EPA Headaches Ahead: Compliance is Getting Harder. What Can You Do to Protect Your Business?
Until a few years ago, a dumpsite in sleepy southern New Hampshire, near Plaistow, had been federally approved, annually inspected and EPA certified. Even the transporters who regularly deposited their loads there were EPA licensed, and all the businesses that used the site for their refuse assumed that they, too, were in 100% compliance. Imagine,
All-Season Debate: Is There Still a Need for Dedicated Winter and Summer Tires?
Thirty years ago, everyone could describe a snow tire – big, knobby, luggy tires with lots of void areas. They weren’t sophisticated, they used the same compounds as regular passenger tires and they were okay for the market at that time. But, they were noisy and wore out quickly in the heat of summer if
Hispanic America: Appreciating the Cultural Uniqueness of Your Hispanic Employees and Customers Just Makes Good Business Sense
Today, 48 million Hispanic people reside in the U.S. – about 17% of the population – and they’re not going anywhere. In fact, experts say that number will grow dramatically. By 2050, 100 million people will trace their ancestry to the Spanish-speaking Latin American and Caribbean worlds. We’re in for some big changes. Unfortunately, history
High-Stakes Niche: Industrial Tires Can Offer High Margins and Opportunity, But at a Cost
In the simplest of terms, if U.S. factories are working at or near capacity, warehouses should be busy and the market for forklift or towmotor tires should be strong. To that point, the National Association of Manufacturers reports that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding, and manufacturing employment is up by 12,000 jobs as of
Happy Returns?: While RFID Technology Steadily Matures, ROI Questions Persist
Sure, hybrid-powered cars, light trucks and SUVs will save us money at the pump. Yet we pay a premium price for a hybrid vehicle. That’s what we call a “conundrum.” Though we save a few bucks on the family budget, we must pay for that privilege. And that extra dough we’re saving may not be
Waste Not, Worry Not: Fleets That Partner Up with Tire Dealers Can Take the Worry Factor Out of Tires
“He saves us tens of thousands in potential workers’ compensation claims. His labor costs are $18 an hour, while mine are $22. My overall insurance costs are lower, and I’m saving 10% per tire in labor alone.” That’s Scott Francis, fleet maintenance manager for Whiteline Xpress Ltd. in Champaign, Ill. He’s in charge of watching
Built to Last: Smart Lifecycle Cost Control Can Help Fleets Squeeze Every Last Mile Out of Every Casing
Here’s a bulletin for fleet maintenance managers responsible for extending tire casing life: If you start a serious tire inflation program today, you will enjoy a 10% improvement in tire mileage expectations tomorrow. That’s only the beginning. If you add a proper tire rotation program, daily calibration of your tire pressure gauges, an alignment program
No End in Sight: Whether Premium- or Value-Priced, UHP Tires Are Here to Stay
Need some good news for once? Ultra-high performance tires have mushroomed into the single fastest-growing tire segment. From 2000 to 2004, sales of UHP tires were up 161%, jumping 32% from 2003 to 2004 alone. In terms of units sold, the numbers look like this: 3.99 million in 2000, 7.9 million in 2003 and 10.4
Perfect Circle?: Out-of-Round Tires, Though Rare, Deserve a Second Look
We didn’t say much when they took the fat out of our ice cream and cholesterol out of our potato chips. Even the sweet taste in our iced tea probably isn’t sugar. Sometimes we don’t pay much attention to the changes taking place right under our noses. Take out-of-round tires, for instance. We used to
Real Balancing Act: Phasing Out Lead Wheel Weights May Change Balancing Forever
If you missed the news, it’s no longer legal to use lead wheel weights in Europe. So, what should that mean to you? Start planning now for the same thing to happen here. Already, wheel-weight maker Perfect Equipment Co. is producing zinc clip-on and steel adhesive wheel weights for GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler vehicles being
Lead the Charge: Hybrid Vehicles Need Hybrid Care – So Be the Local Expert
No sense in ignoring hybrid vehicles any longer. They’re here to stay. They are not a trend. Every year since 2000, the sale of hybrid vehicles in the U.S. has doubled. According to ABI Research, by 2006, sales of hybrid vehicles will account for 10% of the two million mid-size vehicles sold annually in the
Spin on Spinners: New York, Iowa Want to Put the Halt on Spinner Wheels
New York, Iowa Want to Put the Halt on Spinner Wheels