Over 2023, trucking saw a 4.9% rise in Class 8 sales and a reduction in fuel costs by year’s end. According to the Department of Energy, on December 25, 2023 the U.S. average for diesel was $3.914 per gallon, a significant drop from the $4.583 average at the start of last year. The trucking industry also made strides toward important goals such as sustainability thanks to the increased adoption of zero-emission vehicles like the International® eMV™ Series. International Truck is committed to developing innovative end-to-end solutions that help deliver a more sustainable future for our customers, dealers and partners. Looking ahead, let’s take a quick preview of some of the top trucking trends for 2024.
California has taken a leading role in legislation to reduce harmful emissions. Among the rules being implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation. ACT sets annual targets that require original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to gradually increase the percentage of zero-emission trucks they sell, aiming for OEMs to be fully transitioned to a zero-emission fleet by 2045. With at least fifteen states adopting similar legislation, environmental regulatory compliance will play an increasingly important role in decision-making for both manufacturers and fleets nationwide.
International Truck supports the move to a sustainable future by offering vehicles that comply with the regulations set by CARB. Through active investment in research and development, International Truck is building cleaner technologies and improving the fuel efficiency and environmental impact of its vehicles.
To help accelerate the adoption of zero-emissions technology, International Truck has a team dedicated to developing grant proposals. This team plays a vital role for International Truck dealers working with customers to explore grant funding opportunities. International Truck can also help customers take advantage of federal and state rebates, tax incentives and other opportunities to get them plugged in as affordably as possible.
Predictive maintenance is set to play an important role in helping fleets control costs and maximize vehicle uptime. Unlike traditional preventive maintenance which relies on a standardized PM interval regardless of vehicle performance, predictive maintenance uses factory-installed telematics to monitor vehicle health and performance data to make custom, optimized PM interval recommendations for each vehicle, leading to more uptime and lower annual maintenance costs.
Predictive maintenance systems can also collect data to identify patterns and operating conditions that lead to equipment failure. Using this information, predictive maintenance system algorithms can provide early detection of an upcoming malfunction and allow for maintenance to be performed—eliminating the risk of unplanned downtime and disrupted operations.
International Truck helps fleets support uptime and boost productivity with Intelligent Fleet Care, a comprehensive set of premium connected vehicle tools and reports. From TPMS integration and fuel analytics to VIN-level maintenance recommendations and predictive reports on vehicles with the highest risk of breakdown, International Truck solutions deliver proactive insights fleets can use to achieve greater productivity and lower total cost of ownership.
In the third quarter of 2023, the Census Bureau estimated that retail e-commerce sales increased 7.6 percent over the third quarter of 2022 and represented 15.6 percent of total retail sales. As consumer behavior continues to shift more towards online shopping, brands have an opportunity to build competitive advantages and deliver an exceptional customer experience with quick-turn and same-day delivery. Last-mile delivery presents a terrific opportunity for smaller fleets and owner-operators, as well as mid-size and larger fleets that can optimize routes for local deliveries.
Success in last-mile delivery requires a focus on a unique set of capabilities including delivery consolidation, route optimization, digital integration and enhanced real-time tracking. Fleets performing last-mile deliveries should consider including efficient electric vehicles (EVs) in their mix. Eco-friendly, zero-emission EVs can be a great fit for the limited service area and stop-and-go nature of last-mile delivery.
With over two million real-world electric miles across our brands, International Truck dealers and trusted advisors are ready to help customers build a plan to add EVs to their fleets to take advantage of last-mile opportunities. From conducting discovery workshops in order to understand needs all the way to deployment and active operation, International Truck advisory teams can help plan, execute, and optimize zero-emission vehicles and investments for the entire life cycle of an electric fleet.
The expansion of the fleet tech-stack has revolutionized the trucking industry, driving new efficiency, safety, customer satisfaction and sustainability. As fleet managers integrate increasingly advanced technologies for managing and monitoring vehicle fleets, technology will play an even more critical role for trucking. Telematics information combined with artificial intelligence will enable new and more sophisticated data-driven decision making. The embrace of the fleet tech-stack will require heightened security measures, enhanced digital infrastructure and high IT investments.
International Truck plays a crucial role in supporting the growth of the fleet tech-stack, providing innovative solutions and advanced features. The International Truck Diamond Logic® electrical system is a customizable platform that integrates major vehicle components and transmits information both to and from the driver. Diamond Logic empowers users to program features to their unique needs and works with nearly 200 factory-available safety and efficiency features.
A wide range of International Truck vehicles are equipped with technology that seamlessly integrates with fleet management systems. International Truck provides telematics solutions, connectivity options and software platforms such as OnCommand® Connection, International® 360 and Gateway Integrations to enable fleet managers to effectively monitor and optimize their operations.
EXCITING CHANGES AHEAD
With the move toward a zero-emission future inspiring the growth of EV trucks, predictive maintenance helping boost fleet uptimes, new opportunities in last-mile delivery and tech-stack driving gains in productivity and efficiency, International Truck is excited to play a leading role in the evolution of trucking in 2024.
HOP ON BOARD
This article originally appeared on InternationalTrucks.com. International Trucks is the previous legal name of International Motors LLC.
