2007 October | Trucks and Trailers

Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season

October 31st, 2007 by shenron

The Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season featuring Carbon Fiber Technology is Goodyear tires Ultra High Performance All Season car tires designed to give sports car, sporty coupe and performance sedan drivers piece of mind in virtually any weather condition. Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season was developed to combine crisp responsiveness and confident handling with year-round traction, including in snow.

Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season radials have a directional tread design featuring performance zones that include a continuous center rib with large inboard and outboard shoulder blocks for dry road traction and steering precision, along with dual intermediate all-season zones featuring carved Aquachutes to direct rain, slush and snow away from between the tread and the road to resist hydroplaning and enhance traction. TredLock Technology interlocking micro grooves allow the biting edges needed for acceleration and braking in foul weather to lock together laterally to enhance handling and provide confident maneuvering during dry road cornering. The tire’s internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced by spirally wound DuPont Kevlar on top of a slightly angled, 2-ply polyester cord body featuring carbon fiber reinforced inboard and outboard sidewalls to help keep the shoulders firmly planted on the road for crisp responsiveness and maneuverability.

Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season radials feature Goodyear’s PermaBlack compound additive that maintains new-tire appearance throughout the life of the tire. Eagle F1 All Season radials feature subtle, smooth letters reversed out of a stylized serrated sidewall band and a protective “rim recess” on their lower sidewalls to help protect the wheels from curb damage. You can buy these tires at Discount tires.

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What is a Box Truck?

October 27th, 2007 by shenron

A box truck is known by a few names, some call it a cube truck, others call it a cube van, and some even call it a box van or cargo truck. Box trucks are quite simple vehicles. They include a cab for the driver and passenger and an enclosed cargo area where goods, merchandise or almost any type of item can be stored or carried. Box trucks are popular with many types of businesses including furniture companies, appliance companies and movers (moving trucks).

Most box truck cargo areas range in size from about 14 feet to 24 feet. As the cargo area increases, in most cases so does the cab, chassis and engine. Box trucks are very economical. They are built on affordable chassis and the box or cargo area itself does not cost that much to build. In America, the most common types of box truck chassis’s are Ford, GMC, Chevrolet and Mitsubishi. Box trucks are also affordable to operate compared to other kinds of trucks. Since these trucks are extremely affordable, they are extremely popular with small businesses.

Operating a Box Truck

Since most box trucks use simple truck chassis and do not normally carry exceptionally large loads, most localities do not require a special license to operate these vehicles. In fact, most Americans are very familiar with box trucks and can rent them on a daily basis for only a few bucks per day. Rental companies that offer box trucks to the general public are U-Haul and Ryder. Most box trucks include an automatic transmission and many of the same comforts found in a car. Popular amenities include air condition, power windows and a radio.

The Cargo Area of a Box Truck

The box truck is an enclosed cube usually with swing out doors in the rear of the vehicle. The lift gate is usually pretty low, from about 2 feet to 3 feet off the ground. Some box trucks do include a powered lift to easily load the box truck with heavy items such as appliances or furniture.

Box trucks are usually completely empty inside except for the occasional anchor where belts or chains can be tied to holding items in place. There are no windows inside a box truck, but it should be noted that box trucks aren’t completely air tight. Box trucks are usually never insulated unless used for a specific utility where insulation can benefit the items being carried.

The Cost of a Box Truck

Box trucks are extremely affordable and can cost less than $25K new. Used box trucks can be purchased for less than $5K. However, large box trucks can be more than $30K. Operating a box truck depends on certain variables, however they are quite economical compared to other trucks- especially big rigs. Most box trucks run on regular gasoline, however there are box trucks available that do run on diesel. Manual transmission box trucks are also an option, but most box trucks- especially built by US manufacturers are generally automatic.

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Hitching a Trailer

October 16th, 2007 by shenron

Hitching a trailer is a term used by truck drivers to connect the towing vehicle to a trailer. Trailers come in a variety of types, but are usually structures that include wheels, a chassis, sometimes a suspension and sometimes an enclosed cargo area.

When hitching a trailer to a towing vehicle a coupler is used. A coupler from the towing vehicle attaches to the trailer ball. In a way this creates a ball and socket connection which while keeps both the towing vehicle and trailer together also allows for movement between the two which is necessary, especially when riding on uneven surfaces. On the trailer, the ball secures to the draw bar.

Types of Couplers

Common types of couplers include; Straight couplers, A-Frame couplers Adjustable couplers, Goose couplers and Fifth Wheel Couplers. Some types of couplers such as the Straight and A-Frame are used mostly with semi trailers, where fifth wheel coupling is common with small trailers that are pulled by cars.

Trailer Jacks

It should be noted that most trailers are not always the same height as the towing vehicle. This can cause problems when hitching both together. A trailer jack is a device that lifts the trailer to a specific height in order to easily hitch it to the towing vehicle. There are several types of trailer jacks including A-Frame Jacks, Drop Leg Jacks and Swivel Jacks.

Electrical Components and Hitching

Besides connecting the trailer to the towing vehicle, many times you will also need to connect electrical components of the trailer to the towing vehicle as well. For instance, if your trailer has brake lights, then there should be a simple electrical connector that fits to your truck or car. This will ensure that when you brake, the braking lights on the trailer will also be activated to safely alert vehicles behind you.

Large trailers, such as semi trailers also have connections to connect air brakes and other electronic equipment. Since most trucks are unable to stop their loads only using their vehicle’s brakes, most semi trailers have their own brakes and brake lights. When the driver presses the brakes, it also activates the trailers brakes ensuring that the entire vehicle comes to a complete and full stop.

Safely Hitching a Trailer

To safely hitch a trailer, you will normally have to be familiar with both your towing vehicle and the trailer. Most of the time, it only takes a couple of minutes to successfully hitch a trailer, however, before driving away, a visual safety check must be made to ensure that the trailer is hitched properly to the towing vehicle. Besides the hitch itself, other things to check to ensure safe operation of towing a trailer is the weight distribution of the load you are carrying, total weight load and trailer’s wheels.

Check the weight distribution inside the trailer. For instance, if all the items you are hauling are located on one side of the trailer, this could be a safety issue causing the truck and trailer to tip when going around a turn. Total weight load is also another concern. If the trailer is empty, you may need to carry at least some weight (about 10% of the trailer’s weight to ensure safe driving). Finally, just as you inspect your vehicle before you drive it, you should also inspect your trailer fully, looking at the wheels, axles, brakes, connectors, etc.

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Truck Insurance

October 13th, 2007 by shenron

Just like most states require every car that drives on the road to have car insurance, truck insurance is also legally mandated. Truck insurance usually comes in two main types- one for owner operators and one for truck fleets.

Owner Operator Insurance

Owner operator insurance is for specific individuals that own and operate their own tractor and trailer. Owner operator insurance usually covers a specific towing vehicle with or without a trailer. Since most towing vehicles can carry many types of trailers, the insurance covers a set type of trailer such as a semi trailer.

Truck Fleet Insurance

This type of insurance is for commercial businesses that own more than one towing vehicle. Fleet insurance usually covers from two trucks to thousands of trucks depending on the company and their trailers.

Types of Coverage

There are a few types of coverage including primary liability coverage, physical damage coverage, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) and cargo coverage. In most cases, you will require all types of coverage; however most insurance companies package these types of coverage under one convenient group- sometimes called umbrella coverage. Other types of coverage which in most cases are optional include occupational health and accident insurance, general liability and garage liability.

Laws Vary by Locality

If you are an owner operator or would like to buy fleet coverage for your trucking business, each locality usually has specific requirements for truck insurance. However, keep in mind that practically all localities require some form of insurance to safely and legally operate your vehicle on the road. For instance, the USDOT (US Department of Transportation) requires every truck to be covered by liability insurance and most states also require physical damage coverage, UM, PIP and cargo insurance.

Cost of Trucking Insurance

Truck insurance varies by a number of factors, but for most owner operators expect yearly insurance premiums to cost from $2,500 to $10,000. Some of the factors involved in the price of your yearly premium are your driving record, type of truck, type of loads, your age, etc

Get a Free Estimate

It should be noted that most insurance companies that offer truck insurance will be happy to quote you a free estimate.

This means that you should shop around for truck insurance that fits your business best at a price that you can afford.

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Freightliner LLC Trucks

October 12th, 2007 by shenron

The Freightliner LLC Truck Company is trusted with some of the most respected names in the delivery, motor home, and bust industries. The Freightliner LLC Trucks come with a Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation and manufactures premium vehicle chassis for walk-in cabs, motor homes, school buses and commercial buses. The Freightliner LLC Trucks was established in 1995, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) has experienced significant growth and today it’s a leading chassis producer for a variety of industries. Nearly two-thirds of all walk-in diesel van chassis sold today are made by the FCCC. It is known as the world’s largest manufacturer of diesel walk-in van chassis. Although the FCCC is just one of the many things that Freightliner LLC Trucks, the entire industry within Freightliner LLC Trucks is one of the best in the world.

Class 5-8 trucks are manufactured by Freightliner LLC Trucks and serve a wide range of commercial vehicle applications. Its commitment to innovation, technology and responsive customer relationships makes it easy to understand why Freightliner LLC Trucks is the best-selling brand of heavy-duty Class 8 trucks in North America, and maybe the world. Long-haul highway vehicles include the ultra comfortable and aerodynamic Cascadia, the efficient and reliable Columbia, the technologically advanced Century Class S/T and owner-operator favorites, the Coronado and Classic/Classic XL. Freightliner LLC Trucks is committed to producing the most advanced, efficient trucks on the road today, but truck building is just the beginning of this current commitment. The service after the sale that forges loyalty between customers and the Freightliner brand is the most important of all services. With more than 350 dealer locations total, and many of them open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, eight strategically located parts distribution centers and a 24 hour hot line for roadside assistance, Freightliner LLC Trucks helps keep drivers out of the shop and onto the road where they belong.

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