If you’d like the buy the world a Coke, the popular soft drink producer is now delivering more of its products in perfect harmony with the environment. Continue Reading

To keep your company’s true colors shining through, choosing quality finishes can lead to a longer lasting appearance and enhance overall vehicle durability. Understanding paints, primers and sealers beyond their surface is becoming a more and more important issue for fleets to address. Paint systems and coating options are some of the maintenance options discussed.

The perfect chemistry between trailers and corrosion is not having any. Corrosion eats away at billions of dollars in the transportation industry and its infrastructure each year. Undercoatings, corrosion-resistant paint products and the use of galvanized steel components can help resist the formation of rust. CorroGuard, Great Dane’s exclusive trailer undercoating, is the most comprehensive corrosion-fighting solution in the industry. These options, along with recommended washing techniques, can help ensure your image is protected from corrosion.

Rand McNally’s additions to its IntelliRoute and MileMilemaker commercial trucking software solutions include greater flexibility and customization in freight rating and truck routing, more specific routing in Mexico, and up-to-date U.S. ZIP and Canadian postal codes, weigh stations and toll costs. Carriers and shippers can now customize routing options, and customers can negotiate freight rates based on accurate truck-drivable routes tailored to individual truck configuration or type of goods carried.

Florida-based supermarket chain Publix will add Cadec’s Mobios TTS On-Board Computers and on-premise software to the cabs of all 600-plus trucks in its private fleet. The system’s functions can help eliminate or reduce violations, paperwork, DOT delays, and potential fines while automating many manual, time-consuming processes.

California will begin its new aerodynamically-friendly “CARB” diet this summer. The EPA gave the California Air Resources Board (CARB) clearance to proceed with its plan to reduce the state’s emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Strategies for fleets include adoption of the U.S. EPA SmartWay spec and retrofitting older trailers with aerodynamic devices and fuel-efficient tires.

The American Transportation Research Institute has made available the results of two trucking industry research initiatives:

Lower retail diesel fuel and gasoline prices are projected to hold steady, accordng to the U.S. Energy Information Admin. The monthly outlook released by the agency predicts diesel will average $2.27 per gallon, while retail gas prices will average $1.87. In the same report, fuel consumption will take a slight tumble from 2008 numbers in 2009, while an increase is projected in 2010 in the anticipation of a recovering global economy.

Windyne Inc. announced the introduction of a semi-trailer belly fairing that both horizontally telescopes and vertically retracts. The proprietary horizontal telescoping feature accommodates for the forward and rearward movement of the trailer tandems. The proprietary vertical lifting feature provides ground clearance and under trailer access.

These combined features proved under third party SAE J 1321 Type II testing to yield a minimum 7% savings absent of any other aerodynamic devices, the maker said.

SmartWay certification looks to join the amazing race, beginning in Australia, France, Japan and New Zealand, which are just a few of the countries looking to reduce greenhouse gases from the transportation sector. During a recent international summit, representatives discussed adopting similar programs or strengthening existing ones. Launched in February 2004, the U.S. EPA-led partnership counts among it more than 1,200 members, which collectively are on track to save nearly 550 million gallons of diesel fuel in 2008 alone.