Cummins to launch 5.0L V8 diesel engine

COLUMBUS, Ind. -- Cummins has announced it is launching a 5.0-litre V8 diesel engine, designed for pickup-and-delivery applications and other light- and medium-duty trucks.

Natural gas, suspensions and powertrain receive attention from Mack

ALLENTOWN, Penn. -- The construction truck market remains mired in a slump, but Mack Trucks hasn’t been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for it to recover. The company outlined several new product developments at a recent press event,...

Kenworth road show introduces new T880 vocational product

CALGARY, Alta. - Kenworth’s T880/T680 Road Show stopped at Greatwest Kenworth in Calgary recently, providing local drivers and fleet owners with their first glimpse at the company’s latest offerings.

As professional drivers, our lives can change in an instant

Last month in this column I posed the question: Is this trucking lifestyle really for me? I know that it is and have come to understand that the daily grind, the amount of time on the job, and the repetition can drag a driver down from time to...

Lessons learned as an owner of a small fleet

I sometimes receive e-mails asking for advice on how to start a trucking company. That was covered in the first three Truck News columns I wrote, so we can’t rehash it again.

Get SMART when recruiting and retaining drivers

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Recruiting and Retention conference regular Kelly Anderson welcomed industry leaders with his session at the Oct. 2 event, entitled ‘Creating an unfair advantage in your Recruiting Department.’

Expect more, again

Ten years ago, when I first wrote in this space for Truck News after being appointed editorial director, I wrote that “In a business climate as turbulent and as quickly changing as today’s, to stand still is to fall behind.”

Heath and safety regulations run amok

On a recent trip out to Vancouver I was left shaking my head in dismay. For once it wasn’t the behaviour of one of my colleagues at fault, which is a refreshing change, it has to be said. The subject of my disapproval this time is health...

Better brakes, bigger decisions

Braking systems on today’s heavy trucks are better than they’ve ever been, and maybe ever will be. Advances in drum brake designs and the increased penetration of air disc brakes into the North American market, were two of the...

Understanding the whole wide world of wide-based tires

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Wide-base single tires are often called “super singles” for a good reason. Goodyear may have trademarked the phrase for its own products – and Michelin was the first to bring these wider tires to...

Here’s how to kiss chapped lips goodbye

There are many good reasons to lick your lips during the summer season: ice cream, fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, and/or barbecued meat. However, having chapped lips isn’t one of them. Licking chapped lips only makes lips drier.

New US hours-of-service rules create more stress for drivers

From the driver reaction I’ve witnessed on social media recently, the half-hour compulsory break included in the FMCSA hours-of-service rule changes that came into effect this past July, seem to have released a whole bunch of pent-up...

Bridge the generation gap with some understanding

Nothing demonstrates the need to reach out to a new generation of employees better than recently released data from the 2011 National Household Survey.

Private fleets meet to learn and honour

The 2013 annual conference of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, which took place in June, once again proved to be the single best educational and networking forum for the private trucking community.

Why small fleets tend to remain small

Believe it or not, I occasionally get e-mails about this column that are not calling for my head on a platter. In one last year, a gentleman was in complete agreement with my criticism of the rates and driver pay practices of large carriers, as...