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Fleets Face Few Hurdles With New Power Plants
As the trucking industry shifts to the next generation of low-emission diesel engines, some fleet maintenance managers said they have experienced few problems with the transition, which presents maintenance adjustments for heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks alike.
Heavy-duty Class 7 and Class 8 trucks make up 5.1 million, or 46%, of the estimated 11 million commercial vehicles in operation in the United States at the end of 2006, said Gary Meteer Sr., director of the commercial vehicle group at R.L. Polk & Co.Over the past year, Meteer said, the number of light- and medium-duty trucks in operation, in fact, has grown at a faster rate than heavy-duty models. The number of Class 3 trucks in operation increased 7.4% to 2.7 million. The number of Class 4 vehicles in operation rose 5.8% to 1.1 million, and Class 5 trucks, the smallest category, rose 7.5% to 573,000 units.For the full story, see the March 5 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
