Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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36 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JUNE 2015 EQUIPMENT "When the sheet was lifted off the mystery truck at the end of Ford's presentation to kick off the 2015 Work Truck Show," reported Bruce Smith of HardWorkingTrucks.com, "no one expected to see their favorite toy – a Tonka Dump Truck." This F-750 Tonka dump, painted signature yellow with a custom blackout nostril grille and a functional dump body by Truck Tech Engineers, will be on display at upcom- ing major work truck, commercial and vocational trade shows. The F-650/F-750 anchors Ford's com- mercial truck lineup and is powered by the company's 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel. The available power takeoff provi- sion that runs the dump body can power other accessories, such as a crane or other vocational equipment. The engine is avail- able with three power ratings: standard 270 hp, 675 lb.-ft. of torque; 300 hp, 700 lb.-ft.; and 330 hp, 725 lb.-ft. Ford.com/trucks/superduty • The DumpTruckLoads.com construction-industry load board, accessible on both desktop and mobile browsers, enables users to fi nd trucks or loads and receive real- time load notifi cations via e-mail and text. Dump truck owners also are able to search for loads outside of their local area, helping them reduce deadhead miles on longer return trips and increase revenue. The board is the brainchild of Steven Kolbe, an entrepreneur with almost 50 years of experience in the construction industry. His busi- nesses have ranged from highway construction and paving to quarry reclamation. DumpTruckLoads.com • Freightliner named Indianapolis, the 2015 Work Truck Show's host city, as its fi rst "Hardest Working City" honoree. The program promotes cities in both the United States and Canada that are investing in infrastructure and economic growth to revitalize communities while promoting the role vocational trucks play in those eff orts. The program's fi rst onsite celebration was held at Stoops Freightliner in Indianapolis, and coff ee and donuts were deliv- ered to select jobsites across the city. HardestWorkingCities.com • Sonim's rugged XP6 phone and XP7 smartphone feature an extra- loud speaker, noise cancellation, a powerful battery and resistance to water and drops. Both devices have a screen that can be viewed in direct sunlight; the XP7's screen can be used with dirty or wet work gloves. The XP6 provides a numeric keypad. SonimTech.com EQUIPMENT NEWS | INBRIEF While Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.'s trademark cleanliness might be unusual in the gritty heavy construc- tion business, the image is integral to the company's branding and a representation of everything the family-owned business has sought to promote over its six decades: pride, integrity and effi ciency. Since starting in 1952 with a half-dozen employees, a few dump trucks, a track loader and a tag-along trailer, the Pennsylvania-based excavation company has grown to em- ploy 1,200 with annual revenue of more than $250 million. But several years ago, budget cuts to Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation resulted in a 30 percent revenue hit. Current head Dan Hawbaker took it in stride and pushed for new customers, particu- larly in the energy fi eld to capitalize on the mad rush to tap into the lucrative Marcellus Shale, which stretches 104,000 square miles across the Appalachian Basin into Pennsyl- vania, West Virginia, southeast Ohio and upstate New York. What came with that rush were new roads and site excavations and another revenue source. Hawbaker's 225- to 250-vehicle fl eet is comprised mostly of bright-red Mack trucks, including Granite dumps. Hawbaker worked with Legacy Truck Centers on the purchase on 30 2015 Granites, some spec'd with the new lighter-weight mDrive HD transmissions to help improve fuel effi ciency and assist with payloads that average more than 24 tons. The company's older trucks are averaging 5 to 6 miles per gallon, but Hawbaker be- lieves the recent order will help improve the fl eet's average mpg. MackTrucks.com Six decades behind Glenn O. Hawbaker's Mack dumps Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. is known for its bright-red Macks, shown here on a Keystone State roadwork site. One tough toy truck Catch a gallery of images from the Work Truck Show via CCJDigital.com, search "Tonka." Mack Trucks