The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) posted two new truck parking studies on its website.
The lack of available truck parking continues to be a hot research topic for ATRI and these latest studies, completed for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, examine new approaches for identifying available truck parking capacity.
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...Read the rest of this storyNavistar's new A26 diesel engine, unveiled at TMC in Nashville, is the product of a radically new approach to engine design by the company.
">Navistar's new A26 diesel engine, unveiled at TMC in Nashville, is the product of a radically new approach to engine design by the company.
">NASHVILLE -- When International President Bill Kozek came from Paccar in 2014 to right the ship at Navistar, he knew the situation was critical. And he knew the task before him was immense. In fact, many industry experts were ready to write off the engine manufacturer. But he expressed confidence that the talent, the determination and the sheer stubbornness of Navistar's employees would eventually win out.
At the Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting Monday night, the company announced a completely new and thoroughly modern family of diesel engines that, in Kozek's words, will allow Navistar to not only regain the ground it lost during the divisive EGR-SCR wars of the early 2000s, but to also stake a claim as a diesel engine technology leader at a time of tremendous change in the North American trucking industry.
Leading International's charge into the new, technological future is the A26 diesel engine – a wholly new powerplant, developed using the company's also-new Project Alpha engine design program, a radically new diesel engine design philosophy.
Project Alpha was initiated as a way to cast off old, stratified engine design thinking, and approach the concept of a modern, fuel-efficient diesel from a totally new perspective. Navistar's new A26, 12.4-liter diesel engine is the first product of that program.
"Project Alpha has fundamentally changed how we design diesel engines," Kozek said. "The International A26 has been designed to address the rigorous demands of Class 8 truck customers. It's been tested to extremes and meets a demanding B10 design life standard for an unprecedented 1.2 million miles."
The new A26 is also a first glance at a new, but quickly growing collaboration between International and Volkswagen, which acquired ...Read the rest of this story
NASHVILLE -- Michelin Americas Truck Tires is now embedding radio frequency identification (RFID) chips inside commercial truck tires and retreads, enabling fleets to better manage their tire assets throughout the full life cycle. Michelin made the announcement here at the ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council's Annual General Meeting.
"Michelin is the first manufacturer to integrate RFID into its full commercial truck tire portfolio," said Ralph Dimenna, chief operating officer of Michelin Americas Truck Tires division.
Installation of the RFID chips began last July, and currently, about 98% of the commercial truck tires produced globally are manufactured the embedded chips, Dimenna told HDT.
"The chips can give us a very accurate picture of all the work that tire has seen," says Dimenna. "And they are a real asset to fleets as they can help track tire life and service required of the life of the tire and even into the retreading process."
The chip is built right into the tire in a well-protected area during the manufacturing process. It's not added after the tire is built or stuck on under a patch after the tire goes into service. Dimenna says the chips will last beyond the life expectancy of most commercial truck tires.
Tire Care 2.0Michelin also announced an upgrade to its comprehensive tire care service first rolled out in 2015. Michelin Tire Care has been helping fleets identify and address tire issues that lead to downtime, low mileage, high fuel costs and safety risks. In the past year, Michelin says 20% of vehicles inspected in the Michelin Tire Care program comprised a Red Tag event, or critical issues that require immediate attention to avoid an emergency road call or CSA violation. Meanwhile, 63% of vehicles inspected reported a Yellow Tag event, which is an issue resulting in additional long term costs.
“Since implementing Michelin Tire Care, ...Read the rest of this story
NASHVILLE – Cummins says X15 Efficiency Series and X15 Performance Series engine owners can extend their oil drain intervals up to 80,000 miles using the free Cummins OilGuard program, which uses engine performance data and oil analysis to safely optimize oil drain intervals.
For years, recommended oil drain intervals have been based on a set distance and/or time period. The Cummins OilGuard program allows participating truck owners to safely extend oil change intervals while keeping full warranty coverage for their Cummins engine.
"With oil changes routinely costing $350 or more for the oil, oil filter, labor and disposal costs – and a typical over-the-road trucker performing two to three oil changes per year – we see the potential to significantly reduce costs and downtime, with some customers needing an oil change only once a year," said Mark Ulrich, director of customer support, "Most importantly, you get an optimized oil change interval while preserving your warranty coverage, and at no risk to engine component durability or resale value."
It starts with a selection of test vehicles and a monitoring program with regular submission of engine data and oil samples for analysis, covering a minimum of two oil change intervals. For example, fleets desiring an 80,000-mile oil change interval will be required to submit samples every 10,000 miles.
Full warranty coverage will continue throughout the testing/analysis period. Once the results are received, Cummins will present the findings, identifying the vehicles and duty cycles eligible for a longer oil-drain interval. The optimized drain interval will then become the required maintenance for warranty coverage. Periodic follow-up testing may be requested by Cummins for verification that no changes in operation or maintenance practices have taken place that might impact the approved oil drain interval.
Use of a Cummins-approved CK-4 or FA-4 engine oil is required in order to qualify. Cummins ...Read the rest of this story
