Five truck trend takeaways from August
1. It’s time to start preparing for GHG Phase 2 “The new standards separate rules for engines and vehicles, an approach that some manufacturers supported while others preferred a single standard. In general, industry reaction was positive.” It’s time to gear up for phase 2 of greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards. The new standards
Allison CEO talks automatic transmissions, expansion into class 8 market
Allison Transmission is one of the biggest names in the automotive industry, but not one that’s often associated with Class 8 trucks. Automatic transmissions like those at Allison simply haven’t had much of a place at the table in a world dominated by manual (and lately, automated manual) transmissions. This is a perception that Allison
H&P Transportation relies on relationships with suppliers—and the latest technologies
Providing extra heavy hauling transportation services requires specialized solutions. For Kevin Hawkins, president of H&P Transportation, a key part of his family company’s long success has been its relationships with suppliers. It was 1947 when Hawkins’ father, Henry Hawkins, founded H&P Transportation. At the time, the Brownstown, Mich. operation was one of the first companies
The secret to fleet success: An interview with Mitsubishi Fuso’s new President, CEO
There’s a clear theme that seems to run through all of the stories in the August issue of Fleet Equipment: From OE partners to maintenance and service providers, it’s the relationships you build that help you navigate the maze of known and unknown equipment issues in your daily fleet duties. That’s true in the medium-duty world
Knight Transportation marks anniversary with special Volvo VNL models
Knight Transportation, one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers, has selected Volvo Trucks to supply 38 specially decorated Volvo VNL 670 models to recognize its 25th anniversary. Instead of the usual red and charcoal gray trucks that Knight Transportation and Knight Refrigerated operate, each of the anniversary trucks features a silver finish with a special decal incorporating
UPS adopts innovative safety features for their fleets
UPS, which operates one of the nation’s largest commercial trucking fleets, is making collision mitigation technology standard equipment on on all of its new Class 8 trucks. The company plans on ordering more than 2,600 new Class 8 tractors in 2015 that will feature Bendix accident mitigation technology, which alerts drivers to moving and stationary
Avoiding CSA citations
Fewer Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) violations means less time and money wasted. Fleets that have good CSA scores are less likely to have their trucks stopped for additional inspections. Additionally, trucks that break down less often make delivery schedules easier to manage and eliminate added costs for rentals and spare vehicles or for rerouting other
Volvo VHD model to help evaluate U.S. roads
Beginning this month, researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) will use a Volvo VHD 430 vocational model outfitted with highly specialized instrumentation to help evaluate the safety of highway surfaces in several U.S states. The project, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, will analyze continuous stretches of pavement to determine whether improving highway
Powertrain integration outtakes: Even more insight (FEDigital exclusive)
With nearly every info-packed story in the print pages of Fleet Equipment, there are nuggets of information left on the editing room floor, usually due to limited space on the printed page. Thanks to the supercomputers that enable the hive-mind that is the Internet, we can bring you all the info we amass in a
Powertrain integration: Transmission focus
While the engine supplies the power, the transmission puts the integration to work. “Integration allows the engine and transmission to streamline communications and decision making,” said John Moore, Volvo Trucks product marketing manager-powertrain. “The transmission is programmed to shift based on the peak torque of the engine and not specific RPM points. Trucks can maintain
