Articles

Aftermarket•by Steph Sabo, Guest Columnist•January 17, 2012

The Great Secret

Everyone is always looking for a competitive advantage, one that will take them over the top. Well, your search can stop, at least for today. Spend your time looking into the Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations

Aftermarket•by Jim Beach•January 17, 2012

Five Ways Software Can Improve Your Bottom Line

It's a rare heavy-duty service shop or parts warehouse/distributor that doesn't use some kind of computer software in its operation. It might be as simple as an accounting package such as QuickBooks, or as complex as a full-feature

Aftermarket•by Deborah Lockridge•January 17, 2012

Are You Planning For Succession?

Last year, Midwest Wheel celebrated its 100th anniversary under a fourth-generation owner. Betts Spring is in its sixth generation and just promoted a sixth-generation Betts family member to vice president. But many more small businesses peris

Aftermarket•by Tom Berg•January 17, 2012

Stronger Brakes on Class 8 Rigs Require Distributors to Learn About and Stock New Parts

Emerging from truck factories in the U.S. since Aug. 1 are road tractors that can stop in substantially shorter distances than those built earlier. It's due to a change in government stopping distance requirement

Fleet Management•by Commentary Rolf Lockwood, Editor at Large•January 17, 2012

Stability Control: Cheap Insurance

Some time soon, if we don't already, we'll have a rulemaking proposal that ultimately will put a stability-control system on every new tractor, and maybe retrofit such a system on all tank trailers too, old or new. I'm sold on both ideas

Equipment•by Tom Berg•January 17, 2012

Are Underride Guards Good Enough?

Last March, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced results of crash-testing of several van trailers whose underride guards did not perform well, except in a couple of cases

Equipment•by Tom Berg•January 17, 2012

Test Drive: Ram Tradesman is Quiet, Comfortable, Fast -- But Built for Work

I recently sold my '87 Dodge W150 pickup, and I don't miss it at all. Oh, I liked it when I bought it a year earlier, because it was a funky Power Ram 4x4

Fleet Management•by Jim Beach•January 17, 2012

Using Technology to Help Cut Main CSA Violations: Speeding and Log Violations

When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rolled out its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program in late 2010, a number of carriers were surprised to find a poorer safety rating than they enjoyed under the old SafeStat

Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•January 17, 2012

Schneider National Safety Guru Don Osterberg on the FMCSA's New Enforcement Program

We spoke with Don Osterberg, vice president of safety at mega-carrier Schneider National and a leader in trucking safety, about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's new Compliance, Safety, and Accountability enforcement progra

Maintenance•by Jim Park•January 17, 2012

Outsourcing Your Tire Program

The service truck arrives at 8:30 Sunday morning, as usual. The two tire techs unload 16 freshly mounted and balanced, retreaded drive tires, eight new steer tires on reconditioned wheels, and a take-off drive tir

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