Preliminary trailer order estimates down in May
For the month of May, ACT Research Co.’s preliminary estimate for U.S. net trailer orders is 14,250 units. These preliminary results point to net orders down roughly 16% from April and down almost 12% from the same month last year. Final May numbers will be published by ACT later in the month. “Although commercial trailer
Heavy-duty orders up m/m, medium-duty orders trend downward
Class 8 orders in May rose 4% month-over-month (m/m), but contracted nearly 31% on a year-over-year (y/y) basis, to a total of 14,224 units; medium-duty net orders, meanwhile, totaled 17,865 units, down m/m and y/y, according to the State of the Industry report from ACT Research Co. “The Class 8 market, specifically the tractor segment, continues
Reman engines: powering cost efficiency + quality
When making a major purchase, in almost every instance, there is the option for a used, refurbished or remanufactured version. It can be a great option for those looking for a more cost-focused solution. Of course, trucks are the lifeblood of any successful fleet—it’s an investment and a livelihood, and a fleet manager needs to be
How fleets can save money with reman transmissions
A continuing trend for transmissions is the automated manual transmission (AMT), which is seeing exponential growth, gobbling up most of the transmission market. With that being the case, it’s no surprise that AMTs are available in reman form as well. “Reman automated manual transmissions have been in the marketplace for about 10 years,”says Scott Pond,
Class 8 demand rose faster than supply in May
For the first time this year and only the third time in 18 months the demand for Class 8 trucks rose faster than the supply, according to the most recent ACT For-Hire Trucking Index from ACT Research Co. “May showed the first meaningful increase in freight volumes in nine months,” said Steve Tam, ACT’s vice
Stoughton Trailers introduces rear underride guard as a standard feature
Stoughton Trailers has announced a new rear underride guard, which has completed development and testing and will be available in the fourth quarter of 2016 as a standard feature. According to the company, the new rear underride guard adheres to the safety recommendations of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) without adding weight and
Continental launches Ameristeel tire line
Continental Tire the Americas is launching a new line of commercial vehicle tires, which will be known as Ameristeel by General Tire. “We’re very excited to offer a line of products for our customers who want a balance of both affordability and performance to suit their needs,” said Alex Chmiel, marketing director for commercial vehicles tires
Integrated safety systems: Living up to the hype
Mandating stability control and safety systems for heavy trucks began several years ago with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test analysis, which revealed that a large percentage of heavy truck crashes are rollover-related and can be mitigated by stability control interventions. During that period, braking system suppliers began testing new braking and stability
Bridgestone introduces two Bandag treads for drive applications
Bridgestone Americas announced two new Bandag retreads, the Bandag DR 5.3 closed-shoulder drive pattern and the Bandag DR 4.3 open-shoulder drive pattern. This rounds out a trio of patterns (including the Bandag b799) that the company says are designed to balance dependable performance and affordability. Features of the Bandag DR 5.3 closed-shoulder drive pattern described by
Peterbilt launches special edition Model 567 Heritage
Peterbilt plans to release a special edition Model 567 Heritage—a truck that combines modern and advanced work truck technology with distinctive styling and exclusive features, the company explained. The Model 567 Heritage is configured with a 121-in. BBC and set-forward front axle (SFFA) to optimize payloads and weight distribution. It can be spec’d as a day cab or with
Schneider’s investment in safety technology pays dividends
Take one look at the numbers and it’s easy to see why Tom DiSalvi, vice president of safety and loss prevention at Schneider, says the company’s first core value is “safety first and always.” Every day, he notes, the truckload, logistics and intermodal services provider’s fleet of 10,120 tractors travels 8.2 million miles hauling 19,318
Redefining reward: Western Star’s 5700XE puts an edge on efficiency
The driver shortage continues to plague fleets. The latest numbers from American Trucking Associations showed that annualized turnover rate for large truckload fleets rose two percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 102%, the second straight quarter in which it was at least 100%. The turnover rate for small truckload carriers—fleets with less
