6/30/19

Weigh Safe Drop Hitch Product Video


The Weigh Safe Drop Hitch is the one and only trailer hitch with a built-in scale that signals you to adjust your load before you hit the road, resulting in a much safer and enjoyable towing experience. Before this ball mount, gauging your trailer’s tongue weight was a hassle. You had to rely on inefficient bathroom scales, make a trip to the weigh station, or purchase a separate tongue weight scale. But with the Weigh Safe’s built-in scale, measuring your tongue weight is as easy as coupling your trailer to your ball mount. Simply hook-up your trailer to the Weigh Safe ball mount just as you would any other ball mount. The weight of your trailer will push down on the hitch ball, which in turn pushes down on an internal hydraulic piston that sits on a bed of oil. When the piston drops into the oil, the pressure reading is sent out to the scale.

6/27/19

Ford Telematics: The Power of Choice | Ford


Ford Customer Solutions now offers access to unprecedented data and options for fleet managers looking to optimize their business. Ford Telematics™ is a simple, yet powerful tool that delivers manufacturer-grade information, insights and solutions right to your fingertips. The easy-to-use interface enables you to manage your fleet in real-time and quickly assess where you need to take action.

6/24/19

As trucks get more complex, so does fleet maintenance

Technicians are turning to new tools and technologies to overcome these challenges and reaping dividends through predictive maintenance and less vehicle downtime. 


The growing complexity of modern trucks is driving changes at maintenance shops and for the workers who have to navigate this increasingly digital world.

“Electronics allow vehicles to have a better conversation with technicians than ever before,” said Kristy LaPage, business manager of the commercial vehicle group at Mitchell 1. “In the transition from mechanical to electronic control systems, there has also been a shift from technicians to diagnosticians. Vehicle electronics are the source of information that can become actionable, so shop solutions are evolving with this change.”

“The digital shop is not only changing inspection and maintenance practices,” said Jeff Sweet, solutions engineer at Decisiv, a provider of a service relationship management (SRM) platform. “Advancements in sensors and monitoring continue to improve fault condition filtering and help prioritize work based on fault severity.”

Photo: Noregon

A solution that simultaneously diagnoses all components is now essential as an intake tool for technicians.

Also constantly under development are the tools technicians need to service advanced electronic systems.

“A solution that simultaneously diagnoses all components is now essential as an intake tool,” stated Tim Bigwood, CEO at Noregon Systems, a provider of JPRO commercial vehicle diagnostic and monitoring solutions. “And those tools have evolved because while previously there were limited fault trees to consider based on symptoms, today’s vehicles are more complex, so the aid of a diagnostic and repair solution is a necessity.”

The increase in electronics on vehicles is allowing for real-time access to the equipment’s operating conditions and fault data, noted Renaldo Adler, industrial principal, asset maintenance, at Trimble Transportation Enterprise.

“Fleets now have access to a vast amount of diagnostic data needed to repair assets faster,” he said. “Inspections can also be improved with the use of electronic diagnostic tools, which analyze the equipment’s condition and any active faults, so maintenance departments are able to be proactive.”
Remote diagnostics

All of the original equipment manufacturers offer systems on their new trucks that provide diagnostic data. These sensor-based and telematics-driven solutions can improve maintenance efficiency and vehicle uptime.

Kenworth dealers, for example, use diagnostic data from TruckTech+ Remote Diagnostics.

“We have found it can cut the time a unit is in our shop by 30%,” said Josh Hayes, branch manager at NorCal Kenworth – San Leandro. “We’ve also found that among trucks with TruckTech+ Remote Diagnostics, we’re seeing about a 15% reduction in the number of trucks that must be towed because remote diagnostics allow us to monitor fault codes and diagnose issues to determine if a truck can be driven into the shop.”

Photo: Mack Trucks

For OEMs, part of the value of remote diagnostics systems is that the vehicle is effectively reporting its own status.

Sanjiv Khurana, general manager of digital vehicle solutions at Daimler Trucks North America, said with the Detroit “virtual technician” system, maintenance managers get real-time alerts and a plan for critical faults. When the truck arrives at the service location, the diagnostic information and fault history allow the technician to get a jump-start on the repair process.

At Peterbilt, SmartLinq remote diagnostics have been integrated with reasoning engine technology to enable more precise diagnostic information, fault code collection, and enhanced analysis by linking cascading faults.

Volvo, Mack, and Navistar also offer their own systems, aimed at reducing downtime and allowing for over-the-air software updates.

“With the increase in electronics on commercial vehicles, fleets have a better understanding of vehicle health,” said Brian Mulshine, director of customer experience for Navistar’s OnCommand Connection.

In short, the value in all of these remote diagnostics systems is that the vehicle is effectively reporting its own status to a maintenance operation.

“The key for truck fleets is to apply electronics to enable a proactive system that adds value and not cost,” said Wally Stegall, technical fellow, director at Morey Corp.

Robert Braswell, executive director of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), noted that greater vehicle complexity makes preventive maintenance more of a challenge. “Until enough fleet data in the field is gathered, it makes it more difficult to optimize service and inspection schedules for new electronic systems,” he explained. “But increasing complexity can bring with it sensor-based maintenance strategies that can help with self-diagnostics.”

Source: https://www.fleetowner.com/maintenance/trucks-get-more-complex-so-does-fleet-maintenance?NL=FO-02&Issue=FO-02_20190321_FO-02_446&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPENT000004488230&utm_campaign=23847&utm_medium=email&elq2=5bd8750c9eba4791abe0019c109758f6

6/21/19

Tongue Weight Safety Demonstration


Proper trailer tongue weight improves the vehicle and trailer towing experience by improving performance. Not enough tongue weight or force on the hitch/tow ball causes an increase in trailer sway from side to side, making it difficult to control. Conversely, too much tongue weight or force on the hitch/tow ball could overload the rear tires of the towing vehicle, pushing the rear end of the vehicle around. This could also negatively affect the vehicle handling. Performance is impaired as you might not be able to go around corners and curves properly, and your vehicle may not stop quickly enough when you press the brake pedal. The Weigh Safe Drop Hitch effectively measures the tongue weight of your towing load, improving the vehicle tow load balance and performance.

Learn more at: https://www.weigh-safe.com/

6/18/19

How to Properly Load a Trailer - CURT


This short video will teach you how to properly load a trailer. The most important thing to consider is how the weight of your cargo is distributed onto your trailer. The ideal distribution is to have 60% of the weight in front of the trailer axle, and 40% behind. Its also very important to make sure your cargo is secured properly. Always practice safe towing.

6/12/19

Ford Service Advice: Do I Need an Oil Change? | Service Advice | Ford


This helpful video will explain why it’s important to keep up with regular oil changes to help ensure your vehicle lasts a long time.

6/09/19

Fleet Safety and Driver Monitoring

Deploying Fleet Safety: Saving Costs, Saving Lives.

Driver behavior contributes to over 90 percent of the crashes that kill tens of thousands of people and cost billions of dollars annually. Improving fleet safety involves more than simple driver monitoring and reactive policy measures—it requires a proactive solution to verbally coach drivers in real-time to develop safer driving habits.
ORBCOMM technology is squarely focused on the driver, and offers the only real-time fleet safety solution that detects unsafe driver behavior and offers verbal coaching before a crash or fineable offense occurs.
Improve Fleet Safety with Verbal Driver Coaching
  • In-cab Verbal Coaching: Send automated in-cab verbal alerts in real-time when drivers are speeding or driving aggressively.
  • Speed-by-Street™: Send automated verbal alerts when drivers exceed the speed limit on any given road segment.
  • Lane Departure & Collision Avoidance: Alert drivers in real-time if they drift outside their lane or get too close to other vehicles.
Keep Drivers Safe and in View
  • Seat Belt Use Alerts: Ensure drivers are wearing a seat belt by sending alerts to drivers and managers.
  • Crash & Roll Over Detection: Receive instant notification via phone, text or e-mail when a vehicle has been in a crash.
  • Road Hazard Awareness: Allow drivers to communicate with each other regarding hazardous areas including debris, construction and severe weather conditions.
  • Emergency Call/Panic Button: Call for help via hands-free cell network communication with a single push of a button.
  • Signal Jamming Detection: Help prevent hijacking by detecting the use of GPS and GSM jammers. Track stolen vehicles via GPS.
Monitor Drivers for Enhanced Fleet Performance
  • Automated Exception Alerts: Receive instant notifications via text, e-mail or phone call when a driver commits a serious violation.
  • Driver/Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR): Create fully customizable vehicle inspection checklists for operators to complete electronically.
  • Driver/Fleet Scoring: Automate driver/fleet scorecards to identify safe drivers and those in need of additional training.
  • Work Alone Timer: Allow drivers to set up timers warning management if they do not return to the vehicle within a given time frame.
  • Vehicle Inspection Alerts: Send timed checklist alerts to remind drivers of pre/post-trip instructions and inspection requirements.


6/06/19

Ford Service Advice: Do I Need New Tires? | Service Advice | Ford



This video will explain the importance of having proper tread on your tires to ensure safety, performance, and handling, how to check tread depth, as well as key signs that you may need to replace your tires. Learn more about Ford Service Advice here: http://ford.to/FordOwner

6/03/19

How to perform a Class A CDL Pre-Trip inspection.



Jeff from Apex CDL Institute demonstrates how to perform a proper pre-trip inspection on a Class A tractor trailer. Remember, your states examiners might require a slightly different procedure. The process we use is good for both Kansas and Missouri and will pass easily in most states.