March 1, 2008
Editor's Page
Biodiesel grows up
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...
Management: In Box
Washington to the rescue
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...
Economists predict milder pre-buy in '09
Although they cited different measures of truck sales, all four economists speaking to a group of heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers forecast slowly recovering...
Road work
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...
Court denies motion to vacate HOS rules
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...
going places
Yokohama Tire Corp. has named Tetsuya Mizoguchi president & CEO. Mack Trucks has named Matthew Walsh vp-export for international operations. Fred Brown...
HOS clarification
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...
Management: Green Roads
Inside and out
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...
Fleets grade engines
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...
Cummins plans for CARB
Cummins Inc. announced the release of Clean Idle Certified on-highway engines at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting in Orlando last month....
KW & Pete hybrids get break
Sister OEMs Kenworth and Peterbilt, both subsidiaries of Paccar, have announced that buyers of certain of their respective medium-duty hybrid vehicles...
Stand-alone biodiesel fueling
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...
Wal-Mart evaluating LNG
Four trucks equipped with the Westport Innovations liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel system have entered service at Wal-Mart's Apple Valley, CA, distribution...
EPA slams Bay State idler
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...
CARB retrofit funding
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...
Management: First Person
Seconds count
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...
Management: Feature
THE IDEAL SHOP
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,...
Management: Economics
Watch your mouth
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...
Management: Safety Matters
Play to your strengths
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...
Management: Private Fleets
Keeping score
Private fleets seeking innovation in their driver performance and pay-incentive programs would do well to look at Atrium Windows, Inc. The company launched...
Management: Closing The Deal
Boots on the ground
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...
Equipment: Nuts & Bolts
LoneStar shines on Chicago Auto Show
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...
Heavy-duty CJ-4 oils from Chevron
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...
Sterling, Freightliner taking orders for new diesel
Using the North American market to launch a new global engine platform, Sterling Trucks and Freightliner Trucks have begun taking orders for heavy-duty...
ArvinMeritor unveils active truck-safety system
ArvinMeritor introduced OnGuard, which it calls the first collision safety system with active braking for commercial vehicles in North America, at a special...
Volvo to have Cummins ISX in 2010
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...
bulletins
A catalog of vehicle tools and equipment is now available from Ingersoll Rand. Products covered include Impactools and ratchets, IQ Series cordless tools,...
Kapur nixes SCR
Dee Kapur, truck group president of International Truck and Engine, reconfirmed the company's non-SCR position for 2010 emissions compliance in a presentation...
International taking orders for new HD diesel
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...
Yokohama rolls green
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...
Sterling adds safety options
Air disc brakes, collision warning and roll stability control (RSC) will be offered as new factory-installed options by Sterling Trucks, according to...
Monitoring oil in real time
IntelliStick has introduced a dipstick replacement sensor that enables fleets to remotely monitor their trucks' engine oil in real time. The sensor monitors...
Regional tire evolves
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,...
Rebuilding preset hubs
Although they're considered maintenance-free, ConMet's PreSet hub assemblies usually require servicing at around 500,000 mi., but the only available options...
Making hybrids safe
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...
Wide-base radial gets tough
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire has introduced an on/off highway wide-base radial designed with aggressive traction for long-mileage use. The...
EnerSys adds to Odyssey battery line
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...
Managing the ebb and flow
Though demand for vehicles especially for commercial trucks is expected to grow significantly over the next decade, manufacturers believe that growth...
Goodyear brings DuraSeal to OTR tires
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has introduced a new trailer tire deploying the company's DuraSeal technology. The Unisteel G316 LHT represents Goodyear's first...
More service for aftermarket customers
ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket (CVA) business has established customer care centers at its parts distribution facilities to provide technical...
Technician honored at HDAW
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...
Equipment: Light & Medium Report
Diesels for all
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...
Flat attack
Switching tires yields $4,000 a month Manager: Mike Esfeller Title: Owner Fleet: Esfeller Construction, Coden, AL Operation: Road building and site prep...
Equipment: Tire Tracks
Not a cure-all cure-all
Fleets cannot operate without drivers, fuel or tires. With the current driver shortage, controlling labor costs will only become more difficult as the...
Equipment: Hardware Report
what's new in: Coolants
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...
Special Report
IDLING: THE PAYOFF
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....
Information Technology: Trucks.com
GPS sharpens driver-risk predictions
DriverScore 2.0, a driver risk management system from Ivox, provides an objective measurement of individual driving behavior that, when analyzed and compared...
All-in-one diagnostic tool
Technicians have long complained about being forced to use multiple scan tools and PCs to perform diagnostics on commercial trucks. To answer that complaint,...
Online warranty tracking for all
RapidWarranty.com has announced a single warranty-claims process that can be used for all major commercial truck components and brands all done online...
Information Technology: Feature
PARTNERING FOR PARTS
Trucking suppliers from OEMs down the line to component and subsystem suppliers are always hot to serve the lucrative aftermarket for truck parts and...
Small Business Review
DRIVERS: How to Find and Keep the Best
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...
The Last Word
the last word
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...
