Morgan Releases Improved Side Guards

Photo: Morgan Corporation

Morgan Corporation is set to release improved side- and rear-steps, plastic toolboxes, and side-guard protection devices for truck bodies, the company announced.

The new side- and rear-step designs and dent resistant plastic toolboxes are lighter than traditional metal toolboxes. They are also sealed to prevent water intrusions.

The importance of side guard protection in North America, especially in many of the major urban areas, is steadily increasing, according to Alex Epstein, an engineer with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Truck side guards are intended to sweep aside pedestrians and bicyclists in side-impact crashes, rather than being swept underneath the vehicle, Epstein said.

A number of U.S. cities and commercial insurers have joined 47 countries in requiring the use of side guards over the past five years.

Related: Morgan Offers Mid-Temp NexGen Trucking Body

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Wabco Launches OnLaneAssist Driver Assistance System

OnLaneAssist is the first application of active steering functionality in Wabco's portfolio of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems following the recent acquisition of R.H. Sheppard. Image: Wabco

ATLANTA — Wabco has launched the OnLaneAssist advanced driver assistance system designed to prevent unintended lane departures with an active steering functionality.

OnLaneAssist leverages active steering technology and a forward-looking camera to provide active lane correction functionality. OnLaneAssist detects lane markings and continuously evaluating the vehicle's position relative to them. It also distinguishes between planned lane changes and lane drifting.

When it detects lane drifting, the system autonomously intervenes before the vehicle leaves the lane by applying correction torque to the steering wheel to return the vehicle to the center of a lane. OnLaneAssist then releases the torque as soon as the proper driving path is reestablished.

The launch follows Wabco's acquisition of R.H. Sheppard, a supplier of steering technologies and the signing of a cooperation agreement with Nexteer Automotive which develops intuitive motion control technology.

OnLaneAssist is Wabco's first ADAS based on Sheppard's steering technology integrated with Nexteer's steering automation technology. Wabco's acquisition of Sheppard provided key capabilities for lateral vehicle control through active steering, complementing Wabco's technologies in longitudinal control through active braking, stability, and suspension controls.

Full dynamic control of commercial vehicles – lateral and longitudinal – is necessary to progressively achieve the industry's vision of autonomous driving, according to Wabco.

“OnLaneAssist represents another important milestone on the commercial vehicle industry's roadmap towards autonomous driving,” said Jorge Solis, Wabco president, truck, bus and car original equipment manufacturers division. “This advancement demonstrates Wabco's capability to address the challenges of lateral vehicle dynamics control – furthering progress on the path to self-driving commercial vehicles.”

Related: Driver Assistance Technology as a Co-Pilot

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Panel: Trailers Next Frontier in Telematics

“The trailer is very much increasing in importance.” says Wabco's Jon Morrison. Photo: Deborah Lockridge

ATLANTA, GA – The power of telematics continues to advance, and there are still plenty of opportunities to be realized – especially when it comes to the rolling assets seen in a rearview mirror.

It's why Utility Trailer's Intelligent Trailer Symposium, held during the North American Commercial Vehicle Show, gathered a panel of high-profile executives to explore the promises and challenges of collecting, sharing, and using trailer-related data.

“We do spend a lot of time talking about trucks,” said Jon Morrison, Wabco's president – Americas. “The trailer is very much increasing in importance.”

The interest in data clearly involves more than filling spreadsheets and completing reports. Wabco has a boat tail that deploys and retracts at specific speeds based on data from existing antilock braking systems. Retreading programs can track the condition of individual tires equipped with RFID tags. Reefer settings can be monitored and changed remotely. Those are just a few examples.

“The demand for data is increasing everywhere,” said Berend Bracht, president and CEO of Bendix.

While the traditional focus has been on collecting the data because of an exception or unusual situation, like a fault code or collision, the possibilities that can be realized by analyzing “big data” will require a continuous stream of bits and bytes.

More data can be a good thing, but it presents new challenges to address. Will information collected about a trailer, for example, come from wired or wireless sensors? How will it ultimately be packaged and transmitted to drivers and operation teams? “There's a lot of data, but who gets that data?” Bracht asked, referring to one fundamental question.

“One of the biggest issues that still exists for fleets is light outage(s),” explained Dominic Grote, president and CEO of Grote Industries. Drivers need to ...Read the rest of this story

Hino to Move Into North American Heavy-Duty Market

Davey Jung, Executive Vice President, Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. answers questions for the media at a press conference in West Virginia. Photo: Hino Trucks

Hino announced that it plans to produce a new line of Class 7 and 8 trucks at a new truck assembly plant in West Virginia, starting in 2019.

The new larger trucks will be powered by Hino's A09 9-liter engine that is already sold in other markets globally. The engine will produce from 300-360 horsepower. The truck is scheduled to be publicly revealed at the NTEA Work Truck Show next March.

“These are truly exciting times for Hino in the U.S.,” said Yoshinori Noguchi, CEO of Hino North America. “Our growth and customer acceptance in the Class 4-7 market are enabling us to introduce a wider variety of products.”

The new vehicles and facilities are part of a $100 million investment plan to strengthen its U.S. operations. Hino is purchasing the former Cold Water Creek distribution center and converting it into its new truck assembly plant in Mineral Wells, West Virginia. The new plant is expected to be operational by 2019 and will also house cab assembly, an operation currently conducted in Japan.

As part of Hino's growth plan, the company broke ground on a new corporate office in Novi, Michigan, and is consolidating all operations into its new corporate headquarters. including sales, marketing, service, engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing. Hino's Insight Diagnostic Center, which monitors vehicle performance and uptime for all Hino trucks equipped with Insight, will also operate out of the Novi headquarters.

Hino Motors currently produces Class 6 and 7 conventional body style trucks in the 245,000-square-foot former Walker Systems building in Williamstown, West Virginia. The Williamstown facility was the first transportation equipment assembly plant for Hino in the United States. Hino began rolling out its first trucks in November ...Read the rest of this story

Hino to Move Into North American Heavy-Duty Market

Davey Jung, Executive Vice President, Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. answers questions for the media at our press conference in West Virginia. Photo: Hino Trucks

Hino has announced that it will begin producing a new line of Class 7 and 8 trucks at a new truck assembly West Virginia that will be introduced in 2019.

The new larger trucks will be powered by Hino's A09 9-liter engine that is already sold in other markets globally. The engine will produce anywhere from 300-360 horsepower and the truck is scheduled to be publicly revealed at the NTEA Work Truck Show.

“These are truly exciting times for Hino in the U.S.,” stated Yoshinori Noguchi, CEO of Hino North America. “Our growth and customer acceptance in the Class 4-7 market are enabling us to introduce a wider variety of products.”

The new vehicles and facilities are part of a $100 million investment plan to strengthen its U.S. operations. Hino is purchasing the former Cold Water Creek distribution center and converting it into its new truck assembly plant in Mineral Wells, W.Va. The new plant is expected to be operational by 2019 and will also house cab assembly, an operation currently conducted in Japan.

As part of Hino's growth plan, the company broke ground on a new corporate office in Novi, Mich., and is consolidating all operations into its new corporate headquarters including sales, marketing, service, engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing. Hino's Insight Diagnostic Center, which monitors vehicle performance and uptime for all Hino trucks equipped with Insight, will also operate out of the Novi headquarters.

The new facility is expected to create 250 new jobs by early 2020.

“When a prominent international company such as Hino chooses to expand its operations here in West Virginia, with a $100 million investment, it really speaks volumes for our state, our workforce, and our ...Read the rest of this story

Hino to open new WV plant, introduce new line of Class 7 and 8 trucks

Hino plans to strengthen its U.S. operations with the introduction of a new truck line and new facilities.

At a press conference yesterday, Hino announced its plan to purchase a former Coldwater Creek women's clothing distribution center and convert it into a new Hino truck assembly plant in Mineral Wells, WV, close to the current Hino plant.

The new facility is expected to open in early 2019 and will also house cab assembly, which is currently done in Japan.

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FMCSA to Host Two-Day ELD Implementation Event

Photo: Roehl Transport

As part of its Electronic Logging Device Implementation National Tour, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will host an Electronic Logging Device implementation, two-day event at the Davis Travel Center in Stony Creek, Va.

The FMCSA event, Oct. 11-12, will provide ELD transition information to drivers and carriers in attendance.

FMCSA subject matter experts will be available from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on both days to discuss ELDs and answer questions. A driver-focused ELD presentation will also take place from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. each day.

As required by federal law, all motor carriers subject to the ELD Rule must convert from paper logs or logging software to a registered ELD if they do not have an Automatic On-Board Recording Device by Dec. 18 of this year.

During the months of October and November, FMCSA will conduct nationwide training with its state partners to ensure that carriers are knowledgeable of compliance and enforcement requirements.

Experts representing other FMCSA programs including hours-of-service, commercial driver licenses, and medical programs, among others, will answer questions from drivers on a variety of CMV-related issues.

For those who are unable to visit the travel center, FMCSA will livestream the Oct. 11 presentation on its website beginning at 12:30 p.m.

The FMCSA event will coincide with the Davis Travel Center's annual “Driver Appreciation Days” event.

Related: What You Need to Know ABout ELD Mandate Enforcement

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