7/30/19

SO CAL ALTCAR Conference, Expo and Ride and Drive - Oct 16th, 2019

2019_socal_riverside_header_website.jpg

California's trailblazing commitment to alternative technology transportation, infrastructure and energy.

Learn more at: https://www.altcarexposocal.com/

7/27/19

Path to electrification not straight to linehaul: Mack


OAKLAND, CA – Mack Trucks continues to see a healthy future for diesel engines, even as alternatives like electrification begin to emerge.

“Diesel today, it’s performing extremely well. It’s cleaner than it’s ever been, it’s robust, it’s versatile,” said Roy Horton, director – product strategy, during a briefing in Oakland, California. As for talk about electric trucks? “It’s almost a little bit of an uphill battle there.”

Electrification is “on the bubble, and it’s something everyone is looking at,” he said, admitting that the recent unveiling of Elon Musk's Tesla Semi attracted attention. “It’s definitely going to be part of our future.” Just not for longhaul. Not right away.

Mack believes the earliest adopters of electrification will be operations with the chance to charge at a home base and not depend on general infrastructure for fuel. That includes refuse, local delivery, and public transportation fleets.

Next would be applications with fixed routes where infrastructure is established but longer ranges are less of a concern. That opens opportunities for local distribution, regional haulers, and select vocational segments.

Longhaulers would be the last to use the trucks, drawing on power from secured infrastructure.

For its part, Mack has already been working with electrification in its own right. It unveiled a range-extended LR refuse truck in 2016, and a diesel-electric hybrid drayage truck. With Siemens it is also experimenting with the idea of electric highways, with vehicles drawing on the power of wires strung along the routes. The company is producing electric buses, too.

Mack will focus on electrification where it’s “commercially viable”, stressed Jonathan Randall, Mack’s senior vice president – North American sales. As for new players such as Nikola Motors and Tesla? “Competition is good.”

Mack’s work with alternative power sources hardly ends there. It already has experience with biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, propane, and Dimethyl Ether (DME).

“We have, and continue to investigate, all of the viable alternatives,” Horton said.

“Mack is well-positioned, no matter which way the market goes.”


Source: https://www.todaystrucking.com/path-to-electrification-not-straight-to-linehaul-mack

By John G. Smith, Posted: Dec 4, 2017 10:29 AM | Last Updated: Dec 4, 2017 10:36 AM

7/24/19

Baldwin Filters | Construction – It’s In Our Blood



A little dirt never hurt anyone. But a little dirt can destroy your engine. When the days are long and the season is short, you don’t have time for a breakdown. We have the filters where and when you need them. CONSTRUCTION – IT’S IN OUR BLOOD

7/21/19

About Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)


History

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (49 U.S.C. 113). Formerly a part of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. Activities of the Administration contribute to ensuring safety in motor carrier operations through strong enforcement of safety regulations; targeting high-risk carriers and commercial motor vehicle drivers; improving safety information systems and commercial motor vehicle technologies; strengthening commercial motor vehicle equipment and operating standards; and increasing safety awareness. To accomplish these activities, the Administration works with Federal, State, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, labor and safety interest groups, and others.

Activities
Commercial Drivers' Licenses
The Administration develops standards to test and license commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Data and Analysis
The Administration collects and disseminates data on motor carrier safety and directs resources to improve motor carrier safety.

Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
The Administration operates a program to improve safety performance and remove high-risk carriers from the Nation's highways.

Research and Technology
The Administration coordinates research and development to improve the safety of motor carrier operations and commercial motor vehicles and drivers.

Safety Assistance
The Administration provides States with financial assistance for roadside inspections and other commercial motor vehicle safety programs. It promotes motor vehicle and motor carrier safety.

Other Activities
The Administration supports the development of unified motor carrier safety requirements and procedures throughout North America. It participates in international technical organizations and committees to help share the best practices in motor carrier safety throughout North America and the rest of the world. It enforces regulations ensuring safe highway transportation of hazardous materials and has established a task force to identify and investigate those carriers of household goods which have exhibited a substantial pattern of consumer abuse.
Updated: Monday, March 31, 2014

Learn more at: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov

7/18/19

38 foot Fifth Wheel Rollover Recovery


This one fought us from the start . The RV was totaled the minute it went over . We did not have a lot of options to get this one out of the ditch . Only place we could get under it was on the right rear unfortunately the right side also had two sliders that made that side of the RV very weak . On first pick the rear of RV broke . At this point I decided to just get it out of the ditch and open State Highway up . We had traffic backed up on both sides so we just continued with the winch out .

7/15/19

Tank Truck on Bridge - Heavy Recovery - Sweden


A Scania tank truck fully loaded with diesel came of far to the left of the road. When the driver tried to steer back on the road, the truck went up on three wheels and tipped over. It came to halt lying on the side, in the middle of a bridge. First, the cargo of 16.000 liters of diesel fuel was pumped out of the tank truck. Now the truck has to be pulled backwards for 150 meters, to an area where there is enough space to raise it back on to its wheels again. This may look spectacular, but made no further damage to the vehicle.

7/12/19

FordPass™: Built To Keep You Moving | FordPass | Ford


With FordPass,™ rewards are just a tap away. It’s the only app that puts maintenance, rewards, roadside assistance and connectivity in the palm of your hand.*

*Based on U.S. auto manufacturer owner’s mobile apps only. FordPass Connect is an optional feature on select vehicles and is required for certain remote features. Service includes 1-year trial for remote features, excluding Wi-Fi hotspot, that starts with vehicle sales date (after which, fees apply). Connected service and related feature functionality is subject to compatible AT&T-network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks may affect functionality and availability, or continued provision of some features, prohibiting them from functioning. Certain restrictions, 3rd-party terms or message/data rates may apply.

7/09/19

Rightsizing Your Vehicle Fleet to Conserve Fuel

Fleet rightsizing is a management practice that can help vehicle fleet managers build and maintain sustainable, fuel-efficient fleets. Fleet inventories often grow over time to include vehicles that are highly specialized, rarely used, or unsuitable for current applications. By evaluating fleet size and composition, managers can optimize vehicle use, conserve fuel, reduce emissions, and save money on fuel and maintenance.

Evaluate Vehicle Needs and Use
Fleet managers should understand their fleet's daily vehicle use and needs. Most fleet managers already have a handle on their number and type of vehicles, average mileage, payloads, and fuel economy. Fleet rightsizing combines this information with a critical look at fleet operations to identify opportunities to reduce energy use. When rightsizing, fleet managers should evaluate how important each vehicle is to the fleet’s performance by asking themselves:

What tasks are accomplished by each vehicle? Or, what is the drive cycle?

What is the daily, weekly, or monthly mileage of each vehicle? Or, what is the duty cycle?

Are fleet vehicles the optimal vehicle type, class, and size for the job?

Are there any vehicles that are no longer cost effective to operate or are no longer fulfilling their purpose?

Are there any vehicles that are no longer being used or have experienced a lot of downtime?

What is the fuel consumption of each vehicle? Can any vehicles be replaced by lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles?

What is the age of the vehicles? Can any vehicles be replaced by newer, more efficient and reliable vehicles?

Are there any alternatives to owning or leasing a vehicle, such as shuttle bus services, motor pool vehicles, sharing vehicles with other offices/agencies, vehicle stipends, public transportation, or short-term rentals when needed?

Considering the answers to the previous questions, what is the optimal composition of the fleet required to properly support the fleet’s needs?

In addition to reviewing telematics or fleet analysis data, fleet managers should consider soliciting input from drivers when conducting a rightsizing review, as they can be very knowledgeable about how vehicles are being used to support operations. Gathering this input also gives drivers a stake in the development of rightsizing recommendations. Fleet managers can solicit input through driver surveys or face-to-face meetings to establish consensus.

A fleet rightsizing strategy should evaluate the business case of each vehicle to determine whether reassigning, replacing, or eliminating the vehicle would reduce fuel and maintenance costs without compromising fleet activities. Fleet managers often need to define evaluation criteria and rank vehicles to complete this analysis. A fleet dominated by sport utility vehicles, for example, may find that mid-size sedans can suffice with a significant reduction in fuel costs.

Fleet managers may develop their own analysis or use existing evaluation tools. The Vehicle Allocation Methodology developed by the U.S. General Services Administration is an evaluation framework that federal agency fleets use to ensure fleets are cost-effective and contain the appropriate number and type of vehicles. Learn more about this methodology in the Comprehensive Federal Fleet Management Handbook (PDF).

Make Smart Vehicle Purchases

Fleet managers may decide to replace older vehicles with more fuel-efficient or alternative fuel vehicles. These purchasing strategies may help fleet managers make decisions that meet operational needs and conserve fuel:

Transition to Smaller, More Efficient Engines: Using smaller engines can help fleets meet operational needs without downgrading vehicle class. Some fleets choose to switch from 6-cylinder to 4-cylinder engines to help reduce fuel use and emissions. In many cases, the new, smaller engine can have nearly the same horsepower as a larger engine. Fleet managers can also improve fuel efficiency by selecting smaller engines with optional gearing for their application.

Choose Lighter Vehicles: When purchasing new vehicles, look for opportunities to reduce vehicle weight. Lightweight materials, such as aluminum frames, and smaller components can reduce rolling resistance and drag, thereby improving a vehicle’s fuel economy. For example, a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can improve fuel economy by 6% to 8%. Also, try to avoid unnecessarily large body configurations and heavy accessories. For more information, refer to the North American Council for Freight Efficiency's Confidence Report.

Use Alternative Fuels and Vehicles: Alternative fuel and fuel-efficient advanced vehicles can reduce a fleet's fuel use, making them economical options for many fleets. Cost savings from vehicle maintenance, operation, and fuel use and price often offset higher purchase prices.

Source: https://afdc.energy.gov/conserve/rightsizing.html

7/06/19

U.S. Senators press for speed limiters on trucks

TORONTO, Ont. – Ontario and Quebec introduced a speed-limiter program for trucks 10 years ago, setting the maximum speed for heavy-duty vehicles at 105 km/h, or 65 mph.

Now the United States wants to follow suit amid a sharp rise in fatal accidents involving large trucks. Two U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would require trucks to be equipped with speed limiters, also set at a maximum speed of 105 km/h.

Road-safety advocates such as Road Safe America and the Truck Safety Coalition have been lobbying Congress for months to pass such a legislation.

“The majority of trucks on our roads already have speed-limiting technology built in, and the rest of the technologically advanced world has already put them to use to ensure drivers follow safe speeds,” said Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who sponsored the bill with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons.
“This legislation would officially enforce a long-awaited speed limit of 65 mph on large trucks and reduce the number of preventable fatalities on our busy roadways.”

The senators noted that the Department of Transportation delayed action on speed limiters for more than 20 times since it was first proposed in 2011.

The Trucking Alliance, a safety coalition of transportation and logistics companies, said it was hopeful Congress would pass the legislation.

More than 140,000 people were killed or injured in large truck accidents last year alone, the group said.

Safety advocates also point out that the speed limiters won’t cost extra money because most trucks already have the technology in place.

An Ontario Ministry of Transportation study revealed that speed-related, at-fault collisions involving large commercial vehicles fell by 73% after the legislation took effect, according to the Ontario Trucking Association.

The study compared data from 2006-08 to 2010-12, the association said in a report published in 2017.

Source:  http://www.trucknews.com/transportation/u-s-senators-press-for-speed-limiters-on-trucks/1003092258/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newcom&utm_campaign=TruckNewsDaily&utm_content=2019070380754

7/03/19

A&T Road (and Shop) Service

If we need to take it to our shop, we have a full service truck repair facility with the capability to service and repair virtually any truck or trailer.


We repair engines, axles, brakes, electrical, hydraulic, tires and wheels, trailers, air brakes and hoses, transmissions and we even do a little body repair when needed. We carry replacement parts and all the tools we need to get what ever needs fixing done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Most of the time, we can do the repairs at the site of the truck breakdown. 

But if we have to tow, at our facility, we have tens of thousands of parts, fittings, filters (we have one of the largest selections of Baldwin filters in the U.S.), brake linings, belts, hoses, brake drums, electrical parts--you name it and we probably have it and if not, we can get it very, very quickly. We have a large selection of Grote lighting products including LED. We stock a huge selection of Goodyear belts and hoses for all truck uses. Our entire business at North Bay Truck Center and A&T Road Service is fixing your truck right the first time in the minimum amount of time.