Truck brake fade: Why it happens and what you can do to minimize it
You apply the brakes and the truck stops. Simple. Until it’s not. Just about every truck driver is going to experience brake fade, which is most accurately and scientifically described as “the condition in which the thermal capacity of the braking system has been exceeded and the system operates at reduced effectiveness.” More to the
Top tips for wheel end air chamber maintenance and replacement
While every part of a commercial vehicle air braking system is important to safe and effective operation, air chambers have a uniquely vital job: At each wheel-end, it’s the air chamber, sometimes called the actuator, that transfers air pressure into a mechanical force, which is then translated into the brake application of an S-cam drum
Navistar announces winners of its ‘Diamond Supplier’ award
Navistar Inc. has announced the winners of its annual Diamond Supplier Award, given to the company’s highest-performing suppliers. “We strive to create products that have excellent quality and uptime,” said David McKean, vice president of procurement for Navistar. “The suppliers receiving this award have proven to us that we can count on them to do the job, and do it
Strapping in to advanced safety offerings
In the past year, safety systems that orchestrate radar, camera systems and adaptive cruise control features have grown in popularity as fleets aim to mitigate collisions, reduce costs and better protect not only the driver and truck, but those who share the road with these heavy trucks. Let’s do a walk around of the latest
Watch: New UPS truck safety features in action
Keeping everyone on the road safe should be a fleet’s No. 1 priority. That’s why UPS trucks will now use the Bendix Wingman Advanced system to improve safety in their vehicles. FE hits the road with the new UPS vehicles to see these new features in action. Fleet Equipment‘s Associate Editor Alex Crissey visited a closed course
Five truck trend takeaways from July
1. The summer months spell trouble for truck tires Rubber on the road, more commonly called “road alligators,” increase dramatically on the nation’s highways during the summer driving season. The majority of the motoring public clearly believes that these road alligators are caused by bad retreads; this is just not accurate. The alligators on the
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
Protecting tire PSI: Adding TPMS, ATIS, TiS helps protect your investment
Fleet managers are well aware of the importance of proper tire inflation to protect tires. Many are earlier adopters of tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and/or automatic tire inflation systems (ATIS or TIS). Choosing the right systems for each application is important part of protecting your investment, but which one to choose? Picking the right
DTNA recognizes manufacturers as ‘Masters of Quality’
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has recognized 59 North American manufacturers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico as recipients of its highest award for suppliers: the 2013 Masters of Quality Supplier Award. The selected suppliers provide top quality components for Freightliner and Western Star truck brands. The annual program—now in its 27th year—recognizes outstanding suppliers
Good preventative maintenance can cure CSA headaches
Ever since the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration launched its initiative called Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) there has been increased attention to the condition of over-the-road equipment. Everyone wants to avoid problems during a roadside inspection because every infraction will be reported to the FMCSA and made public via the Internet. According to some fleet
