It was the largest event in the history of NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry,

Fleet equipment and technology are evolving at an unprecedented pace, with vehicles approaching obsolescence after only a brief time on the road.

Although tires aren’t always the first items distributors think of when optimizing delivery and fuel efficiency, their role in getting cases safely and cost-effectively from points A to B cannot be overstated.

For Powers Distributing, the key to modern beverage fleet management comes down to one simple term: velocity.

Here’s a rundown of what to expect as we roll into 2018.

The company debuted its latest near-zero natural gas engine technology, super-efficient diesel engines and shared its plans to introduce what it says will be a “revolutionary” heavy-duty diesel engine in 2022.

One of the best ways to reduce exhaust emissions and cut fuel costs obviously is to burn less fuel. Although fuel prices have substantially decreased in the past few years and have largely stabilized for now, beverage fleets remain proactive about reducing their fuel consumption. Between route/load optimization and updates to the latest drivetrain technology, the low-hanging fuel-economy fruit has been thoroughly harvested. Among the more common fuel saving strategies reported is the use of factory-installed idle shut-down timers to reduce unnecessary engine idling.

As a small company growing at 20 percent a year in a narrowly specialized segment of the beverage distribution business, Nampa, Idaho-based Idaho Springs Water succeeds by controlling costs in every corner of its fleet operations, including vehicle acquisition and maintenance, routing optimization, and fuel costs.

Whether its craft beer, imported bottled water, cold-pressed juices or any of the other premium beverages gaining traction, market analysts have highlighted that consumers are willing to pay a premium price if they feel they are getting value-added benefits from a product.