the last word

April 1, 2002
Vegetable power This 92 Ford F-250 pickup owned by the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) traveled from Jefferson City, MO, to Washington D.C. last month to promote the use of biodiesel. The same truck made a similar journey 10 years before. In the meantime, notes MSMC, the pickup has covered 313,000 miles while saving more than 53,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide by running on biodiesel made

Vegetable power

This ‘92 Ford F-250 pickup owned by the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) traveled from Jefferson City, MO, to Washington D.C. last month to promote the use of biodiesel. The same truck made a similar journey 10 years before.

In the meantime, notes MSMC, the pickup has covered 313,000 miles while saving more than 53,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide by running on biodiesel made with the equivalent of 2,385 bushels of soybeans.

“This truck has given us top performance for 10 years and is still going strong,” says Dale R. Ludwig, MSMC executive director/CEO. “We believe using biodiesel in the truck has prolonged its engine life due to the fuel's excellent lubricity and high cetane, as well as properties that keep engines and fuel systems cleaner by reducing sediment build-up and carbon deposits.”

The pickup ran on B20 fuel (20% biodiesel/80% diesel) for its anniversary run, which was co-sponsored by MSMC and the National Biodiesel Board (www.biodiesel.org).

Show time

At last month's Mid-America Trucking Show, the Truck-Lite Trophy for excellence in show-truck competition was presented to the winners of the National Assn. of Show Trucks (NAST) 2001 competition by Bob Ives, vp-marketing for the Falconer, NY-based vehicle lighting suppler.

Garnering the first-place trophy and a check for $5,000 was Ron Baird of Thornton, IN, who pulls a dry-bulk tank unit for Hoffman Transportation of Morris, IL. Baird was recognized for his emerald-green truck, which sports murals and an array of lights.

Dutch treats

A panel of European trucking journalists, representing 20 countries, has named the DAF LF Series as the 2002 “International Truck of the Year.” DAF is a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Paccar Corp., parent also to Kenworth and Peterbilt.

According to the judges, the LF won because “DAF has developed a completely new modern and comfortable medium-heavy truck range with great flexibility for different transport tasks.”

The panel noted that in developing the LF, DAF focused on operational costs, functionality and driver comfort. “The DAF LF is a modern, environmentally friendly and safe truck,” the judges stated. “Drivability and comfort is the best in class. That attracts not only the most qualified drivers but also contributes to transport economy and road safety.”

Seeking a “unique way” to challenge the performance of its Rotella T truck oil, Shell looked no further than “outback” — in the land Down Under. Three Australian trucking operations are now helping the company torture-test its oil by running Rotella T in their massive Road Trains.

These on/off-road beasts run routes as long as 1,200 miles over dirt roads. Each tractor, usually powered by a 650-hp. diesel, can pull up to four trailers. Each combination measures up to 174 ft. long and may weigh up to 198 tons.

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