The construction market remains volatile, notes Ralph LoPriore, director of fleet assets and processes for Stoneway Concrete and its parent company, Gary Merlino Construction. “Wages are stagnant, and the cost of living is up,” he says. “Also, there isn't a large backlog of jobs, and some projects are delayed waiting for permits and environmental concerns to be addressed.”
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...Read the rest of this storyGovernor Cuomo announced a transformational plan to reimagine New York City-area crossings for the 21st century. Photo via office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo
">Governor Cuomo announced a transformational plan to reimagine New York City-area crossings for the 21st century. Photo via office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo
">New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) has unveiled a plan to reduce traffic congestion by automating tolling of all bridges and tunnels operated by the state's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is repsonsible for unified mass transportation in the New YorK City metro area,
The New York Crossings Project will encompass all seven bridges and the two tunnels operated by MTA: Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, Queens-Midtown Tunnel, Henry Hudson Bridge, Whitestone Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, RFK Triborough Bridge, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge. The coordinated tolling plan will also take in the George Washington Bridge, which is operated separatley by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The State of New York said it will implement automatic tolling to improve the flow of traffic by using sensors and cameras to automate the tolling process and thereby not require vehicles to come to a stop to pay. The sensors and cameras will be suspended overhead on structures known as gantries.
“This transformational project will revolutionize transportation in New York and ensure that our state is built to lead for generations to come,” said Cuomo. “By investing in New York's transportation network today and equipping it to meet the challenges of tomorrow, we are cementing our state's position as a national leader in 21st century infrastructure and cutting-edge innovation."
A vehicle with an electronic E-ZPass will be charged immediately while a non E-ZPass vehicle will have its license plate recorded and a toll bill will be mailed to the registered owner.
New York drivers currently spend more than 6,400 hours per day waiting to pay tolls and the state estimates that automatic tolling will save commuters up to ...Read the rest of this story
Doonan Specialized Trailer recently installed a Maxon Railift RC-2B series liftgate on a Chaparral II flatbed trailer creating a flatbed liftgate trailer.
The Doonan Chaparral II model trailer, combined with the efficiency of the Maxon liftgate, provides better capacity and durability for demanding applications. The self-contained liftgate provides ease of loading and unloading from the rear of the trailer and ensures a level ride throughout the lift for maximum load stability.
The 28' x 102 aluminum, two-axle, 22.5 tires, Chaparral II was determined to be an ideal design for the size and medium-duty load requirements required, according to Doonan.
Key Maxon Railift Liftgate features include:
Fully automatic operation—no manual folding or unfolding.Large platform can handle palletized or cart loads.Level ride platform.Lifting capacity of up to 2,000 pounds.High performing medium-duty Railift combined with low maintenance needs
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Kenworth will add the Bendix Wingman Advanced collision mitigation system as an option on its medium-duty Kenworth T270 and T370 trucks.
Wingman Advanced is a radar-based system that delivers adaptive cruise control with braking, along with autonomous emergency braking technology to help drivers avoid rear-end collisions.
Using a radar sensor mounted to the front of the vehicle, Bendix Wingman Advanced delivers warning alerts to drivers and active interventions. The system provides following distance, impact and stationary object alerts, which are always available – whether or not cruise control is engaged.
When drivers engage cruise control and set speed, the system will actively intervene to help them maintain a safe following distance behind a forward vehicle by reducing throttle; engaging the engine retarder; or, if necessary, applying the foundation brakes.
“Bendix Wingman Advanced is a proven system that can deliver performance on the road, data for improved fleet management and a quick return on investment for the fleet,” said Jason Skoog, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The system can help avoid collisions not only on the freeway but also in urban driving conditions experienced by medium duty truck operators.”
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Whew! That's the first word that pops into my head as I begin to rattle off words on my keyboard.
Have you ever been so crazy busy that by the time you finish one project and roll into another, the one word that comes to mind is whew, almost as if that is the universal language for taking a breath. If you can relate, then you know that we have been moving at such a frenetic pace with rulemakings and requests for comments that we may need a speed limiter on regulations just to catch up (insert bad joke line right here).
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