Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Friday, August 8th, 2008 |
Ford Trucks group vice president for global product development, Derrick Kuzak, said Wednesday that Ford would “achieve class-leading fuel economy” for its new trucks in North America “through unprecedented spending on advanced gasoline engines.”
That includes EcoBoost, a Ford-branded engine technology that combines gasoline-injection with turbocharging for up to a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy, as well as other technologies.
“We are committed to being the best or among the best in fuel economy with every new Ford product,” Kuzak said during a daylong event for journalists at Ford’s test track in Dearborn, Mich., where the automaker was showing off its 2009 lineup. That lineup includes the Ford Flex large crossover, the Lincoln MKS large sedan, and an all-new F-150, as well as updates to powertrains, paint colors and other options for many vehicles.
Kuzak boasted, for example, that the next-generation Explorer will offer “jaw-dropping” efficiency.
“We are making this happen,” he added, “with one of the most extensive powertrain upgrades ever for Ford. By the end of 2010, nearly all of Ford’s North American engines will be upgraded or replaced.”
While this focus might seem like a shift from Ford’s prior dedication to diesels, hybrid gasoline-electric engines, electric plug-in hybrids and other types of powertrains, Ford said it is not shying away from those technologies.
Rather,used Ford sees improvements in traditional gasoline engines as the best near-term solution while the marketplace sorts through the variety of options now on the table for the future. That’s because these technologies offer more improvements in fuel efficiency for the buck when compared with hybrids, which usually come with a hefty premium.
A poster at the Ford event says a customer who drives 15,000 miles a year can save $339 annually with EcoBoost.
Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics, a Birmingham, Mich., forecasting and consulting firm, said he believes that Ford is embarking on the proper strategy.
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Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 |
Every year in Florida, nearly 400 people are killed in accidents with large trucks and nearly 6000 are injured, many seriously. Of course, the word “accident” is deceptive. Accident implies that no one is at fault, but in truth there are very few true accidents. Most of the time, someone is responsible for causing the circumstances that led to the crash, and too often auto drivers are just as responsible for the wreck as the trucker. But if you want to avoid becoming part of these unfortunate statistics, there are a number of things you can do.
Respect Space
Successful driving is mostly a matter of negotiating the space around your vehicle and others on the road. Be aware that semis and other large trucks need more space than other vehicles. Most importantly, respect the space in front of a large truck. Large trucks need more distance for braking than other vehicles, as much as half again the distance. At 55 mph, a car on a dry road with good brakes can stop in about 200 feet, while a large truck requires about 300 feet. That means that if you have to slam on your brakes to stop, and you are less than 100 feet in front of a large truck, that truck may hit you. On wet days, a large truck may require as much as half a mile to come to a full stop at highway speeds, as much as 1000 feet more than a car.
Do not forget that large trucks also require a significant amount of space when turning. Give them a wide berth if you are turning at the same time, and, most importantly, anticipate and respect the need for a wide right turn.
Be Observant
You can do a lot to avoid a deadly crash with an 18-wheeler if you simply pay attention to traffic. If you can anticipate traffic hazards before coming to them, you can greatly reduce the chances that you will be involved in an accident. If you have to brake suddenly, the semi truck behind you might also have to brake suddenly, but if you can anticipate possible hazards, you can deal with them more gradually, allowing you and the semi truck behind you to adjust to the conditions.
Be observant of semi trucks and anticipate their movements, because they may not be able to respond to you. This applies not only on the highway, but on city streets as well. Be aware of the entire length of the truck. Ideally, the truck should have lights and reflectors along its entire length, but in many cases, they become dirt obscured or damaged, making them hard to see at night. Hitting the side of a truck trailer can lead to one of the most deadly forms of truck accidents, the underride, in which the chassis of your car passes under the chassis of the truck, causing the entire force of the impact to be borne by the car’s windshield and upper pillars, which are unprepared to handle such force.
Be Visible
18-wheelers and other large trucks have significant blind spots. If they cannot see you, they are more likely to hit you. Always make sure that you are in a place where you are highly visible to the truck driver. Do not linger in blind spots behind or to the side of large trucks. In addition, be sure to use your lights whenever the conditions are other than full bright daylight, including fog, rain, snow, and twilight.
Yield
Many accidents can be attributed to overly aggressive driving. In many cases, you can avoid an accident by simply making space for a merging vehicle and not trying to pass too closely to other vehicles. Courtesy will go a long way toward making the road safer for everyone.
The Hinge of Fate
However, sometimes no matter what you do, you are involved in a crash with a heavy truck. This can be a true accident in rare cases, but more often it is the result of someone else not doing his or her part to keep the road safe. Many times, this person is related to the trucking company, whether it is the driver who should have been paying more attention, the maintenance crew that should have maintained the truck’s brakes, or the loader that should have been more careful securing the cargo.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 |
Automobiles are just a part of our daily life these days. It is hard to remember a time when cars were not a common feature on the road – for most of us, there was no such time in our lifetimes. Sometimes it is hard for us to even realize the huge social impact of the car.The social impact of the car is actually very extensive. It extends beyond just the way we travel – the social impact of the car can be felt in the way we date and mate, eat, live, view life, and beyond.
From the very beginning, a person’s status related greatly as to whether or not he owned an automobile. A man with a Model T Ford was a very important man, indeed. Today, too, a person is judged by what type of car he has, or if he even has one. Before checking out a man or a woman as a possibility for a date, you may just check out his or her “wheels.”Even when automobiles were very first hitting the roads, they changed the ways in which we date and mate. The social impact of the car extends to what people did and do on dates. For one thing, the backseat of a car offers so many more possibilities than a doorstep or front porch. Who knows how many babies have been conceived in the backseats of cars over the years?
Of course, let us back up a bit here. Before a couple on a date hits the backseat of a car, they have been affected by cars in other ways. The other activities that a couple does on a date are different, as well. They have more possibilities. They can easily go meet friends across town at a diner. They may even eat their dinner food inside the car at a drive-inn. And after they eat at a drive-inn, where might they go, but a drive-inn movie theater, of course!
Besides drive-inn diners, the automobile brought about drive-up windows at fast food restaurants. Along with the car – which brought us speed on the road and convenience for being where we want to be when we want to be there – we got a need for fast food, as well. The automobile did not simply fasten our paces on the road, the automobile quickened our pace in life. Now we must do so many things in a day, and do them quickly. And because of these new hurried lives that we lead, we need fast food, as well.
The social impact of the car extends to how our cities are built, as well. People can now live further away from cities. They can commute to work. In fact, long commutes have just become a part of daily life. Huge strip malls have been built and gigantic super stores – people can now drive to these and shop at them with ease, and then they can load up all of their purchases into the backs of their cars with ease.Neighborhoods are being built without sidewalks because people no longer walk anywhere… they drive. People are less likely to be out walking in their neighborhoods and stop to talk to other out walking. Neighbors are becoming more like strangers.
The social impact of the car is so extensive that it is almost impossible to untangle from our daily lives. In fact, the social impact of the car extends to how we even view life. The onset of automobiles gave people a new freedom that they had never experienced before. With automobiles, people could view life as an “open road.” People could travel more easily to the store or even across country. They no longer had to plan their travels around the train schedule or other schedules.
Nothing is or was as freeing as simply being out on the open road. The social impact of the car is so much more than any of this. There is hardly any aspect of your American life that has not been affected by the automobile. The social impact of the car is much more expansive than any other modern-day invention… even more so than that of the computer.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 |
Rollback trucks are now the standard of the auto recovery industry. Easier and less expensive to operate than boom type wreckers, buying a used rollback truck is a sound business decision.
Since very few used car and truck dealers will have used rollback trucks in their inventory, the internet has become a viable channel to locate the best deals and selections. Buying a vehicle from an online listing is not that much different than the conventional buying methods. The amount of vehicles available may be astounding to a first time internet shopper, but that simply opens the door to more bargains.
The first priority should be finding a truck within a reasonable distance from you. Naturally, not many buyers will be willing to drive cross country to look at a vehicle. Once one or more vehicles that fit your needs are located, begin the process of contacting the seller to get as much information on each vehicle as possible.
Many times a potential buyer can begin eliminating vehicles from consideration by simply asking the seller questions about the vehicle. Maybe the truck doesn’t have a particular option that the buyer needs. Or the buyer may have doubts as to whether the vehicle is in reasonably good condition.
The point is to not be afraid to ask questions. A reputable seller will be glad to answer questions from all potential buyers. Be leery of a seller who seems reluctant to answer your questions, or tries to shift the subject to something else. An honest seller will usually call attention to any known defects, and make sure buyers are aware there may be a problem with the vehicle.
The most trusted and respected sites have many ways to protect buyers. Never try to bypass the safeguards that these sites put in place to protect the buyer. Safe and secured transactions are the main priority for all parties involved.
Buying a used rollback truck online is a safe and viable method of getting the best selection and best price. But as in any buying decision, shop around for the best deals before buying any used rollback truck
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Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 |
Australia’s transport ministers have agreed to a national registration and licensing system for the country’s truck drivers.
“This is a critical reform,” said federal transport minister Anthony Albanese.
“There are 375,000 heavy vehicles in the nation and they don’t respect state boundaries, and that’s why it is important we progress this reform.”
The announcement came after Friday’s Australian Transport Council (ATC) meeting in Melbourne, which was attended by federal, state and territory transport ministers.
Mr Albanese said the plan was the first step towards a fully integrated national transport system.
“We need to make sure we have a national system of licences, because trucks are all about mobility and they don’t recognise the state borders,” Mr Albanese said.
The new licensing and registration system will come into effect by July 1, 2009.
Mr Albanese said public transport was also on the agenda at Friday’s meeting, and the federal government was prepared to engage in urban policy, including public transport.
“You can’t have a strategy for moving freight, without a strategy for moving people,” he said.
“We need to develop an integrated transport system in which the national government works with the state, including urban public transport and urban congestion.”
The minister said the government’s newly announced major cities unit would address issues such as road and rail in Australian cities.
He also criticised the previous Howard Government, saying it had “ignored urban public transport”.
“It is important the commonwealth play a role in urban infrastructure,” Mr Albanese said.
The ATC plan - announced as a “new beginning” for transport - will also include a national approach to maritime legislation, and the establishment of a national road safety advisory council in a bid to cut the road toll.
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