What To Keep In Your Truck or Car

Mickey shares his Truck EDC setup. Includes a medical kit from D-Dey Response Group, security best, battery jumper, proper vehicle jack, outdoor boots, snacks and much more... F150 Truck Cover by Diamondback.

by: Carry Trainer

#carrytrainer #EDC #preppers

Happy Thanksgiving

Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot. 

-Hausa Proverb

How to Set Trailer Brake Gain | BetterWeigh™ Mobile Towing Scale

This video describes how to use the Trailer Brake Gain feature of the CURT BetterWeigh™ mobile towing scale. With this feature, you can easily set up your brake controller without the need for traditional methods of taking multiple passes and guessing at the optimal gain setting.

The CURT BetterWeigh™ #51701 is a Bluetooth-enabled OBD2 device that wirelessly syncs with your smartphone to provide a variety of vehicle and trailer weights. This includes vehicle weight, GCW, payload, tongue weight and pin weight, as well as weight distribution setup and trailer brake gain.

To begin setting up your trailer brake controller with the CURT BetterWeigh™, find a flat, open area to park your vehicle. Select the Trailer Brake Gain option from the home screen. Then, follow the screen prompts and enter your trailer weight and combined weight. Select your trailer type.

Next, calibrate your towing setup. Set the brake controller gain to 3. With the vehicle in gear and at a complete stop, fully activate the manual override on the brake controller. Then, accelerate in a straight line to 15 mph. When the progress bar fills up all the way, BetterWeigh™ will provide the optimal gain number. If wheel lockup occurs, tap the Lock-Up Occurred button and start again, adjusting the gain to the BetterWeigh™ recommendation.

If you increase the load on your trailer, enter the new trailer weight and BetterWeigh™ will automatically provide a new trailer gain number.

BetterWeigh™ is compatible with Apple and Android phones. Download the BetterWeigh™ app from Google Play or the App Store.

North Bay Truck - The go-to place for motor home chassis work

 

If you take the shell off of a motor home–take the body off of it–let’s say, for example, a diesel pusher. It’s really a bus chassis. It’s really built by the truck and bus chassis manufacturers. Many that built the motor home chassis also built big trucks, and Freightliner is an example. For us, if we’re under the motor home or we’re looking into the engine compartment, we’re really looking at the same picture as we are if we’re looking on a Class 6, 7 or 8 truck.

We are well versed on the platforms of engines that they use. Primarily, they use Cummins or Caterpillar engines on some of the older ones. For the diesel pushers, we’re very well versed on those engines. We have the computer software to plug into them. We’re familiar with the Allison transmissions that are most all of them use.

The braking systems on a lot of them are air brakes, similar to that of a Class 6 through 8 truck. They also have suspension components that are shared. They use air ride suspension on the front axle a lot of times, which is found on the newest class 6 through 8 trucks. We’re very familiar with the chassis of the diesel pushers.

North Bay is also going to be able to look up maintenance schedules on those as well. Motor homes generally will come with all manuals in a big binder referring to your refrigerator, your heating system, air conditioning. If your vehicle is new, you should have the Cummins manual for the engine and in the case of the Freightliner chassis, a Freightliner chassis manual with maintenance intervals for that chassis as well as the engine. Again, we can help look those things up if you don’t have the manuals available.

On the diesel pushers, we have a facility large enough to bring the biggest unit into the shop. Even a 45-foot 3-axle diesel pusher can fit inside our shop and be kept under cover. If it does require to be outside for a time, we have surveillance cameras outside our shop and you can rest assured that our facility is locked down and that the cameras are working 24/7.

We’re also very familiar with the smaller coaches that are built on a gasoline or light-duty diesel chassis such as Ford or Chevrolet or GMC, or even the Sprinter chassis. Again, these are truck chassis or cutaway van chassis that we work on every day.

We service almost anything related to the truck chassis part of the motor home, including, axle bearings, tires, the rear differential, transmission, steering components, including the air conditioning on the chassis. We do not work on the roof mounted air, but we can help direct you to who can help with that, and other internal aspects of the motor home. Everything to do with what makes it go down the road and stop, we can take care of for you.

Tires on motor homes can easily develop flat spots from sitting too long, and the air and UV rays deteriorate tires over time whether they are being used or not. We can help with tires because we sell tires for all trucks and buses and can balance and install them so that your coach rides smooth again and is perfectly safe in your travels.

North Bay recently purchased six Mohawk pedestal lifts that will allow us to lift the largest diesel pusher up in the air outside of our facility to facilitate faster and more efficient repairs.
Our goal is to get you back on the road on your travels very quickly, and insure that the repairs are done right. You can count on us with your motor home.

Keeping Your Car Sensors Clean | Consumer Reports

Today's cars come with cutting edge technology designed to help keep you safe. Consumer Reports' expert explains how these revolutionary innovations can stop working with one simple thing: dirt.

Winter Treads

When much of the country is getting pounded by winter storms and deep snow, our thoughts turn to tires. Some pickup truck owners have separate wardrobes for summer and winter. Nome, Alaska, and Miami residents maybe not so much.

Pickup winter wear can include anything from a fresh wax to do-it-yourself undercoating to lighter lubricating fluids to a block heater to winter diesel fuel. But does your truck's cold-weather wardrobe include winter tires?

Winter tires are designed for cold weather and associated precipitation. Tires rated for mud and snow (M+S) may not qualify as winter tires and often don't excel in either mud or snow. A winter tire's specific compound, tread design — and studs if you want them — is far more suitable and safer on cold roads and the various forms of water you might find on them.

In every road-based comparison in which I've participated, dedicated winter tires were more valuable than the number of driven wheels. However, while winter tires can improve performance, they are no substitute for common sense and can be pushed beyond their limits. They also add expense and create the issue of storage logistics.

The U.S., unlike some countries, does not mandate winter tire use, although some states and cities have laws about the use of studded tires or chains. It's worth noting that some insurance companies offer discounts for using winter tires.

Do you think winter tires should be required for new drivers or general safety, and if so, under what parameters? And if you don't believe in running dedicated winter tires, studs or chains, how do you deal with marginal winter traction? Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2017/01/talking-trucks-tuesday-winter-treads.html#more

By G.R. Whale

Cars.com graphic by Paul Dolan; cars.com image by Bruce Smith

Built Together | Built for America | Ford

We’re strongest when we’re building. We are both at our best, this country and this company, when we build for every single American. Learn more about Built for America, here: https://ford.to/33PUGq7

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: TOP 10: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

So, you want to be a truck driver? Have you thought about what it takes to be a truck driver, but most importantly, a professional one who is in it for the long haul?

I know a few things about preparing for and having a successful career in the trucking industry. I’m not just a school owner, I am a driver. I have had my Class A CDL for over 40 years and during that time, I’ve been an owner-operator, pulled a refrigerated trailer, done local delivery, and worked as a dispatcher for a fleet of over 20 trucks. While I’m no longer a full-time driver, I occasionally get behind the wheel of my 73’ rig and drive across the country. These occasional road trips allow me to understand the demands of today’s truck drivers, and in turn, pass along that valuable information to my students who will be the future drivers of tomorrow.

After logging many miles on the road, here are a few things to think about when making your decision to be a truck driver or instructing your students.

Top 10: What You Need to Know

1. Be on time. Dispatchers value a driver who shows up to work on time. Once you start your day, don’t worry about delays that are beyond your control. If you start your day with enough time to get on the road, good carriers will not push you or give you a hard time.
2. Do your inspections. A lot of your co-workers will not do their inspections, and some of them will give you a hard time when you’re doing your job and they aren’t. While tempting, do not engage with them in these instances. Go about your pre-trip as you were taught at the truck driving school. Besides, the pre-trip routine is a federal regulation so there’s no way of getting around it.
3. There’s no whining in the trucking industry. Every day you will be confronted with problems or issues at every turn – trucks break down, there’s traffic congestion, unpredictable and volatile weather, and shippers will delay you. Don’t complain to your dispatcher Deal with it, professionally of course. It’s good practice to communicate with your dispatcher effectively and without any emotion. This professionalism will go a long way in how you will be treated.
4. Plan your trips. Parking is tight out there, so don’t expect to find a spot readily available when you need one. Parking is at such a premium that there are apps available for truckers to find and reserve a parking space, even at some truck stops. Learn from your trainers on how they figure out where to park. While their experience will provide insight, you need to come up with a system that works best for you.
5. GOAL! (Get Out And Look). Backing accidents are the number one problem for new drivers. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens to everyone. Being safety minded is a good quality. So, get out and look before backing that truck up.
6. Maintain your following distance. Discipline yourself and commit to a proper distance. In heavy traffic that means you must run 3 or 4 mph slower than traffic flow to keep your following distance. Embrace new technology applications that automatically keeps the distance for you.
7. Slippery when wet. Bad weather. It happens. Being mindful of safety regulations before being faced with hazardous road conditions, will better prepare you when they do occur. Take your time, and even stop when conditions warrant.
8. Safety “Seal of Approval”. Work for an established carrier with a good safety record. Employment with a well-established, safety-minded carrier will ensure you have access to properly maintained equipment. One other thing, your paycheck will not bounce.
9. Expect to be recruited. With the driver shortage these days, chances are you will be approached at truck stops by a carrier or by other drivers convincing you to go to work for another company. Do not believe their claims as they are probably receiving a commission for recruiting you. Some companies pay up to $2,000 for the referral. Consequently, there will be false claims being made.
10. Stay healthy. Stay fit. Save money. Invest in a small refrigerator and buy your own food versus eating at restaurants. You will realize the return-on-investment with more money in your wallet and feel physically better through a healthy diet. If you are a local driver, pack your lunch in a cooler. Also, remember to stretch and do your exercises every day.

This guest post originally appeared in CVTA’s Get-in-Gear Summer/Fall 2017 edition.

Bill Collins is the Owner of Interstate Truck Driving School.

Source: https://cvta.org/in-the-drivers-seat/

Stop. Trains Can't.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have launched a national railroad crossing safety ad campaign to increase public awareness around railroad tracks and reduce crossing deaths and injuries. Although accidents at railroad crossings are an old problem, the problem is easily avoidable. This ad is the latest in a three-year, focused effort to reverse the uptick in railroad crossing fatalities. Its message is simple: Stop. Trains can’t.

For more information, please visit: https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/rail-grade-crossing/stop-trains-cant.

An Overview of North Bay Truck Center Services - Jim Buell , General Manager

Operating To Fit Your Needs

North Bay Truck Center is Solano County's largest parts and service truck center.

We understand that when your truck is down for any reason, it costs you company money, and that is why we focus our energies on getting your truck fixed right the first time and with maximum speed.

We also understand that your vehicle is unique to your needs and the services that you provide. This is why we make extended efforts to minimize down time by performing overall inspections each time your vehicle enters our shop

Experience & Training

Our journeymen technicians have over 70 years of combined experience in the service industry.

Their knowledge and trouble-shooting skills has proven invaluable in helping us give superior service.

Our technicians are devoted to improving their skills and attend training classes on a wide variety of subjects each year.