The second Love's Travel Stop in the state of Maryland opened for business recently. The new location in Hagerstown, at Interstate 81 and Showalter Road (Exit 10A), adds 84 truck-parking spaces to the area.
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...Read the rest of this storyConsolidated Metco (ConMet) announced it is partnering with Protean Holdings Corp. (Protean Electric) to develop an electric in-wheel drive system to provide hybrid-electric solutions for the medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle markets.
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...Read the rest of this storyPhoto courtesy of Isuzu.
">Photo courtesy of Isuzu.
">Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. announced the B10 durability rating of its 4HK1-TC diesel engine has been increased to 375,000 miles. The company made the announcement today at the National Truck Equipment Association's 2017 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
A B10-life rating is an industry-standard gauge provided by engine makers to help consumers determine the long-term durability of an engine. The number following the “B” indicates the percentage of an engine's population that will require an overhaul before the indicated mileage.
That means that 90% of Isuzu 4HK1-TC engines are expected to last 375,000 miles before they require a major repair or rebuild.
Previously, the 4HK1-TC engine carried an already-robust B10 durability rating of 310,000 miles.
“We are proud to say that Isuzu diesel engines are already known worldwide for their long-term dependability,” said Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. “Our new B-10 rating is strong evidence that our engines are even more durable than ever.”
The turbocharged, intercooled 4HK1-TC four-cylinder diesel engine displaces 5.2 liters and generates 215 horsepower. Torque ratings vary depending on model.
The engine is fitted to Isuzu NPR-HD, NPR-XD, NQR, and NRR models, as well as the all-new 2018 Isuzu FTR Class 6 truck. Each of these models is backed by a three-year/unlimited mileage powertrain limited warranty.
Related: Tips for Spec'ing Engines and Transmissions
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...Read the rest of this storySource: EIA
" >Source: EIA
" width="250" height="341">The price of diesel fuel in the U.S. fell last week, breaking a month-long string of increases, according to the latest numbers from the Energy Department.
The average price of on-highway diesel fuel dropped 1.5 cents, settling to $2.564 per gallon at the pump. The price is still 46.5 cents more expensive than it was in the same week of 2016.
Prices were down in all major regions of the U.S. with the largest drop coming to the West Coast at 3.1 cents. The smallest change occurred in the Rocky Mountain region with a 0.8-cent drop.
Gasoline prices were also down last week, falling 1.8 cents to $2.323 per gallon at the pump. The price of gasoline is 36.2 cents more expensive than it was in the same week a year ago.
Prices varied by region with the largest decrease in prices hitting the Midwest at 5 cents per gallon. The area with the largest increase was the West Coast where prices jumped 1.9 cents for the week.
Crude oil prices for the past week have been down as increases in U.S. oil production are offsetting any production decreases agreed to by OPEC, according to a MarketWatch report. Prices fell to their lowest point of the year so far, as a global supply glut continues to hold down the oil market.
Related: Prepare Your Fleet Now for Higher Fuel Prices Later
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Truck-Lite announced an exclusive partnership with nanotechnology company NanoMech Industries to produce a line of corrosion- and oxidation-resistant products.
Through the long-term partnership with NanoMech, Truck-Lite will offer a new Nano line of products designed to provide resistance to electrical malfunction, corrosion and oxidation for the medium- and heavy-duty trucking industries.
“Truck-Lite understands that the desire of the fleet is to find products that can last the life of the vehicle, and Truck-Lite's new Nano product family moves us a giant step closer to achieving that goal,” said Brad Van Riper, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Truck-Lite.
The basis for this technology is NanoMech's nGlide platform of nano-engineered formulations that resist corrosion, provide barriers to moisture, and offer dielectric protection, water washout resistance, and friction reduction.
“Nanoengineered materials provide unique material behavior, clinging to even the smoothest surfaces with a long-lasting electrical protective coating at the nanoscale,” said Ajay P. Malshe, NanoMech founder and CTO. “No other product can protect electrical interfaces to the nano-level like this technology; it stands up to the most extreme and harshest operating conditions and is perfect for the widest range of electric connections and interfaces, including LED lighting, batteries, harnesses, and many more.”
Related: Truck-Lite's RoadReady Trailer Telematics System [Video]
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...Read the rest of this storyThis graph shows the comparative performance of the Transportation Services Index (blue) and Gross Domestic Product (orange) over each quarter in the last three years.
">This graph shows the comparative performance of the Transportation Services Index (blue) and Gross Domestic Product (orange) over each quarter in the last three years.
">Every once in a while, there are largely overlooked nuggets of information buried in the numbers about the economy and trucking that could be the most telling sign of where conditions are headed. Some of those recent nuggets make it almost impossible not to reasonably hope this year will be a good one.
U.S. for-hire freight movements – including trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight – were up during the fourth quarter of 2016 by 2.9% from the third quarter. It's a perfect example of how the health of trucking is tied to the overall economy.
This increase in for-hire shipments took place as growth in the gross domestic product – the widest measure of economic activity – slowed to an annual rate of 1.9% in the fourth quarter, down from 3.5% in the third quarter, in the first of three estimates released in late January.
The fourth quarter slowdown in GDP growth was preceded by a third-quarter dip in for-hire freight movement of 1.1%. And the rapid GDP growth in the third quarter was preceded by a strong increase in freight movements in the second quarter of 2.5%.
In other words, when for-hire freight movements are good in any given quarter, like they were in the final quarter of 2016, it helps set the stage for improvements in the GDP for the following quarter, in this case, the first quarter of 2017.
When you consider the fourth-quarter increase in for-hire freight movements was the largest gain since the final quarter of 2011, that's reason for optimism for first-quarter GDP numbers.
Going the other way, however, GDP doesn't always tell the whole story when it comes to trucking. Take imports. ...Read the rest of this story
