Let Them Watch TV

dieselboss.com

How fleets are using new technology to recruit, retain drivers

Article thanks to Aaron Huff and ccjdigital.com. Links provided:

Dec, 2014  Most jobs have a reward waiting at the end of the day: the chance to go home.

Over-the-road truck drivers do not cross this threshold for days and weeks at a time. The truck becomes “home” for at least 10 hours a day while parked at a truck stop, a rest area, or other nondescript location that can accommodate 18 wheelers.

Team drivers may spend all 10-hours of their off-duty time in the sleeper while the wheels keep rolling. The reward for working extra hard and driving 70 hours in a week? To stay parked for 34 consecutive hours to reset their clocks.

The quality of life for drivers has always contributed to the tur nover and shortage problem, but it has now reached a climax. The estimated industry-wide cost to replace a driver is $9,000 with an annual turnover rate at long-distance carriers at 112 percent, according to the American Trucking Associations.

The ATA estimates that the industry could immediately fill 30,000 driving positions. With the rate of driver turnover and the expected growth in freight volumes, trucking companies will need to fill 100,000 positions every year for the next 10 years. To do this, everyone in the industry agrees that trucking will have to become a more appealing career choice for younger workers.

A recent analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the American Transportation Research Institute revealed that trucking has a disproportionate number of employees aged 45 years or older. Over the past 20 years, the number of younger drivers that make up the industry — those 35 and under — has dropped sharply.

Let them watch TV

One way fleets are trying to improve the quality of life for drivers, especially for the younger generation, is to make their equipment as attractive as possible. Perhaps nothing brings the comforts of home closer than television.

Several attempts have been made to bring television to drivers and fleets. The first company to try was Park ‘N View when it created a partnership with Travel Centers of America in 1996 to build a nationwide infrastructure to deliver television and telecommunication services.

“The dream was to improve the quality of life,” said Ian Williams, the founder of Park ‘N View, during a meeting with CCJ in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec. 3. Williams is now president of EpicVue, a DIRECTV retailer that has created an all-inclusive television subscription service for fleets.

Park ‘N View was limited by the technology at the time. Williams said he wanted to build a wireless infrastructure to transmit TV signals to drivers. This required a license from the Federal Communications Commission. The agency denied its request and Park ‘N View had no other option than to install cables and ports in truck stop parking lots.

The company invested more than $220 million in infrastructure and Travel Centers of America received 35 percent of its gross revenues, he said. To expand the infrastructure the company took on a substantial amount of debt which became impossible to service, Williams said.

Park ‘N View closed and many of its employees moved to a new startup called IdleAire in 2000. IdleAir was also plagued with infrastructure costs. The company created a service that connects to the window of a truck through a distinctive yellow tube that delivers TV, Internet, heating, cooling and electrical outlets.

IdleAir filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Convoy Technologies has since purchased its assets and reopened some of its sites.

Today, drivers can get a variety of on-demand entertainment using their own wireless subscriptions. This has filled a void in the market, but a smartphone or iPad does not deliver the same experience as holding a remote to watch your favorite shows, movies and sports games in real time — or better yet, recording them ahead of time to fast-forward through commercials.

Some drivers have gone to great lengths to install satellite antennas and receivers that they use at home on their trucks. Home equipment is not able to withstand the rigors of the road, however. Until recently, satellite TV was out of reach for the industry at large.

To find out more about the latest technology and services that now make satellite TV a viable option for fleets, click on the following companies.

Winegard>>

Winegard, a manufacturer of antenna systems, has new mobile antennas specifically for the trucking industry to withstand harsh conditions. These antennas have helped open up a new market for fleets to extend satellite TV service to drivers.

EpicVue>>

This year, Pride Transport, a 400-truck refrigerated and flatbed carrier based in Salt Lake City, joined a growing number of fleets that are providing drivers with a premium DIRECTV subscription from EpicVue that includes all hardware for a low monthly cost.

DISH>>

Long Haul Trucking, headquartered in Albertville, Minn., installed satellite television systems on all 100 company-driver trucks. It uses a pay-as-you-go subscription from DISH as part of an incentive plan.

To see a photo gallery of satellite TV options for fleets, CLICK here.

http://www.ccjdigital.com/let-them-watch-tv-fleets-using-new-technology-to-recruit-retain-drivers/?utm_medium=single_article&utm_campaign=site_click&utm_source=in_story_related

UNDERSTANDING VEHICLE WEIGHT RATINGS

news.pickuptrucks.com

Article thanks to Peter duPre at hardworkingtrucks.com. Links provided:

If you want to use your pickup for work and avoid asscociated liability issues, you have to play by the numbers

Dec, 2014  If you haul or tow heavy loads as a part of your business (and who in the construction trades doesn’t?) there are various numbers that you need to pay attention to and realize that no suspension upgrades to your vehicle will change these numbers.

It’s also important to note, exceeding these ratings set by the vehicle manufacturer exposes the vehicle driver and company to serious liability issues:

• Gross Axle Weight Rating or GAWR, is the maximum distributed weight that can be supported by a given axle. This figure is set by the vehicle manufacturer and cannot be changed.

Front and rear axles each have their own individual GAWR and the figure takes into account the weight of the vehicle, fuel carried, passengers, weight of cargo and tongue weight (if you are towing). GAWR is fixed and never changes.

The load placed on an axle changes as when cargo is added or unloaded, or moved ahead or behind the rear axle housing. This includes adding the weight of the trailer tongue.

Using a weight-distributing hitch when towing heavy trailers helps transfer trailer tongue weight from the rear axle to the front.

• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating or GVWR is the maximum allowable weight of a vehicle taking into account the weight of the vehicle, passengers, fuel and cargo. This figure is set by the manufacturer and cannot be changed.

For example a standard cab, two-wheel drive 2012 Ford F-150 with a 145-inch wheelbase and powered by a 5.0 liter V-8 has a GVWR of 8,200 lbs (with heavy duty payload package), which includes the 5,080 vehicle weight and a maximum payload of 3,120 lbs.

The payload figure includes everything else: the weight of passengers, laptop, added accessories, tools, fuel and any cargo being hauled in the box.

While the loads hauled in your truck may vary, the GVWR does not.

However, the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), the weight of the vehicle at any given moment is constantly changing as you burn fuel, as well as load and unload cargo and passengers.

• Gross Combined Weight Rating or GCWR is an important number to pay attention to if you are towing a trailer. The GCWR is set by the vehicle manufacturer and is the maximum allowable weight of the combination of the tow vehicle and trailer. This figure is set by the manufacturer and cannot be changed.

According to the engineers at Ford Motor Company this figure is determined by adding together the vehicle’s listed curb weight, allowable payload, driver and passenger weight and trailer weight (with load).

It is not a measurement of weight of the tow vehicle and trailer but the combined maximum weight limit of the two separate vehicles, once they are attached together.

Note: Exceeding the GCWR – even for just a few miles – is exceedingly dangerous and can lead to overheating brakes, strain on the suspension and axles, extra stress on the tires leading to blowout, and more. Keep your truck and trailer within GCWR at all times.

http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/understanding-vehicle-weight-ratings/?utm_source=hwt&utm_medium=email&utm_content=12-10-2014&utm_campaign=HWT&ust_id=137f89555c

The rise of fake engine noise

jalopnik.com

Article thanks to washingtonpost.com and Drew Harwell. Links provided:

America’s best-selling cars and trucks are built on lies: The rise of fake engine noise

Jan 21, 2015  Stomp on the gas in a new Ford Mustang or F-150 and you’ll hear a meaty, throaty rumble — the same style of roar that Americans have associated with auto power and performance for decades.

It’s a sham. The engine growl in some of America’s best-selling cars and trucks is actually a finely tuned bit of lip-syncing, boosted through special pipes or digitally faked altogether. And it’s driving car enthusiasts insane.

Fake engine noise has become one of the auto industry’s dirty little secrets, with automakers from BMW to Volkswagen turning to a sound-boosting bag of tricks. Without them, today’s more fuel-efficient engines would sound far quieter and, automakers worry, seemingly less powerful, potentially pushing buyers away.

Softer-sounding engines are actually a positive symbol of just how far engines and gas economy have progressed. But automakers say they resort to artifice because they understand a key car-buyer paradox: Drivers want all the force and fuel savings of a newer, better engine — but the classic sound of an old gas-guzzler.

“Enhanced” engine songs have become the signature of eerily quiet electrics such as the Toyota Prius. But the fakery is increasingly finding its way into beefy trucks and muscle cars, long revered for their iconic growl.

For the 2015 Mustang EcoBoost, Ford sound engineers and developers worked on an “Active Noise Control” system that amplifies the engine’s purr through the car speakers. Afterward, the automaker surveyed members of Mustang fan clubs on which processed “sound concepts” they most enjoyed.

Ford said in a statement that the vintage V-8 engine boom “has long been considered the mating call of Mustang,” but added that the newly processed pony-car sound is “athletic and youthful,” “a more refined growl” with “a low-frequency sense of powerfulness.”

Among purists, the trickery has inspired an identity crisis and cut to the heart of American auto legend. The “aural experience” of a car, they argue, is an intangible that’s just as priceless as what’s revving under the hood.

“For a car guy, it’s literally music to hear that thing rumble,” said Mike Rhynard, 41, a past president and 33-year member of the Denver Mustang Club. He has swayed between love and hate of the snarl-boosting sound tube in his 2012 Mustang GT, but when it comes to computerized noise, he’s unequivocal: “It’s a mind-trick. It’s something it’s not. And no one wants to be deceived.”

That type of ire has made the auto industry shy about discussing its sound technology. Several attempts to speak with Ford’s sound engineers about the new F-150, a six-cylinder model of America’s best-selling truck that plays a muscular engine note through the speakers, were quietly rebuffed.

Car companies are increasingly wary of alerting buyers that they might not be hearing the real thing, and many automakers have worked with audio and software engineers to make their cars’ synthesized engine melody more realistic.

Volkswagen uses what’s called a “Soundaktor,” a special speaker that looks like a hockey puck and plays sound files in cars such as the GTI and Beetle Turbo. Lexus worked with sound technicians at Yamaha to more loudly amplify the noise of its LFA supercar toward the driver seat.

Some, including Porsche with its “sound symposer,” have used noise-boosting tubes to crank up the engine sound inside the cabin. Others have gone further into digital territory: BMW plays a recording of its motors through the car stereos, a sample of which changes depending on the engine’s load and power.

Orchestrated engine noise has become a necessity for electric cars, which run so quietly that they can provide a dangerous surprise for inattentive pedestrians and the blind. Federal safety officials expect to finalize rules later this year requiring all hybrid and electric cars to play fake engine sounds to alert passersby, a change that experts estimate could prevent thousands of pedestrian and cyclist injuries.

With traditional engines, some boosters have even celebrated artificial noise as a little added luxury. Without it, drivers would hear an unsettling silence or only the kinds of road racket they would rather ignore, like bumps in the pavement or the whine of the wind.

Yet even drivers who appreciate the accompaniment have questioned the mission. A SlashGear reviewer who otherwise enjoyed the new F-150 said the engine sound was piped in “arguably pointlessly.”

Which raises a more existential question: Does it matter if the sound is fake? A driver who didn’t know the difference might enjoy the thrum and thunder of it nonetheless. Is taking the best part of an eight-cylinder rev and cloaking a better engine with it really, for carmakers, so wrong?

Not everyone is so diplomatic. Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book, says automakers should stop the lies and get real with drivers.

“If you’re going to do that stuff, do that stuff. Own it. Tell customers: If you want a V-8 rumble, you’ve gotta buy a V-8 that costs more, gets worse gas mileage and hurts the Earth,” Brauer said. “You’re fabricating the car’s sexiness. You’re fabricating performance elements of the car that don’t actually exist. That just feels deceptive to me.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/americas-best-selling-cars-and-trucks-are-built-on-lies-the-rise-of-fake-engine-noise/2015/01/21/6db09a10-a0ba-11e4-b146-577832eafcb4_story.html

How to tell if your body shop did the job correctly

bodyshopbusiness.com

Article thanks to hardworkingtrucks.com. Links provided:

As seen on Edmunds.com  – by Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor

Published: 04/18/2011

Inspect Before You Pay the Bill

When you last saw your car, it was a twisted mess being towed away from the scene of the accident. Now it’s weeks later and the car is parked in the driveway of a body shop. All you have to do is write a check and the car is yours again. But how do you know that everything under the surface has really been fixed correctly?

One key to getting your car fixed right is choosing a reliable shop in the first place. But you should still inspect the work performed before you drive away. To better understand what to look for, here are some insider tips from several knowledgeable veterans of the body shop business.

Have a Clear Understanding Up Front

The process of having your car fixed right starts when you drop it off, says Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. Be clear on what the shop is going to fix and how it will do the repair. Get everything in writing. Ask about the shop’s warranty on its work. When you return, review the paperwork to confirm that the shop did the repairs correctly.

“A reputable repair facility will go through everything with you, walk you through all the steps they took,” Schulenburg says. “Good shops will even touch up bolts under the hood that have been scratched while being repaired.”

Clean Car is a Must

Appearances matter. When you pick up your car, it should have been washed, cleaned and vacuumed, says John Mallette, owner of Burke Auto Body and Paint, in Long Beach, California. There should be no dirt or dust in the truck and definitely no old parts in the trunk. Mallette says he even tries to wash down the engine compartment before he hands over the keys.

It can be a challenge to return a clean car to a customer, says Mike O’Connell, owner of Golden Hammer Auto Body in Los Angeles. With all the dust from sanding, he says, “body shops are the dirtiest places on earth.” He says his workers take precautions to keep the cars clean by using paper and masking tape to protect different areas. And then they carefully wash the car before the customer comes to pick it up.

Closer Inspection

If the pickup’s general appearance passes muster, take a close look at the area that was repaired. Mallette recommends looking for gaps between body panels first. If the gaps are obviously uneven, that’s a telltale sign of panels not being aligned correctly. Schulenburg says owners should make sure the doors open and close properly with good alignment.

If there was extensive front-end damage to the car, it can be difficult for a body shop to repair perfectly, Mallette says. One way to spot a problem is to look at the distance between the tire and fender. If it is wide on one side and narrow on the other, something wasn’t fixed properly. Another test is to turn on the headlights to ensure that the light beams are aligned.

When a car is hit in the front, the frame may have been bent and required straightening on what the body shop calls “the rack.” The shop workers use it to pull the frame rails until the frame is straight. Mallette says he can look under a car and see “butcher marks” from poor repair jobs.

But visual inspections might be difficult for the average consumer, Schulenburg explains. He says owners should take a look at the automated printout of the frame specifications. A good body shop will measure the damaged area of the car and then measure the frame again after it does the repair. The frame specs should be the same post-repair as they were before the accident. The frame spec printout is a good reference document to make sure the job has been done right.

If you are concerned that a major repair wasn’t done correctly and want someone other than the original body shop to size it up, you can get a second opinion. O’Connell tells us that many people bring cars to him for just this kind of assessment, and he can immediately spot problems that the ordinary consumer can’t.

Paint Jobs: Matching Colors and Consistency

One of the most challenging jobs in a body shop is paint matching. “Punching in the factory paint codes gets you 95 percent of the way to matching the color,” O’Connell says. But the remaining five percent has to be done by people who really know what they’re doing. “If we didn’t do this extra step there would always be a little variance,” he explains. “That’s why you see cars on the road that look like they are three different colors.”

Most factory paint jobs have an “orange peel” texture to the finish to a greater or lesser degree. Whether you like that effect or not, most factory paint jobs have this texture, and it can be tricky for body shops to duplicate. Mallette advises that you arrange to pick up a car from the body shop during the day. If possible, look at the car in the sunlight to make sure that the new paint matches the car’s original shade and finish. Also, if the shop repainted several panels, sight along the side of the car to look for color consistency. And finally, examine the paint for runs or imperfections such as hair or specks of dirt trapped in the finish.

When It Isn’t Fixed Right

In some cases, a problem with the repair develops months later. A common scenario is that you notice the car’s front tires are wearing unevenly. This could be a sign that the front suspension hasn’t been straightened and repaired correctly. Find your paperwork and receipt, bring the car back and show the manager the tire’s wear pattern. The shop should fix the problem under the warranty, Mallette says.

Schulenburg agrees that improper tire wear on a car is a bad sign. “Take it back to the body shop,” he says. “There are a whole lot of things that can lead to tire wear. Let them assess what is causing it.”

Many body shops are “fly-by-night,” O’Connell notes, and if you’re dealing with one of them, it can be tough to get satisfaction if the job wasn’t done right. A legitimate shop should stand by its work. He recommends that you make sure you are within the warranty period, which is usually one year or 12,000 miles. Then, with your paperwork in hand, ask to speak with an owner or manager.

“And be courteous, not demanding,” O’Connell says. “If you start making accusations, things can go downhill fast.”

Article via edmunds.com’s newsletter.

The Perfect Pair To Keep Outdoor Worker’s Feet Warm

hardworkingtrucks.com

Article thanks to Bruce Smith and hardworkingtrucks.com. Links provided:

Keen’s insulated Milwaukee work boots and Dura-Zone socks keep feet warm and toasty

Dec, 2015  Long, cold days call for the Milwaukee. With KEEN.Warm insulation, a thermal heat shield footbed for underfoot warmth and asymmetrical steel toes, these boots are made for tough work in all weather conditions.

he Milwaukee was built to last, constructed with the patent-pending KEEN.Welt, enhancing flexibility and performance, drastically reducing outsole cracking or delamination from repeated bending and flexing.

Feet stay dry and warm all day with a KEEN.Dry waterproof, breathable membrane and hydrophobic/hydrophilic 2-zone comfort technology.

For that extra layer of warmth, don’t forget KEEN Utility’s Dura-Zone socks. Crafted from breathable Merino Wool, these socks are constructed with superior fit for all-day comfort. 

The Dura-Zone socks feature a unique, high-tenacity blend of Dyneema fibers which weight for weight are 15 times stronger than steel. These fibers blended into the heel and toe areas provide superior comfort and durability. 

The KEEN patented Wunderseam™ also provides a seamless toe in the flex zone to avoid bunching and discomfort.

Armed with a lifetime guarantee, the American Built Dura-Zone socks are poised to outperform even the longest days on the job site.
http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/the-perfect-pai