Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/83831
4 Great American Trucking Show 2012 Ecopia rolling resistance on display on quad buggies To give show attendees the chance to see the improved rolling resistance of its March-released Ecopia tires, Bridgestone has set up a ramp with two quad-wheel buggies next to its Ecopia- branded truck, Booth #19125. The buggies sit on their respec- tive ramps, locked into place, and upon their release, roll down a straight patch of show fl oor. The buggy with the Ecopia tires continues to roll after the other has stopped. Check in for prizes The eTrucker Store booth is giv- ing away shirts, carabiners, bottle openers, koozies, magnets and pens. The booth is also giving away fi ve Overdrive grill sets and will have a prize wheel set up for the chance to win prizes from Overdrive and eTrucker. Moreover, if attendees Like the eTrucker Store on Facebook and participate in its posts, it boosts their chances to win shirts, digital down- loads and more. eTrucker Store/Randall-Reilly Truck Media etrucker.com Booth #21112 New Lipe clutch The New Lipe Clutch, a 15.5-in. cast iron direct pressure clutch, has a torque rating of 2,400 pounds and is made for severe service applications and for high-horse- power, high-torque engines. Setco Automotive setcoauto.com Booth #15130 Garmin unveils Also at the booth is a small obstacle course designed for a small-scale, pedal-powered version of the Ecopia Roadshow truck. Times are being recorded to see who runs the course the fastest, and a prize will be given to the winner. Bridgestone Tires bridgestonetrucktires.com Booth #19125 Jennifer Brennan on hand at uShip Jennifer Brennan of A&E's "Ship- ping Wars" will be at the uShip booth (#14043) to meet show at- tendees and sign autographs. "Shipping Wars" features six goods transporters com- peting for loads. The show uses uShip, an auction site in which customers try to fi nd someone to transport items for them, and the competitors try to low-ball one another while trying to maximize profi ts. Brennan lives in Austin, Texas, and Brennan will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. 7-inch unit Garmin introduced Thursday its dē zl 760, the company's fi rst trucking-spe- cifi c navigator with a seven-inch dis- play. It's features are highlighted by a new Active Lane Guidance function to help drivers navigate intersections and exits. The 760's other functions include route calculation based on truck attributes, trucking points of interest, hours-of-service logging, an extra-loud speaker and backup camera support. Compatible with Garmin Smartphone Link, it has the ability to receive real- time information through a smartphone app, such as fuel prices, traffi c camera images and weather. The 760 is on dis- play at the company's booth, #9033. Garmin International garmin.com Booth #9033 CVOC: Stops and starts on the road to natural gas acceptance Interest in natural gas as a heavy-duty truck fuel remains high, and that interest will continue to increase as diesel prices rise — in spite of continued infrastruc- ture and acquisition cost issues, panelists said at the Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference, held in conjunction with the Great American Trucking Show. The panel, moderated by Eugene Goodson, alternate energy expert and former CEO Oshkosh Truck, consisted of briefi ngs by Kennon Guglielmo, presi- dent of EControls; Robert Carrick, sales manager, CNG/LNG Freightliner; Dan England, chairman, C.R. England. Guiglielmo and Carrick were bullish on the continued growth of natural gas in trucking applications. Guiglielmo, in particular, noted that there are already more than 100,000 heavy-duty vehicles in operation today in Asia that are run- ning with great success. Carrick noted that increasing volumes of scale will eventually bring down ac- quisition costs and that newer engines coming on line, particularly the 12-liter Cummins ISX12G next year and future smaller displacement engines, will give fl eets greater options in experimenting with and adopting natural gas. Carrick says the biggest remaining hurdle is still the infrastructure issues — fl eets worry about being able to easily fi nd fueling public fueling stations. "Fuel providers claim they can't build stations until more trucks are on the road. And fl eets claim they can't buy trucks until they have a place to fuel them. But the trucks are out there, and more are coming. " Peterbilt showing off 579, 587 models Peterbilt is holding business strategy meetings and educational seminars at its booth, #12137. It's also show- ing off its Model 579 and Model 587 trucks and giving attendees a chance to check out the Paccar MX 12.9L engine. Representatives from the company will be available for ques- tions and information. Peterbilt peterbilt.com Booth #12137 specializes in hauling animals. She was raised around farming and livestock. "It's just the way I grew up. I was a tom- boy, playing in creeks and riding horses and things like that, I really love anything that has to do with animals. " Marc Springer, another transporter on the show, will be at the booth today and Saturday. uShip uship.com Booth #14043 " Brennan says. "And