In the age of convenience where everything is delivered, even commercial vehicle maintenance comes on wheels. But why would a shop decide to go mobile? In this episode John Hitch interviews Kevin and Kyle Coltrain, who just launched Coltrain Onsite Fleet Care earlier this year. The brothers are drawing on their family's maintenance and football roots to run their company like a winning team.

To reach 125 years, trailer manufacturer Great Dane continually adapted and innovated to remain a leader in the transportation space—and kept focused “on the right thing,” as its leaders would say.

In this episode, President and COO Rick Mullininx and EVP of Sales Chris Hammond highlight the company's history, key milestones, and future vision.

Listen to the interview on this week's episode of The Fleet Lead podcast below or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorite podcast app.

00:45 - From blow pipes to trailer manufacturing

01:53 - The pivotal 1997 Crown family acquisition

02:32 - Challenging times in the 1980s

03:11 - During COVID, drawing inspiration from World War II efforts

05:33 - Safety as a core company value

06:44 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution, future innovations

The Fleet Lead’s team of transportation experts break down some of the industry’s hottest topics today: re-shoring manufacturing, trucking’s overcapacity problem, English proficiency requirements, and emissions regulations.

The roundtable hosted five editors from major trucking brands:

• Josh Fisher, Editor-in-Chief, FleetOwner
• Jason McDaniel, Editor, Bulk Transporter
• Jeremy Wolfe, Editor, FleetOwner
• Kevin Jones, Editorial Director, Trailer Body Builders
• John Hitch, Editor-in-Chief, Fleet Maintenance

Another trucking software company has launched a product that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI). PCS Software unveiled several new offerings that use Cortex AI to automate tasks, from assigning drivers to finding loads.

Mark Hill, PCS Software’s CEO, sat down with FleetOwner to share how he thinks solutions like these can support small- to mid-sized carriers.

“They’ve done all the right things. These guys, they’ve cut where they need to cut. They’ve extended the life of their assets, and they’re out there talking with customers,” Hill said. “We need to help them by showing them new areas that they can get profit points.”

The electric truck market faces big changes this year. State and federal incentives are dissipating in the wake of the Trump administration's disruptions.

In this episode, FleetOwner interviews, ACT Research analysts Lydia Vieth and Ann Rundle. Vieth and Rundle explain the current market and regulations, as well as their projections for future electric truck adoption, battery technologies, and beyond.

Tanker trucks are often easy to identify: a tractor hauling a metal cylinder to transport liquid or gas cargo in bulk. But what else separates them from the other tractor-trailers on the road?

In this episode, Jason McDaniel, editor of Bulk Transporter, gives a digestible run-down on tank trucks: their designs, safety regulations, cargo, and more. Jason’s explainer is based on the Fleets Explained series on FleetOwner.

Trailer/Body Builders is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its Buyer’s Guide—an annual complete directory of materials, components, supplies, and services for the trailer and body manufacturing industries.

The Buyer’s Guide is a massive print product: it contains 800 product categories and nearly 5,500 company listings. A former TBB publisher would judge the success of each new issue by dropping it on the floor to hear the “thump” it made.

While many publications have moved away from print, TBB is still a print-first publication. A search bot might save you 10 seconds, but a reliable, physical directory can serve the reader and manufacturer better.

Countless commercial electric vehicle (EV) initiatives in the U.S. have either failed or stalled. Despite this, manufacturers still plan to succeed and grow where others failed. Zero-emission truck manufacturer ZM Trucks opened its first truck assembly plant in Inland Empire, California, in late August. The company constructed the plant in only 88 weeks and plans to sell as many as 1,200 zero-emission trucks next year. Joost de Vries, CEO of ZM Trucks, emphasized the importance of total cost of ownership and return on investment (ROI) for fleet managers, regardless of emissions. “Customers are starting to understand that there is an ROI if you go electric,” he told FleetOwner during the company’s plant opening. “It has nothing to do with the environment.”