Commercial Vehicle Tech is Peaking Right Now. Here Are 4 Examples of How.

In the realm of work trucks and commercial vehicles, there’s no shortage of emerging technologies these days.

In fact, in any given quarter, you’d find that an engineer from any of Safe Fleet’s brands may be cooking up an innovation that makes the road safer, fleet by fleet. From features that allow for distraction-free delivery routes, to cameras that use the power of machine learning, the commercial vehicle segment is experiencing a boom time in terms of safety technology.

Here are 4 prime examples of just that.

Smooth, Controlled Ladder Deployment

Anyone who’s ever had to load or unload a work ladder from the roof of a van will attest: it can be cumbersome, especially when factoring in the operator’s physical stature or preexisting conditions. A ladder rack built with ergonomics in mind addresses that concern, but not without tackling a major issue: the safe descent of heavy/super heavy-duty ladders. 

When gravity and weight combine, a heavy ladder’s fall can easily injure a worker—and that’s why the Prime Design ErgoRack’s signature Blue Cylinder update matters: it turns that rapid, sudden fall into a controlled, manageable descent. Its temperature-stable hydraulic fluid allows for a safe rate of descent no matter the season, as cold and heat affect the viscosity of hydraulic fluids and determine the speed of a drop.

Quick to the Punch (or Kicks, in this case)

Efficiency can mean shrinking down, and this is true in the case of the Nissan Kicks, a subcompact SUV being adopted by commercial fleets. Its compact, light body makes it a sensible alternative to large trucks when it comes to tight urban spaces. While its stock features are good enough for the average consumer, a work truck fleet would need more in the way of safely transporting equipment and cargo. 

American Van has been quick to the punch in terms of catching up to the trend, with two Nissan Kicks-specific products that cater to the emerging demand: a Nissan Kicks Flooring Kit made in collaboration with Legend Flooring and a Nissan Kicks Wire Partition that needs no drilling to install and safely separates the cargo area from the driver and passenger seats. According to American Van, installation of these two products happens quickly enough to have your vehicles back on the road with minimum downtime!

Speedy, Silent, and Strong Shelving

Exactly how innovative can last mile delivery shelving get? More than you’d think…

While maximizing space and organization are the primary needs that any good shelving system fulfills, it’s the user-centric features that separate a great one from the pack.

Prime Design’s FoldPro delivers one-hand operation, an improved payload of 400 lbs per shelf, and minimal vibration or noise—all made possible by a tiny yet ingenious piece of engineering: its spring retention shelf latch system. What's the big deal about this little latch? Well, it’s the mechanism that holds each shelf in place, whether open or closed, giving drivers peace of mind that everything is secure. Now, drivers can remain totally focused on the road ahead and not the shake, rattle, and roll of packages behind them.

Smart Cameras Make Smarter Drivers 

If there’s one application that AI can go a long way towards, it’s for commercial vehicle safety cameras.

With the RVS 1080P Wide Angle Advanced AI Camera, drivers can take advantage of advanced vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian detection, down to their body part and posture recognition. The power of machine learning is aided by 3 color-coded detection zones that give visual proximity alerts and audio alerts right from an integrated monitor. When it comes to situational awareness, few things can top multiple AI-powered cameras around your vehicles combined with proximity alerts.

Conclusion

It’s not enough to just hop onto trends or innovate for the sake of it. While these solutions can work wonders on their own, they’re even more effective when combined for a comprehensive solution. 

Safe Fleet is adept at combining and customizing innovative technologies to make systems that safeguard vehicles from every angle.

Contact a Safe Fleet expert to learn just how we can customize a solution specific to your needs.

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By Kevin Anderson, Commercial Vehicle at SafeFleet. kevin.anderson@safefleet.net,/a>