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Jim Park
Jim Park was a CDL driver and owner-operator from 1978 until 1998, when he began his second career as a trucking journalist. During that career transition, he hosted an overnight radio show on a Hamilton, Ontario radio station and later went on to anchor the trucking news in SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking channel. Jim is a regular contributor to Today's Trucking and Trucknews.com, and produces Focus On and On the Spot test drive videos.
Dana’s Dual Range Disconnect
First revealed at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March, Dana's Dual Range Disconnect drive axle system offers the fuel savings benefit of a downsped 6x2 drivetrain and the performance benefits of conventional 6x4 setup with a mid-range axle ratio. The key word here is disconnect. While running at speeds up to about 54 mph, the system functions as a 6x4 with torque going to all four wheels for optimum traction. It also runs at a 3.10:1 ratio for better performance and startability. Above 54 mph, the interaxle driveshaft disengages, leaving the driving to only the forward drive axle. Interestingly, the axle ratio of the forward axle is 2.26:1, which lowers engine rpm and in effect creates a downsped drive train. The benefit, of course, is better fuel economy resulting from a 300-400 rpm drop in engine speed.
Volvo’s Adaptive Gearing
Volvo Trucks has put a new spin on an old powertrain management strategy; by locking out top gear on its I-Shift overdrive transmission, drivers can pull loads efficiently in 11th gear (direct drive) and still get the performance they want. When running empty, sensors in the transmission and the suspension sense the lower weight and unlock 12th gear, which is overdrive. The truck can cruise home in at a very low engine speed at a higher road speed. This video explains how Adaptive Gearing works and features more excerpts from an interview with Gene Brice, co-owner of Idaho Milk Transport. Adaptive Gearing is ideally suited to tank fleets that run about half their miles empty, and when you hear Brice's fuel economy with this system, you'll be asking if it can work for you too. And don't forget to check out our Focus On report on Volvo's Adaptive Loading system to see what it has to offer.
Vnomics’ True Fuel Part One: Bad Jim
PITTSFORD, NY -- Since you can't physically sit beside your drivers all day, observing and coaching their driving habits and performance, some sort of monitoring tool can be quite useful. However, if drivers see such devices as annoying or impeding their ability to drive the truck, they won't happily accept the intrusion.
Cummins X15 Pt 1: An Overview
COLUMBUS, IN -- As engine platforms go, Cummins' ISX has to be considered slightly remarkable. It was introduced in 1998, although the program that brought the engine to life began in 1994. It survived the transition to EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and then to SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) aftertreatment. Several other engines did not. And it's still very much alive and kicking today. We spent a day test driving a couple of production-intent versions of the 2017 X15 (as it's now known), and a current ISX15 for comparison.
TransPower’s Totally Electric Class 8 Truck
True zero-emissions freight transportation is closer to reality than you might think. TransPower USA has five Class 8 tractors currently in service at the Port of Long Beach, CA. The company also has several yard shunt tractors and school buses in real-world service. These trucks are not cobbled together McGiver jobs, either. They are highly engineered and look just like factory installations. These trucks could be the long sought-after solution to diesel emissions in areas with real air quality issues. We recently had a opportunity to test drive one of these electric Class 8 trucks and found it to be a very functional alternative to a diesel tractor. We had the truck without a trailer, so we can't report on its pulling power, but the company says the truck is powered by two 200-hp electric motors. That's 400 horsepower, plus you get the benefit of the very high torque output of the electric motors.