Equipment: Nuts & Bolts

Jan. 1, 2000
New all-position rib from Goodyear Economical tire for medium trucks is guaranteed retreadableThe Wingfoot APR is a new all-position rib tire manufactured by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for medium-duty trucks. Designed for steer or trail positions, the tire has a five-rib design and a tread depth of 16/32nds.According to Goodyear, the Wingfoot APR can also provide durability and even wear in applications

New all-position rib from Goodyear Economical tire for medium trucks is guaranteed retreadableThe Wingfoot APR is a new all-position rib tire manufactured by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. for medium-duty trucks. Designed for steer or trail positions, the tire has a five-rib design and a tread depth of 16/32nds.

According to Goodyear, the Wingfoot APR can also provide durability and even wear in applications such as spread-axle trailers, triple-axle trailers, and local pickup and delivery service, where side-scrubbing is unavoidable. The all-steel casing and belt package contribute to the tire's durability and retreadability.

Designated the successor to the G132 and G114, Goodyear says the Wingfoot APR provides more miles-to-removal and more even wear, and matches its predecessors' handling, traction, rolling resistance, damage resistance, and retreadability characteristics.

Presently, the new tire is offered in 295/75R22.5; three additional sizes will be available before mid-year: 285/75R24.5; 11R22.5; and 11R24.5.

Newly released by the Penray Companies Inc. is a booklet dubbed "The Truth about NOAT (nitrited organic acid)" coolants.

Penray offers fleet owners its Fill-For-Life coolant program, which uses traditional "fully formulated" coolant and the company's Need-Release SCA filter instead of NOAT technology to extend coolant life.

According to the antifreeze maker, its booklet provides facts and figures that will help a fleet manager make a more informed decision about the type of cooling-system protection used in diesel engines.

Penray points out that the data includes research as well as other publications from coolant suppliers, including the maker of the NOAT-based product.

The main contention of the booklet is that "it appears that NOAT does not live up to the standards professed" for it by its manufacturer. Rather, says Penray, there are several drawbacks of NOAT compared to fully formulated coolant, including higher per-gallon cost; higher start-up cost; contamination limit of just 10%; and poor availability.

For information on receiving a copy of the "Truth about NOAT" booklet, contact Penray via phone at 800-322-2143; fax at 800-346-8454; or e-mail at [email protected].

Trailer status indicator, Model 2000, from Equipment Condition Indicators is a trailer-mounted device consisting of a weather-resistant container for housing trailer documents (vehicle condition reports, registration, annual inspection report, etc.), heavy-duty plastic clipboard, and a color-coded equipment status display - green for no defects; yellow for defects requiring attention but safe and DOT-ready to use; red for defects requiring repair prior to use.

Navistar International has developed new PC-based software for use on International brand engines. Master Diagnostics Fleet (MD Fleet) software succeeds Pro-Link, the company says, to provide in-house technicians with comprehensive information in an easier-to-use manner, while helping to reduce fleet maintenance costs.

Blocked air-slide fifth wheel from Fontaine Fifth Wheel can be used not only in standard heavy-duty applications, but also as a non-rocking fifth wheel for frameless dumps. Unit handles vertical load of 55,000 lb. and drawbar pull up to 150,000 lb.

Class 5-7 and vocational vehicles now have a new fan choice from Borg-Warner Cooling Systems. The company's Kysor MD9 is said to provide 5 deg. F more cooling at 5% higher efficiency than current models.

The new unit features a hubless design with blade aerodynamics created for medium-duty cooling systems so that the fan is easy to fit and provides improved cooling performance without any increase in weight.

According to Jim Bailey, global product manager, "Fans are balanced during the molding process, and smaller fans are balanced using the center ring. This means the balanced fans are consistently sized to exact diameter."

The MD9s are stackable, which means both storage space and damage during shipping are minimized.

Thomas W. O'Boyle, senior vp and group executive of Eaton Truck Components Operations-Worldwide (TCO) has announced several major changes in how the operation is aligned.

Alan E. Best, operations vp of TCO, will retire by the end of the second quarter. In the meantime, Best will assist TCO's new leaders in implementing the changes. The realignment includes linking the Heavy-Duty Transmission and Clutch divisions. James E. Sweetnam has been named vp-operations for these operations. DeWayne Egly, vp-general manager of the Clutch Div., will now report to Sweetnam. In addition, Gregory Lang, vp-general manager for the Light-/Medium-Duty Transmissions Div., will now report to O'Boyle.

Eaton has also formed a new Truck Electronics Div. under vp-general manager Timothy J. Morscheck, who reports to O'Boyle. The new division integrates Trucking Information Services, Eaton VORAD, and Automated Products businesses. David D. Renz has been named vp-sales & marketing-worldwide for Truck Components.

The new International 5000i integrated dump truck is a "concurrently engineered, assembled, marketed, sold, and supported" work truck, according to the company. The dump truck can be purchased now at select International dealers in the Southeast for delivery within 60 days of order. Concurrent design also means the truck's chassis, dump body, hydraulic components, and controls are built as a complete product - increasing reliability and durability, says the OEM.

A new rating for Cummins' ISB diesel engine offers drivers in the school bus, emergency vehicle/ambulance, and step-van markets premium performance under any condition. The 24-valve, fully electronic 6-cyl. ISB 260 is designed to maximize the performance capability of Allison's 1000 Series transmissions, offering 550 lb.-ft. of torque.

Chevron named Bob Blanchard of Central Valley Truck Center, Fresno, Calif., the first winner in its newly launched award program that recognizes the achievements of diesel technicians. Blanchard earned the January Technician of the Month title for his exceptional teamwork, as well as technical and customer-service skills. The program was created by Chevron Lubricants in response to the shortage of qualified diesel technicians. Its objective is to raise the status of the profession and ultimately increase the number of high-performing technicians in the industry.

PLC4TRUCKS, the industry consortium formed to develop technology for meeting a federal mandate for an in-cab trailer ABS warning light, has recommended that fleets with Air-Weigh WireLink or on-board scales, or Hendrickson Control Link systems use those multiplexing networks to provide warning light functions.

Both the PLC4TRUCKS and Air-Weigh systems use the trailer "blue auxiliary wire" to communicate ABS fault data between the trailer and tractor. Air-Weigh, which makes the Hendrickson system, also uses the blue wire to provide remote control and communication for trailer auxiliary systems such as their on-board scales.

In tests last year, the PLC4TRUCKS and Air-Weigh systems were unable to coexist on the blue wire. The new recommendation means that PLC4TRUCKS technology can now be integrated into the electronic control units for ABS systems without the need for expensive filtering systems to make coexistence with the Air-Weigh products possible.

76 Lubricants Co. has moved into the quick-lube business with the introduction of the 76 Express Lube. Initially, the program is being made available to the more than 300 76 product marketers across the U.S. It offers operators several branding options, from a fully branded lube center to supply-only with point-of-purchasing advertising. A full menu of services is offered to help 76 Express Lube owners get started from the ground up, with ongoing support every step of the way. For more information, call 1-800-HELP-76.

Peterbilt Motors Co. reports it has received top ranking in the 1999 J.D. Power & Associates customer-satisfaction study of conventional medium-duty trucks. The study was based on interviews with over 2,700 owners of two-year-old medium-duty trucks. The OEM says the primary factors for its ranking were top scores in vehicle performance, drivetrain, and warranty.

1-800-AutoTow has teamed up with Finova Capital Corp. and GMA Partners to acquire eight additional towing companies, located in San Antonio, Tex., and throughout central and south Florida. The company's goal is to build a nationally branded towing company that uses cutting-edge technologies, including automated dispatching, GPS, and mapping software.

Pennzoil has reentered the synthetic oil business with Pennzoil Synthetic, a line of full-synthetic oils formulated with Pennzane. The company has also added synthetic-blend motor oils. Pennzoil Synthetic contains Pennzane X2000, a synthesized hydrocarbon fluid originally developed by Pennzoil for NASA. The Synthetic and Synthetic-Blend product line will be available in 5W-30 and 10W-30 grades.

Newly formed company becomes third largest in nation

Within hours of receiving formal Federal approval, Exxon and Mobil finalized their merger agreement, which was announced nearly a year ago. Now called Exxon-Mobil, the new oil company is expected to post annual revenues of nearly $150 billion, making it the country's third largest company behind General Motors and DaimlerChrysler.

The Federal Trade Commission granted permission for the merger only after the two partners agreed to sell off 2,400 retail outlets in 34 cities where the merger would give the company overwhelmingly dominate market shares. Other divestitures required by the FTC include an Exxon refinery in California,

Mobil terminals in Boston and Washington, D.C., and Mobil's interest in two oil pipelines.

Still uncertain is how the new company will distribute its products. Exxon has maintained its own private fleet, while Mobil has used contract carriers and fleets operated by its distributors.

D-A Lubricant Co. says it will soon open a new used-oil analysis laboratory at its headquarters in Indianapolis.

According to D-A, the lab will boast the industry's most advanced testing equipment and will expand the company's ability to perform elemental analysis and to offer TBN testing on every oil sample from diesel engines.

The lab features state-of-the-art analytical equipment that is fully integrated into a new proprietary lab-information management system. In addition, a new bulletin board system has been set up for on-line reporting service customers.

Truck-mounted forklifts with 4,500- and 5,000-lb. lifting capacity are available in two series: Kesmac F series, with fixed front wheels that mount partly under/partly behind typical truck or trailer flatbeds; and Kesmac R series (photo), for mounting on trucks and trailers that have their rear axles and wheels at the very back.

Heavy-duty 2-post lifts from Challenger Lifts are available in 12,000- or 15,000-lb. capacity. Designed for applications such as dump trucks, wreckers, and utility vehicles, standard features include arm restraints; a single point, air-actuated release; and stacking truck adapters for a variety of units. Optional is an air/electric workstation that mounts to either lift column for easy access to outlets.

New Generation air horns offered by Hadley Products feature anodized aluminum to retain luster and shine while reducing weight and cost. Horns are available in rectangular and round bell styles in various lengths.

Transportation logistics programs customized to help improve customer service and reduce distribution costs are described in "Logistics Solutions," a new brochure from Rollins Logistics Inc.

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