EZ Drain Valve Made For Vaporizer Drain Systems

The EZ Oil Drain valve has a new application for a vaporizer drain system on propane-powered equipment.

The liquid petroleum gas regulator equipped on these units has a vaporizer drain on the regulator. The EZ Drain Valve can be used for this application, particularly the stainless steel version of the valve.

Some regulators and vaporizers have brass drain valve to remove oil and tar from the unit, but a stainless valve is required if any harsh chemical is present in the liquid to be drained to avoid corrosion. Many propane-powered unit maintenance protocols require the oil and tar to be drained every 100-150 hours, according to the company.

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FCA to invest nearly $1.5 billion in Ram plant

In a press statement on Tuesday afternoon, FCA U.S. announced that it will invest $1.48 billion in its Sterling Heights (MI) Assembly Plant as part of a future growth plan for the Ram brand.

The investment will position the plant to build the next generation Ram 1500 and support future growth of the brand, the company said.

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Digital disruption and trucking

We all know the trucking business is going to be changed significantly due to the rising tide of digital advances sweeping not only the freight markets but the business world as a whole – with electronic logging devices (ELDs) and the

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Mercedes-Benz Adds Sprinter and Metris Van Offerings

Mercedes-Benz Metris mid-size van

LADSON, S.C. Mercedes-Benz Vans is introducing a turnkey “ship-thru” upfitting program for its Metris mid-size van and for Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner full-size Sprinter vans. The OEM is also rolling out a value-priced Worker model of the Metris as well as expanding its Worker lineup for the Sprinter.

The announcements came at a media briefing ahead of the company's July 27 groundbreaking for a $500-million expansion of its plant here that will allow it to build the next-generation Sprinter van for the North American market.

Once completed, Mercedes-Benz Vans said the project will help it keep pace with growth in the full-size van market here and free it from the costly and complex knockdown and reassembly process currently used to get Sprinters made in Europe into the U.S. for sale to save on the punitive “chicken tax” U.S. import duties placed on trucks built in the European Union.

The MasterSolutions vocational upfit program offers shelves, racks, cab chassis bodies or refrigeration units for Sprinter and Metris vans supplied by either Knapheide or Auto Truck Group. Mercedes-Benz said the offerings will be “competitively priced” and ordered “seamlessly” from Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner dealers.

"These pre-configured MasterSolutions from industry leading manufacturers are customized to fit your Sprinter or Metris van," said Bernie Glaser, Head of the Mercedes-Benz USA Vans Division. "The ordering process is streamlined and installation is also simple-- all MasterSolutions are fitted directly as ship-thru, thus ensuring seamless integration, delivery time and consistent quality."

Once a buyer selects a Sprinter or Metris, a selection of MasterSolution upfits are presented “à la carte-- the same way optional equipment is presented during the passenger car buying process,” the company noted. The customer then gets an “out the door” estimate for their entire van, including all upfits selected. Once ordered, vans are shipped from the Ladson plant through the upfitter for installation before delivery to the dealer or fleet.

Once the van is ordered, it is shipped from the Mercedes-Benz Vans plant in Ladson, S.C. through one of the MasterSolutions upfitters, where the upfit is installed prior to delivery to a dealership or fleet location.

The company noted that both Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and Daimler Truck Financial offer finance packages that include MasterSolutions pre-configured upfits.

In addition, the OEM has expanded its existing MasterUpfitter program, which grants highly qualified upfitters access to 3D engineering data, technical updates and detailed technical seminars. MasterUpfitters also gain access to VIP technical support from Daimler personnel and access to a dedicated database. What's new is that the most common upfit configurations will be orderable directly from dealers and installed by the upfitters, including Knapheide and Auto Truck Group.

Beginning late this year, the Sprinter Worker lineup will include additional chassis, engine and body configurations aimed at the needs of such van operators as contractors and cargo haulers.

“The response since we introduced the Sprinter Worker earlier this year at the Chicago Auto Show has exceeded our expectations,” said Glaser. “We received such terrific feedback from our dealers and customers that we have added several optional features. We remain committed to providing an affordable and approachable van, starting at just $32,495.”

Sprinter Worker models will now include the popular 170” wheelbase and a high-roof Cargo Van model, offering up to 486.5 cubic feet of cargo space and an interior standing height of nearly 6.5-feet. In addition, a 3.0-liter V6 BlueTEC turbo diesel engine will be available.

The Metris lineup is now also getting the Worker treatment. "Based on the excellent demand for our Sprinter Worker model, we are excited to announce the expansion of our lineup to include the Metris WORKER Cargo and Passenger Vans,” said Glaser. “With a starting price of $25,995, the Metris WORKER Cargo offers tremendous value for small businesses and fleets alike in addition to providing superior cargo volume, payload capacities and high levels of safety.”

The Metris Worker has the same engine, transmission and capacities as the original model. The Metris Cargo Van is offered only in white and has steel wheels as well as 1880-degree rear doors. It comes with a metal cargo floor that can be left unfinished or be customized with an optional factory wood floor or other floor offering from Mercedes-Benz' group of MasterUpfitters.

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Getting to know Ford’s new Super Duty

The industrial skyline of Denver, CO, served as a backdrop to Ford's All-New 2017 Super Duty event here this week. Ford engineers and technology experts gave representatives from the media a crash course on the new truck series and its 17 class-exclusive features, including chassis and powertrain upgrades and hauling and towing capabilities.

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2017 Ford Super Duty Pickups to Use F-150 Aluminum Cabs

Like all new SuperDuty pickups, this F-450 SuperCrew has an aluminum cab, front fenders, hood and cargo bed. Photos: Tom Berg 

Ford's 2017 SuperDuty pickups and chassis-cab models will come with more engine power and torque and advanced electronic features, as previously reported, but they'll also share their aluminum cabins with the popular F-150 pickup – something not done for more than 20 years.

At a launch event in Denver on Tuesday, Ford executives said that combining the cabs yields economies of scale, because the F-150 is one of the most popular vehicles of any kind in the United States and its three cab types are produced in great volume.

The change also provides more interior room for Super Duty models, because F-150 cabs were enlarged and updated with aluminum construction several years ago. By adopting those cabs, the '17-model F-250 through 550 SuperCabs and SuperCrews will be several inches longer than now. Also like the F-150, cargo beds, front fenders and hoods will also be aluminum.

Since the mid 1990s, SuperDuty trucks have had bodies separate from the F-150, executives explained. At first SuperDuties kept the old cabs originally used in the 1970s; then about seven years later they got new, slightly larger cabs – in steel as they'd always been – and used those through the current 2016 model year.

Going to aluminum saves as much as 750 pounds for the largest F-150, but weight savings for a SuperDuty will be 350 pounds at most compared to current models, executives said. Light-weighting could've been greater, but engineers added beef to the new SuperDuty frames, which are made of mild and high-strength steel.

Among other changes, each of the heavier frames got at least three extra crossmembers, and with fully boxed main rails a SuperDuty frame is now 24 times stiffer.

The Ford event continues on Wednesday, and a more complete report on features and driving impressions will appear later on Truckinginfo.com.

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VeeBoards Corner Protectors are Stackable

VeeBoards stackable corner protectors are designed to evenly distribute the mechanical force exerted by load securement straps and other tie-downs to protect cargo.

The corner protectors also help maintain the structural integrity of stacked cargo, inhibiting payload travel and sliding due to dynamic forces acting on the load, pushing it up, down, forward, backward and side-to-side.

The stackable version allows the strap guide channels on each corner protector to nest securely on top of the next one to allow users to store the devices in a low-profile unit when not in use. The stacks take up less space and are easier to secure and store than freestanding corner protectors.

The stackable design is now standard on all VeeBoards, VeeBoards2GO and BrickGuards Brand corner protectors.

VeeBoards corner protectors are made of a high-density, virgin polyethylene blend to help make the products lightweight and more flexible. They are also able to resist the effects of heat, cold, road chemicals, UV rays and mechanical fatigue, according to the company.

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