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INSPECTION TOOLS, AIR DISCS, AND A DISCOUNT
December 7, 2005 Vol. 1, No. 7
I should probably begin by talking about the emergence of satellite radio on the Canadian scene, courtesy of XM and Sirius – and even the good old CBC, which is partnering with Sirius in Canada. A third player, CHUM, also wants in, via digital signals. This isn't strictly speaking a typical trucking product, so I'm only giving it passing mention here, but it will change the lives of the steering-wheel crowd. No longer will they have long stretches of radio silence or endless searches for something actually worth listening to. Now, if they want to hear the play-by-play of the Leafs losing to the Senators, they can have it.
But hey, I shouldn't be using the future tense here – any trucker worth his road salt actually launched himself into satellite radio long ago by way of an illegal (yikes) American subscription.
More seriously, a couple of interesting inspection tools have caught my eye recently. One, the new Zonar Systems pre/post-trip inspection tool, uses radio frequency identification technology, or RFID, to walk drivers through the complete pre/post-trip process component by component. The Homeland Security folks south of the border like this one, and it's apparently becoming popular with school-bus operators down there.
A handheld reader 'sees' the radio transmission from coin-sized tags (like toll-road transponders, but smaller) on every must-inspect component and the driver has to press a green or red button (signifying 'OK' or 'needs attention' respectively) when he's dealt with them, one by one. A report – a standard report that meets all regulatory requirements -- is generated automatically when he sets the reader back in its in-cab cradle and it's then sent to Zonar's server for furtherance to the fleet's home base.
Will every fleet order dozens of these, one for every truck? Likely not, but don't be surprised if some variation on this theme becomes mandatory at some point in the future.
The other inspection tool I've highlighted is also great in a driver's hands – an infrared thermometer with a laser aim and digital readout. There are three new MiniTemp models from Raytek, and they're great for on-the-road tire, wheel, and brake checking and troubleshooting.
Drivers can check tire and brake temperatures, for example, just by pointing the thermometer at the component in question. One quick read of a brake drum will reveal a brake that's running hotter than the others, and that should send up a red flag that could demand the services of a mechanic. A wheel hub that's running hotter than all the others should also be dealt with, of course, and a hot tire signals underinflation that calls for a pressure gauge to be pulled into action.
At US$79 for the cheapest of the three models, the MT2, it sounds like a decent investment for those drivers who might actually use it. If I were an owner-operator, I'd sure have one.
In Quebec, Alutrec figures it's the first trailer maker in Canada to introduce Hendrickson suspension systems equipped with air disc brakes. Based in Ste-Agathe de Lotbinière, Alutrec makes fully aluminum flatbed, dropdeck, logging, and hybrid trailers, and its first disc-equipped trailer will be on the road next month.
Hendrickson announced earlier this year that its Intraax and Vantraax suspensions would get air discs as options. The company developed a unique generic torque plate that accommodates multiple disc brake designs. Working with Haldex as a preferred supplier, it also offers ArvinMeritor and Bendix disc brakes and can match them to several wheel-end and spindle options for most trailer applications.
Alutrec's announcement is significant, I think, because it sends the air disc brake into new territory. For the most part, these brakes – with their fade resistance and shorter stopping distances – have been restricted to use in tanker fleets like Trimac until now. This puts the disc into the mainstream, albeit with a small regional manufacturer.
One final note, about a previously mentioned and very useful management book called 'Shifting Gears', authored by Ward Warkentin and two colleagues. Ward and his publisher, Thomson Delmar Learning, asked me to tell you that you can save 25% off the $68.95 list price. You can order it over the phone at 1-800-354-9706, and you'll get the discount if you mention 'Source Code' IAUTC115TT.
This newsletter is published every two weeks. It's a heads-up notice about what you can see at www.TodaysTrucking.com where you'll find in-detail coverage of nearly everything that's new. Plus interesting products that may not have had the 'air play' they deserved within the last few months. There's more here than we could possibly fit into the magazine. Subscribe today!
If you have comments of whatever sort, please contact me at rlockwood@newcom.ca.
Rolf Lockwood, Editorial Director
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(December 07, 2005) --
A new RFID vehicle-inspection and reporting system comes from Seattle's Zonar Systems, LLC.
(December 07, 2005) --
The Raytek MiniTemp offers a new way to solve common diagnostic problems.
(December 07, 2005) --
It's now standard on many Freightliner conventional heavy-duty truck models.
(December 07, 2005) --
Quebec trailer maker says it's the first in Canada to introduce Hendrickson
suspension systems equipped with air disc brakes.
