October 1, 2009
Editor's Page
All for one
Question: How many people does it take to create the next highway reauthorization legislation?...
Management: In Box
LTL alliance clears anti-trust hurdle
A long-awaited decision by the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) clears the way for an alliance of seven regional LTL carriers to collaborate more closely in terms of developing joint services and pricing – while also potentially opening the door to more such alliances in the future...
Low-carbon fuel debate heats up
The nonprofit Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) coalition, comprised of businesses, state officials, and other groups, is launching a broad a multi-state campaign to head off Congressional efforts to establish a national Low-Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) as part of a larger energy bill that’s partly designed to steeply reduce greenhouse-gas emissions...
People on the Move
Dominic Grote has been named president of Grote Industries, a family-owned manufacturer of heavy-duty lighting and vehicle safety systems. He replaces...
Rolling resistance to tire sales
Demand for all types of original equipment manufacturer commercial truck tires is down significantly this year, according to figures released by the Rubber...
Demand for trucks to remain weak
In the latest release of its North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook, ACT Research Co. forecasts that demand for new medium- and heavy-duty commercial...
Panther launches rebranding effort
A rebranding effort is in the works for Panther Expedited Services as the company seeks to expand its presence by becoming a full-service transportation and logistics provider...
Conway bundles LTL into global package
In a move designed to bring together disparate less-than-truckload (LTL) freight offerings that interline with everything from ocean to air express modes, Con-way Freight is creating a Global LTL division...
Medical firms partner on sleep apnea
A new partnership seeks to broaden the reach of programs designed to fight sleep apnea on a broader, national basis to a wider mix of transportation companies...
Management: Economics
It's up to the consumer
The U.S. economy, measured by GDP, is generally broken down into four parts: consumption, investment, government spending and net foreign trade...
Equipment: Nuts & Bolts
Eaton breaks new ground with automated transmission lineup
Eaton Corp. rolled out a complete lineup of new automated manual transmissions that provides broad coverage for vocational Class 8 trucks as well as linehaulers here yesterday at its proving grounds. The features of the two-pedal transmissions were demonstrated to the trade media via a ride-and-drive event that included highway and vocational trucks equipped with each new transmission model...
Aftermarket accident avoidance system
Safety is not just a decision that needs to be made at vehicle purchase. An aftermarket driver-safety system from Mobileye offers a three-in-one safety...
New Literature
Talbert Manufacturing has made available Talbert Advantage Credit, a financing program for new trailer purchases through participating dealers...
Great Dane unveils new refrigerated trailer
A new refrigerated trailer from Great Dane Trailers offers the best it has to offer to increase the useful life of the trailer, according to the company...
Alliance Parts to offer ArvinMeritor remanufactured brake shoes
Alliance Parts has joined with ArvinMeritor to produce a full line of remanufactured brake shoes for the trucking industry....
New Literature
Truck fleet managers now have a way to calculate revenue increases and fuel-cost savings associated with Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems' suspensions, lift axles and bumper and trim components...
Alcoa rolls out wide-base aluminum wheel
new 14-in. wide-base wheel from Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products cuts eight lbs. from competitive aluminum wheel options, according to the company...
Kenworth T470 gets second engine choice
Kenworth’s new vocational T470 truck is getting a boost in power with a second powerplant option now being offered...
TriPac gets closed-loop cooling option
Thermo King’s new Closed Loop Cooling option for its TriPac hybrid auxiliary idle reduction and temperature-control system may be an answer....
Grote releases LED work lamp
The Trilliant Mini Flush-Mount LED WhiteLight Work Lamp from Grote Industries features a flush-mount configuration designed to reduce the risk of stone and road damage, according to the company...
Live floor trailer light and rugged
A new series of live-floor trailers from Titan Trailers is intended for “extreme” applications such as demolition, but weights significantly less than models with steel floors, according to the manufacturer...
Equipment: Tire Tracks
The dark side of green
When the EPA launched the SmartWay brand in 2004, the goal was to reduce emissions that can be directly attributed to the transportation industry...
The Last Word
Lowboy Lucas
Just got the 10-35 that Lowboy Lucas alter ego of one Michael Fry will again host the American Trucking Report on television...
Helping a Highway Hero
After a horrific head-on crash that left his rig in ruins and an SUV on fire, Jorge Orozco Sanchez ignored his injuries and leapt into the burning car to rescue two children strapped in the car seats from the flames, although he could not save their mother...
FleetOwner magazine Letter of the Month
Just got your September 2009 issue When I saw the full-page ad for GM medium-duty trucks on page 16, I was puzzled because I thought they were being discontinued...
Articles
In search of fossil freedom
Hauling 105,000 lb. paper loads over the roads and through the woods of Washington State and Canada is no easy task...
Idle reduction works, but . . .
A study sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that idle reduction technologies for trucks can cut idling up to 78%, but that ROI from fuel and maintenance savings are “generally longer than anticipated,” according to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)...
Aramark adds 50 hybrids
Agrant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Maryland Clean Cities Program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is allowing Aramark Uniform...
First electric E-Dock heating and cooling units operational in New York
The first installation of E-Dock stationary heating and cooling systems have been installed at the Ambest Truck Stop in Canaan, NY, just off Interstate 93...
Peterbilt NG option ready for production
Both vocational and over-the-road truck models powered by natural gas engines are now available for ordering from Peterbilt Motors Co...
Navistar hybrids pass 5-million-mile mark
As more and more fleets join the hybrid movement, Navistar has announced it has become the first original equipment manufacturer to have its hybrid vehicles accumulate 5 million miles of real-world driving...
DME rebounding as alternative to diesel for trucks and cars
Several big players in the global car and truck market are rekindling an interest in dimethyl ether or “DME” as an alternative fuel, largely because it’s relatively cheap, requires very low injection pressures, and produces little pollution from combustion...
Stretching insurance dollars
For trucking, the hard economic times of late have produced one positive: lower insurance rates...
Hands-free, not risk-free
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation will have held its much-anticipated Distracted Driving Summit by the time this issue of Fleet Owner is in print...
Changing perception
Image, they say, is everything. In fact, I can probably quote you thousands of clichs and sayings that relate to image and perception, and the very reason that those sayings exist is because they usually hold true...
Slow build for volumes
As retailers have now reached the point where inventories are in equilibrium with sales, freight volumes should slowly begin gaining momentum through the remainder of the year. As a result, wholesalers and producers should also see their inventories align at a quicker pace more closely with sales...
Award-winning fleet
Founded and headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Metal Exchange Corp. came to life in the 1970s when five savvy individuals were determined to establish a unique niche market presence in the highly competitive world of scrap and raw metal products...
Image awareness
As part of a recent marketing survey, our company asked, What's the first word that comes to mind when you think of the trucking industry? Of 122 responses, 70 people, or 57%, responded with a word that can be interpreted as negative, like or Anyone who makes a living in this business knows the public has a negative perception of the industry. The trouble is, it's costing us a ton of money...
Ford rolls out new Super Duty diesel engine
Ford announced it will be begin building its own V-8 turbocharged diesel engines using selective catalytic reduction technology to meet Environmental Protection Agency emissions requirements...
Hino surcharge: $6,700
The base sticker price for Hino Trucks' line of 2010 Class 4-7 commercial trucks will see an added surcharge in the middle of the estimated range for...
Sprinter re-badged a Mercedes
Daimler’s popular Sprinter is getting a new corporate home, as Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC is re-assuming responsibility for the sales, marketing, distribution and service of the light-duty commercial van in the U.S...
What's new in: Wheels
Like the tires mounted on them, heavy-duty wheels can increasingly be selected by considering various specific advantages engineered into them for everything from lighter weight to maintenance-friendly finishes...
Heavy hauling: Horses in gear
Talk about a heavy haul. To move a reactor that weighs more than a fully loaded Boeing 747 to the oil sands region in Northern Alberta, Premay Equipment LP put together a herd of nine Kenworth C500 tractors harnessing a total of 4,800 horses under their hoods to get the job done...
Prophesy updates mile.com web site
Prophesy Transportation Solutions has updated its web site to allow customers more interaction with the company...
Off the wire
An updated module with traffic patterns will be incorporated into the Ortec TD routing and optimization application, the company announced...
Work Active offers connected solution
Enhanced fleet monitoring, real-time reporting capabilities and even traffic updates are now part of a connected solution from TomTom, bringing together three unique products to help fleets save time, money and fuel, the company said...
Improve load planning
The release of IDSC MatchAdvice Version 6.0 can cut empty miles by as much as 15% while improving capacity utilization, TMW Systems said...
Qualcomm 2010 user conference sets speakers
American Trucking Assn. president & CEO Bill Graves will deliver the keynote address and U.S. Olympic ice hockey hero Jim Craig will also speak during Qualcomm's third annual users' conference...
Instant access provided by Driver scorecard module
Instant access provided by Driver scorecard module...
Web-based log auditing system
With new FMCSA regulations that allow inspectors to request GPS data for drivers whenever an audit of a GPS-equipped vehicle is conducted, it's become more important than ever for fleets to ensure their drivers remain in compliance...
Doing more with your data
The market for GPS-based mobile resource management systems has grown to 3.6 million units, according to the comprehensive 2009 Mobile Resource Management Systems Market Study released by C.J. Driscoll & Associates...
Think like a banker
Risk is inherent in trucking. It's a fact of life for small-business owners...
