Noting its total cost of ownership (TCO) benefits such as weight savings and maintenance advantages, Ridewell Suspensions has approved the Bendix ADB22X-LT air disc brake – engineered specifically for trailers – for use with its 5-in. and 5.75-in. trailer axles.
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...Read the rest of this storyThese inverters installed on the assembly line at major truck manufacturers were mounted outside and were waterproof. These were heavy and expensive too. With the advancement in technology, we were able to develop lighter, more compact and better performing inverters that can be easily installed inside the cab. Some of the newer models have GFCI on the unit so electronics can be plugged directly on it if needed.
While our newer products aren't an exact replacement, the Freedom HFS 1055 and 2055 would be suitable replacements in True Sine Wave. They would necessarily need new battery cables routed into the cab where the inverter should be mounted.
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After Tennessee truck driver Eric Ronald Scott was arrested in for two alcohol-related events, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered him to not operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.
After receiving his commercial driver's license from the state of Tennessee in late October 2016, Scott was arrested in two separate alcohol-involved events spanning a four-day period.
On Dec. 31, 2016, the Berlin, Vt., Police Department responded to a call at a local hotel parking lot when Scott was found asleep in the cab of his tractor-trailer. Following a breath test that detected the presence of alcohol, Scott was arrested for domestic assault.
He was released from police custody on Jan. 2, and the following evening the Berlin Police Department responded to a multi-vehicle crash that involved Scott in his truck. Scott was on his way out of Burlington, Vt., en route to Memphis, Tenn., when he jackknifed his tractor-trailer, striking a stop sign and causing three passenger vehicles to be forced off the road. After another alcohol breath test detected the presence of alcohol, Scott was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Scott was declared an imminent hazard to public safety. FMCSA's order stated that Scott's continued operation of a CMV in interstate commerce “… substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and/or the motoring public if not discontinued immediately.”
Civil penalties of up to $3,100 may be assessed for each violation of operating a commercial motor vehicle in violation of the order. Knowing and/or willful violation of the order may also result in criminal penalties.
Scott also may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceeding brought by FMCSA for his violation of the agency's safety regulations.
Related: Banned Driver Crashed Truck a Day After Failing Drug Test
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...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: Kenworth
">Photo: Kenworth
">Kenworth has updated its Predictive Cruise Control functionality for T680 and T880 trucks equipped with the 2017 Paccar MX-11, MX-13, and Cummins X15 engines to improve fuel economy.
The update was made with the launch of 2017 emission engines and provides up to a 1% improvement in fuel economy over the current versions with Predictive Cruise Control, according to Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief engineer.
Kenworth's Predictive Cruise Control combines GPS with cruise control to deliver the best fuel economy for the situation. The system optimizes cruising speed based on topographical GPS data inputs. As the truck encounters certain types of terrain, such as rolling hills, the system modulated cruising speed to improve performance.
If, for example, a truck ascends and crests a hill, Predictive Cruise Control will allow the vehicle speed to drop slightly below the set cruise speed. This can improve fuel economy since the truck is using momentum instead of fuel to maintain the set cruise speed.
“While the driver interface remains unchanged, drivers who have driven Kenworth trucks with Predictive Cruise Control will notice an improvement in drivability, as well as fuel economy,” said Dean. “Improved drivability and fuel economy were made possible by fine-tuning how the engine modulates speed and torque over a wide variety of actual driving conditions.”
Related: Kenworth Makes Bendix ESP Standard on T680, T880
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