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Brake Rotors Designed to Resist Corrosion

Federal Mogul's Abex brand has introduced a series of brake rotors designed to work in conjunction with the company's air disc brake pads on heavy-duty vehicles.

The rotors are available across eight different Class 8 applications. Abex offers a pad and rotor combination for the most popular Bendix, Meritor and Wabco Air Disc Brake systems.

Featuring E-Shield protective coating technology, Abex rotors are easier to remove, due to less corrosion and rusting on the attaching surface. Each rotor also contains a directionally smooth finish and offers quality design for maximum performance and reliability. Abex premium brake rotors feature precision mill balance technology to prevent performance issues such as pedal pulsation and brake noise caused by improper balance. Each rotor's micro finish aids in proper seating of the friction material, reducing pad break-in time. Abex pad and rotor combinations are engineered to work together to provide improved stopping and extended life.

"More and more fleets have started utilizing ADB applications, and as such, we recognize their desire for a premium solution to all their wheel-end needs," said Dennis Griffin, product manager, Abex, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. "Abex rotors not only offer the quality that customers expect, but also address common complaints such as unsightly corrosion of the rotors and ease of installation."

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Electric Axle Offers Fuel Savings for Long-Haul Operations

Mesilla Valley Transportation, PAM Transport, and Ryder conducted initial road testing on Hyliion's 6X4HE hybrid-electric axle. Photo: Hyliion

A start-up company has launched production of an add-on hybrid axle system designed to save fuel in long-haul Class 8 trucks.

Hyliion says its 6X4HE hybrid-electric axle system technology can deliver fuel savings, lower emissions, instant telematics and a better driver experience.

The company, which initially launched designing a hybrid axle product for trailers, showcased the new tractor axle at last fall's American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition. At that point it was just coming off of initial testing on trucks run by Mesilla Valley Transportation, PAM Transport, and Ryder. Since then Hyliion has been working on fine-tuning the system, but it is already available for order.

“Hyliion is bringing hybrid technology to the Class 8 trucking market, but we're doing it in a very unique way,” explained CEO Thomas Healy in an interview. “You keep the existing diesel-engine truck that you own, and we add a hybrid electric assist to it to help reduce the amount of fuel you consume.”

When the truck goes downhill or applies the brake or Jake Brake, the system uses regenerative braking to help capture some of the wasted energy and stores it in a battery pack mounted between the frame rails behind the cab.

“When you go to climb a hill or accelerate, we can take that electric energy we have stored and apply it to our electric motor, which then applies torque and helps reduce the amount of fuel the vehicle uses,” Healy said.

Hyliion's 6X4HE system replaces a 6x2 truck's non-driven dead axle or is added to a 4x2 truck, turning either into a 6x4. Existing 6x4 tractors can be converted by removing one mechanically driven axle and replacing it with a Hyliion axle. The system includes a motorized axle, ...Read the rest of this story

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Spot Rates Decline Slightly as Truckload Capacity Returns

National average spot truckload rates declined as the number of available trucks jumped 52% during the week ending Jan. 13, according to DAT Solutions and its network of load boards, however van, refrigerated, and flatbed freight rates remain higher than at any point in 2017.

The number of available loads posted was up 17%, a sign that freight patterns have normalized after two weeks of holidays, disruptive weather, and more rigid schedules imposed by the use of electronic logging devices.

Load-to-truck ratios for all three equipment types edged down from record highs seen the previous week:

• Van ratio: 10.7 to 1, down from 14.7
• Flatbed ratio: 53.7 to 1, down from 63.5
• Reefer ratio: 18.4 to 1, down from 25.2

The number of van load posts increased 12% and truck posts surged 54%. The national average spot van rate dipped 2 cents to $2.28 per mile, still a high rate. Outbound rates from many major markets held firm when compared to the previous week:

• Atlanta, $2.44 per mile, down 2 cents
• Houston, $1.99 per mile, down 1 cent
• Philadelphia, $2.29 per mile, up 1 cent
• Chicago, $3.00 per mile, up 1 cent

Notable exceptions were Buffalo, up 21 cents to $2.98 per mile, building on a 5 cents increase the previous week; Los Angeles, $2.71 per mile, down 16 cents; and Charlotte, $2.64 per mile, up 10 cents.

Demand for refrigerated trailers remains solid, with load posts up 6%. Truck posts were up 46% compared to the previous week, which helped send the national average reefer rate down a penny to $2.70 per mile. Volumes are down seasonally, a sign that reefer rates may have crested as we move deeper into a post-holiday period, according to DAT

The national average flatbed rate slipped 1 cent to $2.42 per mile to start the year. Flatbed load posts increased 35% after a 46% increase the ...Read the rest of this story