New Roll Up Doors shown on our Aluminum Service Body at the 2019 Work Truck Show.
6/10/19
Maximize Safety On Your Next Upfit - by Knapheide
Safety is everywhere on jobsites. Regulations are put in place by government agencies to minimize the risk of injuries, equipment has a laundry list of safety features, and laborers protect themselves with safety glasses, ear plugs, hard hats, steel toed boots, high visibility clothing, among many other things. Work vehicles have safety features that Henry Ford couldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams. Seat belts, air bags, back up cameras, lane and blind spot sensors, bluetooth, traction control, autonomous braking, adaptive headlights, parking assist, tire pressure monitors, the list goes on and on, all designed to keep the driver and occupants of the vehicle safe.
So why in 2013 were there over three million injuries on the jobsite, of which over half required missed work?* The current median age in the United States is 37 years old, by 2050 experts predict it will increase to 41 years of age.** An aging workforce is a great concern as it relates to jobsite safety and injury prevention. Baby boomer laborers that for decades put in hard work are now paying the price with their knees, hips, back, and many other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Not all work injuries are related to the aging workforce, however for many businesses our aging workforce is a determining factor when purchasing equipment and vehicles.
‘Ergonomics’, a word not historically heard in the commercial vehicle industry, has been a hot topic for several years now. Business owners understand an aging workforce is highly susceptible to those revenue-losing injuries that require time off. In order to combat the jobsite injuries, many have turned their attention to the commercial vehicle they drive and the equipment they use, but many times end up either overlooking the body or downplaying its importance. The back of the commercial vehicle (cargo area or body) is commonly called the “business end” in the industry for a reason, much of the work day is spent there. Accessing tools and parts, utilizing vehicle mounted equipment, climbing in and out or on and off, goes on all day, every day. Climbing in and out of a truck body alone can wreak havoc on knees and backs if spec’d improperly, especially if a worker has been performing these repetitive movements for decades.
Review the Knapheide accessories and options at https://www.knapheide.com/news/blog/2016/07/maximize-safety-on-your-next-upfit?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nurture&utm_content=tof-4&elqTrackId=6e189d1618364636bb9ec8b76fae69d5&elq=7d3a6b49687f4380b09cacc98845767b&elqaid=1069&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=518
5/31/19
6′ & 8′ DUMP INSERT by CAM Superline
Turn your pickup into a dump truck with the CAM Superline Dump Insert. Available in 6 foot and 8 foot models, the dump insert offers a sturdy and convenient alternative to a dump trailer and lets you more easily maneuver and dump gravel, mulch, and other bulk cargo into tight spaces. The dump bed is capable of handling 5,200 lb. payloads if used on a HD pickup.
FEATURES
- Cab Protector
- Hoist with 3” Hydraulic Cylinder
- Remote with 20’ Cord
- Power Up and Gravity Down
- 2.5” × 2.5” Structural Steel Angle Frame
- 12 Gauge Sides and Floor
- Double Acting Tailgate (Removable)
- Stainless Steel Flush Tailgate Latch
- Stainless Steel Spring Loaded Tailgate Pins
- Tailgate Cables
- Spreader Chains
- Stake Pockets w/ Heavy Duty Tie Down Rail
- Epoxy Primer
- Polyurethane Paint Finish
- Color: Black
- Three Year Warranty
AVAILABLE OPTIONS
- Tarp Roller Kit
- Wireless Remote
- Power Up and Down
- 20” Metal Side Extensions
- Contact your local dealer for more options
5/29/19
HOW TO CALCULATE A WORK TRUCK'S PAYLOAD
With several technical terms and acronyms used when calculating a vehicle’s payload, it can get quite confusing. Get it wrong and risk being overloaded which can cause expensive citations, accelerated maintenance costs and safety issues. To make it easy, we break down each piece of calculating the payload of your work truck below and give some additional tips to consider.
First, let’s start with defining the technical terms.
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) - The maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the chassis manufacturer. Essentially, how much the vehicle can carry with everything including chassis, body, fluids, fuel, passengers and cargo. Trailers are not included in this rating.Chassis manufacturers always will publish this weight. It can be found on the sticker placed within the front drive side door frame or on the chassis manufacturer’s website.
- Curb Weight - The total weight of a vehicle with all operating consumables including oil, coolant, refrigerant and fuel. Include the weight of a truck body if applicable in the curb weight. This number will not include the weight of passengers and cargo within the vehicle.This number will come from the chassis manufacturer as well and can be found on their website. If your work truck has a body, be sure to include the body weight (including the bumper, mounting kit and shelves if applicable) within the curb weight as well. Body weights should be located on the body manufacturer’s website.
- Payload- The difference between Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Curb Weight. Simply put, it is the amount of weight left that your vehicle can carry in passengers and cargo.
The equation to calculate your work truck’s payload is:
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR) - CURB WEIGHT = PAYLOAD
Let’s run a quick example. Let’s say your truck’s GVWR is 10,000 lbs and your curb weight is 7,100 lbs. What is your payload?
Answer:10,000 lbs (GVWR) - 7,100 lbs (Curb Weight) = 2,900 lbs Payload
This may sound like a lot of payload but keep in mind a few things. Your payload doesn’t include passengers, at the very least your vehicle will have one passenger (the driver) and use up 150 lbs (or more) of payload. If you have multiple passengers, account for those as well. Don’t forget your tools, parts and materials you will carry on your truck. On upfits like a service or utility body, there is ample space to store these items. Calculate the weight of these items carefully and don’t underestimate. Also, be sure to account for any items you install on the truck or body after calculating the payload. These could include a grill guard, ladder or material rack, toolbox, generator, compressor, welder, auxiliary fuel tank and more. Lastly, keep some payload on reserve! There are times when you will need to carry additional equipment, tools or materials to the job that were not included in the original payload calculation. If you leave ample payload open, this won’t become an issue.
SOURCE: https://www.knapheide.com/news/blog/2017/11/how-to-calculate-a-work-trucks-payload?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nurture&utm_content=tof-3&elqTrackId=86196f756fe047eaae1c88ab70a98bb8&elq=71dcca10a8a44694a8b92890d994d97d&elqaid=1068&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=518
Knapheide Products: https://www.knapheide.com/products
5/27/19
Digit: Future of Self-Driving Vehicle Delivery | The Future of Ford and Transportation | Ford
As the popularity of online shopping continues to grow, what does delivery service look like in the future? Ford is teaming up with Agility Robotics to explore how the company’s new robot, Digit, can help get packages to your door efficiently with the help of self-driving vehicles. Not only does Digit work collaboratively with self-driving vehicles, but it can also walk up stairs and past unexpected obstacles to get packages straight to your doorstep. Learn more about Ford Motor Company’s work with Agility here: https://ford.to/2Ehu2KH Discover more The Future of Ford and Transportation videos: https://ford.to/2JWcg31
5/20/19
Venco Venturo Industries, LLC Electric-Hydraulic Cranes 2019 NTEA
ET6K ELECTRIC-HYDRAULIC CRANE Max. Capacity 2,000 lb - Crane Rating 6,000 ft-lb - Max. Reach 10 ft Min. Truck Size Needed (GVWR) Class 2 (8,000 lb)
The Venturo ET6K service crane is a 6,000 ft.-lbs. crane with 2,000 lb. lifting capacity featuring electric winch, power rotation and hydraulic boom elevation with a single, manual extension up to 10 ft.
ET12KXP ELECTRIC-HYDRAULIC CRANE Max. Capacity 3,500 lb, Crane Rating 12,000 ft-lb, Max. Reach 16 ft Min. Truck Size Needed (GVWR) Class 2 (8,800 lbs GVWR)
With a 12,000 FT-LB rating and a 3,500 LB maximum capacity, the ET12KXP can be installed on trucks with a minimum Class 2 (8,800 lbs GVWR). The ET12KXP features proportional control, single-stage full-hydraulic extension and a one-piece hexagonal boom for increased strength. This new crane features a 9′ – 16′ reach.
ET12K(X) ELECTRIC-HYDRAULIC CRANE Max. Capacity 3,500 lb - Crane Rating 12,000 ft-lb - Max. Reach 15 ft Min. Truck Size Needed (GVWR) Class 2 (8,800 lb)
The Venturo ET12KX service crane is a versatile application that is neither too large or too small for a majority of lifting jobs. This crane has been utilized heavily in municipal/public works industry lifting anything from service equipment to fire hydrants throughout the United States.
With a 12,000 FT-LB rating and a 3,500 LB maximum capacity, the ET12KX can be installed on trucks with a minimum 8,800 GVWR.
The ET12K(X) comes in two configurations; the ET12K offers two-stage manual boom extension, and the ET12KX offers single-stage hydraulic extension with a secondary manual boom extension.
5/18/19
Autonomy: Partnerships of sky and ground
What is likely to happen on the road to autonomous vehicles is partnerships between truck makers and tech companies.
Sticking with the theme of disruption and transformation, nothing has the potential to be more disruption in the trucking industry than autonomous vehicles.
At a recent NationaLease meeting, guest speaker John Paul MacDuffie, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, said that autonomy requires new hardware components and lots of AI software. Engineering talent will be one of the keys to its success along with the ability to get the system integration piece of the equation right. MacDuffie does not see technology firms jumping in to manufacture vehicles but rather, working on developing operating systems for autonomous vehicles.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has defined six levels of autonomy from zero (no automation) to 5 (full automation). MacDuffie believes there is a big leap in getting from Level 2 autonomy to Level 3.
Level 2, or partial automation, allows steering and acceleration and deceleration to be automated “using information about the driving environment…with the exception that the human driver perform all remaining aspects of the dynamic driving task,” according to the SAE definition. The human driver is tasked with monitoring the driving environment.
In Level 3, or conditional automation, the system monitors the driving environment while the driver will respond appropriately to a request by the system to intervene.
“Level 3 automation is particularly tricky,” MacDuffie said. How to safely transfer control from the computer to the driver, particularly in emergency situations, needs to be worked out. “[There has to be a] balancing act of providing drivers with the benefits of autonomy — like not having to pay attention — while ensuring they are ready to grab the wheel if the [vehicle] encounters something it can’t handle.”
What is likely to happen on the road to autonomous vehicles, according to MacDuffie, is partnerships between truck makers and tech companies — what he calls “partnerships of ‘sky’ and ‘ground.’”
He added, “The winning combination will succeed not just in meeting customer needs/wants, but also societal goals and expectations.”
SOURCE: https://www.fleetowner.com/ideaxchange/autonomy-partnerships-sky-and-ground?NL=FO-02&Issue=FO-02_20190516_FO-02_185&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_4&utm_rid=CPENT000004488230&utm_campaign=24750&utm_medium=email&elq2=f9e997d742a94887aa813eec4c80d2e2
Sticking with the theme of disruption and transformation, nothing has the potential to be more disruption in the trucking industry than autonomous vehicles.
At a recent NationaLease meeting, guest speaker John Paul MacDuffie, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, said that autonomy requires new hardware components and lots of AI software. Engineering talent will be one of the keys to its success along with the ability to get the system integration piece of the equation right. MacDuffie does not see technology firms jumping in to manufacture vehicles but rather, working on developing operating systems for autonomous vehicles.
We are already seeing incremental moves
toward autonomy with some of the advanced driver assistance features
that are available on trucks today. This includes things like collision
mitigation and lane departure systems.
Level 2, or partial automation, allows steering and acceleration and deceleration to be automated “using information about the driving environment…with the exception that the human driver perform all remaining aspects of the dynamic driving task,” according to the SAE definition. The human driver is tasked with monitoring the driving environment.
In Level 3, or conditional automation, the system monitors the driving environment while the driver will respond appropriately to a request by the system to intervene.
“Level 3 automation is particularly tricky,” MacDuffie said. How to safely transfer control from the computer to the driver, particularly in emergency situations, needs to be worked out. “[There has to be a] balancing act of providing drivers with the benefits of autonomy — like not having to pay attention — while ensuring they are ready to grab the wheel if the [vehicle] encounters something it can’t handle.”
What is likely to happen on the road to autonomous vehicles, according to MacDuffie, is partnerships between truck makers and tech companies — what he calls “partnerships of ‘sky’ and ‘ground.’”
He added, “The winning combination will succeed not just in meeting customer needs/wants, but also societal goals and expectations.”
SOURCE: https://www.fleetowner.com/ideaxchange/autonomy-partnerships-sky-and-ground?NL=FO-02&Issue=FO-02_20190516_FO-02_185&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_4&utm_rid=CPENT000004488230&utm_campaign=24750&utm_medium=email&elq2=f9e997d742a94887aa813eec4c80d2e2
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)