East Manufacturing Offers New Lightweight Tipper Trailer

East Manufacturing has introduced its new Lightweight Tipper Trailer, designed for increased payload and durability in refuse hauling operations.

East has re-engineered the Tipper trailer to increase payload by removing 1,200 pounds of excess weight. The company removed excess weight in the fifth wheel plate area, from the suspension subframe and from the sides of the trailer body. The company also substituted an aluminum bumper assembly to replace the original one made of steel.

The Lightweight Tipper Trailer maintains a double-wall construction on its aerodynamic East Genesis smooth-sided design with an advanced system of floor-to-wall attachment. It is designed to be easier to clean and not show pings and dings on the outside like traditional external post walls, according to East. The outboard Genesis design is also able to provide more capacity than traditional external post trailers, according to East.

Genesis Aerodynamic design has 2-inch thick, double-wall extruded aluminum panels, that are lighter than competitive walls and provide eight times more wall support than external posts positioned every 25 inches, according to East. The double-wall panels are robotically welded vertically inside and out for increased strength. The design resists bowing, reduces corrosion from road salt, and can reduce maintenance and repair costs.

The Lightweight Tipper Trailer's wall-to-floor construction is designed to secure a critical point for trailer strength – the welded union of cross members, floor plates, and sidewalls. To ensure a strong floor-to-wall attachment joint, cross members and floor plates interlock into the bottom rub rail, forming a poket to accept the sidewall panels.

“East continues to strive to be the industry leader in innovation,” said Dave de Poincy, president of East. “Supplying our customers with this new Lightweight Tipper Trailer helps fulfill our mission to provide optimum payload to our customers.”

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Volvo Truck Honors Military Heroes

The new Volvo VNR 640 model will travel in a motorcade from the plant to the U.S. capital to participate in the Ride for Freedom rally during the Memorial Day weekend. (Photo courtesy of Volvo Trucks)

Volvo Trucks' New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin, Va., unveiled the design of its 2017 Ride for Freedom truck featuring the all new VNR model, which will accompany a motorcade of about 160 motorcycles from the plant to Washington, D.C., during the “Run for the Wall” motorcycle rally Memorial Day weekend. Now in its 30th year, the annual Ride for Freedom honors the brave men and women who have served – and continue to serve – to protect America.

For 26 years, NRV employees and the UAW Local 2069 Veteran Committee have supported the Ride for Freedom event, creating special graphics to salute America's military heroes. The truck, Volvo's new Volvo VNR 640 model, features custom-designed graphics that honor America, all branches of the U.S. military, and those who served with the slogan, “We stand for the flag and kneel for the fallen.”

Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of 2,200 dealers and workshops in more than 125 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 15 countries across the globe. In 2016, 103,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, and drive systems for marine and industrial applications. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo's work is based on the core values quality, safety and environmental care.

Related: Volvo Trucks to Launch Regional VNR Model

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Descartes acquires ShipRush

Descartes Systems Group announced it has acquired ShipRush, a provider of e-commerce multi-carrier parcel shipping solutions for small-to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

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GCR Tires & Service launches Route Planner Tool

GCR Tires & Service (GCR), a business of Bridgestone Americas Inc., recently launched a new Route Planner tool available on the GCR website. Powered by an enhanced Store Location Finder application, the Route Planner provides access to course intelligence to locate GCR stores along haul routes and select store locations based on their specific service needs, the company noted.

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YRC: Think technology first, trucking second

PHILADELPHIA. Justin Hall believes that it's time to rethink how trucking companies visualize themselves and the services they provide in order to survive and thrive in the increasingly digitized world of supply chain operations.

“We need to embrace and lead with technology,” Hall, chief customer officer for LTL conglomerate YRC Worldwide, explained during a presentation here at the ALK Technology Summit.

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War of Words Erupts over Trump Call to Allow Interstate Tolls

A 39-word statement in a just-released 6-page “fact sheet” on President Trump's “infrastructure initiative” within his overall budget proposal has brought the toll vs. no-toll contenders out swinging.

The bullet item calls for reducing the restriction on tolling of Interstate highways so as to “allow the States to assess their transportation needs and weigh the relative merits of tolling assets.”

In the next sentence, the administration said that it also “supports allowing the private sector to construct, operate, and maintain interstate rest areas, which are often overburden and inadequately maintained.”

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association was quick to praise the Trump Administration for seeking to draw down the restriction against Interstate tolling that dates back over 60 years.

“Today, the Trump Administration became the second straight White House to call for easing the ban on Interstate tolling and giving states the maximum flexibility needed to make the best funding decisions for their local transportation projects,” said Patrick Jones, IBTTA executive director and CEO.

Jones said IBTTA wants “Congress to immediately join with the President to reduce burdensome regulations that prevent state and local governments from utilizing all available funding mechanisms. Toll financing may not be the answer for every highway, bridge, or tunnel project in the country, but the power of tolling is proven and effective.

“Combined with the President's proposed investment in infrastructure, tolling can provide valuable resources to the states to tackle transportation infrastructure projects,” he added.

Not buying the administration's proposal was the Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates. “We are very concerned about how heavily the Trump Administration wants to rely upon public-private partnerships to fund our roads and the idea of loosening the federal restriction on tolling interstate highways,” said ATFI Spokesperson Stephanie Kane. “As outlined in the proposed budget, leveraging $200 billion public dollars into a $1 trillion transportation plan ...Read the rest of this story

Ancra Partnership Brings Preinstalled Captive Beam Decking System

Image via Ancra

Ancra International has partnered with CellTech Metals to provide a new category of bonded truck and trailer wall systems.

Track from either of Ancra's captive beam decking systems is now available preassembled into CellTech metal sandwich wall panels. Integrating the track from Ancra's Lift-A-Deck II or Vers-A-Deck systems into the panel manufacturing process before vehicle assembly can reduce costs and installation time.

CellTech wall panels offer a high stiffness to weight ratio and a rivetless exterior for distortion-free placement of custom graphics. The smooth interior surface achieved by flush-mount bonding reduces the risk of track and cargo damage, according to Ancra.

This partnership between Ancra and CellTech is aimed at mutual customers that want to maximize load space and reduced damage claims by avoiding double stacking of freight.

Related: Vers-A-Deck Captive Decking System Offers Versatility

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