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Mid-America Show
By Tom Berg, Paul Abelson and Bill Hudgins
The mood at the 29th annual Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., was perhaps less exuberant than in the recent past. Concerns over decreased new truck orders, excessive stocks of used trucks and high fuel prices hung over the March 23-25 event. It may have cut slightly into attendance, which was 76,118, down 2,531 from last year.
Unchanged from previous years was the continuing driver shortage, and recruiting booths were both abundant and anxiously open for business.
In general, major component manufacturers showed off refinements to existing products instead of totally new offerings. Meanwhile, technological products and services were much in evidence, especially e-commerce - doing business over the Internet.
Mercedes Power in Freightliner
Want to stable some eurohorses under your rig's hood? Freightliner will sell them to you with a newly optional Mercedes-Benz MBE4000 diesel, a 12.8- liter in-line Six with 350 to 450 hp and 1,350 to 1,550 pounds- feet of torque, and a very powerful engine brake that weighs only a few pounds, according to Chief Engineer Michael von Mayenberg.
Compared with similar-sized competitors even without an 80-pound Jake Brake, the MBE4000 weighs 150 to 617 pounds less. It has an overhead camshaft and, of course, electronic controls, and is available on Century, Argosy and FL112 models.
Putting the pedal to the metal will be easier, too, with an adjustable arrangement newly available on Century trucks. Clutch, brake and accelerator can be moved several inches up or down to suit everyone, no matter what his or her leg length is.
When they're not behind the wheel, drivers can appreciate home-like comfort made possible by electric-power appliances. To power them, Freightliner now offers a built-in 1,100-watt Trace inverter. But make sure your alternator and batteries can take the strain.
Sterling Goes Lighter
Even lighter at the Sterling booth was an LT8500 daycab bulk hauler claiming a tare weight of 13,160 pounds, while a long-haul Silver Star (left) with a 77-inch sleeper and big power stood at 16,980 pounds.
Both had aluminum cabs but the LT8500, designed for tanker and other bulk-haulers, was sleeper-less and used a Cummins ISM with a variety of aluminum housings, boxes and tanks. The Silver Star also packed lots of aluminum but had a 12.7-liter, 470-hp Detroit.
Though Sterling came out of virtually nowhere only two years ago, its sales last year almost matched a long-time player, Volvo, Sterling execs said.
Kenworth Put Tech on Road
High-technology safety equipment first displayed on concept trucks is now available on T2000 and W900 highway tractors, Kenworth said. An Alpine DVD-based electronic navigation system furnishes directions on a swivel-mounted, flat-panel display and push-button controls.
A vision system uses a curb-view mirror on the upper-right side of the sleeper, plus side-facing cameras in the mirrors; in-cab CRT displays to the driver's left and right tell what's going on in blind spots.
Talking sales, KW General Manager Ed Caudill said high fuel prices and insurance premiums had driven owner/operators out of the new-truck market, "and I don't blame them." Fleet customers continue to buy trucks, though, and in spite of fuel price spikes, many get the big, square-nose W900L because that's what drivers want.
Quik-Draw Sliders
Quik-Draw, an air-operated pin-pulling system for sliding trailer tandems, eliminates the back- and shoulder-straining chore for drivers, says maker Hendrickson. Quik-Draw retracts locking pins when the driver hits a valve mounted on the slider; pneumatic force is claimed to be strong enough to dislodge even jammed or frozen pins. The pins automatically reset when the parking brake is released.
The system weighs 29 pounds less than the mechanisms in a typical manual slider and costs a small fraction of an average worker's comp claim.
'Star Gets Heavy - and Light
Western Star Trucks showed off a heavy off-road chassis, the 6964SX, and a light-weight road tractor, a 4964FXL. Used in logging, mining and construction, the big 6900 series kept the old, narrow Heritage cab until recently. This 6964SX (below) is the first with the wider, more modern Constellation cab, the company said.
The '00 4964FXL represents the third round in Western Star's weight-reduction efforts; though sporting a long (62 inches) and tall sleeper, it scaled at 14,000 pounds, 960 pounds lighter than the vehicle displayed last year and another 900 pounds lighter than the one at the 1998 show.
Key to the weight savings this time is a 10.8-liter Cummins ISM diesel and more lightweight components, many with aluminum housings. Executives said Western Star's new plant in North Charleston, S.C., has begun producing Class 8 models for the hungry market in the eastern U.S.
Meritor Unitized Wheel Ends
A preassembled wheel end, complete with a pre-loaded and sealed-for-life bearing and installed multi-seal, will save at least $4,000 in maintenance over the life of a typical highway tractor, said Meritor Automotive. The UWE-90 product for certain Meritor single- and tandem-drive axles has SKF bearings and races cut to fit specific hubs; a four-piece seal eliminates leaks from and into the bearings. The preassembled wheel end eliminates sometimes chancy installation of bearings and seals by truck builders, and should need no maintenance for 1 million miles.
International Boosts 9000i
International Truck & Engine (the new name for Navistar International) announced a package of incentives to boost sales of its 9000i series of premium trucks. For $6,000 added to the purchase of a 9900i or other models, there's an Owner's ValueChoice package offering a five year/500,000-mile warranty, plus towing coverage for that term; $1,000 credit toward parts and service at International dealers; emergency breakdown service, and other perks.
Meanwhile, the builder has an online locating service for 9000i and other new trucks at www.InternationalDelivers.com, the service finds trucks with the looker's choice of specifications at dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Delivery from the dealer stocking the desired truck can be arranged by the inquirer's dealer, and sales are still handled through dealers.
Truck-Lite Adds White LEDs
Truck-Lite has added three new white light-emitting diode lamps to its product line, which now includes every lamp needed to legally equip any trailer with LEDs. The three new lamps include an LED Model 15 license plate lamp. Available in a variety of mounting kits, it features a standard adapter plug that eliminates rewiring, and operates at 13.5 volts, .05 amps.
The new LED Model 44 interior dome lamp and Model 44 back-up lamp feature bright white illumination. The lamps are rated for 13.5 volts at 0.5 amps — one-tenth or less the current draw of incandescent lamps. They fit in the compact round 4-inch- diameter housing that all other Truck-Lite Super 44s use. Each has either either grommet- or flange-mount versions with connector plugs.
Night Vision
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems said it is working with Raytheon and Honeywell to develop a new night vision camera and viewing system for truckers that would greatly increase a driver's picture of a highway after dark. The system, being tested now, would use an external camera to pick up objects at a distance five times greater than high beam headlights. Priced in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, the new product would be retrofittable and may be available as early as the first quarter of 2001.
Look Into the Blind Spots
Ultra View Mirrors (516-349-8090), developers of the system that automatically adjusts West Coast mirrors to track the rear of a trailer, recently introduced Auto Scan to help with lane changes. When you touch and release a button, the West Coast mirror swings out to let you scan the adjacent lane for hidden traffic, then returns to its preset position. Use the left mirror before pulling out to pass, and the right one before pulling back in line. You won't have the distortion you get from convex mirrors, and you'll be able to scan your blind spots.
On the Cuff
The Coil Cuff and Coil Collar, both from Coil Cuff Corp. (888-876-1789), fit the inner diameters of steel coils to protect from chain damage to the coil, and from in-transit telescoping or dishing. They are made of rust-proof high impact polymer. Easy to install, the reusable protectors save time securing loads and can protect when coils are hoisted by crane. They come in a variety of colors, in three sizes for inside diameters from 14 to 32 inches.
Satellite Radio Takes Off
By the end of this year, X-M Satellite Radio (202-969-7100) and Sirius Satellite Radio (212-584-5100, control room shown at right) will bring uninterrupted radio coverage anywhere in the U.S. and lower Canada. Each will provide at least 50 commercial-free music channels, with 50 more carrying news, sports, children's programming, entertainment and talk shows. Converters for existing radios will sell for less than $100 at consumer electronics retailers, including a fist-sized satellite antenna and special chip set. Subscriptions should be less than $10 per month.
Trucker Buddy Picks New Leaders
After months of controversy about its finances, Trucker Buddy International (TBI, http://www.truckerbuddy.org, 800-MY-BUDDY) announced it had hired a new executive director and reorganized its business operations. Ellen Voie was named to the executive director post, which is the organization's only paid position. She had been secretary/treasurer of TBI. Voie, of Waupaca, Wis., has been a transportation consultant for 15 years, and hold a master's degree in communications.
As part of the reorganization, Park 'N View will provide "pro bono" financial management and marketing services, charging only expenses back to the group. Voie also said the group was working on a set of guidelines for truckers' visits to schools. It was also announced that Gary King, the trucker who founded TBI in 1992 and was its executive director, has retired from TBI.
'99 Highway Heroes Announced
Two Kentucky men were named Goodyear North America Highway Heroes for 1999 at the Mid-America show. Truck drivers Terry Harvey and Floyd Anthony Miller didn't know each other and were in separate rigs when they came across a fiery accident involving a Jeep and a sedan on Kentucky's Mountain Parkway on June 22, 1999. Yet they worked together like seasoned partners to save two motorists from almost certain death.
The other finalists for the award were: Morris Holley of Baltimore, Md., and Ronald McKee of Middletown, N.J.; Jeffrey Wiles of Montpelier, Ohio; and John McDonald of Memphis, Tenn. Harvey and Miller split a $20,000 savings bond. Each of the other finalists received a $5,000 savings bond.
NAST Awards 1999 Trophy
The Truck-Lite Trophy for competitors in the National Association of Show Trucks' circuit was presented by Truck-Lite Chairman Steve Davis and President Brian Kupchella to Bob and Nancy Drummond, Cocoa, Fla., 1986 Kenworth (below) at NAST's annual meeting on March 24. In second place was W.L. "Georgia Boy" Putnam, Tunnel Hill, Ga., 1980 Kenworth. Gordon and Janie Levering, Red Oak, Texas, took third with their 1998 Western Star.
Darian Stephens, Herford, Pa., took home the second annual Member of the Year trophy for efforts in support of NAST. Stephens and Roger Hogeland, Fontana, Calif., were elected to fill seats on the board of directors. New NAST officers for 2000-2001 are Bob Drummond, president, Dave Sweetman, Dana Point, Calif., vice president, Suzanne Stempinski, Skokie, Ill., secretary and Gina Kemner, Punta Gorda, Fla., treasurer. Bob Guy of Cincinnati, the immediate past president, was hired as executive director.
E-This, E-That
E-commerce was on many exhibitors' lips, with numerous companies touting new or improved Web sites and partnerships with vendors and potential customers. Among the contenders:
- Caterpillar launched http://www.cattruckengines.com as the source for all things Cat.
- Volvo is redesigning its Web site, http://www.volvotrucks.com, so a user can specify a new truck with just seven clicks of the mouse, starting May 15.
- Computrucks.com describes itself as the first and presently only place to order new heavy- or medium-duty trucks online from a franchised dealer.
- Peterbilt has beefed up its Web site, http://www.peterbilt.com, with such features as a virtual tour of its new conventional Model 387 and an online Pete merchandise store. Dealerships may soon offer PNV Internet kiosks in customer waiting rooms.
- PNV is rolling out a high-speed, broadband wireless Internet service at its 268 locations. The service will let drivers to go online when they are within a half-mile of a PNV location. CEO Bob May said the service would also let vehicles report operating data automatically. May also said the company may develop a "PNV-lite" wireless Internet service at sites where it could not offer PNV's hard-wired cable TV and phone services.
- Meritor Automotive has created a separate company to launch FleetWorks.com, an Internet parts exchange for the truck aftermarket industry. The site is available to all parts vendors, not just Meritor, and hopes to attract a wide range of buyers as well as sellers. It is scheduled to go live in late summer 2000.
- TruckCenter.com is The Associates' e-commerce entry, offering not only trucks and trailers, but also financing, insurance, warranty and third-party inspections, as well as trucking-related links.
TWNA Elects Road King Staffers
Tom Berg, editor of Road King, and Bill Hudgins, editorial director, were elected as officers of The Truck Writers of North America (TWNA). Berg, a founder of TWNA in 1988, was picked as one of its directors, and Hudgins, as vice president. Rolf Lockwood, editor of the Canadian publication Today's Trucking, was elected president; Bob Deierlein, a freelance writer, was reelected secretary-treasurer. Also elected as directors were Ruth Jones, senior editor of Land Line, and Deborah Lockridge, senior editor of Newport Communications. Mike Pennington, director of marketing communications for Meritor, was elected allied director.
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