Allison plans new nine-speed automatic transmission

ATLANTA. Allison Transmission on Sept. 27 announced plans for its first nine-speed model, a fully automatic transmission for Classes 3-7 vehicles aimed for release in 2020.

“With this new transmission, Allison continues to demonstrate its commitment to help achieve standards regarding fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Randy Kirk, senior vice president of product engineering and product teams.

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New tool offers better toll visibility for fleets

ATLANTA. HELP Inc., the non-profit provider of PrePass, introduced a tolling data analytics tool to assist companies monitor and manage their toll transactions.

The system, called INFORM Tolling, provides analytics so customers can see where truck tolls are being assessed, and confirm they are getting the best rates possible. It also identifies fraudulent charges and alerts when there are toll violations.

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Kalmar opens terminal tractor test track

Kalmar Ottawa, part of Cargotec, opened its new test track at the Terminal Tractor Competence Center in Ottawa, KS. The track is the first testing facility specifically for terminal tractors.

At 0.75 miles, the track was constructed with reinforced concrete to handle loads up to 80,000 lbs. The track's dog bone shape features two loops connected by a quarter mile straight.

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TMW Systems names new VP of development

Timothy B. Tarbet, a global IT executive with more than 25 years of experience in enterprise software development, was named vice president of development by TMW Systems. Tarbet will work with software leaders and developers across the TMW enterprise. He will be guiding the development of the company's advanced TMW.Suite transportation management system (TMS).

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Stoughton unveils PureBlue refrigerated trailer

ATLANTA. As part of a longer-term strategic growth initiative, Stoughton Trailers is rolling out a new refrigerated trailer model dubbed “PureBlue” to broaden its product line so it can make inroads with larger customers.

“Large customers have mixed fleets of dry van and refrigerated trailers; you can't bid for that business unless you have both. The two are tied together,” Ted Leroy, product manager for Stoughton, explained to Fleet Owner.

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Fleet Owner 500 awards highlights top private fleets

ATLANTA. The inaugural Fleet Owner 500 awards were handed out during a reception held here in conjunction with the first-ever North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show – awards designed to highlight the role of private fleets in the trucking industry and the U.S. economy.

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ELDs, safety technology and the effect on fleet insurance costs

ATLANTA. As a fleet owner, you've installed electronic logging devices (ELDs) and other safety technologies throughout your entire fleet. Now your insurance premiums will automatically decrease, right?

Not necessarily, explained Harry Storck, global fleet technical specialist at AIG.

Storck, speaking to attendees at TU-Automotive's Connected Fleets conference here in Atlanta, discussed the insurance carrier's perspective on how connectivity is changing the landscape of commercial fleets.

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