November 1, 2008
Cover Story
OIL ADDITIVES: To pour or not
Snake oil. Mouse milk. Whiffle dust. Take your pick few products have earned such unflattering sobriquets as aftermarket motor-oil additives. And for...
Editor's Page
Credit and freight
While most of the world seems stunned by the depth and breadth of the current economic crisis, it comes as no surprise to those in trucking. After enduring...
Special Report: Countdown 2010
Countdown 2010: Home stretch
With just 14 months to go before the January 2010 deadline for the next round of diesel emissions cuts, the picture is getting much clearer as truck manufacturers...
Feature
Creating a Culture of Safety
Fleet safety professionals think about safety, about managing risk all day, every day. It is their job. The best of the best, however, also work tirelessly...
Cognitive training to improve driver safety/fuel economy
When safety directors talk about driver training, they generally mean skills training. That is instruction on how to do things like back around a corner,...
Truck Technology: Feature
Screen Savers
Kim Theken remembers how things used to be in the world of driver recruiting and retention and with more than a little horror. It's the waiting that really...
Management: Safety Matters
Finding the middle ground
In mid-September, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released the findings and accompanying recommendations of its investigation into a multiple...
Management: First Person
Behind the marque
Sitting in a sun-drenched conference room overlooking Volvo Trucks North America's (VTNA) corporate campus one recent Carolina fall morning, it struck...
Management: Economics
Spending won't help this time
The silver lining may be a ways off. The current storm is unlike the others we have seen in several ways. The duration, the breadth, the sectors involved,...
Management: Closing The Deal
Find the right dance partner
Frozen liquidity puts a chill on growth and expansion. Even companies with no financial pressure are cutting costs and tempering ambition because they...
Management: Private Fleets
Take-home pay
At a time of economic downturn and business turmoil in general, fleet professionals are searching for new ideas and programs which bring the greatest...
Equipment: Maintenance Bay
Fifth wheels not forgotten
Manager: Doug Martin Title: Fleet manager Fleet: Hoss Cartage & Distribution Systems, Ayr, Ontario PROBLEM In Doug Martin's view, if there's one part...
Equipment: Hardware Report
What's new in: Oil filters
The industry leapt its first hurdle in 2007 when stricter emissions regulations went into effect and oil and oil filters had to work harder to remove...
Management: In Box
Crunch time for carriers
In early October, YRC Worldwide drew $325 million from a $725 million credit line to pay off senior debts due in December and May 2009. Given the unrest...
Few positive signs for freight
While the financial bailout bill may be a positive step towards economic recovery, freight is going through tough times not seen since the recession of 1982 with small fleets being hit the hardest, according to analysts speaking during a FTR Associates webinar today...
McLeod panelists zero in on key issues
NASHVILLE. A trio of trucking industry leaders dove into the issues most impacting truck fleets and truck brokerage firms to present a comprehensive watch list during a panel presented here this week at the 18th annual McLeod Software Users’ Conference...
Trucking outlook negative across the board
Freight demand may not increase until 2010, truck and trailer orders are down and the economy doesn’t look to be rebounding anytime in the near future, according to FTR Associates’ North American Commercial Truck and Trailer Outlook Report...
going places
Kurt Danielson has assumed the responsibilities of Singh Ahluwalia, who is retiring, at Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire. Danielson will move...
Running Green
Clean oil is green oil
It's a conundrum facing many fleets these days: how to cut operating costs while also reducing their environmental impact. The Kenan Advantage Group,...
Are emissions-reducing strategies working?
According to a study published in Regulation & Governance, emissions-reducing programs and legislation are not working on a macro level because most fleets do not have the financial resources or motivation to “green” their trucks...
EPA begins clean diesel project funding
The first $3.4 million in funding for clean diesel projects has been allocated by the Environmental Protection Agency under the $50 million Diesel Emissions Reduction Program...
Eco-driving tips offer big fuel savings
Simple changes in driver habits can bring significant fuel economy savings. To prove that point, Isuzu Motors Ltd. has been holding a series of “fuel economy challenges” around the world to demonstrate the effectiveness of its “eco-driving” techniques...
Volvo Group touts “4th-generation” hybrid
Sweden’s Volvo Group, parent to both Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks Inc., has announced it is introducing what it calls a fourth-generation hybrid solution “on a broad front” for trucks, buses and construction equipment...
Equipment: Nuts & Bolts
Daimler closing Sterling, reshaping North American operations
In a major restructuring of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), its parent Daimler AG announced that it will end production of the Sterling brand, close its Portland, OR, and St. Thomas, Ontario, truck plants, and move production of Western Star trucks to a new plant in Saltillo, Mexico...
bulletins
Vipar Heavy Duty's network of parts professionals have added engine cooling solutions manufacturer Horton to its lineup. Horton makes fan drives, fans,...
Equipment: Tire Tracks
Get the lead out
A few years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency targeted the passenger and light truck tire wheel weight industry in an effort to eliminate lead....
Equipment: Light & Medium Report
Isuzu president says GM Truck fits plans
TOKYO. While there’s been no formal proposal from either party, buying General Motor’s medium-duty truck business fits Isuzu Motors’ “aggressive alliance strategy” to boost volumes, according to Isuzu president Susumu Hosoi...
Equipment: Vocational Profile
Competitive edge
Competition is strong in the wholesale food distribution market. Having a newer, reliable, cost-efficient fleet can really make a difference in fostering...
Small Business Review
Navigating the troubled waters
This has been an unprecedented year. Back in January, if an economist had said that fuel would top out close to $5 per gal., freight levels would decrease...
The Last Word
The Last Word
Hitching up to a new tagline Get used to seeing this new tagline from suspension maker Hendrickson: The World Rides On Us. It will be gradually phased...
