Ex-Guard 2019 Q1 Newsletter

The first newsletter from Ex-Guard in 2019.

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

1. SCHUSTER COMPANY - TESTIMONIAL 12. GUESS THIS TRUCK ANSWER " CONT ENTS 2. 2019 ATA TMC SHOW 4. 2019 NSRMCA SHOW 5. GUESS THIS TRUCK 6. FUEL ECONOMY REPORT 8. PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT - CM STYLE 10. NEW CATALOG 11. EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION VIDEO

Ex-Guard has been a key factor in protecting our fleet night after night. With the dan- gers of running hundreds of miles through our extensive line haul operation, having a reliable product to count on is one of our keys to success. The quality and durability of their product is exceptional and the customer service is second to none. Time and time again they have shown us how they are a world class organization by standing by their product with exceptional service and response time. Exceeding our expectations on every transaction is the reason why we will be partnering with Ex-Guard for years to come. Jeremy Cutchens | Vice President of Operations Valley Cartage Hudson, WIsconsin

? D I D Y O U A T T E N D T H E 2 0 1 9

ATA TMC SHOW

Dave Edwards Southern Sales Consultant

Dennis Geipel Western Sales Consultant

Malcolm Holt Sales Consultant

Melissa Godron Marketing Specialist

20 1 9 ATA TMC SHOW

My last trip to Atlanta was for the TMC show that took place at the Geor- gia Convention Center. The show was fantastic! The overall theme of the time was saving money on gas, mileage and truck maintenance. People present included fleet managers and owners of dealerships. It was very nice to interact with long-time customers as well as being introduced to new customers like Prime Logistics. During some of our conversations with fleets, we noticed a common is- sue, the drivers shortage. For drivers, this brings some exciting changes to the trucking industry. Fleet managers are offering big sign-on bonus- es as an incentive to hire new drivers, overall they are pushing really

hard to work with whoever they can that are qualified. In order to get qualified drivers, fleet managers are starting to offer generous start-up bonuses as an incentive. These bonuses range anywhere between $2,000 - $10,000. This startup bonus is especially appeal- ing to couples who partner on up in trucking, doubling the bonus to $4,000-$20,000 for a household. This runs counter to some of the public fears circulating the trucking industry. Many drivers are fear- ful of job stability with the tech shift to the self-automated vehicles emerging in the market. While companies like Tesla and Amazon are investing heavily in developing this technology, there is still a driver deficit dominant in the United States. Fleets are struggling to find and keep qualified drivers. Less qualified drivers are coming into the trucking industry and with the introduction of mandatory ELD logging systems, several seasoned drivers are starting to leave the profession due to this new technology. The ATA TMC Show was great to get to hear from the Fleets Ex-Guard serves, and to listen to some of these growing pains from an inside perspective. As the number of people interested in Ex-Guard grows, we are seeing an increase in Fleet Managers with experience in our product or curi- osity approaching our booth. Some delighting us with stories on how their Ex-Guard has made a huge positive impact on their life. SNL Distributors came and told us about how he hit a pothole that was about 3-4 feet deep. When he pulled out of it, nothing was damaged on the truck, just the LT-325 grille guard. No fenders lights, noth- ing. He drove that baby back in the yard unscathed. The LT-325 has the 25 level coverage, with a single hand latch, and lighter steel. Seeing that the amount of force this guard was able to endure and the protection it offered the truck, driver, and fleet was extremely satisfying. If this was our 11 gauge steel, I can only imagine what the 8 gauge could’ve withstood in this situation. This is exactly the stories that motivate our team. Since Ex-Guard was the only grille guard manufacturer in atten- dance at the 2019 ATA TMC Show, we were able to hold a stronger presence for Grille Guards. It was an exceptional opportunity to

introduce some of the latest third-party Fuel Economy testing per- formed on Ex-Guards. MTS Transport Fuel Economy Experts used re- al-life testing to yield a zero mpg change for trucks using the 00 and 25 designs and a half-gallon per 1000 miles for 50 & 95 designs. With the growth in product popularity and favorable Fuel Economy results, we were able to spark some engaging conversations that really reached the heart of our Fleet and prospective fleets concerns with introducing Ex-Guard to all trucks. In reviewing the time that we had, which was brief, I would definitely recommend people to go to the ATA TMC Show. If you have a quality product, the ATA TMC Show is an opportunity to showcase it to peo- ple quality fleet some quality dealers. Atlanta is an awesome place, it’s friendly and relatively safe. There’s tons of access to restau- rants, hotels, with Airbnb options in really decent neighborhoods. It’s a place I’d gladly visit on vacation and I look forward to going back for future shows.

DAVE EDWARDS Southern Sales Consultant

Dave Edwards Southern Sales Consultant

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

2019 NSRMCA

20 1 9 NSRMCA SHOW I N VEGAS

The seminar took place at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas, presented by David Hendel, attorney for the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association. This seminar focuses on HCR and CDS Contracts Terms and conditions for postal service contractors to maximize business operations. The postal service plays a vital role in the employment and service of our transportation industry. Ex-Guard uses the NSRMCA as an opportunity to learn more about the postal service industry including claims, disputes, and the legal rights of drivers. Learning the annual changes in regulations as well as the day- to-day struggle that the postal service encounters help the Ex-Guard research and development department expand to keep in close contact with the needs of this developing area. As the demand for shipping online orders increases, so does the demand for drivers in the postal service. Ex-Guard continues to support and learn from the leaders in the postal transportation industry.

Dennis Geipel Western Sales Consultant

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

GUESS THIS TRUCK ?

A. WESTERN STAR 4700 Set-Forward B. Freightliner Classic C. Peterbilt 567 Set-Forward

D. Peterbilt 367 Set-Back E. mack gu713 Set-Forward F. Kenworth W990

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

FUEL ECONOMY

00 DESIGN

25 DESIGN

50 DESIGN

95 DESIGN

ZERO IMPACT

ZERO IMPACT

.5/GAL 1000/mi 1609km

.5/GAL 1000/mi 1609km

AREAS AFFECTED BY WIND RESISTANCE

The illustration above shows little wind resistance variation be- tween the 00, 25, 50, and 95 guard designs. Contrary to popular assumption, the 50 and 95 guard designs have approximately the same wind resistance and effect on mpg. The greater differ- ence is not between mpg, but rather coverage.

For the best fuel efficiency, 95 Designs should not exceed hood height on Truck Models.

Why do Ex-Guard designs extend outside of Truck Models?

75 Designs are similar to 95 Designs in coverage and fuel efficiency.

The guards extend outward to mitigate damage by offering ef- fective coverage. Gen 2 Guard designs wrap around truck mod- el designs more than Gen 1 Guards, complementing your truck models curves. What ’s the annual fuel expense increase? Third party testing yielded results on fuel efficiency for the 00 and 25 designs as having zero impact on fuel economy. For 50 and 95 the overall cost increase for 125,000 miles per year was $210 or .5GAL/1000 miles.

DID YOU KNOW??? Some hood mirrors have a greater impact on fuel economy than our 95 Designs!

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

Lastly, the round tubing used by Ex-Guard ® has a relatively low effect on drag, therefore further reducing the negative impact on fuel economy. Overall, the combination of Ex-Guard's de- sign and the low air speed at the front of the vehicle, enable Ex-Guard 00, 25, 50, and 95 designs to have near zero or only minor effects on the fuel economy respectively. NOTE: Other brands of grille guards may not perform as well with fuel the economy as the Ex-Guard ® systems. This will be especially true of larger and more bluntly shaped grille guards. Grille guards that mount closer to the front of the vehicle, use more bluntly shaped materials, or block airflow with bracing or vertical risers will all perform worse with fuel economy. Un i ts of Measurement Units of gal/1000 miles are the most reliable units of measure- ment for aerodynamic fuel savings due to their scientific and mathematical relationship to fuel consumption. Conc lus i on The 50 design, with greater front-end vehicle coverage, only resulted in a fuel economy loss of -0.53 gal/1000 miles. "Overall, by having only a minor effect on fuel economy, the Ex-Guard grille guards should provide fleets the confidence to pursue products based on operational costs as opposed to fuel economy losses." - MVTS Fuel Economy Experts

FUEL ECONOMY TEST - REAL LIFE TESTING

Cal culat i ng Total Sav i ngs or Cost wi th E x - Guard

00 and 25 Designs No effect on fuel economy, therefore zero cost in fuel.

50 and 95 Designs At 125,000 miles traveled annually, the fuel used would be 66 gallons, .5GAL/1000 miles.

FINANCIAL IMPACT CALCULATION -66 gallons/year x $3.178/gal = $210/yr fuel cost

Using the average retail cost of diesel fuel in the U.S. in 2018 at $3.178 /gal, this amounts to $210 annually in fuel per truck.

WHY E X - GUARDS HAD ONLY A SMAL L E F F ECT ON FUE L ECONOMY

T O TA L A D D I T I O N A L C O S T 00 or 25 D E S I G N $ 0 / YEAR T O TA L A D D I T I O N A L C O S T 50 or 95 D E S I G N $ 210 / YEAR

The reader may be surprised by Ex-Guard’s minimal effect on fuel economy and therefore the topic is worth further discus- sion. Typically, interfering with the airflow on a vehicle can impact fuel economy significantly, however, the Ex-Guard ® products have some advantages that minimize this. First, air- flow at the front of the truck is relatively slow due to the blunt face of the vehicle, which causes the airflow speed to decrease considerably. Aerodynamicists refer to this as a “high-pressure area”. This situation results in less air flowing past the Ex- Guard system and therefore its effect on aerodynamic drag is reduced. Secondly, the Ex-Guard is mounted several inches away from the front of the vehicle, allowing the air that does impact the front of the vehicle to continue flowing as needed (i.e. left, right, up, down).

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

guard STYLES / CM P R O D U C T H I G H L I G H T

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

What is the CM STYLE? The CM (Collision Mitigation) Style was created at the request of Daimler to design a guard that exposes and does not interfere with the 'no encroachment zone' of the Detroit Assurance - CMS (Collision Mitigation System) for the 2018 New Gen Cascadia. The CM guards are specifically provided at PDI centers. Following this request, Ex-Guard ® has created the CM modification to the XG 100 Series guards. This modification offers a larger opening in the center of the guard, making it compliant with the said ‘no encroachment zone.’ This style of guard is not necessary for CMS operation as all Ex-Guard grille guards allow the full functionality of these collision mitigation systems. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DEEP STYLE AND THE CM STYLE? The Deep Style offers more coverage to mitigate front-end damage (COMPARE DEEP STYLE VS CM STYLE BELOW) . Ex-Guard ® offering the CM modification was upon request to ensure compliance with the ‘no encroachment zones’ set out by Daimler. Customers using the Deep Style Ex-Guards while running CMS have unhindered functionality of this technology. CM GUARD [Collision mitigation]-STYLE

®

Because of this, Ex-Guard Industries strongly urges you to use the guard that best suits your needs.

To avoid experiencing system errors, we recommend a recalibration/ alignment of the CMS after installation of your guard.

CM STYLE DEEP STYLE

DEEP STYLE - OFFERS MORE COVERAGE FOR CMS AREA & GRILLE

CM STYLE - OFFERS FULL EXPOSURE OF 'NO ENCROACHMENT ZONE'

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

2019 NEW CATALOG

NEW CATALOG »

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

CHECK OUT THe VIDEO // Employee Appreciation DAY

It’s #EmployeeAppreciationDay and we are very thankful for the dedicated crew we have! No one knows the value of our staff better than our GM and he wanted to share a message.

 YouTube.com

E X - G UA R D Q 1 - 2 0 1 9 N E W S L E T T E R

THIS TRUCK IS. . .

F

A N S W E R

A. WESTERN STAR 4700 Set-Forward B. Freightliner Classic C. Peterbilt 567 Set-Forward

D. Peterbilt 367 Set-Back E. mack gu713 Set-Forward F. Kenworth W990

Made with FlippingBook Annual report