Eaton Launches Its Next-generation Vorad
Eaton's next-generation Vorad safety system offers customizable options, a new radar unit that's easier to install, a new driver interface unit, and the ability to extract and transfer data in real time.
The new Vorad VS-400 will allow customers to purchase any one or all of the numerous safety-related Vorad offerings. These offerings include a collision warning system with forward-looking radar, Blindspotter side sensor and SmartCruise adaptive cruise control.
The extraction and real-time wireless transfer of data (such as following distance) is now available through a subscription to the safety package of Eaton's Fleet Resource Manager, powered by @Road, a web-based mobile resource management tool for the trucking industry.
The new 77-GHz radar comes fully integrated with a collision warning system and adaptive cruise control. The new radar is 70 percent lighter and 60 percent smaller than the existing EVT-300 radar. It also replaces both the EVT-300 radar and CPU and reduces the number of wires from 18 to four for easier installation.
The new driver interface unit is intuitive and user-friendly. It features visual and audio alerts; configurable left/right speaker capability; and is user programmable with the capability to accept driver identification and up to four personal identification numbers (PIN). It will also support current lane departure warning systems and other technologies that follow defined protocol structure.
The new Vorad in-vehicle device, which provides the foundation for accessing safety-related data, is fully compatible with all major cell and satellite network providers.
The system is available on a limited quantity basis beginning next month with full production availability in June.
Yokohama Debuts New Commercial Truck Tire
Looking to protect the environment by producing truck tires that will last longer and be more fuel-efficient, Yokohama Tire has launched the 703ZL tire. The 703ZL is part of Yokohama's Z.environment line, which uses high technology to make tires that cause less of an environmental impact.
"The Z.environment tire line incorporates optimum tread designs, compounds and casing design to create a tire that has longer first tread life, longer casing life and low rolling resistance," says John Cooney, Yokohama's director of commercial sales. "These features result in reduced material consumption, reduced pollution and contribute to the health of our environment."
According to Cooney, the new, ultra-long mileage 703ZL tire features the deepest tread in the industry – a full inch – with the lowest rolling resistance in its category. It also has more rubber on the outside rib, translating to more road miles.
Other features include an optimum rubber compound for higher mileage and improved cut- and chipping-resistance; a funnel-shaped groove wall that is wider at the top for enhanced traction, yet narrows at the bottom to prevent stones and other road debris from traveling to the bottom; and a new base compound that significantly reduces tire heat buildup and improves tread wear.
Cummins Now Offers Uptime Guarantee
Cummins Heavy-Duty ISX and ISM on-highway truck engines for 2007 will be covered by the company's Uptime Guarantee.
For 2007, the Uptime Guarantee includes both the engine and the aftertreatment system. Under the guarantee, if a customer's ISX or ISM engine or aftertreatment system fails and can't be repaired within a 24-hour period, Cummins will not only pay for the repairs, but also provide up to three days of reimbursement for a rental vehicle, so that customers can deliver their loads.
Cummins originally introduced the Uptime Guarantee in 2002 with the launch of its cooled-EGR engines as a measure of confidence in the engines' reliability. Cummins cooled-EGR subsystem is the foundation for its 2007 emissions solution.
The Uptime Guarantee applies to all EPA-certified 2007 Cummins ISX and ISM engines through Dec. 31, 2007, with coverage good through the end of this year, and is available at all Cummins distributors and qualified dealers.
PeopleNet Enhances Vehicle Management
PeopleNet has announced two major enhancements to its vehicle management system called PerformX. Fault codes – the first enhancement – will enable PerformX to alert fleet maintenance managers of vehicle malfunctions and future maintenance issues wirelessly and in real time.
The second – OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics) – will extend PerformX capabilities to light trucks, vans and automobiles.
PerformX is the vehicle monitoring module of PeopleNet's g3 solution, which connects the onboard computer to the vehicle's engine. PeopleNet is now adding remote fault code monitoring to PerformX capabilities. This will allow PerformX to notify management of urgent vehicle distress signals at virtually the same time they are indicated to the driver by instruments on the vehicle's dash.
Management will be able to make critical decisions, which could include how to respond to a roadside breakdown. Immediate knowledge of significant vehicle problems can also prevent future, potential breakdown situations.
Fault codes can be set to "deferred" for batch downloading or they can be set to "real-time" for immediate notification. All data can be viewed via the PeopleNet Fleet Manager web interface.
Many fault codes are of a non-critical nature, so all fault codes in PerformX are "deferred" by default. PeopleNet customers can select the codes they deem significant and reset them to "real-time" mode.
Customers can change code settings at any time. PerformX fault codes can be set for one truck at a time, for a group of trucks or for an entire fleet.
Sterling Introduces Truck For Vocational Market
Sterling Truck Corp. unveiled a new heavy-duty vocational truck developed for the construction and government markets.
The Set-Forward Sterling truck features an updated look, improved functionality, and increased visibility, plus it's easier to maintain.
Available in 101- and 111-inch BBCs, the Set-Forward Sterling features a tough, sleek look, with a sturdy new chrome grille and chromed headlight bezels.
Although it's an eye-catching truck, its practical benefits start with the hood. The hood's shape was designed with visibility in mind, with a 12 percent better sight range than comparable products, according to the company. Constructed from New Polymer substrate, the hood also provides improved durability over fiberglass and boasts 20- and 25-pound weight reductions on the 101- and 111-inch models respectively. Plus, getting to the engine is easier with advanced hood access door openings of more than one foot and updated hood isolator guides that allow for better alignment and stability.
An additional maintenance feature on the Set-Forward Sterling is quick-change headlamps: Headlamps are easily serviceable from the front of the vehicle without bezel removal.
Delco Remy Debuts Its High-Temp Alternators
A new family of Delco Remy heavy-duty alternators will help ensure adequate alternator output in spite of increased underhood operating temperatures.
The three new high-temperature alternators – the Delco Remy 28SI, 36SI and 40SI – are engineered and tested to ensure unsurpassed output in underhood operating environments up to 257 degrees.
"Increased heat in the engine compartment is the dominant trend affecting alternator design," said Kent Jones, vice president of heavy-duty sales for Remy. The company's testing of 2007 engines showed underhood temperatures consistently well above 110 degrees Celsius, with peaks up to 125 degrees Celsius (257 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Delco Remy 28SI heavy-duty brush-type alternator delivers up to 180 amps of power at highway speed and 130 amps at idle. This new design features a dual-internal-fan technology that helps ensure optimal cooling efficiency within tightly packaged heavy-duty engine compartments.
The Delco Remy 36SI premium brushless alternator produces 160 amps at highway speed and 110 amps at idle. The all-new 40SI is engineered to deliver 300 amps at road speed and over 200 amps at idle.
All three alternators feature a variety of new technologies – including a premium "Flex-Lead" diode-bridge design and higher-capacity, press-fit diodes – that are ideally suited to applications with higher underhood temperatures and increased vibration.
Alcoa Debuts New InTire Tire Management System
Alcoa Wheel Products' InTire Management System is a web-based fleet maintenance management tool that provides real-time data on tire pressure and tread depth throughout an entire fleet.
The software's ability to accurately and continuously monitor tire pressure and tread depth offers several benefits:
• Maximizing tire life and ensuring tire safety
• Increasing productivity in maintenance procedures
• Full-cost reporting capability including the ability to generate customized reports
• Raising fuel economy
• Providing financial savings
The easy-to-use web interface and wireless data collection also mean less downtime for manual safety procedures, as well as faster information flow to management.
In addition, through a series of add-on programs, the InTire Management System offers the ability to monitor a limitless number of preventative maintenance checks such as fluid levels and filter conditions, therefore, working as an entire fleet maintenance application.
Shell Develops Special Grease For Fifth Wheels
Keep the grease on your fifth wheel and off your undercarriage and the ground with Shell's new Retinax Fifth Wheel Grease,
The grease is designed especially for use on the fifth wheel, where lubes have to stand up to heavy stress, constant sliding contact and exposure to the elements. The heavy-duty calcium grease has a high level of solid additives, including moly, offering excellent adhesive properties while remaining very resistant to water.
This new grease holds up to the washout and spray-off encountered during long hauls of wet highway driving, and also resists flaking,
The single-use squeeze tubes make it easy to get the proper amount (many fifth wheels are over-greased). The flat end of the tube can be used to spread the grease evenly.
Donaldson Offers 2-stage DPF Cleaning System
Truck maintenance facilities can now purchase an efficient, cost-effective diesel particulate filter cleaning system from Donaldson.
The Donaldson Pulse Cleaner is a self-contained system that dislodges diesel ash and soot from the DPF, which is found on new 2007-emissions engines. The removed ash and soot are captured in a serviceable filter located in the lower portion of the system's cabinet for easy removal. The average cleaning cycle is 15 minutes or less, depending on the level of contamination.
For extremely plugged filters that require a more intense cleaning process, Donaldson offers the DPF Thermal Regenerator, a specially-designed unit that removes hydrocarbons and unburned soot through a timed heating and cooling cycle.
Kenworth Adds Cat C9 For Vocation Trucks
Kenworth will offer the Caterpillar C9 engine for its W900S and T800 vocational models to help reduce weight and increase payload.
The engine will be available for Kenworth's W900S mixer, T800 short hood, and T800 front-engine power take-off (FEPTO) configurations. Contractors can save nearly 900 pounds with the Caterpillar C9 over the 12.5-liter Caterpillar C13 and still get the power needed for their specific application.
Kenworth will offer the Caterpillar C9 with 350 horsepower and 1,250 pounds-feet of torque governed at 2,200 rpm, and the 335-horsepower version with 1,150 pounds-feet of torque governed at 2,200 rpm.
Mack's New TerraPro Cabover Means Comfort
Mack Trucks' new TerraPro Cabover model is optimized for refuse and construction applications, including concrete pumping. An evolution of the MR model, the TerraPro combines Mack's traditional ruggedness with a new driver environment designed to maximize comfort and productivity.
Driver comfort features include a steering column positioned for ample belly room, ergonomic seats, integrated armrest, easy-to-read gauges and easy-to-reach switches, accelerator and brake pedals suspended above the cab floor and mounted in-line to reduce driver effort. There is an efficient, effective HVAC climate control system and plenty of storage. Even something as simple as a well-designed cup holder was taken into consideration.
In addition, the TerraPro Cabover model offers a smooth, quiet ride thanks to the design of its engine mounts, cab bushings and rubber isolators, and electronically controlled fan – all of which minimize noise and vibration on the job.
The vehicle's low-profile electronic dash enhances visibility while incorporating comprehensive driver information displays. The instrument cluster features 25 indicator lights and an automatic transmission temperature gauge. Electronic gauges improve accuracy and reliability while eliminating oil lines and most air lines from the gauge cluster. An engine hour meter that features a wake-up display when the ignition is off is included as well. A battery backup protects vital information stored in the engine control systems.
The TerraPro Cabover comes standard with the EPA'07-certified 11-liter Mack MP7 engine, offered in a horsepower range from 325 to 405 horsepower with torque ratings from 1,200 - 1,560 pounds-feet. Also available is the EPA'07-certified 13-liter MP8 engine with a horsepower range from 415 to 485 and torque levels from 1,540-1,700.
Clear-Diesel Fuel & Tank Cleaner Keeps Fuel Fresh
Power Service Products has introduced Clear-Diesel Fuel & Tank Cleaner.
Compliant with ultra low sulfur diesel, this additive is effective in all diesel fuels, including ULSD and biodiesel, according to the company. It disperses diesel fuel contaminants, removes water, prevents premature fuel-filter plugging, protects against fuel tank corrosion and keeps fuel fresh with +Stabiltec, providing maximum long-term storage stability.
This fuel and tank cleaner with a strong fuel-stabilizing component helps fuel tanks stay cleaner and fuel filters last longer.
"Diesel fuel deteriorates when stored for more than 90 days," said PSP President Ed Kramer. "Our Clear-Diesel product keeps fuel residues dispersed and fuel fresh when stored up to 12 months."
