Volvo Trucks North America announces Driver Display Activation for remote programming
Volvo Trucks is rolling out a new version of its Remote Programming services called Driver Display Activation. The new service allows drivers to update software and parameters at any time, from anywhere they have cellular service. Remote Programming Driver Display Activation will be available Q4 2020. Volvo Trucks’ Remote Programming services allow drivers and decision
How the right data can help lower your truck service costs
Skyrocketing labor rates, an endless proliferation of fees and increasingly complex truck equipment and technology have sent truck service costs through the roof—and that’s without even counting the loss of revenue during downtime. Whether you’re held captive by contract maintenance, rubbing your head because of roadside service or looking for ways to leverage your home
Brake pad development heading into the copper-reduced era
Five years ago, an agreement between the EPA, states and automotive industry players was signed to reduce the use of copper in brake pads. Next year, brake pads will need to reduce copper to less than 5% by weight, and then less than 0.5% by 2025. There’s no magic button that will make this happen;
Consider heavy-duty aftermarket brake options carefully
When Montu Khokhar, chief executive officer of NRS Brakes, visited the Fleet Equipment office last year, he rattled off brake friction material that his company had found in analyzing discarded pads from shops across the country. A number of materials raised editorial eyebrows, but none so much as: kitty litter. Yeah; kitty litter, in aftermarket
TMC releases reports on aerodynamic fuel savings, electromechanical brakes
The American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council, in conjunction with FPInnovations’ PIT Group, released a pair of reports detailing the effectiveness of the council’s aerodynamic fuel savings calculator and investigating electromechanical brakes for tractor trailers. In its evaluation of TMC’s Interactive Aerodynamic Fuel Savings Calculator, PIT Group assessed a proposed update to the calculator,
FleetNet: Roadside mechanical repair costs continue to increase
FleetNet America discussed the results of its 2019 Q3 quarterly truck maintenance cost benchmarking program at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting, announcing that the average cost of a mechanical roadside repair exceeded $400 for the first time since the study began in 2017. Additionally, the $407 average cost is 24% higher than mechanical
From tractor-trailer pairing to security: Phillips Connect Technologies details telematics solutions
The new Phillips Connect Technologies (PCT) products introduced during TMC press conference are designed to operate in an open platform, that can interface with non-PCT telematics gateways and with any supplier sensor, or with PCT supplied sensors or a combination of both. PCT’s user interface displays a dashboard of fleet assets, giving the ability to
WABCO introduces a connected, intelligent trailer platform
WABCO Holdings Inc. introduced a connected and intelligent trailer platform. The WABCO intelligent trailer platform is built on four key technologies—an Intelligent Anti-Lock Braking System (iABS); trailer Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS); Intelligent Trailer Program (ITP); and TrailerCAST—as well as open software architecture to facilitate cooperation with key industry players. Introduced in 2019, the WABCO iABS
Dana enhances Spicer SPL Series driveshafts to boost efficiency, performance
Dana Inc. announced enhancements to its Spicer SPL Series driveshafts for improved overall efficiency and increased performance. The improvements underscore Dana’s ongoing commitment to its core driveline technologies, providing solutions for evolving customer application requirements. The product enhancements will be available immediately for the Spicer medium-duty SPL series, while updates to the heavy-duty SPL series
Dana starts production of Spicer Electrified e-axle for commercial trucks
Dana Inc. announced today the start of production of its Spicer Electrified eS9000r e-Axle for Class 4 and 5 commercial fleet applications. The e-Axle will be available for ordering by vehicle manufacturers in the third quarter of 2020. Designed for medium-duty truck and bus applications, the e-S9000r is based on the proven and widely specified
NACFE turns its focus to electric truck in regional haul applications
Through its extensive work on regional haul and electric trucks, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has determined that regional trucking operations are well suited to be early adopters of electric trucks. It is also a rather large segment of the market with sufficient scale to have a big impact on the industry.
Mitchell 1 updates TruckSeries with interactive wiring diagrams
Mitchell 1 TruckSeries truck repair software was recently updated with interactive wiring diagrams that aim to increase efficiency as technicians can access component repair information directly from inside the wiring diagrams without having to initiate a secondary search. While viewing a wiring diagram, truck repair technicians can click on any component within the diagram to