Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/1002866
20 | Overdrive | July 2018 Logbook July 20-21: Expedite Expo, Lexington Center, Lexington, Kentucky Aug. 24-26: Great American Trucking Show, Dallas Sept. 8: American Truck Historical Society Rocky Mountain Chapter Truck Show, Art Robinson Transport Museum, Salina, Utah Sept. 9-13: National Truck Driver Appre- ciation Week Sept. 13-15: Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show, St. Ignace, Michigan Sept. 14-16: American Truck Historical Society LaGrange Engine Show and Northeast Ohio Chapter Show, Lorain County Fairgrounds, Wellington, Ohio Sept. 14-16: American Truck Historical Society San Juan Chapter Classic Truck and Vehicle Show, Riverside Park, Aztec, New Mexico Dec. 15: National Wreaths Across America Day CALENDAR Shell's Starship completes cross-country run Shell Lubricants and Airflow Truck Co. announced the results of the Starship Initiative demonstration run, boasting a remarkable achievement in efficiency. The truck's six-day 2,410-mile trip along Interstate 10 from San Diego to Jacksonville, Florida, achieved a freight-ton efficiency average of 178.4 ton-miles per gallon, a 248 percent im- provement over the on-highway Class 8 industry average of 72 ton-mpg. If all 2 million trucks in the United States could achieve the same freight- ton efficiency as the Starship, it would result in a reduction of 229 million tons of CO2 per year, a 60 percent drop from current levels, said Carlos Maurer, Shell Lubricants America president. The Starship's fuel economy averaged 8.94 mpg. Although mpg is a common metric, it doesn't tell the whole story, said Shell Lubri- cants' Bob Mainwairing, technology manager for innovation and Starship Technology lead. "If you are obsessing about in- creasing mpg, that motivates a story of 'Go slow, go light' – fewer goods transported means a lighter vehicle and better fuel economy," he said. "As a better alternative, we use freight- ton efficiency, because it assesses the amount of fuel required to move an amount of goods between A and B with the theory of 'Go slow, go heavy.' " Starship designer Bob Sliwa, owner of Airflow Truck Co., incorporated design elements to lower vehicle weight, including a carbon-fiber trac- tor body and hood and Bridgestone Ecopia wide-base single tires. But Sliwa said the addition of aerody- namic devices, roll cage tubing, trail- er-mounted solar panels and other components designed to improve fuel efficiency brought the Starship trac- tor-trailer in at a conventional weight of 33,100 pounds. The Starship carried a 39,900-pound payload. Shell worked with the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, which used an estimated 57,000-pound GVWR/22,500- pound payload on-highway Class 8 average for comparison purposes. – Jeff Crissey PILOT FLYING J opened four new Pilot Travel Centers: Bunkie, Louisiana, at 7349 State Route 29; Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at 3950 Earhart Lane; Monu- ment, Colorado, at 15455 Terrazzo Drive; and Hempstead, Texas, at 2000 Farm to Market Road 488. THE RHODE ISLAND Department of Transportation configured a tempo- rary divided highway on Interstate 95 North and South in Providence, where work is ongoing to replace the I-95 Blackstone Street Bridge. All exits and on-ramps remain open. MORE THAN 15,000 TRUCKS and chassis were recalled by Daimler Trucks North America. The larger of the two recalls affects about 14,925 Freightliner and Western Star tractors and Freightliner Custom Chassis equipped with air disc brakes with brake caliper mounting bolts that may not be tightened properly. Call DTNA at 800-547-0712; the recall number is FL-772. The second recall, number FL-773, affects 581 model-year 2012-19 Western Star 4900 tractors built with Lowmax hoods and disc brakes. Those models might experience chafing of the front brake hose. NAVISTAR RECALLED about 150 mod- el-year 2019 International LT tractors that have lightweight brake drums with slack adjusters that may drag against the brakes. Call Navistar at 800-448- 7825. The recall number is 18507. GEORGIA-BASED Dr. John A. Glenn Jr. pleaded guilty to his role in a medical exam fraud scheme in which he falsified reports for CDL holders. The Starship tractor-trailer logged impressive gains in freight-ton efficiency.