North Bay Truck Center Blood Drive - Wednesday, September 4th, 2013

North Bay Truck Center Blood Drive

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

10:00am - 2:00pm

Location: Donor Mobile

1245 Illinois Street, Fairfield, CA

To schedule your life saving appointment, please contact Jim Buell at 707-427-1386

or Cindy Lewis or you can sign up online at www.bloodheroes.com

Click on "Donate Blood" and enter sponsor code: NNBT

 
Thank You!!!
We Are So Happy You Could Join Us!

A 360 Degree Walk-Around North Bay Truck Center

Here's a 360 degree Walk-Around North Bay Truck Center. You can even go places the video does not!

Average Trucks’ Age Hits Record High

By Light & Medium Truck

Based on a report by RL Polk, a review of over 247 million U.S. car and light truck registrations, Polk has determined that the average age of a light-duty truck on the road today has reached 11.3 years.  It’s a trend that Polk expects to continue, and which the firm believes could benefit repair shops.  “These are interesting times for the automotive aftermarket,” said Mark Seng, vice president of Polk's aftermarket practice.  “Customers from independent and chain repair shops should be paying close attention to their business plans and making concerted efforts to retain business among the do-it- for-me audience, while retailers have a unique and growing opportunity with potential consumers wrenching on their own vehicles.” The increase in trucks’ average age is tracking right in line with passenger cars, the average age of which has reached 11.4 years, Polk said.  During the past five years, a significant decline in new vehicle registrations has contributed to a more than 20% increase in the number of vehicles more than 12 years old still in service, Polk said. Over that same timeframe, the number of 6 – 11 year-old vehicles on the road grew marginally. Over the next five years, however, Polk expects newer vehicles to make a comeback.  Looking out to the year 2018, Polk expects a 41% increase in the number of vehicles on the road are five year old or newer, and expects growth of the 12-plus segment to slow to about 11.6%. However, it predicts that the number of 6 – 11 year-old vehicles will decline by 21.9%.  With this expected rebound in new vehicle registrations, Polk forecasts that there will be 260 million vehicles in operation by 2018.  Polk was recently acquired by research firm HIS.

Why Re-refined Motor Oil Could Work for Your Fleet

At the 2013 Green Fleet Conference & Expo you’ll hear about two fleet case studies that delve into re-refined motor oil and how it lowered their maintenance costs and furthered their sustainability goals.

Sustainability is about more than just saving fuel, and at the 2013 Green Fleet Conference & Expo, fleets can hear about other ways they can further their green fleet initiatives, such as re-refined oil — one of the best-kept secrets in the fleet industry.

The conference seminar, “Two Case Studies: Green Your Fleet Using Re-Refined Oil,” will provide attendees a detailed look at how two fleets, the City of Phoenix and Veolia Transportation, made the transition to re-refined motor oil. The fleets will shed light on how this type of motor oil reduced their maintenance costs and provided one of the latest ways to make their fleets truly sustainable.

The 2013 Green Fleet Conference is Oct. 1-2 in Phoenix, Ariz. The re-refined oil session will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 2:15-3:05, along with other concurrent sessions.
The conference provides three main session tracks — commercial, government, and heavy-duty truck — allowing fleets to choose the right educational sessions and workshops that are most beneficial to their fleet.

Register before Sept. 6 to receive $100 off. Per diem hotel rates are also available to public fleet managers.

To find out more info on the exhibit hall, sessions, ride and drive, and networking opportunities, go to www.greenfleetconference.com/WhyAttend

Tags: Green Fleet Conference, Re-refined oil

A&T Mobile Truck Road Service Covers Wide Northern California Area Quickly

A&T "Mobile" Truck Road Service is a 24-hour, 7-days a week roadside mobile truck repair service for light and medium-duty to heavy duty commercial trucks. We will go just about anywhere for anything, at anytime. At A&T "Mobile" Truck Road Service we like to think of ourselves as the "Ambulance Service for Trucks." If your truck is broken down, we will come to you and perform the necessary triage to get you back on the road.

We repair engines, axles, brakes, electrical, hydraulic, tires and wheels, trailers, air brakes and hoses, transmissions and we even do a little body repair when needed. We carry replacement parts and all the tools we need to get what ever needs fixing done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Most of the time, we can do the repairs at the site of the truck breakdown. If we need to take it to our shop, we have a full service truck repair facility with the capability to service and repair virtually any truck or trailer.

At our facility, we have tens of thousands of parts, fittings, filters, brake linings, brake drums, electrical parts--you name it and we probably have it and if not, we can get it very, very quickly. Our entire business at North Bay Truck Center and A&T Road Service is fixing your truck right the first time in the minimum amount of time.

We are also available to come to your shop for repairs and routine service of your fleet in order to keep your downtime to a minimum and your business moving and prosperous.

A&T "Mobile" Truck Road Service is a part of the BIT Inspection Program and is able to do inspections for you on-site. We are DOT Certified and all BIT inspections are performed utilizing DOT/BIT Inspectors. A&T "Mobile" Truck Road Service meets all requirements under Title 49 of the DOT Inspectors Guide.

You can find more information about the CalBit Program and the requirements at their Website.

We are centrally located in Fairfield CA which is approximately 45 miles from San Francisco or Sacramento and about 50 miles from Stockton. We regularly service Fairfield, Vallejo, Rio Vista, Napa, Vacaville, Travis AFB, Winters, Dixon, Davis, Benicia, St. Helena, Calistoga, Suisun City, Green Valley, Crockett, Hercules, San Pablo, Richmond, Concord, Walnut Creek, Martinez, Boyes Hot Springs, Sonoma, Allendale, Cordelia, Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg, Antioch, Novato, American Canyon, Truck Scales and much more.

We've even gone as far as San Jose, the South Bay and the Peninsula because we always answer the phone 24/7. Solano County is our home turf, but readily service Napa County, Yolo County, Contra Costa County, Sonoma County, Sacramento County, and San Joaquin County, Alameda County and Marin County. We also have been known to travel to San Francisco County, Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. In fact, if you need immediate service, we will travel where ever we need to in order to take care of your problem. We are at your service and we mean that sincerely.

Our Service Area

Below is a map that indicates our approximate service area. Our goal is to get to you within 1.3 hours and most often, on a clean run, we can be there in just under an hour. Although we have sometimes gone further than this circle--and we will still--this approximate 50-60 mile radius from our home base in Fairfield, CA is what we call our call area.

Of course, most of our calls are probably within 25 miles and we get there even sooner, but rest assured that we will do everything within our power to be there as quickly as possible because when your truck is down, time is very important.

Truck Driving for a Living

All across the world there is a need for transportation. Not just individuals who drive themselves and their families to work and school daily, but professionals who transport products and materials across counties and countries for a living. In the United States these truck drivers, or truckers as they are commonly known, keep the country in motion by transporting all kinds of goods such as produce, livestock, fuel, and pretty much everything else to stores and markets. It's not only consumers who need truck drivers though. Businesses also need goods, supplies and equipment shipped. It would not be possible for factories and other businesses to function efficiently if there was not an affordable and effective method for transporting goods from one point to another.

The need for truck drivers is pretty obvious, but what is it like to be a driver? There are three main types of truck drivers, the first being owner operators. Owner operators are full time dedicated professional drivers who own their own truck and either lease their truck with a company to supply transportation to them or work for a number of different companies transporting at their own discretion. The benefits of this type of trucking would be owning your own truck and being able to choose what you transport.

The second type of truck drivers are company drivers. Company truck drivers are employees of a particular trucking company who drive a truck provided to them by the company. These professional drivers do any number of different driving jobs depending on which company they work for and what that company prefers to handle. This type of employment might be well suited to new truck drivers to get them oriented and experienced to the lifestyle of driving before investing in a truck of their own, and for individuals who just aren't sure they want the responsibility that goes along with owning their own truck.

The third type is the independent owner operator. The difference between independent and non-independent owner operators is that the independent operator owns their own authority to transport. It is not uncommon for independents to own a small fleet, anywhere from one to ten trucks. Owning a fleet can substantially boost a driver's income, but it is more to manage. Owning a fleet is like owning a small business and needs to be handled as such.

Regardless of the different type of drivers, transportation jobs offer a wide array of work. There are various categories of trucking to consider when it comes to hauling products. Auto haulers transport vehicles which requires a special trailer and training for the loading and unloading of different types of vehicles. Boat haulers transport anything from ten foot fishing boats to sixty foot yachts. This also requires a special trailer. Dry van drivers transport all kinds of materials across highways in large trailers, the contents of which are generally nonperishable goods. There are dry bulk pneumatic drivers who transport things like sand, salt, and cement. The specialized trailers these drivers use allow them to utilize pressurized air to unload their trucks. Drivers with flatbed trailers usually move large bulky materials like steel pipe and lumber. Local delivery jobs where the goods are delivered and unloaded by the driver at multiple locations are known as "less than load" drivers. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to transportation jobs for truck drivers.

Another major distinction when it comes to drivers is whether they are long-haulers, regional drivers, or team drivers. Long-haulers, also known as interstate drivers and over the road drivers, are truckers who cover thousands of miles and are gone from home for a week or more. Regional drivers work in and around their state and are usually only gone from home for a short time. Team drivers are two people who take turns driving the same truck. This work often appeals to husband and wife drivers.

This also works for people in different states who split up the driving to keep from being away from home for as long. Regardless of the type of driver or truck they are using, from around the town to around the country, you can count on thousands of professional and dedicated truck drivers to keep our goods and economy moving in the right direction!

 By Greta Golfis

Bay & Bay Transportation, one of the largest trucking companies in Minnesota, provides transportation solutions and provides truck driver jobs in the Midwest and across the US.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greta_Golfis

Safety Tools Truck Drivers Need to Have

Truck drivers perform an important but dangerous work. Safety then should always be a top priority whether on the road or loading and unloading the boxes and crates they're required to deliver. The task proves to be more tiresome particularly if the driver works alone with no companion to help in the loading and unloading aspect.

In the U.S., trucks are among the vehicles that often get involved in road accidents. In 2000 alone, the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that more than 450,000 big trucks encountered accidents.

Currently, there are approximately 3.5 million truck drivers in the U.S. handling different types and sizes of trucks. These people should have undergone the necessary CDL or commercial driver's license training that is one of the important qualifications considered by companies when hiring truck drivers.

Trucks need to have the right safety tools that will allow them to fix problems during their travel and navigation devices to guide them when locating their destination. For those who transport huge boxes, they also need to have the proper equipment such as levers for loading and unloading purposes.

GPS navigation device - This is a very important tool that helps drivers locate the place they're going to. With its small monitor, drivers will be able to view a map of their area of destination. There are also units that have voice features and tell drivers the streets they can take.

Vehicle backup camera - As it's hard to monitor a truck's blind spots, having a backup camera is very helpful. This is normally attached on the top part of the license plate and is connected to a monitor positioned on the dashboard or sun visor. With this tool, a driver can easily check what's behind the truck while backing up or moving along the highways before changing lanes or making turns. It's an affordable device that's a must today for all types of vehicles.

Jack and tire iron - You never know when you'll get a flat tire or your tires experience low pressure the reason why having a jack in your truck is very important. The CDL training course will teach you the right way of changing tires so this should not be a problem in case you encounter flat tires during your travel.

Tire chains - Also known as snow chains, these devices are meant to provide traction when you're driving through snow and ice. These are fitted in the drive wheels of the vehicle and are required by transportation authorities during snowy conditions. Usually, they are sold in pairs. When these are in place, you have also to reduce your speed to ensure the safety of your vehicle.

Other than these devices, a truck driver traveling on long hauls should also bring along water, food and extra clothing. There are times when you need to travel through desert areas or places wherein there are no restaurants along the highways so it's always best to be ready.

Getting your CDL training should provide you with the appropriate knowledge on truck driving safety and the tools you need to have while traveling. So never ignore its value for it will benefit you for the long term.

By Kalyan Kumar 

For great information on CDL training, visit Truck-School.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kalyan_Kumar

S-cam Air Brakes - How They Operate

A great video explaining the  entire operation and the various components of S-cam Air Brakes.

Ken Taylor & Associates Commercial Truck Training

Take a look at what it's like to attend Ken Taylor's Commercial Dealer Boot Camp!

Commercial Truck Success has had several opportunities to work with Ken Taylor and we highly recommend his coaching programs. See more below.

Ken Taylor

ken@coachkentaylor.com

904-280-3060

www.coachkentaylor.com

www.commercialtrucktraining.com

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist for Used Motorhome, RV, Campers and 5th Wheels By Frank Fairview

Buying a used RV isn't as simple as it may seem. It can be especially difficult are you are going to be living in the motorhome or 5th wheel for any amount of time. It could be likened to buying a car and a house at the same time, except this house has wheel and goes 65 miles per hour, and this car has a stove and shower.

For this reason, it is crucial to have some great checklists to go over to ensure you find any problems there might be. Sellers usually won't tell you each and every issue they know of. Some sellers will try to hide known problems. As the saying goes: "Buyer Beware".

Using your checklist to look over used vehicles at the Used RV Dealer is equally important. The dealer makes his commission no matter how long the RV runs for you, so it's really up to you to make sure you get a good rig!

So let's save you time, money, and frustration and give you some of the key things to look over when viewing a used RV, Camper, Motorhome, Class A B or C, or 5th Wheel for the first time:

Oil Analysis - As with any vehicle, oil is the lifeblood of the engine. Checking the oil is a great start to ensure the integrity of the engine. If the oil smells burnt, is unusal in color or consistency, is too low or too high, you may have a problem on your hands.

Rust - Rust is the natuaral breakdown of iron or a metal with iron in it. Rust is much worse in parts of the country with snow and salt on the roads. Purchasing RV's from the south can help with rust problems, but they will usually cost a bit more. Do a complete rust check. If there is structural rust on the frame, AVOID THE RV AT ALL COSTS. You are buying an RV at the end of its life.

Service Records - Thses will show whether the previous owners did regualar maintenance, on the rig. It will also show you how many previous owners there have been. And, if they don't have any paperwork- why not?

NOTE: If the VIN number on the service records or receipts does not match the vehicle you are purchasing then obviously that paperwork is meaningless.

Financing your RV - Many companies offer better financing for certain preferred builders and even certain models, especially those that have the lowest depreciation. The purchase of any used rv for business should not be done without a thorough evaluation of the finance options that are attached to it. Some banks won't finance a commercial vehicle until it has passed a DOT inspection, some offer lower rates for "occasional use", and some charge a higher percentage rate if you plan to "live aboard".

RV Insurance - this can be a real "dream breaker". How will you tell your family that you you got a great deal on the rv for them and fixed it up real nice, but...well nobody will insure it cause it's too old, or the brakes are after market, or there was a recall on it. Rv converters, how would you like to finish your rv repairs with $30,000 in renovations only to learn it's uninsurable with normal companies due to "gross vehicle weight issues".

In my opinion, learning enough about RV's to make an educated buying decision is just good common sense. What you learn before you get the RV will certainly carry over into what you'll need to know to keep your new rig in tip-top shape while you are on the road later.

To learn the specifics of inspecting a used RV, Motorhome, 5th Wheel, Camper, or Class A B or C, check out our extensive resources including ebooks on the subject at Don't Get Screwed: The Ultimate Used RV Buyer's Guide.
 

By Frank Fairview

Frank Fairview watched his parents become RV Fulltimers and decided to write what he found about this hidden lifestyle. His blog, The RV Fulltimer Blog: The ultimate resource for Campers, RV's, Trailers, and More, has tons of useful information for people about to become fulltimers, or people who have been fulltiming for years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Fairview