Pull Those Fangs, Fly the Flag
There’s an alternative to bug screens and winter fronts with fangs and other menacing designs. Patriotic emblems like those from Belmor Heavy Truck Products (773-622-0680, www.belmor.com) help boost trucking’s image. Winter fronts come with vertical slits, following the latest TMC Recommended Practices.
Like to Take a Peek Around The Corner?
Forward View Mirrors (877-953-8733, www.forwardviewmirrors.com) mount on the driver’s-side mirror bracket. A set consists of two mirrors. The outboard one faces forward to see down the road around any obstacle in front. The inboard one allows the driver to see the outboard one. They can help you determine if it is safe to pull out to pass, or to find out what traffic is like be.yond the trailer that’s filling up your windshield.
Double Turbocharging Coming, Again?
Caterpillar might use double turbocharging and double aftercooling on some of its ACERT engines due in 2003. Cat says its Advanced Combustion Emissions Reduction Technology is a simpler way than exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to reduce exhaust pollutants to new EPA limits, but has kept key parts of ACERT secret. But it is keeping truck builders informed. We’ve learned from one of them Cat is dropping plans for an exhaust particulate trap and will instead use two turbos and two aftercoolers. It’s a “series” system, with high-pressure and low-pressure turbos in the exhaust stream, one ahead of the other, boosting inlet air to 50 to 55 psi – about twice the boost of heavy truck diesels now.
This highly compressed air will be extra hot, so double aftercooling will chill it enough for the engine to efficiently ingest. Air will first pass through a jacketwater cooler and then through a charge-air cooler, as now. The jacketwater aftercooler will dump its heat into the engine’s coolant, just like rivals’ EGR coolers. Series double turbocharging might seem futuristic, but Cummins used it in the early ’80s on its NTC-475. But it was troublesome, and soon dropped. Will Cat’s do better? We’ll see.
Jam at the 23rd Walcott Truckers Jamboree
July 11-12, at Iowa 80 TA
The 23rd Walcott Truckers Jamboree will be held July 11-12 at the Iowa 80 TA, exit 284 off I-80 near Walcott, Iowa. The event includes a super truck beauty contest, more than 170 antique trucks dating from as early as 1908, more than 150 exhibits, brand-new and used trucks, live country music, games, super pet contest, trucker olympics, and 1-1/2-inch thick grilled Iowa pork chops! Held at the world’s largest truckstop, the Jamboree draws more than 20,000 people. Admission is free. For more information, call (563) 468-5519 or browse www.iowa80truckstop.com.
New Volvo VN Model to Debut in August
At press time, Volvo Trucks announced it would unveil a new Volvo VN model to the press on Aug. 20. The company said it will have a new cab design, front axle position, front air-suspension system and Volvo powertrain, including either a Volvo D12 or Cummins engine.
New Way Into Albuquerque TA
The “Big I” construction project near the Albuquerque TA is done. The old exit is closed; here are the new directions:
Westbound I-40: Take Exit 159D, turn right on University Blvd. TA is two blocks to the left.
Eastbound I-40: Exit 159A. Follow service road and signs for University Blvd. Turn left on University Blvd. and the TA is two blocks to the left.
Southbound I-25: Take Exit 227 service road to Candelaria, go left to University, then turn right on University Blvd., and the TA is one block to the right.
Northbound I-25: Take Exit 225 service road to Candelaria (right), which loops into University Blvd. TA’s on the right.
To leave: Make a right out of the TA onto University. To go eastbound on I-40, take the left lane east two blocks. To go either I-40 west or I-25 north or south, take the right lane two blocks.
Beef Up Your AM Radio Reception
Many drivers like AM radio, and wish they could get good reception at longer distances. The problem is that AM broadcasts at relatively long wavelengths. To properly tune an antenna for optimum AM reception, you need an extra long length. DX Products (800-628-6299, www.dxproducts.net), located at the Walcott, Iowa, CB Shop, makes a mirror-mount AM antenna with windings that tune the antenna to a harmonic of 800 kHz, the mid-point of the AM band. The principle is the same as tuning a CB antenna, which increases reception significantly.
Locked Up Tight
BrakLok from Wapner Truck Alarm Systems (516-887-7400, www.truckalarm.com) secures any air-braked truck by locking the brake valve in the parked position. Even with the cab unlocked and the engine idling, the truck cannot be moved without the key. Attempts to forcibly remove BrakLok will damage the valve mechanism, immobilizing the truck until the valve is replaced. Its hardened cylinder resists picking, and the registered keys cannot easily be duplicated. Fleet operators can have units keyed-alike and managers can get master keys.
These Mirrors May Be the Fairest of Them All
Cham-Cal makes Open Road replacement West Coast mirrors. Its newest high-polish stainless steel pyramid design mirrors have an optional etched back with either a "Twisted Twine" or "Diamond Cutter" pattern. They can be ordered motorized, heated, and/or with an amber light on the back. The metal is clear-coated. Call (800) 343-7219 or see www.partssystems.com.
Signal Your Moves
After much study of right-side truck-car crashes, police officer Doug Beekman asked Safety Products Division of Lighting and Electric Design, Inc. to develop this 16-by-6-inch illuminated sign. When the right turn signal is on, the sign’s 162 amber LEDs flash "Wide Turn. No Passing." Mid-turn signals are not noted as a warning until vehicles are in danger zones. Signs warning of wide right turns are hard to see at night and may not be understood by motorists. Tests show the flashing words are highly effective. Call (800) 700-5483 or see www.rightliteco.com.
Get a Sidetracker On Your Side
A truck’s "No Zones" are blind spots where objects can’t be seen. The Sidetracker No-Zone Eliminator from V-tech USA (866-722-7333, www.thesidetracker.com) lets you see into those blind spots. Each set includes a rugged, weatherproof miniature color TV camera with wide-angle coverage (almost 90 degrees) and a monitor with a glare shield. The monitor sits on the dash, near where you’d normally look for a mirror. The system is intuitive, and helpful when backing and parking.
Lock Your Trailer From the Inside
The Power In-Lock from Mi-Jack (www.power-in-lock.com, 800-IN-LOCK-7) is one of the best devices to protect cargo in a trailer. It secures the door to the trailer frame from inside the trailer. Locking and unlocking is done with a remote mechanism connected by cable to the lock. Even if thieves find the hidden keyhole, they cannot punch out the lock or gain access. Using the Power In-Lock, the only way into the trailer without a key is by cutting a hole.
