H&P Transportation relies on relationships with suppliers—and the latest technologies
Providing extra heavy hauling transportation services requires specialized solutions. For Kevin Hawkins, president of H&P Transportation, a key part of his family company’s long success has been its relationships with suppliers. It was 1947 when Hawkins’ father, Henry Hawkins, founded H&P Transportation. At the time, the Brownstown, Mich. operation was one of the first companies
Making application-specific suspension specification, axles choices
Improving fuel economy and reducing maintenance, along with weight savings to help boost hauling capacity, remain the focus of axle and suspension system design initiatives. In particular, 6×2 configurations can address these needs. Operations best served by 6×2 configurations are those with variable loads. Applications include tank and bulk haulers, beverage and grocery fleets, refuse
Bridging the gap: Connecting trucks and facilities
“If your trucks are wireless, your facilities should be too.” That statement by Deryk Powell, president and chief operating officer of Velociti, is a reflection of the ongoing and rapid growth in connectivity throughout the transportation industry. Velociti is a global provider of technology deployment services, specializing in the installation and service of a broad
The connected truck in a wireless world
Connectivity in a wireless world extends to vocational markets as well. In early June, at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC), Pacific Gas & Electric and some of its key suppliers introduced a “connected” bucket truck that among other things features Internet connectivity via a mobile hot spot. Developed in partnership with Altec Inc.
Expanding lineup: Chevrolet unveils medium-duty low-cab-forward models
Recently, returning the brand to a segment of the commercial vehicle market, Chevrolet announced it will begin offering low-cab-forward medium-duty trucks in the United States in 2016. The news followed an agreement between General Motors and Isuzu Motors, under which Isuzu will produce the low-cab-forward models based on its N-Series vehicles, and GM will continue
Transportation electrification: Investing in the future
At the 2015 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC), an annual educational conference for fleet representatives from investor-owned electric utilities, electric cooperatives and electrical contractors, fleet electrification was the subject of a presentation by Kellen Shefter, manager of sustainable technology at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association representing investor-owned electric companies. Providing highlights of a
Raven Transport adds heavy-duty natural gas vehicles to meet sustainability goals
“Through relationships with suppliers, we can collectively bring everything together for our operation,” says Stephen Silverman, chief operating officer at Raven Transport. “That’s especially true as we rise to the challenge of moving customers’ goods with clean-burning fuel. “Industry-leading shippers continue to set the standard in sustainable logistics,” Silverman adds. “By partnering with environmental and
Provide added cargo protection with access control
You see it all the time: Fleets spend whatever it takes on fences, alarms, cameras and security guards to protect warehouses and yards but a simple padlock is often seen as sufficient on trailers and shipping containers. “Aren’t cargo carrying vehicles just an extension of the facilities where they have systems in place to control
Spec’ing the proper suspension support
A range of factors impact air suspension design, notes Reyco Granning’s vice president of Engineering, John Stuart. “One requirement showing no signs of diminishing is the ever-present demand for weight reduction,” he says. “If you had told me 10 years ago that the market required a 1,300-lb. slider air suspension, I would have said it
Ongoing commitment: UPS, partners continue deployment of alternative fueled vehicles
Behind the recent announcement that UPS plans to build 15 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations is that the company is also planning to deploy 1,400 new CNG vehicles over the next year. The purchase represents a nearly 30% increase in UPS’s alternative fuel fleet of 5,088 vehicles worldwide. In the United States, UPS plans to
Tennant Truck Lines focuses on equipment that meets application demands
It’s a long way from hauling hogs on a milk run from Quad Cities to Chicago to becoming one of the Nation’s pre-eminent high and heavy freight specialists, but in the 69 years since Sidney Tennant acquired his first truck and trailer that is exactly what Tennant Truck Lines (TTL) has achieved. Headquartered in Orion,
Mitigating collisions with the latest in safety systems
At the 2015 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Jack Van Steenburg, assistant administrator and chief safety officer at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), reported on trends in commercial motor vehicle safety. Citing 2013 data on crashes involving large trucks, Van Steenburg indicated that the increase from 2012 was less than half that in
