Looking forward to 2017 greenhouse gas standards
While many fleets are still adapting to the vehicle equipment changes brought about by the 2014 federal government’s greenhouse gas (GHG 14) standards—which added sophistication and expense to the new trucks equipped to meet the mandate—truck OEMs are tooling up to tweak engines and aerodynamics on trucks for the GHG 17 emissions and fuel efficiency
Effective maintenance, sound equipment choices help Oak Harbor Freight Lines operate efficiently
Freight volumes are higher than expected, notes Dan Vander Pol, director of maintenance at Oak Harbor Freight Lines. “While that is certainly good news, it does put a lot of pressure on our maintenance department to keep equipment running efficiently and on the road,” he says. “We don’t have extra equipment; so, if we have
New and used truck sales are up
ACT Research reported that used Class 8 trucks sales rose in March, 8% above February’s volume. According to Steve Tam, vice president-commercial vehicle sector with ACT, “The volume gain was expected, since sales usually gain through March or April before slowing for the summer months.” Healthy used truck sales have usually been a reliable indicator
Detroit inaugurates production of automated manual transmission
The start of production of the DT12 automated manual transmission for the North American truck market has begun. The DT12 will be available exclusively in the Freightliner Cascadia equipped with a Detroit DD15 engine.
SmartWay Partners, take notice
A number of new products at the 2012 Mid-American Trucking Show should be of interest to SmartWay members, from tires to transmissions to new vehicles.
Favorable indicators for the trucking industry
Over the last several months there have been indications that our industry is finally improving, not the least of which is vehicle OEMs reporting profits and an increase in production.
It’s truly a global marketplace
Every truck maker in this country has a presence in the world market and shares successful vehicle technologies across its product lines and markets.
Demand for used truck parts increases
With older vehicles in the fleet, looking for new parts and remanufactured parts for older vehicles right now can be a challenge.
Three big issues facing the trucking industry
March is the month of truck shows and the introduction of new trucks and technology. At the recent Mid-America Trucking Show, which I attended, there were three recurring themes: fuel economy, clean air (reduction of greenhouse gases) and heavy-truck stopping distances – all topics our federal government has expressed increased interest in with proposed or
2011 NTEA Work Truck Show round-up
Mitsubishi Fuso unveils 2012 Canter FE/FG Series trucks; Hino introduces new Class 4 and 5 COE with hybrid option; All-new Class 8 Western Star 4700 introduced; Navistar debuts International TerraStar 4×4; Spartan Motor to assemble Isuzu N-Series gasoline trucks; Roush CleanTech launches Ford F-450/550 propane Autogas Fuel System; and Ram Truck brand new for 2011.