Chrysler to build 8-speed transmission

In an article by Light & Medium Truck, Chrysler Group LLC said it will invest $300 million in a transmission plant in Kokomo, IN, to build an 8-speed automatic transmission for future company vehicles. Read more here…. http://lmtruck.com/articles/lmtbase.aspx?storyid=905&utm_source=lmt&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=newsletter

Cummins Engines Exceed 2010 Emissions Standards

Hopefully our federal government will give diesel truck engine emissions a rest now that the 2010 standards have been implemented.  As you may know, Phase 1 was 2007 with the exhaust cleanup and catalytic converters.  2010 standards are even stricter, with some engine makers choosing to use urea – yes, it is what it sounds like – mixed in with diesel fuel to clean up exhaust.  Cummins just announced that their engines exceed the very strict 2010 standards.

By the way, one major tool truck builder is rolling out a new fleet of gas-powered step vans with generators, to try to sidestep the high priced diesel engines and anti-idling legislation that is forcing some tool dealers to shut off their vehicles after 5 minutes of idle time.  More on this later.

CCJ Digital has a good article on the Cummins achievement.  Thank God for American ingenuity!  Read the article by clicking on this link: http://www.ccjdigital.com/cummins-2010-engines-meet-or-exceed-expectations-2/

2010 Cummins Diesel

It’s good to see that Cummins has made it through the EPA regulations labyrinth.  I compare it to someone constantly throwing chairs in front of you as you are trying to find your seat at a ballgame, a lot of needless distractions.  Take care, Tom.

Buying an empty truck to build? Here’s what you’ll need…

Stacks AND Flames, pretty cool.

Truck chassis have gone up…and up…and up since 2007.  And with the 2010 emission regs, you can’t modify the exhaust system, which means you can’t have stacks unless you order the truck with them.  You can still add them to 2009 models and older as far as we know.

If you are looking to save money by buying a used cab chassis truck to convert to a Tool Truck, it’s best to always check with your truck builder to see what specs you will need.  Here are a few things to look for: 1).  Bucket Seats instead of Bench –  important if you plan on adding a pass-through or walk-thru. Minor point because you can always buy a seat, but you would be surprised how much they cost out of a dealer’s parts dept. 2). Location of Fuel Tank – much better when it is between the frame rails or under the cab, because a body and AC condenser will have to be installed on the frame and the fuel tank can interfere. 3). Transmission shifter on the dash – again, if you want a pass-thru. 4). Rear Axle ratio in high 4′s.  It’s good to talk to a body builder like Supreme first too, your truck builder can make the connection.  Tom

What happens now with the 2010 diesel engine regulations?

The second stage of the EPA’s diesel engine pollution regulations are upon us.  And to think President George Bush had a chance to delay these regulations and he didn’t do it!  So much for the GOP not caring about the environment – but regardless my personal opinion is that the EPA went really went overboard this time.  Hello China and India, how about getting to work on cleaning up your air first?  Anyway…we found an interesting article in Light & Medium Truck magazine online which does a good job of summing up the various manufacturers approaches to the 2010 regs.  Click here to go there: http://www.lmtruck.com/articles/petemplate.aspx?storyid=560

A new interior in a truck you find for the Truck Builder?

Who hasn’t noticed that new Tool Trucks cost more each year. But don’t point a finger at the truck builder.  The cleaner diesel engines are a large part of the price increase, and the body builders tossed an increase in there too.  Liftgates, AC, diesel heaters, it’s all going up in price.  And all these things raise the total price of a Tool Truck. 

Did you know that most Tool Truck builders are happy to build an interior for you in a used truck or trailer?  Most of the time if you want a new truck the builder arranges the whole thing.  They stock or order the chassis, put a body on, build an interior, install liftgate and AC, etc.  They will do all this for you at essentially no charge, because in reality the only part of the truck they make a profit on is the tool sales interior, the mobile tool store, as one builder likes to call it.  The truck and body is 60%-65% of the total price of a tool truck, leaving the interior and added equipment to acount for the remaining 35%.  With the price of a new 2010 International 4300 22′ chassis alone – no body – pushing $60,000, imagine how much you could save if you found a 3-year old 4300 for $30,000.  In our example, we don’t have to imagine – you save $30,000 at least.  This takes the “new” International from $120,000 to $90,000.  You get a new Interior – that’s the important part – and a new Body, and save $30,000 or more in the process.

Don’t rule out finding a truck for your Truck Builder.  The market has been soft, and there are trucks out there.  You just have to make sure the truck has the right specs – a perfect place to leave off and talk about next time.  Take care, Tom

It’s Tool Fair/Expo/Rally Time again

As one truck builder says, ’tis the season for the annual tool meetings.  Last week, Mac Tools held their annual Tool Fair in Orlando, FL.  Since we are all about Tool Trucks (and yes, we think the “T”s in Tool Trucks should always be capitalized), we pay attention to the trucks that were there.  Builders brought in three new trucks for display: Chevy C5500 20′, Freightliner MT55 22′ step van, and a GM C7500 Cab Chassis. 

This week, the Matco Tools Expo is in Cancun, Mexico; it’s 80+ degrees and humid – what’s that like?  We haven’t heard if a truck was brought down.  In just a few weeks, Cornwell Tools will “Rally” in San Antonio, and later in the year, Snap-on will hold it’s annual Dealer Meeting.  ISN has it’s annual trade show in June.  These get-togethers are designed to show off new tools, meet and greet, and get everybody pumped up for the new year.  Hope everybody has a fun, productive time – wish I was there!  Tom

Ford’s Electric Van is here

[Source: Ford]

PRESS RELEASE CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2010

FORD TRANSIT CONNECT ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL VAN HELPS FLEET CUSTOMERS GO COMPLETELY GAS-FREE

• Ford Transit Connect Electric, a pure electric-powered version of the award-winning Transit Connect small van, goes into production in late 2010
• Ford is collaborating with Azure Dynamics Corporation to upfit the Transit Connect Electric with Azure’s Force DriveTM battery electric powertrain and Johnson Controls-Saft’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology
• Transit Connect Electric is the first product in Ford’s accelerated electrified vehicle plan, and will be followed by the Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and next-generation hybrid technology in 2012
• The all-electric, zero-emission Transit Connect Electric has targeted range of up to 80 miles per full charge, and will be rechargeable using either 240-volt or standard 120-volt outlets
• Transit Connect Electric is ideal for fleet owners that have well-defined routes of predictable distances and a central location for daily recharging

You can read the entire press report here: http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-transit-connect-electric-31991

I am excited about the possibilities with this van!  When Ford is able to offer a larger, heavier van, let’s hope the truck builders will build a tool sales interior for it.   Tom

Coming to a dealership near you

All-Electric USPS Trucks proposed – Sparky Tool Trucks next?

An idea is floating around Congress now to outfit the USPS with all-electric delivery vehicles. The Post Office has the country’s largest fleet, over 220,000 vehicles, and has long been using alternative fueled vehicles.  They run 5-6 days a week and make many stops – kind of like someone selling tools –  so this would be a good test of their durability.  Congress is talking about using another $2 Billion of our money to buy all-electric trucks with the idea this would jump-start the conversion to electric vehicles in industry. A good idea,  and we do need to get off of our over-dependence on foreign oil as soon as we can, but where do we get the money?  Let’s cut $2 Billion from somewhere else first, you know the people in Washington, DC can waste more than that in a week. 

Will we have electric Tool Trucks one day?  Hope so.  We need a nice mixture of gasoline, diesel, alternative fuel, and electric in our country. If more trucks go electric, then it allows the rest of us the option of finding gasoline for our personal cars and light trucks.  Going electric doesn’t mean for everyone – it doesn’t have to be all one way or another. You plug your vehicle in, I will fill mine up.   

Any purchase of a large number of vehicles would be a nice boost for the tool business.  An infusion of  electric vehicles means a lot of new service procedures and auto techs will need some more of the same tools you sell now, and probably a lot of new tools, to work on them.  Tom

It's what under the hood that counts

Feds Ban Texting in Commercial Vehicles – Tool Trucks included

It’s in the news – no more texting by commercial vehicle and bus drivers, effective immediately.  The network newscasts show over-the-road tractor trailers, as if its only the big  rigs it applies to, but please beware, because it says commercial vehicles, it applies to Tool Trucks also.  The Department of Transportation announced on January 26th that it decided to prohibit texting by drivers of commercial motor vehicles. Drivers who violate the ban are subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750 per occurrence.   In making it’s ruling the DOT cited research concluding that if a driver was texting “at 55 miles per hour…the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road”.  Not good.  This is a major reason I have really cut back riding my Kawasaki Concours.  I don’t want to be over-run from behind by a distracted driver.

The day this passed a 19-year old knucklehead where I live was involved in a one-car crash into a utility pole because he was texting while driving, and was hospitalized with head injuries.  He looked down, and oops!  Not that I wish anyone troubles, but fortunately the person who caused this was the one who was injured and not an innocent person walking down the road or driving.  I wish people would act right and not do this because I can’t stand any more government intrusion in our lives.  However, I agree with the regulation because the only way some people will stop doing it is if it against the law.  The law doesn’t say anything about texting from a vehicle while stopped. Please be aware of this new regulation because this fine is going to hurt!  Take care, Tom

Navistar going strong in a down year – step van coming?

Recent statistics tell us that medium-duty truck sales were down 28% in 2009 from 2008.  2008 wasn’t all that good either.  Navistar, the builder of the International 4100 – 4300 series, actually made money in a down year.  I hope this means we see an affordable International Step Van for the tool business pretty soon.  Navistar is the company that purchased the Workhorse line, formerly the Chevrolet P30 – P60, a couple of years ago.  And they were rumored to be in the hunt for the GM Medium duty truck line, hopefully that is still going on.  As you know, GM shut down production of the C5500/C6500, and C7500 in July 0f 2009, in the midst of their troubles, and after sales fell to under 30,000 for the year.  The whole line was up for sale but they couldn’t complete a deal.  The GM C-series is a great truck line, hopefully it will come back under a new maker.  Hey Ford, are you listening?  Your medium-duty trucks don’t offer the versatility of the C5500 as far as the tool business is concerned, and you’re making money again.  You don’t have a 19,500 GVW truck that offers a full walk-thru body.  Here’s one waiting for you.

There is a good article over at TruckingInfo.com about Navistar.  Glad to see a truck manufacturer is making money, we need the jobs all through the economy so people can get their cars repaired and allow the techs to buy your tools.  You can read the article by going here: http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=69133&news_category_id=36

Take care, Tom