Toyo announces improved casing warranty
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. rolled out an improved casing warranty for its commercial line of medium truck and bus radial (TBR) tires. Specifically, the casing value has been increased to $110 for the first retread on many popular sizes. Toyo also offers a rubber allowance of up to $50 based on the remaining tread depth
Peterbilt Model 567 enters production
The newest addition to Peterbilt’s vehicle lineup–the vocational Model 567–is now in full production. The truck or tractor can be configured to meet a wide range of heavy- and severe-duty applications as a day cab or with the OEM’s complete line of detachable sleepers. Unveiled earlier this year, the new model was developed during an
Ram Truck brings out 2014 models featuring MPG-boosting innovations
Central to the design and development of 2014 model year Ram Truck pickups and chassis cabs is an emphasis on boosting fuel efficiency. The 2014 Ram 1500, for example, was designed with the manufacturer’s TorqueFlite 8, an eight-speed automatic that doubles the amount of gears compared to the previously available four-speed transmission, and stop-start, thermal
Stay cool: Refrigerated trailers and bodies
The thermal efficiency of any refrigerated truck body or trailer is a direct result of materials used and construction techniques. At Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, for example, a sandwich construction process for the company’s Blizzard, Guardian, Majestic and Cadet models includes using seamless exterior fiberglass panels and seamless interior liners called ArcticTherm, steel tubes and
Generating uptime: Meeting medium-duty fleet needs
Navistar’s president reflects on how truck OEMs are addressing the needs of medium-duty fleets: “The goals of medium-duty fleets are not really different than those of heavy-duty on-highway operations,” says Bill Kozek, president, North America Truck and Parts at Navistar. “While medium-duty operations generally see trucks as a tool to get their real business done,
Putting the GM Sierra 1500 4WD Crew Cab to the test
GMC continues to offer trucks ready to meet fleet needs. There’s nothing like firsthand experience, which is exactly what we got when GM offered a 2014 Sierra 1500 4WD Crew Cab pickup truck to us for a test drive. The sibling to the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was fitted with a 5.3-liter V8 EcoTec3 355-HP
Ram rolls out 2014 models
For 2014, the Ram 1500 half-ton truck will be available with a new 3.0-liter V-6 EcoDiesel engine, which joins the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 gasoline engines in the lineup. The EcoDiesel, developed and manufactured by VM Motor, is a turbocharged 60-degree, dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) 24-valve V-6 that produces 240 HP and
Ram Commercial confirms new small van
The Ram Commercial Truck division has announced it will offer an all-new small van for the North American market. Joining the larger Ram ProMaster, the 2015 Ram ProMaster City small commercial and passenger van is based on the Fiat Doblo and will feature Ram Truck styling and North American powertrains. “The Ram ProMaster City further
Plugging in: All-electric truck activity continues to grow
Along with hybrid and natural gas-powered trucks, activity surrounding all-electric commercial vehicles is gaining momentum on several fronts. CALSTART’s E-Truck Task Force (E-TTF), a sub-group of the Hybrid, Electric and Advanced Truck Users Forum (HTUF), is moving ahead with efforts to promote incentives for electric trucks and has published a white paper on how to structure voucher programs. Additionally, at the NAFA Institute and Expo this year, CALSTART held training sessions on life cycle cost assessment of electric trucks and is holding regional fleet workshops on the subject.
Viable ideas: Cab-over-engine new technologies
Hino has its eye on new technologies for medium-duty trucks as cab-over-engines (COEs) continue to meet market needs.
Addressing safety
The Distracted Driving Index concluded that the top 5% of commercial vehicle drivers are distracted 79% of the time during risky driving maneuvers, a rate nearly six times higher than the rest of the drivers in the study.
Alternative fuel vehicle financing
While fuel-efficient technology may be the best option to help fleets reduce costs and improve air quality, financing alternative fuel vehicles can be challenging.