Ever wanted to assign dollars and cents to your decision-making when it comes to selecting the right options for business? Alcoa Wheel and Transportation’s new CalcuLighter online tool provides this information and more for steel vs. aluminum wheels, duals vs. wide-base, or any combination thereof on fuel, payload and Continue Reading

The payoff for using idle reduction technologies may take longer than expected, according to a new study sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The study found that the use of technologies such as auxiliary power units (APUs) and battery-operated air conditioning units could reduce idling by as much as Continue Reading

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is channeling a half-million dollars into further developing drag-reducing technology at the rear of the trailer. ATDynamics, which was awarded the funds, plans to use it to promote its active flow control (AFC) technology for commercial use. AFC helps reduce Continue Reading

A rule issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) takes effect today that requires trailers with antilock brake systems (ABS) to also have an external malfunction indicator lamp. Though many post-2001 trucks have in-cab ABS malfunction lamps, the external indicator helps alert roadside inspectors and Continue Reading

For fleets and operations that want to stay clean and go green, a new line of windshield washer fluids has been launched by Daimer Industries, Inc., a supplier of commercial cleaning products. The solutions are extracted from plants and vegetables, and do not contain solvents, ozone-depleting substances, synthetics or Continue Reading

As hybrid technology gains speed, Navistar announced that it’s millions of miles ahead, 5 million to be exact. The original equipment manufacturer says its the first to log 5 million miles of real-world driving. Fueled by its success, the company plans to build 400 zero-emissions vehicles in 2010 for local delivery companies. Currently, only Continue Reading

Trucks traveling to California ports must be entered into the Drayage Truck Registry by Sept. 30. In keeping with the state Air Resources Board’s “Drayage Truck Regulation,” all drayage trucks conducting business at the state’s ports and intermodal rail yards must be registered. Extensions are available for trucks with 1994-2003 engine Continue Reading

The number of trucking company failures dropped to its lowest level since the first quarter of 2007, according to industry analysts. An estimated 370 carriers went out of business in the second quarter of 2009, the lowest in more than two years. Fewer trucks are being pulled off the road, less than 15 percent compared to one Continue Reading

New Jersey recently proposed a new law affecting truckers that was met with a frosty reception from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). If passed, the Garden State’s law fining drivers who do not clear snow or ice from their vehicles before taking the road would be the first in North America. OOIDA bristled at the Continue Reading

The American Trucking Association is taking its campaign to educate the public on its 18-point safety agenda to the web. With a series of videos aimed at educating the media and the public available online, the ATA is making its safety initiatives easily accessible. The industry lobby says the videos contain safety lessons for both Continue Reading