Rassini enters the North American commercial truck market
Rassini, a Mexican industrial company that designs and manufactures suspension and brake components for the automotive industry, has expanded its suspension offerings to include leaf springs for the North American heavy commercial truck market. The company will start off with a large account, having recently been awarded a contract from Ford Motor Co. to supply the front
The vocational truck rollouts roundup
When more than 10,000 truck fleet managers, manufacturers and equipment distributors descended on the Indiana Convention Center for The Work Truck Show 2015 they were able to witness the debut of a number of new vocational truck products. Among them were three vehicle announcements. Extending its lineup from Class 4 through Class 7, Hino Trucks
Kinetics hybrid system expands Class 3-7 work truck availability
The Kinetics hybrid system from Crosspoint Kinetics is now available for the Isuzu Reach platform, the Ford E-350, the Dodge 5500, the Chevy 4500, and dozens more, according to Crosspoint Kinetics. The Kinetics Hybrid system is a electric hybrid system that fits virtually most Class 3-7 delivery and work trucks, said the company. “As long
Why companies are switching to propane autogas trucks for delivery operations
H&S Bakery, a Baltimore-based provider of hearth-baked goods, recently unveiled a fleet of alternatively fueled vehicles powered by propane autogas. “We want our customers and community to know that we are investing in and working hard to meet our sustainability goals,” said Chuck Paterakis, vice president of transportation and logistics for H&S. “With propane autogas,
Asplundh adds propane autogas trucks
Asplundh, an international provider of vegetation management services to utilities and municipalities, is one of the first in its industry to adopt propane autogas for some of the medium-duty trucks in its fleet, according to Roush CleanTech, a designer, engineer, manufacturer and assembler of alternative fuel systems. “We were searching for a cost-effective alternative fuel
Fueling the future: Alternative fuels are becoming mainstream
If you’re a regular reader of this heavy-duty column, you’re likely starting to see an emerging theme: There is no one-size-fits-all, magic bullet solution to improving your fleet’s efficiency. It’s a collection of equipment integration, maintenance best practices and technology, working in concert to save money and boost the bottom line. Alternative fuels continue to
Breaking down the barriers of natural gas usage
New offerings point to the expanding use of compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel systems. “Next to the limited commercial fuel infrastructure, the biggest barrier to the broad adoption of natural gas vehicles is the initial cost of the technology,” said Dennis Cooke, president of global fleet management solutions at Ryder System. “Our new relationship with
More than 300 CNG-capabile Ford F-150 pickups ordered by Oklahoma, Dallas
The state of Oklahoma, its agencies and the city of Dallas have ordered a total of 321 Ford F-150 pickups that can run on compressed natural gas. Since 2010, Ford CNG-prepped truck sales have increased more than 250%, said Jon Coleman, Ford fleet sales manager. Cumulative sales are expected to exceed 50,000 trucks by the
Ford expands truck lineup
Ford is expanding its commercial vehicle lineup for 2014 and is offering new information sources. The truck maker has set its commercial lineup for 2014 and among the announcements from the OEM is a new CNG/LPG-prepped engine for the F-150 half-ton pickup. Beginning last fall, the 2014 Ford F-150 equipped with a standard 3.7-liter V6
Ongoing development of light- and medium-duty trucks
New light- and medium-duty vehicles highlight recent OEM activity. At the recent Work Truck Show, held in conjunction with the 49th Annual NTEA Convention, several manufacturers showcased their latest vehicles and drivetrain technologies.