Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/782964
26 commercial carrier journal | february 2017 • East Manufacturing now offers Hen- drickson's MAXX22T Trailer Air Disc Brake with Dura-Light Hub as the preferred air disc brake package on all of its trailers. • Dana will supply the axles and driveshafts for the 2018 Isuzu Class 6 FTR, which will begin production later this year. The FTR, suited for city delivery applications, will be assembled with a Spicer single-reduction drive axle, Spicer E-Series steer axles and a Spicer Life Series driveshaft. • Allison Transmission transitioned its Doc diagnostic software offering for tech- nicians to a yearly subscription service with the release of Premium V2017.1.0, available for purchase through Noregon or the Allison Web Store. The shift to the subscription software was made to simplify the deployment, upgrade and renewal processes and to future-proof the product offering. • Ridewell Suspensions approved Ben- dix's ADB22X-LT disc brake for use with its 5- and 5.75-inch axles. The ADB22X-LT features a 20,000-pound brake rating and offers a weight savings of 20 pounds per axle from the original ADB22X design. • ARI's new Vendor Locator feature is de- signed to allow users to search the com- pany's service vendor database by name, type, profile and services offered. Vendor Locator is available to all of ARI's current Insights and Driver Insights clients. • Eaton's Flex Reman transmission lineup is now available in Canada, allowing Canadian OEM dealers to offer two tiers of Eaton Factory Reman products – standard reman transmissions with clutch housings and Flex Reman transmissions with no clutch housings. The Flex line also includes a shipping cover and gasket that allows dealers to reuse their existing housings to enhance inventory flexibility. • The W.W. Williams Co. acquired Desert Fleet-Serv Inc., a Phoenix-based mobile provider of onsite maintenance and repair services for diesel trucks and trailers with more than 200 customers. • Triple E Canada Ltd., a Canadian trailer manufacturer, is expanding its U.S. dealer network under a new brand, LK Trailers, that will offer both steel and aluminum hopper trailers and a range of aluminum, steel and combo flatbeds and dropdecks. LK also will market specialized and heavy- haul trailers. INBRIEF Bridgestone participating in SuperTruck II project B ridgestone Americas announced it is joining forces with Cummins and Peterbilt to develop new tire technologies as part of the SuperTruck II program. e tire maker said the U.S. Depart- ment of Energy will match its investment "to create prototype tires in all three axle positions (steer, drive and trailer)." Bridgestone said the prototype tires are expected to increase fuel efficiency by up to 6 percent through a 30 percent decrease in rolling resistance compared to a model-year 2009 baseline tire. Six tire technologies – sizing, curing, casing construction, casing compounds, tread patterns and tread compounding – will be used to help the compa- ny meet its goals. "is project is closely aligned with our internal goal to produce best-in-class prod- ucts that contribute to reducing global CO2 emissions by 50 percent or greater by the year 2050," said Steve Charles, vice president of product development for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "We are honored to be a part of the SuperTruck II program, working together with our partners to drive the industry forward and ensure a sustain- able environment for current and future generations." e goal of the SuperTruck II program is to improve heavy-truck freight efficiency by 100 percent with an emphasis on technology, cost-effectiveness and performance. – Matt Cole Bridgestone Americas is joining forces with Cummins and Peterbilt and will receive federal funding as part of the group. Electrified powertrain trucks set to balloon A report from Navigant Research forecasts sales of electrified powertrain medium- and heavy-duty trucks are expected to grow from about 31,000 vehi- cles in 2016 to nearly 332,000 by 2026. "New and established suppliers are starting to offer alternative powertrains as well as complete electric vehicles for niche applications," said David Alexander, senior research analyst for Navigant. "Limited daily range and a drive cycle featuring a lot of stopping and starting are applications that benefit most from electric drive capabilities, and delivery and refuse collection vehicles are expected to be the primary targets in the short term." Compound annual growth rates are expected to range from 22 percent for hybrid ve- hicles to 35 percent for plug-in hybrids. Battery-powered electric vehicles are expected to see a CAGR of about 33 percent. Growth for fuel cell vehicles is expected to be about 19 percent annually. Much of the technology advances and production experience in the bus market can be transferred readily to trucks, Alexander said. e growing demand for electric cars has stimulated investment in battery manufacturing that has resulted in falling costs for battery packs, according to the report. However, even with these positive factors, electric-drive trucks still are expected to remain a niche market, at around 5 percent of global sales in 2026. – Jason Cannon New suppliers such as Nikola Motor Co. are starting to offer alternative powertrains.