Archive for April, 2008
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Tow truck driver Mike Thorpe had a simple explanation when asked how he helped get Capac Police Chief Raymond Hawks to safety as bullets were flying Wednesday afternoon.
“I wasn’t going to leave without the chief,” Thorpe said.
Hawks, who was shot at least twice in the chest and shoulder by a man apparently upset his car was being towed, was not going to get an ambulance until police arrived, Thorpe said.
So even as the shooter remained on the loose, he and a neighbor loaded the chief on Thorpe’s heavy-duty flatbed truck and he drove Hawks two blocks to a waiting ambulance. A man who lived in the area helped Thorpe and even cut the chief’s shirt off to put pressure directly on the wound to stop bleeding. The chief was conscious and talking as the men loaded him by his belt loops onto Thorpe’s truck.
“It is just a situation that people should not have to be put in,” said Thorpe, the owner of Mike’s Towing in Yale. “It is totally idiotic. We are not in the 1800s.”
Police about 1 a.m. Thursday arrested 50-year-old Capac resident Donald Burke in connection with the shooting of Hawks and St. Clair County Deputy Tim O’Boyle.
Hawks was in a medically induced coma Thursday at Port Huron Hospital. He is listed in critical but stable condition, police said. The chief turns 64 today.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Watsonville Fire Chief Mark Bisbee wants the city to buy a second fire truck with a 100-foot aerial ladder to provide more depth to the fire department’s fleet.
It’s up to the City Council at its meeting tonight to approve spending up to $225,000 in community development block grant money for the used truck.
It’s a deal the city shouldn’t refuse, Bisbee said.
“We’ve been looking for two years, and this combination of having redevelopment money and an available truck is huge,” he said.
“This month, two rare opportunities came into alignment,” Bisbee wrote in a staff report, “notification by the Redevelopment Agency that funds were available coupled with the availability of a 100-foot aerial ladder truck that, remarkably, has the same features as our current ladder truck.”
After conducting research, the truck that Bisbee is looking at now is a 1992 Pierce brand ladder truck that he thinks is available within the city’s $225,000 budget. New 100-foot ladder trucks can cost in the neighborhood of $800,000 to $900,000, he noted.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Daimler AG, the world’s largest truck maker, and Hero Group, India’s top two wheeler manufacturer, on Monday unveiled a Rs. 4,400-crore joint venture to build commercial vehicles in New Delhi.
Daimler Hero Motor Corporation Ltd., the joint venture company, plans to hit the Indian market by 2010. The collaboration comes at a time when a booming economy is driving truck sales in India. The joint venture plan was announced in December, but the details of the engagement were worked out later and unveiled on Monday.
Hero group will hold 40 per cent equity in the joint venture, while Daimler will have the remaining 60 per cent stake. The German company would invest Rs.1,386 crore in equity, while Hero group would be putting in Rs. 900 crore to take 40 per cent stake. Overall investment by both the companies through equity and debt is estimated to be Rs. 4400 crore.
.
Marc Llistosella, who directed the joint venture project from the Daimler side, will become chief executive officer of the Daimler Hero Motor Corporation. Amit Chaturvedi, currently president, strategy and business development at Hero Corporate Service Ltd. and project leader from the Hero Group, will serve as co-CEO. Sunil Kant Munjal will be the chairman of the new company.
The company will initially focus on light and medium commercial vehicles. Heavy duty vehicles will be produced from 2012. The new company is aiming to achieve a localisation rate of up to 80 per cent in order to optimally utilize cost advantages. The production of commercial vehicle for export to other emerging markets will also be launched thereafter.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
The aftermarket continues to witness greater truck complexity, a declining skilled worker population and distribution channel cost compression. Frost & Sullivan’s latest Strategic Overview of the North American Heavy Duty Truck Aftermarket finds that demand for on-road freight hauling continues to rise along with the number of vehicles.
The number of class 3-8 commercial vehicles is rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 2.0 percent and is forecast to top 11.4 million by 2014. This study examines the various challenges facing the heavy-duty repair and service industries and highlights where participants need to direct their focus to sustain market growth. “The North American heavy-duty truck aftermarket is faced with a multitude of challenges and opportunities related to service, distribution, consolidation and advanced technology domains,” notes Frost & Sullivan consultant Mary-Beth Kellenberger.
“The future of the aftermarket will depend greatly on the agility shown by market participants to integrate advanced technologies that complement service and maintenance initiatives, reduce downtime, offer greater control on supply chain and distribution flows, and manage inventory.”
Technology drives revenue opportunities in this market and needs to be used extensively to meet the challenge posed by the technician shortage. It also accelerates the distribution flow and creates standardized operating procedures that increase efficiencies and provide insight into the entire supply chain. Therefore, technology helps to control supply chain variability. “Moreover, original equipment service (OES) channels are amassing a greater share of the aftermarket revenues, driven by the increasing prevalence of proprietary technologies in commercial vehicles,” notes Toronto-based Frost & Sullivan program manager Sandeep Kar. “That being said, OES channels are struggling to keep up with demand, thereby offering opportunities for independents to partner with these channels to support their businesses.” In addition, increasing distributed electronic content in commercial vehicles is forcing the need for new technology and equipment acquisitions by product and service providers, in turn inflating product and service costs, says Kar. “There is also a need to streamline the parts distribution structure to improve product and service flow.” Meanwhile, notes the study, tremendous growth opportunities exist for companies that cater to the product and service needs of local markets and the smaller and medium sized fleets with a broad spectrum of vehicles.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Truck buyers have given the Nissan Titan a lukewarm response since its introduction in late 2003, in part because of the limited model range: The Titan offered no V-6 or single-cab configuration, and its bed maxed out at just 6.5 feet long. For 2008, buyers finally have the option of an 8-foot bed, which most other pickups offer. Unfortunately, a V-6 and single cab version are still MIA, which means the cheapest trim level costs some $8,000 more than a base Chevrolet Silverado or Ford F-150. Throw in a spotty reliability record, and the Titan doesn’t seem headed for widespread appeal anytime soon.
All Titans have a standard V-8 and automatic transmission, and the only cab styles available are an extended King Cab and a four-door Crew Cab. The interior comes in five- or six-seat layouts, and beds range from 5.6 to 8.2 feet. Most trims can have rear- or four-wheel drive. I drove a four-wheel-drive, six-seat King Cab LE.
Nissan’s stout 5.6-liter V-8 generates 317 horsepower and 385 lbs.-feet of torque. I didn’t have a chance to drive with a fully loaded bed, but with one passenger and about 200 pounds of lumber, the drivetrain still made easy work of uphill onramps.
The five-speed automatic lags a bit in kick-down response, and its shifts are on the slow side. Fortunately there’s enough power that the laziness rarely detracts from the driving experience. Without any downshifts, I was able to comfortably pass on the highway, scooting from 60 to 70 mph in fifth gear at just 1,900 rpm. With proper equipment, the Titan can tow up to 9,500 pounds. That beats the Dodge Ram 1500 (9,100 pounds), but falls short of other full-size pickups.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Monday, April 14th, 2008
Auburn Hills, Mich. - Mopar® and the Mopar Underground team showcased their customized Jeep® vehicles and Dodge trucks at Moab Jeep Safari 2008 in March.
“Jeep engineering has been coming to Moab for years. Mopar is at Moab to test, evaluate and prove the authenticity of our Mopar Performance Parts for Jeep vehicles and Dodge trucks on the most grueling off-road trails in Moab,” said Simon Boag, President – Service & Parts/Mopar, Chrysler LLC. Mopar is Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and supplier.
Boag added, “We wanted our core off-road customers to talk about their vehicle usage so we can address their unmet needs and identify emerging product trends to better support their off-road adventures. Mopar prepped several vehicles for Moab Jeep Safari to gauge consumer feedback and reaction.”
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Friday, April 11th, 2008
The Mopar Underground team finally got a chance to show off its photo album from the recent Moab Jeep Safari 2008 on Wednesday. Among the more intriguing vehicles in the lineup is the Cairo-built Jeep Wrangler J8 Sarge, a beefy military version of the new JK platform built as a “non-combat military support vehicle.”
Chrysler hastens to say “there are currently no plans to offer the J8 for retail sale in the North American market.” The J8 Sarge premiered at the Moab Jeep Safari 2008. The unusual Jeep Wrangler is powered by a VM 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that delivers 158 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.
Other details on the J8 Sarge include heavy-duty steel bumpers equipped with two forged military-spec “helicopter hooks,” a hood-mounted air intake snorkel, dual rear-mounted battery boxes and heavy-duty spring hood latches. The platform on this vehicle can be configured as a light troop carrier, an ambulance or a cargo truck. It is outfitted with exclusive J8-only 17-by-8.0-inch steel wheels.
Also making an appearance at the Moab event was the 2007 Dodge Ram Diesel Power Wagon. It gets a 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine that churns out 350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. Other goodies include Mopar Performance axles and 40-inch Goodyear MTR tires.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
WENDY Woods left her Corio house on Tuesday morning to find her car and her neighbours’ cars covered in a strange sticky black chemical.
Residents of Consedine Court were no closer yesterday to finding out what the mystery substance was.
And their cars were no cleaner either.
Mrs Woods said calls to the Environment Protection Authority and to the nearby Shell refinery had shed no light on the puzzle.
“The EPA said it probably came from trucks off the highway, but we’ve lived here 20 years and we’ve never had anything like it,” she said.
She described the black substance as “very rough, like sand and sticky, like tar”.
Whatever it was, she said, it could not be removed.
“My husband’s a truck driver and we tried heavy-duty truck cleaner and even that wouldn’t work,” Mrs Woods said.
“The neighbours have asked me to contact everyone when I hear anything (from the EPA or Shell).”
She said about 17 cars had been affected by the substance.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Now available is the full range of the recently launched OSRAM TRUCKSTAR premium, Original Equipment 24 volt bulbs for HGV and commercial vehicles. These bulbs “lighten” the load for truck operators by delivering up to 100% longer service life – and up to 100% more light on the road compared with conventional 24 volt bulbs.
John Lancaster, OSRAM’s automotive division business unit manager comments, “OSRAM TRUCKSTAR is the ultimate vibration and shock resistant 24 volt bulb, which has been specifically designed for the toughest truck operations. These premium heavy-duty bulbs deliver an unrivalled range of benefits to please vehicle operators, drivers and accountants.”
TRUCKSTAR’s unique package of benefits include:-
- a halving of unscheduled downtime and labour cost for bulb replacement
- an improvement in road safety, thanks to TRUCKSTAR’s superb, up to 100%
greater on-road lighting performance.
The OSRAM TRUCKSTAR range now includes both 24 volt headlight and auxiliary bulbs. These full E-approved upgrade bulbs deliver up to 100% improved lighting and bulb life compared with the conventional bulbs fitted as original equipment by vehicle manufacturers.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
Don’t make the mistake of telling Renald Casavant there is something he can’t do, because chances are you’re going to find yourself eating your own words. This 19-year-old second-year Sault College student has succeeded at nearly everything he’s ever tried.
In high school at Ecole Carrefour Superieur Nord, back in his hometown of Wawa, he tried out for all the teams and ended up playing every sport imaginable. He was known as the strong and fast basketball player who could make it down the court to score the points for his team, the goalie that never let a puck get passed him, the volleyball player that could be counted on to return a serve.
Now at Sault College in the Heavy Equipment/Truck Repair program, Renald still seeks action and adventure, this time focusing his efforts on his program of study as well as off-trail biking and down-hill skiing on the week-ends. The only catch?
Renald Casavant is legally blind.
“There is almost nothing I won’t try,” says a charismatic Renald with a self-assured smile. “I can do everything other people can do,” he adds.
Casavant’s life would show that he is a man of his words.
He started wearing his first pair of glasses at the age of seven. His eyes got progressively worse over the next seven years, leaving him legally blind at the age of 14. Now, he makes his way through the world seeing only outlines, shadows, and light - what he refers to as “short detail.”
“I can see out of the sides of my eyes better than what’s in front of me, but I can see it if I get really close,” he explains.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
