Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, March 11, 2020:
Kenworth adds over-the-air updates for late-model Paccar MX engines
Kenworth has launched its TruckTech+ Over-the-Air system to Kenworth Class 8 trucks equipped with 2017 and newer Paccar MX-13 and MX-11 engines.
The TruckTech+ system allows for engine and aftertreatment software updates by the truck owner using either the Paccar Solutions online portal of the Paccar Over-the-Air mobile app. Once the user approves an update, the system notifies the user when it’s ready for installation.
When the truck is parked, a simple five-second press of the cruise control switch connects the truck to the secure Paccar cloud server, and the update is initiated through the Paccar mobile app.
Trucker fitness competition set for MATS
Fit to Pass, a program developed by Espyr to help CDL holders pass DOT physicals, is hosting the Fittest Driver Contest at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, later this month.
Contestants will compete by “bench pressing” a truck tire while one end of the tire remains on the ground. Winners will be chosen for both male and female competitors who complete the most tire lifts. The free contest will start at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 26 and end at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Drivers can compete as many times as they want over the three-day period. A leaderboard will show standings, including the number of presses.
Prizes, awarded to the top male and female competitors, include a Fit to Pass championship belt buckle for first place, a month of CDL Meals for second place, and a RoadPro cooler and water bottle for third place.
Drivers can pre-register for the competition online to receive a free download of “Trucker Trainer” Bob Perry’s workout and training guide to help prepare. The first 200 people to register will also receive a Fit to Pass hat.
Turning the Garmin’s Fleet 790 GPS into a dashcam
Garmin’s Fleet 790 truck-specific on-board GPS navigator can now be utilized as a dashcam with live-stream video capabilities by adding software purpose-built by Forward Thinking Systems — its Field Warrior app — to the Android-powered Garmin tablet.
The 790’s already built in camera is turned toward forward video dashcam views with the software added.Users will be able to stream live video and download historic video, view and download automatically recorded driving event clips on a user-friendly web portal, track those driving events along the vehicle’s route, review clips, and set priorities with notes using the integrated driver coaching system. The addition, which Forward Thinking Systems calls “FleetCam,” is the latest improvement to its Field Warrior app, which also can be used as an FMCSA-registered ELD (with additional equipment), a tracking system for the back office or third parties, a driver scoring engine, a driving-event analyzer and more.
