Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/455137
32 | Overdrive | February 2015 Light-sensitive the enforcement agencies out a little bit more" in terms of focusing efforts better, he says. "When you have that preclearance, prescreening ability and that ability to adapt that preclearance to different scenarios, you can better focus your efforts and have a much more methodical process behind it" away from the road. McCarter detailed another prac- tice of inspectors that more than one operator has corroborated to Overdrive in recent times. "At the rest area on the east side of Columbus," he says, if you pull in for a break and officers are present, "they swoop down on you, parking next to the cab of the truck. They'll ask you for your paperwork and do a [Lev- el 3 credentials] inspection," which includes a log book check. Ohio inspectors also "love the rest areas on I-71 north of Columbus," McCarter says. "They'll station at the entrance to the weigh station coming into Ohio on the west side on I-70." Carlson also has seen this in the northern part of the state, at rest ar- eas in both directions on I-271 around Cleveland. "They work both of those very hard," he says. "They'll some- time chase guys in from the road, or stand there and get you as you come in." He adds, though, that he's not seen in Ohio a more annoying practice that's reported in some states. That's when officers "beat on a guy's door to ask for a log book while they're sleeping." McCarter guesses drivers have a ten- fold greater chance of being inspected on all the major routes from Columbus up, including I-70, than south of the city toward his home base across the Ohio state line in Kentucky. "On I-71 south of Columbus, there's no roadside activity" to speak of, he says. At the Wilmington scale, officers are "real fair with everybody." Carlson generally concurs, adding that inspectors have improved in every way from earlier years, when past administrations at the state's highest office seemed to want "a state trooper behind every milepost" watching truck traffic. Drivers could do a lot to combat light violations, he adds, with a quick walkaround every time they stop. Lights can go out when you're running, he says, "but a lot of these lights are off before the trip starts." If you don't catch them, you can bet that if your run takes you through Ohio, somebody else will. Crosswind or lobster dinner? How come my truck can't make 12 miles per gallon? Have you ever asked yourself this? The answer is AIR DRAG. Air drag is like a turbulent "tornado" pulling the vehicle backwards. It also drags about half of your fuel money along with it. Crosswinds add to the price tag and claim up to 40% more fuel on top of regular air drag by creating another "tornado" that pushes you sideways. At high winds you waste up to 70% of your fuel money to fi ght air drag. About a third of truck accidents are also turbulence-related, since sideways air drag destabilizes your truck, adds to driver fatigue, and shortens the lifespan of your tires. All those factors cause the average trucker to pay over $3,000 yearly to overcome crosswinds which equals to a lobster dinner almost every other day! Are there any solutions? One of them is VorBlade™ vortex generators, intro- duced by Avantechs, Inc. The technology is well-proven in the industry and verifi ed by the EPA SmartWay. The VorBlade System slices harmful turbulent "tornadoes" around the truck creating a self-adaptive invisible shield that remarkably reduces air drag and the detrimental impacts of crosswinds. A few windy days might cost you more than the VorBlade™ Cab System. Gain stability and don't let your money be gone with the wind! Avantechs_OVD0215_PG.indd 1 1/15/15 2:36 PM