Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/493405
32 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2015 INBRIEF Commercial Service Network technicians and is audited regularly to ensure consistent high-quality work. t Roadmaster said it is expanding its national fleet accounts business outreach and soon will announce a comprehensive program that includes 24/7 roadside repair support. t 3ZEFS4ZTUFN launched an online natural gas vehicle maintenance training program across its entire North American network of 800 maintenance facilities to provide the company's 6,000-plus technician workforce with knowledge of all natural gas vehicle platforms and configurations. t /PSFHPO4ZTUFNTreleased its updated JPRO Commercial Vehicle Diagnostics 2015 v1 software that includes expanded cover- age of model years and diagnostic data for Freightliner Cascadia body and chassis controllers, Detroit and Cummins engines and Ford, GM and Sprinter vehicles, and well as a Vehicle History demo mode designed to enable users to explore the software's features without accessing vehicles. t 'PSE.PUPS$P and Telogis introduced the next generation of Ford's factory-fit com- mercial telematics platform, Ford Telematics powered by Telogis. The new brand offering will replace Ford's existing Ford Crew Chief platform. t .JUDIFMMreleased TruckSeries, the latest upgrade of its online labor-estimating and diagnostic trouble code procedures and repair application for all makes of me- dium- and heavy-duty trucks. TruckSeries combines data from Tractor-Trailer.net, Medium-Truck.net, Repair-Connect.net and TruckLabor and allows customers to activate the individual software products separately or as a bundled package. t .JOJNJ[FS – a manufacturer and vendor of poly truck fenders, toolboxes, custom floor mats, mudflaps, truck maintenance products and other truck accessories – was named a winner in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's annual Blue Ribbon Small Business Awards, a program that recognizes companies for success, innovations and contributions to economic growth and free enterprise. t #FOEJY$PNNFSDJBM7FIJDMF4ZTUFNT honored its engineers for their contribu- tions to the company's development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies. In celebra- tion of Engineers Week 2015, the company recognized 46 engineers who contributed – individually or in groups – to 27 worldwide patents granted to Bendix last year. Honor- ees included three first-time recipients. M eritor previewed a new technology it said will give fleets greater peace of mind and contribute significant tire cost savings to their bottom lines: A tractor-optimized tire pressure monitoring system. The system is largely an in- house project for Meritor, with Tire Pressure International contributing techni- cal expertise. Joe ElBehairy, Meritor vice presi- dent of engineering and quality control, said that while TPMS sys- tems for trailers now are common- place, creating a system for tractors presents a variety of challenges, such as developing robust seals that can retain integrity in a dynamic environment and routing air lines through drive and steer axles. ElBehairy said the system now is undergoing rigorous testing in North America, and while it is not slated for launch until late next year or early 2017, it eventually can help provide an annual savings of up to $3,453 per truck in com- bined fuel, tire, maintenance and service costs. – Jack Roberts T hree Volvo Group North America sites occupy the top three posi- tions in the U.S. Department of Energy Superior Energy Performance program, recording the highest energy performance improvements among Platinum partners. The Macungie Cab and Vehicle As- sembly facility in Macungie, Pa., where all Mack Trucks for North America and export are assembled, achieved nearly a 42 percent improvement during a 10-year timeframe. The New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., where all Volvo Trucks for North America are assembled, achieved nearly a 26 percent improve- ment over three years. The powertrain facility in Hagerstown, Pa., is responsible for powertrain development for Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks and Prevost and improved by nearly 21 percent during a three-year period. To qualify as a Platinum-certified partner, a facility must improve energy performance by more than 15 percent during a three-year period. SEP, an energy management program administered by DOE, extends beyond the global energy management standard by adding a verification component. "Environmental care is one of the Volvo Group's core values, so we are very pleased that our commitment resulted in our three largest U.S. manufacturing facilities achieving the top three positions in the highest category of the SEP pro- gram," said Rick Robinson, director of health, safety and environment for Volvo Group North America. – Jack Roberts Meritor previews tractor-specific TPMS 5IF/FX3JWFS7BMMFZBTTFNCMZQMBOU JO%VCMJO7BXIFSFBMM7PMWP5SVDLT GPS/PSUI"NFSJDBBSFBTTFNCMFE BDIJFWFEOFBSMZBQFSDFOUJN- QSPWFNFOUJOFOFSHZQFSGPSNBODF PWFSUISFFZFBST Volvo facilities recognized for energy performance .FSJUPSTBJEJUTUSBDUPSPQUJNJ[FEUJSFQSFT- TVSFNPOJUPSJOHTZTUFNOPXJTVOEFSHPJOH SJHPSPVTUFTUJOHJO/PSUI"NFSJDBBOEJT TMBUFEGPSMBVODIMBUFOFYUZFBSPSFBSMZ