Hankook Shows New Fuel-Efficient e-Cube Blue Tire Line

Photo: Hankook

Hankook has expanded its e-cube Blue trailer tire line with special steering and drive-axle threads designed for efficiency and fuel savings, the company announced at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany.

The tire line is being released in Europe but the company has plans to bring it to the U.S. market in the future.

The new tire product line is a long-haul system solution and with the new steering and drive axle versions, Hankook is presenting a complete lineup of low-rolling resistance tires. The e-cube Blue line enables fleets to gain and additional 8% of tire-related fuel efficiency and up to 55% more durability, according to Hankook.

The tread design, which is tailored for each particular axle position, also helps to further reduce fuel consumption and increase mileage without affecting dynamic characteristics such as braking and traction performance.

Both central rib tread blocks of the e-cube Blue AL20 steering axle tires support each other through their interlocking design, which increases tread block rigidity and helps to reduce rolling resistance. The stepped main tread groove design gives extra support for each tread block side. Moreover, they provide straight stability and improved steering response. The largely closed tread design in the shoulder rib area ensures particularly uniform tire wear.

The tread appearance of the e-cube Blue DL20 steering axle tires is characterized by a central 4-block design of the massive central rib. The offset arrangement of the individual tread blocks guarantees interlocking action on both sides and results in mutual support for very good traction performance while reducing rolling resistance at the same time. In addition, the horizontally arranged semi-deep extra sipes in combination with tie bars in the open shoulder block area further promote traction.

The extra-wide contour of the e-cube Blue TL20 trailer tires supports a very high driving stability and optimizes wear ...Read the rest of this story

Trailers an Important Part of 2016 SuperTech

Check the lights? Sure. The electrical system was among 12 items tested in the Trailer Track competition at TMC's SuperTech event in Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 18-21. Photos: Marsh Galloway

TMC's SuperTech competition concluded Wednesday (September 21) with a special luncheon and reading of names of the numerous winners who trouped up one by one to get their awards.

It went on for more than two and a half hours, yet almost everyone in the audience, contestants and non-contestants alike, stayed ‘til the bitter end. Of course, they wanted to see who won. And they know that these young technicians are an important part of trucking's future. (Do a subject search on the technician shortage on this website and you'll find many columns and stories about how it's only going to get worse.)

Because I write this weekly blog about trailers, I was pleased that the folks who run the Technology & Maintenance Council's SuperTech program saw fit to inaugurate a Trailer Track for competitors. Trailers get little enough attention in the real world, and this new focus gives them the respect they deserve.

Trailers (and truck bodies) are where the payloads go, after all. Besides, they're getting more complex, and mechanics need to know what makes them tick – or hum, preferably.

Anyway, among the winners announced were those in the Trailer Track. Its overall winners were 1, Scott Davidson, TravelCenters of America; 2, Robert Anderson, TravelCenters of America; and 3, Michael Kerfoot, TravelCenters of America. That's right, techs from TA swept the top three places in the trailers competition.

There were 12 stations testing the techs' skills on individual trailer systems, and TMC reported that the winners at each were:

T1. Brakes: ...Read the rest of this story

Freight volumes may be more normal than thought

Current freight volume levels may be more “normalized” than many in the trucking industry might suspect, according to data tracking by load matching service Truckstop.com.

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Gates Expands Heavy-Duty Belt Line

Gates has added 15 FleetRunner Micro-V Belts to its line of heavy-duty belts, the company announced.

The belts feature advanced compounds and specially formulated adhesion gum layers that allow them to withstand high-heat conditions in modern diesel engines.

The belts are designed to last 34% longer than comparable original equipment belts and four times longer than other aftermarket belts, according to Gates.

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Lightning Hybrids CEO responds to hybrid drive technology article

Editor's note: The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Tim Reeser, CEO of Lightning Hybrids, in response to a recent powertrain column on hybrid drive technology.

In a recent column, Jack Roberts posed the question to Fleet Owner readers “Will your next powertrain feature hybrid drive technology?”

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Mack Offers Light-Weight Solution for Concrete Mixer Applications

Photo: Mack Trucks

Mack Trucks is offering a lightweight version of the Mack Granite model, equipped with the 2017 MP 7 11-liter engine and mDrive HD 14-speed automated manual transmission aimed at concrete mixer applications.

The MP 7 11-liter engine received improvements for 2017, simplifying maintenance and improving efficiency. The MP7 is about 51 pounds lighter with up to 425 horsepower and 1,560 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine features an updated wave piston design and a common-rail fuel injection system to allow a more complete combustion of fuel, reducing emissions and improving efficiency.

Combined with a two-speed coolant pump, the new features help increase MP7 fuel efficiency by up to 2.1%, according to Mack.

“The Mack MP7 offers the power and performance to manage any task, but in a smaller displacement engine to provide weight savings,” said Tim Winkle, Mack construction product manager. “The integration with the Mack mDrive HD 14-speed allows for seamless communication among components so that the vehicle is always in the right gear without the driver having to manually shift, reducing driver fatigue and increasing safety. It also provides a deep ratio of 32:1 in the lowest creep gear to facilitate low-speed functionality such a curb pouring when needed.”

Mack Granite models for concrete mixer applications also come standard with Mack ClearTech One, a single-package Exhaust Aftertreatment System that frees up frame rail space and reduces weight by approximately 17 pounds. With Mack ClearTech One, the diesel particulate filter, selective catalytic reduction technology and diesel exhaust fluid dosing system are all combined into one unit. With the rail space gained, customers have more space to add water tanks and chutes with more wheelbase flexibility than before.

Mack Granite mixers come ready for upfit right from the factory with a rear-engine PTO, a special mixer cross member designed for mounting of the mixer ...Read the rest of this story

Goodyear Seeks Nominations for Highway Hero Award

Photo: Goodyear

Goodyear is still looking for candidates for its annual Highway Hero Award, honoring professional truck drivers who put themselves in harm's way to help others.

Nominations for the 34th Highway Hero Award are open through Nov. 29, 2016. To nominate a truck driver for the Goodyear Highway Hero Award, click here, fill out the nomination form, and press the “submit” button, which will send your nomination directly to Goodyear.

The winner will be announced next March during the 2017 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. The last winner of the award, Julian Kaczor, pulled a severely injured motorist from a flame-engulfed car.

Past winners include a driver who rescued a law-enforcement officer being strangled by a prisoner he was transporting and a driver who saved a woman from a gun-wielding attacker. The Goodyear Highway Hero award was established in 1983.

“The Goodyear Highway Hero Award honors truck drivers who put their lives at risk as they travel the roads and highways of North America,” said Gary Medalis, marketing director, Goodyear. “Over the last 30-plus years, we've heard hundreds of stories about the bravery of truck drivers. If you know of a truck driver who has performed a heroic act, please let us know.”

To be considered for the award the following criteria must be met:

A panel of trucking industry judges will select the winner from ...Read the rest of this story