Effective wheel specification, maintenance choices lead to longer service life
How does a vehicle’s application impact wheel selection? What factors go into the decision to spec the correct kind of wheel? The answers, according to Chris Putz, principal engineer at Maxion Wheels Commercial Vehicle Wheels, North America, begin with an understanding of several important factors. “In order to achieve long-life performance of wheels, it is
Volvo gives new VNL 760 to America’s Road Team
Volvo Trucks North America presented a new Volvo VNL 760 to representatives of the America’s Road Team at the recent Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Newport, Rhode Island. The America’s Road Team program is a national public outreach effort led by expert professional truck drivers who have logged millions of accident-free miles. The ATA created
Not too high, not too low: The importance of keeping your truck tire inflation levels just right
A fleet manager’s job is focused on the little things. A tenth of an MPG here, an extended maintenance cycle there—across a fleet, these seemingly small points can add up to significant profits. The same goes for truck tire inflation: a few PSI in the right direction can go a long way, while a few
Pirelli launches branded H89 Series tires for steer, drive and trailer axle
Prometeon Tyre Group’s US subsidiary, formerly known as Pirelli Industrial, launched the new H89 Series at the American Trucking Association Technology & Maintenance Council meeting in Atlanta. The Pirelli branded H89 tire series includes dedicated tires for steer, drive and trailer axle and provides improved mileage, traction and road handling in all conditions, even on
Hyliion HE Drive Axle wins Jim Winsor Technical Achievement Award
A powered auxiliary axle for road tractors from Hyliion, a recent start-up company, won the 2018 Jim Winsor Memorial Technical Achievement Award, the awards committee has announced. Called 6x4HE, the fuel-saving electric drive-axle system was selected from five finalists by a panel of truck writers, and presented Wednesday, March 7, during the Technology & Maintenance
Volvo Trucks outlines engine remote programming vision
Volvo Trucks put its focus on Remote Programming as the next major innovation to drive vehicle uptime during the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2018 Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition. First introduced in 2017 for model year 2018 Volvo trucks with Volvo’s factory-installed connectivity hardware, Remote Programming allows Volvo customers to perform
It’s in the air: Managing and maintaining tires to increase service life
The number of tire-related issues and roadside events could be significantly reduced by maintaining proper tire pressure inspections; ultimately, downtime on the side of the road can be reduced. If a tire is 20% below recommended pressure, it must be considered flat. “Maintaining proper tire air pressure is probably the single most important maintenance activity
Balancing tire and wheel assemblies
One of the many important decisions for fleet managers is to determine whether or not balancing your tires and wheel assemblies is worth the time and cost. There are numerous benefits to initiating a tire balancing program: Vehicle ride is improved, which increases driver satisfaction and comfort; Irregular tire wear drops significantly; Tire removal mile
Why heavy-duty truck alignment is important
The two primary reasons for keeping your vehicles properly aligned are to ensure that your tires do not develop irregular wear and to keep your drivers happy. If vehicles are doglegging to the left or right, the tires’ tread will scrub off quickly and inner or outside wear will occur. With the average price of
Optimizing onboard data-driven systems to mitigate downtime
Onboard intelligence gives fleet managers all the details needed to manage maintenance effectively when vehicles are on the road or in the shop. Everything you need to know, and then some, is available as a reference for service and troubleshooting. Predictive maintenance practices Minneapolis-based Koch Trucking is an over-the-road carrier with 900 power units, mostly
