Fluke’s Test & Measurement Tool Users Community, site, offers forums on safety and applications, such as maintenance and troubleshooting, HVAC, power distribution systems and predictive maintenance.
Hi-Line, which offers more than 30,000 parts for delivery, recently redesigned its website, www.hi-line.com.
Pressure Systems International has opened a new 4,000-square-foot R&D facility in Mathis, Texas.
Delphi Corp. has launched its Power Pack Connection Systems series for high-power applications.
Australian Permo-Drive and Dana Corp. plan to develop Permo-Drive’s hydraulic Regenerative Drive System for refuse collection trucks worldwide.
Autocar LLC announced that it has partnered with Allison Transmission in the Allison EDGE Program to make Allison automatic transmissions the exclusive transmission offering in all Autocar vehicles.
Goodyear announced that it has teamed with the Tire Industry Association to offer certified tire technician training.
Western Star Trucks has introduced its Five-Points Used Truck Limited Warranty program, which offers extensive mechanical and structural coverage for the engine, rear axle, cab, transmission and frame.
Thermo King announced that its TriPac Auxiliary Heating/Cooling Temperature Management System now offers a 1,000-hour maintenance interval.
Air-Weigh announced that its 5800 Series Tractor Scales are available direct from Kenworth and Peterbilt dealers through Paccar Parts. Dealer installation is optional.
The new Kenworth PremierCare Advantages Savings Book is available at participating Kenworth dealerships in the United States and Canada. Also available at KW dealerships and at this site: the 2006 Kenworth calendar in wall and appointment formats.
Mack’s lineup for ’06 will include a premium highway tractor called Pinnacle, and new versions of the company’s Granite and Granite Axle Back construction vehicles.
The Pinnacle will be available in a 116-inch BBC daycab configuration, and as 48-inch and 56-inch flat-top, 60-inch and 70-inch mid-rise, and 70-inch high-rise sleepers. Granite models also have BBC of 116 inches and are built on the Mack Cornerstone vocational chassis. Both new product lines have been designed around the new 11-liter Mack Power (MP) engine (see CCJ, November 2005, page 10).
Both product lines feature entirely new driver environments, based on research of customer preferences and ergonomics. The new cab designs include:
· A four-inch increase in the depth of daycabs – providing more leg and belly room while allowing for a seat angle recline of more than 20 degrees;
· A wraparound cockpit-style dash with a new primary gauge cluster and space for up to 25 switches;
· A one-piece windshield for enhanced visibility;
· A broadly adjustable steering column and new, ergonomically correct suspended foot pedals;
· A new HVAC system with heavy-duty easy-to-use controls;
· Improved interior lighting in daycabs, incorporating the current Mack sleeper product design – two rear-mounted dome lights and spotlights over the driver and passenger seats; and
· Abundant storage, including a large rear-wall-mounted dispatch box with trash bag hooks, an overhead console and in-dash storage compartments; and cell phone and cup holders.
“Taken as a whole, these features result in an interior environment that promotes safety, eases service, and provides a level of comfort that’s sure to help attract and retain drivers,” says Tom Kelly, Mack’s vice president of marketing.
TMC 2006 Annual Meeting, Exhibition set for February
The Technology and Maintenance Council will observe its 50th anniversary during its 2006 Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition, set for Feb. 14-17 at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida.
The anniversary will include a presentation on the evolution of truck technology. Mack Truck President and CEO Paul Vikner and Mack Executive Vice President Steve Homcha will chronicle the evolution of truck design and maintenance from the 1950s to the present, as well as offer their insights into future vehicle technology.
The meeting also will feature a three-part primer on what fleet managers must know about 2007 diesel-powered trucks. The opening session will focus specifically on new powertrain specifications and how they will impact fleet maintenance operations. Two related technical sessions will detail diesel particulate filter technology and new sensor technology relative to 2007 diesel engines.
In addition to a wide variety of technical sessions and study group meetings, there will be a display of vehicles representing TMC’s first 50 years.
Cool new technology from Carrier
Through expanded use of electronics and maintenance-free electrical components, Deltek technology offers a streamlined refrigeration unit design that does away with most serviceable mechanical parts, such as belts and clutches, and it greatly reduces the refrigerant charge compared to conventional systems, says Carrier Transicold.
An ultra-high-performance, aircraft-quality generator – the heart of the system – is driven by a diesel engine, and provides electrical power, creating a hybrid powertrain. The electric compressor motor is inside the compressor housing, so no shaft seal is required.
Carrier estimates Deltek technology can reduce lifecycle costs by as much as 30 percent. The technology will be offered in different transport refrigeration product lines, with initial rollouts planned for the first half of 2006.
Keep your fuel
With sky-high fuel prices, the last thing you need is some bottom-feeder siphoning your tanks. Trekker USA Anti Siphons fit most all over-the-road fuel tanks using 1.85- to 3-inch ID fuel tank necks, including those used by Volvo, Mack, International, Freightliner and Kenworth, as well as reefer fuel tanks.
Trekker says the device is less expensive and more secure than a locking fuel cap, and it installs in less than 30 seconds.
Equipment Puzzler
In October, we asked: What is an effective – but dangerous – method of seating a tire’s beads on a wheel, and why should it be avoided?
Damon Gray, Ruan customer service manager, correctly e-mailed that any type of volatile, flammable liquid or gas – starting fluid, for example – can be introduced into the tire, then ignited. The small explosion will seat the tire in a jiffy. But there is a danger of being injured in the process, and the guy who has to take the tire off in the future won’t know the fluid or gas is present. Also, there is a risk of the tire exploding on the road due to static electricity or heat from underinflation.
Damon gets a chrome CCJ pen and Air Brake Book. You can, too, if you’re the first to e-mail the correct answer to this month’s Puzzler to [email protected], or if you send in a Puzzler of your own and we use it.
This month’s Puzzler:
How many retreaded tires were sold in North America last year?
