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It’s Not A Revolution. The Autonomous Truck Has Been Developing For More Than Two Decades.

This year, Freightliner and Peterbilt demonstrated their autonomous trucks to an eager trucking industry press corps, and Google showed its self-driving, computer-connected passenger car. All got a lot of press and sparked a good deal of discussion about the future of transportation. These self-driving vehicles are the result of a long line of developments in computerization. Back in 1975, Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel, predicted that computer chips would double their capability every two years or so. He was [...]

November 22, 2015 By Engine, Truck Comments Off on It’s Not A Revolution. The Autonomous Truck Has Been Developing For More Than Two Decades. Read more...

Today’s Trucks Require A Far More Refined Fuel Than The Green Diesel Of Old

Growing up on a farm afforded me the chance to operate tractors, combines and trucks. I remember the green color of the fuel that we used in every dieselpowered engine we had. That fuel was not very refined. Back then, diesel-powered equipment used low pressure fuel pumps and diesel injectors that were effective but not very sophisticated. Heavy black smoke blew from the exhaust and the engine surged. Nobody was concerned that there was also a huge loss of fuel [...]

November 13, 2015 By Engine, Truck Comments Off on Today’s Trucks Require A Far More Refined Fuel Than The Green Diesel Of Old Read more...

There’s No Dog Like A Trucking Dog – Truck

Every dog owner knows why dogs are called “man’s best friend.” But perhaps no group knows it better than truck drivers. More than 45 percent of American households have dogs, but more than 60 percent of truck drivers report having pets; more than 40 percent report traveling with them in their trucks. “The bond a trucker has with their dog is much like the bond a parent has with their child,” says David Binz, an owner-operator who drives for Alaska West [...]

November 9, 2015 By Truck Comments Off on There’s No Dog Like A Trucking Dog – Truck Read more...

Always Expect The Unexpected On The Road – Tire Max

You never know when opportunity may come a-knockin’. Sometimes it’s at the most inopportune times. Unexpected situation 1 Late into the evening, I had a blowout on a trailer tire. I immediately glanced all around. I could see in my driver’s side mirror chunks of rubber flying everywhere. Thankfully, the winged pieces of hard rubber didn’t strike any vehicles. The explosion did, however, knock off the mud flap behind the tire. It missed hitting anything as well, so I could focus [...]

November 7, 2015 By Safety, Truck Comments Off on Always Expect The Unexpected On The Road – Tire Max Read more...

Can A 6×2 Drivetrain Find Its Way Into The Hearts Of U.S. Truckers?

Fuel economy still dominates any conversation on trucking. With today’s prices, each percentage point of fuel saved can add up to serious money. Getting 2-3 percent savings without additional cost would interest anyone in the industry. Weight savings can do that, which brings us to 6×2 drivetrains. The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) recently ran tests on fuel economy and performance for 6×2 and 6×4 tractor configurations, and the results could change some thinking. In Europe, trucks have [...]

November 4, 2015 By Truck Comments Off on Can A 6×2 Drivetrain Find Its Way Into The Hearts Of U.S. Truckers? Read more...

Downspeeding Engines Make It Easy For Drivers To Enjoy The Ride While Saving On Fuel

The vast majority of CDL holders today came into our industry learning certain fundamentals about operating a large truck. Starting in the late 1970s, we learned that if you drove much above 1800 rpm, (2100 in some engines) you were up against the governor and you had to either shift up or back off the throttle. At the lower end, there was a change from earlier practice. The power band was no longer between 1800 and 2100 rpm, and [...]

November 3, 2015 By Engine, Truck Comments Off on Downspeeding Engines Make It Easy For Drivers To Enjoy The Ride While Saving On Fuel Read more...