Archive for December, 2007
Monday, December 10th, 2007
Crews have righted an overturned 18-wheel truck trailer along the Eastex Freeway near Interstate 10, authorities said.
The trailer, which was carrying scrap metal, overturned shortly after 5:30 a.m., blocking a lane of northbound traffic and the HOV, officials said.
Houston TranStar officials said the scene should be cleared by noon.
The accident marked the second day in a row that an 18-wheeler truck has overturned on a major Houston freeway interchange.
On Wednesday, an 18-wheeler overturned on the Loop 610 East ramp to I-10, forcing the ramp’s closure from about 5:45 a.m. until late afternoon. That truck was carrying a load of copper tubing, the weight of which caused problems for heavy-duty wreckers trying to clear the accident.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
One plan would send Diablo’s loads by truck over local roads to a rail pickup in or near the city
The latest plans for transporting highly radioactive waste from Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to a proposed underground disposal site in Nevada allow for the possibility that the waste could be shipped by truck over local roads to San Luis Obispo to be loaded onto trains.
However, officials with the federal Department of Energy say the exact method of transport will be made on a case-by-case basis for each nuclear power plant. This leaves open the possibility that Diablo’s waste could be taken by barge from the plant to Port Hueneme, where it could be loaded directly onto trains, thereby bypassing local roads.
“If a utility has the crane capacity and other infrastructure to load a rail cask but does not have access to a railhead, then a barge or heavy-haul truck will be used to move the cask to a railhead,” said Allen Benson, a spokesman for the Yucca Mountain Project. Crane capacity at Diablo Canyon should
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
While pickup trucks are becoming more and more popular in urban areas, they will never leave their rural roots.
Farmers have relied on trucks for years and will continue doing so, with the only change being the updated trucks as technology advances. While a city driver looks for a truck that has style while still providing some towing capacity, a farmer needs a truck that can get the job done.
There was much to be in awe of at the 2007 Canadian Western Agribition. Ford, GM and Toyota all brought out their heavy-hitters in pickups to display to potential customers. While all provide the standard options and necessities for a Saskatchewan farmer, each has its own advantages. Another thing to remember is that buyers most often remain loyal to their brand - a Ford driver will never go for a Toyota, while a Chevy guy wouldn’t cross over to a GMC, no matter how close the two manufacturers are.
While there are vehicles available for urban or rural driving in every line of pickups, there are also the workhorses that are the heavy hitters, designed to work hard and get dirty. For example, Ford carries the Ford F-150, which is a 50-50 mix between rural and urban customers. But then there is the Super Duty line, available in the F-250, F-350 or F-450.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
including three children — were killed Friday in a horrific crash involving a cement truck at the city’s southern edge.
Debris was scattered for several hundred metres.
The five victims, all travelling in one vehicle, died at the scene of the 7 p.m. crash on Macleod Trail at 194th Avenue S.E.
Though the investigation was in its early stages, police duty inspector Luch Berti said it appeared the car — which was unrecognizable — may have been struck from behind by the cement truck.
The truck’s driver was not hurt in the crash; police took him into custody for questioning.
“Some of the information we’ve received is that the truck was travelling at a high rate of speed,” Berti said at the scene, where tarps covered what remained of the shredded car that was pinned under the cement truck.
It appears both vehicles were headed north on Macleod Trail, said police, adding that the car had stopped at a set of traffic lights at the 194th Avenue intersection .
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
Daimler’s attempt to buy a 24% stake in Chinese truck maker Beiqi Foton Motor has been thwarted. Having missed out on this shortcut to expansion in China’s heavy vehicle market, the German manufacturer could blame either the rapid rise in Beiqi Foton’s share price or the procedural sluggishness of Chinese officials in granting approvals or both.
Beiqi Foton said it had terminated the private share placement plan inked in November of last year with the German company, then still named DaimlerChrysler. At the time, DaimlerChrysler agreed to subscribe for 297 million new A-shares at 2.75 yuan per share, for a total of 817 million yuan ($110.3 million), representing 24% of the company’s enlarged capital base.
The parties also agreed last November to form an alliance to cooperate in heavy-duty truck manufacturing. The Beijing-based truck manufacturer sold 291,774 light-duty trucks, 35,552 medium and heavy trucks and 15,201 intercity buses in 2006.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
Ford will recall nearly 1.2m heavy-duty trucks and SUVs equipped with a faulty sensor that could cause the engine to stall, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall will cover Ford F-450 Super Duty trucks, Excursion SUVs and E-Series vans from model years 1997 through 2003. These vehicles are powered by a 7.3 litre diesel engine.
Ford said in a letter posted on the government agency’s website that the camshaft-sensor circuit in these vehicles can degrade over time, potentially leading to engine failure.
The company said it is aware of 14 accidents related to the glitch but no injuries.
Ford will begin notifying customers on December 17 to bring the targeted vehicles back to the shop for the free repair.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
Shares of companies that make heavy trucks rose Wednesday, pulled up by a strong overall market, along with new data showing an increase in truck orders.
According to data from ACT Research LLC, orders of Class 5 through heavy-duty Class 8 trucks rose 12 percent over November 2006 levels.
The November increase came after a 9 percent jump in October, which was preceded by a drop in the three previous months, according to the data included in an analyst note from Wachovia’s Andrew Casey.
Casey said the sustained strength in orders showed that truck market weakness may have bottomed, which is a relative positive for the companies in the sector, he said.
Also on Wednesday, Paccar Inc. announced a special dividend of $1 per share and a regular dividend of 18 cents per share.
The company said it would increase production at its DAF Trucks subsidiary by 5 percent in the first quarter in light of the strong Western and Central European truck market.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
The new compact Powerlifter R-series available from Powerlift Nissan is built touch in Australia for Australian conditions and is ideal for a wide variety of intense temperatures from the tropics to low temperature coldrooms.
Robust and reliable, the R-series comes in 1500kg and 2000kg capacities with lift heights from 2.5 to 6 metres.
Now with power steering and VTC (Variable Total Control) hydraulics, R-series has infinitely variable control of lift, tilt and reach, making and loading and unloading a breeze, including skids, stillages and palletised loads.
Laser lock technology:
The new brilliant by design chassis incorporates the new laser lock technology. Cut from Australian made steel by computer controlled precision lasers, the interlock design concept gives good chassis strength.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
Westport Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT), a global leader in gaseous-fuelled power technologies, has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification for its High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology adapted to the 2007 Cummins ISX heavy-duty engine. The EPA certification and the Executive Order from CARB certifies the HPDI LNG (liquefied natural gas) fuel system to 0.8g/bhp-hr oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 0.01g/bhp-hr Particulate Matter (PM).
“This certification is testimony to Westport’s continued leadership in exceeding North America’s toughest emissions standards while providing our customers with the power, efficiency and reliability they demand in a heavy-duty truck engine. The new engine has one-third lower NOx emissions than required by current standards and also demonstrates a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” said Westport President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Gallagher.
CARB and EPA certification will provide further impetus to the plans of the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach to replace many of the 16,800 heavy-duty trucks currently operating daily at the Ports with the Westport LNG engine and fuel system. Gallagher stated, “We are now in position with this new engine to support the deployment of these LNG trucks over the next few years to meet Port and other customer interest.” Funding was approved 8 weeks ago for the first 158 of the new LNG vehicles.
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
When lawmen need a tow truck at a crash scene, they call one of 43 wrecker companies on an official county roster. The rotation is meant to ensure that companies get a fair share of potentially lucrative towing jobs.
But an investigation by The Fayetteville Observer has found that nearly half the wreckers on the list are double dipping — one owner, two different company names or addresses. In one case, an owner has three wrecking companies on the county list, one of which shows an address that doesn’t appear to exist, according to tax records.
Appearing multiple times on the rotation isn’t necessarily against the rules. Several wrecker companies have found creative ways to skirt the spirit of city and county ordinances, forming companies with identical staff and ownership solely for the purpose of getting a bigger share of official towing jobs.
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