Milestones Kenworth Truck Co.s Chillicothe, Ohio, plant recently rolled out its 150,000th truck a 1999 Kenworth T2000 with a 75-in. Aerodyne sleeper. ... The start of parts fabrication and the scheduling of pre-production assembly and emissions certification testing mark important steps for RODI Power Systems in getting its new lightweight diesel engine to market. ... Rema Tip Top/North America celebrates the 75th anniversary of its German parent company, Tip Top Stahlgruber. ... Freightliner Corp.s Gastonia Parts Manufacturing Plant marked its 20th anniversary last month. Freightliner recently announced plans to invest $40 million in the plant over the next three years.
Wheels and deals The GO! Systems fleet management division of Musket Corp. has been purchased by Fuelman of Oklahoma, a unit of Fuel Managers Inc. ... Snap-On Inc. and Hein-Werner Corp. completed a merger making Hein-Werner, which markets collision repair products, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Snap-On. ... Hicklin Engineering bought AxiLine Precision Products Co. ... TravelCenters of America is expanding its network to 146 locations through the acquisition of 17 Burns Bros. Travel Stops. ... Daimler-Benz plans to buy High Point, N.C.-based Thomas Built Buses, maker of school bus bodies. ... Truck dealership Tampa Volvo and GMC Trucks has been purchased by the Pritchett Investment Group. ... Transport International Pool (TIP) has acquired a majority interest in Bay City Leasing, an intermodal leasing and service provider. ... Tech International purchased Los Angeles-based Truflex/Pang, also a tire repair producer. ... Freightliner Corp. subsidiary American LaFrance has acquired the fire service aerial product line of Snorkel. ... The assets of Alloy Trailers Inc., Spokane, Wash., have been purchased by Reliance Trailer Co. ... Fontaine Trailer has purchased the plant and property of Thompson Steel Pipe Co. ... Transportation Components Inc. has recently bought Fleet Products Inc., Brake Service and Equipment Co., and Hicks Enterprises.
More for your money Eaton Corp. is expanding its same day/next day service to dealers and operators for factory reman transmissions with the addition of inventory centers in Jacksonville, Fla., Las Vegas, and Portland, Ore. ... American Isuzu Motors Inc. (AIMI) has launched its Gold Star Certified Used Truck Program. Vehicles will be a maximum of four years old, with specific mileage limitations, and will be covered by a six-month/20,000-mile limited warranty. ... The Driver Net communications system, which offers employment opportunities to drivers online, was recently installed in Petro Stopping Centers across the country. ... Amtralease members are now just one toll-free phone call away from roadside assistance with breakdowns and accidents, including those involving diesel fuel spills or other hazardous materials. The hot line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the U.S. and Canada. ... Sterling Truck Corp. announced a steady expansion of its dealer network, with the addition of new sales franchises, as well as new service locations across the country. ... Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. opened a 75,000-sq.-ft. aftermarket parts warehouse in City of Industry, Calif., last month. ... Continental General Tire Inc. now offers Continental brand radial and bias rear farm tires in the U.S. ... Memphis-based Mid-America International Trucks becomes Ravens 56th dealer, adding six service and sales locations to the trailer makers network.
Technology updates As part of its commitment to bringing the latest technological advances to its vehicle components, Meritor Automotive has added two testing devices to its Troy, Mich., Technical Center: A hemi anechoic chamber for evaluating powertrain noise and a computer-controlled engine simulator for testing drivetrain vibration, noise, and durability. ... PACCARs Mt. Vernon, Wash., Technical Center donated a Peterbilt 379 longhaul sleeper to the Virginia Tech Center for Transportation Research that will be used to study driver fatigue. In exchange, the research group will develop a portable data collection system, as well as human-computer interaction specs for an in-vehicle information system.
