4/28/19

Why does Rolling Resistance matter in the real world?

Some 13% of the power produced by the engine to move a long haul rig along a smooth road at 65 mph is “lost” due to Rolling Resistance. What is it, what causes it, and how can you help to reduce it.



What is Rolling Resistance?
Rolling Resistance is the term used for the energy required to roll a tire over a particular road surface.

It can be viewed as a Parasitic Power Loss, accounting some 13% of the total energy required to move a long haul tractor-trailer combination over a smooth road at 65 mph.

What causes Rolling Resistance?
Rolling Resistance is caused by the following factors

The deformation of the tire in the contact patch and the sidewalls as it rolls (this accounts for some 80% – 95% of Rolling Resistance – Michelin)
Aerodynamic drag of the rotating tire
Friction (microslippage) between the tread and the road surface
Rolling Resistance is also greatly impacted by condition of the road surface.

Why does it matter?
Because it is energy LOST, it is equivalent to a power loss. Power made by the engine is not fully usable, and inhibits forward movement of the vehicle.

Fuel consumption is therefore increased because of this parasitic loss.

How can you reduce Rolling Resistance?

  • Keep tires properly inflated. Properly inflated tires minimize deformation of the contact patch and side walls, and keeps energy loss to a minimum.
  • Use “green tires”, with rubber compounds and treads designed to minimize this energy loss. As much as 35 HP may be “saved” at 65 mph at 80,000 lb.
  • Use of single wide-base tires in place of dual assembly tires. Two dual tires have four sidewalls as opposed to two for a single tire, thus reducing the side wall flex and energy loss.
  • Larger diameter tires have slightly lower energy loss due to the fact that there is less bending of the tire as it enters and leaves the contact patch.



4/25/19

Florida Tow Show 2019, Tow Trucks, Big Rigs, Mega Trucks and More!


Welcome to the 2019 Florida Tow Show. The towing industries largest international show held at the beautiful Hilton Hotel in Lake Buena Vista FL, near Disney and Orlando. Everything from huge expensive trucks to smaller versions. See them all right here. Enjoy and thanks for watching.

4/22/19

Tips for Maintaining and Driving on a Spare Tire

how to maintain a spare tire

While most drivers realize the importance of taking care of their tires, there’s one tire that usually gets overlooked – the one in your trunk.
But some people assume that because they haven’t used a spare,that it can operate like new. Accidents resulting from faulty or poorly maintained spares happen more than most drivers think. Learn how to safely drive on a spare tire, and what precautions you can take to help keep your spare in working condition.

How to safely drive on a spare tire

When you resort to driving on your spare, it’s important to know the limitations of your new tire. Remember the answers to these three questions to ensure you’re using your spare correctly:
  • How fast can you drive on a spare tire? Spares were not designed to drive at the same speed as regular tires; never let your speed exceed 50 miles an hour when you’ve got a spare on your car.
  • How far can you drive on a spare tire? As a rule, most spare tire mileage is around 50 miles. They were built only as a substitute to get you safely to a place where you can get your tire repaired.
  • How does driving on a spare affect other tires? As noted, driving on a spare is not a long-term solution. It can wear out your full-sized tires faster and, if driven for too long, can throw your car out of alignment.

Spare tire maintenance

Consumer Reports and other well-regarded sources on tire safety say that although the tire doesn’t have the same road wear as the four active tires on your vehicle, drivers need to inspect the spare regularly and replace it if the tire is over eight years old – that is unless a vehicle’s owner’s manual recommends changing the spare sooner.

Check spare tire pressure regularly

In addition to not letting your spare age in the trunk of your car, you need to make sure it’s getting plenty of air. All tires lose pressure with changes in the temperature, and your spare is no exception. It’s a good idea to check the tire pressure in your spare on a regular basis – and always before heading out on a road trip. It’s not useful to replace a flat tire with a spare when your spare’s tire pressure is also low.
One way to ensure your spare is ready to roll is to have it inspected every time you have your tires rotated. This is usually something that should be done about every 5,000 miles. Just ask your tire technician to inspect the spare and make sure it’s properly inflated and in good condition.
If your spare does have damage, it’s wiser to replace it rather than attempt to repair it. Space-saver or “donut” spare tires aren’t intended for long-term driving and can become worn much more quickly than a standard tire – particularly if they’re driven at too high a speed or for too many miles. A damaged spare isn’t likely to perform well, even after being repaired, so it’s much safer just to replace it.

Make sure your spare hasn’t been recalled

Just like full-size tires, sometimes spare tires can be defective. You can visit the National Highway Traffic Safety website to check for recalls and make sure that your spare is safe for driving.
If you need help replacing a flat with your spare, or need to fix a flat without a backup tire, Nationwide’s 24-hour emergency assistance program can provide a quick tire change. Get back on the road faster with Roadside Assistance.
If you need help replacing a flat with your spare, Nationwide’s 24-hour emergency assistance program can provide a quick tire change. Get back on the road faster with Roadside Assistance.


Source: https://blog.nationwide.com/driving-on-a-spare-tire/


4/19/19

121 Ways to Save Fuel: Tires

1) Buy fuel-efficient tires

Getting the right tire at the right wheel position can improve fuel economy by several percentage points.

About 13% of each gallon of fuel consumed goes solely to overcoming rolling resistance. That can vary by the load on the tire, the tread pattern and of course, inflation pressure.


“The relationship between rolling resistance and fuel consumption is about 8:1,” says Rick Phillips, senior director of sales, commercial and OTR products at Yokohama Tire. “An 8% reduction in tire rolling resistance will result in a 1% savings in fuel consumption.”

Various wheel positions have different impacts on fuel economy.

“On a tractor-trailer combination, the steer tires contribute 15-20% to fuel economy, drive tires 30-40% and trailer tires about 40-50%,” says William Estupinan, vice president of technical service for Giti Tire USA. “The first priority for a fleet interested in saving a significant amount of money is to start moving toward fuel-efficient tires for the trailer axles.”

A tight rib pattern, thinner tread — 12/32- to 20/32-inch of tread depth — and advanced compounding make today’s trailer tires very fuel-efficient.
With drive tires, traction and durability are higher on the list of priorities. But traction hasn’t really suffered in a significant way in the quest for lower rolling resistance, manufacturers say.

Learn more at: http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2014/06/121-ways-to-save-fuel-tires.aspx

4/16/19

California Towing Laws that You Should Know



Towing laws are good to pay attention to, because they can help to make the difference in many cases between having your car towed and it remaining free. Because California towing laws are unique compared with many other states, it is a good idea to review these laws in particular if you plan to drive in the state. This can help to save a good amount of money, not to mention your time and effort as well. Read on for a brief overview of tow truck laws for the state of California.

Number 1 -- Private Property Laws
In the state of California, it is legal for a private property owner to have a vehicle towed on his or her property without asking for permission from the state or police. This means that your vehicle parked on someone else's property can be towed at any point in time and without any warning. This is not the case, however, with vehicles that are not properly functioning. If a car is resting on someone else's private property and has no engine, motor, wheels or other crucial parts that are required to operate it, the owner must wait for 24 hours before informing the police of his or her intent to tow the car away.

Number 2 -- Posting Laws
In public areas, signs must be posted in order for towing companies to legally tow your car away. These signs must be visible and measure at least 17 by 22 inches. If the sign is not visible clearly or smaller than that minimum size, it is likely that the towing company is committing an action known as "predatory towing", which involves attempting to illegally tow vehicles for a profit. This is an illegal activity and should be reported to the police.

Number 3 -- Fee Restrictions
California state law also prohibits towing companies from charging more than one day's worth of storage costs for a vehicle, provided that the vehicle is reclaimed within 24 hours of the initial towing. This is also put in place to help ensure that you don't have to pay more to reclaim your vehicle from a towing company than you should. If you find that you're being charged more than one day's storage for a car that you pick up within this time frame, you should report the company to the local police.

Number 4 -- Holiday Parking Restrictions
Certain holidays and other times of day are generally allowed for parking, while others are not. This means that a zone can be a tow-away zone at certain times and not at others. You'll therefore need to read the posted signs carefully in order to avoid getting a parking ticket or, in some cases, being towed. The same thing can be said of certain areas within the city as well.
For more information about how the California towing laws can affect your driving and parking experience within the state, visit a local California DMV with any additional questions you may have.

Source:  https://www.carsdirect.com/car-maintenance/three-california-towing-laws-that-you-should-know

4/10/19

2018-2019 Tow Show Schedule

 Home


April 11 – 14, 2019
Florida Tow Show®
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Orlando, FL.
Phone: 407-296-3316
April 18 – 19, 2019
North American Repossessors Summit hosted by American Recovery Association 
Omni Mandalay Hotel at Los Colinas, Irving, TX
TBD 2019
AT Showplace Las Vegas hosted by American Towman
Southpoint Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Phone:  800-732-3869
Web: atshowplace.com
May 17 – 18, 2018 
Towers Family Retreat hosted by the American Towing & Recovery Institute
Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC
Contact: Wes Wilburn
Phone: (910) 747-9000
TBD 
New Hampshire Tow & Trade Show  hosted by the New Hampshire Towing Association
Hampton Beach State Park, Hampton, NH
Phone: (603) 863-4206
Web: nhtowingassociation.org
TBD 2019 
35th Annual ESTRA Tow Show hosted by Empire State Towing & Recovery Association
Charles R. Wood Park, Lake George Village, NY
Contact: Melissa Perlow
Phone: (631) 728-7752
Web: estratowshow.com
June 1, 2019
Nebraska Tow Show hosted by the Professional Towers Association of Nebraska
CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE
Contact: Dana Adamy
Phone: (402) 890-6531
June 14 – 16, 2019
Wisconsin Towing Association Tow Show
Chula Vista Resort (608-254-8366), Wisconsin Dells, WI.
Contact; WTA Office
Phone: 608-833-8200, ext. 17
July 31 – August 2, 2019
Towing & Recovery Management Summit (hosted by Tow Times)
Capital Hilton, Washington D.C.
Contact: Brenda Faulman
Phone: (407) 936-2494
August 9 – 10, 2019
Southern Tow Expo hosted by Tow Professionals
Orange Beach Convention Center, Orange Beach, AL
Contact: Darian Weaver
Phone: 205-223-4548
Web: southerntowexpo.com
TBD 2019
AT Tow Expo Dallas/Fort Worth hosted by American Towman
Phone:  800-732-3869
Web: towexpodfw.com
TBD 2019
Pacific Northwest Tow Show presented by Towing & Recovery Association of Washington
Greater Tacoma Trade and Convention Center, Tacoma, WA
Contact: Peter Lukevich
Phone: 206-492-5032
Web: pacificnorthwesttowshow.com 
TBD 2019
North Carolina Tow Truck And Trade Show 
Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Contact: Elaine
Phone: (919) 876-0687
Web: nctowing.org/events
Sept. 26 – 29, 2019
Midwest Regional Tow Show Hosted By Towing and Recovery Association of Ohio
Great Wolf Lodge, Mason, OH
Phone: 513-831-7469
Oct 10 – 12, 2019
Tennessee Tow Show hosted by Tennessee Tow Truck Association and Tow Times
Chattanooga Convention Center  Chattanooga, TN
Contact: Brenda Faulman (Tow Times)
Phone: (407) 936-2494
Web: tennesseetowshow.com
Nov 2019
AT Exposition hosted by American Towman
Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD
Phone:  800-732-3869
Web: atexposition.com

4/07/19

The Knight Life: Episode 3 | Awesome Women in Trucking



In this episode Linda Dominy, Director of Payroll for Knight Transportation rides along with Susan Hoagland, Veteran driver at Knight Transportation. Flat Tires, Broken mud flaps, and traffic jams are a little taste of what Linda and Susan experience on this trip to Las Vegas and back.

4/04/19

Godspeed Expediters Success Story | Freightliner Trucks


Learn more about lowering your Real Cost of Ownership at: https://rco.freightlinertrucks.com/on...

Les and Stacie Willis, owner/operators of Godspeed Expediters, have hauled Elvis’s guitar, lifesaving vaccines, sea turtle eggs, a priceless Picasso, and everything between. That’s why they trust only Freightliner for the job.

Watch the video to see how Freightliner Trucks helps Godspeed Expediters deliver under pressure and lower their Real Cost of Ownership

4/01/19

A & T BIG RIG TOWING SERVICES


North Bay Truck Center and A&T Road Service heavy duty towing.We think this is the most flexible and useful rig to tow the biggest trucks on the road, along with big buses, and large RV units.

Our normal service area covers the best part of the bay area and Sacramento region; however, we now have capability to tow across the country if needed. Our A&T Road Service has expanded so much that we had to add towing to make it even more effective and timely.

Need a tow? Call 1-800-434-1205