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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.
Review: ZF transmission is a great 8
TORONTO, Ont. -- In early 2021, German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichschafen AG will launch the PowerLine 8AP, an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission medium-duty and vocational applications with gross vehicle weights up to 26,000 kg (57,000 lb).
Medium-duty transmissions are more than commodities
TORONTO, Ont. -- Look through vehicle spec’ sheets for the lower weight classes on various OEM websites -- GMC, Ford, Isuzu, Hino and others – and you find the transmission described simply as, say, a six-speed automatic. That's just fine with a significant majority of medium-duty truck buyers. They don't even think about the transmission when choosing a truck.
How do shop lifts differ?
TORONTO, Ont. -- Fleets considering equipping a shop with lifting devices have several options. The application and the installation will generally determine what type of lift will best suit your needs. Here are some of the most common lifts, as well as the applications to which they are best suited, and some of their installation requirements.
The right shop lift delivers productivity, safety gains
TORONTO, Ont. -- Using lifts in your shop instead of floor jacks, jack stands, creepers and pits makes an undeniable difference in productivity. The systems provide more convenient and comfortable access to every part of a truck that needs service. That lets technicians get more work done in less time, and with a lower chance of injury.
Trading truck mirrors for monitors: A test drive
TORONTO, Ont. -- Mirrors, despite their shortcomings, have been with us since the beginning, and asking drivers to switch to a new technology is going to pose its own set of challenges. If Jim Park's experience with the Stoneridge MirrorEye Camera Monitor System is any indication, the learning curves will not be as steep as some may think.
Focus On: A walk-around of the Hino XL8
Hino's new Class 8 offering, the XL8, has been in the pipeline for nearly a decade. It launched in 2018 and went into production in early 2019. It's not fancy, but it's solid and well built and was designed with the driver in mind. Equipment editor Jim Park takes us on a walk-around of the XL8 and it's new engine, the A09 at Hino's new manufacturing plant in Mineral Wells West Virginia.
Mine your ELD data for productivity gains
TORONTO, Ont. -- Those who believe that electronic logging devices (ELDs) are productivity killers have yet to exploit the technology’s full potential. When combined with a transportation management system, the devices can provide valuable insights and planning possibilities.