CCJ

July 2015

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JULY 2015 23 t 1BDDBS*ODnotified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of several recalls. During assembly, certain 2016 Kenworth T660, T680, T800 and W900 trucks manufac - tured between Feb. 1 and April 20 did not undergo a rear wheel mounting torque veri- fication process. Also, 1,500 trucks equipped with Paccar MX-13 engines and Delco-Remy 40SI alternators have alternator charge cables that may chafe against a formed metal freon discharge line. t (FOFSBM.PUPST announced its return to the medium-duty truck market after a five-year absence, with six models beginning with the 2016 model year. The Chevrolet 3500, 3500HD, 4500, 4500HD, 5500 and 5500HD will be based on Isuzu's N-Series, and GM will receive the rebadged trucks from Isuzu and distribute them through Chevrolet dealers. t 5IF5BLBUBBJSCBHSFDBMMaffects nearly 34 million vehicles from 11 companies, including the brands Freightliner and Western Star. Takata driver and passenger airbag inflators manufactured between April 2000 and vehi - cle model year 2008 are included. t 4UFNDP subsidiary ATDynamics last month filed a motion for preliminary injunction against Ridge Corp. in a federal court in Cali - fornia, asking to enjoin Ridge from making or selling the Green Tail aerodynamic device. t &TQBS entered a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a lawsuit that alleged the bunk-heater maker, from 2007 through 2012, conspired with unnamed competitors and others to manipulate prices for bunk heaters. t "DDVSJEF$PSQsigned a multiyear agreement with Daimler Trucks North America to supply its Gunite brake drums to Daimler's aftermar - ket parts group for over-the-road tractor drive axle and trailer axle applications that offer reduced stopping distance compliance. t (PPEZFBS$PNNFSDJBM5JSF4FSWJDF $FOUFS opened sales and service depart - ments at three retread plants to give trucking operations more options. The company's retread plants in Bremen, Ga., Vernon, Calif., and Walnut, Calif., now offer new Goodyear, Dunlop and Kelly brand truck tires. */BRIEF WANT MORE EQUIPMENT NEWS? Scan the barcode to sign up for the CCJ Equipment Weekly e-mail newsletter or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK. graphics, mean the only way people are going to take their eyes off this truck is if a UFO is landing nearby. I found the Icon 900 to be a blast to take on the highway. Kenworth's con- tinuous upgrades have yielded a truck that is modern in every sense and not at all difficult to wrangle down the road. Commanding views over that long nose are helped by the high driver's seat. The truck is amazingly nimble, with deep wheel cuts deliver- ing impressive maneuverability at low speeds. Continuous upgrades can go only so far with a 54-year-old design. Road noise and interior sound levels are much higher than in today's modern cabs, but the noise isn't overwhelm- ing and quickly becomes part of the overall driving experience. The Icon 900 honors the long-lived W900 design, the men and women who drove it and the special time in trucking when it was such an integral player. So there was no way Kenworth was going to dilute that heritage with a modern automated manual transmis- sion – at least in my test rig. It came with an old-school Eaton 18-speed gearbox, which was silky-smooth in both high and low revs. But fear not: If you want an AMT in your Icon 900, Kenworth will be happy to spec one for you. Swihart says orders for the Icon 900 blew up after its introduction at the Mid-America Trucking Show, catching Kenworth by surprise. For now, the company won't say how long this special-edition tractor will stay in production, but stresses that it will be a limited-edition run regardless of how many orders are taken. The company also won't say how many more years the basic W900 will be produced, so if running a tractor like this is how you like to roll, grab one while you can. Continued from page 21 Specifi cations are subject to change without notice. Detroit Diesel Corporation is registered to ISO 9001:2008. Copyright © 2015 Detroit Diesel Corporation. All rights reserved. Detroit ™ is a brand of Detroit Diesel Corporation, a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company. DEMANDDETROIT.COM Engines, axles and a transmission all engineered and designed to work together as one. An entire powertrain built and backed by a single manufacturer for greater effi ciency and profi tability. That is the power and value of Detroit. ONLY DETROIT CAN DELIVER THIS LEVEL OF integration.

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