Keeping up with the latest medium truck developments has been made easier by commercial truck builders web sites. These sites are filled with information for people who are considering fleet additions. For the fleet operator who dreads going through the new-vehicle-purchase stress, taking time to view some of these web sites may be a way to ameliorate the process. It's hard to imagine many questions will remain unanswered after having a look at what has been posted. By the time the research has been completed, it seems likely that the only thing left on the buy list would be negotiating a price.
Following are samples of medium truck web sites, including Bering, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Hino, Isuzu, Mitsubishi Fuso, and UD Trucks. All sites have links to dealers for contact information.
www.beringtruck.com Bering Truck Corporation gets down to business on the home page by offering pictures of its three types of trucks - light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty. Those products are described individually, including engine, class, chassis, or category (light, medium, and heavy duty).
If the interest is in medium duty, this site offers a look at the MD23M weighing in at 23,000 pounds with a manual transmission and cab chassis. A second choice is the MD26M. Gross vehicle weight (GVW) is 29,950 pounds.
General specifications include information on engines, transmission, suspension, and brakes. Specifications are available for all truck categories. Engine specifications are listed for Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar, and Cummins.
Bering dealers can be contacted through the site's e-mail form. Dealers have entry to the site through a password program.
www.chevrolet.com The Chevrolet web site provides information about the company's commercial trucks as well as other vehicles. In the commercial truck section can be found information on warranties, parts and service, and special offers.
Featured are descriptions of the T-Series medium tilt cab, C-Series medium duty conventional, and W-4 Series low cab forward.
Specifications for the commercial trucks include exterior dimensions, power/drivetrain, transmissions, and frame/axle. Information for parts and service links to General Motor's www.gmgoodwrench.com web site.
A commercial truck dealer locator will search for contact information by name of dealer, city, zip code, or area and prefix telephone number. If the dealer has a web site, it can be accessed with a click.
www.ford.com The Ford web site includes information about its super duty 2000 trucks, Class 6/7. The trucks vary in size from 5,600 GVW to 33,000 GVW and include regular cabs, super cabs, and crew cabs.
The F-450 Super Duty Chassis Cabs have a GVW of 15,000 pounds. The Super Duty F-550 Chassis Cabs 7,500-pound capability is the highest standard GVW in its class, according to Ford. A 19,000-pound rating is available. The 2000 Ford Super Duty F-650/750 is discussed. The GVW is up to 33,000 pounds.
Like all the truck sites, Ford offers plenty of specifications for its models. Information is divided by GVW, powerteams, clutches, steering, tires/wheels, dimensions, frames, and axle/springs.
Many topics are available. For example, the subject of configurations includes information on regular cabs, super cabs, crew cabs, wheelbases, and cab-to-axle lengths. More topics include utility, engines, transmissions, and chassis.
A list of dealers is also provided by a locator.
www.gmc.com The GMC web site leads easily to the commercial home page where medium duty C-, T-, and W-Series trucks are shown. Both tilt-cab and conventional-designed cabs are presented. Clicking on any of the three trucks pictured will get to detailed descriptions, features, and specifications. The specifications pages are so concise that information is presented for everything from the engine to cup holders in the cab.
The W-Series introduction covers the tilt cab model and touts the truck's shorter overall length for giving drivers better visibility and providing a tighter turning radius for greater maneuverability.
Offering a range of tilt cabs from Class Three to Class Five, GMC lists the specifications for gasoline or diesel engines and varying wheelbases.
At the top of the model introductory page are buttons for specifications, vocations, advantages, interior, chassis, warranty, service, and maintenance.
www.hinotrucksusa.com Hino Diesel Trucks USA Inc web site information covers products, company profile, Hino news, testimonials, warranty information, dealer locations, employment, and contact information.
Eight of the company's model series are presented. Within the product information are in-depth specifications, including schematic drawings of chassis. The drawings can be enlarged for greater detail. The specification list covers all models.
Warranty information includes a discussion of basic specifications, including engine, corrosion, frame, and emission.
Hino dealers in the United States and Puerto Rico are listed. Links are provided to the dealers' web sites as well as usual contact information.
Not relying totally on its own advertising, the company posts testimonials from companies that operate Hino trucks. Comments come from industries such as leasing, laundry, furniture rental/delivery, wholesale florist, beverage, landscaping, food, automotive, and postal.
www.isuzucv.com American Isuzu Motors Inc presents medium size truck specifications for four models. They vary from the FRR 18,000 GVW model to the 33,000 GVW FVR.
On the specification page, you can see the engine types, displacement, horsepower, and torque information. A link is also available to the engine division at www.isuzuengines.com. The power line-up is displayed by series. Warranty, service, and parts are discussed as are specifications.
On the www.isuzu.com site, the Get a Quote from a Dealer's button provides an e-mail form to submit. If finding a local dealer's contact information is the goal, type in a zip code and the names of the nearest dealers will pop up on the screen.
Although a mailing address is not listed on the web site, there is a toll-free telephone number. An e-mail form also is posted. For information about other Isuzu vehicles, links are provided by model name.
www.mitfuso.com Finding specification information on the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America web site is simple, but if more in-hand information is desired, there is an e-mail form to order video and/or brochures. Just click on the button on the home page, and presto, the request is off to the company.
On line, however, is plenty of information about the manufacturer's products. The home page has photographs of trucks representing the various models that act as buttons for access. Vocational descriptions include refrigerated distribution, furniture delivery, route delivery, utility, full-service vending, vehicle recovery, and grounds maintenance.
Among the subjects on the specification list are measurements for wheelbase, and truck length, width, and height. More information is posted for the brake system, transmission, and engine horsepower/torque. A summary of truck performance and application follows specifications.
Finding a dealer's address is easy. Just search the state and city index to obtain contact information and a map to the location.
www.udtrucks.com Nissan Diesel America Inc provides a complete specification list for the company's medium duty trucks. Included is information on wheelbases, engines, emissions, clutches, front axle, steering, rear axle, wheel and tires, transmission, brake, exhaust brake, chassis frame, cab, and electrical instruments. Options also are listed. Similar information abounds for the light duty trucks.
Although the parts pages are under construction, information is still available for the various items. On another page, a summary of the extended protection plan is presented. For lining up dealers, a search by state quickly accesses a contact list.
More information can be obtained by e-mailing a brochure and specification form request. This source, as are most of the others, is available from the home page.
www.pnv.net Park 'N View Changes Name Park 'N View, a long-haul trucking telecommunications and entertainment services provider, has announced a company expansion and broadening of services. The company, which will now be known as PNV.net, will expand beyond providing in-cab services to professional drivers to become a connectivity and information solutions provider to the entire long-haul segment. PNV.net will leverage its national, high-speed digital platform to deliver a range of services to travel centers, fleets, drivers, industry suppliers, and advertisers.
Park 'N View will remain as the brand name for this package of services.
PNV.net currently has long-term contracts with more than two-thirds, or about 800, of the full-service truck stops in the nation, and already is providing in-cab service to more than 220 locations. In addition, the company has begun implementation of its contract to provide telecommunications solutions inside the stop for TA, a travel center operator.
www.alcoawheels.com Alcoa Provides Web Site Alcoa Wheel Products International has a new web site that provides Internet access to wheel, maintenance, and contact information. The site, located at www.alcoawheels.com, connects visitors to facts and figures on wheels for heavy- duty trucks and buses; wheels for pickups, sport utility vehicles, recreational vehicles and motorhomes; Alcoa Aluminum Care System; and maintenance, technical support, and warranty information. Visitors can request literature or look up the location of the nearest authorized Alcoa warehouse distributor.
www.veeder-root.com Veeder-Root TLS-PC 32 The Veeder-Root Co has released TLS-PC 32, software that simplifies managing information from a TLS tank gauge. Simple to set up and use, TLS-PC 32 provides at-a-glance site status, combined with access to inventory, compliance, risk management, and business management information.
TLS-PC 32 software will archive all of the gauge information on a back office PC. The data is stored in an Access database at a user-defined frequency, which makes it convenient to keep records of, for instance, reconciliation or compliance information.
Designed to work with TLS-PC 32 software are the TLS-300/350 or 350R PC version consoles. These PC version consoles are stripped of printer display and keyboard.
www.bestroutes.com TruckStops Import Wizard The Import Wizard feature included in the latest release of TruckStops routing and scheduling system allows users to import data from multiple file types, according to a recent report from MicroAnalytics. Users can map data exported from an AS400 or accounting/order-entry system into TruckStops' fields in minutes.
The Import Wizard will take data from text files, ASCII format, and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Fields are offered in a Windows environment, and on-line help is provided.
Available for Windows 95/98 and NT, TruckStops can be used either dynamically, for scheduling vehicles on routes that change daily; or strategically, for planning and updating fixed delivery rounds.
www.qualcomm.com Qualcomm, Autotrac to Bring OmniTRACS to Argentina Qualcomm Inc and Autotrac Comercio e Telecomunicacoes SA of Brazil have formed a joint venture to bring the OmniTRACS mobile information management system to Argentina. This OmniTRACS system will provide two-way satellite-based communications, including real-time Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring and a satellite communication system to allow transfer of data to and from a vehicle while en route.
The joint venture already has received contracts from Matlack Roman Transportes (MRT), which will provide dedicated logistics services in Argentina.
www.protectionone-mobile.com Telematics Agreement Signed Protection One Mobile Services Group, Irving TX-based provider of telematics services, has announced an agreement with Telcontar of San Jose CA to assist in development of software for a telematics server. This server will enable rapid access to nationwide mapping resources and an open information platform to access millions of points of interest and real-time traffic incident updates. The server is expected to improve response times for delivery of information to Protection One's mobile customers and allow the company to add a greater variety of location-based services.
Telcontar provides street map data management compression, route-finding, and rendering tools for the personal and vehicle navigation markets.
The server will handle current Protection One Mobile needs and also accommodate future enhancements.
www.neotech.com Mobile-Trak XL for Fleets NeoTech Products Inc has unveiled its new Mobile-Trak XL, designed to provide fleet managers with precise vehicle information to automate preventive maintenance scheduling and manage large company-owned or leased vehicles.
Mobile-Trak XL standard features include: start and end times of trips, duration of trip, accurate mileage, speed monitoring, idle monitoring, driving habits monitoring, hours in use, off-hour usage, and detailed trip data for the past nine hours for accident analysis.
This unit allows upgrades to optional modules such as the Multi-Bus Module, which can provide rpm monitoring, maximum throttle position, maximum engine load, and diagnostic trouble codes. The Mobile-Trak XL unit plugs directly into the vehicle diagnostic port with the Multi-Bus Module. Another optional module is the wireless modem, which allows pieces of data to be transmitted via cellular. Data is then accessible via the Internet. This on-board computer mounts in any vehicle and automatically collects data without driver participation.
