Business Fleet, January/February 2018

WWW BUSINESSFLEET COM 13 BUSINESS FLEET January February 2018 er for Masterack says steel is the strongest material on the market and offers the most cost effective option for fleets carrying heavy equipment Aluminum on the other hand is 30 lighter which translates to increased fuel economy Aluminum is best for larger fleets that would realize significant fuel savings MacLeod says Composite materials can be lighter and also have characteristics that absorb noise rather than amplify it in the back of a truck or van says Jarid Ison director of fleet commercial sales for storage equipment company Decked LLC Banda of Navistar says fleets should look for racks that are as light as possible but have enough of a cross section to protect cargo and drivers Aluminum is one lightweight option he says The other is structural steel but it must be coated with a paint that can tolerate exposure like salt brine in the winter and abuse like sliding or hitting of cargo Culp of Dejana suggested looking for composite durable and lightweight materials that will stand the test of time A metal shelf once bent is going to be bent forever he says Manufacturers that incorporate composites and extrusions provide products that have enough give to handle the torsion and flexing that happens to vehicles in motion but also the support to prevent a heavilyloaded shelf from bending or warping under the dynamic motions that occur during driving One manufacturer I know of demonstrates the quality of the product by having a salesperson stand on a shelf and bounce up and down I wouldnt try that on a metal shelf In the future Ison of Decked says fleets will see more options on the market As technology continues to improve materials are becoming more lightweight and the use of more than one material to construct is becoming more prevalent he says WHICH SYSTEM IS RIGHT FOR MY FLEET Your rack and bin solution will depend entirely on your specific needs Theres no one size fits all solution since every industry and even every technician will have its own requirements for a productive configuration Every user is different Even within the same vocations we see differences says Todd Goldmeyer marketing manager for vehicle upfitter Adrian Steel Company Some companies may only service residential buildings Some companies may only service industrial companies Some do a combination of both This impacts the cargo they need to take to the job site and the cargo management products they carry Before shopping for a solution the first questions to ask are Whats working for our technicians now and Whats not working what could be improved Schoetz of Mercedes Benz USA Racks and Bins PHOTO DECKED Slide out drawers allow plenty of organized space for tools and materials while keeping the body of the vehicle open for larger items