Industry Focus: Trucking in Style
Let’s face it, it’s not easy to get people excited about driving for up to 11 hours a day. As shipping demands increase with the proliferation of online shopping, and safety regulations becomes more stringent, the trucking industry must hire more truckers to satisfy deliveries and adhere to federal labor regulations. However, the industry is already experiencing a shortage of drivers. According to the American Trucking Association, the driver shortage is expected to grow from 60,000 drivers in 2019 to 175,000 drivers by 2026.
To attract more applicants, the trucking industry is designing their vehicles around the concept of the “Third Living Space.” This concept focuses on the idea that because we spend so much time in our vehicle, its interior should be just as comfortable as our own home or office space. But with these comforts and precautions also comes technical challenges.
In addition to making trucks more comfortable, industry officials are also working to make vehicles safer for their drivers. To reduce driver drowsiness, Federal Motor Carrier Safety (FMCS) regulations enforce the use of electronic logging devices to ensure truckers don’t drive longer than allotted by law.
Putting Your Tech in High Gear
The trucking industry has been using GPS technology to track their fleets for some time, however FMCS electronic logging device regulations have increased the use of advanced telematics in trucks. The increase of electronics in trucks mirrors the increase of electronics in cars as today’s candidate truck drivers expect more electronic features, such as newly implemented collision avoidance systems, at their disposal.
Electronic components provide truckers with enhanced capabilities, while also increasing the number of electrical connectors in the vehicle. If not properly protected, electrical connectors can become oxidized or corroded which causes a loss of connection. With schedules to keep and packages to deliver, truck manufacturers must have a proven solution to ensure these additional electrical connections don’t fail and keep their vehicles off the road for repairs.
Applying a lubricant to these connectors allows trucking manufacturers to add amenities and advanced telematics to their vehicles without sacrificing reliability. Trucks are constantly moving, meaning that they are also constantly exposed to small vibrations that cause electrical contact wear. Our NyoGel® 760G lubricates to prevent electrical contact wear while also protecting from corrosion and oxidation, ensuring efficient, solid, and long-lasting electrical connections.
Turning it Up a Notch
Top automotive component manufacturers like Bosch are taking the concept of the Third Living Space and focusing their efforts on designing vehicles components that make driving feel more enjoyable than obligatory. The key to their approach? Designing for comfort.
If you are sitting in your office, you wouldn’t want your computer to be noisy or the keys to stick when you type. These are small annoyances that affect how we perceive the quality of our equipment. The same principle can be applied in trucking with noisy gearboxes, foot pedal parking brakes that recoil like a speeding bullet, squeaking seats, or dashboard controls that don’t work smoothly. These are all small details that can irritate drivers and make the truck feel more outdated than it really is.
Damping greases are an easy and cost-effective way to provide truckers with smooth movements in their switches, dials, shifters, and other interior components. Greases can also be used to remove annoying squeaks and rattles. This provides a quality experience for the driver that makes their job more enjoyable and comfortable, especially during their long trips.
In order to make truck driving more attractive and fun for the next generation, lubricants must be used to make truck interiors comfortable, convenient, and reliable. Despite being larger and heavier than cars, many of our automotive interior solutions can still be used within trucks.
Download our Interior Components Brochure to learn more about what greases can be used for seats, shifters, pedals, and more.
