J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Opens New Enterprise Sales Branch Offices in San Antonio, Texas, and Portland, Maine

TruckSmart App Allows for Parking Space Reservations

TravelCenters of America has updated its TruckSmart Mobile App, allowing drivers to reserve and pay for an available parking space at any TA or Petro location up to 30 days in advance.

The feature is the mobile version of TA's Reserve-It! Parking program, designed to help truckers guarantee a spot to park at the end of a workday. Truckers can reserve a spot from within the app and make payment for it using a credit card.

“Reserve-It! was created by TravelCenters to help professional drivers increase their efficiency and productivity, and to help them ensure they can find truckstop parking at the end of their workday,” said Tom O'Brien, president and CEO of TravelCenters. “Adding functions to our TruckSmart app makes Reserve-It! more convenient than ever before.”

TruckSmart also includes access to UltraOne account balances and recent transactions, fuel prices, show and parking availability, maintenance services schedule queuing, store specials and RoadSquad emergency roadside service.

TruckSmart is available for Android and iOS smartphones through the Google Play and Apple App Store.

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Hino Trucks Produces 50,000th Vehicle

A 2017 model-year Hino Model 268A was the 50,000th truck produced by Hino Trucks. (PHOTO: HINO)

Hino Trucks has produced its 50,000^th Hino truck. A ceremony to celebrate the milestone took place at Hino's plant in Williamstown, W.V., in front of it local and state officials, assembly team members, and Hino executive management.

The 50,000^th truck is a 2017 Model 268A, which is part of Hino's lineup of conventional trucks. The milestone caps a record growth period for Hino in which the company has seen a 30% increase in two years. The growth in sales can be attributed to a combination of improved vehicle offerings including a fully connected vehicle platform that is standard across all Hino models, according to the truckmaker.

The Model 268A features a 25,950-pound GVW, achieves 230 hp 520 lb-.ft. of torque and is powered by a turbocharged, intercooled Hino J08E-WU engine (with an optional Hino J08E-VB that can achieve up to 660 lb-ft. of torque) with air brakes.

"It's gratifying for our sales team, our manufacturing team, and our production team to have reached this significant milestone in our company's history. This production level is testament to our trucks longevity and to the commitment of our customers to support a quality product," said Yoshinori Noguchi, chairman of Hino Trucks. "The Hino brand has risen from humble beginnings in the U.S. to become the premier leader in the medium-duty truck market. We have built a solid foundation on which we plan to build consistently and substantially with the help of an ever expanding portfolio of standard features."

Assembled in Williamstown and driven nationwide in a host of applications, the 268A is part of Hino's Class 6-7 conventional truck lineup. Current vocational markets that utilize the 268A include food and beverage, delivery, construction, towing, waste, sanitation, refined fuels, utility, and aerial.

Related: 10,000th Hino Truck Delivered to Penske Truck Leasing

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Caterpillar class action leads to $60M settlement fund

Freightliner Hardest Working Cities video

See the full story here.

ATA survey finds $9.5B spent annually on trucking safety

U.S. Xpress specs Bendix air disc brakes on tractor steer axles

U.S. Xpress is spec'ing Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes on the steer axles of more than 2,800 tractors, including vehicles manufactured by Freightliner, International, Kenworth and Peterbilt. Delivery began last year and continues in 2016, according to the company.

read more