Walmart Canada’s new wheels turn heads

walmartgreenroom/com ^ | March 14, 2013 | By Michael Buna

[rawhide]

When your workplace spans 3,500 miles from coast to coast, the best way to turn heads is to show up with a tricked-out set of wheels. In our case, the wheels can carry up to 5,100 cubic feet of cargo.

Walmart Canada has made greening the supply chain a significant priority and investment over the past few years through a number of different initiatives. One area where we saw great opportunity was with our fleet; we wanted to find a way to deliver more products to our stores using fewer trucks, thereby reducing our impact on the environment. We found the answer in a pilot program using longer, drop-deck trailers we call supercubes. This first-of-its-kind trailer is 60 feet long and has an interior space of 5,100 cubic feet, providing enough room to ship almost 30 percent more volume than a standard 53-foot trailer.

Using these larger trailers takes cars off the road, cutting carbon emissions and saving energy. But their appeal also goes beyond sustainability, which is a happy accident. They’re all-around better trailers with more up-to-date features and—quite simply—they’re just cool-looking vehicles, inside and out. Features include fuel-saving resistance tires and side skirts that decrease aerodynamic drag under the vehicle and consequently, overall fuel consumption.

[Stentor]

Around here, the 53’ trailers are destroying all the corners and curbs.

I think they replaced every one in Philly. Make work for criminal enterprises.

[enduserindy]

Owner operators are already making the most of what they have. One big trick is to widen the trailer by 2 to 4 inches at the roof line where it is rarely measured by dot. Another way is building belly boxes. The problem with using a cab like that is forklift access and load shift in a wreck. You would be amazed ay how efficient truck drivers can be.

[gunsequalfreedom]

I thought about that when I posted and did check to be sure.

But...they online job listing show OTR jobs that require single night and multiple night runs.

Even on a dedicated run that would be one overnight and sleeping in a sleeper that according to their graphic is 10% smaller.

[gunsequalfreedom]

you sound like a liberal resorting to the word hate instead of addressing the position of those you disagree with

[gunsequalfreedom]

they’re over the road drivers sleep overnight

[gunsequalfreedom]

I just showed the graphic to my friend who is a long haul trucker and that is the first thing he noticed. Trucks bounce bad enough inside as it is.

[Smokin' Joe]

I know a guy who is an owner/operator leased to a major moving company. It is phenomenal how much he can get in a small space.

That said, if you're loading efficiently (heavy on the bottom, light on the top), there shouldn't be much room for any load shift, and I'd reserve the forward compartment for really light, compressible, but bulky stuff (plastic storage lockers, household paper products like paper towels and TP). With no 'headache rack', you wouldn't want cargo with high mass right there that might keep moving if the front of the truck stops suddenly.

If you look at the UPS doubles, the ones I have seen have a short cab over with two trailers, both of which have low decks and skirts like moving vans.

[USS Alaska]

you sound like a liberal resorting to the word hate instead of addressing the position of those you disagree with

What position would that be? Walmart is evil because you don't like them?

You don't like Walmart and they upset you, you stated that very clearly.

You are the one that acts like a liberal, you have no position to address.

I can't address your poor, hurt feelings and your "dislike" (can't use the word hate, it is too hurtful for your sensitive feelings) of Walmart.

I'll say it again, don't like'm, don't shop there.

Take a warm glass of milk and you'll nap better today.

[gunsequalfreedom]

What position would that be? Walmart is evil because you don't like them?

You are the one that brought up the subject of hate and evil. All I did was say it is typical of Wal-Mart to reduce the size of the sleeper.

And now like a typical liberal you are avoiding the subject.

Try directly responding to the statement. Is it typical of Wal-Mart recduce the size of the sleeper?

If you want to say that is not a true statement, that's legitimate. But to just jump off the liberal deep end and try to support your argument by throwing out the hate card, well, that just real liberal of you.

Again, what do you think of the Wal-Mart proposal to reduce the sleeper by 10 percent?

[gunsequalfreedom]

I really doubt Walmart became the largest retailer on the face of the planet by locating its distribution hubs so far away from its stores that drivers need to sleep overnight.

Why guess when we can know? There was a time on FR when people would research a question before blurting out an opinion based only on "I doubt..."

Yes, I know I'm being persnipity. I'm in a foul mood.

[gunsequalfreedom]

can't use the word hate, it is too hurtful for your sensitive feelings

It is just not a legitimate debating point is what I am trying to explain to you. And you don't hurt my feelings when you resort to the word "hate" as a retort. Too many people these days cower in the face when that is the retort to an issue. For example, when it comes to discussion of the border security, far too many run for cover as soon as liberals toss the hate card into the debate. In other words, I'm not falling for it. What I am doing is asking you to come back to the conversation with a legitimate debating point.