Equipment & Tech

DALLAS — Drivewyze has launched Safety+, a new fleet safety service that provides customizable, proactive driving alerts and context-based driver coaching features. The Safety+ service, delivered through the Drivewyze software platform available on more than 2 million electronic logging devices (ELDs), requires no additional in-cab hardware. The new service builds on the existing Drivewyze Safety Notifications service, which warns drivers through audible and visual cues of approaching areas where caution is required. Safety+ also offers new back-office tools that allow fleets to create their own customized driver alerts. In addition, the service offers safety analytics to monitor driver behavior and improve driver coaching. Based on Drivewyze’s patented context-based driver coaching technology, Safety+ leverages real-time in-cab notifications and driver behavior at high-risk areas and analyzes driver performance to identify best-of-class drivers and those that require additional training. Safety+ is available as a stand-alone safety service or can be integrated into a fleet’s existing driver safety platforms. “This provides a fleet with powerful, proactive in-cab notification tools before a crash or violation occurs,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of Drivewyze. “Safety+ fills a gap in our industry by providing customizable in-cab safety notifications and a hardware-free driver coaching service accessible and affordable to fleets of all sizes. We improve road safety where and when drivers need it most. And, we give fleet managers actionable intelligence on how drivers respond to in-cab alerts — allowing for results-oriented driver training.” According to Heath, Safety+ can help prevent speeding violations by warning drivers of upcoming “high-citation zones,” or provide alerts for dangerous curves and corners. “Managers can easily create their own alerts for their own trouble zones,” he said. “And, at the end of the day, Drivewyze Safety+ even lets your drivers know the number of parking spaces available at an upcoming rest area in select states.” According to Heath, numerous fleets beta-tested Drivewyze Safety+ and the reaction was “extremely positive. It confirmed that this type of proactive service is needed,” he said, adding that test fleets saw a 27% reduction in speeding events (for drivers going at least 5 mph over the speed limit). “Safety+ offers a simple, integrated approach to driver monitoring and coaching. It combines driving data at the riskiest locations with real-time in-cab driver training for safety managers wanting a turnkey solution or to augment existing safety programs,” he said. “Our alerts can help prevent unsafe driving practices from happening in the first place. The results of targeted intervention are compelling,” he continued. “In a two-year study with a major trucking company involving thousands of trucks, alerts for high rollover curves resulted in speeds being reduced by 17%. In addition, data showed that unsafe drivers identified by Safety+ were 400% more likely to be in an accident than their peers.” In addition to the alerts already included Drivewyze’s standard Safety Notifications Service, the Safety+ service offers the following: Risk zone alerts: Developed in relationship with state and provincial safety agencies the service includes a set of more than 2,500 high-risk areas that typically give truckers problems. More sites will be added each month. Proactive speed alerts: These alerts, based on citation history from law-enforcement agencies, warn drivers who are traveling too fast in known high-citation areas to slow down, improving driver behavior and averting possible speeding tickets. Custom zones: Fleet managers can identify and geo-fence their own high-risk areas or other areas of importance to deliver custom in-cab messaging. Dynamic parking alerts: This feature, initially available in nine states (with more expected to be added soon), provides in-cab messaging with the actual number of parking spots available, in real-time, so drivers can make the decision to continue on to the rest area, or look for alternative parking. Drivewyze Safety+ is available through Drivewyze ELD partners, or on tablets and smartphones, and is available as a standalone service or as part of a bundle with Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass service. Information from Drivewyze Safety+ can be integrated into existing safety programs via a full set of reporting APIs.

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Kenworth on Oct. 14 announced the launch of the Kenworth T680E — the company’s first-ever Class 8 battery-electric model in the manufacturer’s 97-year history. The new zero-emission T680E, now available for order from Kenworth dealers in the U.S. and Canada, will enter into production in 2021. “The Kenworth T680E launch is an exciting, pioneering moment that builds upon Kenworth’s excellent heritage of providing fleets and truck operators with outstanding and productive trucks driven by quality, innovation and technology,” said Kevin Baney, Kenworth’s general manager and PACCAR vice president. “Kenworth is leading the way in green initiatives, and the T680E definitely will be game-changer in the trucking industry,” he continued. “The new Kenworth T680E provides our customers with a true zero-emissions solution that will help to achieve their own green program objectives — while leveraging the excellent performance, reliability and cab comfort of our current T680 on-highway flagship model.” The zero-emission Kenworth T680E has an estimated operating range of 150 miles, depending on application. The T680E uses a CCS1 DC fast charger with a maximum rate of 120 kWh and an estimated 3.3-hour charging time. Designed for pickup and delivery applications, the T680E is initially available as a day cab as either a tractor or straight truck in a 6×4 axle configuration. The new model is offered in 54,000-pound and 82,000-pound gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR). Kenworth and Meritor have collaborated closely on the development of the T680E. The Class 8 battery-electric vehicle features Meritor’s Blue Horizon 14Xe tandem electric powertrain, which offers smooth shifting and operation. The T680E uses a two-speed integrated transmission and has a top speed of 70 mph. The Kenworth T680E is equipped with 536-hp continuous power and up to 670-hp peak power and offers 1,623 lb-ft of torque. Meritor’s high/low voltage power electronics, provided by TransPower, are under the hood in the place of a diesel engine.

PITTSBURGH — Locomation, a provider of autonomous trucking technology, plans to leverage Nvidia Drive AGX Orin autonomous vehicle computing platform for the commercialization of self-driving trucks starting in 2022. Under a recent agreement with Missouri-based Wilson Logistics, Locomation’s Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARCTM) is the first autonomous driving system slated for direct commercialization. ARCTM, the first in a series of planned product rollouts by Locomation, allows one driver to pilot a lead truck equipped with technology augmentation while a fully autonomous follower truck operates in tandem. Under the terms of the deal, Wilson Logistics will begin to take delivery of 1,120 Locomation-equipped truck cabs starting in 2022. “We’re moving rapidly toward autonomous trucking commercialization, and Nvidia Dive presents an intriguing solution for providing a robust, safety-forward platform for our team to work with,” said Çetin Meriçli, CEO and co-founder of Locomation. “This has the potential to enhance our process significantly and we look forward to working closely with the Nvidia team.” Locomotion’s trucks will employ Nvidia Drive AGX Orin, a highly advanced software-defined platform for autonomous vehicles. The system features the new Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC), which delivers more than 200 trillion operations per second. “As demand for goods continues to rise, so has the need to transport these goods as quickly and efficiently as possible. Locomation’s unique, commercialization-focused development efforts in autonomous trucking, backed by the high performance of the Nvidia Orin AV processor, will help improve safety and quality of life for truckers and improve overall cost efficiency,” said Rishi Dhall, vice president of autonomous vehicles for Nvidia.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Traxen, a metro Detroit-based trucking-industry technology company has launched an intelligent adaptive cruise control system, iQ-Cruise, designed for both traditional and electric commercial vehicles. The system, currently in the pilot-test phase, will be available to both commercial vehicle aftermarket and OE customers. Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), advanced algorithms and sensors, iQ-Cruise can reduce fuel consumption by an average of 7% while improving safety, drivability and profit margins, according to an Oct. 8 statement from Traxen. “We’re incredibly proud of what we have been able to accomplish through our comprehensive innovation process and the robust testing of our novel solution,” said Ali Maleki, founder and CEO of Traxen. “Both aftermarket and OE customers, including those with electric vehicles, will immediately realize transformational benefits upon adoption of our sophisticated technology.” As the world inches toward the development and use of autonomous vehicles, Traxen chose to tackle autonomous driving in phases, beginning with speed control. Through proprietary hardware and software, iQ-Cruise monitors road conditions such as changes in elevation, curvature, traffic patterns and weather miles beyond the driver’s visual field. In addition, a driver’s hours of service and time of arrival needs are considered. Because the iQ-Cruise technology intuitively controls the speed of the vehicle based on various factors, the driver is primarily responsible for steering; this can help reduce driver error, fatigue and turnover, according to Traxen. Drivers remain engaged in steering and remain informed through nonintrusive alerts via Traxen’s driver-friendly interface. Traxen conducted its first side-by-side cross-country trial of iQ-Cruise in August 2020. The test was conducted over the road, driving from Plymouth, Michigan, to Las Vegas and back. According to Traxen, during the test, iQ-Cruise “significantly bested seasoned truck drivers by executing far more energy-efficient speed controls.” The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) was the independent reviewer of the field trial. “Fuel is a very large expense for long-haul trucking fleets, with lowering costs and subsequent emissions reductions being top priorities,” said Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE. “In our analysis of Traxen’s cross country real-world field trial data, we observed fuel efficiency improvements in the range of 2% to 20% in various segments over a 6,100-mile cross-country drive. The average fuel efficiency improvement was 7%, which is very substantial and meaningful for the industry,” Roeth noted. “We hope to see technologies like the iQ-Cruise deployed across the industry to improve freight efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Traxen’s iQ-Cruise is currently being piloted by several fleet customers and will be available to commercial vehicle aftermarket customers in the first quarter of 2021, followed shortly afterward by OE truck manufacturers.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — FTR reported Oct. 12 that preliminary U.S. net trailer orders for September exploded to the third-highest month ever, at 52,000 units. September’s orders were 23,500 units above August 2020 and 33,400 more than September 2019. With this latest activity, trailer orders for the last 12 months now equal 224,100 units. The majority of September orders were for dry vans, FTR noted, adding that refrigerated van orders were also comparatively robust and flatbed orders are expected to continue a sluggish recovery. Backlogs are predicted to jump back up to December 2019 levels. The strong order totals from the past two months should push production up to pre-pandemic levels in the year’s fourth quarter, with more increases expected starting early next year. “There is expansion demand, replacement demand, dealer demand — just an enormous amount of demand for dry vans to keep consumer goods on the move,” said Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles for FTR. “Fleets are expecting the hot freight market to continue into 2021 and want to be prepared with adequate capacity. Reefer demand should also continue to be strong, and benefit from more restaurant activity as 2021 progresses. The Congressional stimulus package passed in March infused a tremendous amount of funds into the economy, and this cash is being spent overwhelmingly in the consumer goods sector, as the service sector remains constrained during the pandemic, according to a statement from FTR. This has boosted dry van freight, constraining capacity, and lifting freight rates. Fleets have responded by ordering dry vans in near-record quantities. Also, despite reduced restaurant sales, many consumers have more disposable income available to spend on food, which is helping reefer sales. “This appears to be a repeat of late 2018, when fleets ordered trailers in record numbers in September and October because of tight capacity and perceived limited build slots at the OEMs,” Ake said. “There could be some irrational exuberance behind orders this high. Fleets are expecting the current conditions to continue well into 2021, and this may not be the case,” he warned. “The trailer market has seen incredibly wide swings in 2020 and it is difficult to determine how long the current momentum can last. Orders may stay elevated if fleets compete to lock up future build slots as they did in 2018 and 2019.”

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Winter weather has already arrived in some parts of the U.S. and Canada, creating hazardous driving condition for commercial truckers and other motorists. One problem many drivers face is the buildup of ice or snow on their vehicle’s headlights. United Pacific Industries has expanded its commercial truck headlight product line with the addition of a new 4×6-inch heated LED headlight. Ideal for cold and snowy environments, the new replacement headlight features a heating system that automatically de-ices the headlight according to the ambient temperature, the manufacturer notes. In addition, United Pacific Industries said, the headlight unit is constructed of a heavy-duty aluminum housing and features a durable glass lens, and is DOT approved. The new heated LED headlight is available in high beam and low beam, with a choice of either a chrome or black inner liner. The 12-24 VDC light delivers 1,000 lumens with the 20-watt low beam and 1,200 lumens with the 24-watt high beam. “Truck drivers will greatly appreciate this innovative, new LED headlight technology, as it will enable them to keep driving in inclement conditions without having to worry about snow or ice build-up on their headlights,” said Jai Baek, marketing and creative director for United Pacific Industries. “These lights have a standard H4 style connector plug for easy plug-and-play installation.” For more information about United Pacific Industries’ heated headlights, click here.

READING, Pa. — Penske Truck Leasing is now offering services in Lindon, Utah, and Burlington, Vermont. Both centers offer full-service commercial and consumer truck leasing and contract truck-fleet maintenance. The new facility in Lindon, Utah, offers five truck bays and one wash bay, and is outfitted with Penske’s proprietary fully digital and voice-directed fleet preventive maintenance process. The site also offers Penske’s connected fleet solutions to help customers address issues and options related to onboard technology systems, such as electronic logging devices (ELDs), telematics, onboard cameras, etc. “The new location will enable us to grow our footprint in one of the fastest-growing markets in Utah with two major universities in the immediate area,” said Fred Haddad, area vice president for Penske’s Mountain Region. The 8,400-square-foot facility is at 1135 W. 135 South in Linden, Utah. The location is convenient to the south end of Salt Lake Valley on the Interstate 15 corridor at exit 273, and is 40 miles from Salt Lake City, 250 miles from Grand Junction, Colorado, and 390 miles from Las Vegas, Haddad noted. Penske’s new facility in the Burlington, Vermont, area is at 40 Kellogg Road in Essex Junction, Vermont. This center also features Penske’s proprietary fully digital and voice-directed fleet preventive maintenance process and connected fleet solutions. The 4,000-square-foot facility rests on 1.6 acres about 3 miles from Interstate 89 and offers three truck service bays. The site is about 5 miles from the Burlington International Airport. “We are excited to expand our transportation services and now offer our full-service leasing capabilities to businesses in this region,” said Tyler Hard, senior vice president for Penske’s Northeast Region. “The new facility also allows us to expand into Saturday hours, which is another value-add for customers and prospects in the region.”

NEW YORK — Transportation solutions provider Transfix on Oct. 6 launched Fleet Planner, the company’s first standalone software offering. Fleet Planner, which complements Transfix’s existing digital brokerage platform, is a free online tool that gives small and mid-sized carriers access to a centralized platform for managing fleets, streamlining operations and ultimately scaling their business. Small and mid-sized carriers make up a vast majority of the American trucking industry. While dispatchers for small to mid-sized carriers struggle with many of the same complexities as much larger carriers — such as managing driver schedules and preferences, organizing key load information and communicating with drivers — budget constraints have made technology solutions inaccessible, according to a statement from Transfix. As a result, carriers are left with “siloed” views of the business and inefficiencies that can cost them up to thousands per year. They also run the risk of missing loads, hurting relationships with customers, or wasting truck capacity. Fleet Planner offers these fleet-management capabilities to carriers for free. The software allows users to organize fleets, seamlessly assign loads (including non-Transfix loads) and quickly communicate load details with drivers. Organizations including A&B Carriers and Delivery Management Services, who were early Beta users of the software, saw dramatic impacts on their operations, including savings of upwards of 525 hours of annualized administrative time, the Transfix statement noted. “Fleet Planner makes it so much easier to manage my business and day-to-day as a dispatcher,” said Erin Burton of A&B Carriers. “Before [Fleet Planner], I had to search across multiple spreadsheets, documents and apps for key load information, but now it’s all in one place. It saves me two hours per day. I especially love that I can easily send texts with load info to my drivers, right from the product.” Fleet Planner users can quickly log in anytime from anywhere, with the ability to: View fleet: Get an immediate unified view of all in-progress and upcoming loads, with a convenient calendar view; Add and assign loads: Add important details for all loads (including non-Transfix loads) and assign to the right drivers; and Share load details: Streamline communications with drivers via text. “Transfix continues its commitment to building customer-inspired solutions,” said Lily Shen, CEO and President of Transfix. “With Fleet Planner, we are excited to give small and mid-size carriers, who keep the American economy afloat, access to tools previously only available to larger carriers. At a time when the market is more volatile than ever, carriers can turn to Transfix to help streamline operations, reduce administrative costs and scale their businesses.”

LISLE, Ill. — International Used Truck Centers, a division of Navistar International Corp., has opened a sales outlet in Michigan, bringing the company’s total used-vehicle sales outlets in the U.S. to 15. International Used Truck Center of Michigan offers day cabs, sleepers and medium-duty trucks. Warranty packages, financing and support is available from West Michigan International locations in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Holland and Lansing. “West Michigan International is pleased to have the opportunity to work with International Used Truck Centers to establish the International Used Truck Center of Michigan,” said Ed Rietman, president of West Michigan International. “Our dealership is dedicated to delivering exceptional support to our customers and the availability of late model used truck inventory from major national fleets provides an additional opportunity to better meet their needs.” Justina Morosin, vice president of used truck sales for Navistar, expressed excitement about the new collaboration. “As the International Truck 2019 Dealer of the Year, Ed and the entire team at West Michigan International have a drive to positively impact their customers’ businesses by delivering creative solutions, a value closely aligned to that of International Used Truck Centers, Morosin said. “We’re thrilled to partner with West Michigan International to add the International Used Truck Center of Michigan to International’s used truck network. The combination of our organizations’ strengths will lead to successful experiences for our customers.”

DALLAS — Pedigree Technologies, a provider of electronic logging device (ELD) solutions and fleet management systems, is one of Drivewyze’s newest partners. Pedigree Technologies will deliver an integrated service offering of OneView ELD Chrome, integrated with Drivewyze PreClear weigh-station bypass and Drivewyze safety notifications. With the Drivewyze PreClear weigh-station bypass service, Pedigree Technologies’ customers can receive bypass opportunities at more than 800 locations in 47 states and provinces, delivered via the OneView Platform. This can improve driver efficiency, as well as boost driver safety, when partnered with Drivewyze safety notifications, according to a statement released by the two companies. “We welcome Pedigree Technologies as our newest partner,” said Gavin Henry, vice president of business development for Drivewyze. “Weigh-station bypass has become a must-have for many fleets, as it allows safe fleets to keep moving and ‘bypass’ weigh stations — thanks to their good safety records,” he continued. “The partnership with Pedigree Technologies makes implementation of the service easy and cost-effective — with no transponders — by simply turning on the service through Pedigree Technologies’ OneView ELD Chrome solution.” According to Josh DeCock, Pedigree Technologies’ vice president of product management, the addition of Drivewyze PreClear to its platform is another way to improve productivity for its customers. “We offer our customers an award-winning fleet management system — from asset tracking to dash cam solutions to electronic work orders, and more,” DeCock said. “We’re thrilled to be adding Drivewyze PreClear and Drivewyze Safety Notifications to our package. It will make a huge difference for our customers’ drivers — and, the beauty is, it can be activated within minutes.” Once integrated, Drivewyze transmits safety scores, registration, and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) tax compliance information to the weigh station, which then calculates the information against the bypass criteria established by its state. If the carrier and vehicle pass the criteria, at 1 mile out, the driver receives permission to bypass the site. The better the fleet’s safety score, the more bypasses typically granted. Subscribers to Drivewyze PreClear weigh-station bypass service can also activate Drivewyze safety notifications. This service provides safety notifications for high rollover areas, mountain corridors, and low bridges.

TAMPA, Fla. — Transflo announced Oct. 5 that it has acquired Microdea, which is based in Canada’s Ontario province. Both companies provide software solutions for the transportation industry. According to a statement released by Transflo, the transaction represents a significant step toward Transflo’s goal of broadening its capabilities to meet the fast-growing demand for digitized workflows within the transportation supply chain, and will expand Transflo’s presence in the Canadian market. As a result of the transaction, Transflo will combine its operations with Microdea’s employees, customer relationships and products — including Synergize, Microdea’s enterprise document management software. The combined business will operate under the Transflo brand as a provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions for shippers, freight brokers, carriers, and drivers in North America. “We are extremely excited about joining forces with Microdea and adding its impressive product suite and client roster under the Transflo brand umbrella,” said Frank Adelman, CEO of Transflo. “The transaction is a strategic step in growing our footprint in the key Canadian supply chain sector and will drive additional efficiencies and solutions to the market today,” Adelman continued. “Microdea has done an outstanding job in providing value and significant ROI to their customers. We hope to capitalize on those areas where they excel.” Transflo provides the transportation supply chain with a digital platform that helps shippers, freight brokers, carriers, drivers and receivers improve communication, gain load visibility, expedite payment processing and automate the back office. The merger with Microdea will enhance the digitized end-to-end automated document workflow within the supply chain for all of these constituents, according to the company statement. “The joint strength of Microdea and Transflo will solidify our position as a leading provider of best-in-class mobile and back-office workflow automation technology solutions in the transportation industry,” said Jonathan Cowie, general manager of Microdea. “We’re excited to join forces and help carriers and brokers get more value from their Microdea and Transflo technology investments.” The Transflo Digital Ecosystem incorporates telematics and the Transflo T-Series ELD, which is connected to both the vehicle and Transflo Mobile+ app via a driver’s mobile device. The company’s suite of solutions includes electronic bills of lading (EBOL), electronic proof of delivery (EPOD), Velocity+ broker services, document scanning, freight visibility, truck navigation and other features, such as image optimization and digital workflow management tools. Bennett Jones LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisors to Transflo, while DC Advisory LLC and KPMG LLC served as the company’s deal advisors. Stikeman Elliott LLP and Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP served as legal advisors to Microdea while Ernst & Young LLP and principals of Klar Ventures LLC served as accounting and financial advisors to Microdea. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

DENTON, Texas — Peterbilt Motors Co. has reached a company milestone: The manufacturer recently delivered its 10,000th Peterbilt Model 579 UltraLoft. Long Haul Trucking, based in Albertville, Minnesota, was the buyer of the integrated high-loft sleeper truck. “To receive the 10,000th Model 579 UltraLoft is a great honor for us at Long Haul Trucking. Uptime is what Long Haul Trucking and Peterbilt are all about. It’s also a big part of the reason we have 140 Peterbilt 579s in our fleet,” said Josh Hainstock, vice president of fleet operations for Long Haul Trucking. “We are excited to present Long Haul Trucking with Peterbilt’s 10,000th Model 579 UltraLoft. Long Haul Trucking has a rich history with the Peterbilt brand. We appreciate our long-term partnership and look forward to helping them grow their impressive fleet of Peterbilt Model 579s in the future,” said Robert Woodall, assistant general manager of sales and marketing for Peterbilt. The Peterbilt Model 579 UltraLoft continued Peterbilt’s interior offers the largest storage capacity available in the industry, with more than 70 cubic feet of space that features multiple compartments, a large wardrobe closet and several cubbies. A fold-away ladder provides easy access to the upper bunk and disappears when not in use. The exterior design with the 80-inch UltraLoft high-roof integral sleeper achieves the goal of maintaining the iconic Peterbilt look while improving aerodynamics and saving weight. The UltraLoft sleeper provides a 200-pound weight savings and up to a 2% aerodynamic enhancement over Peterbilt’s discrete sleepers, equating to as much as a 1% fuel efficiency improvement to the bottom line. “We take great pride in our people and our equipment, and it’s nice to work with a brand like Peterbilt that shares our values. We are excited to continue this partnership and continue serving our customers with the highest quality trucks” said Jason Michels, CEO of  Long Haul Trucking. “The superior features and quality of the Peterbilt Model 579 UltraLoft has made it a truck that drivers aspire to drive, and with Peterbilt’s legendary durability the truck companies want to have in their fleets,” said Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general manager and PACCAR vice president.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Drivers who need tire, lube or light mechanical services can now receive service 24/7 at five new Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations. Love’s operates nearly 400 travel center and service locations around the U.S. “Professional truck drivers are continuing to work hard to deliver essential products across the country and we recognize that more options for truck care is important,” said Eric Daniels, director of truck care operations for Love’s. “As we get close to opening our 400th truck care location, we remain committed to offering the best services to help get professional truck drivers back on the road quickly and safely.” The five new locations include: Ellabell, Georgia: Love’s Truck Care with on-site Speedco at 11151 Highway 280 East; Wadsworth, Illinois: Love’s Truck Care with on-site Speedco at 43100 U.S. 41; Oak Grove, Kentucky: Love’s Truck Care at 11700 Fort Campbell Blvd.; New Florence, Missouri: Love’s Truck Care with on-site Speedco at 482 Tree Farm Road; and Holladay, Tennessee: Love’s Truck Care with on-site Speedco at 13820 Highway 641 North.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Larson Group’s Peterbilt mobile service program, known as “Road Guru,” is now offered at all 17 of the group’s full-service Peterbilt dealerships, as well as at two locations that were previously parts-only. The Road Guru program provides around-the-clock mobile service to customers needing a variety of commercial truck and heavy-duty equipment service, from routine maintenance to urgent engine work. The program also works directly with The Larson Group’s 24-hour call center and offers with several features that help maximize uptime. “When we launched this program last year, we had a very positive outlook for building a solid customer base and trust with them,” said Sean Westlake, director of mobile service for The Larson Group. “The demand for not just mobile service, but The Larson Group’s mobile service, has been remarkable. I’m very pleased with the success we’ve seen across the board.” An Oct. 1 statement released by The Larson Group noted that the Road Guru, launched last summer at select full-service dealerships, provides a valuable service for customers. “Our locations that were previously parts-only have really taken hold of everything Road Guru stands for and run with it,” Westlake said. “I’m so impressed with our team and grateful for our customers utilizing our unique approach to traditional service.”