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Jim Park

Former HDT Equipment Editor

Jim Park served as Heavy Duty Trucking's equipment editor from 2006-2024. Specializing in technical and equipment content, Park is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the trucking industry since 1998.

Before joining HDT, Park was a truck driver and owner-operator for 20 years and served as an editor for HighwayStar magazine, which ceased production in 2011. He maintained his commercial driver’s license to bring a real-world perspective to Test Drives, as well as to features, videos and podcasts about equipment spec’ing and trends, emissions regulations and developments, maintenance and drivers.

He is the recipient of 16 Jesse H. Neal honors (both finalist and Neal awards), including “Best Range of Work by a Single Author” in 2020.

Articlesby Jim ParkJune 10, 2009

A Question of Balance

Do we really need to balance our tires? Predictably, and depending who you ask, the answers are yes. Or no. Improvements in manufacturing processes guarantee a much better tire comes from the factory today than even a decade ago

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Articlesby Jim ParkJune 10, 2009

Crud Catcher: Fifth Wheel Maintenance

As we head into winter, springtime may seem far away. But it's the aftereffects of winter's messy roads and de-icing compounds that lead to one of the sounds of spring: drivers complaining about their fifth wheels

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Articlesby Jim ParkJune 10, 2009

Ticking Time Bomb? NOT!

Two major television news reports within the last year cast a shadow over aging passenger-car and light-truck tires. Fatal accidents allegedly resulting from age-related tire degradatio

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Articlesby Jim ParkJune 8, 2009

Miles Ahead for Pennies a Day: Automatic Tire Inflation Systems

Meet your new handy-dandy tire filler-upper. We're not talking about a knuckle-dragger named Earl, here, with eyes that gaze off in two different directions and a plug of tobacco in his cheek big enough to choke a horse

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Articlesby Jim ParkJune 8, 2009

Retreads: Play 'Em Again, Sam

Despite their manifest advantages, retreaded tires continue to struggle with an image problem. It's widely assumed - wrongly - that much of the tire debris seen lying at roadside are the remains of a retreaded tire

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Articlesby Jim ParkJune 8, 2009

What's New In Tires

Round and black. That's about the extent of the similarities between today's marvels of engineering and yesteryear's truck tires. I think I'm safe saying we probably take our tires for granted. When they're doing well

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Articlesby Jim ParkMay 26, 2009

Tires & Fuel Economy: Playing by the Numbers

Spec'ing considerations for tires run the gamut from application to serviceability, and from life cycle costs to anticipated fuel savings. No two fleets will have exactly the same considerations, but at year-end, fuel costs will factor into most spec'ing decisions

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Articlesby Jim ParkMay 26, 2009

Tire Evaluation: Are you getting all the information you need before spec'ing your tires?

Perhaps only computers remain a more confusing purchasing decision than tires. The thought of comparing RAMS and ROMS and Gigs and HDs and DVDs and processors strikes fear into the hearts of all but the hardened geek

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Articlesby Jim ParkMay 18, 2009

Severe Service Tires: Give 'Em Your Best Shot

It's a long way between a downtown back alley and an oil field, but as a tire sees the world, there are more similarities than differences. On-highway tires live the life of Riley compared to the severe-service tires

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Articlesby Jim ParkMay 18, 2009

Cab Maintenance Concerns

Normal service for a big truck virtually guarantees that it will feel and show the effects of age long before you're ready to deal it. That means even the cab of the truck is going to require a little maintenanc

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