Trucks are next
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Jim Mele, Editor-in-Chief
After a lot of political maneuvering that included a filibuster and threats of a Presidential veto, we finally got a slimmed down energy bill that's only...
Management: In Box
Gridlock alert
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Larry Kahaner, Washington, DC
Of the 134 bills signed into law last year, almost half were concerned with naming public buildings after noteworthy Americans, approving designs of commemorative...
Federal commission calls for upping fuel tax
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Justin Carretta
The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission proposed an annual 5 to 8% increase in the nation's fuel taxes for the next five...
FMCSA proposes new driver training rule
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Marilyn Wilson
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has finally addressed the issue of behind-the-wheel training for entry-level commercial drivers....
REAL ID rule issued
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Justin Carretta
The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a final rule setting uniform standards for driver's licenses and ID cards, in an attempt to strengthen...
Going Places
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Ford Motor has promoted Joe Hinrichs to group vice president-global manufacturing. Mark Wallace has been named president and CEO of Webasto Product North...
Management: Green Roads
New math
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
David Cullen
Sometimes it's easy being green, especially when an environmentally friendly product saves money and in more ways than one. Determined to cut idling that...
Biodiesel scores high in study
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Justin Carretta
According to the Two Million-Mile Haul B20 field documentation study being conducted by the Iowa Soybean Assn. (ISA), first-year results show 20% soy...
Cold plate combo
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
VT Specialized Vehicles Corp. (VT SVC) has introduced the UltraTemp hybrid system for refrigerated distribution, which the company said combines the benefits...
The easy way
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Justin Carretta
Increasing fuel economy is the easiest way to go green, said Gerry Kirouac, training manager for Cadec Global, during the Environmental Protection Agency...
Solar power for tonneau cover
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
A.R.E. is now offering solar-powered keyless entry to its line of fiberglass tonneau covers for pickup trucks. SolARay solar-powered keyless entry allows...
FedEx to test hydraulic hybrid
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Parker Hannifin Corp. and FedEx Ground have announced they will test a Class 6 vehicle deploying hybrid hydraulic technology that they expect will improve...
Management: First Person
Throw out the book
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By David Cullen e-mail: dcullen@fleetowner.com
When I read something saying I've not done anything as good as Catch- 22, I'm tempted to reply, Who has? Joseph Heller, 1923-1999 That pithy quote by...
Management: Feature
The Fleet Owner 500
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Our annual ranking of America's top private fleets has reached a milestone with this fifth edition. For the first time, the companies included in the...
Management: Safety Matters
Devil in the details
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Jim York
FMCSA published its long-anticipated rulemaking proposal for defining minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial drivers in late December....
Management: Private Fleets
Added value
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Gary Petty
The owners of Hatfield Quality Meats spun off the company's private fleet in January 2006 to create PV Transport, a for-profit trucking company. This...
Equipment: Nuts & Bolts
International acquires GM medium-duty business
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Justin Carretta and Jim Mele
After months of rumors, International Truck and Engine Corp. officially announced that it is buying General Motors' medium-duty truck business. Under...
Bendix streamlines brake training
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has combined its Air Brake and Foundation Brake training into one course, Bendix Brake Training. The curriculum includes...
Volvo issues truck recall
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) is recalling its VHD, VNL and VNM trucks for model years 2003-2008, as well as the VT units for model years 2005, 2007...
Goodyear adds four to light lineup
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has developed four load range E light-truck commercial tires using its new Armor Max Technology: two all-position tires and two...
Wireless parking sensor system
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Mobile Awareness has released a wireless parking sensor system, the MA-WPSS-4M17, developed for long vehicles such as tractor trailers, utility vehicles...
Axle system gets upgrade
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Hendrickson Auxiliary Axle Systems has introduced an upgrade to its 20,000-lb. capacity Paralift steerable truck lift-axle system, providing adjustable...
Mack changing the guard
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Paul L. Vikner, president and CEO of Mack Trucks since 2001, will leave that post on April 1 and join the Mack board of directors as vice chairman. Dennis...
NTEA announces keynote speaker, schedule
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The National Truck Equipment Assn. (NTEA) announced that Clarence H. Albright Jr., Under Secretary of the Dept. of Energy (DOE), will present the keynote...
Bulletins
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Webb Wheel Products' Aftermarket Business Unit has entered into a strategic alliance with TMD Friction, combining couple brake drums and friction linings....
Equipment: Light & Medium Report
News analysis: The work truck angle
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
David Cullen
A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but trucks designed for work shouldn't be held to the same fuel-economy standards as those marketed for personal...
Going after it
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Sean Kilcarr
Daimler AG's divestiture of Chrysler isn't impacting the commercial truck financing side of Daimler's business, according to Richard Howard, vp of Daimler...
Work Truck Show heads to Atlanta
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The jointly held Work Truck Show and 44th Annual National Truck Equipment Assn. (NTEA) Convention on Feb. 26-28 at the Georgia World Congress Center in...
Equipment: Feature
Hybrids Hit the Road
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Wendy Leavitt, Director of Editorial Development
2007 was a watershed year for the development and deployment of hybrid trucks in North America. Several truck makers introduced medium-duty hybrid chassis...
Equipment: Winter 2008
End Game
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The temptation is to say, Here we go again. But that would vastly undersell the magnitude of what will have been achieved when diesel engines are certified...
Engines
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Cummins According to Cummins Inc., the company first began developing its EPA-compliant 2010 engines back in 2004 and both its medium- and heavy-duty...
Equipment: Tire Tracks
Looking good
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Kevin Rohlwing e-mail: kevinrohlwing@comcast.net
Despite the groundbreaking advances in technology, a large number of fleets still refuse to consider retreads as a viable alternative to new tires. Whether...
Equipment: Hardware Report
what's new in: LED lighting
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Deborah McGuffie-Schyhol
For trucking, advances in LED technology have led to steadily increasing product efficiency, longer lifetimes, higher brightness levels and decreasing...
Equipment: Vocational Profile
Optimizing costs
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Deborah McGuffie-Schyhol
Running a business successfully is all about optimizing costs while providing the best level of customer service/satisfaction possible. That's why many...
Information Technology: truck.com
International creates online fleet tools
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
A new web portal service from International Truck and Engine Corp. offers fleet customers a suite of online management tools, including links to industry...
Tablet PC for industrial use
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The Ridgeline tablet PC is a Windows XP-based unit designed to withstand repeated 3-ft. drops to concrete and intended for forklift, freight, construction...
Freight site launches
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Vessage, a website aimed at matching shippers with carriers, promises a user-friendly portal to post and view both loads and trucks, according to its...
Melton updates tire, PM module
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The Horizon fleet management system has received an update for its vehicle maintenance and tire tracking module update, according to developer Melton...
Off the Wire
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Maximus has announced it will be working with the city of Austin, TX, to implement a fleet management software upgrade, adding the company's FuelFocus...
Trans+Plus mixes it up
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Fleet Manager Professional, an event-based dispatch and freight brokerage software system for integrated fleet and logistics management, has updated its...
FleetMentor beta version launched
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
J.J. Keller & Associates has launched the beta test of its newest online fleet management solution FleetMentor. Fleets that register will have free, unlimited...
Trimble adds MC
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
FleetCor has announced an agreement to provide its Fleet MasterCard program to customers of commercial positioning solutions provider Trimble. The Fleet...
Information Technology: Feature
The Versatile Cellphone
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
By Sean Kilcarr, Senior Editor
The way Brandon Newton (pictured at left) sees it, the cellphone is more than a communication device: It's a real-time information tool that improves...
Small Business Review
Setting freight rates
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY TIMOTHY BRADY
Determining how to set freight rates can be confounding for small carriers. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to go about it, however, ask yourself...
The Last Word
The last word
Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM
From pucks to LEDs Eric Morris, a one-time hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings, is celebrating his 30th anniversary with trucking supplier Grote Industries,...
