Don’t sit idly by: Putting idle reduction solutions to work saving money, retaining drivers
Trucks are made to be in motion. When efficiency is judged by MPG, the truck’s worst fuel efficiency is when the truck sits still. Idling burns fuel and can lead to increased maintenance issues. That’s why a number of idle reduction solutions are gaining ground with fleet managers aiming to lower diesel usage costs and
J.W. Speaker releases redesigned LED headlights
J.W. Speaker has completely redesigned its Model 8630 LED headlights to deliver better performance and new functionality, the company said. Designed for OEMs and aftermarket customers alike, this LED headlight offers an upgraded replacement solution for 5.75-in. sealed beam headlights. The new design for Model 8630 Evolution boasts an increase in high beam intensity as
Fuel efficiency and the electrical system
In the heavy-duty trucking industry, fuel costs are one of the biggest operational expenses fleets encounter, second to payroll. Purkeys chief engineer, Dale Henningson explains, “The engine powers the alternator, which is where electrical energy originates so all of the electrical power comes from the fuel of the truck.” An efficient electrical system will consume
Webasto introduces next generation of air heaters
Webasto Thermo and Comfort North America introduced its new Air Top Evo models. The new Air Top Evo 40 and 55 offer greater comfort, safety and heating capacity for various applications on medium-duty and commercial vehicles, according to Webasto. The Air Top Evo 40 and 55 incorporate an automatic cold-start system, providing up to 10%
Webasto SmarTemp Control available as Freightliner factory-installed option
Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America Inc. announced that, beginning March 2, Freightliner Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution trucks can roll off of the production line equipped with Webasto’s digital SmarTemp Control. Designed to work exclusively with Webasto’s Air Top 2000 ST bunk air heater, Webasto’s SmarTemp Control delivers precise temperature control with a rotary dial
Optronics presents anti-theft lighting system
Optronics International presented its new LampLock Anti-Theft Lighting System at the 2015 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting in Nashville. Integrated into 4-in. round stop/tail/turn lamps and 3/4-in. marker lamps, the anti-theft design makes the lamps impossible to steal without destroying them, according to the manufacturer. During its preliminary report to the Intermodal Association
Trojan Battery launches Reliant AGM with C-Max technology
Reliant AGM with C-Max technology, a deep-cycle AGM battery, is now available from Trojan Battery Co. Reliant AGM maximizes sustained performance and increases total energy output to meet demanding deep-cycling requirements in Trojan’s wide range of market applications, according to the manufacturer. “Trojan’s Reliant AGM is specifically engineered for deep-cycling applications, unlike most AGM batteries
KLLM-Frozen Foods Express specs LED lighting on all new trucks
KLLM-Frozen Foods Express, headquartered in Richland, Miss., with operations in 48 states, announced that it will install Truck-Lite LED forward lighting on all new trucks. “We’re excited to get the safety and maintenance benefits of LED lighting into as many vehicles as we can. It’s huge to have our product on a fleet with the
Beating the cold weather ‘no starts’
“Battery drain is an issue for fleets at parking facilities where drivers require hotel loads for comfort and convenience items, especially during rest periods required by new hours-of-service regulations,” says Ryan Bennett, vice president of product and marketing at Idle Smart. “With the right technology, fleets can monitor and eliminate battery drain so trucks are
Truck-Lite expands LED product line
Truck-Lite Co. released 18 new LED products to its Signal-Stat line. The new product expansion can help reduce customer costs while maintaining Signal-Stat quality standards, including full epoxy potting to protect the circuit board, according to the company. “We want to get LED lighting on every truck on the road. In the long run, LEDs
How to detect a frozen battery
In Purkeys‘ latest blog post, “How to detect a frozen battery,” Charley Gipe, Purkeys’ Northeast region sales and service engineer, explains the reasons why heavy-duty vehicle batteries freeze and how to detect if a battery is frozen. Purkeys’ Gipe wrote that, to understand why a battery freezes, fleets must understand how a battery is made.
Smart Lite aims to eliminate front end blind spots
Marty Vanderhoek, a life-long commercial trucker from Langley, B.C., Canada, invented Smart Lite to combat one dangerous area on a commercial truck – the front end blind spot. According to Vanderhoek, Smart Lite is a simple system designed to save lives. All large trucks have side mirrors that a driver uses to view everything beside
