Each year, Heavy Duty Trucking honors 20 of the best new products introduced the previous year with its Top 20 awards. Each product was selected based on its level of innovation, whether it addresses significant industry issues or concerns, and its potential to improve a trucking operation’s bottom line. The winners appeared in our February 2014 issue, and awards were presented at the Technology and Maintenance Council annual meeting, the Truckload Carriers Association annual convention, and the Mid-America Trucking Show in the spring of 2014.
Ever wonder exactly how the parts you order get to you when you need them where you need them? Aftermarket Editor Denise Rondini recently visited Meritor's Florence, Ky., Parts Distribution Center. It handles 27 different product lines comprising 161,000 parts numbers. Each day 30 to 40 truckloads of parts and components arrive at the facility. An equal number of trucks leave the PDC each day carrying parts to dealers and independent parts distributors.
Utility Trailer Manufacturing, a manufacturer of dry freight vans, flatbeds and Tautliner curtainsided trailers, recently commemorated its 100th anniversary in La Quinta, California. This photo gallery features many pictures from Utility's long history.
HDT Senior Editor Tom Berg takes Volvo's lightweight Optimized VNL430 for a drive near Volvo's New River Valley plant in Virginia.
When Bill Bliem became vice president of maintenance at NFI five years ago, his first priority was to get maintenance costs under control. Then he moved on to fuel efficiency and has made great strides. Read more here.
PepsiCo North America Beverages is revamping the way it delivers its products, moving to specially spec’d dry van trailers, liftgates and pallets that were pre-loaded at the warehouse. It saves work for drivers, saves fuel, and speeds deliveries to customers. One of the leaders of this effort and others is Shelby Green, senior fleet director. Read more here.
David Hoover, director, outbound Logistics for Meijer, is constantly looking for ways to be more efficient, whether it's more fuel-efficient engines or eliminating empty backhauls. Meijer finished converting its 170-truck fleet of regional daycabs to the 2010 engines last fall, enjoying a 5% increase in fuel economy. Last year the fleet started trading some of those in for the latest EPA/NHTSA 2014 engines in the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. The new trucks are showing a 12% improvement in fuel economy over the ones they replaced. Read more here.
During his first years at Frito-Lay more than 20 years ago, Mike O’Connell was focused on the warehousing end of the distribution business. About eight years ago, with the help of a talented team of engineers and others (who O’Connell is adamant about giving part of the credit for his success), he has turned the Frito-Lay fleet into a model of efficiency and sustainability and today is senior director, supply chain. Read more here.
Saturday in Louisville, Ky., was windy, blustery and rainy -- great weather for an indoor trade show, not so good for those wanting to see the truck beauty competition outside. Inside it was warm and dry, and attendees got some valuable one-on-one face time with the hundreds of exhibitors.
MATS, LOUISVILLE -- Competitors at this year's Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Beauty Championship at the Mid-America Trucking Show had to deal with some cloudy and rainy weather, but that didn't keep away the more than 100 competitors.
MATS, LOUISVILLE -- Day Two of the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., featured more interesting people and products.
