The Heico Companies announced it has completed the acquisition of Astro Tecnologia, one of Brazil's manufacturers of cargo securement systems, webbing, lifting slings and supplemental decking equipment.
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...Read the rest of this storyWith the start of 2018 model year production, Ram Truck is boosting the capability of its 3500 HD pickup model; increasing available torque for its optional diesel engine package and adding an optional fifth wheel designed by Ram Engineering that can tow up to 30,000 lbs.
Working closely Cummins, Ram said the 3500 model for 2018 will feature higher boost limits through a variable geometry turbo and flow rate increases through the fuel delivery system for its optional Cummins 6.7-liter I-6 diesel engine.
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...Read the rest of this storyStack of steel members slipped forward and rammed the tractor's sleeper. It could've been worse. Images: Tom Berg, from YouTube
">Stack of steel members slipped forward and rammed the tractor's sleeper. It could've been worse. Images: Tom Berg, from YouTube
">What do you do when the load on the trailer shifts, ramming your sleeper just behind you? Thank the Lord that the stack of steel didn't go farther, stabbing you in the back. Then call for a wrecker, one with a strong crane that can move the load back where it belongs and whose crew will tie down the load more securely.
That's the story in this YouTube clip that I found this morning. It was posted by a regular contributor, Ron Pratt, who operates a heavy tow truck for Midwest Truck Sales & Service in Scott City, Missouri. Ron wears a camera on his cap (or helmet) and began shooting this episode on the way to the place where the semi's driver had parked along Interstate 55.
The clip runs an hour and 12 minutes – kinda long, unless you imagine you're right on the scene, admiring the work. An intro said the driver had slammed on his brakes to avoid an accident ahead. In this situation, a shifting load was the lesser of two bad outcomes. You can save time by picking up the video about 30 minutes in, where the actual work begins.
This reminds me of a story I heard many years ago, about a rookie trucker on his very first run, dispatched with a load of steel pipe on the flatbed behind. He slammed on the brakes for some reason and the load slid forward, piercing the back of the cab and skewering his back and head – a bloody end to a very short career.
I had that tale in mind about 1980 when I was test-driving a White Road Boss conventional in central Texas. I had ...Read the rest of this story
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Mickey Truck Bodies, which makes beverage bodies and trailers, has introduced the new 21st Century trailer, designed and built specifically for beverage delivery. The heavy-duty trailer configuration handles better, has a more modern appearance and lasts longer than conventional box trailers, according to the company.
"The new 21st Century trailer is ideal for full-pallet delivery at the loading dock or street level, and its improved structural strength means a much longer lifecycle for our customers," says Tom Arland, corporate vice president of sales for Mickey Truck Bodies. "This design was engineered for the rugged duty applications that beverage distributors require."
Arland says current users of the trailer have experienced less trailer sway and say they expect greater fuel savings with the unit's aerodynamic design. The rivetless aluminum side skins allow for clean decal application for a "rolling billboard" impression.
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Ancra released a new, patented, Beam Rack designed to provide a secure, easy and efficient method of raising beams up and out of the way when not in use.
A key advantage, according to the company, is that the system ensures no beam is left behind during the unloading process. Often, dock workers will place beams on the side of the trailer or in the warehouse to keep them out of the way when unloading cargo, resulting in beams being forgotten and left in the warehouse resulting in possible lost time or insufficient beams for the next cargo load.
Ancra says the new Beam Rack is manufactured for easy installation and the unique design lets you lock up to six beams per set horizontally in your trailer.
To install the Beam Rack, align brackets 8 feet apart, into your current trailer logistics posts with UP arrow pointing up and tabs inserted into logistics posts slots. The lower tab can be adjusted if needed to fit into logistics posts with unique slot spacing. Turn the thumb screws, top one first to lock Beam Rack bracket in place then turn the lower one to eliminated rattles – then simply place beams in the designated slots until needed.
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With no fanfare and nearly as little publicity, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has begun holding day-long regional forums to discuss how to improve the highway safety performance of commercial vehicles.
The first of what the agency is billing as “Road Shows” was held Aug. 9 in Minneapolis. The only public notice for that event appears to have been a post on the FMCSA Facebook page that popped up just the day before it took place.
The next forum is slated for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Courtyard Philadelphia Valley Forge/Collegeville in Collegeville, Penn., near Philadelphia. FMCSA's announcement of the event is a single sentence long.
A third forum is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 17 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at Denver International Airport. Again, there is a one-sentence description of the event.
A longer description was posted about the Minneapolis event. Presumably, the other two yet to occur will follow the same format. Of the Aug. 9 Road Show, FMCSA said beforehand that the agenda would include presentations by FMCSA senior executives and program specialists. In addition, attendees would be invited “to further discuss and explore both the challenges and the opportunities for strengthening large truck and bus safety.”
Some of the discussion topics were listed as: “FMCSA priorities and goals and their alignment with commercial vehicle safety programs and activities; the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program; the congressionally mandated electronic logging device rule; large truck and bus traffic enforcement; and FMCSA's state grant programs that support grass-roots commercial vehicle enforcement and safety programs.”
Related: FMCSA Takes Driver ELD Education on the Road
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