Improve Fleet Safety with Anti-Distracted Driving Tech
By Lillian Holder, Marketing Manager, NoCell Technologies, LLC
It’s no secret that distracted driving is deadly. Every day, about eight people in the United States are killed in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. That’s 2,920 lives lost each year. Startling numbers, and yet cell phone use continues to be one of the leading causes of distracted driving.
And truck drivers are not exempt. Research commissioned by FMCSA shows that the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event (e.g., crash, near-crash, unintentional lane deviation) are six times greater for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who engage in dialing a mobile phone while driving than for those who do not.
While most of today’s fleets recognize the dangers of cellphones and prohibit the use of them while behind the wheel, it can be difficult to manage without proactive measures in place. It’s akin to playing a game of chance, but with no winners.
Can Your EV Power Your House?
March 26, 2022 - The upcoming F-150 Lightning and its Intelligent Backup Power capability will allow owners to keep the lights on at home should there be an electric-power interruption.
Plugging a Lightning into your home requires the 19.2-kW Ford Charge Station Pro, which comes standard on extended-range models and costs extra on base models. Depending on how much electricity you use, even the Lightning's standard-range battery could power your house for about three days.
The Home Integration System takes the high-current DC from the Charge Station Pro and converts it into usable AC power. It connects between your utility power meter and your main power panel and disconnects your house from the power grid whenever it's in use.
Holman Unifies Its Seven Automotive Businesses Under a Single Global Brand
The organization and its integrated automotive service divisions are now simply Holman
Holman Enterprises announced today the company has unified its various business divisions and companies under a new, singular global brand, Now the organization’s seven integrated companies – Holman Automotive, ARI, Auto Truck Group, Kargo Master, Holman Parts Distribution, Holman Insurance, and Holman Growth Ventures – will come together to continue Driving What’s Right as Holman.
“As Holman nears its 100th year in business, we’ve reached a turning point in our evolution as a company,” said Chris Conroy, president and chief operating officer, Holman.
FedEx is Testing Electric Carts For Last-Mile Delivery in Big U.S. and Canadian Cities
Photo: BrightDrop
March 25, 2022 - FedEx plans to test electric carts to make deliveries on its signature Express routes in 10 U.S. and Canadian cities with hopes to help address a major challenge it faces in every big city it serves: lack of parking.
E-commerce sales grew 86% over prepandemic levels in February. But the number of parking spots and loading zones remained largely the same in New York City and Toronto, where the global carrier has been testing the EP1 electric cart made by General Motors’ BrightDrop.
FedEx is encouraged by the early results from its pilot program. By deploying a truck of the electric carts and by getting couriers to their routes in a separate passenger van, the company estimates it can reduce the use of trucks on each route by as much 25% per day.
Ford Thinks Its New EVs Are the Perfect Place to Take a Meeting
March 22, 2022 - As cars get more connected and infotainment systems are increasingly becoming a key selling point, we're starting to see automakers imagine new ways for owners to use their vehicles.
Ford now envisages its EVs as mobile offices and has collaborated with Cisco in order to make its electric vehicles the ideal place to take a meeting when out on the road. While there's nothing stopping the technology from being used in conventional vehicles, Ford is making a particular effort to integrate Cisco's Webex meeting technology in its next-generation lineup of EVs.
"We don't see why people wouldn't be using their vehicles as a fantastic quality office, to be able to collaborate together," said Darren Palmer, Vice President of Ford's Electric Vehicle Programs.
via The Drive
