Used Truck Dealers of the Year announced
Parish Truck Sales of St Rose LA and Midwest Truck Sales, Olathe KS, were named Independent Used Truck Dealer of the Year and Franchised Used Truck Dealer of the Year, respectively, at the recent 22nd annual Truck Blue Book Dealer Seminar in Orlando FL.
This year marks the inaugural presentation of the Truck Blue Book Used Truck Dealer of the Year awards.
The Independent Used Truck Dealer Award was presented to Parish Truck Sales, an independent used-truck dealership near New Orleans LA that grew from two men with a sales trailer on a lot in 1982 to a 30,000-square-foot facility on 6½ acres. Accepting the award was Mike Whitlow, president of Parish Truck sales.
The Franchised Used Truck Dealer Award was presented to Midwest Trucks of Olathe and Kansas City KS. In 30 years, Midwest has grown from a towing service to a full-line franchisee for Mitsubishi Fuso, UD, and recently Hino. The company purchased a second location in early 2004. Mark Sails, general manager, accepted the dealer award.
Nominations for these awards are open to any Class 3-8 commercial truck dealership having a dedicated and profitable used-truck department and sales staff for a minimum of five years. Additional details can be obtained by phoning The Truck Blue Book at 800-654-6776.
Distributor agreements with Detroit Diesel Corp
North American Allison Transmission and Detroit Diesel distributors have all entered into new distributor agreements with Detroit Diesel Corp. This new agreement, which runs through 2010, continues to make the Detroit Diesel Distributor Network integral in providing warranty and aftermarket parts and service support for all Detroit Diesel and Mercedes-Benz medium- and heavy-duty on-highway engines.
The Allison Transmission and Detroit Diesel North American Distributor Network consists of 27 distributors operating more than 180 full-service locations with 2,000-plus service bays, and with annual total revenue in excess of $2 billion.
Will-Burt Co receives Exporter of Year Award
The Mast Division of The Will-Burt Co is the recipient of the 2004 Exporter of Year Award. Will-Burt received the award from Gov Bob Taft at the Ohio Statehouse recently.
Will-Burt exports masts and lighting to virtually every continent with more than 20% of annual sales exported. This is accomplished through a distribution and support network negotiating contracts and programs with international governments, militaries, emergency services, cellular integrators, broadcast and telecom venues.
With Siena 1212, hits just keep on coming
Strippit/LVD introduces Siena 1212, a new CNC turret punch press that has a 27-station turret with three direct-drive 3.5" (88.9-mm) auto-index stations, new graphics interface, and PC-based control.
The Siena 1212 delivers up to 360 hits per minute on 1" (25.4-mm) centers. The machine provides a ±.004" (0.1-mm) finished part accuracy and ±.002" (0.05-mm) finished part repeatability. It handles workpieces up to 49.2" (1,250 mm) square and material thicknesses up to .250" (6.3 mm). Larger sheets can be processed with clamp repositioning.
A servo-driven hydraulic ram provides 20 tons of punching force. Programmable stroke profiles and Strippit/LVD's Smart Stroke feature maximize punching performance and provide flexibility for punching and forming applications.
Smart Stroke maximizes the productivity of the Siena 1212 without operator or programmer intervention. It automatically optimizes the punch cycle by determining hover height based on material thickness and distance between holes.
The Siena 1212 has a 27-station turret with station-to-station tool change time as low as 0.9 second. All turret stations are keyed for maximum tool load flexibility and can punch at Y= 0". Replaceable, hardened steel guide bushings eliminate turret tool bore wear.
For more information, contact Strippit, 12975 Clarence Center Rd, Akron NY 14001.
Cable ties can handle almost any bundle
Del City's cable ties for wire bundling applications include standard ties, which provide up to 50% more tensile strength and 15% larger bundle diameters than similar products. The one-piece injection-molded construction adds strength while the positive locking teeth permit fine adjustment.
Other specialty ties include:
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Releasable ties — Release feature allows use of the tie over and over again.
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Beaded ties — Two sizes are available; suitable for attaching ID plates.
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Push-mount ties — They snap into a hole to attach a bundle to another surface.
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Mounting ties — A molded-in screw hole allows for securing bundles on any surface that can accept a drilled hole.
Contact Del City, 2101 W Camden Rd, Milwaukee WI 53209 for further information.
Sterling Acterra comes with all-wheel drive
Sterling Truck Corp announces factory-installed all-wheel drive for the Sterling Acterra truck. Available beginning in summer 2004, this option features an offset front axle carrier and transfer case to allow a lower chassis height and also provides a low cab step height.
The Acterra all-wheel drive system features full four-wheel automatic traction control, using an automatic lock control transfer case coupled with the standard front and rear wheel traction control systems. This new feature uses the vehicle anti-lock brake system to sense wheel slip and automatically engages the front axle and/or rear axle differential locks. This enhances off-road and soft terrain vehicle operation. The system also offers a two-speed transfer case with up to 13,000 pounds of input torque, allowing the driver to engage the all-wheel drive feature at any time.
Available with front axle ratings of 10,000, 12,000, 14,000, and 16,000 pounds, this system offers drive line angularity to minimize driveline vibrations, superior ground clearance, and low maintenance componentry. The all-wheel drive system also includes a standard 10" offset front differential carrier and right-side-mounted transfer case.
Other standard features include Meritor Q Plus cam brakes with outboard-mounted drums, Meritor automatic slack adjusters for automatic adjustment, a straight tie-rod for toe adjustment, and ABS-ready wheel ends with installed tooth wheel and sensor for additional safety.
ST576 all-position tires resist road hazards
The new ST576 On/Off (O/O) road all-position tire introduced by BFGoodrich Commercial Truck Tires has a robust four-belt construction for added protection against road hazards and improved retreadability. It is provided in 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 sizes, both in Load Range H.
This tire, which replaces the ST565, features a full-width protector ply to shield the working plies better against shocks and penetrations. It also has extra sidewall protection, with curb guard and shoulder protection ribs for improved resistance against impacts.
The tread compounds in the ST576 are specially formulated to optimize tread life and resist the abrasion and cutting associated with O/O use.
For full details, contact BFGoodrich, One Parkway South, PO Box 19001, Greenville SC 29602-9001.
Compartment latch has a pivoting catch
TriMark's new 030-0550 heavy-duty pivoting catch compartment latch was designed for storage and compartment doors for off-road vehicles, including agricultural and construction equipment and industrial enclosures. It has a laminated hook and a die-cast zinc paddle that provides a higher level of resistance to vibration and wear. Other product details include:
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Pivoting catch design allows relative movement between the door and frame when the vehicle frame flexes.
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Reverse paddle design of the latch is suited for top hinged doors and provides resistance to insertion of foreign objects.
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Supplied in a zinc plate, yellow chromate finish, the product can be painted over to match body colors.
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Available in locking and non-locking versions, it offers the use of a padlock for increased security. The lock cylinder can be installed after the latch has been assembled into the door and painted for convenience.
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Latch is easy to install with four 1/4" or 6-mm pop-rivets or screws (sold separately).
Contact TriMark, 500 Bailey Ave, PO Box 350, New Hampton IA 50659 for further details.
Leyman aids firm with special installation
Product engineers at Leyman Lift Gates have assisted the engineering staff at a major trailer manufacturer with the design of a factory-installed threshold plate (rear buck plate) that will better accommodate Leyman's aluminum platform Hide-A-Way liftgates. Now the Leyman LAH and LHLP Hide-A-Way liftgates can be installed on swing-door-equipped trailers with no door alteration and on 53-foot trailers with no added length.
The design was created for a national company with a large private fleet that had ordered Wabash National dry vans and the Leyman LHLP Hide-A-Way 4,500-lb-capacity liftgates with 63"-deep aluminum platforms. The threshold plate has been notched for the lifting arms, ensuring that the LHLP liftgates can be raised to the top of the trailer floor.
In addition, the liftgate installer will not have to cut into the threshold plate when installing the gates.