The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducted its 29th annual Roadcheck campaign back in June of this year: a 72-hour North America-wide safety enforcement blitz focused on heavy trucks and buses.
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...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: Purkeys
">Photo: Purkeys
">Purkeys has announced a new partnership with AutoMeter aimed at supplying fleets and technicians with the necessary tools to diagnose and repair electrical issues.
AutoMeter is a designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty electrical system testing equipment and battery maintenance products.
The products available through this partnership include:
Handheld Electrical Analyzer: Purkeys'/AutoMeter Handheld Electrical Analyzer is an automated tester that guides technicians through a series of tests for heavy-duty electrical systems.Benchtop Electrical Analyzer: Purkeys'/AutoMeter Benchtop Electrical Analyzer is an automated tester that reduces the time and effort needed to identify and troubleshoot electrical issues. It can conduct preventative maintenance checks, voltage drop tests, battery tests, and more.6-Station Battery Charger: Purkeys'/AutoMeter 6-Station Battery Charger is a multi-station, automatic, 5 amp battery charger for AGM batteries."We are thrilled to be able to take our partnership with Purkeys to the next level,” said Scott Crerar, vice president of sales and marketing for AutoMeter. “They are a proven leader in the heavy-duty market and their experience only serves to strengthen AutoMeter's category leadership.”
Related: Purkeys Offers Products Through Fontaine PartSource
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...Read the rest of this storyThanks to automation advances, modern drive-through truck washes can clean and wax a vehicle in 10 minutes or even less. Photo: Whiting Systems
">Thanks to automation advances, modern drive-through truck washes can clean and wax a vehicle in 10 minutes or even less. Photo: Whiting Systems
">A truck is a rolling billboard, and companies have taken advantage of that to advertise their wares since Theodore Roosevelt was president and goods were as likely to be delivered by horse-drawn wagons as by a clattering, coughing, new-fangled motor vehicle.
Colorful, clean trucks can offer a gleaming, positive image of a fleet and the services it provides or the products it carries — but the opposite can also be true, with dirty, muddy, scarred-up trucks sending a far less positive message.
And it's not always just the public (or prospective drivers) taking note.
“A dirty truck is a rolling bullseye,” says Darry Stuart, CEO of DWS Fleet Services. “There is no question that DOT officers take note of dirty trucks. Because they know that a truck that hasn't been washed probably hasn't been well maintained, either.”
Russ Whiting, owner of the Whiting Systems nation truck-washing chain, agrees. “You'll never get that on record” from the DOT he says. “But it's true. If a truck looks sloppy, then odds are its maintenance program is sloppy.”
According to Todd Mathes, technical expert at 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, there are three considerations when investing in fleet maintenance — brand appeal, safety and resale value. And vehicle appearance directly affects all of those goals. “Showing a trucking company's brand in the best light is a main reason to keep the fleet exteriors looking good,” Mathes says. “But there are other positive payoffs, too.”
Mathes says if a truck's finish is not properly maintained, the clarity of paint image will fade over time, decreasing the resale value. Additionally, if the truck has damage and is not maintained, it could cause additional issues such as rust or structural integrity. ...Read the rest of this story
DSNY's dyno-equipped evaluation facility in Queens, N.Y., proved the engine stop-start system's concept was sound, and it's saving substantial fuel in real operations. Photos: Effenco
">DSNY's dyno-equipped evaluation facility in Queens, N.Y., proved the engine stop-start system's concept was sound, and it's saving substantial fuel in real operations. Photos: Effenco
">New York City's Department of Sanitation has been testing an engine stop-start system with impressive fuel savings.
DSNY has been testing hybrid-drive powertrains in its trash-collection trucks. But the anticipated fuel savings have not materialized as they have in other locales. Savings are only 10-15% with hydraulic hybrids, probably because speed between the many stops is not great enough to build kinetic energy that can be recaptured during braking.
But with the extensive amount of time the fleet's trucks spend idling at stop lights and in traffic backups, a new stop-start technology is showing a 30-40% improvement in fuel efficiency, says Rocco DiRicco, DSNY's deputy commissioner, support services. “It's simple, with almost no weight. We think it's close to being the silver bullet for our front-line trucks.” One is now being tested and DiRicco anticipates buying more.
The impressive fuel savings accrue from the system's cutting of engine hours by 40 to 50%. The system's maker, Effenco, in Montreal, Quebec, calls it Active Stop-Start, and says it can be retrofitted to existing trucks or installed on new ones. It's explained on its website:
“Because of the high stopping frequency of vocational trucks, the system is equipped with a powerful electric hybrid starter linked to the engine through a constant mesh PTO connection. The system uses this starter to restart the engine and does not add any load or wear to the existing electric starter and batteries. On releasing the brakes, the PTO-mounted electric hybrid starter takes less than half a second to take the engine from a stop to idle speed making the vehicle as responsive as it would have been if the engine had been running.”
A power pack consisting ...Read the rest of this story
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a safety advisory this week regarding the recently-recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smart phone and its lithium batteries; a battery type that may be present in other electronic devices as well.
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...Read the rest of this story
Two individuals have been charged for allegedly tricking small trucking companies into paying them for federal and state motor carrier registrations by impersonating government transportation agencies.
A federal judge granted the Federal Trade Commission's request for a preliminary injunction against James P. Lamb and Uliana Bogash for violating the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence ACT. The two operated under the company names DOTAuthority.com Inc., and DOTFIlings.com Inc., Excelsior Enterprises Internationl, and JPL Enterprises International.
According to the FTC complaint, the defendants took more than $19 million from thousands of small businesses by sending misleading robocalls, emails and text messages that created the false impression that they were affiliated with the Department of Transportation, the Unified Carrier Registration system, or another government agency.
Lamb and Bogash allegedly used official sounding names, websites to send the companies fake warnings of $1,000 civil penalties or fines for non-compliance or threats of imminent law enforcement to coerce the companies into using their registration services instead of official government website services.
The complaint also states the defendants obscured the total amount charged by not telling customers that the cost included service fees that ranged from $25 to $500 or more. Additionally, many consumers who paid the defendants' UCR fees were automatically enrolled in an annual renewal program without knowledge or consent.
Related: N.J. Trucking Company Defrauded of Over $900K
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...Read the rest of this storyImage via FMCSA
">Image via FMCSA
">The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a safety advisory to drivers and passengers of commercial vehicles, warning them of the risks and regulations associated with transporting damaged or defective lithium batteries and the recently recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been the subject of two major recalls as a result of reports of the smartphone exploding and lighting on fire leading to injuries and damages. After an initial recall failed to solve the problem, Samsung has told retailers globally to stop selling and issuing replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones.
As a result of the danger posed by a potentially dangerous device, the Galaxy Note 7 was also banned from all commercial flights by the FAA.
Like most portable electronic devices, the Galaxy Note 7 contains a lithium-ion battery, which can overheat and catch fire, posing a serious burn and fire hazard if the device is defective.
FMCSA's safety advisory extends to any damaged, defective or recalled lithium cells or batteries and electronic devices.
While carrying the Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone aboard a CMV by drivers and passengers has not been banned, FMCSA is recommending that all persons who wish to carry these devices on a CMV, including motorcoaches, take the following precautions:
Turn off the deviceDisconnect the device from any charging equipmentDisable all applications that could inadvertently activate the phone (e.g., alarm clock)Protect the power switch to prevent its unintentional activation Keep the device in carry-on baggage or on your person. Do not store in an inaccessible baggage compartment.Federal Hazardous Material Regulations forbid the transportation of electrical devices like batteries and battery-powered devices – which can create sparks or generate a dangerous heat buildup – unless the object is packaged in a manner that prevents or protect from such an occurrence.
The recalled ...Read the rest of this story
