Fleets, industry leaders react to new fuel efficiency standards
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released their final Greenhouse Gas Phase 2 regulations requiring increased efficiency and fuel economy in the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sector from 2019 to 2027. The standards include phased-in reductions of up to 25% in GHG emissions from tractors and vocational
Three things to know about the new engine oil categories
By now, you’ve probably heard about the new heavy-duty engine oil categories that will replace the CJ-4 oils come December 1st. The first category, API CK-4 will be compatible with all engines and offer increased efficiency over the old CJ-4 category. The new category – API FA-4 – offers additional efficiency gains in 2017 model year engines,
The impact of expanding integrated technology across different truck applications
Integrated vehicle technology continues to evolve. While medium-duty trucks have long been built with integrated systems, new onboard technology is raising the level of sophistication and, for at least one truck maker, borrowing from its proven heavy-duty vehicle technologies. According to Kary Schaefer, general manager of marketing and strategy for Freightliner and Detroit brands at
Fuels and oil: Finding truth in the noise
We live in a confusing age. Considerable information is available thanks to the internet, but there is no easy way of assessing its validity. Anyone can make a statement on the internet—and it is up to us to decide the truth of the statement. Let’s take a look at some recent claims that impact your
Detroit readies the DD5 engine for production
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced that it will begin production of Freightliner M2106 trucks equipped with the DD5 engine beginning in October. The DD5 is the newest Detroit engine to be released, and was first announced in late 2014. Detroit also announced that the DD5 engine has received EPA certification, meaning that it has met the 2017
Today’s transmissions add safety, fuel economy
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) options and topography/hill-neutral technology can provide increased safety and improved fuel economy. So what’s best for your operation? We asked the major suppliers to weigh in, and here’s what they have to say about the technology and the choices. The basics “Adaptive cruise uses forward- and side-facing radar technologies as vehicle
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
The sophisticated evolution of truck engines continues to amaze
Over the last couple of decades, commercial truck engines have undergone significant changes to adapt to the demands of fleets and of government mandates. Engine manufacturers worked to reach EPA 2016 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) 2017 requirements, which included onboard diagnostics requirements with enhanced monitors to ensure that exhaust tailpipe emissions stay within EPA limits.
Five truck trend takeaways from April
We know it’s not easy to keep up with everything that happens in the world of trucking. So here are the biggest stories from April focused on the latest truck trends, all in one place. 5. Collision mitigation technology continues to advance “Advanced safety systems that employ radar- and camera-based technologies that enable adaptive cruise control and even
Spec’ing to optimize resale value
There are many factors that impact resale value for trucks. Dale Tower, vice president of remarketing for AmeriQuest Used Truck Services Inc., suggests that OEM selection, engine choices, horsepower, automated transmissions, APUs, SCR non SCR, super singles, chassis side fairings, single or double bunks (in sleepers) and even the color of trucks are all items that will
