Disco dancing at the construction site

Artist Benedetto Bufalino has a penchant for turning the mundane into works of art. He has converted an old phone booth (who remembers those?) into a fish tank, a small car into a hot tub; and a skateboard into a magic carpet.

But it's probably safe to say that one of the French artist's latest creations might be the most productive. Bufalino converted a cement mixer into a large disco ball. A working cement mixer at that.

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Schneider Files Paperwork Preparing to Go Public

Schneider National Inc. has filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission in preparation for going public with an initial public stock offering of up to $100 million.

The Wisconsin-based fleet, one of the largest carriers in the U.S. with some 11,000 trucks, intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including paying off debt, capital expenditures and potential acquisitions.

The number of shares to be offered and the price range have not yet been determined. Schneider said it intends to apply to list its class B common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SNDR.

Founded in 1935, the family-owned company posted revenues of $3.96 billion in 2015 and generated net profits of $140.9 million, according to the Financial Times. The SEC filing indicates that Schneider generated $109.1 million in profits during the first nine months of 2016, up 17% from the same period a year earlier. Revenue during the same period was $2.98 billion, up 1.5% from a year earlier.

Schneider announced in October that it was planning to pursue an IPO in 2017, subject to satisfactory market conditions.

According to a company statement at that time, “the objectives of the planned transaction are to facilitate continuity of controlling ownership of Schneider by the future generations of the Schneider family, while continuing forward with its long-standing, independent, and professional, corporate governance structure.”

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Trailers the European Way

High-cube Kögel Mega van has the usual rear doors plus curtain sides and a liftable roof tarp, allowing loading and unloading from docks and over its sides and top. Photo: Kögel 

European designs are often more elegant (or complex, depending on how you look at it), but these features add functionality to products. That was evident in trailers announced and displayed at the recent IAA commercial vehicles show in Hannover, Germany.

In conjunction with this month's feature on global influences on trucks, here we offer highlights of trailers shown at IAA. They include a high-cube van with load-enhancing equipment, a “safety” tanker, a hydraulic-motor axle, systems for “kinetic energy recovery” and electric power generation, and an integrated combination vehicle.

Krone, a major trailer builder in Germany, teamed up with Daimler's Mercedes-Benz Trucks to produce a combination vehicle that they claim saves up to 20% in fuel compared to standard tractor-trailers now used on the Continent. The integrated approach, like the government-sponsored SuperTruck programs in the U.S., proved worthwhile for fuel efficiency and practical cargo transportation.

The tractor is an aero-style Mercedes Actros cabover with a high-efficiency powertrain, “anticipatory” cruise control and low-rolling-resistance tires. The tractor is responsible for three-quarters of the fuel savings. The Krone van trailer, called Profi Liner Efficiency, has full-length skirts made of impact-resistant plastic, and a four-part folding “rear wing,” also made of robust plastic.

For-hire fleets tested five of the advanced combination vehicles last year and found that they were practical in everyday service, said executives of both companies at an IAA press briefing. Drivers reported that the side skirts were not damaged and did not interfere with forklift loading over the trailer's edges, and that the rear wing panels were easily folded back with the doors.

The manufacturers also said the structural system for the side panels ...Read the rest of this story

21st Century Truck Wheels

With strict emissions and fuel-economy requirements of new GHG Phase 2 regulations just around the corner, look to aluminum and lightweight steel wheels to contribute to overall equipment compliance. Photo: Accuride

The wheel is such a long-standing, fixed presence in our lives, that we rarely think about them. Until one fails, of course. In practice, wheels function quite well with only limited attention and maintenance. But that's no excuse not to pay attention to them at regular intervals.

For many fleets, the entire thinking process behind truck wheels is to simply bolt them on and then never think about them again until the next tire change takes place, says Rafael Gonzalez, Accuride's director of product management, wheels. ”That's a concern for our industry, because, unfortunately, that's a very common practice today. But the good news is that although wheels don't require much maintenance, a little maintenance can make them last a very long time.”

Fleets today have a choice between steel and aluminum wheels. Each has distinct advantages that can help fleets achieve their goals.

Steel wheels are less expensive to purchase, but require more maintenance and are generally heavier than aluminum wheels — although Craig Kessler, vice president of engineering, wheels, at Accuride, says ongoing research and development have cut the weight of both substantially.

“We're down to 45 pounds per aluminum wheel today, and we used to be over 60 pounds,” Kessler says, with the help of new additives and changes to the base alloy. “We've taken out 15 pounds in unit weight for our steel wheels over a two-year period thanks to better machining methods and better manufacturing processes that give us more control over variables when forging and heat-treating the wheels.”

Merrick Murphy, president, Arconic Wheel and Transportation Products (formerly known as Alcoa), says wheel selection can lead to ...Read the rest of this story

Modagrafics partners with Blackberry for Radar IoT Asset Tracking System

Fleet services graphics provider Modagrafics announced a sales agent agreement with Blackberry. As part of this agreement, Modagrafics will leverage the Blackberry Radar IoT Asset Tracking System and offer new value-added marketing services to fleet owners.

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