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10/04/13
Preparing Your Fleet for Winter
10/01/13
NHTSA Recall Notice 9.30.13
Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V430 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer : | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | INFINITI / 2006-2010 |
| Subject : | Accelerator Pedal Sensor Signal/Possible Stall |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V429 |
| Manufacturer : | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| Make / Model Years : | TOYOTA / 2004-2005,2007-2009 |
| Subject : | Shift Lever Assembly may Allow Rollaway |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V425 |
| Manufacturer : | Mazda North American Operations |
| Make / Model Years : | MAZDA / 2009-2013 |
| Subject : | Door Latch Mounting Screws may Loosen |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V422 |
| Manufacturer : | Champion Bus, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | CHAMPION / 2009-2011 |
| Subject : | Electric Door Actuator May Lead to Fire |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V421 |
| Manufacturer : | Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | MITSUBISHI FUSO / 2013-2014 |
| Subject : | Transmission Hoses May Leak Fluid |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V420 |
| Manufacturer : | Genie Industries, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | GENIE / 2003-2012 |
| Subject : | Outriggers May Extend into Traffic |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V419 |
| Manufacturer : | Lakota Corporation |
| Make / Model Years : | LAKOTA / 2007 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V418 |
| Manufacturer : | Cimarron Trailers, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | CIMARRON / 2006-2012 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V417 |
| Manufacturer : | Terex South Dakota, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | TEREX / 1997-2009 |
| Subject : | Cracks May Develop in Lower Boom Pivot Area |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V416 |
| Manufacturer : | Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA |
| Make / Model Years : | YAMAHA / 2011 |
| Subject : | Brake Shoe Lining Separation |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V415 |
| Manufacturer : | Kingston Trailers, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | KINGSTON / 2006-2013 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V413 |
| Manufacturer : | Open Range R.V. Company |
| Make / Model Years : | OPEN RANGE / 2009-2013 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V411 |
| Manufacturer : | Team Spirit Trailers of Elkhart |
| Make / Model Years : | TEAM SPIRIT / 2006-2013 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V410 |
| Manufacturer : | Goshen Coach |
| Make / Model Years : | GOSHEN / 2009-2010 |
| Subject : | Electric Door Actuator May Lead to Fire |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V409 |
| Manufacturer : | Jackson Mfg. Co., Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | JACKSON MFG / 2006-2013 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V408 |
| Manufacturer : | Eldorado National- Kansas |
| Make / Model Years : | ELDORADO / 2010 |
| Subject : | Electric Door Actuator May Lead to Fire |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 11V412 |
| Manufacturer : | Spartan Motors, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | SPARTAN / 2011-2012 |
| Subject : | Air Brake System Guages/FMVSS 121 |
9/28/13
Is Your Snow Equipment Ready?
By: Steve Taylor
Truck Mounted Snow Equipment can take a beating when you put
it to work removing snow and controlling ice. Before you put it to use every
season, check and repair problems while they can be fixed in the garage, not
when the equipment is out there in a storm under the stress of removing and
controlling snow and ice. Plan ahead; don’t wait for a breakdown that will cost
you dearly for towing, middle of the night repairs and maybe even lost
customers.
At the end of each season, have the equipment gone over to
look for structural weaknesses, bending metal, cracked paint, broken welds,
cracked hoses, weak hydraulic solenoids, loose wires and corroded connectors,
etc. Each plow manufacturer generally knows which parts are chronic problems
when their plows are used in service. They each have a recommended replacement
parts list for each model. That’s a good sign that you need those parts on hand
in case of a breakdown, or better still for replacement before a breakdown as
you have noticed a part that needs replacing before it fails.
But don’t rely on the manufacturer to provide all the
information that you need, use your social network including other plow users, contractors
and websites such as Plowsite.com to keep up with how your model plow is
performing in use and what issues are being found in the field. At Plowsite.com
use the http://www.plowsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=3
to find each make and model plow and read the user posts on breakdown
experiences. If you read a number of these posts even going back in history,
you may find issues which may tip you off on what to look for on your own
equipment.
In addition to going over the plows and spreaders, have the
truck looked at as well. Plowing and Spreading puts big loads on the truck,
sometimes these loads will cause extra wear on the frames, axles, steering,
transmissions, etc. For example your truck frame may have a small crack that
has developed over time and using it to plow might load the frame more and
propagate the crack failing the frame. That’s something you definitely don’t
want to happen, especially during a storm!
Further, if you are having recurring problems of the same
nature, don’t take for granted that the equipment manufacturer is aware of it.
Make sure you report it back to the dealer or distributor where you purchased
your equipment. Ask for their feedback and the factory recommendations for
corrective action. Make sure you know if it is covered under factory warranty
or maybe even a recall campaign. Read what others are reporting on the same
issues and make sure you let it be known if you suspect you might have product
that is part of a chronic problem. And if you are not satisfied with the resolution,
you can even email me (see below) as I might have other suggestions for you.
By Steve Taylor: A consultant in the Truck Equipment business with over 30 years in the snowplow
and truck body manufacturing business. He specializes in the design and
quality/reliability field and may be reached by email at steve@truckarchitect.com. You may visit his
website at http://www.truckarchitect.com/.
How to Save Money and Fuel by Reducing the Residual Weight in Your Work Truck
Whether you own one truck or are responsible for a fleet of
work trucks and vans, you probably should take a close look at the “residual
weight” that is carried every day in the vehicle whether it’s needed or not! By
residual weight, I mean the weight of tools, parts and equipment carried within
the truck body used in the work performed on a regular basis.
Many work trucks are driven around carrying unnecessary
tools, equipment and inventory. Tools and parts that are only seldom
needed! There’s a tendency to carry
“everything that you might need” - a reality check might show that it is only used
once a year! Not only are you burning more fuel by carrying unnecessary weight,
in many cases this may cause a heavier than necessary vehicle being specified
for purchase.
Even if you have no plans to specify and buy new trucks, you
will save fuel by carrying the right stuff in your existing trucks. If you are
looking at new trucks and debating alternative fuels and engines, knowing what
your payload needs to be is surely the right first step in considering what to
buy!
In
a plan to define the type and size of vehicles needed for specific operations, owners
and fleet managers might want to initiate a study into the tools and equipment
and the parts needed every day for each activity where vehicles are used. If
the tools, parts and equipment inventory can be reduced, there will be a
resultant payload weight reduction. The benefits of reducing weight are less
fuel consumption, potentially less work body tare weight, and perhaps a smaller
truck or van.
Conduct
a study to show what tools, parts and equipment are actually used; daily,
periodically and only on rare occasion.
Involve
your workers, make them part of the process. Ask them to report what tools and
equipment are used on a daily basis. Also record what inventory of parts
is consumed daily as well. Make a
spreadsheet list with the tools, equipment and parts being line items and the
categories being columns. Collect this data every day. Summarize it weekly and
monthly.
The
summary should show what “everyday tools are, what is rarely used, and
everything in between. Determine what
tools, parts and equipment must be carried every day.
Here
is a guideline showing improved fuel consumption for 1000 lbs. of reduced
payload weight:
GVWR
|
Avg tare weight
|
Fuel economy improvement
for each 1,000 lbs of tare weight reduction
|
|
4
|
14,001 – 16,000
|
10,343
|
5.6%
|
5
|
16,001 – 19,500
|
10,413
|
4.7%
|
6
|
19,501 – 26,000
|
13,942
|
3.9%
|
7
|
26,001 – 33,000
|
18,094
|
2.8%
|
8a
|
33,001 – 60,000
|
23,525
|
1.9%
|
8b
|
60,000 +
|
28,979
|
1.1%
|
Let’s
face it - workers do not want to be without anything that they need and may
resist reducing their tools and equipment; they do not want to be caught short
and have to travel back to the facility to get tools, parts or equipment to
complete their work.
The
workers should know the goals of the program.
Realize that by reducing the tools, equipment and parts that they carry,
there may be cases where they will be short of tools and equipment unless they
have prior notification of specific needs. It will be a lot easier if they are
involved in the process of change, pre-plan and maybe develop a special process
to handle the unexpected tool or equipment requirement.
Of
course the ultimate goal is to satisfy the customer. Keep in contact with them and
get their feedback on their experience with any changes to their service. A successful program will evolve and improve
over time. The workers should know that they will not be held responsible for
the occasional problem caused by implementing the new program. They will likely
have suggestions on how to solve issues if they are included in the process,
Steve
Taylor
Business
Improvement Specialist
Find us at: http://www.upstreamsource.com
9/26/13
Roadcheck inspection blitz put one of five trucks inspected out of service
Roadcheck 2013, the 72-hour
inspection spree done annually by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, saw
out-of-service rates bump up slightly from 2012′s historically low numbers, but
only slightly, as 24.1 percent of the 73,023 trucks and buses inspected were placed
out of service. In 2012, 22.4 percent of the 74,072 vehicles inspected were
placed out of service.
Moreover, 4.3 percent of the 71,630
drivers inspected this year were placed out of service, compared to 3.9 percent
last year.
CVSA said in this year’s Roadcheck,
held June 4-6, it placed an emphasis on cargo securement, which accounted for
11.7 percent of the out-of-service violations issued — one out of every 50
trucks inspected. That number is down from 2012′s 12.3 percent.
Brakes generally stand out as the
main cause of out-of-service violations, CVSA said, and 49.6 percent of the
vehicle out-of-service violations came from brake adjustment or other brake
system violations. Lights violations accounted for 12.6 percent of the
violations, and tires and wheels made up 10.1 percent of OOS orders.
Of the roughly 3,000 drivers placed
out of service, hours-of-service violations accounted for 51.8 percent of OOS
orders, on part with last year’s 50.2 percent. False logs accounted for 13.2
percent of OOS orders. Disqualified drivers made up 10.2 percent of the
violations, and suspended licenses accounted for 5.2 percent.
Of the total number of vehicle
inspections, 47,771 of them were Level I inspections, CVSA says, in which
vehicles and drivers are assessed for violations of both state and federal
regulations. The remaining inspections in this year’s Roadcheck were either
driver-only or vehicle-only, CVSA says.
In the 72-hour event, roughly 10,000
CVSA and FMCSA inspectors participated at 2,500 locations around North America.
- See more at: http://www.ccjdigital.com/roadcheck-inspection-blitz-put-one-of-five-trucks-inspected-out-of-service/#sthash.ZIl5sjpT.dpuf
Enterprise Fleets Improve Seat Belt Use by 88 Percent with inthinc Technology
inthinc
Technology Solutions Inc., a global provider of telematics, fleet
management and driver safety solutions announced its
customers have improved seat belt use by 88 percent on average. Using inthinc waySmart®, a comprehensive fleet management and
safe driving solution, fleet managers are able to accurately monitor seat belt
use of any fleet or vehicle and provide real-time alerts to drivers.
“One of the most common excuses we hear from drivers who
fail to wear a seat belt, is they simply forgot,” said Josh Moore, Cintas Corp. project manager. “With inthinc in the
vehicle reminding drivers to buckle up, there really is no excuse and so
drivers are complying with our seat belt policy more frequently.”
Using waySmart’s In-Cab Real-Time Verbal Coaching
technology, drivers are alerted when performing an unsafe driving
behavior—including not wearing a seat belt—and given a 15-second grace period
to comply. Violations not corrected within the grace period are wirelessly
reported to the acting fleet manager via the web-based inthinc.com Management
Portal. Using the data provided in the portal, managers can quickly identify
their safe drivers and those in need of additional training. inthinc’s new seat
belt click monitoring capability will also allow managers to identify how many
times a seat belt is engaged each day, ensuring drivers are using the seat belt
appropriately at all times.
“The seat belt is a life-saving tool and we want our
customers to have all the data necessary to ensure their drivers are using them
correctly,” inthinc CTO, Corey Catten said. “Thousands of lives are saved every
year because of seat belts and we are committed to saving more with our
technology.”
inthinc waySmart is designed to safe guard lives while also
improving fleet efficiency and regulatory compliance. In addition to seat belt
monitoring, waySmart driver safety solutions also include:
- · In-Cab Verbal Coaching for Speeding and Aggressive Driving
- · Idle Monitoring and Alerts
- · Live Fleet Visibility
- · Crash & Roll-Over Detection
- · Emergency Call Button
To learn more on how inthinc can help fleets improve driver
safety, click here.
About inthinc
inthinc is a global company centered on telematics, fleet
management and driver safety solutions. Its breakthrough technologies are
designed to safeguard lives, save money and protect the environment. inthinc
technology has been documented to reduce accidents by 90 percent, reduce
speeding by 86 percent, decrease maintenance costs by 20 percent and reduce
fuel costs. For more information, please visit http://www.inthinc.com.
# # #
9/23/13
NHTSA Recall Notice 9.23.13
Please click on the following NHTSA Campaign ID links to view the recall information.
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V412 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer : | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| Make / Model Years : | ACURA / 2003 HONDA / 2003-2004 |
| Subject : | Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V407 |
| Manufacturer : | BMW of North America, LLC |
| Make / Model Years : | BMW / 2008-2010 |
| Subject : | Tail light Failure |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V406 |
| Manufacturer : | Corp. Micro Bird Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | MICRO BIRD / 2013 |
| Subject : | Panel Glue/FMVSS 221 |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V404 |
| Manufacturer : | Homesteader, Inc. |
| Make / Model Years : | HOMESTEADER / 2006-2010 |
| Subject : | Interior Side Door Lock May Become Inoperable |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V401 |
| Manufacturer : | Daimler Trucks North America |
| Make / Model Years : | WESTERN STAR / 2009-2014 |
| Subject : | Seatbelt Anchorage Point may be Weak |
| NHTSA Campaign ID Number : | 13V398 |
| Manufacturer : | Oreion Motors LLC. |
| Make / Model Years : | OREION / 2011-2013 |
| Subject : | Ungoverned Speed/Missing Reflectors/Incorrect GVWR |
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