Maintaining Your Diesel Truck Performance in the Winter

As winter approaches, here are a few tips that will help you get the best performance out of your diesel truck during cold weather.

Before it gets too cold outside, be sure that your diesel engine is prepared with the cold weather necessitates.

If your vehicle requires glow plugs, make sure that they are in good working order before the weather gets too cold. These small electronic heaters are installed in each cylinder. Before the vehicle is started, these heaters warm the combustion chambers. Be sure that you allow the glow plugs to do their work before turning your vehicle starter. Cold combustion chambers will cause a difficult start, a rough run and a reduction in fuel economy.

Winter conditions also cause an additional drain on your battery. When it is cold, it takes a lot more energy to get everything moving. It takes about 1,000 amps during cold weather to get your vehicle running. Be sure that you will not get caught short on a cold day without enough juice in your battery.

The standard diesel fuel used in most vehicles naturally contains a waxy substance that crystalizes when the temperatures drop. This crystallization reduces the viscosity (fluidity) of the fuel. Biodiesel gels at an even higher temperature, causing similar viscosity issues. With a reduction in viscosity, comes two significant problems for diesel vehicles.

•     Difficulty starting
•     Plugged diesel fuel filters and injectors

To try to resolve these issues, diesel fuel distributors make adjustments to fuel mixes as the weather gets colder. The more refined number 1 diesel is mixed with the more commonly used number 2 diesel. This winterized diesel has properties that are more resistant to the difficulties caused by the cold. Biodiesel is likewise winterized by adding more refined fuel into the mix. Since these mixtures are climate dependent, distributers vary the mix based upon the local climate.

While these winterized fuel mixes improve the cold weather viscosity of fuel, additional fuel additives can greatly improve the performance of your diesel truck.

The best of these fuel additives are highly effective products specifically formulated to provide significant performance benefits in all diesel fuels, including ultra-low sulfur diesel and bio-diesel fuel blends. These additives:

•     Clean the fuel injection system
•     Dispense all water
•     Lubricate the fuel systems
•     Boost octane
•     Improve fuel economy

One bottle typically treats up to 250 gallons of diesel fuel. Better products can be obtained from online retailers. There is one significant risk to using these products in the winter. Once you see how effective they are, you will want to use them year round.

A little effort now can save you a lot of trouble when the weather gets cold. Take a little time today and enjoy top performance from your vechicle all winter.

Industrial Injection is one of the nations leading suppliers of diesel performance products and parts. Let us help you determine which products will improve the performance of your diesel. Give us a call at: (800) 800-4103, or visit the Industrial Injection website. Look for Deuce Juice, the top diesel performance fuel additive.

By Mike Shelton
Expert Author Mike Shelton

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

Pro-Star + & Cummings- Part 3

                    Pro-Star + & Cummings -  First Delivery

Pro-Star + & Cummings - Part 2

                           ProStar+ with Cummins ISX15: Tested and Validated

Pro-Star + & Cummings - Part 1

                                           Integrating Cummins

Introducing the MICHELIN® X One® Line™Energy D Tire and Retread.

What’s New?

NORTH AMERICA'S MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT DRIVE TIRE.*
Now with 15% More Mileage.¹
MICHELIN^® X One^® Line^™ Energy D tire features a Dual Energy Compound Tread to deliver 15% more mileage¹ and leading SmartWay^® Fuel Economy.

NORTH AMERICA'S MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT DRIVE RETREAD.*
Now with Matrix^™ Siping.
The MICHELIN^® X ONE^® LINE^™ ENERGY D Pre-Mold^™ retread delivers Smartway^® fuel-efficiency without compromise, by leveraging Michelin's Matrix^™ Siping and Dual Energy Compound Tread technology.

*Based on industry standard rolling resistance testing of comparable drive tires and retreads. Actual results may vary, and may be impacted by many factors, to include road conditions, weather and environment, driver performance, etc. 

Data Sheets:

 https://www.michelinb2b.com/wps/b2bcontent/PDF/X_ONE_LINE_ENERGY_D_datapg.pdf

 https://www.michelinb2b.com/wps/b2bcontent/PDF/X_ONE_LINE_ENERGY_D_PM_datapg.pdf

Tour of AC Delco Starters and Alternators

TruckDown® - Find Service Vendors and Truck-Legal Routings

Trucking Companies, Private Fleets and Owner Operators are using professional services of TruckDown® rather than looking for service vendors on their own. Also it is being used for truck-legal routing. 

In the rapidly changing world of technology it is important to keep our fleet users and vendors on the cutting edge. Those of you who have been using TruckDown® over the years since our 1997 launch have likely noticed our relentless quest for improvement. 2013 was no exception as we rolled out Truck-Legal Routing and many other enhancements. The quest for improvement continues with work well under way on TruckDown 2014! Now it is your turn to help drive the future of this handy resource.

Balanced Design
TruckDown is designed to provide a balanced service for large and small fleets, as well vendors with a single service truck or a national chain of shops. We strive to keep TruckDown accessible to all sizes of companies while providing value to your business.

Regardless of whether you are new to TruckDown or a long term user of our service, your opinion counts! Please share your thoughts or questions. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Find them at:
http://www.truckdown.com/

Preventing Cargo Theft

Beyond employee education, preventive spec’ing of both power units and trailers is critical. “There are a lot of things you can do to make it tougher on the criminals,” such as modifying trailers in a variety of ways to make them tougher nuts to crack, says Carl Tapp, a retired maintenance director for P.A.M. Transportation, who now runs Solutions Advocates. “A lot of it depends on your budget,” he says.

Many measures can be carried out in a fleet’s shop by its own technicians, who can install a wide array of security measures such as satellite-controlled stainless-steel locking pins on the inside trailer doors, huck-bolted door hardware and frames, horizontal pins in the rear trailer bolster to reinforce the doors, aluminum roofs instead of translucent plexiglass, and brightly painted undercoating to help inspectors spot breaches in the trailer floor.

Communication is vital to combating theft, and today’s technology makes tracking shipments and reacting to issues easier and timelier. Tapp urges fleets to look into both passive and active communications systems between the truck and the home office – technologies that Prime also values.
Related: Cargo theft frequency, value per load increase

“You have more virtual eyes and ears out there on the road than ever before,” says Nick Erdmann, business development manager for Transport Security Inc. “When you look at all the systems available to fleets today – things like real-time communication, telematics and geofencing and monitoring systems for both trucks and trailers – they have more tools to help them fight theft than ever before.”

But one of the most effective anti-theft tools Boehning has seen is a much more obvious low-tech method: a professional-grade padlock on the trailer doors. “I’m constantly amazed at how many unlocked trailers I see running down the roads today,” he says. “Our number-one thing is our trailers are always locked, even if they’re hauling air.”

Tapp agrees that seal integrity is vital. If a seal has to be broken for repairs or a police check, establish procedures so that everybody knows about it. Record the numbers of both the seal that came off and its replacement, Tapp says.

Fleets also should consider reaching out to and nurturing partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the country. Walt Fountain, director of safety and enterprise security for Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider National, advises fleets to attend one of several regional cargo theft prevention conferences where they can learn ways to improve their anti-theft measures and training and build a nationwide network for law enforcement assistance.

Above all, Tapp urges fleets not to be complacent about combating theft. “Crooks are smart,” he says. “No matter what you do, they’re going to figure out a way to defeat it. It’s a constant process, and you can never let up.”

Tapp also reminds fleets of an entirely different reason why drivers are a key element to consider when fighting cargo theft. “I hate to say this, but I think a lot of cargo theft cases are inside jobs,” he says. “Treat your drivers right. They do a tough job day in and day out. If you acknowledge that and pay them a fair wage, they’re going to be less likely to steal from you.”

This is an excerpt from a CCJ November 2012 feature that details ways can prevent becoming victims of cargo theft.


From www.ccjdigital.com
- See more at: http://www.ccjdigital.com/specing-trucks-to-prevent-cargo-theft/?goback=%2Egde_2542318_member_5793741454098575364#%21

Our Stud and Nut Inventory at North Bay Truck Center

This is just a small section of the stud and nut collection we carry in stock ready to tighten. When we say your Truck Parts Headquarters, we mean it! Our parts inventory is constantly expanding.

Mobile Truck Repair Brainstorming To Help Breakdowns

Has this ever happened to you? You are en-route on a delivery and you get a tire blow out! I recall being downtown Winnipeg in the summer of 2004 just about half way through what ended up a 19 hour day. The great thing about Winnipeg is no matter where you are in the city, even in the winter time, you are not far from a mobile truck repair response.

What should you do when your truck breaks down? Stay with your vehicle if at all possible and make sure you focus on safety first. Don't get out of your truck if you are in traffic. Use your smart phone to find your location if you are unfamiliar with Winnipeg, search for 'mobile truck shop'. Technology is great.

There are several resources you can tap into depending on what equipment you have on the side of the road, or maybe you are stranded on Broadway in rush hour. With a laptop or smart phone you can go to TruckDown.com or just Google your location and the words 'mobile truck repair', this site is good not only in Winnipeg but all of north America.

How much can you expect to pay for a mobile heavy truck service call? Well, depending on what you need, the time of day, holiday, and so on, you can expect to pay $150 to $250 for a heavy truck service call in Winnipeg for the first 2 hours. Small trucks could cost less. A tow within the city can run you $150 to $400 or higher if you got your rig stuck in the rubbish.

How can you fix your own truck when it breaks down? Considering that there can be a thousand problems, and some tools may be too big and expensive to carry you best make notes on paper each time you get something fixed. Having a maintenance log will help, and buying tools are you need them will help reduce your truck maintenance bills.


By Darren Chabluk
Expert Author Darren Chabluk  for WinnipegTruckRepair.com
Ref:  http://www.truckdown.com

Getting to know and trust several heavy truck shops along your route or in the Winnipeg area is key to having reliable fleet maintenance wherever you are.

Visit http://WinnipegTruckRepair.com to see a growing list
of trucking tips and our shop of the month. Call (204) 272-3954
for mobile truck repairs in Winnipeg and ask for Phil at RamWinn.

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

Don't Overlook These Dump Truck Safety Suggestions

In any construction or industrial environment, safety should be the highest priority for all involved in the operation of equipment. Even though it might seem like dump trucks are fairly safe vehicles to work with, they still require safety precautions and operating precision like any other machinery. Any unit capable of carrying and dumping such heavy loads, that also has moving parts should be handled carefully to prevent accidents on the job site. Below are some tips to keep in mind when operating these enormous pieces of machinery.

• Stability - Dump truck tipping is a major concern, especially when dumping a load. Be sure to always load and unload this vehicle on solid, even ground; this will lower the risk of any tipping accidents. Having a level, even load to dump and maintaining a safe center of gravity while unloading is essential to prevent tipping. This will all vary depending on the type of material, amount of material, and the weight and length of the dump area itself. Along these same lines, never drive with a raised dump bed as the truck could become unbalanced or hit power lines and result in serious accidents.


• Questionable Conditions - Due to the risk of tipping and problems with unloading, if there is any kind of question about the operation's safety, use another way to get material including regular pickup trucks if necessary.


• Even Loads - Starting in the middle of the bed, load evenly outward and fill in empty spots as the loading continues. This allows for safer transport of material and easier dumping at the job site.


• Load Weight Limits - Overloading us serious, it increases the chance of truck tipping and can cause problems when dumping. Always follow weight limits and know the allowable amount of loaded material.


• Bed Liners - Using bed liners will help loaded material flow out of the bed more freely when it is raised for dumping. This is especially significant when hauling material that could possibly stick or freeze to the surface of the truck bed.


• Observation - Before dumping a load, clear the area of people and objects, checking as well for overhead obstructions. One of the most dangerous situations can happen by raising the bed into electrical wires that unfortunately happens too often. It is important to know the raised height of a dump truck's bed to be sure there is ample room to lift before making any such attempt.


• Warning Systems and Alarms - It is important to learn and understand hand signals, use of the back-up alarm and lights, and other way to communicate with other workers to keep everyone informed.


• Bed Safety - Never assume that a truck's hydraulics is enough safety when working behind the truck's cab or under the bed. Accidentally lowering the bed can be deadly for anyone working under it. Dump beds should always be held up with props and bed blocks to protect against such accidents. Tail gates should also be locked whenever any kind of work is being performed on that item.


• Safety Checks - No matter what heavy-duty truck is being used, daily maintenance and safety checks are essential to prevent accidents. Use the vehicle's checklist and be sure that everything is working well, tires are properly inflated, and all safety gear and devices are working correctly. Safety gear should always be worn and all safety protocols closely followed.

Although these tips may seem to be common sense, it is possible to assume that there are fewer hazards present when using dump trucks. Strict adherence to safety procedures and careful attention to detail will keep all workers safe and on the road, ready to deliver that next important load!

By Christopher M. Hunter

Christopher M. Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. To find out more about Dump Truck Sales, go to the main website at: http://www.centraltrucksales.net/home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_M._Hunter