with us
for many years to come in North
America. However, the way next
generation units are spec'd will definitely
differ from today's models.
July_2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July_2021
