Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/641412
26 commercial carrier journal | february 2016 INBRIEF Chinese tire OEM gears up for U.S. marketplace T riangle Tyre Group, China's largest privately owned tire man- ufacturer, has established its U.S. headquarters in Franklin, Tenn., and named Manny Cicero chief executive officer of Triangle Tire USA. The company opened a technical center in 2011 in Akron, Ohio, to help develop tires specifically for the United States and is hopeful to enter the market during the first half of this year. Triangle Tire USA will market and sell medium and heavy truck tires to the American trucking industry, as well as a lineup of passen- ger and light truck tires, including ultra-high-performance, winter and specialty trailer tires. The company also will target the North American construction, mining and aggregates industries with off-the-road tires, including giant radials. Cicero previously has held positions with Alliance Tire Americas Inc., Michelin North America, Bridgestone Americas and Denman Tire Corp. He currently is building Triangle Tire USA's executive team and meeting with potential distributors to get the company's tires to market. – Jason Cannon Proactive maintenance boosts fuel economy, NACFE finds F leets need to maintain their vehicles to ensure safe and reliable performance, avoid costly breakdowns and allow them to reach their maximum useful life. However, even a vehicle that is running safely and reliably can achieve fuel economy savings thanks to additional or better-optimized maintenance. The latest Confidence Report released by Trucking Efficiency, a joint operation of the North American Council for Freight Effi- ciency and Carbon War Room, explores the link between maintenance practices and fuel economy. The study team found that the industry is aware of the impact poor maintenance has on fuel economy but is unable to quantify it, and therefore is uncomfortable making decisions con- cerning investments that would improve the main- tenance process. Yet the study team found that fleets that implemented rigorous preventive maintenance programs saw fuel consumption improvements in the 5-10 percent range. The report states that while all fleets maintain their trucks through a preventive maintenance program, they may not be linking the maintenance to fuel economy. The report encourages fleets to think of maintenance in terms of the fuel economy benefits rather than an added cost of business. – CCJ Staff NACFE's study team found that fleets with preventive maintenance programs saw fuel consumption improvements. Manny Cicero, CEO of Triangle Tire USA, is building an executive team and meeting with potential distrib- utors to get the company's tires to market. The report's confidence matrix offers tips for fleets interested in using preventive maintenance to improve fuel economy. brate TMC's 60th anniversary. The conference is set for Feb. 29-March 3 at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn. TMC is offering a registration discount of $200 for first-time fleet attendees. Call 703- 838-1763 for the promo code. • Daimler Trucks North America announced a $22.7 million in- vestment in Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. to expand its facilities and improve operations in Gaffney, S.C. The investment includes the construction of a new logistics center and a new line side delivery process that will use nearly 60 percent more component kitting, as well as expansions of the current office building, employee parking lot, completed chassis parking and loading and delivery operations. • Cummins will forgo exhibiting at the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show, joining all major truck makers in opting to skip the annual trade event this year and return in 2017. The companies plan to participate at MATS on a biennial basis from now on, exhibiting in odd-numbered years and skipping even-num- bered ones to avoid conflicts with the biennial IAA show that takes place during even-numbered years in Hanover, Germany. • FlowBelow Aero has authorized Fontaine Modification Fleet Services to install and distribute its patented FlowBelow Tractor AeroKit, a system of aerodynamic wheel covers and tractor tandem fairings. FlowBelow said the agreement enables Fon- taine to offer customers a complete aerodynamics system to manage the airflow around the rear wheels of a Class 8 tractor. • Kenworth's new 40-inch sleeper is now available for order with either the T880 or T680. For the T880, the sleeper is suited for vocational ap- plications that use straight trucks and for tractors that transport flatbeds, lowboys or other trailers where length and weight are a factor. For the T680, regional bulk haulers can spec the lightweight sleeper for added fuel efficiency, as it is 260 pounds lighter than Kenworth's 52-inch sleeper.