Big Chills

ThermoKing Corp. has a new line of trailer refrigeration units for deep-frozen loads. The SB-300 (shown) is for truckload carriers who regularly haul deep frozen loads, while the SB-200 was created specifically for carriers who only occasionally haul deep frozen loads. The SB-300 touts a cooling capacity of 64,000 Btu/hour at 35 F, 37,000 Btu/hour at 0 F and 25,000 Btu/hour at -20 F. The SB-200's capacities are 60,000 Btu/hour, 32,000 Btu/hour and 21,000 Btu/hour at those respective temperatures. Each unit contains new high-capacity condensers, MP-VI Smart Reefer microprocessor controllers and ThermoKing's Whisper-quiet operation. An in-cab controller device is available (at right).

Palm Power

Ratchkey manufactures small, innovative hand tools that help with big problems. The Torquebone lets you drive screws, nuts and bolts using your palm in a ratcheting action. The Palmster is a professional quality hand ratchet wrench that fits comfortably in the user's palm. It allows the user to get into tight places to generate more than 200 ft.-lbs. of torque. The Palmster uses interchangeable bits to act as a screwdriver, a socket wrench or a bit driver. Ratchkey, (781) 982-1581.

California Clean

Visit most any truck beauty show and you'll find California Custom products being used to clean and polish rigs. The line includes metal polishes and waxes that can be used on cold or hot metal and even in the sun. For more info, or to order, see (www.californiacustom.com) or call (800) 457-1242.

Free 'Net Loads

NetTrans has partnered with Internet kiosk operator NetNearU to offer free load matching at more than 230 U.S. truckstops. Truckers can use the kiosks 24 hours a day to search the NetTrans freight database and find loads near any U.S. city without subscribing to the NetTrans service. The kiosksdisplay up to 250 loads for each search. Drivers can also use the kiosks to advertise the availability of their trucks on NetTrans. See www.nettrans.com for kiosk locations.

Hook-up.com Adds Auction Features

The online truck auction site Hook-up.com has revamped its Web site and added features including want-to-buy listings and a "Bid-o-Meter" with a "Dicker Zone" where sellers and buyers can go back and forth on particularly attractive items. The site is also 24-7, with much of the action taking place in the evenings and on weekends, company officials say. More than 1,000 pieces of equipment are available at any time.

Satellite Radio Ready to Rock

Sirius Satellite Radio is poised to begin broadcasting across the U.S. early this year, ushering in the era of nationwide direct broadcast, digital quality radio programming on as many as 100 channels. That means, if you like a channel, you could listen to it uninterrupted from Boston to Burbank. On Nov. 30, the company launched the third of its three-satellite network to provide coast-to-coast coverage in the U.S. Sirius expected to complete testing the satellite in January and to begin broadcasting soon.

For $9.95 a month, Sirius will offer up to 50 channels of commercial-free music in nearly every style, as well as up to 50 channels of news, sports, talk, comedy and other special interest programs. Sirius has partnered with Freightliner and Sterling to install special three-band (AM/FM/SAT) receivers in the makers' vehicles.There is also intense interest in the trucking industry to create an exclusive truckers' channel. Another company, XM Radio, plans to launch its satellites and begin broadcasting shortly. XM and Sirius have developed a uniform standard for the receivers. For more info, see www.xmradio.com or www.siriusradio.com.

Height Control

Hendrickson's Universal Height Control Valve (HCV) is for aftermarket installation on tractor, truck and trailer air-ride suspensions. It provides twice the airflow of comparably sized valves, the maker says. More airflow means quicker air up, improved response and faster exhaust, as well as greater suspension under normal operation and improved stability during loading and unloading. See www.hendrick son-intl.com for more info.

In-Cab Air Release

Holland In-Cab Air Release System offers fleets and drivers a way to eliminate or reduce the strain and hassle of coupling and uncoupling fifth wheels. It is designed to work only when the tractor and trailer are not in motion and the parking brake is engaged. To open the fifth wheel lock, the driver pushes and holds a dash-mounted button to activate a pneumatic cylinder on the fifth wheel that releases the lock. The system is now available for all Holland 3500 Series stationary and sliding fifth wheel models, and it is backed by Holland's five- year comprehensive warranty, including parts and labor allowance. For more info, see www.thehollandgroupinc.com.

International Readies New Medium-Duty Line

This February, International Truck and Engine Corp. will unveil its new line of "high-performance" medium-duty trucks, which the builder has spent $900 million to design and develop. The 4000, 7000 and 8000 series trucks will be shown off to dealers, customers, suppliers and the press in Las Vegas. The company is already taking orders for the 4000 series for spring delivery; severe service and heavy-duty models are due this summer. International presently dominates the fast-growing medium duty market, which is becoming increasingly competitive as other builders advance their own models. For more information about the new truck series, visit www.internationaldelivers.com.

J.D. Power Honors Caterpillar Engines

Caterpillar vocational and over-the-road engines have been rated as highest in customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power & Associates 2000 Heavy-Duty Truck Engine Study. The study is based on interviews with more than 2,300 owners of two-year-old Class 8 trucks. It looked at factors such as engine life, performance and downtime, as well as noise and fuel economy. Long engine life was the most important factor. The Cat 3406E, now known as the C-15 and C-16, rated highest in 12 of 14 measures. These are the first awards to a truck engine maker since the survey began in 1997.

And if you are a proud Cat owner, you can dress up your engine with chrome accessories such as valve covers. These will be available at truck and Cat engine dealers as well as chrome dealers who carry Panelite products. Online ordering will soon be available at www.panelite.com and www.cattruckengines.com.

Meanwhile, Cat has launched a truckstop-based audiobook rental club in conjunction with Audio Adventures. As a member of the club, you can earn points redeemable for free rentals or Cat logo merchandise. The club will be available at all major truckstops, including TA. Call (800) 551-6692 for details.

Ground Out Stress

What's the real cause of the stress you experience while driving? It's low-voltage "contact electricity" built up by road vibration and your body as it moves against the seat, says an inventor in Ventura, Calif. He's devised an inexpensive pad that neutralizes the charges, and a bunch of long-haul drivers swear it helps.

A. Clinton Ober says he hooked a digital multimeter to a driver and measured contact electricity at 30 to 90 microvolts. These charges interfere with the body's nervous system, which runs on "bio-electrical" microvoltage in the same range, causing stress in the brain and muscles. But the charges disappeared when the test driver sat on a carbon fiber seat pad grounded to the seat's frame, and so did much mental stress and many aches and pains.

Ober further tested his "bio-ground" pad on 27 truckers, whose ages averaged 48 years, and collected their comments. "Made me more alert, wide awake, [had] more energy, made me sleep after my shift," wrote one driver. "I've noticed less stress and fatigue," said another. "Also, my alertness has heightened and I had less aches and pains." Still another testified, "Driving long periods at times [and had] back and shoulders getting tight and back pain before using this product. The stress is gone in my back after using this product."

The $20 pad is offered on a love-it-or-return-it for a full refund basis, said Kathy Downing, director of sales and marketing. Bio-ground Sciences Inc. is at (800) 728-5452.

Truck-Lite Model 18

Truck-Lite Co. has introduced a new LED.Model 18 marker Clearance Lamp that uses only 3 diodes and draws just .05 amp per lamp. Available in red or yellow, the lamp measures 4.5 by 1 by 1.63 inches and uses standard mounting holes and accessories. It can be mounted horizontally or vertically for sidemarker or reflector use. See www.truck-lite.com.

Cool Bolts

Visibolts (608-824-0086, www.visibolts.com) makes bright stainless bolts with LED lights in them. The LEDs are red or amber, the bolts 7/16- and 1/2-inch, both in round and oval styles. Visibolts look like ordinary bumper bolts in daylight. When powered by a nearby parking or taillamp, they provide a vivid red or amber light for enhanced safety or just good looks. Each Visibolt comes with a full wiring kit.

Fine Mess of Stuff From Stanley

Stanley (860-225-5111, www.stanleyworks.com) seems to be an endless source of useful tools. Here are a few recent ones:

Two interchangeable tip screwdrivers, the 68-010 and 68-011 "premium," have a comfortable, tri-lobe, bi-metal handle with a textured surface, giving you a secure grip to bear down on things. A three-way ratcheting mechanism provides forward, reverse and fixed positions for varying jobs. A spring-loaded, ball-bearing indexing mechanism accesses the bits for quick changing. Ten bits with 1/4-inch shanks include slotted, Phillips, Torx, Posidriv and square heads.

The 3/8-inch Indexible Head Ratchet operates like an ordinary ratchet wrench, but the head is adjustable and locks in five positions. When unlocked, the head rotates 360 degrees to speed fasteners on and off. Available individually or in standard or metric sets.

Ratchet Action combination wrenches speed fasteners on and off by eliminating the need to reposition the wrench. Ratchet Action wrenches are longer than most, with an offset shoulder to allow more force to be applied without rounding or stripping the fastener. The angle also provides knuckle clearance.

New locking extension bars come in three sizes: 3-, 6- and 10-inches. Each has a knurled collar for positive grip on the fast, easy-to-use release mechanism. The Metal Rolling Workshop is a combo tool chest, tool box and worktable on 6-inch wheels. There's a large flip-out bin for power tools, two drawers with removable dividers for hand tools, a large tool box with a work surface and notches to help hold work-pieces.

GPS Tracks Trailers

Trailer tracking technology helped Trucks For You of Muskogee, Okla., recover a semi-trailer stolen in Mexico. The trailer was one of two sent into Mexico with loads, and both disappeared. One had an Arinc Dominion tracking system, and when it was "polled" via GPS satellites, it showed its location: a trailer shop near Monterrey, where thieves were cutting it apart. The other trailer had no tracking system and was never found. But Trucks For You said it found another Dominion-equipped trailer, along with its $70,000 load of new tires, shortly after it had been stolen last year in Los Angeles. In both cases, company representatives went to the satellite-indicated locations and pinpointed the trailers with hand-held GPS units.

Volvo Offers 'Smarter' Cruise Control

Volvo has begun offering a safety feature called Adaptive Cruise Control on some of its VN highway tractors. The doppler radar-based system works with the Volvo engine, Volvo Engine Brake (VEB), cruise control and an automated transmission to slow the rig if it comes within a three-second range of a vehicle in front of it. The controlled deceleration alerts the driver to take additional corrective action in order to maintain safe operation. A Collision Warning System tells the driver when a vehicle edges into the truck's safety zone. The Adaptive Cruise Control goes a step further by automatically slowing the vehicle, giving the driver additional time to act. The two work together to supplement a driver's own sense of road conditions, Volvo executives say. Volvo began testing the system in March 1999; several units were field tested at U.S. Xpress in October 1999.The Collision Warning System with the Adaptive Cruise Control option is now available for factory installation only in Volvo VNL (123-inch BBC) day cab and sleeper tractor models ordered with the Eaton AutoShift II transmission.

Wheel-end Deal

Hendrickson and Stemco have joined forces to produce the Value Package, a low-cost, extended service wheel-end configuration. Value Package is an option with Hendrickson's Intraax and Vantraax suspensions and has a ductile iron hub assembly and Stemco's premium Discover Seal. It is designed for high temperature operation and has the Sentinel Hub Cap with a filtering system to remove lubricant contaminants.

Wireless DriverNet

DriverNet has launched a wireless messaging system for truck drivers. DriverNet pK offers Web-based dispatch, Internet e-mail, two-way fleet-driver messaging, truck routing, DAT Freight Exchange Network and DriverNet pay settlements. The system employs the HandSpring Visor using the Palm operating system and a wireless messaging module that the company says can cover 90% of the U.S., including the Interstates.

Mack Fenders

Life-Time Truck Products offers Mack owners a way to celebrate the builder's 100 years in business, with monogramed stainless steel quarter fenders. The large design is permanently engraved for long life. Call (800) 933-6565.

New Bandags

Bandag Inc. says its new FuelTech Drive and FuelTech Trailer tread designs provide increased fuel efficiency on its retread tires. They use a new rubber compound called "Synergy" Bandag says has extremely low rolling resistance. Traction and wear are also higher than usual in fuel-efficient tires, the company says.