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March 1, 2008
Biodiesel grows up
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY JIM MELE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Diesel can't be replaced once consumed because it's derived from long-dead fossils. Biodiesel comes from plants or animals, which farmers around the world...
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Washington to the rescue
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY LARRY KAHANER, WASHINGTON, DC
In early February, the President signed into law a financial stimulus package that would offer rebates to millions of taxpayers, give tax breaks to businesses...
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Economists predict milder pre-buy in '09
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
JIM MELE
Although they cited different measures of truck sales, all four economists speaking to a group of heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers forecast slowly recovering...
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Road work
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
JUSTIN CARRETTA
No matter how technologically advanced our economy becomes, it won't make a difference if we can't get our goods to the marketplace. The dire needs of...
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Court denies motion to vacate HOS rules
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied a motion to vacate the interim hours-of-service (HOS) rules adopted by the Federal...
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going places
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Yokohama Tire Corp. has named Tetsuya Mizoguchi president & CEO. Mack Trucks has named Matthew Walsh vp-export for international operations. Fred Brown...
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HOS clarification
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
An hours-of-service news story in our January issue (HOS rules intact for now, page 8) stated that the Interim Final Rule allows drivers 77 hours behind...
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Inside and out
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
David Cullen
Determined to make its mark on the fiercely competitive U.S. supermarket arena, one of the world's largest retailers has launched an all-new grocery store...
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Fleets grade engines
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Sean Kilcarr
They're more costly to buy and operate, and suffer significantly more downtime, yet drivers love them. Many dub them hot rods for their quick-off-the-block...
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Cummins plans for CARB
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Cummins Inc. announced the release of Clean Idle Certified on-highway engines at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting in Orlando last month....
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KW & Pete hybrids get break
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Sister OEMs Kenworth and Peterbilt, both subsidiaries of Paccar, have announced that buyers of certain of their respective medium-duty hybrid vehicles...
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Stand-alone biodiesel fueling
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Propel Biofuels has opened its latest Clean Fuel Point location in Bellevue, WA, one of nearly 40 locations the company plans to add in Washington, Oregon...
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Wal-Mart evaluating LNG
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Four trucks equipped with the Westport Innovations liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel system have entered service at Wal-Mart's Apple Valley, CA, distribution...
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EPA slams Bay State idler
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Capitol Waste Services, a Massachusetts-based waste hauler, has paid a fine of $107,300 for exceeding the state's idling limit, part of EPA's effort to...
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CARB retrofit funding
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
Sean Kilcarr
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) plans to allocate more than 75% of $1-billion in public bond funding to reduce pollution from diesel-powered...
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Seconds count
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY SEAN KILCARR e-mail: skilcarr@fleetowner.com
What is one second worth to your fleet? Doesn't sound like much time, I know. But that one second is critical in rear-end collisions, where driver distraction...
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THE IDEAL SHOP
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY SEAN KILCARR, SENIOR EDITOR
Ask five fleet managers what the ideal maintenance shop would look like and you'll get five very different answers. What they'll have in common, however,...
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Watch your mouth
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY MARTIN LABBE e-mail: mlabbe@mlabbe.com
If it walks like a recession and talks like a recession, is it necessarily a recession? No. If we try hard enough, however, we can talk ourselves into...
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Play to your strengths
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
by Jim York
If you always do what you have always done, you'll always get what you have always gotten. That phrase, told to me by a respected industry safety professional...
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Keeping score
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY GARY PETTY
Private fleets seeking innovation in their driver performance and pay-incentive programs would do well to look at Atrium Windows, Inc. The company launched...
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Boots on the ground
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY MIKE MCCARRON
Glass-half-full people see downturns and recessions as great opportunities for growth, and I don't disagree. In times like these, people are looking for...
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LoneStar shines on Chicago Auto Show
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
WENDY LEAVITT
International Truck and Engine Corp. unveiled its new Class 8 LoneStar at the Chicago Auto Show last month. According to the company, the LoneStar was...
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Heavy-duty CJ-4 oils from Chevron
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Chevron Products has introduced two CJ-4 compliant heavy-duty engine oils: Chevron RPM LE SAE 15W-40 and Texaco Ursa Super Plus EC SAE 15W-40. Both are...
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ArvinMeritor unveils active truck-safety system
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
SEAN KILCARR
ArvinMeritor introduced OnGuard, which it calls the first collision safety system with active braking for commercial vehicles in North America, at a special...
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Volvo to have Cummins ISX in 2010
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Volvo Trucks North America will offer the 15L Cummins ISX engine, certified for 2010 emissions standards, in the Volvo VN. This is an extension of an...
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bulletins
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
A catalog of vehicle tools and equipment is now available from Ingersoll Rand. Products covered include Impactools and ratchets, IQ Series cordless tools,...
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Kapur nixes SCR
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
WENDY LEAVITT
Dee Kapur, truck group president of International Truck and Engine, reconfirmed the company's non-SCR position for 2010 emissions compliance in a presentation...
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International taking orders for new HD diesel
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
JIM MELE
As the first step in a slow ramp-up to full production, International Truck and Engine Corp. says it is beginning to take orders for heavy-duty trucks...
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Yokohama rolls green
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Yokohama debuted two new truck tires, the 103ZRT and 501ZAT. Both are from the company's Z.environment line, which it claims last longer and are more...
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Sterling adds safety options
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Air disc brakes, collision warning and roll stability control (RSC) will be offered as new factory-installed options by Sterling Trucks, according to...
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Monitoring oil in real time
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
IntelliStick has introduced a dipstick replacement sensor that enables fleets to remotely monitor their trucks' engine oil in real time. The sensor monitors...
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Regional tire evolves
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
The next generation of the popular XZE all-position tire for regional hauling and vocational applications will deliver up to 15% more overall tread life,...
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Rebuilding preset hubs
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Although they're considered maintenance-free, ConMet's PreSet hub assemblies usually require servicing at around 500,000 mi., but the only available options...
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Making hybrids safe
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
SEAN KILCARR
With more and more hybrid commercial vehicles out on the road, Eaton Corp. a leading supplier of hybrid systems is stepping up its educational efforts...
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Wide-base radial gets tough
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire has introduced an on/off highway wide-base radial designed with aggressive traction for long-mileage use. The...
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EnerSys adds to Odyssey battery line
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Battery sizes 75/86, 25, 35 and 65 have been added to the Odyssey line of products made by EnerSys. The batteries provide starting power to applications...
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Managing the ebb and flow
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
SEAN KILCARR
Though demand for vehicles especially for commercial trucks is expected to grow significantly over the next decade, manufacturers believe that growth...
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Goodyear brings DuraSeal to OTR tires
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has introduced a new trailer tire deploying the company's DuraSeal technology. The Unisteel G316 LHT represents Goodyear's first...
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More service for aftermarket customers
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket (CVA) business has established customer care centers at its parts distribution facilities to provide technical...
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Technician honored at HDAW
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Britt Olson, Southeastern Freight Lines, was named 2007 Technician of the Year at Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas. The award is sponsored by...
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Diesels for all
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
JIM MELE
While diesel power has long dominated the Class 3-5 heavy pickup and cab-chassis markets, all five auto manufacturers that compete in the full-size pickup...
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Flat attack
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Switching tires yields $4,000 a month Manager: Mike Esfeller Title: Owner Fleet: Esfeller Construction, Coden, AL Operation: Road building and site prep...
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Not a cure-all cure-all
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY KEVIN ROHLWING e-mail: kevinrohlwing@comcast.net
Fleets cannot operate without drivers, fuel or tires. With the current driver shortage, controlling labor costs will only become more difficult as the...
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what's new in: Coolants
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
DEBORAH MCGUFFIE-SCHYHOL
The hotter-running engines resulting from '07 emissions reductions efforts have spurred the growth of extended life coolants (ELC) in the U.S. to meet...
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IDLING: THE PAYOFF
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY WENDY LEAVITT, DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL DEVELOPMENT
If conserving fuel is the single factor you have been concerned about when it comes to reducing idling, it may be time to take a second look at the issue....
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GPS sharpens driver-risk predictions
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
WENDY LEAVITT
DriverScore 2.0, a driver risk management system from Ivox, provides an objective measurement of individual driving behavior that, when analyzed and compared...
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All-in-one diagnostic tool
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Technicians have long complained about being forced to use multiple scan tools and PCs to perform diagnostics on commercial trucks. To answer that complaint,...
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Online warranty tracking for all
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
RapidWarranty.com has announced a single warranty-claims process that can be used for all major commercial truck components and brands all done online...
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PARTNERING FOR PARTS
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY DAVID CULLEN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Trucking suppliers from OEMs down the line to component and subsystem suppliers are always hot to serve the lucrative aftermarket for truck parts and...
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DRIVERS: How to Find and Keep the Best
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM,
BY TIMOTHY BRADY
As lean and nimble small motor carriers, it would seem as though we're at a distinct disadvantage in attracting drivers. We're not self-insured, which...
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the last word
Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Big-rig ride For 1,000 smackers, former Mayor Dennis Maetzold of Edina, MN, and businessman Richard Peacha of Bloomington, MN, got to take a 251-mile...
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