What Fleets Are Saying
Chad Johnson, vp vehicle maintenance, Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Des Moines, Iowa
Ruan, which leases out close to 10,000 power units, would like to avoid exhaust gas recirculation, but like anyone else who buys trucks, it probably can't, says Johnson.
"Our main concerns are cost, fuel economy, reliability and service intervals" with EGR diesels, he says. "On service, we are cutting edge, but from what we hear we may have to pull in our horns a bit" on oil drain intervals.
Depending on application, these are as long as 40,000 miles for big-block diesels, such as Cummins N14, ISX and M11/ISM. EGR-equipped diesels may require more frequent oil drains, which would complicate maintenance procedures, especially because they are also tied to 60-, 90- or 120-day servicing. Ruan has about 5,000 Cummins diesels.
On acquisition cost, "we expect there will be a price difference, but we don't know what it is," Johnson continues. "We have seen figures out there, but they are from third parties who don't really know what they're talking about," and the builders aren't saying.
Ruan also has about 500 Mack and 600 Caterpillar diesels among various truck makes. He has seen the stories about EPA's proposed fines of up to $10,000 for each non-compliant Cat engine, "we're watching that very closely. Will we be able to get those engines, and if we can, can we afford those engines? Because somehow that cost has to be paid."
Ruan usually buys trucks according to its leasing customers' wishes and on their timetables, so is not as free to alter equipment specifications and acquisitions as a for-hire carrier or private fleet might be, Johnson says. Agreed-on leasing terms will tend to preclude most pre-buying before October.
"Like our competitors, as a leasing company, if customers want trucks in a certain time period, we have to find them," he says. "If we have customers whose terms are coming due about that time, we will push for early delivery," but that's not going to be practical much before or too long after the Oct. 1 effective date.
Within financial limits, Ruan could conceivably stockpile a few tractors with specifications generally acceptable to a number of customers. But most customers require specialized equipment that cannot be bought on speculation alone, so EGR seems inevitable, and sooner rather than later.
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Les Hazen, director of maintenance, Prime Inc., Springfield, Mo.
Independent contractors comprise Prime's entire 2,700-unit fleet, and 2,500 lease their tractors from Prime. So it must arrange replacements as existing leases come due, which restricts what Hazen can do with equipment and ordering schedules.
"My whole thing's laid out for so many a month," and he'll have to continue ordering tractors, even as Oct. 1 comes and goes. He also has to be concerned about the viability of EGR and how it affects the people who'll lease and run those trucks.
"We could sit back and say, 'Well, it's their problem,'" he says of contractors, "but that isn't right. And if they're not successful, we're not successful... If it fails for them, they're not going to haul freight."
Most of Prime's tractors are Freightliner Centurys with Detroit Series 60s, which has been a reliable and economical engine. Detroit backs the engine well, and at Hazen's insistence even has replacement blocks "staged" at various distributors to effect quick changeouts if necessary.
Hazen likes that level of support and doesn't want to leave it for an unproven engine, even if it wouldn't need EGR. That would include the Mercedes MBE4000, which is available through Freightliner but which he doesn't feel comfortable about.
As to the reason for EGR, he comments, "We want to be good corporate citizens. And we want clean air, like everybody. We're willing to do what it takes and go through that door to make it possible, but we want everyone else to go there with us."
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