Tips for ‘old school’ electrical connector maintenance
With the end of summer, the beginning of the wet and cold seasons looms on the horizon. For those who service or operate older equipment without weatherproof electrical connectors, it means it’s time to ensure that all exposed electrical connections are in good shape, along with all the other winter maintenance checks for commercial trucks.
Keeping up with fuel injection technology
Diesel engines are getting close to the theoretical limits of efficiency. To show how far we have come, consider Rudolf Diesel. On Feb. 17, 1897, he demonstrated an efficiency of 26.2% with the engine he made. In contrast, the average steam engine he was competing with was around 10% efficiency. Fuel systems are an area
What causes carbon deposit buildup in diesel engines and how to prevent it
Carbon deposit buildup on diesel engine components such as piston heads, fuel injectors and intake valves is a bigger problem than it is for gasoline engines. There is a federal requirement that certain detergents be added to gasoline at the refinery itself, but there is no such mandate for adding detergents to diesel fuel. For
Three air spring maintenance tips
Proper maintenance procedures will go a long way to ensure you’re getting the most out of your air springs. Here are three air spring maintenance tips to get you started.
Preventive maintenance procedures for platform trailers
It is important to perform preventive maintenance inspections to ensure safe operation of the trailer. Every trailer owner and/or operator should have an organized Trailer Preventive Maintenance program…
How fleet managers can reduce the environmental impact of their fleets
When you think of the trucking industry ten years ago, you probably have a specific image in your head: a truck barreling down the highway, guzzling gas and leaving behind a thick trail of exhaust—an environmental disaster. Over the past few decades, between increased environmental regulations and fleet owners looking to cut fuel costs, some
The ups and downs of air spring, leaf spring truck suspensions
Every truck suspension option comes with its own unique performance trade-offs. The best choice requires an understanding of how the trade-offs match up to your application requirements. The right suspension can maintain a tractor-trailer’s road handling and ride quality, and helps minimize the amount of jarring (bumps, vibrations) for improved load-carrying ability. This protects both
How to prepare your truck for winter
There are some lucky over-the-road fleets whose truck tires will never touch snow or ice this winter, but for most fleets, this is the time of year to get their trucks ready for cold weather. (And even the drivers who stay down South shouldn’t get too cocky. In recent years, snow and ice storms have hit
How to deliver fuel efficiency, driver comfort with engine-off technology
Keeping drivers comfortable while on the road and ensuring fuel efficiency is a tricky balance for fleet managers, especially in cooler climates. After all, weather conditions already offer plenty of challenges, and the last thing anyone wants at the end of the day is a cold, uncomfortable cab. Being faced with a cold engine that
How to prevent transmission overheating
Medium- and heavy-duty truck transmissions undergo a lot of stress and abuse throughout their lifetimes. With the elevated loads that the transmissions undergo, an abundant amount of heat is generated due to higher internal friction. If heat generation is left unchecked, it can lead to complete failure of the transmission. With this in mind, Mitchell
Pre-conditioning engines to improve DPF performance
Fleets have been using coolant heaters with great success in warm and cold climates as cost-saving idle reduction solutions. These heaters help to keep trucks on the road by pre-heating the engine before it is turned on and drawing in cold coolant into a heat exchanger, where it is warmed and then pumped back to the engine.
Diagnosing parasitic loads
With increasing electronic controls in modern trucks, parasitic loads are becoming a larger concern for today’s fleets, especially in fleets where vehicles may be parked for long periods of time. With so many electrical circuits in these vehicles, any one of them may be a culprit, making diagnosing a bit like looking for a needle
