june2022 - 10

For that reason, fleets with urban routes may
need to re-evaluate their preventive maintenance
strategy.
" These fleets have more stop-and-go driving and
increased idle time, " said Meena Narahari, director
of total cost of ownership and uptime at Navistar,
which makes International trucks. " Delivery fleets
also deal with higher levels of traffic congestion
and can create more risk with weather-related
incidents. Drivers have to be more attentive to
avoid accidents and costly collisions. In this way,
technology is critical in helping customers be more
efficient with last-mile delivery. "
For instance, Navistar recently launched a
partnership with Nauto, a predictive vehicle safety
company that uses artificial intelligence and
camera technology to provide in-vehicle alerts
that help prevent collisions and encourage safer
driving. " This kind of technology is inexpensive
to install and has a compelling ROI for fleets, "
Narahari said.
Densely populated areas are also thin on open
space. " Urban routes can mean narrow streets,
tight corners, and unexpected obstacles, " said
Dayle Wetherell, VP of medium-duty sales at Mack
Trucks, which re-entered the Classes 6-7 markets
in 2020 with the Mack MD Series.
Looking to tire maintenance here will go a
long way. " Correct tire inflation will help ensure
better vehicle control while also increasing tire
life, " Wetherell said.
But safer driving is just one piece of the profitability
puzzle on an urban route. Fleet maintenance
teams must also remain on heightened
alert for malfunctioning vehicle systems and
excessive wear caused by the unique rigors of
urban environments.
» The Ram ProMaster's spacious cargo area
and lower load-in height make things easier
on drivers. Technicians can make things
easier, too, by making sure doors, lights, and
ADAS features are all functioning properly.
Photo: Ram CommercialTrucks
» Ford Pro's E-Transit is gaining popularity on
urban routes. With no engine oil to change
or transmission fluid to flush, scheduled
maintenance generally includes tire rotations,
cabin air filters, and brake fluid changes.
Photo: Ford Pro
Sowers continued. " The wear and tear per mile is
much higher on a city delivery vehicle. "
It's also important to note the rigors of urban
delivery will affect parts differently.
" While some of the components on these vehicles
suffer less wear than under normal conditions, such
as transmissions and differentials, other components
[face] three and four times the wear, such as
tires and brakes, " said Terry Rivers, VP of maintenance
and technical training at Cox Automotive
Mobility Fleet Services, which represents the unification
of Cox Automotive's Dickinson Fleet Services
and Interstate Truck Center brands.
" An eight-year-old vehicle with 70,000 miles
might have 5,000 engine hours on it, which would
be equivalent to roughly a quarter million miles
under a different drive cycle, " Rivers said. " Thus,
the severe-duty-cycle maintenance schedule is
required. In my 40-plus years of experience in
this industry, the severe-duty-cycle schedule is
rarely adhered to. "
Rivers pointed out that the severe-duty maintenance
schedules developed by the OEs have been
developed for a reason.
" The wear and tear on brake components is
Make high wear a high priority
One way to keep last-mile commercial vehicles
going is by stocking an ample inventory of highwear
items and being ready to replace them ahead
of schedule.
" Typical items to keep a regular eye on are
brakes, tires, fluid levels, liftgates, reefer units, and
mirrors, " explained Brian Tabel, executive director
of marketing at Isuzu Commercial Trucks of
America. " Look at the time a vehicle is being used
along with the mileage. You may have to move up
the maintenance based on time. "
10 Fleet Maintenance | June 2022
That is because a last-mile delivery vehicle is
placed under a lot of stress in a relatively short
amount of time. It's all about the duty cycle.
" The first thing a technician should think
is mileage accumulation, " said Dave
about
Sowers, head of marketing at Ram Commercial
Trucks. " Last-mile delivery vehicles will rack up
mileage pretty quickly, but not nearly as quickly
as an OTR truck. Technicians shouldn't let that
lower mileage fool them.
" What's important to realize is that within that
mileage accumulation is the cycling that happens, "
excessive with all of that stop-and-go, " Rivers
said. " The transmission rarely gets out of second
gear, while the rest of the transmission remains
in like-new condition. Thus, regular transmission
maintenance is required. But additionally,
the constant acceleration and deceleration cause
excessive exhaust back pressure and crankcase
pressure, which can contaminate the fresh air
intake components. "
A technician must keep a vigilant eye on all of
those maintenance items. Tire tread is another
one. " Slow-speed traffic and frequent turning can
lead to tread being scrubbed off on the road like
cheese on a grater, " Rivers explained. " This is one
of the top four pain points of fleets. Every scenario
is unique, with road surfaces and temperatures
playing a role in tire wear, which is why mileage
isn't always the best indicator. "
june2022

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