Holman Distribution Turns the Corner In Efficiency
June 16, 2014
KENT, Wash., June 16, 2014 – With fuel being a top operating expense, it’s easy to understand why some fleet managers stay up at night trying to think of ways to improve mpg’s.
“When you’re talking millions of miles, it makes every tenth of a mile in fuel economy that much more important,” said Fred Olson, who serves as general manager for Kent, Wash.-based Holman Distribution. “When you’re able to spec a truck for optimum fuel economy, and have drivers dialed-in to operate the equipment correctly, it means extra dollars to the bottom line. Today, our trucks are running with fuel economy that has improved by 2 miles-per-gallon over the fleet we operated just two years ago. It’s been a transformation.”
The transformation came in part thanks to a fleet of 13 Peterbilt Model 579s, under a full-service lease with Western Pacific Leasing, the local PacLease franchise. The day cabs serve Holman’s 3PL business, which consists of a 1.1 million square foot warehouse that’s home to 100-plus customers who strategically store their goods for area deliveries.
The relationship began with PacLease after the term of the previous lease came due. But before awarding PacLease the business, Olson compared and contrasted truck models and their performance, as well as leasing companies. “On the equipment side, there were two things we considered as high priorities,” he said. “One was the reliability of the equipment and fuel economy. The second was driver acceptance of the truck – driver retention is critical to us and we know the trucks they drive make a difference in their loyalty.”
Olson said he did short-term rentals and put three brands of trucks through the paces when it came to fuel economy. “Nothing came close to the Peterbilt 579. The model was about a 1/2 mile per gallon better in fuel economy than what the competition offered,” he said. “What’s more, the other leasing companies had a set truck they wanted to lease us and they kept telling us that this spec -- or that spec -- in our operation wouldn’t make much of a difference. But, if you add 1/10th mile per gallon here, and another there; or save 300 pounds with aluminum versus steel wheels; pretty soon finite details add up to something bigger. The folks at PacLease understood that and worked with us to custom spec the Model 579 to maximize fuel economy. They understood what we were after – they knew trucks and they knew specs. So, based on that understanding, we knew we could even improve on that 1/2 mile per gallon advantage with the Peterbilt. And we ultimately did, adding another 1/2 mile per gallon improvement.”
While management became very comfortable with the Peterbilt Model 579, Olson said he had six of his senior drivers pore over each of the trucks under consideration, including doing test drives. “They provided great feedback,” he said. “The overwhelming choice was the Peterbilt 579. Drivers know trucks and they commented on the fit and finish of the Peterbilt, as compared to the other models. It’s a rock-solid piece of equipment and everything about the 579 exudes quality. They also liked the great visibility out of the truck and its quietness – just like driving a car. And in describing the new hydraulic clutch – they said it’s like a hot knife going through butter. It’s something perhaps small, but when a driver is constantly working the clutch, it makes a big difference in driver fatigue at the end of the day.”
