With the American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council’s annual conference ongoing this week, several companies have announced new or improved products and services for owner-operators and fleets.
Overdrive sister site CCJ has full coverage of the event, which is being held in Nashville through Thursday, March 2. Some announcements made at the event include:
Two new ELDs
Quality Companies and Gauge Technologies announced a partnership for a new electronic logging device, and EROAD announced the release of its ELD, which the company says is the first FMCSA-registered permanent in-cab ELD system.
Quality Companies and Gauge Technologies’ ELD will be available June 1. A one-time $500 purchase provides a tablet, wiring and other installation equipment. The monthly service is $39.99, and a $10 navigation option is available.
EROAD’s ELD features a driver friendly display and transfer capabilities for facilitating roadside enforcement and reducing administrative time and paperwork, the company says.
Meritor’s new 14X HE high-efficiency linehaul tandem drive axle.Meritor launches new tandem drive axle
Meritor announced its new 14X HE high-efficiency linehaul tandem drive axle that has ratios down to 2.15 for more aggressive downspeeding, as well as a 1,850lb.ft. torque rating and 80,000-pound GCW rating.
The company says the axle is 30 pounds lighter than comparable 14X designs.
SAF-Holland’s new 23k-rated suspension
SAF-Holland introducted its new CBX23 AeroBeam lightweight air suspension, which the company says is the lightest weight air suspension in the industry at 465 pounds.
The suspension is rated at 23,000 pounds and is designed for flatbed and tanker operations, the company adds.
Dana’s new 2.47:1 axle ratio for the Spicer AdvanTEK 40 tandem axle.Dana launches new axle ratio, driveshaft
Dana Incorporated introduced its new 2.47:1 axle ratio for the Spicer AdvanTEK 40 tandem axle. The company says it is designed to support engine downspeeding for linehaul trucks.
Ideally suited for direct-drive versions of Eaton and Cummins’ jointly-developed SmartAdvantage Powertrain, the new ratio is recommended for regional-haul applications that travel interstate highways, secondary roads and urban operations.
TMW aims to improve small fleet efficiency
TMW Systems has released its TMW FleetCheck, which allows smaller trucking fleets to increase efficiency, improve cost control and maintain DOT compliance, according to the company.
Users of the system can integrate the management of multiple areas that impact operational efficiency and cost per mile: preventive maintenance schedules, fuel usage, warranty recovery for fleets that outsource their maintenance, and parts inventory, labor tracking and more for fleets that own their own shops.
Truck-Lite introduced its new Road Ready trailer monitoring system.Truck-Lite’s trailer monitoring system
Truck-Lite debuted its Road Ready trailer monitoring and communication system, which monitors the trailer for events such as a faulty light or a drop in tire pressure.
The system is powered by a solar battery that can keep its charge for 60 days without sunlight, the company says.
Dana rolls out new tire management system
In an effort to optimize tire lifecycles for truck owners, Dana Incorporated released its Rhombus TireAnalytics system.
The system provides insights into the condition of tractor and trailer tires that the company says helps identify and analyze tire wear trends, predict maintenance issues that can be addressed preemptively to minimize truck downtime and establish optimal timeframes for scheduled replacement.
Rush Enterprises adds Cummins, Peterbilt SmartLINQ integration
Rush Enterprises, as of this spring, will fully integrate its RushCare Service Connect communications platform will with Cummins and with Peterbilt SmartLINQ. The RushCare Service Connect system gives customers a view of the service process for vehicles in Rush’s service departments.
With this integration, when a Cummins customer needs repairs at a Rush Truck Centers location, RushCare will provide information to Cummins, expediting and facilitating Cummins support. Rush says this will open communications with Cummins, Rush and the customer.
Peterbilt SmartLINQ will integrate with RushCare to provide support for Rush Truck Centers customers, regardless of where their truck is being serviced.
Eaton reimagines AMT’s role in trucking’s future
Eaton provided an update on its soon-to-be-released automated docking system announced at last year’s IAA Show in Hanover, Germany. That system uses the transmission as a sensor, so as the truck backs into the dock in creep mode and makes contact, it shuts the system down and applies the brake.
The company says it’s leveraging that technology to provide a self-coupling feature, which will take over backing the vehicle into the kingpin. Both the auto-docking and self-coupling systems will be available on select Eaton automated manual transmissions and retrofittable on AMTs running the latest software versions.
