Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/993011
48 commercial carrier journal | june 2018 BUSINESS | 2018 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP TMC's TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION RAM SHOWCASES NEW TRADESMAN, FLEET TELEMATICS PLATFORM RAM'S new 1500 Tradesman pickup is available in Quad Cab with a 6-foot 4-inch bed length and Crew Cab with bed lengths of 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet 4 inches. The truck comes standard with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, and an optional 5.7-liter Hemi is available, along with a 5.7-liter Hemi with eTorque. Two- and four- wheel-drive configurations are available. The truck's frame features 98 percent high-strength steel. A multilink rear coil suspension helps improve ride quality, and it weighs 40 pounds less than a leaf spring configuration; a four- corner air suspension is available. Body design refinements bring a 9 percent improvement in aerodynamics for a 10 percent fuel economy improvement. Technology features include Uconnect 5.0 with a 5-inch screen and hands-free calling, and Ram Box gets a 115-volt outlet to charge tools at the jobsite. The company's new factory-installed telematics platform, Ram Telematics, is powered by Verizon. FORD ADDS DIESEL TO TRANSIT CONNECT LINEUP FORD is adding two pow- ertrain options and a host of upgrades to its 2019 Transit Connect compact commercial van, including driver-assist technologies such as Auto- matic Emergency Braking. Also standard for the coming model year are side wind sta- bilization, a rearview camera and precollision assist with pedestrian detection. Available options for the next model year include a blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, a lane-keeping system and radar-driven adaptive cruise control. The van will offer three different engines capable of operat- ing on five different fuels. A 2-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline direct-injection engine will be standard and features Auto Start-Stop. It is E85-compatible and paired to a new 8-speed automatic transmission. Transit Connect's new 1.5-liter EcoBlue diesel engine also offers Auto Start-Stop and is fitted with the 8-speed automatic transmission. A 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a compressed natural gas/propane gaseous fuel prep package are available for fleet customers. Ford has sold 300,000 Transit Connect vans since the model's 2009 debut, and 97 percent of them are still on the road. The Ram 1500 Tradesman shed up- wards of 215 pounds while increas- ing payload by 22 percent and towing capacity by 20 percent. VMAC's Underhood40 VR40 air compressor system in- cludes fan on/ off capability for cooling only when needed. VMAC DEBUTS UNDERHOOD AIR COMPRESSOR VMAC'S Underhood40 VR40 air compressor offers up to 40 cfm at a 100 percent duty cycle. The VR40 system weighs 62 pounds and features an adjustable throttle control to increase or decrease vehicle rpm, allowing it to be dropped when less air is required, reducing fuel use during operation. The VR40's digital controller is designed for easy plug-and- play installation, with all wiring prebuilt with the connectors. NAVISTAR UPDATES PARTS BUSINESS NAVISTAR is rebranding its Renewed remanufactured components business by leveraging its OEM expertise along with customer support through its 700-plus International Trucks dealer locations. Navistar will offer several new Renewed product lines in 2018, including the 2015 N13 engine and the 2010-16 I6 engine, and will expand the line's portfolio of remanufactured electronics com- ponents such as engine control modules, instrument clusters and body controllers. Navistar also is growing its Fleetrite private-label parts business, adding an all-makes radiator and surge tank program. Fleetrite now provides product coverage for 24 makes and models cover- ing 80 percent of the vehicles on the road. Combined, Navistar's Renewed and Fleetrite businesses now offer more than 100 product lines.