Waiting game underway in axle weight protest

FMCSA Final Rule Allows Windshield Mounted Technology

Photo: Lytx

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a final rule amending the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to allow the voluntary mounting of certain devices on the interior of the windshields of commercial motor vehicles.

The rule includes technology placed within the area that is swept by the windshield wipers. Section 5301 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation or FAST Act directs the FMCSA to amend the FMCSRs to allow devices to be mounted on the windshield that make use of “vehicle safety technology.”

Section 5301 also states that all windshield-mounted devices and technologies that were already given an exemption will already meet or exceed the safety standard required for the initial exemption.

The final rule is a nondiscretionary, ministerial action that does not require prior public notice and public comment under the Administrative Procedure Act.

To read the complete Federal Register notice, click here.

Related: Cameras in the Cab

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Vipar Heavy Duty Names New Controller

Beth San Filippo Photo: Vipar Heavy Duty

Vipar Heavy Duty has named Beth San Filippo as its new controller. San Filippo joined Vipar Heavy Duty and its family of companies in November 2011 and most recently was accounting manager.

Before joining Vipar Heavy Duty, San Filippo was a senior tax accountant for Ameritech Credit Corporation and a senior staff accountant for Kessler Orlean Silver & Co. She is a certified public accountant and is a graduate of Southern Illinois University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

“Beth has played a significant role in our day-to-day financial operations and has been an integral part of our accounting team,” said Steve Crowley, president and CEO, Vipar Heavy Duty. “As she moves into this expanded role, we are confident that she will continue to provide an outstanding level of service to both our internal and external stakeholders.”

Vipar Heavy Duty is a network of independent aftermarket truck parts distributors with more than 630 locations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Related: New Initiatives to Improve Parts and Service Offerings

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Keep hydraulic oil clean! Or Jim Alexander will find you

NAFTA truck sales still falling, but Europe going strong

HANNOVER. GERMANY. With North American Class 6-8 truck sales already off 10% compared to 2015, they could fall by as much as 15% for the entire year, according to Wolfgang Bernhard, head of Daimler Trucks. “We see a real slowdown for the end of the year in the U.S.,” he said at a press conference during the IAA 2016 commercial vehicle show.

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Jacobs Debuts High Power Density Engine Brake for Europe

Image via Jacobs Vehicle Systems

Heavy-duty vehicle component manufacturer Jacobs Vehicle Systems has launched its new High Power Density Engine Brake for vehicle and engine manufacturers, announcing the technology at the IAA Commercial Vehicle show in Hannover, Germany.

Jacobs' HPD Engine Brake increases the performance of traditional compression release braking over the engine's entire operating range and can double braking performance at lower rpm. The technology can provide large engine displacement braking power in small and medium displacement diesel and natural gas engines.

The system is designed to be quiet in operation and is fully integrated into the engine's overhead design. It can assist with exhaust aftertreatment thermal management by preventing the catalyst from cooling during descents.

By increasing engine braking performance at lower engine speeds the HPD Engine Brake can improve thermal management and match industry trends toward downspeeding and downsizing engines, according to Jacobs.

Engine braking performance is becoming increasingly important because key strategies for improving fuel efficiency include reducing the natural slowing of the vehicle caused by wind resistance, engine, drivetrain, and rolling resistance from the tires, says Jacobs.

Jacobs' HPD Engine Brake transforms the four-stroke engine into a two-stroke compression device by deactivating the main intake and exhaust valve events and supplementing with two-stroke valve events. Whereas a conventional engine brake has one compression release and one brake gas recirculation event per cam rotation, this innovative and patented two-stroke technology achieves two braking events per cam rotation. It is fully variable with controlled boost modulation, which allows the driver to achieve the right balance between retardation, speed and efficiency.

“The majority of European trucks still use hydraulic driveline retarders, which are dependent on vehicle speed for effectiveness, and are typically 175 kg heavier, with a corresponding penalty for the vehicle's payload capacity,” said Sergio Sgarbi, Jacobs Vehicle Systems president. “The Jacobs HPD Engine ...Read the rest of this story

Peterbilt Expands Sleeper Heater Availability

Peterbilt has announced that its no-idle fuel-fired heater is now available for Model 579s and 567s equipped with 44-inch sleepers.

With these latest additions, the system can be spec'd with the full range of Peterbilt sleepers including the 44-, 58-, 72- and 80-inch versions.

The self-contained system requires no plug-in energy sources and is complemented by a Low Voltage Disconnect that preserves battery life to maintain enough starting power. The LVD automatically disconnects non-vital battery loads and will automatically reconnect loads when batteries reach sufficient charge.

The fuel-fired sleeper heater system includes an under-bunk heater, fan-powered circulation and a digital control panel that is mounted in the sleeper.

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