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UFP ARTICLE VAULT 2011 – 2015 Archive

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Executing an Effective Fleet Rightsizing Strategy

| Sean M. Lyden |
About four years ago, East Central Energy, an electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Braham, Minn., underwent a corporate restructuring that shifted fleet from operations to the finance department. This reorganization, along with a drop in demand for new services, sparked an initiative to rightsize the fleet, said Holly Giffrow-Bos, East Central Energy’s fleet supervisor. “When […]
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Spec’ing All-Terrain Utility Vehicles for Maximum Safety

| Sean M. Lyden |
All-terrain utility vehicles (UVs) are machines used by utility fleets to transport people, materials and equipment across potentially hazardous off-road environments to inspect or repair power lines or perform other tasks in remote areas. These vehicles go where four-wheel-drive pickups cannot, navigating steep slopes, trudging through heavy brush, hovering over swamplands or even floating and […]
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The Latest Developments in Self-Sealing Tires

| Cheryl Knight |
For utility fleets, being able to travel across hazardous terrain – such as storm-impacted areas covered in branches, glass and other debris – is a must. Self-sealing tires can be a great asset during these times, allowing vehicle operators to continue driving even after a tire is punctured. How do self-sealing tires work? Each tire […]
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Keeping Crews Warm in Winter

| Jim Galligan |
Winter is approaching, and for utilities operating in the Frost Belt, keeping crews warm isn’t just a good thing to do – it’s a safety imperative. For vehicle cab comfort, the choices fall between keeping the engine running and using the truck’s HVAC system, or using an auxiliary heater. As always, the choice depends on […]
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Is a Telematics System Right for Your Utility Fleet?

| Jenny Malcolm |
The benefits of advanced telematics systems are widely known today. They can help fleets deploy resources more efficiently, increase the number of jobs completed each day, reduce costs and more. But even so, having an awareness of these benefits is often not enough to convince fleet managers that an investment in telematics is worthwhile. To […]
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Winterizing Your Drivers

| Sean M. Lyden |
It’s one thing to winterize your fleet, but what about the drivers who are expected to operate vehicles in harsh winter conditions to repair downed power lines or a broken water main? Are they winterized as well? This is an important question because snow, sleet and ice impact how a vehicle accelerates, handles and stops. […]
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Maintenance Management Best Practices to Reduce Costs and Maximize Uptime

| Charlie Guthro |
In many ways, effective fleet management is as much about reliability as it is about cost. It’s about making sure your vehicles stay on the road in optimal operating condition, minimizing unscheduled maintenance and downtime, using data to predict possible maintenance needs and ensuring you make the best decisions for your business and the bottom […]
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Ethics: The Biggest Hurdle for Self-Driving Vehicles

| Sean M. Lyden |
In October, thousands of Tesla Model S owners across the globe downloaded the Autopilot upgrade, launching the most advanced commercially available driver assistance technology to date. When engaged, Tesla’s Autopilot operates on the highway like cruise control on steroids, using cameras to keep the vehicle within lane markers, radar to maintain safe speed and distance […]
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Entire Series of UFP Magazine