Sean M. Lyden

Sean M. Lyden is the editor of Utility Fleet Professional magazine.

Going Sideways: Technology that Protects Crews in Rollover Incidents

November 14, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Technology

It was early 2017. A crew for Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) was traveling on the highway in a Class 8 digger derrick when the unforeseen happened. There was a truck pulling a trailer ahead of them when, suddenly, the axle broke off that trailer and began hurtling, with wheels still attached, toward […]

Respect

November 14, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Editor’s Perspective

In a pre-show call for a fleet industry podcast, the interviewer asked me to talk about UFP and our audience to get insight into the range of topics we might discuss during the episode. I shared what I’ve learned from speaking with many of you over the past four years. After I finished, the interviewer […]

How Technology Can Turn Idle Equipment into Revenue Generators

October 10, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Technology

If you’re like many utility fleet professionals, you’re under increasing pressure from senior management to do more with less. So, when you’re looking for creative ways to squeeze as much productivity and value as possible from your fleet assets, what are your options? One idea is to put your underutilized or spare vehicles to work […]

Making the Switch to LED Lighting in Utility Fleets

September 13, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Special Focus

Lighting via the use of light-emitting diodes – more commonly known as LEDs – has been around for over five decades. But only in recent years has the technology surged in popularity, especially among utility fleets. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEDs use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than […]

The Rise of the 4×4 Service Truck

September 13, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Fleet Profiles

When it comes to service trucks in utility fleets, which is more popular: two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive? According to a recent report by Utilimarc (https://utilimarc.com), a Minneapolis-based fleet management software and benchmarking company, the clear winner is the 4×4. But this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, in 2012 – just six years ago – […]

Tesla’s Turmoil and the Future of Electrified Transportation

September 13, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Editor’s Perspective

It has been a tumultuous 2018 for electric carmaker Tesla and its embattled CEO, Elon Musk. Earlier this year, a handful of crashes involving Tesla vehicles increased scrutiny of the safety of their semi-autonomous Autopilot systems. Then there have been the ongoing manufacturing challenges causing lengthy and expensive delays in building the Model 3 – […]

CPS Energy Makes a Big Push into Truck Electrification

July 17, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Fleet Profiles

In recent years, the pickup truck market has been considered by many in the utility industry as the “holy grail” for fleet electrification. That’s because pickups comprise the most significant percentage of many utility fleets. So, the more of those trucks you can switch to plug-in electric powertrains – whether all-electric or hybrid – the […]

What’s New in Digging Machines for Utility Fleets?

July 17, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Special Focus

Whether the job is to dig trenches to lay underground power lines, to drill holes to set poles, or to dig in tight spaces, such as next to buildings or in residential backyards, the objective remains the same: to enable crews to get the most work done in the least amount of time, with the […]

The Latest Developments in Drones for the North American Utility Sector

July 17, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Technology

Although drone sales in the North American utility market will reach only about $850,000 in 2018, that number is expected to grow by more than 20 times – to $25 million – by 2026, as U.S. regulations ease and drone technology improves. That’s the outlook from Michael Hartnack, a research analyst covering drones and robotics […]

Tap into the Power of Stories to Expand Your Influence

July 17, 2018 | Sean M. Lyden | Editor’s Perspective

For a fleet manager, stories can be more than just entertaining anecdotes – they can be a powerful tool to motivate technicians, change employee behavior and garner senior management’s support. But what exactly is storytelling in a utility fleet environment? How do you tell a good story, especially if you’ve never thought of yourself as […]