Work Truck Magazine September/October 2011

AF0111roush.indd 1 12/13/10 12:58:16 PM

THE RESOURCE FORMANAGERS OF CLASS 1-7TRUCK FLEETS

WWW.WORKTRUCKONLINE.COMSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

VOL. 5 NO. 5

RESALE VALUERESALE VALUEOUTLOOK FOR OUTLOOK FOR

MEDIUM-DUTIESMEDIUM-DUTIES

WEIGHT & PAYLOAD WEIGHT & PAYLOAD CALCULATIONS CALCULATIONS

MADE EASYMADE EASY

SYNTHETIC OILS:SYNTHETIC OILS:WHAT YOU NEED WHAT YOU NEED

TO KNOWTO KNOW

TRAILERING FUNDAMENTALS PAGE 22 CAB FORWARD vs. VAN CUTAWAYS PAGE 26 TRUCK FLEET DOUBLE WHAMMY PAGE 40

ISUZUISUZUGASES UP N-SERIES TRUCKSGASES UP N-SERIES TRUCKS

WT0911cover.indd 991WT0911cover.indd 991 8/9/11 9:50:28 AM8/9/11 9:50:28 AM

FFLE00252_D186360_Spd_R03.indd 1 5/3/10 1:59 PM

WT0710ford.indd 2-3 6/15/10 1:05:42 PMWT_992-1.indd 992WT_992-1.indd 992 8/8/11 12:02:33 PM8/8/11 12:02:33 PM

www.fleet.ford.comfl eet.ford.com* Optional, available on select models. **EPA-estimated 17 city/25 hwy/20 combined mpg (Taurus SHO/MKS); 16 city/22 hwy/18 combined mpg (Flex/MKT), EcoBoost AWD.

GREENER.At Ford Fleet, we believe in getting the most out of green technology. We’re continually working to improve vehicle performance while decreasing negative environmental impact. Our proprietary EcoBoost™ engine* can do just that for your fl eet. It combines turbocharging and direct-injection technologies to provide the performance of a V8 with the fuel economy of a V6.** Our ultimate goal is to go beyond producing a more powerful and greener fl eet — to ensuring every mile your fl eet drives barely leaves an impression at all. Ford Fleet. Get More.

FFLE00252_D186360_Spd_R03.indd 1 5/3/10 1:59 PM

WT0710ford.indd 2-3 6/15/10 1:05:42 PMWT_992-1.indd 1WT_992-1.indd 1 8/8/11 12:02:34 PM8/8/11 12:02:34 PM

IN THIS ISSUE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011VOLUME 5 ISSUE 5

2 WORK TRUCK SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 www.worktruckonline.com

Features

Departments

10 ISUZU GASES UP N-SERIES & LAUNCHES ALL-NEW REACH COMMERCIAL VANIsuzu is in full production with its gas-powered N-Series and ready for fl eets to hit the road in the all-new Reach commercial van.

12 FORECAST OF MEDIUM-DUTY RESALE VALUES FOR 2011-2012There is a shortage of medium-duty trucks in the wholesale market due to the low volume of new units ordered from 2007 to 2010. This inventory shortage is forecast to persist for several years. The net result is higher resale values.

18 CALCULATING COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION & PAYLOAD MADE EASYAxle capacities are limited either by the axle capacity or the legal weight limits, whichever is lower. Performing a weight distribution analysis can achieve the proper axle loadings before a truck is built.

22 THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEC’ING TRUCKS FOR TOWINGDespite being similar in size, medium-duty trucks offer a wide variance in maximum towing capacities — from 5,000 lbs. to more than 11,000 lbs.

26 CAB-FORWARD VS. CUTAWAY VAN: WHICH IS BETTER FOR DELIVERY FLEETS?The choice of one truck type over the other depends on a fl eet’s needs. Answering some key questions can make the decision easier.

30 WHAT FLEET MANAGERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SYNTHETIC OILSBrought to the U.S. market in 1972, synthetic motor oil is produced by most major oil manufacturers. Differences between synthetic and conven-tional oils, including cost, are examined.

4 LETTERS

6 TRUCK NEWS■ Hino Approves B-20 Biodiesel Use

■ Azure & Ford Partner on Plug-in Hybrid

37 TRUCK PRODUCTS■ Truck Software

■ Mobile Applications

40 END OF FRAME EDITORIAL■ Ticket ‘Infl ation’ & ‘Malicious Compliance’

WORK TRUCK MAGAZINE (CDN IPM# 40013413) is published BI - Monthly, by Bobit Business Media, 3520 Challenger Street, Torrance, California 90503-1640. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Work Truck P.O. Box 1068 Skokie, IL 60076-8068. Please allow 8 to 16 weeks for address changes to take effect. Please address Editorial and Advertising correspondence to the Executive Offi ces at 3520 Challenger Street, Torrance, California 90503-1640. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of Bobit Business Media. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission.

12

22

10

18

WT0911toc.indd 2WT0911toc.indd 2 8/8/11 12:03:38 PM8/8/11 12:03:38 PM

http://www.worktruckonline.com

www.worktruckonline.com

what you’re readingw

CAFE TO INCREASE TO 54.5 MPG BY 2025The Obama administration claims the average fuel savings will be more than $8,000 per vehicle by 2025.

FORD RECALLING F-SERIES TRUCKSDue to potential corrosion of the fuel tank straps that secure the tank to the vehicle.

FORD AND AZURE DYNAMICS TO ADD HYBRID SYSTEMS TO F-SERIES SUPER-DUTY TRUCKSIn collaboration with Ford, Azure’s plug-in hybrid technology will be initially integrated on Ford’s F-Series Super Duty cab and chassis, the F-550, which is expected to be available in early 2013.

FEDEX REPORT SHOWS 15.1% FLEET FUEL ECONOMY IMPROVEMENT AS OF 2010The company reports it was able to reduce the amount of fuel consumed by 276,000 gallons with its fl eet of 408 electric-vehicle and hybrid-electric vehicles.

DISCRETE WIRELESS BECOMES NEXTRAQGo to worktruckonline.com/Channel/GPS-telematics for more information on this rebranding effort!

Use the navigator on the WorkTruckOnline.com home page to browse the latest articles from the channels. Enter a channel to view in-depth news, articles, tools, calculators and more related to that specifi c topic.

September/October’s Web Channel Highlight: REMARKETING

Get the expert information and research you need for fl eet remarketing. Learn how to increase vehicle residuals while effectively using resale chan-nels and lowering deprecation costs from the articles, tools and expert insight provided in this comprehensive channel.

▲ 10 Myths About Fleet Management

▲ 3 Options for Selling Cars Online

▲ Depreciation Up in Most Vehicle Segments

▲ State of the Fleet Market Outside North America

▲ 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Playing ‘Musical Cars’

Industry Trendss Telematics Safety Remarketing Fuel

the 5

THE FLEET CHANNELS

WORKTRUCKONLINE.COM TOP 5 MOST POPULAR STORIES AS OF AUG. 9, 2011

1

2

3

4

5

What’s We’re Blogging About

MARKET TRENDSBy Mike Antich

www.worktruckonline.com/

blog/markettrends.aspx

August 8Proposed CAFE Standards to be the Catalyst for the Hybridization of Fleets

July 27A Double Whammy for Truck Fleets: Ticket ‘Infl ation’ and ‘Malicious Compliance’

July 25Fleets Report Aggressive Efforts to Collect Delinquent Unpaid Tickets and Toll Violations

July 6Wholesale Inventory Shortage of Medium-Duty Trucks Fuels Higher Resale Values

FLEET BLOGSThe Voice of the Fleet Community

(www.fl eetblogs.com)

August 8Is Something Big About to Happen?by Joseph Thompson

July 30An Ounce of Prevention by Kate Harland

July 27Do Driver Incentive Programs Work and Are They Fair?by Elisa Durand

July 20Documented Prudence is the Key to Limiting Fleet Liabilityby Wayne Smolda

Interested in starting your own blog? Go to www.fl eetblogs.com for more information

ANTICH

FLETCHER

CHATTY CHASSIS By Lauren Fletcher

www.worktruckonline.com/

Blog/Talking-Truck.aspx

August 3 What Happened to All of the Good Drivers?

July 20 Navistar Files Another Suit Against EPA

www.worktruckonline.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 WORK TRUCK 3

WT0911tocweb.indd 3WT0911tocweb.indd 3 8/10/11 10:05:02 AM8/10/11 10:05:02 AM

http://www.w

http://www.worktruckonline.com/

http://www.worktruckonline.com/

http://www.fleetblogs.com

http://www.fl


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


NREL Releases Hybrid Electric Fleet Study

It’s not surprising that the gasoline

hybrids had lower emissions than the

diesels, since the test conducted by the

National Renewal Energy Laborato-

ry (NREL) used older diesels which

were manufactured before the new

2007 and 2010 models with advanced

engines and emissions control tech-

nologies were introduced. (It is im-

portant to note the gasoline hybrids

in the study were from 2008.)

Assuming this study will be used to

encourage the selection of the cleanest

and most effi cient vehicles in future

purchase decisions, it would have been

more helpful (and accurate) to test the

latest gasoline hybrid and diesel mod-

els. The fact that hybrid electric mod-

els are more fuel effi cient in city driv-

ing patterns is commonly recognized.

It seems to me the best performance

would come from diesel-electric hy-

brids, which benefi t from the hybrid

technology and a diesel’s greater fuel

economy. And this doesn’t even ac-

count for the longer life and higher

residual value of diesels.

E-mail from Dawn Fenton

Takes Strong Exception The Retread Tire Association

takes strong exception to the con-

clusions drawn in a recent remanu-

facturing and energy savings paper.

One of our members recently sent us

a copy of a paper titled “Remanufac-

turing and Engine Savings,” which

was accepted in April 2011 for publi-

cation in Environmental Science and Technology (http://pubs.acs.org/jour

nal/esthag).

After carefully reading the portions

pertaining to retreaded tires, I am con-

vinced that there is no basis in reality

for the conclusions that “heavy-duty

truck tires” are not always better re-

treaded than discarded (assuming of

course that they pass a very rigid in-

spection by top quality retreaders).

My strong exceptions are based on

a number of statements in the paper

that I consider inaccurate and not well

researched. For example:

■ “Secondly, the life span of a truck

tire is far shorter than that of a home re-

frigerator. Driving at 50 mph for eight

hours a day, fi ve days a week for 50

weeks adds up to 100,000 miles in one

year, equal to the tire lifetime.”

■ “Additionally, retreading adds

signifi cant new material to the old

casing…”

■ “While it is true that a tire retread-

ing operation can restore a tire to near

original performance, from the avail-

able data there is evidence that retread-

ing can sometimes fail to achieve like-

new product performance.”

There is more, but you get the idea.

Anyone who has seriously stud-

ied the retread industry knows that

today’s truck tire retreads produced

by top quality retreaders in modern

retread plants will often have an ad-

justment rate as low and often actu-

ally lower than comparable new tires,

and that today’s top quality retreads

can often give up to 300,00 miles —

and sometimes even more — of trou-

ble free performance.

As far as retreading adding signif-

icant new material to the old casing,

I seriously wonder if the three writ-

ers of the paper have visited a mod-

ern retread plant, because if they had

I don’t think they would have ever

made such a statement, especially

when one compares the poundage

of new materials used in producing

a new truck tire versus the amount

used to retread.

I invite readers to review the docu-

ment and draw their own conclusions.

In summary, after nearly 35 years of

being involved with the retread indus-

try, I’ll be willing to bet my next pay-

check that, overall, a retreaded tire

is far more environmentally friendly

than a comparable new tire. Plus, fl eets

save serious money by using retreads.

Nothing wrong with that!

Harvey BrodskyManaging Director

Retread Tire Association

[email protected]

Pacifi c Grove, Calif.

Vol. 5 No. 5

PublisherSherb Brown

Editor/Associate PublisherMike Antich

[email protected]

Managing EditorLauren Fletcher

lauren.fl [email protected]

Senior EditorGrace L. Suizo

[email protected]

Contributing EditorChris Wolski

[email protected]

Web EditorGreg Basich

[email protected]

Production DirectorKelly Bracken

Production ManagerBrian Peach

(310) 533-2548

Art DirectorArmie Bautista

For Subscription Inquiries(888) 239-2455

[email protected]

Great Lakes Sales ManagerRobert Brown Jr.

1000 W. University Dr., Ste. 209Rochester, MI 48307

(248) 601-2005 Fax: (248) 601-2004

Regional Sales ManagersEric Bearly

(310) 533-2579

Joni Owens(310) 533-2530

Sales CoordinatorTracey Tremblay

Business and Editorial Offi cesBobit Business Media

3520 Challenger St.Torrance, CA 90503Fax: (310) 533-2503

ChairmanEdward J. Bobit

CEOTy Bobit

Chief Financial Offi cerRichard E. Johnson

Editorial ConsultantHoward Rauch

Change Service Request Return AddressHallmark

P. O. Box 1068 Skokie, IL 60076-8068

WT0911letters.indd 4WT0911letters.indd 4 8/8/11 11:52:57 AM8/8/11 11:52:57 AM

http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag

http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag

mailto:[email protected]








The Right Size Commercial Van for Your Business

Introducing... UÊ/�iÊ,i>V�™Ê��iÀV�>�Ê6>�ÊÊ V��L��iÃÊ>Ê1Ì��>ÃÌiÀÊ ��}�ÌÜi�}�ÌÊV��«�Ã�ÌiÊL�`ÞÊ >�`Ê�ÃÕâÕ½ÃÊ *,Ê "��8Ê V�>ÃÃ�Ã°Ê

UÊ1Ì��â��}Ê��}�ÌiÀ�Üi�}�Ì]Ê >iÀ�`Þ�>��VÊL�`ÞÊÃÌÞ��}Ê >�`ÊÜ�À�`�«À�Ûi�Ê�ÃÕâÕÊ `�iÃi�ÊÌiV��}Þ]ÊÌ�iÊ,i>V�™ÊÊ ��iÀV�>�Ê6>�Ê�>Ý��âiÃÊ vÕi�ÊivwÊV�i�VÞÊ>�`Ê«À�Û�ìÃÊ Õ«ÊÌ�ÊÎx¯ÊLiÌÌiÀÊvÕi�Ê iV��ÞIÊÌ�>�ÊÌÀ>`�Ì��>�Ê Û>�Ê>««��V>Ì��Ã°

UÊ�Û>��>L�iÊ��ÊL�`ÞÊ�i�}Ì�ÃÊ �vÊ£ÓÊ>�`Ê£{ÊviiÌ]ÊÌ�iÊ,i>V�™ÊÊ ��iÀV�>�Ê6>�Ê«À�Û�ìÃÊÊ ÛiÀÃ>Ì��ÌÞÊ>�`Ê�ÕÌÃÌ>�`��}ÊÊ vÕi�ÊiV��ÞÊÜ�Ì��ÕÌÊÌ�iÊ >`ì`ÊiÝ«i�ÃiÊ�vÊ�ÞLÀ�`Ê ÌiV��}�iÃ°Ê-iiÊÞ�ÕÀÊ��V>�Ê �ÃÕâÕÊÌÀÕV�Êì>�iÀÊv�ÀÊÌ�iÊ V��«�iÌiÊ«iÀv�À�>�ViÊEÊ V�ÃÌ�Ã>Û��}ÊÃÌ�ÀÞ°

*Compared to class 3-5 commercial walk-in vans; testing conducted by an independent, certifi ed party.

IsuzuCV.comNextGenerationVan.com

All photographs, illustrations, equipment and technical data shown are based on the latest information available at time of publication. Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc.,reserves the right to make changes at any time, without notice, including prices, colors, materials, equipment, specifi cations and models, and to discontinue models or equipment. These vehicles are assembled from component parts manufactured by Isuzu Motors Limited and its affi liated companies and by independent suppliers who manufacture such components to Isuzu’s exacting standards for quality, performance and safety. ECO-MAX is a trademark of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. NPR is a trademark of Isuzu Motors Limited. Reach is a registered trademark of Spartan Motors. See your authorized Isuzu truck dealer for warranty and other details.

\

WT0911letters.indd 5WT0911letters.indd 5 8/8/11 11:53:02 AM8/8/11 11:53:02 AM

NOVI, MI – Hino Trucks’ complete product line of Class

4 and 5 cab-over, and Class 6 and 7 conventional trucks are

now approved to use up to B-20 biodiesel.

All 2011 and 2012 model-year cab-over and conven-

tional trucks powered exclusively with Hino’s J-Series en-

gines are approved to use biodiesel B-20 blends that contain

biofuel blend stock (B-100) compliant to American Soci-

ety for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6751, and blend-

ed fuel compliant to ASTM D975. B-20 biodiesel meeting

these standards is also approved for use in Hino’s newly

announced diesel-electric hybrid cab-over due to enter the

market late this fall.

Hino trucks built prior to the 2011 model-year are ap-

proved to use B-5 biodiesel. All biodiesel fuels used in Hino

trucks must be purchased from a fuel handler licensed un-

der BQ9000.

MEMPHIS, TN – ARS/Rescue

Rooter, a privately held, nationwide

provider of air conditioning, heating,

plumbing, and attic insulation

services, has taken strides to become

more green by deploying 21 clean-

burning propane autogas cargo and

cutaway vans in the Los Angeles and

Houston areas.

ARS/Rescue Rooter plans to pur-

chase 22 more vehicles by year-end,

with an additional 100 or more vehi-

cles planned for 2012, spanning mul-

tiple markets.

These Ford E-Series vans, powered

by ROUSH CleanTech, reduce harm-

ful emissions and carry certifi cation

by the California Air Resources Board

(CARB) and the Environmental Pro-

tection Agency (EPA).

“After researching several fuel op-

tions, we decided that ROUSH Clean-

Tech propane autogas systems of-

fered the best solution for us,” said

Mike Baessler, fleet director of ARS/

Rescue Rooter. “We believe this in-

vestment will provide longevity to

our fl eet, in addition to reduced op-

erating costs allowing us to pass the

savings on to our customers.”

In addition to reduced maintenance

costs and the potential for extended

engine life due to its clean-burning

properties, ROUSH CleanTech stat-

ed that propane autogas historically

offers a 30- to 40-percent reduction

in fuel costs compared to gasoline.

When compared with gasoline, ve-

hicles fueled by propane autogas

produce:

■ 17- to 24-percent less green-

house gases.

■ 20-percent less nitrogen oxide.

■ Up to 60-percent less carbon

monoxide.

TRUCK NEWS


Hino Trucks Approves Use of B-20 Biodiesel

ARS/Rescue Rooter Rolls Out Propane Autogas Ford Vans

All 2011 and 2012 model-year cab-over and conventional trucks, powered by Hino’s J-Series engines, are approved to use biodiesel B-20 blends.

ARS/Rescue Rooter deployed 21 propane autogas cargo and cutaway vans in Los Angeles and Houston, reducing maintenance costs and increasing the potential for extending engine life.

WT0911news.indd 6WT0911news.indd 6 8/8/11 12:05:58 PM8/8/11 12:05:58 PM


FARMINGTON HILLS, MI and LOGAN TOWN-

SHIP, NJ – Daimler Truck Financial (DTF) announced it

has reached an agreement with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of

America (MFTA) to begin providing fi nancial products and

services for more than 175 MFTA dealers and their custom-

ers in the United States.

DTF, which provides fi nancial services for Freightliner,

Western Star, Sprinter, and Thomas Built Bus dealers and

customers, will bring its wide range of fi nancial services and

programs to the Mitsubishi Fuso dealer body in the U.S.

Together, DTF and MFTA will provide customers with

competitive fi nancing options with rates in Q3 as low as 0.9

percent for qualifi ed customers. Other offerings include pack-

ages with terms up to 72 months. Additional product offer-

ings will include TRAC lease, a full line of insurance and af-

termarket products, and online account management. These

wide ranging services have contributed to DTF’s reputation

as a leader in customer and dealer satisfaction among cap-

tive fi nance sources in the trucking industry, according to

the company.

“We understand the fi nance requirements of the vocational

buyer and we have the dedicated credit teams

who have handled this kind of business for

years,” said Juergen Rochert, VP and head of

DTF. “The combination of MFTA’s product

lineup and DTF’s fi nancial expertise in the

industry will further improve the market

position of Daimler’s commercial vehicle

sales in the United States.”

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America markets

Class 3 through Class 5 cab-over work trucks.

The all-new 2012 Canter FE/FG Series trucks

offer improved fuel economy, best-in-class pay-

loads, 18,000-mile service intervals, and are

backed by an industry-best fi ve-year/175,000-

mile powertrain warranty.

Todd Bloom, president & CEO of MFTA added, “The ad-

dition of DTF as a fi nancial resource for our network of dedi-

cated dealers and loyal customers will only aid to solidify our

position in the market by placing more of the revolutionary

new line of Canter FE/FG-Series trucks into business and

municipal operations throughout the United States.”


Azure & Ford Partner on Plug-In Hybrid Super-Duty Trucks OAK PARK, MI – Azure Dynamics Corp. and Ford Mo-

tor Company have entered into an agreement whereby Azure

will integrate its plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology into the

Ford F-Series Super Duty product line.

In collaboration with Ford, Azure’s plug-in hybrid technol-

ogy will be initially integrated on Ford’s F-Series Super Duty

cab and chassis, the F-550, which is expected to be available

in early 2013. The agreement also allows Azure to perform

hybrid powertrain conversions on other Super Duty plat-

forms, including F-350 and F-450 models and spans all en-

gine, frame length, and regular production options and con-

fi gurations. Azure said its Super Duty program will allow the

company to further expand its product lineup in its targeted

medium-duty commercial truck segment.

The Azure-Ford agreement includes a ship-thru provision

that permits Azure to place vehicles in the Ford transpor-

tation system and allows qualifi ed Ford Commercial Truck

dealerships to sell and service the product in specifi c mar-

kets in North America.

Balance Hybrid Electric has

a 60-percent share in the

medium-duty (Class 2c-

V) hybrid commer-

cial truck market

in North America

and is deployed in

fl eets such as AT&T,

CINTAS, DHL,

FedEx Express,

and Purolator.

Odyne to Use Johnson Controls Batteries in TrucksWAUKESHA, WI – Odyne Systems, LLC, a

manufacturer of hybrid systems for medium- and

heavy-duty trucks, and Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI),

a supplier of advanced batteries, entered into both

an investment agreement and a long-term hybrid

master supply agreement.

Under the new agreements, Johnson Controls has

made a strategic investment in Odyne to fund expan-

sion and accelerate wide-scale commercialization

of Odyne’s hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-

duty work trucks. Additionally, Odyne designates

Johnson Controls-Saft as a preferred supplier of ad-

vanced lithium-ion battery systems for its plug-in hy-

brid system.

The Odyne plug-in hybrid system signifi cantly in-

creases a large truck’s effi ciency through operation

of the hybrid system on the road and use of the large

battery system at the job site, according to the com-

pany. Odyne’s modular system can be installed on a

wide variety of new and existing vehicles to reduce

fuel consumption and lower emissions.

“The strategic investment and supply agreements be-

tween Johnson Controls and Odyne will help us contin-

ue to grow our business and advance hybrid technolo-

gy for medium- and heavy-duty trucks to greater levels

of effi ciency,” said Joe Dalum, president and CEO of

Odyne Systems. “This is the fi rst phase of a multi-stage

investment on the part of JCI and is in line with a broad-

er investment and growth strategy at Odyne.”

Daimler Truck Financial & MFTA Partner on Financing

ROCHERT

BLOOM

Ford’s F-Series Super Duty will be receiv-ing Azure’s plug-in hybrid technology in early 2013.

WT0911news.indd 7WT0911news.indd 7 8/8/11 12:06:01 PM8/8/11 12:06:01 PM


5$0�&+$66,6�&$%��727$/�$87+25,7<�

:KHQ�SURIHVVLRQDO�Á�HHW�PDQDJHUV�ZHUH�DVNHG�E\�:RUN�7UXFN�PDJD]LQH�WR�FRQVLGHU�

ZKLFK�PHGLXP�GXW\�WUXFN�EHVW�À�W�WKHLU�UHTXLUHPHQWV�IRU�DSSOLFDWLRQ�HIIHFWLYHQHVV��

GXUDELOLW\��TXDOLW\��VHUYLFLQJ��PDLQWHQDQFH�DQG�OLIHF\FOH�FRVWV��WKH\�YRWHG�IRU�WKH�

��5DP��&KDVVLV�&DE��3RZHU�LV�H[FHSWLRQDO�ZLWK�WKH�OHJHQGDU\�

��/�&XPPLQV��7XUER�'LHVHO��VWDQGDUG�IRU��DQG��PRGHOV��DYDLODEOH�RQ�

��PRGHOV��5DP��&KDVVLV�&DEV�IHDWXUH�WKH�ODUJHVW�IURQW�EUDNH�URWRUV�LQ�

WKHLU�FODVV��FRQWULEXWLQJ�WR�D�EHVW�LQ�FODVV��FRPELQDWLRQ�RI�EUDNH�SDG�ZHDU��EUDNH�

IDGH�UHVLVWDQFH�DQG�H[KDXVW�EUDNH�SHUIRUPDQFH��$QG�ZLWK�WKH�RSWLRQDO�0D[�7RZ�

3DFNDJH�RQ��5DP��PRGHOV��*&:5�LQFUHDVHV�WR��OEV��

&800,16�785%2�',(6(/��3+(120(1$/�32:(5�

7KH�IRUPLGDEOH�&XPPLQV�7XUER�'LHVHO�JHQHUDWHV�EHWZHHQ�

��DQG��OE�IW�RI�WRUTXH��DW�RQO\��USP��DQG�

��KRUVHSRZHU�LQ�5DP�+HDY\�'XW\�3LFNXSV��GHSHQGLQJ�

RQ�WUDQVPLVVLRQ��PHHWLQJ�YLUWXDOO\�HYHU\�QHHG�IRU�WRZLQJ��

KDXOLQJ�DQG�UHVSRQVLYH�DFFHOHUDWLRQ��

��5DP�+HDY\�'XW\�3LFNXSV�ZLWK�WKH�DYDLODEOH�

��/�&XPPLQV�7XUER�'LHVHO�DUH�WKH�RQO\�KHDY\�GXW\�

GLHVHO�SLFNXSV�LQ�WKHLU�FODVV��WKDW�PHHW�VWULQJHQW�

8�6��HPLVVLRQ�VWDQGDUGV�:,7+287�WKH�KDVVOH�RI�

D�XUHD�EDVHG�'()�V\VWHP�

+,5(�7+(�´758&.�2)�7+(�<($5μ�

72�:25.�)25�<285�)/((7�1DPHG�E\�:RUN�7UXFN�0DJD]LQH�5HDGHUV

WT_8-9.indd 8WT_8-9.indd 8 8/8/11 11:55:14 AM8/8/11 11:55:14 AM

5$0�+($9<�'87<��$1'��728*+�$6�1$,/6�

5DP�+HDY\�'XW\�KDV�ZKDW�LW�WDNHV�WR�JHW�WKH�MRE�GRQH��&RPPHUFLDO�DQG�

LQGXVWULDO�Á�HHWV�JHW�XOWUD�FDSDEOH�SD\ORDG�FDSDFLW\�³�ZLWK�FDSDELOLW\�IXUWKHU�

EROVWHUHG�E\�DQ�DYDLODEOH�(OHFWURQLF�7UDLOHU�%UDNH�&RQWUROOHU��%HVW�LQ�FODVV�

PD[LPXP�WRZLQJ�RI��OE��FDSDFLW\�LV�RIIHUHG�E\�WKH�5DP��ZKLOH�

XQVXUSDVVHG��RSWLRQDO��OE�IW�RI�KLJK�RXWSXW�WRUTXH��ODWH�DYDLODELOLW\��

SURYLGHV�D�PXFK�DSSUHFLDWHG�SHUIRUPDQFH�ERRVW�WR�ERWK�SLFNXSV��5DP�+HDY\�

'XW\�3LFNXSV�ERDVW�WKH�SURYHQ��/�+(0,��9��DQG�WKH�DYDLODEOH��/�

&XPPLQV�7XUER�'LHVHO��ERWK�SURYLGLQJ�XQFRPSURPLVLQJ�SRZHU��

�%DVHG�RQ�&ODVV��DQG��SLFNXS�EDVHG�FRQYHQWLRQDO�FKDVVLV�FDEV��%DVHG�RQ�EUDNH�WHVW�SHUIRUPHG�E\�$0&,�RQ��5DP��DQG�)RUG�)��SLFNXS�EDVHG�FRQYHQWLRQDO�FDE�FODVV��$YDLODEOH�IRU�RUGHU��5DP��ZLWK�RSWLRQDO��OE�*&:5�SDFNDJH��ZKHQ�SURSHUO\�HTXLSSHG��

�$V�DZDUGHG�E\�:RUN�7UXFN�PDJD]LQH�LQ�0DUFK��&ODVV�EDVHG�RQ��DQG��SLFNXSV��ZKHQ�SURSHUO\�HTXLSSHG��/DWH�$YDLODELOLW\��6HH�\RXU�GHDOHU�IRU�FRPSOHWH�GHWDLOV�DQG�D�FRS\�RI� WKH��<HDU��0LOH�3RZHUWUDLQ� /LPLWHG�:DUUDQW\��&KU\VOHU�*URXS�//&��$OO� ULJKWV�UHVHUYHG��5DP�DQG�+(0,�DUH�UHJLVWHUHG�WUDGHPDUNV�RI�&KU\VOHU�*URXS�//&��&XPPLQV�LV�D�UHJLVWHUHG�WUDGHPDUN�RI�&XPPLQV�,QF�

$OO�5DP�7UXFNV�DUH�EDFNHG�E\�WKH�XQVXUSDVVHG��<HDU��0LOH�

3RZHUWUDLQ�/LPLWHG�:DUUDQW\��

fleet.chrysler.com 800-999-FLEET

�

WT_8-9.indd 9WT_8-9.indd 9 8/8/11 11:55:18 AM8/8/11 11:55:18 AM

ISUZUGASES UP N-SERIES & LAUNCHES

ALL-NEW REACH COMMERCIAL VANIsuzu is in full production with its gas-powered N-Series and ready

for fl eets to hit the road in the all-new Reach commercial van.


Isuzu Commercial Truck of Amer-

ica, Inc., (ICTA) reintroduced its

gasoline-powered N-Series trucks

and launched the all-new Reach

Commercial Van. The gas truck is

built at the Spartan Motors, Inc., facil-

ity in Charlotte, Mich., and the Reach

is assembled by Utilimaster in Wa-

karusa, Ind.

This marks the fi rst time in two years

that gasoline-powered N-Series trucks

have been offered by Isuzu. Previously,

N-Series gasoline trucks had been as-

sembled by General Motors at its plant

in Janesville, Wis. However, that facil-

ity ceased operations in 2009.

GASSING UP N-SERIES TRUCKS

The new 2012 N-Gas models — which

complement the diesel-powered Isuzu

N-Series trucks already available —

are powered by the Vortec 6.0L small-

block V-8 engine that produces 297 hp

at 4,300 rpm and generates 372 lb.-ft.

of torque at 4,000 rpm. The powerplant

is mated to a new 6-speed automatic

transmission with double overdrive and

lock-up torque converter for enhanced

fuel economy and performance. Previ-

ous N-Series gasoline models offered

only a 4-speed automatic.

A full range of gasoline-powered

models is available:

■ NPR (12,000-lb. GVWR)

Single Cab in wheelbases of

109, 132.5, 150, and 176 inches.

■ Crew Cab in wheelbases of

150 and 176 inches.

■ NPR-HD (14,500-lb. GVWR)

Single Cab in wheelbases on 109,

132.5, 150, and 176 inches.

■ Crew Cab in wheelbases of

150 and 176 inches.

“With the introduction of these new

models, our dealers once again offer

the broadest range of low cab-forward

solutions in the industry,” said Shaun

Skinner, executive vice president and

general manager of Isuzu Commercial

Truck of America. “We are especial-

ly pleased that Spartan — one of the

industry’s most respected manufac-

turers of high-quality specialty chas-

sis and vehicles — is assembling our

N-Series gas trucks. Its expertise and

quality workmanship will be an enor-

mous benefi t to us, to our dealers, and

to the end users of our vehicles.”

The gasoline-powered trucks are

now available at Isuzu dealerships

nationwide.

LAUNCHING ALL-NEW

REACH VAN

ICTA and Utilimaster, Inc., unveiled

the Reach commercial van at The Work

Truck Show 2011 in Indianapolis.

The commercial van — with a body

designed by Utilimaster Corporation

atop an Isuzu NPR ECO-MAX chas-

sis and powered by Isuzu’s 3.0L die-

sel engine — will achieve 35-percent

better fuel economy than a tradition-

al commercial van application while

offering the functionality of a custom-

built work truck along with the styl-

ing and ergonomics of a cargo van, the

companies stated.

“The Reach was designed to be a

complete unit with the chassis and the

body together as one. By designing the

vehicle as one you can achieve the best

possible fuel economy and higher pay-

■ Isuzu N-Series gas-powered trucks are powered by the Vortec 6.0L small-block V-8 engine that produces 297 hp at 4,300 rpm and generates 372 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.

■ Powering the Reach is Isuzu’s biodiesel-fuel compatible 4JJ1-TC 3.0L turbocharged engine, capable of generating 150 hp.

AT A GLANCE

The all-new Isuzu Reach commer-cial van features an Isuzu NPR ECO-MAX chassis and a body designed by Utilimaster Corp. It will be of-fered in two different wheelbases and three body lengths.

WT0911isuzu.indd 10WT0911isuzu.indd 10 8/9/11 10:58:14 AM8/9/11 10:58:14 AM



load capacity,” said Brian

Tabel, retail marketing

manager for ICTA.

The Reach will be of-

fered in a 151 inch wheel-

base and two body lengths

— 12 and 14 feet. The

cargo area can offer 450,

540, or 630 cubic feet of

storage, depending on wheelbase and

body length selected.

The Reach’s stripped chassis’ en-

gine has been relocated to minimize

engine protrusion into the cab, facili-

tating driver movement in and out of

the front seat for improved productiv-

ity, according to Isuzu. Likewise, the

driver seat position and numerous com-

ponent locations have been revised to

accommodate the walk-in van body.

Otherwise, the van’s setup is like the

12,000-lb. GVWR Isuzu NPR ECO-

MAX chassis.

Powering the Reach is Isuzu’s

biodiesel-fuel (B-10) compatible 4JJ1-

TC 3.0L turbocharged engine, capable

of generating 150 hp, this engine

is mated to an Aisin medium-duty

6-speed automatic transmission with

double overdrive, and lock-up torque

converter.

In independent testing, this power-

train achieved 35-percent better mile-

age than traditional commercial vans,

according to the companies. The en-

gine offers B-10 durability ratings of

310,000 miles, meaning that 90 per-

cent will reach that mileage before

requiring an overhaul, the compa-

nies stated.

Additionally, lightweight composite

body materials save 600 lbs. of weight

per vehicle, further reducing fuel con-

sumption and increasing available

payload. A composite construction

typically lasts longer than traditional

steel body panels, which are subject

to corrosion.The body-on-frame de-

sign allows for easy repair, and lower

body panels were designed for quick

removal and easy replacement. Safe-

ty features include integrated entry

hand rails, available backup camera

system, “high visibility” steps with

slip-resistant carbide tread, and a 13-

inch wider aisle width, compared to

a cargo van.

Similar to Isuzu’s N-Series trucks,

the Reach’s 4JJ1-TC engine employs

selective catalytic reduction (SCR)

technology, which injects diesel ex-

haust fl uid (DEF) into the hot exhaust

stream to reduce nitrogen oxide emis-

sions by over 85 percent. As a result,

the Reach is EPA 2010 compliant and

CARB OBD II compliant.

Driver safety and productivity are

enhanced by such features as:

■ Available sliding front door

(swing-out doors are also available)

that requires 15 seconds less to

operate than a conventional door.

■ Wide aisles.

■ Suffi cient interior height to give

even drivers over six-feet tall the

ability to enter and exit the cab, and

access and use the cargo area, in an

upright position.

■ Available integrated back-up

camera.

■ Available keyless, auto-opening

bulkhead door.

■ Easy-to-access maintenance

equipment.

Features that maximize the utility

and practicality of the Reach’s body

include fl at, vertical side walls; avail-

able sliding cab doors; and multiple

rear-door options. In addition, a choice

of integrated vocational modules will

give buyers the opportunity to turn the

cargo area into a space customized to

their needs.

To achieve maximum durability

of the Reach’s body, engineers have

employed impact-resistant urethane

rear and lower exterior panels; rear

spring bumper and energy-absorbing

side bumpers; and one-piece molded

roof to eliminate leaks. All body pan-

els have been designed for quick re-

moval and replacement so that, if re-

pairs are necessary, technicians can

quickly restore the vehicle to its orig-

inal condition.

The industries and vocations the

Reach is expected to appeal to in-

clude:

■ Package delivery fl eets.

■ Contractors.

■ Moving and storage companies.

■ Home healthcare providers.

■ Locksmiths.

■ Lease/rental agencies.

■ Appliance repair and

delivery fi rms.

■ Airports.

■ Rent-to-own outlets.

■ Food distributors. WT

(Above) The gasoline-powered N-Series truck is powered by a Vortec 6.0L small block V-8 engine mated to a new 6-speed automatic transmission.

WT0911isuzu.indd 11WT0911isuzu.indd 11 8/9/11 10:58:15 AM8/9/11 10:58:15 AM


FORECAST OF

RESALE VALUES FOR 2011-2012FOR 2011-2012

MEDIUM-DUTYMEDIUM-DUTY

There is a shortage of medium-duty trucks in the wholesale market due to the low volume of new units ordered from 2007 to 2010. This inventory shortage is forecast to persist for several years. The net result is higher resale values. By Mike Antich


The decreased volume of new

medium-duty trucks sold

from 2007-2010 has creat-

ed a tight inventory of used

trucks in today’s wholesale market. As

a result, demand is exceeding supply,

especially for lower-mileage medium-

duties in good condition, which has ex-

erted upward pressure on resale prices

across the board.

Increased economic activity around the

country is bolstering demand for medium-

duties in both the new- and used-truck

markets. The increased demand for new

medium-duty product has caused order-

to-delivery (OTD) times to lengthen. Not

only have build times increased, but so

have upfi t OTD times.

“Today’s wholesale medium-duty

truck market is strong and much im-

proved over last year. As the economy

and consumer confi dence improves, the

ripple effect will increase the demand for

medium-duty trucks,” said Paul Seger,

vice president asset remarketing for GE

Capital Fleet Services.

Concurring with this

assessment is John Storz,

resale manager of me-

dium and heavy trucks

and equipment for Au-

tomotive Resources In-

ternational (ARI). “The

market is very strong. Of

the clean units I have sold this year, pric-

es are up 25 percent,” he said.

Not only is inventory tight in the

wholesale market, it is also tight in the

new-vehicle market.

“The market for new mediums is

very tight,” said Mike Butsch, director

of global fl eet operations for Joy Glob-

al in Milwaukee. “Upfi t times at quali-

ty upfi tters are 12 to 16 weeks compared

to four to six weeks last year.”

This assessment is reinforced by obser-

vations from the resale guide books.

“The used wholesale market for

medium-duty trucks

is very good right now.

Similar to the auto

market, a tight, limited

supply is the primary

driver along with the

availability and cost of

new models. Although

new-model orders are up a reported 30

percent over this time last year, some

companies are still trying to fi ll their needs

with used units. Once these currently

ordered new models hit the ground,

the supply of used trucks will increase

slightly, possibly easing up the value

levels,” said Ricky Beggs, vice president

and managing editor of Black Book.

“Increased inventory when new orders

are delivered will show how strong the

market really is and the demand within

the market for quality used units. Another

scenario affecting supply is the fact that

the number of repossession units being

remarketed is also at lower levels than

in past years.”

As several industry observers caution,

it is necessary to keep in perspective that

the sales gains of the current new-truck

market are in relation to one of the worst

economic downturns in the nation’s his-

tory, from which we are slowly emerging.

STORZ

■ There is a tight inventory of used medium-duty trucks in the wholesale market due to the decreased volume of new units sold from 2007-2010. ■ Demand is exceeding supply, which is exerting upward pressure on resale values. ■ Some fl eets are short-cycling medium-duties to take advantage of the strong resale values. ■ Fleets extended service lives from 2007-2010, resulting in trucks entering the wholesale market with much higher mileage. ■ It is not uncommon for used medium-duty trucks to have between 200,000 to 400,000 miles when taken out of fl eet service. ■ The forecast is that medium-duty resale values will continue to remain strong due to limited inventory for the balance of the 2011 calendar-year and into calendar-year 2012.

AT A GLANCE

BEGGS

WT0911resale.indd 12WT0911resale.indd 12 8/9/11 11:08:59 AM8/9/11 11:08:59 AM



Business activity may be improving, but

it still remains sluggish and even lacklus-

ter in certain industry segments. For in-

stance, the three key business segments

that drive medium-duty truck purchas-

es are vocational applications, construc-

tion, and government. Today, all three

segments are struggling in a lackluster

economy. Among the 11 major truck

OEMs manufacturing Class 4-7 trucks,

total sales for FY2010 was 56,643 units.

This compares to 154,690 units sold by

the same 11 OEMs in FY2006. Sales for

Class 4-7 trucks haven’t been this low

since the recession of 1991-1992.

“While we have experienced some im-

provement in the secondary markets for

Class 6 and 7 trucks since hitting their

nadir in 2009, both in terms of return

and time to sell, we have certainly not

returned to the market conditions that

largely prevailed in 2007/early 2008,”

said Steve LaPorte, director, business op-

erations, North Amer-

ican Transportation &

Shred Operations for

Iron Mountain Informa-

tion Management, Inc.,

in Boston. “It is hard to

say when we actually

saw rock bottom and

when the market bounced back, mostly

because I just about stopped selling for

approximately 18 months. I would say

fall 2010 was when we started to notice

the bounce back.”

In addition, external factors, such as

fuel-price volatility, have a direct bear-

ing on new truck acquisitions and resale

values. “It will be interesting to see if the

recent downturn in fuel will have any

bearing on used-truck sales,” said J.J.

Keig, CAFM, fl eet manager for NCH

EcoServices.

TRENDING UPWARD AFTER

HITTING BOTTOM

The decline in medium-duty resale

values fi rst began in late 2007, when

the residential construction slowdown

started. In 2007, resale values declined 10

percent and remained that way through

the fi rst half of 2008. Then, a combination

of market forces converged to create a

“perfect storm” to further drive down

resale values by 15-25 percent. These

convergent forces were higher fuel prices,

tighter consumer credit, and the stagnant

construction market. As a result, the pool

of buyers (hence market demand) for

used trucks contracted in the 2007-2010

time frame, putting downward pressure

on resale prices. One

long-term consequence

of the low volume of

new medium-duties

sold during this period

has resulted in a very

tight inventory in the

wholesale market. This,

coupled with an improving economy,

has created an increased demand for

medium-duty products.

Another consequence of the lower number

of new medium-duties sold in the 2008-

2010 time frame is that fl eets extended the

service lives of units in operation. As a

result, medium-duties currently entering

the wholesale market have much higher

mileages. This has created a shortage

of lower-mileage medium-duty trucks.

During the economic downturn, many

fl eets extended the months in service

and mileage for medium-duty trucks.

Also, many fl eets deferred purchasing

new medium-duties in 2010 to avoid the

fi rst year of the new diesel emissions

standards. These fl eets wanted to see

how the new 2010-compliant diesels

performed before acquiring them due

to uncertainty of the reliability of the

new emissions-control technology being

employed.

KEIG

LAPORTE

PHO

TO: ©

ISTO

CK

PHO

TO.C

OM

/STE

VEC

OLE

CC

S

➞




Remarketing

To take advantage of the strong mar-

ket for used trucks, some fl eets are short-

cycling medium-duties. One such fl eet

is Joy Global. “We have chosen to short-

cycle our medium service truck fl eet at

three to four years in service versus our

normal fi ve- to seven-

year cycle. As a result,

our depreciation has

dropped to approxi-

mately 1.5 percent per

month,” said Butsch of

Joy Global.

The key trends infl uenc-

ing resale values of medium-duty trucks

today and into the future are the econo-

my, technology, and aging fl eets.

“As the economy continues to im-

prove, so will the demand for both new

and used trucks. New-unit orders are in-

creasing, but it will be a while before it

has any impact on the current shortage

of used trucks,” said Mark Orth, national

remarketing manager truck & specialty

assets for GE Capital Fleet Services. “An-

other key trend is technology. Custom-

ers are looking for better fuel effi ciency

and lower operating costs. Manufactur-

ers able to incorporate new technology

into their trucks and become proven per-

formers will reap the benefi ts. The mar-

ketplace will reward them with strong

demand and higher resale values.”

Storz of ARI believes the biggest im-

pact on used-truck resale values is the

limited availability of low-mileage trucks

due to the increased number of high-

er-mileage trucks entering the whole-

sale market.

In the current wholesale market, one

of the biggest changes has been the age

and mileage of medium-duties being

remarketed compared to the past sev-

eral years.

“Many customers are extending months

in service and mileage on medium-duty

trucks. It is not uncommon to sell me-

dium-duty trucks today with 200,000,

300,000, 400,000, or

more miles on them,”

said Orth. “Until re-

cently, the Class 8 trac-

tor was considered high

mileage at 500,000. Now,

that number has moved

closer to 700,000 miles.

This change has also carried over to the

medium-duty trucks.”

Others cite another vehicle condition

as the primary factor infl uencing resale

value. “As always, clean, well-maintained

vehicles in good repair will always bring a

premium over the same vehicle that does

not look as good, even if it has substan-

tially less mileage than the good-looking

truck,” said Keig of NCH EcoServices.

“In addition, there has been a demand

of late for good, clean vehicles to coun-

ter the increased cost of 2010 emissions-

compliant new equipment.”

The downturn in the economy was

the key factor prompting truck fl eets to

extend vehicle service lives.

“The overall mileage on the used

trucks is slightly higher due mainly to

the trucks being used for extended pe-

riods in various fl eets with the longer

trade-in cycles. With many businesses

being down, thus new orders being non-

existent, the units are staying in service

longer and are getting more usage,” said

Beggs of Black Book.

Many of the negative connotations as-

sociated with older fl eet units are not as

critical in the medium-duty market.

“While there are more and more

medium-duty truck owners each year

who understand the potential economic

feasibility of cycling vehicles out at an

appropriate time/mileage band, there are

a number of owners who either cannot

afford to do so or do not agree with

standard industry practices. This can

especially hold true to specialty upfi t

vehicles. Contrary to conventional wisdom,

many times, extended lifecycling can

pay good dividends,” said Keig. “Solid

arguments can be made that company

image, customer commitments, and any

unscheduled downtime mean different

values to different fl eet managers,

especially in centralized or decentralized

operations or with or without in-house

shop resources.”

INVENTORY SHORTAGE OF

USED MEDIUM-DUTIES

The inventory shortage for medium-du-

ties in the wholesale market, similar to

the current shortage for light-duty ve-

hicles, is forecast to persist for the next

several years.

“The lack of new units ordered from

2008 to 2010 has caused an extreme

shortage of quality used equipment.

This, coupled with tight credit and cau-

tious buyers targeting used equipment,

contribute to higher residual value,” said

Butsch of Joy Global.

Concurring with this observation is ORTH

$35,000

$23,525

$32,400

$30,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$02006 Peterbilt 335 4x2 in June 2010

4-YEAR-OLD VALUE DIFFERENCE

2007 Peterbilt 335 4x2 in June 2011

$8,875

The increase in value of the four-year-old models, year-over-year, shows the demand and strength of the used-truck market. Values of a four-year-old truck have risen over the last year by $8,875. “Some users of medium-duty commercial trucks are being cautious and frugal at the same time. They are being cautious by easing back in to the growth mode and being frugal by buy-ing used equipment. They are paying more than they would have paid last year, but a good bit less than new equipment, and in some cases putting off the expense of new emissions until they have to,” said Charles Cathey, editor for Heavy Duty Truck and Commercial Trailer Data for Black Book.

SOURCE: BLACK BOOK OFFICIAL MEDIUM AND HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK AND COMMERCIAL TRAILER GUIDE

BUTSCH




Headline Here

Beggs of Black Book. “The inventory

shortage is defi nitely present for medi-

um-duty used vehicles just as in the car

and light-duty market. Buyers of these

models are more need based instead of

often impulse purchases in the auto side

of the industry. The lending trends of

three years ago being so much tighter

has also created less repossessions to-

day, adding to the shortage that exists,”

said Beggs. “Model confi guration is

also a driver of retention value. A regu-

lar version, as compared to a crew cab

confi guration, might show a different

level of retention. There is a wide vari-

ance in new cost between the regular

and crew cab by manufacturer as well

that will have an effect on the used val-

ue retention. This is just another exam-

ple of the importance of being specifi c

when tracking values. Add in the vari-

ance of markets, even by the dealer and

his or her specifi c retail market, and the

trends will often vary.”

The outlook is that the shortage of

medium-duty truck inventory in the

wholesale market will continue for the

next several years, especially for lower-

mileage units.

“There is a shortage of late-model,

clean, low-mileage, medium-duty units

under 100,000 miles. If you look back

two, three, and four years ago at the

double-digit declines in new medium-

duty truck sales, you realize it may be a

while before we work out of the current

shortage. There is no shortage of older,

high-mileage, old technology units and

the demand has improved slightly, but

they are still diffi cult to sell,” said Orth

of GE Capital Fleet Services.

Late-model, low-mileage trucks are

commanding a resale premium, added

Storz of ARI.

As demand exceeds supply, the inven-

tory shortage has exerted upward pres-

sure on medium-duty resale values.

“Our resale values are higher than they

have ever been. The lack of new units

ordered from 2008-2010 has caused an

extreme shortage of quality used equip-

ment. This, coupled with tight credit and

cautious buyers targeting used equip-

ment, have all contributed to higher re-

sidual value,” said Butsch.

However, the inventory shortage is more

pronounced in certain geographic regions,

along with other market forces.

“This depends on both the geograph-

ic area and also the specifi c type of truck

that is being pursued. This also is depen-

dent if one or two major fl eets release a

signifi cant number of similarly equipped

vehicles during a short time period or

in one market area,” said Keig of NCH

EcoServices.

REGIONAL VARIATIONS ON

MEDIUM-DUTY RESALE VALUES

Generally, geographic regional differ-

ences in terms of the strength of resale

values are nominal. The Internet has

served to minimize the pricing varia-

tion by region for all vehicle classes, in-

cluding medium-duty trucks.

“There are very little regional differ-

ences in the strength of the resale mar-

ket for late-model, low-mileage, or spe-

cialty trucks. With the shortage of good,

clean, late-model trucks, buyers are

reaching out across the country to fi nd

the trucks they need. More of today’s

buyers are buying because they have a

prospect or sale for the unit versus buy-

ing to stock inventory,” said Orth of GE

Capital Fleet Services.

However, there are differences in re-

gional demand for certain vocational

trucks, which is refl ected in pricing.

“There are some geographic pock-

ets on certain types of trucks that seem

to be in slightly more demand, such as

some landscape-type trucks in the Flor-

ida market. With many dealers traveling

across larger areas to fi nd trucks, along

with the ability to access auctions online

to fi nd the specifi c trucks in need, the

variance by region has decreased over

time,” said Beggs of Black Book.

Also, regional weather conditions in-

fl uences overall vehicle condition, which

also infl uences pricing.

“One regional factor is vehicle con-

dition, especially on older units. Units

located in the Northern rust-belt states

often show the effects of the environ-

ment versus units that were operated in

the Southern and Western states. Both

buyers and sellers recognize this and

prices will refl ect vehicle conditions.

Natural disasters may also have a short-

term regional impact to resale values,”

added Orth.

Keig of NCH EcoServices makes

a similar observation. “Typically, ve-

hicles in the South command a stron-

ger resale simply due to their condition

which is an indication of both the roads

and environment that they are exposed

to. Some of the anti-icing/salt substi-

tutes that are being used are horrendous-

ly corrosive to vehicles and their com-

ponents and will ‘age’ a truck in quick

fashion,” he said.

LONG-TERM FORECAST OF

MEDIUM-DUTY RESALE VALUES

The anticipation is medium-duty resale

HHeeaaddlliinnee HHeerree$30,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$02006 Intl 4300

4x2 in June 20102007 Intl 4300

4x2 in June 20102006 Ford F650

in June 20102007 Ford F650

in June 2010Chevy/GMC

C6500 in June 2010Chevy/GMC

C6500 in June 2011


$4,600

$2,450 $1,825

$21,350

$25,950

$21,075

$23,525

$19,125$20,950

The chart above shows additional medium-duty models that have gained val-ue during the past year. This chart shows that the medium-duty truck buyers now realize that clean, used medium-duty trucks are worth more by avoiding new truck prices.

SOURCE: BLACK BOOK OFFICIAL MEDIUM AND HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK AND COMMERCIAL

TRAILER GUIDE




Remarketing

Similarly, Storz of ARI foresees the

wholesale market remaining very strong

for clean low-mileage trucks.

The wild card is the construction

industry, which traditionally has been

limited supply from which to choose, as

well as some users attempting to hold

back their costs by purchasing used as

compared to higher priced new models,”

said Beggs of Black Book.

values will continue to remain strong

due to limited inventory for the balance

of the 2011 calendar-year and well into

calendar-year 2012.

“The remainder of 2011 will remain

strong and 2012 should be another strong

year for medium-du-

ty trucks. New-home

construction is a major

source of employment

and as this industry

comes back the demand

for trucks will only in-

crease,” said Seger of

GE Capital Fleet Services.

In addition, there will continue to be an

extreme shortage of quality used equip-

ment. Demand for good condition, lower

mileage medium-duties will continue to

outpace supply. There are plenty of old-

er, higher-mileage medium-duties, but

they are more diffi cult to sell.

“We think the used medium-duty

market will continue to be solid with

even some slight increases in values on

some models throughout the remainder

of 2011. This is all being driven by the

$30,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$02006 Isuzu NPR

in June 20102007 Isuzu NPR

in June 20112006 Hino 268in June 2010

2007 Hino 268in June 2011


$3,075

$4,600

$12,225

$15,300

$20,875

$25,475

Cab forward and import commercial medium-duty truck models show strength as four-year-old models increased year-over-year. Cab forward and import commercial medium-duty truck models show strength as four-year-old models increased year over year. There is a good bit of jockeying around among this group and some of the players are concentrating more on their main target markets and not trying to be everything to everybody.

SOURCE: BLACK BOOK OFFICIAL MEDIUM AND HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK AND COMMERCIAL

TRAILER GUIDE

SEGER

WWW.XANTREX.COM

IN-HOUSE DESIGN

and engineering platform for customized solutions

CERTIFICATION

to stringent UL458 regulatory standards

ROBUST QUALITY

standards for enhanced performance & durability

Smart choice for power™

HIGH SURGE

for demanding applications

Explore our comprehensive range of power solutions at ICUEE booth 4048, Oct 4-6, Louisville, KY.

© 2011 Xantrex Technology USA Inc. Xantrex, PROwatt, PROsine and Smart choice for power are trademarks of Schneider Electric Services International sprl, registered in the U.S. and other countries.

PROwatt™ SW INVERTERS FREEDOM SW INVERTER/CHARGERSFREEDOM HF INVERTER/CHARGERSPROsine™ INVERTERS

WT0911xantrex.indd 1 7/25/11 3:38:19 PM




a major purchaser of medium-duties.

Presently, the market is sluggish, but

ultimately pent-up demand will bring

upward pressure for more new construc-

tion, which in turn will help stimulate

medium-duty sales. Everyone agrees

medium-duty truck resale values will

strengthen when there is a rebound in

the new-construction market. Many

used-truck buyers in the construction

market are deferring purchases until a

turnaround occurs.

“If the economy continues to heat

up, I believe we will see a tight market

on all Class 3-7 vehicles through 2012.

Companies that have access to cash will

continue to purchase, extending build

times,” said Butsch of Joy Global.

For the balance of this year and into

the 2012 calendar-year, there will be a

shortage of desirable medium-truck in-

ventory in the wholesale market, caus-

ing resale prices to remain strong. The

question is whether prices will contin-

ue to remain at current levels once the

volume of used inventory begins to in-

crease in the wholesale market.

“It is very diffi cult to say when inven-

tory in the wholesale market will start

to increase; however, it should remain

strong given the increased cost of new

trucks and many owners still have cred-

it or funding challenges. Many compa-

nies still are very conservative and very

cautious with self-funding,” said Keig

of NCH EcoServices.

However, orders for new medium-

duty trucks have been increasing, put-

ting units in the pipeline to ultimately

replenish the wholesale inventory; how-

ever, these units won’t enter the market

for another decade. What will be enter-

ing the wholesale market are the older

units these new models are replacing.

Unless a company is expanding its fl eet,

the more new units acquired, the more

older units are replaced and remarket-

ed in the wholesale market.

Although still anemic, nationwide eco-

nomic activity is improving. Historical-

ly, sales of Class 4-5 trucks are a bell-

wether indicator to the future vitality of

overall medium-duty truck sales (Class

3-7), based on the industry’s sales expe-

rience when emerging from past reces-

sions. For instance, when the truck in-

dustry emerged from the 2001 recession,

sales for Class 4 and 5 GVWR models

were 35-percent stronger than Class 6

and 7 trucks. Also, today’s high cost of

diesel fuel makes companies more re-

ceptive to downsizing to smaller, more

fuel-effi cient Class 4-5 trucks.

“One trend that will follow the ‘new-

vehicle side’ is that there will be a con-

tinuing increase for automatic compared

to manual transmissions. Vehicles with

basic driver comforts, such as air condi-

tioning, cruise control, electric windows/

locks, and air ride seats, will continue

to command strong prices. It is diffi cult

to think that it was not long ago when

these items would never have been con-

sidered as a spec on a new truck. Trucks

with available air-ride suspension typ-

ically command stronger resale than

conventional spring suspension,” said

Keig. “The trend of removing specialty

upfi t or equipment from the old chassis

and installing it on the new one, there-

by selling the old chassis-cab by itself

has been leveraged for many years and

will continue to be a viable solution to

many fl eet managers.” WT

Rhino Linings® products are a proven

solution to extend your vehicle life.

*Warranty subject to restrictions and limitations. All businesses independently owned andoperated. ©2011 Rhino Linings Corporation. All rights reserved. WRKTRK0511 6026

Get a Rhino® Lining Today!visit www.rhinolinings.com or call

1-800-422-2603

PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT,

COUNT ON RHINO®.

• Rock solid barrier against impact, corrosion and rust

• Ultimate cargo holding power

• Clean, textured look

• Available in custom colors*

Whether you are investing in a new fleet or looking to add life to your existingtrucks and equipment...



http://www.rhinolinings.com

CALCULATINGCOMMERCIAL VEHICLE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION &

PAYLOAD MADE EASYAxle capacities are limited either by the axle capacity or the legal weight limits,

whichever is lower. Performing a weight distribution analysis can achieve the proper axle loadings before a truck is built. By Richard Toner


Performing a weight distribution

analysis can prevent building

trucks that are overloaded in

normal use, causing problems

for users and the equipment installer.

Overloads can shorten the live of a ve-

hicle and its components. Overloads can

also prevent compliance with weight

laws and federal safety standards.

WHAT & WHY OF WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

Weight distribution is the amount of

the total vehicle weight imposed on the

ground at an axle, group of axles, or

an individual wheel. The weight on a

truck must be distributed on the axles

to comply with the chassis manufactur-

er’s axle ratings and weight laws.

Having the correct wheelbase on the

chassis and placing bodies and loads

in the proper place will ensure that ax-

les are loaded correctly. Performing a

weight distribution analysis identifi es

the proper axle loadings before build-

ing a truck.

Axle capacities are limited either by

the axle capacity or legal weight lim-

its, whichever is lower. Both trucks

in Image A have a front axle rated

at 12,000 lbs., limiting the weight

on those axles. The rear axle on the

single-drive truck is limited by the

axle capacity or legal weight restric-

tions to 20,000 lbs. The two rear ax-

les on the tandem-drive truck are lim-

ited either by axle capacities or legal

weight restrictions to 17,000 lbs. for

each axle, or a total of 34,000 lbs. for

the pair of axles.

CENTER OF GRAVITY

The center of gravity of an object does

not have to be in the material of the ob-

ject (Image C). When considering a sol-

id ball, such as a billiard ball, it is obvi-

ous the center of gravity is the center of

the ball and in the material that makes

up the object. In the case of a hollow

ball, the center of gravity is also at the

center, but it is not in the material. If

the center of gravity of a truck body is

in the material of the body, it is coin-

cidence. Most of the time, the center

of gravity of a truck body is in the air,

similar to the hollow ball example.

Each truck component, including

12,000 LB. 20,000 LB. 12,000 LB. 17,000 LB. EACH

34,000 LB. TOTAL

32,000 LB. 46,000 LB.

Weight distribution is the amount of the total vehicle weight imposed on the ground at an axle, group of axles, or an individual wheel. The weight on a truck must be distributed on the axles to comply with the chassis manufacturer’s axle ratings and the weight laws.

In the examples above, having the correct wheelbase on the chassis and placing the bodies and loads in the proper place will assure that the axles are located correctly. Performing a weight distribution analysis will tell you that you can achieve the proper axle loadings before building the truck.

IMAGE A

WT0911calculating.indd 18WT0911calculating.indd 18 8/8/11 11:57:42 AM8/8/11 11:57:42 AM



passengers and cargo, have a center of

gravity. For example, the center of grav-

ity of the truck chassis is shown at the

top of the frame rail at the back of the

cab and the body and cargo centers of

gravity are shown with a single symbol

at the center of the body about a third of

the body height above the fl oor.

For the process of calculating weight

distribution on the axles, the horizon-

tal centers of gravity are used. If indi-

vidual wheel loadings are calculated,

the lateral centers of gravity are also

used. Unless a lateral center of gravi-

ty is given for the chassis or a compo-

nent, it is assumed to be on the center-

line of the chassis.

Lateral centers of gravity (CGs) are

measured from the vehicle centerline to-

ward the right or passenger side as posi-

tive, left as negative (Image E). These are

used to calculate individual wheel load-

ings and incompliance calculations.

“Moments” are a force or weight

times a distance. One pound of force

times one foot is 1 ft.-lb. One pound of

force times 12 inches is 12 in.-lbs. They

are both the same moment. Moments

AB CA AFWBBA

BL

Glossary of Truck Chassis Dimensions

AB - Center of front axle to back of cabAF - (After Frame). The distance from the center of the back axle to the rear end of the chassis frame.BA - Bumper to axleBL - (Body Length). Overall length of the body.

CA - (Cab to Axle). Distance from back of the cab to center of the rear axle.CB - (Cab to Body). Distance between back of cab to front of body.WB - (Wheelbase). Distance from center of the front axle to center of rear axle.

Each component on a truck, including the passenger and cargo, has a cen-ter-of-gravity (CG). The centers-of-gravity of the truck chassis is shown at the top of the frame rail at the cab and body and cargo centers-of-gravity are shown with a single symbol at the center of the body about a third of the body height above the fl oor.

The horizontal and vertical centers of gravity for the entire sample truck is shown with the center of gravity (CG) symbol. Horizontal CGs are measured from the front axle, which is the zero point. Toward the rear is positive and toward the front is negative. The horizontal CG is shown with the red line and the red arrow. Horizontal CGs are used to calculate weight distribution, ef-fective wheelbase, and FMVSS compliance. The vertical CG can be measured from the top of the frame rail at the back of the cab as shown with the yel-low line and arrow. The vertical CG can also be measured from the ground as shown with the yellow line and blue arrow. Vertical CGs are not used to cal-culate weight distribution, but are used for compliance calculations.

IMAGE B

IMAGE C

ZERO

NEGATIVE POSITIVE

IMAGE D

THE WEIGHT DISTRI-BUTION ANALYSIS

PROCESS

Calculat the weight distribution

of a vehicle using the follow-

ing steps:

1. Determine the weight and cen-

ter of gravity location for all of

the components and items to be

considered.

2. Multiply the center of gravity

distance times the weight to get

the moment for each component

and item.

3. Add all of the moments and di-

vide by the wheelbase to get the

weight on the rear axle.

4. Subtract the rear axle weight

from the total weight to get the

front axle weight.

NOTE: This process will be described

in detail in a weight distribution ses-

sion at the 2012 NTEA Work Truck

Show in Indianapolis. Detailed instruc-

tion is also available from the NTEA in

a Web-based educational course.




Payload Calculations

can be used to calculate CGs, weight

distribution, frame loads, hoist capac-

ities, and effective wheelbase.

Moments provide a way to combine a

number of components or items to cal-

culate a CG for them as a group (Im-

age F). When the CG distance is known

for all items combined, it is possible to

calculate the weight on each axle. Mo-

ments in one direction must match the

moments in the other. The down mo-

ment of the chassis plus the down mo-

ment of the body must equal the up

moment on the rear axle. WT

LATERAL CENTER-OF-GRAVITY

VEHICLE CENTERLINE

NEGATIVE POSITIVE

Dt

Dc

Wc

DbDg

WgWb

Dw

Moments provide a way to combine a number of components or items to cal-culate a CG for them as a group. When you know the CG distance for all of the items combined, you can calculate the weight on each axle. Note, the mi-nus term (-Dw*Ww) in the numerator is negative because the winch is in front of the front axle and distances behind the rear axle are positive.

Lateral CGs mea-sured from the ve-hicle centerline with toward the right or passen-ger side as positive. Toward the left is negative. They are used to calculate in-dividual wheel load-ings and inccompli-ance calculations.

Dc*Wc + Db*Wb - Dw*Ww + Dg*Wg

Wc + Wb + Ww + WgDt =

(TOTAL MOMENT)

(TOTAL WEIGHT = Wt)

IMAGE E

IMAGE F

TOOLS HELP MAKE CALCULATIONS

EASIER

The National Truck Equipment

Association (NTEA) offers three

spreadsheets to help with calculat-

ing weight distribution:

■ WT&CG: can be used to per-

form calculations from this article.

■ TRKLTR: can be used to calcu-

late weight distribution for a straight

truck and a trailer.

■ ULTRAMOD: can be used to

calculate weight distribution with ad-

ditional axles and moving axles.

For more information on these

items, visit www.ntea.com or call

(800) 441-NTEA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Richard Toner, president of Ton-

er Associates, presented this in-

formation as a session at the NTEA’s

2011 The Work Truck Show. The

Frame and Weight programs will be

again presented at the 2012 Work

Truck Show in Indianapolis.

The NTEA has two Web-based

education courses. Truck Frames and

Weight distribution are both avail-

able for members and non-mem-

bers through the NTEA.

PHOTOS: ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DNY59©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/KARAMMIRI



http://www.ntea.com

1$785$/�*$6�$/7(51$7,9(�)8(/�6<67(06

&DUJR�9DQV��:DJRQV��6WDQGDUG��([WHQGHG�%RG\��(��(��(��

&XWDZD\�&KDVVLV��´:%��´:%��(��(��

)RUG�(�6HULHV�9DQV

��1R�6KLS�7KUX�&KDUJH

��/RQJHVW�UDQJH�**(�FDSDELOLW\�ZLWK

��VWDQGDUG�XQGHUERG\�WDQN�V\VWHP�

��6HUYLFH�WKURXJK�)RUG�GHDOHUV

��)0966��FRPSOLDQW

��(3$��&$5%�FHUWL¿HG

��2%'�,,�&RPSOLDQW

��68/(9

one source. many green solutions.

��6(//�)25'��ZZZ�PDVWHUDFN�FRP�JRJUHHQ�

³-XVW�&KHFN�WKH�%R[´��:LWK�/HJJHWW��3ODWW�&93��LW�UHDOO\�LV�WKDW�HDV\�

��2SWLRQ�&RGH��9�

��/RZHVW�FRVW�&1*�YDQ�DYDLODEOH

��6DYH�RQ�IXHO�FRVWV�ZKHQ�FRPSDUHG

��WR�JDVROLQH�RU�GLHVHO�

��5HGXFH�&2��HPLVVLRQV

��5HGXFH�GHSHQGHQFH�RQ�IRUHLJQ�RLO��

��(QJLQHHUHG�WR�)RUG�490�VWDQGDUGV

��\HDU��PLOH�ZDUUDQW\

)DFWRU\�6KLS�7KUX�&1*�,QVWDOODWLRQV



When reviewing tow

capacities published

by truck manufac-

turers, fl eet man-

agers may notice a wide range avail-

able for each truck class. For example,

½-ton pickups can offer trailering ca-

pacities that range from 5,000 lbs. to

more than 11,000 lbs.

Why such a large difference for the

same size truck?

The answer lies in how the truck

is spec’d and the type of trailer and

hitch used. Put together the right com-

bination and a truck can handle trail-

er loads with optimal power, effi cien-

cy, and safety. However, if the trailer

weight exceeds the truck’s capaci-

ty to pull it, the vehicle will encoun-

ter severe stress, leading to premature

maintenance and component failure,

and creating potential safety and lia-

bility issues, which could be costly to

a company’s bottom line.

How do fl eet managers ensure they’ve

properly equipped trucks to handle re-

quired towing requirements?

FIVE QUESTIONS TO DEFINE TOWING REQUIREMENTS

The starting point is to defi ne exact-

ly what requirements are needed for

the trailer. Use these fi ve questions

as a guide:

1. What will be hauled in the trailer? Will it be a dense load, with

loose rock or dirt? Will it be bulky

construction or lawn debris? Will the

trailer haul heavy equipment, such as

a backhoe or excavator? Make a list

of all possible cargo types planned to

pull with that trailer — and what is an-

ticipated to be placed on the trailer at

the same time.

2. What are the cargo dimensions? This addresses cargo volume. Based

on the dimensions of the payload, how

much space is needed?

3. How much weight will be hauled? Look at a list of the different types of

cargo the truck will need to haul. What

are the estimated weights of each type?

What quantity of each will be on the

trailer at maximum load? What will

that total payload weigh?

4. What type of trailer? Consider

the cargo type. If hauling loose dirt,

gravel, or construction debris, an open

trailer would be a good fi t. If the car-

go needs protection from the elements

or extra security, then select an en-

closed trailer. For construction equip-

ment or vehicles, a fl atbed trailer of-

ten works best.

5. What is the total anticipated weight of the trailer and the cargo?Once cargo weight is calculated at

maximum load, add the weight of the

trailer. This determines the maximum

towing capacity the vehicle needs to

handle. As a general rule of thumb, add

a buffer of at least 20-percent or more

to capacity calculations to reduce risk

of under-spec’ing the tow vehicle.

TRUCK CLASSIFICATION

Once a clear idea of the weight and type

of trailer a truck will need to pull, the

next step is identifying the truck clas-

To ensure a properly equipped truck for trailering, fl eet managers should:

■ Defi ne requirements for trailer use.■ Identify the truck classifi cation required to pull the load. ■ Determine the best vehicle type. ■ Identify gross combined weight rating (GCWR).■ Review powertrain selections. ■ Select the proper hitch type.

AT A GLANCE

WT0911trailering.indd 22WT0911trailering.indd 22 8/8/11 11:58:45 AM8/8/11 11:58:45 AM



sifi cation required to handle the load.

Here are key terms to know when de-

termining truck class:

■ As-spec’d curb weight. This fac-

tor is defi ned as the shipping weight

of the truck or cab and chassis, with-

out aftermarket upfi ts, including all

standard equipment and options, fl u-

ids, and a full tank of fuel. Consult

the truck’s original equipment manu-

facturer (OEM) or dealer rep for curb

weight estimates on chassis closest to

spec requirements.

■ Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). This refers to the maximum

allowable weight, as certifi ed by the

manufacturer, a vehicle can weigh (in-

cluding all fl uids, people, and cargo)

to safely start and stop.

■ Payload capacity. This is the max-

imum amount of combined weight of

cargo, equipment, and occupants a ve-

hicle can safely carry. Calculate pay-

load capacity by subtracting the vehi-

cle’s as-shipped curb weight from its

GVWR. For example, if the GVWR

is 19,500-lbs., and as-shipped curb

weight is 9,500-lbs., the truck’s pay-

load capacity is 10,000-lbs.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

How is this all put together? If a truck’s

actual payload, including weight of oc-

cupants, is 2,000 lbs., and as-spec’d

curb weight is 4,500 lbs., then the es-

timated gross vehicle weight (GVW)

of the tow vehicle is 6,500 lbs.

What Class does this truck’s GVW

fi t within? The following is a truck clas-

sifi cation breakdown by GVWR:

■ Class 1: 0-6,000 lbs.

■ Class 2: 6,001-10,000 lbs.

■ Class 3: 10,001-14,000 lbs.

■ Class 4: 14,001-16,000 lbs.

■ Class 5: 16,001-19,500 lbs.

■ Class 6: 19,501-26,000 lbs.

■ Class 7: 26,001-33,000 lbs.

In the example above, the truck would

fi t within the Class 2 range.

VEHICLE TYPE

Once the truck class is determined,

what type of truck will best suit the

fl eet’s application?

The following are vehicle types, seg-

mented by truck classifi cation:

■ Classes 1-2: Options include pick-

ups, vans, SUVs, and smaller (single

rear wheel) van cutaways.

■ Classes 3-4: Options include pick-

ups (dual-rear-wheel), van cutaways,

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ON SPEC’ING TRUCKS FOR TRAILERING, CONSULT THESE

RESOURCES:■ “Towing a Trailer: Being Equipped for Safety,” produced by the

National Highway Traffi c Safety Commission: www.nhtsa.gov/cars/

problems/equipment/towing/towing.pdf.

■ National Association of Trailer Manufacturers: www.natm.com.

■ Hitch Glossary from U-Haul: www.uhaul.com/Trailers/HitchGlossary

■ Online Trailer Hitch and Towing Guide: www.hitchinfo.com

SPEC’ING TRUCKSTHE FUNDAMENATALS OF

FOR TOWINGFOR TOWING


http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/

http://www.natm.com

http://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/HitchGlossary

http://www.hitchinfo.com


and medium-duty cab and chassis

(including cab-forward and conven-

tional cabs).

■ Classes 5-7: Medium-duty cab

and chassis.

TOWING CAPACITY

Now that the proper truck class and

type is selected, the next factor to

consider is gross combination weight

rating (GCWR), which is the maxi-

mum allowable combined weight (as

determined by the truck OEM) of the

truck and its payload, with the trailer

weight at maximum load.

GCWR is essential to calculat-

ing accurate tow capacity because

it takes into account the tow vehi-

cle’s intended payload. Why is this

important?

Most tow capacity charts published

by truck OEMs don’t account for a

truck’s specifi c application. When add-

ing weight to the truck, this detracts


Trailering

from the vehicle’s towing capacity.

For example, suppose a truck, at

maximum load, has a GVW of 6,500

lbs. and its GCWR is 18,500 lbs. Sub-

tract the GVW (6,500 lbs.) from the

GCWR (18,500 lbs.) to come up with

an estimated maximum towing capac-

ity of 12,000 lbs.

An additional 500 lbs. to the truck’s

payload, which would bring the GVW

to 7,000 lbs., would then reduce towing

capacity by 500 lbs., to 11,500 lbs.

The tow vehicle’s payload, therefore,

directly impacts tow capacity. Light-

ening the truck’s payload boosts tow-

ing capacity and vice versa.

POWERTRAIN SELECTION

However, how does all of this explain

that ½-ton pickups, despite being the

same size, offer such a wide variance

in maximum towing capacities — from

5,000 lbs. to more than 11,000 lbs.? The

differences lie in powertrain specifi -

cation, including the engine, transmis-

sion, and rear (drive) axle ratio — all of

which directly impact GCWR.

■ Engine. Which is the best engine

choice for a fl eet’s towing requirements?

For Class 1-3 trucks, the decision is

usually between one diesel engine op-

tion and a variety of sizes of gas en-

gines. As a general rule of thumb, the

diesel offers the largest GCWR, and

thus highest towing capacity because

of its signifi cantly higher torque. The

downside is that the diesel option costs

$8,000 more up-front than the gaso-

line-powered engine, so make sure the

towing weight requires diesel.

For larger medium-duty trucks, es-

pecially in the Class 6-7 range, engine

selection is a bit more complicated be-

cause there could be more than a doz-

en different diesel engine options to

choose from, based on horsepower and

torque, that determine GCWR.

■ Transmission. Should a manual

or automatic transmission be spec’d?

Depending on the vehicle type or man-

ufacturer, options may not be available.

In most cases, the automatic is the only

transmission available. However, where

there is an option, check with the vehi-

cle manufacturer or dealer representa-

tive about which transmission will best

handle your trailer load.

Also, for most Class 2-3 pickup

trucks and vans, OEMs offer a tow

package that includes a transmission

cooler to help prolong transmission

life when the truck is under constant,

heavy loads.

■ Rear axle ratio. The rear axle

ratio represents the relationship be-

tween driveshaft revolutions (driven by

An open trailer is good for hauling materials that do not require protection from the ele-ments, or for items that do not fi t in the space constrictions of an enclosed trailer.

SOURCE: CARGOTRAILERSTORE.COM

HITCH CLASSIFICATION FOR RECEIVER HITCHES■ Class 1: Trailer hitch with capacity of up to 2,000 lbs. gross trailer

weight and 200 lbs. tongue weight.

■ Class 2: Trailer hitch with weight-carrying rating of up to 3,500 lbs.

gross trailer weight and 300 lbs.-350 lbs. tongue weight.


gross trailer weight and 500 lbs. tongue weight. Also sometimes used

to refer to a hitch with any 2-inch receiver, regardless of rating.


gross trailer weight and 1,000-1,200 lbs. tongue weight. Although,

many times any hitch with a capacity greater than 5,000 lbs. gross

weight is referred to as a Class 4.

SOURCE: U-HAUL



the transmission) and rear

axle revolutions. Typical-

ly, the higher the ratio,

greater pulling power

is gained, but at the

expense of fuel economy.

The inverse often holds

true. Lowering the ratio improves fuel

economy, but sacrifi ces pulling power.

Speak with a truck OEM rep to deter-

mine the ratio that best fi ts the fl eet’s

trailering requirements and fuel effi -

ciency objectives.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

In addition to powertrain specs, here

are other options to consider when se-

lecting the right tow vehicle:

■ Two- or four-wheel drive. Will

the truck and trailer need to operate in

off-road conditions? If so, how often

would the four-wheel drive need to be

engaged for added traction?

These questions are important be-

cause the incremental cost for four-

wheel drive can be as much as $4,000.

Also, four-wheel drive adds substan-

tial weight to the truck, diminishing

payload and trailering capacity. Does

the fl eet’s application warrant this ex-

tra cost and weight? If not, stick with

two-wheel drive.

■ Rear suspension. If spec’ing a

“smooth ride” suspension but keeping

the truck under a constant heavy load

pulling a trailer, there is a risk in cre-

ating premature maintenance issues

and shortening the truck life. Select a

rear suspension designed to handle the


rigors of regular trailering.

■ Side-view mirror confi guration. With full-size pickups and some full-

size SUVs, there is an option for ex-

tendable side-view mirrors. These help

improve visibility and safety, especial-

ly when pulling an enclosed trailer

that may impede a driver’s rear-view

capabilities.

HITCH SELECTION

At this point, trailering requirements

have been determined and a tow ve-

hicle has been spec’d that’s up to the

task. What type of hitch will do the

best job pulling that load?

■ Receiver hitch. This is the most

common hitch type, with the hitch lo-

cated below the rear bumper, often

with a ball or heavy-duty pintle hook

attached to it. This hitch allows a vehi-

cle to pull a trailer without impacting

cargo capacity in the pickup bed. There

are two types of receiver hitches:

■ Weight-carrying hitch. Also

known as a “dead-weight hitch,” this

hitch must support the trailer’s full

tongue weight, concentrated behind the

truck’s rear axle, making it best suited

for light- to medium-sized loads.

■ Weight distributing hitch. De-

signed for heavier trailer loads, this

hitch system includes spring bars that

distribute the trailer’s tongue weight

from the vehicle’s rear axle to the

front axle, helping take stress off the

rear of the truck and maximizing tow

capacity.

■ Gooseneck hitch (for gooseneck

trailers). This hitch is attached to the

frame near the rear axle, nestled below

the surface of the body. When you’re

not pulling the trailer, you can close

the trap door, making it fl ush with the

body, giving you the full surface area

of the fl at bed to haul cargo.

■ Fifth-wheel hitch (for fi fth-wheel

trailers). This hitch is a large horseshoe

shaped plate, located at the center of

the truck bed. The fi fth-wheel hitch

offers maximum towing capacity and

is common for trucks used primarily

as a trailer hauler.

Consult with both a truck OEM rep-

resentative and trailer dealer to deter-

mine which type of hitch best fi ts the

trailer, vehicle, and tow capacity re-

quirements.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Just because published tow ratings for

a vehicle may be 10,000 lbs., 12,000

lbs., or 20,000 lbs., does not necessar-

ily mean that’s what a fl eet’s truck can

handle. Dig deeper, using the tips in

this article, to calculate a precise tow-

ing capacity. This will help fl eet man-

agers put together a truck and trailer

combination that hauls the load safe-

ly and effi ciently. WT

If a vehicle will be hauling cargo that requires protection from the elements, an enclosed trailer should be selected. SOURCE: CARGOTRAILERSTORE.COM

CHECKLIST FOR SPEC’ING A

TOW VEHICLE■ Truck class.

■ Truck type.

■ Engine size and type.

■ Transmission.

■ Rear (drive) axle ratio.

■ Two-wheel drive vs. four-

wheel drive.

■ Rear suspension.

■ Side-view mirror

confi guration.

WHAT IS TRAILER TONGUE WEIGHT?

The downward force exerted

on the hitch ball by the trailer

coupler. In most cases, it is about

10 to 15 percent of the gross trail-

er weight (GTW).

SOURCE: U-HAUL

The Sway Pro weight distribution hitch by Blue Ox is designed to eliminate trailer sway utilizing two sway-control loops and two points of friction. A simple thumbscrew is used for head-angle adjustment.

SOURCE: BLUEOX SWAYPRO



CAB-FORWARDCAB- VS. CUTAWAY VAN:


A cab-forward chassis — also

known as cab-over or tilt cab

— is designed with the cab-

in sitting directly above or

over the front axle and engine compart-

ment. Since the engine is underneath

the cab, there’s no need for a front over-

hang (hood), giving the truck a fl at front

end, from the top of the front bumper

to the top of the cab.

In contrast, a cutaway van chassis is

built with the cabin located behind the

front axle and engine compartment.

Unlike the cab-forward cabin, the cut-

away cabin has no permanent backing.

Instead, the cabin is open immediate-

ly behind the driver seat, essentially

“cutaway” from the rest of the van. It’s

fi gurations offer advantages, but the

cab-forward design is the best option

in terms of visibility.

“The cab-forward eliminates front-

end overhang, increasing visibility

and front clearance,” said Kim Hearn,

vice president, Vehicle Services at

PHH Arval.

Bill Byron, senior truck specialist,

Donlen Corp., agreed. “Because the

driver is actually sitting over the en-

gine compartment closer to the over-

sized windshield, a cab-forward chassis

allows for increased driver visibility,”

he said. “A cutaway has a standard-

sized windshield, similar to a regular

cab [pickup] chassis, and the driver sits

further back from the windshield or

ready for a secondary manufacturer

to install a body that encloses the cab-

in and completes the truck. This open

confi guration allows for direct, unfet-

tered access from the passenger com-

partment into the cargo box.

While both types of chassis can be

used for delivery applications, each of-

fers its own set of strengths and limita-

tions. The question is: Which type —

cab-forward or van cutaway — would

work best for a delivery fl eet? Here are

11 factors to weigh to help answer this

fundamental question.

1 DRIVER VISIBILITY ADVANTAGE: CAB-FORWARD

Both the cab-forward and cutaway con-

A cutaway van offers the advantage of a smoother ride and convenient maintenance access.

WT0911cutaways.indd 26WT0911cutaways.indd 26 8/9/11 9:46:52 AM8/9/11 9:46:52 AM


CAB-FORWARD-FORWARD . CUTAWAY CUTAWAY VAN: VAN:

WHICH IS BETTER FOR DELIVERY FLEETS?


behind the engine compartment. The

upside here is that the cutaway would

be less susceptible to rock chips in a

rural-type operation.”

2 DELIVERY LOCATION AND ROUTE TYPEADVANTAGE: MIXED

Are deliveries mostly made in city or

rural locations? “A cab-forward chas-

sis performs best in city delivery ap-

plications due to the tighter turning

radius of the cab,” advised Byron of

Donlen. “If the bulk of a company’s

customers are located in rural areas

where a tighter turning radius would

be less important, the cutaway would

be a good option.”

Also, the cutaway tends to work bet-

ter in long-distance delivery routes,

which require signifi cant amounts

of highway driving, because it offers

higher top-end speeds and a smooth-

er, more comfortable ride.

3SEATING CAPACITYADVANTAGE: CAB-FORWARD

What is the maximum number of em-

ployees — including the driver — the

vehicle will need to carry at any giv-

en time? Cutaway van chassis are lim-

ited to a two-person seating capacity,

including the driver. Cab-forwards of-

fer two cab confi gurations: regular cab

(three-person capacity) and crew cab

(seating up to six). If deliveries require

more than two people, the cab-forward

is the better fi t.

4 CAB-TO-CARGO ACCESSADVANTAGE: CUTAWAY

Does the driver need to access the

body area from the cab? “If the an-

swer is ‘yes,’ the cutaway would be

the choice,” said Byron of Donlen. “A

cutaway body offers an optional slid-

ing door located between the driv-

er and passenger seats, allowing the

driver to access the body interior. A

cab-forward chassis doesn’t offer this

option. Instead, access to the body is

typically through the rear door [of the

body] or by adding an optional body

side door.”

The choice of one truck type over the other depends on a fl eet’s needs. Answering some key

questions can make the decision easier.

The choice between a cab-forward or cutaway truck can be a diffi cult choice, since each has advantages. Among the questions to consider when making a decision are:

■ How much driver visibility is offered by each design?■ What are the company’s delivery locations and route types — rural or city?■ What is the anticipated service life of the engine and the ease of maintenance?■ What is the expected resale value?

AT A GLANCE

➞



However, there is a downside of cab

access with cutaways. “There is in-

creased noise in the driver’s compart-

ment,” cautioned Ken Gillies, truck op-

erations manager for GE Capital Fleet

Services. “There’s also major impact on

the temperature control for the driver

with the large volume of space in the

cargo body that will need air treat-

ment. Proper bulkhead/wall confi gu-

ration will mitigate this issue.”

5ENGINE OPTIONSADVANTAGE: CUTAWAY

The cutaway chassis currently holds

the edge over the cab-forward de-

sign in terms of engine selection, ac-

cording to Gillies of GE Capital Fleet

Services.

“A cutaway chassis more frequent-

ly has an option for either a gasoline

or diesel engine. There’s also increas-

ing availability in the cutaway OEM

space for alternative fuels — com-

pressed natural gas (CNG), propane,

and some hybrid offerings,” he said.

“Cab-forward chassis — while expand-

ing engine options — tend to only of-

fer a diesel engine with a lower prob-

ability of gasoline or alternative fuel

engine availability.”

6ENGINE LONGEVITYADVANTAGE: CAB-FORWARD

How long will the vehicle be kept in


service? How many miles will the ve-

hicle accumulate? The diesel engine for

Isuzu’s NPR cab-forward, for example,

offers a B-10 rating of 310,000 miles,

which means that 90-percent of these

engines are expected to reach that mile-

age before requiring overhaul.

Mitsubishi Fuso’s FE series diesel

engine provides comparable longevi-

ty. As a frame of reference, cutaway

engines, either gasoline (Chevrolet,

GMC, and Ford) or diesel (Chevrolet

and GMC only), are rated for approx-

imately 200,000 or fewer miles.

Therefore, if expecting high lifetime

mileage for a truck, a cab-forward de-

sign clearly has the edge.

7ENGINE MAINTENANCE ADVANTAGE: CUTAWAY

A cutaway chassis offers a pickup type

engine compartment where access for

maintenance is relatively simple and

familiar to most service technicians. In

contrast, the cab-forward design needs

to be tilted up for access to the engine

to perform routine maintenance.

“Although the cab-forward mod-

els have been around for years there

are some areas of the country where

service technicians are still unfamil-

iar with the chassis,” explained Steve

Jansen, truck service account execu-

tive, Donlen.

8 SIZE OF DEALER AND SERVICE NETWORK ADVANTAGE: CUTAWAY

Do various plant or driver locations

have dealerships in the area that can

perform warranty repairs and nor-

mal preventive maintenance?

“Cutaway manufacturers [GM

and Ford] typically offer larger deal-

er networks, increasing the likelihood

of a dealer being conveniently locat-

ed in a driver’s area,” observed Jans-

en of Donlen.

Gillies of GE Capital Fleet Services

advised that no matter which confi gura-

tion you choose — cab-forward or cut-

away — confi rm that there is a repair

facility available nearby that is familiar

with working on those trucks.

“Where a brand-specifi c dealer isn’t

available for warranty, parts and ser-

vice, consider how acquainted the re-

pair provider is to your chassis type

and what access they have to repair

parts,” Gillies said.

9CHASSIS ORDER LEAD-TIME ADVANTAGE: CUTAWAY

Since most cab-forward chassis are

manufactured in Japan, there can be

unexpected delays due to the logistics

of shipping, port conditions, and ac-

cessibility to the upfi tter.

“The cutaway chassis usually en-

joys close proximity to the body

company resulting in potential tim-

ing gains,” said Gillies of GE Capital

Fleet Services.

10 RESALE CONSIDERATIONS ADVANTAGE: MIXED

Which is better for resale purposes?

Gillies said much depends on regional

demand for each type of chassis.

“A lighter GVW [gross vehicle

weight] cutaway chassis allows for a

single rear wheel confi guration [and

thus, a smaller and narrower body]. A

cab-forward chassis is only available

A cab-forward cabin offers two cab confi gurations: regular cab (three-person capacity, pictured left) and crew cab (seating up to six).

Decision Making



with dual rear wheels. Depending on

regional demand, one or the other may

hold a slight advantage in terms of re-

sale,” Gillies explained.

One advantage the cab-forward

chassis offers is fl exibility to remove

the body, which can help increase the

truck’s resale value.

“The cutaway chassis eliminates the

option of separating the body from the

chassis to increase the pool of poten-

tial buyers. In some cases, the region-

al market has a higher demand for a

cab-forward chassis [with the body

removed] versus the cutaway with the

body,” Gillies added.

11MAXIMUM BODY LENGTH ADVANTAGE: CAB-FORWARD

Whereas cutaways are limited to max-

imum body length of 16-17 feet, cab-

forwards offer body lengths up to 18-

20 feet. If the extra cargo capacity is

important, then the cab-forward is the

better option.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Keep in mind that these 11 factors ap-

ply only to cab-forward and cutaway

chassis up to 14,500-lbs. gross vehicle

weight rating (GVWR), the top-end of

the van cutaway spectrum. For heavi-

er applications, cab-forwards offer

GVWRs up to 19,500 lbs. WT


WWW.JOTTODESK.COM . BLOG.JOTTODESK.COM©2010. JOTTO DESK® is a patented and registered trademark of Assembled Products™ Corporation.

A JOTTO DESK ® secures your laptop when driving, allows ergonomic

use while parked and lets you work from outside the vehicle if needed.

LIFE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!

A Jlaptop

usefro

LIFE AL

WT1110jotto.indd 1 9/23/10 10:47:49 AM

■ Cutaway Van Advantages

● Cab-to-cargo access.

● Driver comfort.

● Service network.

● Engine options.

● Order lead-time.

■ Cab-Forward

Advantages

● Driver visibility.

● Maneuverability.

● Seating capacity.

● Engine longevity.

● Maximum body length.



WHAT FLEET MANAGERS SHOULD

Brought to U.S. market in 1972, synthetic motor oil is produced by most major oil manufacturers. Differences between synthetic and conventional oils, including cost, are examined.

By Sean Lyden


When Albert J. Am-

atuzio served as a

jet fi ghter squad-

ron commander in

the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s, he

experienced fi rsthand the benefi ts of

synthetic motor oils, which were orig-

inally designed for the aerospace mar-

ket to protect jet engines from extreme

temperatures and hold up signifi cantly

longer than conventional engine lubri-

cants under severe duty cycles.

After leaving the Air Force, Ama-

tuzio pondered how to formulate a syn-

thetic oil that would bring similar ben-

efi ts to the automotive market.

In 1972, after years of research and

development, Amatuzio founded Am-

soil Inc., and brought to market the fi rst

synthetic motor oil to meet American

Petroleum Institute (API) service re-

quirements for automotive engines —

Amsoil 10W-40.

Today, most major motor oil manu-

facturers have followed suit — includ-

ing ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Ash-

land, and others — offering synthetic

lubricants for automotive engines, all

touting ultra-long oil change intervals,

fuel effi ciency gains, and better over-

all engine performance compared to

conventional motor oils.

What exactly is the difference be-

tween synthetic and conventional oils?

What are the facts behind the claims?

Considering that synthetics cost two

to four times more than conventional

oil, is there a strong enough business

case for medium-duty truck fl eets to

switch to synthetics?

Work Truck magazine spoke with in-

dustry experts, including Roger Gault,

technical director, Engine Manufactur-

ers Association (EMA); Phil Sontag,

director of marketing, automotive lu-

bricants at ConocoPhillips Lubricants;

and Louis Phistry, diesel specialist and

instructor at Universal Technical In-

stitute, to get their take on these ques-

tions and more.

WORK TRUCK: WHAT MAKES

SYNTHETIC MOTOR OIL

DIFFERENT FROM

CONVENTIONAL OIL?

ROGER GAULT: What the difference

boils down to is where the hydrocar-

bon molecule of the oil comes from. In

conventional oil, the carbon molecule

comes from petroleum — crude oil —

developed through a refi ning process

that takes the crude oil and turns it into

lubricants. Synthetic oil, on the other

hand, is also derived from crude oil,

but the hydrocarbon molecule is basi-

cally manipulated or revised through a

manufacturing process to have a more

consistent structure for all the hydro-

carbon molecules.

With conventional oil, there are

probably a hundred different variants

of hydrocarbon molecules because not

all hydrocarbons are created the same.

However, with synthetics, you elimi-

nate the variations — making the hy-

drocarbon molecules uniform — and

it’s the uniformity of those molecules

that enable synthetics to reduce fric-

tion and hold up better in extreme

conditions.

WT: DOES SYNTHETIC OIL

IMPROVE FUEL ECONOMY?

GAULT: Marketing claims indicate

how synthetic oil can increase fuel econ-

omy, anywhere from 2 to 10 percent

or more. The idea here is that synthet-

ic oils cause less friction or “drag” be-

tween engine components, compared to

conventional oil, allowing the parts to

move more freely and effi ciently.

Factors to consider when choosing between synthetic and conventional motor oil include: ■ Cost, due to synthetic oil’s overall higher price.■ Whether fl eet runs frequent oil analyses. ■ A truck’s duty cycle (light-haul short trip versus heavy-haul long trips).■ Manufacturer warranties.

AT A GLANCE

WT0911synthetic.indd 30WT0911synthetic.indd 30 8/10/11 6:19:47 AM8/10/11 6:19:47 AM


D KNOW ABOUT


WT: DOES THAT TRANS-

LATE INTO TANGIBLE FUEL

SAVINGS?

GAULT: I haven’t seen any data that

actually backs that up. Theoretically,

it’s true. In reality, the difference is ex-

tremely small. I would be surprised if

you could measure it, even if you were

a very dedicated fl eet that’s really pay-

ing attention to fuel economy. It’s hard

to measure that benefi t when you have

so many factors that impact fuel econ-

omy, beyond just motor oil.


LENGTHEN OIL DRAIN

INTERVALS?

GAULT: It clearly has the potential,

depending on what the method is to

determine the oil change interval. So-

phisticated fl eets are running oil anal-

ysis programs, looking at oil changes

over time, with associated triggers as to

when they need to change the oil.

In those cases, I’m not sure how much

benefi t you would see with synthetic

versus conventional, because a lot of

times the change interval is driven by

ash that’s building up in the oil — some

of which can be enhanced with syn-

thetic and some of which can’t. While

there are defi nitely benefi ts to synthet-

ics in terms of oil drain interval, I don’t

think it’s the quantum 3,000-mile to

15,000-mile-type difference.


OFFER GENUINE ADVAN-

TAGES IN SEVERE TEMPER-

ATURES?

PHIL SONTAG: Synthetic oil is ide-

al for vehicles operating in extreme

temperatures (both hot and cold) and

those operating for lengthy periods of

time, because it’s better at withstand-

ing viscosity breakdown.

GAULT: In extremely high tempera-

tures, synthetics are better and in ex-

tremely low temperatures, synthetics

are better. This goes back to the dif-

ference in the hydrocarbon molecular

structure of the oil. Conventional oil

has a broad spectrum of hydrocarbon

molecules that vaporize at lower tem-

peratures than you would like. And, at

the cold end of the spectrum, the con-

ventional oil thickens more than you

would like. When you’re pushing to-

ward the high end or low end of tem-

peratures, you’re going to see benefi ts

with synthetics.


CONTRIBUTE TO ENGINE

LONGEVITY?

GAULT: There probably is an im-

proved longevity potential with syn-

thetics, but I’m not sure that anyone

in the engine community is going to

recognize that.

WT: ANY IMPACT ON OEM

WARRANTIES?

GAULT: Not that I’m aware of. That

would be a manufacturer-by-manu-

facturer situation. The fl eet manager

would need to talk with his or her en-

gine manufacturer representative about

warranty effects.

LOUIS PHISTRY: If the manufac-

turer recommends synthetic, then that

is what should be used. If not a warran-

ty factor, then the fl eet manager should

take into consideration the truck’s duty

cycle, or how the truck is used.

WT: IN WHAT WAY DOES

THE TRUCK’S DUTY CYCLE

IMPACT WHICH TYPE OF

OIL A FLEET MANAGER

SHOULD USE?

PHISTRY: If it is a light-haul short

To learn more about synthetic oils, visit these resources:

■ American Petroleum Institute (API): www.api.org

■ FAQs for Synthetic Oils from Mobil Oil: www.mobiloil.com/

usa-english/motoroil/synthetics/synthetic_oils_faqs.aspx

■ Synthetic Oil Technology: www.synthetic-oil-technology.info



http://www.api.org

http://www.mobiloil.com/

http://www.synthetic-oil-technology.info

WT0911gfc.indd 1 8/9/11 3:05:17 PM

trip, then the fl eet

manager may just

choose conventional

oils because of cost fac-

tors. However, if the fl eet is

heavy-hauling for long dis-

tances or long run times,

then synthetic would be

the best choice.

WT: DOES

SYNTHETIC OIL

IMPACT DIESEL PARTICU-

LATE FILTERS (DPF) OR

SELECTIVE CATALYTIC

REDUCTION (SCR) SYSTEMS?

GAULT: Not that I’m aware of. I’m

not sure there is a dramatic difference

between conventional and synthet-

ic in regard to after-treatment com-

patibility.

PHISTRY: The impact synthetics have

on DPF and SCR is better for the new

emissions devices because the synthet-

ics use a low ash additive to prevent

contamination of SCR and DPF.


AFFECT BIODIESEL USE?

GAULT: That one is tough to answer.

We’re trying to get our arms around

biodiesel fuels and how they inter-

act with engine lubricants in general.

There’s a lot of discussion about how

biodiesel interacts with lubricants —

and we just don’t have a good handle

on that yet. My gut feel is that it’s prob-

ably not materially different between

conventional and synthetic, but that’s

really a gut feeling as opposed to an

educated opinion.


Maintenance

WT: CONSIDERING THAT

SYNTHETICS CAN COST 2-4

TIMES MORE THAN CON-

VENTIONAL OIL, IS THERE

A STRONG ENOUGH BUSI-

NESS CASE FOR MEDIUM-

DUTY FLEETS TO SWITCH?

GAULT: I think it’s more or less sim-

ple economics. If you’re looking at an

oil cost differential that’s relatively sub-

stantial, how do the economics work

to cause you to change? If convention-

al oil is working well for you, and it’s

going to cost you 1-, 2-, or 5-percent

more annually in maintenance to go

with synthetic, then you’re probably

not going to make the change. If fl eet

managers have a fi rm way of convinc-

ing themselves they will save a per-

centage because of longer oil change

intervals, they might do it. Otherwise,

if it’s a case where they might save a

percentage or it might cost a couple

percentage points, then they proba-

bly won’t do it.

To narrow the cost differential,

some oil manufacturers offer synthet-

ic blends, which combine convention-

al and synthetic oil into a mixture that

offers some of the benefi ts of full-syn-

thetics, at a reduced cost.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you’re considering a change in oil

type, Gault of the EMA recommends

consulting with your engine manufac-

turer and current or proposed oil sup-

plier to make sure you have a fi rm un-

derstanding of what you’re switching

from, what you are looking at switch-

ing to, and what the benefi ts (and costs)

would be.

“The only thing I can say is gather as

much information as you can to make an

informed decision,” Gault said. WT

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES OF SYNTHETICS VS. CONVENTIONAL OILS

According to Phil Sontag, director of marketing, automotive products, at

ConocoPhillips Lubricants, synthetic oil:

■ Improves protection against viscosity breakdown and deposit

formation at high temperatures.

■ Lowers volatility for reduced oil consumption.

■ Increases oil circulation at low temperatures for easier starting

and better protection during cold starts.

■ Reduces wear under all operating conditions, which helps to

protect the equipment and extend its life.

■ Provides better engine protection, which can lead to less down time,

meaning increased productivity for an operator.

SOURCES

■ Roger Gault is the technical

director for the Engine Manu-

facturers Association (EMA), a

trade association representing

worldwide manufacturers of in-

ternal combustion engines used

in applications such as trucks and

buses; farm and construction

equipment; locomotives; marine

vessels; and lawn, garden, and util-

ity equipment.

■ Phil Sontag is the director of

marketing, automotive lubricants

at ConocoPhillips Lubricants, an

integrated energy company with

interests around the world.

■ Louis Phistry is a diesel spe-

cialist and instructor at Universal

Technical Institute, an automotive

and mechanic training school with

11 campuses across the U.S.



GFC06-62.11

OCTOBER 3-4, 2011Gaylord Texan • Grapevine, TX

Look Inside For Ways to Green Your Fleet and Reduce Costs! >>>

LEAD SPONSORS

PREMIER SPONSORS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION

ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSORS

MAJOR SPONSORS GENERAL SPONSORS

GFC

08-3

4.1

1

WT0911gfc.indd 1 8/9/11 3:05:17 PMWT0911synthetic.indd 33WT0911synthetic.indd 33 8/10/11 6:19:57 AM8/10/11 6:19:57 AM

Register Now at www.GreenFleetConference.com

Green Fleet Conference & Expo is the nation’s largest, most prestigious gathering of fl eet professionals and the respected authority on attaining effi cient alternative fuel and environmentally sustainable fl eets.

We cover the entire spectrum of alternative fuels in our cutting-edge educational program. Our expert panelists and fl eet operators will share their real-world successes with natural gas, propane, biodiesel, electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell technology. You’ll get the hard facts on all the latest alternative fuels in an unbiased format designed to deliver the information you need to make educated decisions about greening your fl eet.

Meet face-to-face with every signifi cant vendor in the alternative fuel market from manufacturers to fuel suppliers to technology solution providers.

Take this opportunity to meet with fellow fl eet managers, association executives, and other industry experts in the public and private fl eet market who can help you build a winning green strategy for your fl eet.

Meet us in Texas this October for Green Fleet Conference & Expo 2011!

OCTOBER 3-4, 2011 Gaylord Texan • Grapevine, TX

Monday, October 3 12:00pm – 2:00pm

Green Fleet Conference & Expo has made the Ride & Drive famous with its unprecedented fl eet of alternative fuel vehicles lined up side-by-side for you to test drive. See the new technology in action! Vehicle manufacturers such as:

Registration Rates REGULAR & ON-SITE

Full Conference Pass/Supplier Pass* $595/ $695*

(Includes all conference workshops, exhibit hall access, Ride & Drive, meals and receptions.) *Industry Suppliers that are not directly responsible for managing a fl eet of vehicles.

Offi cial Conference Hotel: Gaylord Texan1501 Gaylord Trail

Grapevine, Texas 76051

Room Rate: $184 per night while rooms are available.

(A limited number of Government per diem room rates available. Offi cial government ID must be

presented at check-in for eligibility.)

Deadline: September 9, 2011Book by Phone: (866) 782-7897

or visit www.GreenFleetConference.com to register online

Reference: Green Fleet Conference

O P E N I N GKEYNOTE SPEAKER

“Creating the Technology and Using it in

Fleet Operations”

John SchaafJohnson Controls, Inc.

Vice President,Market Development

Power Solutions

O b 3

• Audi of America • CODA Automotive • Ford Motor Company • General Motors • Honda • IMPCO Automotive • Mercedes-Benz USA• ROUSH CleanTech• NatGasCar• THINKNorth America• Toyota Motor Sales

Vehicle test driving is included with your Green Fleet Conference registration. Remember to bring a valid driver’s license.

WT0911gfc.indd 2 8/9/11 3:05:23 PM WT0911gfc.indd 3 8/9/11 3:05:27 PMWT0911synthetic.indd 34WT0911synthetic.indd 34 8/10/11 6:19:59 AM8/10/11 6:19:59 AM

http://www.GreenFleetConference.com


WT0911gfc.indd 2 8/9/11 3:05:23 PM

or Call 800-576-8788 for More Information

MONDAY, OCTOBER 37:30am - 5:00pmREGISTRATION OPENSPONSORED BY

8:30am - 9:00amWELCOME OPENING ADDRESSby Mayor Dewey Bartlett, City of Tulsa, Oklahoma

9:00am - 9:45am OPENING KEYNOTE:Creating the Technology and Using it in Fleet OperationsKeynote Speaker: John Schaaf, Johnson Controls, Inc.SPONSORED BY

9:45am - 10:00am NETWORKING BREAKSPONSORED BY

10:00am - 10:50am CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Building a CNG Infrastructure for Both Public & Private Use• Lessons Learned: Fleet Managers Share Real-World AFV Experiences•

11:00am - 12:00pmGENERAL SESSIONOEMs Reveal Future Product Plans – Part 1

12:00pm - 2:00pmRIDE & DRIVE AND LUNCH

2:00pm - 2:45pmGENERAL SESSIONLooking Ahead to the Next Generation of AFVs

2:45pm - 3:00pmNETWORKING BREAK

3:00pm - 3:45pmCONCURRENT SESSIONS

What Fleets Need to Know Beforehand About Propane • Implementation

• Improving Customer Satisfaction by Reducing Fleet Size

3:50pm - 4:40pmGENERAL SESSIONInnovative Solutions Panel Session

4:45pm - 7:30pmEXHIBITS AND RECEPTIONSPONSORED BY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 48:00am - 3:30pmREGISTRATION OPENSPONSORED BY

8:30am - 9:00amWELCOME ADDRESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIPAWARDS CEREMONY(Breakfast served from 8:00am - 9:00am)

9:00am - 9:45amKEYNOTE ADDRESSEnergy Diversity is the Key to Energy Independence: How This Strategy Will Change the Automotive & Fleet Industries

9:55am - 10:45amCONCURRENT SESSIONS

How to Become Green Fleet Certifi ed• The Importance of Setting Emission Reduction Goals•

10:45am - 11:00amNETWORKING BREAK

11:00am - 12:00pmGENERAL SESSIONOEMs Reveal Future Product Plans – Part 2

12:00pm - 2:00pmEXHIBITS & LUNCH

2:05pm - 2:50pmCONCURRENT SESSIONS

How to Benefi t from the National Clean Fleet Partnership• Coping with Environmental Compliance•

2:55pm - 3:40pmGENERAL SESSIONHow to Determine the Alternative Fuel Right for Your Fleet

3:45pm - 4:30pmCLOSING GENERAL SESSIONWhere’s the Money: Grant & Funding OpportunitiesSPONSORED BY

4:30pm - 4:45pmTOP 40 GREEN FLEETS AWARD CEREMONY

Schedule At-A-Glance (subject to change)

Scan this barcode on your smartphone app andyou will be led to the full schedule on the website!


Designed byFleet BuyersforFleet BuyersLearn About The Latest Technologies to

Green Your Fleet and Reduce Costs!

OCTOBER 3-4, 2011Gaylord Texan • Grapevine, TX

Register Now at www.GreenFleetConference.com or Call 800-576-8788 for More Information




➠ ➠P R O D U C T H I G H L I G H T S :

MOBILE APPS AND SOFTWARE

➠ PANASONIC SOLUTIONS CO. TOUGHBOOK H2

Panasonic Solutions Company announced the Toughbook H2, a rugged, ergonom-

ic Windows tablet PC. The next-generation tablet includes an enhanced processor,

increased RAM and hard drive capacity, I/O ports, and a high-visibility screen that

utilizes Panasonic’s Transfl ectivePlus technology.

The Toughbook H2 is powered by an Intel Core i5-2557M vPro processor (1.7GHz

with Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz) for faster speeds and enhanced device management.

The device also comes standard with 4GB RAM, expandable to 8GB, and a 320GB 7200

rpm hard disk drive, with an optional 128GB solid state drive available.

Starting at only 3.5 lbs., the H2 delivers 6.5 hours of battery life and includes fast charg-

ing twin hot-swappable batteries, maximizing up time, according to the company. Panason-

ic has also upgraded the desktop cradle to reduce charge time to three hours.

www.toughbook.com

Have you ever had a job that you were working on, only

to discover you didn’t have the capability to complete the

repair? The diesel coverage information available as part of

Snap-on’s Software Bundle 11.2, plus the coverage from pre-

vious upgrades, helps ensure fl eets have the capability to

make repairs.

Diesel coverage includes:

■ GM Injector Flow Rate Programming.

■ GM Oil Life reset.

■ GM IAF Motor.

■ GM Fuel Filter Life reset.

■ Ford Clear EGR Adaptive Table.

■ Ford Fuel Injection Control Module.

■ Chrysler Diesel 6.7L Injector Quantity

Adjustment Routine.

■ Chrysler Liberty.

The latest upgrade, Software Bundle 11.2, includes new fea-

tures and coverage, plus all of the features and coverage from

the previous upgrades. More than 126,000 new and enhanced

codes, tests, tips, and data are included, as well as access to

more than 17,300 systems for model-years 1993 to 2010.

http://diagnostics.snapon.com

➠ SNAP-ON SOFTWARE BUNDLE 11.2

➠ YOKOHAMA TIRE EXPLORER

Yokohama Tire Corporation’s new iPad app — the Yokohama Tire Explorer —

is now available for free on iTunes.

The app features videos and information on the technology behind Yokohama’s

tires. ADVAN, GEOLANDAR, AVID ENVigor, S.drive, and the orange oil-infused

dB Super E-spec all have sections for users to explore.

Information on tire compounds, tread design and construction, along with a “tir-

eology” section, and fun facts about tires are included

www.yokohamatire.com

The Toughbook H2 deliv-ers 6.5 hours of battery life

and starts at only 3.5 lbs.

More than 126,000 new and enhanced codes, tests, tips, and data were included in Snap-on’s Software bundle 11.2 update.

Yokohama introduced its new iPad app with information on tire compounds and more.

WT0911products.indd 37WT0911products.indd 37 8/8/11 12:00:10 PM8/8/11 12:00:10 PM

http://www.toughbook.com


http://diagnostics.snapon.com

http://www.yokohamatire.com

TravelCenters of America LLC (TA) released version 2.0 of its

TruckSmart mobile application for Android and iPhone smart-

phone platforms. TruckSmart 2.0 gives professional drivers the

power to access their UltraONE Rewards Program account

information, including points balances, shower credits, and re-

cent transactions without stopping at the driver kiosk.

TruckSmart 2.0 also features upgraded search capabili-

ties, and each location’s amenities screen has a place to show

special at-location promotions and events. Navigational en-

hancements also make it easier to fi nd locations and ameni-

ties within the app.

Other enhancements built into the new version include the

ability for users to search for locations by highway, to share

their location coordinates, and to place a call to TA custom-

er service with the press of a button. The new instant shower

feature tells the driver if there’s a wait for a shower and will

alert the driver when the shower is

ready for them. Ready showers will

be held open for 15 minutes.

The app continues to feature the

capabilities from Version 1.0, re-

leased March 1, 2011, including res-

taurant, service, and travel store

specials; location mapping and di-

rections to all TA and Petro loca-

tions; site amenities; one-touch

calling for RoadSquad 24-hour

emergency roadside assistance; as

well as real time shower wait times

and parking space availability (updat-

ed every two hours).

www.tatravelcenters.com/trucksmart

➠ CONTINENTAL TRUCK TIRES DEALER LOCATOR

Whether in their city or over the road, commercial truck operators anywhere in the United

States and Canada can now get instant access to emergency road and tire service from Conti-

nental, using an Apple iPhone or Wi-Fi enabled iPad.

Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, introduced its fi rst mobile truck tire dealer locator appli-

cation. The Continental Truck Tires Dealer Locator can be downloaded for free from the iTunes

App Store and makes it easy for drivers of commercial vehicles to fi nd the nearest authorized

service provider when they need tire or emergency road service.

The Continental Truck Tires Dealer Locator helps fi nd and call the dealers closest to a phone’s

current GPS location, or based on a specifi ed location. National account customers and Conti-

Fleet members can also dial the TrukFix hotline for service, with just a touch on their screen.

www.continental-truck.com

➠

S

n

c

A

s

c

F


➠ ➠PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

➠ TRAVELCENTERS OF AMERICA TRUCKSMART 2.0 MOBILE APP

➠ YARA DEF LOCATOR MOBILE APP

Yara, a diesel exhaust fl uid (DEF) producer, launched

its DEF locator mobile app, which uses GPS tech-

nology to identify the DEF retail outlets closest to

a driver’s location. The Air1 DEF Mobile Locator,

the offi cial application of Air1, is currently available

for free download in the iTunes app store for use

on the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. As of press time,

Yara also planned to release an Android and Win-

dows 7 compatible version of the app at the begin-

ning of August and September respectively.

America’s diesel-powered vehicles equipped with

selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology rely

on DEF to meet the EPA’s 2010 heavy-duty engine

and vehicle emissions standards and to make sure

their engines run effi ciently. Consequently, easy ac-

cess to high quality DEF, such as Yara’s Air1 brand,

is essential for drivers to ensure that their vehicles

keep running and that the SCR technology in their

engines remain in pristine condition.

Drivers who download the Air1 DEF Mobile

Locator app can locate the closest retail loca-

tion whenever they need to fi ll up or top off their

tanks with DEF.

The application allows operators to:

■ Find more than 600 retail outlets in the U.S.

selling DEF near or along their route.

■ Search by city, state, or zip code for a DEF

retail outlet.

■ Use GPS to locate a driver, calculate the dis-

tance, and provide directions to the nearest DEF

retail outlet.

■ View the address and map location of various

retail outlets selling DEF.

http://us.air1.info/en/

k

e

L

t

t

s

r

t

rThe Yara DEF locator mobile app helps driv-ers locate DEF retail outlets.

The TruckSmart mo-bile app provides driv-ers access to their UltraONE account.

The Truck Tires Dealer Locator helps drivers fi nd and call local dealers.


http://www.tatravelcenters.com/trucksmart

http://www.continental-truck.com


http://us.air1.info/en/

FPAR00293_D195530_R04.indd 1 9/8/10 5:28 PMWT1110fordhigherlevel.indd 1 9/22/10 12:07:40 PM


There is no shortage of ridiculous

fees that governmental entities im-

pose on truck fl eets. Here’s a real-

world example: A fl eet truck was T-boned

in an intersection by a car. The car at fault

was fi lled with illegal drugs and the driv-

er was arrested. The fl eet truck was im-

pounded and held as evidence in the crim-

inal trial for six months. Even though the

damaged fl eet truck couldn’t be physical-

ly brought to the court, the district attor-

ney didn’t want to use photographs as evi-

dence and impounded the vehicle to remain

indefi nitely in storage until the trial’s con-

clusion. To add insult to injury, the fl eet re-

ceived a bill for $3,500 for impound stor-

age! I realize the impound yard is privately

run and charges for its services, but, it was

the court that impounded the vehicle. The

defendant was tried for possession of ille-

gal drugs, not for causing an accident. If

your personal car is burglarized, it’s not

impounded as evidence.

Let’s examine another trend impacting

truck fl eets: malicious compliance for the

sake of generating revenue. Here’s a real-

world example. A leasing company made

an error and registered a truck in California

at a lower GVW of 9,000 lbs. In actuality,

the vehicle has a 13,000 lb. GVW. The po-

lice pulled the driver over saying the truck

was overweight, and the driver was told to

drive to a nearby highway weigh scale. The

truck weighed in at 13,180 lbs. But rather

than cite the vehicle for being 180 lbs. over

the actual GVW, the vehicle was cited at be-

ing 4,180 lbs. overweight, basing it on the

erroneous registration. The net result was

a $2,600 ticket. In incidents of malicious

compliance, it’s not uncommon for multi-

ple tickets to be issued for the same over-

weight violation, with additional tickets

for being overweight by axle, overweight

by registration, overweight by FHUT (fed-

eral highway use tax) permit, and/or over-

weight by trailer permit.

“Due to many overlapping regulations,

and especially the ‘latitude’ of interpreta-

tion afforded to enforcement offi cers, many

violations can be cited in a variety of differ-

ent ways. The bottom line is that one viola-

tion deserves one citation, not two or three

from different angles. This is ridiculous,”

said one fl eet manager.

One emerging trend is that police offi cers

are giving fewer warnings than in the past

and are increasingly citing drivers for minor

infractions, primarily equipment violations.

This isn’t simply based on anecdotal obser-

vations. In many states, traffi c data shows

tickets for excessive speed and stop-signal

violations statewide dropped from 2007 to

2009, while the number of tickets for faulty

equipment violations increased.

In other cases, the offi cers writing the tick-

ets are not fully versed in the complexity of

DOT regs. Here’s an example: “Last week,

one of my semis, pulling a trailer with a drill

rig, was pulled over in a small town in Illi-

nois. We were given a ticket for being over-

weight and the rig impounded until we paid

the $942 fi ne. The cab card clearly shows

that it is a truck tractor (TT) not a truck (TK)

for which we received the ticket. The driver

had to put the fi ne on his credit card to get

his rig back. We are fi ghting it.”

However, governments make it diffi cult

to fi ght tickets. For instance, there are coun-

ties in New York that require you to have

a lawyer present regardless of the type of

fi ne. Invariably, fl eet managers are forced

to grin-and-bear-it as a cost of doing busi-

ness. “We had a brand-new loaded tanker

cited for the rear ICC bumper being a half

-inch over maximum allowable height. In

reality, it was bogus and we complied even

with it empty. However, the decision was

to pay the $120 fi ne rather than travel out

of state and lose a day or possibly more,”

said another fl eet manager.

TICKET FEE ‘INFLATION’Fleet drivers around the country are re-

ceiving a rude awakening over the dramat-

ically higher fi nes for parking and traffi c

tickets. In recent years, the fees for tickets

have skyrocketed. Random examples of

ticket “infl ation” include:

■ Parking in a fi re lane in Pensacola, Fla.,

was increased from $10 to $100.

■ The state of California added a $4 fee

to every traffi c ticket to pay for emergen-

cy air transport services due to a revenue

shortfall in Medi-Cal funding, California’s

public health insurance program.

■ Portland, Ore., increased fi nes for parking

in a handicapped spot from $190 to $450.

In addition to ticket infl ation, there are

new revenue streams for vehicle-related

tickets, which are fi nancially impacting

truck fl eets. A major contributor is ticket-

ing for cell-phone use while driving. In the

state of California, such tickets account for

two-thirds of the total growth in California

Highway Patrol citations.

Another growing expense involves au-

tomated toll booth violations. For light-

duty truck fl eets, approximately 40-plus

percent of all fl eet violations are toll viola-

tions. As more automated toll systems are

introduced nationwide, the volume of vi-

olations promises to increase. Typical rea-

sons for toll violations are expired cred-

it cards, dead transponder batteries, not

transferring the transponder to a replace-

ment vehicle, or failure to report the re-

placement vehicle’s license plate number

to the toll authority.

A new law in California (AB 2567)

opens yet another door for a new parking

ticket revenue stream for municipalities and

counties. The law allows local agencies to

install cameras on street sweepers to cap-

ture in a digital photograph the date and time

of a parking violation during street sweep-

ing hours. Local agencies would mail ci-

tations with photos to the vehicle owners,

similar to the way red-light camera tick-

ets are issued.

From a fl eet’s perspective, the increased

volume of citations will impact a fl eet’s

DOT rating, which under CSA can have

more dramatic repercussions than simply

the increased frequency of tickets and the

higher expense to pay the fi nes.

Let me know what you think. WT

[email protected]

A Double Whammy for Truck Fleets: Ticket ‘Infl ation’ and ‘Malicious Compliance’

END OF FRAME EDITORIAL BY MIKE ANTICH

WT0911edit.indd 40WT0911edit.indd 40 8/8/11 12:00:56 PM8/8/11 12:00:56 PM



A higher level.

That’s what you get with Ford gas engines and transmissions.A higher build level means you’re getting engine and transmission assemblies built to the exacting specifi cations of Ford Motor Company. So you not only get the quality build you expect in an assembly from Ford, but also one that’s built by using parts that keep it specifi c to year, make and model as well as emissions calibrations.

Introducing the all-new 3-Year Unlimited-Mile Warranty – No Commercial ExceptionsFord gasoline engines and transmissions are covered by a three-year/unlimited-mile warranty.* All warranties are backed by Ford Motor Company. They’re also supported by more than 3,500 Ford and Lincoln Mercury Dealerships nationwide as well as at their originating place of service.

Plus, unlike some competitors, the warranty is good for fl eet vehicles. That means you get the same advantages and coverage for commercial use, no exceptions.

For technical questions, contact the Powertrain Assistance Center at 1-800-392-7946 or visit FordParts.com.*See dealer for limited-warranty details. Remanufactured diesel engines are covered by a two-year/unlimited-mileage warranty.

FPAR00293_D195530_R04.indd 1 9/8/10 5:28 PMWT1110fordhigherlevel.indd 1 9/22/10 12:07:40 PM

WT0911edit.indd 993WT0911edit.indd 993 8/8/11 12:00:58 PM8/8/11 12:00:58 PM

The Choice Is Clear — And Clean.Your fleet can get the same horsepower and torque performance as gasoline for 30% less in fuel costs –

and with 60% fewer emissions — thanks to ROUSH CleanTech Liquid Propane Injection fuel systems.

Propane autogas fuel systems by ROUSH CleanTech let you operate on a price-stable, North American-

sourced fuel with no engine modifications required. That means you’ll get all the benefits of propane

autogas, with no compromises in your vehicle’s factory warranty protection.

PERFORMANCE: IDENTICAL

VEHICLE WARRANTY: IDENTICAL

FUEL COSTS: 30% LESS

EMISSIONS: 60% LESS

PROPANE AUTOGAS VS. GASOLINE

800.59.ROUSH ROUSHcleantech.com

2007.5 – 2008 2009 – 2010 2009 – Newer 2009 – Newer 2009 – NewerFord F-150 Ford F-250 / F-350 Ford E-150 / E-250 / E-350 Ford E-350 DRW Cutaway Ford E-450 DRW Cutaway(5.4L V8) (5.4L V8) (5.4L V8) (5.4L V8) (6.8L V10)

UPFITS AVAILABLE

THE ZERO COMPROMISE ALTERNATIVE FUEL SOLUTION

AF0111roush.indd 1 12/13/10 12:58:16 PMWT0911cover.indd 994WT0911cover.indd 994 8/8/11 12:02:08 PM8/8/11 12:02:08 PM

Work Truck Magazine September/October 2011

Documents

Transcript of Work Truck Magazine September/October 2011