Weight Savings & Fuel Economy
While cost savings will vary depending on vocation, application and operating conditions, states a Kenworth White Paper published a few years ago, weight savings can improve the lifecycle cost of a vehicle in two respects: increased payload capacity and better fuel economy. “Lighter weight reduces the amount of horsepower required to overcome mechanical resistance of
Shockingly Good Tire Wear
The soft-riding trucks of today are a far cry from the rough-and-tumble kidney bouncers of yesterday. Air-ride tandem drive axles, longer taper-leaf steer axle springs and air spring rear cab mounts have become standard on many models. Recently, suspension travel – or jounce and rebound limits – have been extended, together with ride-height sensors, lateral
Gadgets & Gizmos: Can Bright Ideas for Passenger Tires Apply to Commercial Markets?
Can Bright Ideas for Passenger Tires Apply to Commercial Markets? While away from home recently, I hopped into a shiny new rental car. My ride was a complimentary upgrade luxury model. In short order, I pulled over to the side of the road after deciding that I was too distracted trying to locate the controls
OE’ Means ‘Odd Equipment’: Watch for Unusual Bolt Patterns, Offsets as New Models Roll Out
Watch for Unusual Bolt Patterns, Offsets as New Models Roll Out New rides are hitting the streets, so hold on tight while we try to decipher the latest OE changes that affect our lives – both in terms of profit and frustration. First up is the most controversial – the new Jeep Wrangler JK, which
Get Leverage With a Good Tire/Wheel Program
Few fleet managers question the traditional benefits of a well thought out and executed tire/wheel program. Reliability, safety, selection of quality products and service providers, and resulting low tire cost-per-mile are the commonly sought after results. Since tires and other axle-end component programs represent significant expenses, even in a well operated and maintained fleet, fleets
Better Technology For Better Fuel Economy
Making effective tire choices for fuel efficiency, related Curtis Decker of Continental Tire North America, means fleet managers have to first consider the true environment in which their vehicles operate. “Fuel efficiency and savings equate to certain market sectors and are difficult in others,” he said. “In some cases, such as delivery and on-highway operations,
Mighty Mites: Don’t Slack Off When it Comes to Tires for Small Commercial Trucks
Light duty trucks may well be the ultimate multi-purpose vehicles. Normally defined as trucks with GVW ratings up to 10,000 lbs., this breed of commercial vehicle can include trucks up into Class 3 and 4 offerings. Most of these trucks are designed primarily for personal use such as suburban utility, trailer towing and weekend home
A Record Revival
People always say that we live in a changing world. It seems, however, that the pace is accelerating, especially technology advances that impacts our industry. Sometimes the changes are revolutionary. Other times, evolutions of existing products or practices breathe new life into the already familiar. I thought of this analogy recently while reassembling my old
Tips for Light-Duty Trucks
When purchasing these trucks, fleet managers must first consider the tasks the trucks will be asked to perform and where they will reside, with special attention to geography, road conditions and driver habits. Tire dealers, in conjunction with their fleet customers, then have to sort out the optimum tire for the application and expected service
Import Tires Are Solutions, Not Problems
In case you haven’t noticed, truck tires with new names are starting to appear where only well-known brands have tread. Historically, there have always been unfamiliar (and usually inexpensive) entries into very mature, shrinking market segments. A perfect example of this are the tube-type bias-ply tires that were fitted to container chassis just prior to
Bias Ply Tires Fading From Memory
It’s been a long time coming and, in the opinion of most tire industry engineers, long past due. Bias ply truck tires are officially relics of a past age. Early truck radials were tailored for over-the-road service, and their robust tread, sidewall and internal reinforcement materials soon outperformed even the best bias unit. Then mixed-service
Truck Tire Repair Saves Green
Tires are one of the largest equipment expenses facing fleet managers, so it’s important to get the longest life possible out them. Retreading is one way that many fleets prolong the life of their tires. But many times a tire will encounter road debris that damages the tread section before the tire is ready to