Fort Worth's move to greener operations is revving up as the City’s Property Management-Fleet Division is set to unveil a new mixer, a notable addition to their latest fleet of vocational trucks. The division has also been caught eyeing hybrid electric vehicle (EV) tech, with the intent to boost sustainability and operational efficiency, according to the City of Fort Worth.
The division isn't just looking to slowly and safely ramp up operational capabilities, but thoroughly integrate EV solutions, evidenced by January's showcase with Industrial Truck Power at the James Avenue Fleet service center. Vendors there rolled out their EV products for Fleet's consideration, to better understand how such vehicles could perform across a variety of sizes and duties.
A big step for Fleet is the addition of a cutting-edge mixer for the Transportation & Public Works, which they're pegging as a major tech transition. While the changes in a mixer might seem minor to the untrained eye, within the vocational industry it's a considerable leap. The new truck model boasts an array of tech features, like a fully integrated dash display for easy function analysis by operators, fully automated maintenance service reporting, and testing a body design that could soon host collision avoidance technology, although it's not there just yet.
Looking ahead to Fiscal Year 2025, Fleet has meetings and demos lined up to further explore just how hybrid tech could play out in the vocational field. They're not just thinking about the machines, but also the humans behind the wheels, considering the safety systems with integrated features including lane assistance, geo-fencing, and monitoring controls to more effectively regulate usage and ensure security. "It is important for the City to be very calculated and strategic in our approach with assets and technology that we adopt," Brad Hunter, assistant director of Property Management-Fleet Division, said, as per the City of Fort Worth. He emphasized the lengthy process and responsibility involved in selecting such technology, which significantly impacts a city the size of Fort Worth and its future operations.
