FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index reflects stressed supply conditions
FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) in March rose more than one point to a reading of 8.69, reflecting the extremely tight capacity in the Truckload sector. There is a possibility for some relief of the tight truckload capacity over the next few months if freight growth slows as expected in the second quarter, the company
Kenworth natural gas-powered T680 offers Eaton UltraShift PLUS transmission
The new Kenworth Truck Co. T680 natural gas truck will be available with the Eaton UltraShift PLUS automated transmission as an option. The announcement came in conjunction with this week’s Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long, Beach, Calif. During ACT, Kenworth is exhibiting a T680 52-in. mid-roof sleeper specified with an integrated powertrain package
JohnDow adds SMART Cabinet to its Smart Storage Solutions line
JohnDow Industries (JDI) has added a second major product to its expanding Smart Storage Solutions product line. In December of last year, SMART Wall, a better option for storage of tools and parts, was introduced. Now, JDI is adding the SMART Cabinet, a new concept for hose reel storage that makes the installation and servicing of reels fast
PeopleNet integrates fleet mobility solution with Valor’s tire pressure monitoring system
PeopleNet, a Trimble company and provider of fleet mobility technology, announced that it was the first complete fleet mobility technology to integrate with Valor, a Canadian tire pressure monitoring provider. PeopleNet Senior Vice President of Product and Operations Rick Ochsendorf said, “Our integration with Valor gives our customers yet another choice for providing real-time tire-pressure
Yokohama Tire Corp.’s ultra wide base tires now available at Love’s Truck Tire Care locations
Fleets looking for Yokohama Tire Corp.’s (YTC) ultra wide base (UWB) tires have a new source: Love’s Travel Stop network. YTC announced that Love’s – which has 191 Truck Tire Care locations nationwide – will carry two UWB tires—the TY517 (drive) and RY407 (trailer). Both tires are available in size 445/50R22.5. “This is great news
Fleet Sentiment Survey reveals impact of driver shortage on equipment purchases
The Q2 2014 Fleet Sentiment Report survey conducted in April by CK Commercial Vehicle Research (CKCVR) revealed how widespread the driver shortage is and how it is likely to impact future vehicle purchases. In answer to multiple questions regarding the current environment at trucking fleets, many and varied types of operations reported that the inability
ACT Research: April Classes 5-8 preliminary orders 10th best month in eight years
April North American Classes 5-7 net orders are expected at 17,800 units (±5%) and Class 8 net orders are expected at 24,400 units (±5%), when actual data are released mid-month, reported ACT Research, a publisher of new and used commercial vehicle (CV) industry data, market analysis and forecasting services for the North American market. “Total
Chevin Fleet Solutions signs new fleet software deal with Northeast Utilities
Chevin Fleet Solutions recently signed an agreement to provide its web-based fleet management software to Northeast Utilities. New England’s largest electric and gas utility system will use Chevin’s FleetWave to manage its fleet of more than 5,400 pieces of equipment across seven operating companies. FleetWave will ultimately become Northeast Utilities enterprise fleet management information system,
Shell, Travel Centers of America open first of 20 liquefied natural gas fueling stations
Shell and Travel Centers of America LLC (TA) opened their first two liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling lanes in the U.S. in Ontario, Calif. This station is the first of the Shell and TA agreement to sell LNG to heavy-duty road transport customers in the US at TA and Petro fueling centers. “At Shell, we
Trending truck equipment: Tracking the hottest industry trends
Last month, the Fleet Equipment team set off on a whirlwind trade show schedule that put us at three different shows in four weeks—the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Ind., the TMC Annual Meeting in Nashville and finally, the big one, the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. Spend even a couple minutes walking
Controlling ROI on stability control systems
Given the preventative measure nature of stability control systems, it’s hard to say how many rollovers these passive systems have actually prevented. “We don’t encourage drivers to test the system and we hope they don’t see activation on a regular basis,” Meritor WABCO’s Mark Melletat says. “But it’s the situations when they do encounter adverse
Stability control systems can help control tractor and trailer rollover risk
It happens in a split second. The blink of an eye. Whether it’s a momentary lapse in judgment or the allure of a distraction, a truck hits the off-ramp at an unsafe speed—one that could certainly cause a catastrophic rollover incident that impacts your personnel and equipment with devastating consequences. But in that moment, the
