Nevada officials say autonomous-truck era drawing near

April Sanborn was part of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles in 2011 when the state became the first to adopt regulations allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles.

She was also there four years later when the Freightliner Inspiration truck made its world premiere at the Hoover Dam.

Sanborn, now Nevada DMV's program manager for the autonomous vehicle program, said the rapid developments in the autonomous space has her convinced autonomous-driving trucks will soon be a reality.

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BorgWarner Offer Multi-Platform EGR Coolers

Photo: BorgWarner

BorgWarner has developed a new series of multi-platform exhaust gas recirculation coolers that it says offer manufacturers needed durability and flexibility.

The company's modular cooler family includes four adaptable standard designs for flexibility across a range of engine sizes from 2L-16L displacement. The EGR solution offers resistance to thermal fatigue and improved coolant distribution for durable performance, even with minimum coolant flow, while reducing NOx emissions.

“With lower production volumes and high durability requirements, the commercial vehicle segment needs an EGR solution that provides outstanding performance and reduces complexity at the same time,” said Joe Fadool, president and general manager, BorgWarner emissions and thermal systems. “Offering high flexibility and durability, our newly developed EGR coolers have already piqued the interest of several manufacturers that see the potential for a cost-effective solution to help meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations.”

Featuring hybrid tube heat transfer technology and a floating inner core, BorgWarner's EGR coolers are designed to resist high levels of thermal load. BorgWarner integrated a thermomechanical damper into the design to facilitate complete decoupling of the shell and inner core components to absorb longitudinal and angular differences for improved durability. The damper also provides some initial extra cooling for the inlet gas to reduce thermal shock and allows better gas distribution to the tubes to resist thermal fatigue.

When the system is operated at an exhaust gas temperature of 1,562 degrees (850 degrees Celsius), the inlet gas box temperature is kept below 392 degrees (200 degrees Celsius), compared to more than 1,292 degrees (700 degrees Celsius) without cooling, according to BorgWarner.

The four new coolers allow the standardization of most of the components from one application to another, with the exception of the housing and the mounting fixtures, resulting in better adaptability.

Related: The Quest for Uptime

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Freightliner Offers eNow Solar Charging on Cascadia

Photo: eNow

Freightliner Cascadia raised-roof sleeper trucks can now be ordered with the eNow eCharge solar system as a pre-delivery installation.

The eNow system can be ordered through Freightliner dealerships and installed at Freightliner's Custom Truck Service centers located at each of the manufacturing plants.

The eNow solar system's 0.125-inch thick design is flexible to follow the aerodynamic roof contour of the Cascadia. The eNow system supplies ongoing power to the batteries, to meet the cab's power needs while reducing idle time and fuel costs.

“The eNow system has continually proven its value in reducing costs, while also demonstrating its durability over diverse road conditions and in a variety of climates,” says Jeff Flath, president and CEO of eNow. “Drivers and fleet owners who order the eNow system pre-installed will begin realizing the benefits from solar the minute they take delivery.”

For more information on the eNow eCharge system, click here.

Related: Wireless Monitoring System Checks Battery Charge, Battery Health

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Speed Kills— But You Can Help Stop It

“You can't tackle our rising epidemic of roadway deaths without tackling speeding,” said NTSB Acting Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt, “and you can't tackle speeding without the most current research. Speed kills." Photo: Minnesoto DOT/Julie Bottolfson

A new report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board points an unwavering finger at the deadly toll that speeding by motorists keeps taking on our highways.

In its study, NTSB found that speeding was linked to 112,580 fatalities resulting from highway crashes of passenger cars between 2005 and 2014. In that same period, only car crashes involving alcohol consumption killed more persons… 368 more to be exact, for a ghastly total of 112,948. In no regard, then, is there any good news here.

But the thing about speeding— and the board gets right to this point in a press release announcing the actions it is taking to hopefully reduce this cause of carnage— is that to speed is not socially taboo. That is to say, there is no stigma to getting caught speeding, unlike with driving drunk or drug-impaired or perhaps, for that matter, driving while fatigued or distracted.

The other thing about speeding, so it occurs to me anyway, is that intentional speeding is not necessarily driven by other factors. Yes, drivers who are impaired by consuming alcohol or drugs or who are distracted by texting etc. might well speed (I'm assuming that when tired behind the wheel— as I have been more times than I care to admit-- drivers tend to poke along or drift off the road rather than accelerate much, but correct me if I'm wrong). But the speeding driver is more than likely not to pull all the other fatal stunts that a drunk or drugged or distracted or fatigued driver might inadvertently pull before causing a crash.

My point being that if ...Read the rest of this story

Kimberly-Clark Partners with TV Show on Truck Safety

Todd Dewey (right), Ice Road truckers TV show personality, partnered with Kimberly-Clark to promote the value of safety glasses and proper use of eye wear. (Source: Todd Dewey Facebook)

Not many people would think that changing a tire could lead to life-altering injuries, and neither did TV personality, Todd Dewey. The star of the History Channel's hit reality show, Ice Road Truckers, suffered a severe eye injury when a logging truck tire exploded, launching more than 40 rock shards into his face. It took three trips to the eye surgeon to remove the debris, and while Dewey's sight was not compromised long-term, according to Kimberly-Clark Corpr., he realized that the situation could have resulted in much more severe circumstances.

Since the injury, Dewey has become extremely vocal about the importance of safety glasses and has struck a partnership with Kimberly-Clark Professional's Nemesis Safety Eyewear. Above all else, Dewey and Kimberly-Clark Professional are building a relationship to increase awareness of the importance of safety in the workplace and in everyday life.

"Many industrial workers consider safety glasses as just another requirement," said Jill Walter, eye and face protection category manager for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "However, we want to elevate the importance of safety eyewear, bringing attention to the fact that accidents can happen at any time and anyone can be susceptible to eye injuries. This partnership fully embraces that mission."

Nemesis eyewear is built on its value proposition of "Stylish Comfort. Lasting Protection," and teaming up with a top-selling product in North America held precedence for Dewey. With a follower base made up of people who use safety products on a daily basis, Dewey's primary role will be as a digital spokesperson, including information about Nemesis* products in social media posts surrounding a context of safety and eye ...Read the rest of this story

Electronic stability control mandate kicks in

A federal mandate that nearly all new Classes 7-8 tractors sold in the United States be equipment with electronic stability control systems has officially kicked in.

Initially announced in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated the mandate will save up to 49 lives, prevent up to 1,759 crashes each year, and provide net economic benefits of more than $300 million annually.

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Gates Mini Crimper Designed to Be Compact

The Gates GC16XD Mini Crimper and pump is designed to offer the performance and speed of a powered pump in a smaller package.

The battery-operated pump has a sealed bladder reservoir that prevents contamination and allows the pump to operate in any position.

Combined with the GX16CD Mini Crimper weighing 44 pounds, the device can make quick, high-quality assemblies in more demanding locations.

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