Posts Tagged ‘brakes’

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Amends Stopping Distance Requirement

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

(The following information is based on the NHTSA’s ruling located in the Federal Register and available at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NHTSA-2009-0175-0006)

NHTSA

Earlier this week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a new requirement for the stopping distance of truck tractors, in response to an earlier ruling.

In July of 2009, the agency issued a ruling requiring an improved stopping distance for heavy trucks, reducing the distance of trucks traveling at 60 mph from 355 feet to 250 feet, allowing a minority of very heavy tractors a stopping distance of 310 feet.

The ruling, however, sparked the response of eight petitions based on four main issues.  One of them, having to do with the stopping distance requirements, was challenged by the TMA, HDBMC, and Bendix, who believed that “speeds lower than 60 mph have not been validated through actual vehicle test data” and that “the brake timing may be too fast for some vehicle configurations.”

Therefore, the NHTSA was asked to remove the new requirements until tests could be conducted and results obtained.  The NHTSA accepted and “required compliance with the improved stopping distance requirements for tractors with four or more axles and a GVWR of 59,600 pounds or less by August 1, 2013.”

NHTSA conducted tests analyzing the stopping distance of a tractor trailer traveling at 60 mph, 55 mph, 50 mph, and so on down to 20 mph, repeating the test with a lightly loaded vehicle weight (excluding the trailer).

The results showed that when the tractor was loaded to GVWR and traveling at 20 mph, it obtained a stopping distance of 31.2 feet…1.2 feet more than the required amount.

After gathering all of the results, the NHTSA decided that the requirements may not be practicable and increased the stopping distance for a loaded truck traveling at 20 mph from 30 to 32 feet and for an empty tractor traveling at the same speed from 28 to 30 feet.

The NHTSA’s new ruling will become effective on Monday, August 1st with petitions being accepted up until September 12th.

truck

How is Road Scholar Transport improving their stopping distance?  We have equipped all of our new tractors with disc brakes for safety as well as purchased trucks with the Bendix Wingman ACB System which works to maintain a set distance of 8/10ths of a mile marker behind a forward vehicle, preventing accidents by automatically reducing the throttle, using the engine retarder, or applying the brakes.

Wouldn’t you rather your freight onboard trucks equipped with anti-crash technology?  If so, then visit www.roadscholar.com to schedule your LTL or truckload freight.

What do you think of the NHTSA’s stopping distance requirements?

click to become our friend on facebook


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in LTL freight, Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off

Road Scholar Puts the Brakes on Accidents with New Trucks

Friday, July 15th, 2011

I recently had the opportunity of going for a ride in one of Road Scholar’s new trucks, equipped with the Bendix Wingman ACB System, and let me tell you, it was quite an experience.

new trucks

Imagine a truck or vehicle stalled in the middle of the road on a dark night with no lights on or a school bus that you could hardly see because of the thick morning fog.  Or maybe a vehicle decides to slam their brakes in front of you to avoid hitting an animal crossing the road.

Now imagine going 65 mph when one of the above circumstances occurs.  You may cringe realizing that by time you notice that the vehicle has stopped or drastically slowed down in front of you and react, you are at a high risk of an accident.

I felt the same way until I stepped inside one of Road Scholar’s newly equipped Bendix Wingman ACB system trucks.

ACB stands for Active Cruise with Braking…but what exactly does that mean?

In a simple way put, ACB will cause your truck to maintain a set distance of 8/10ths of a mile marker behind a forward vehicle.  How does it work?

When cruise control is off, the ACB will deliver a beeping alert, which gets faster and louder when closing in on a vehicle, as well as a visual warning on the dashboard showing how far the vehicle is from your truck.

When cruise control is on, the ACB will automatically reduce the throttle, use the engine retarder, or apply the brakes (delivering 1/3 the vehicle’s power but the driver can apply the rest if needed) in order to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead.

I could not believe how effective this system was and the benefits behind it.

Not only does Road Scholar incorporate the Bendix Wingman ACB on its trucks, but ESP (Electronic Stability Program) as well.

This system is especially good for icy or wet weather conditions where wheels lose their grip, or taking a curve too quickly, which can result in a rollover.  Drivers may not sense a rollover could be starting, which is where the ESP’s row and yaw stability sensors come into play.  The row sensors work to prevent rollovers while yaw sensors prevent slide, spin, or jackknife situations.

The ESP automatically distinguishes the problem and quickly corrects it by reducing the engine throttle and applying the brakes.

Bendix explains the many sensors that supplement the wheel speed sensors which include:

-The steering angle sensor, which detects steering input, the first indicator of a maneuver.

-Brake pressure sensors, which monitor the amount of an operator’s braking.

-Lateral acceleration sensor, which detects the side force that could make the vehicle rollover.

-Yaw rate sensor, which helps determine if the vehicle is responding properly to driver steering input.

Knowing the advanced technology and steps that Road Scholar has taken for its fleet, it’s no surprise that companies rely on Road Scholar for the safe, efficient transport of their freight.

What do you think of Road Scholar’s safety technology?

new trucks

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Company News, Services | Comments Off

Summer Heat Leads to Greater Risk of Tire Problems as Video Demonstrates Proper Way to Maintain Rig During a Blow Out

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

blowoutIf you have ever driven on a highway or interstate before, then you have more than likely noticed the remnants of a tire lying on the side of the road due to a blowout.  And if you are a regular highway/interstate traveler, then you may have observed more of these blowouts during the warm summer months than in the winter.  If so, you would be correct.

As insurancenewsnet.com explains, summer heat produces a greater friction on a truck’s tires, which are manufactured to support an already high amount of friction based on the high speeds trucks travel with on the road.

It is no surprise then that high friction and heat, along with other factors including overweight loads and deflation, leads to tire problems, especially blowouts.

When a tire blows out, it causes a truck to lose control, which in return, can lead to accidents and fatalities.  In fact, between 2005 and 2009, 116,000 Americans nationwide were injured, along with an additional 3,400 fatalities due to tire related accidents (http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=266043&type=newswires).

Tire manufacturers are quick to pinpoint the carrier for neglecting to inspect the truck’s tires before departure, which is the case a lot of time.  In fact, “only one in seven properly checks their tire pressure,” often choosing to ignore maintenance due to costs, insurancenewsnet.com notes.

Road Scholar Transport never slacks when it comes to safety, conducting pre-trip and post-trip inspections on all trucks.  Our drivers routinely check items such as tires, wheels, lights, brakes, the engine, and mirrors, reporting any problem to the safety department so as to get it repaired before they go on the road.  Road Scholar’s maintenance team is so qualified that in over 22 years in business, we have never been cited for a piece of faulty equipment!

But what happens if your tire blows out beyond your control?  Do you step on the brake?  Do you immediately take your foot off the accelerator?  The answer to these is no.

Below is a video featuring Benny Parsons, NASCAR racing champion, demonstrating 7 principles in maintaining control of your rig or vehicle in air loss situations:

blowout

On a scale of 1 to 5, how important is it for your freight to be onboard a carrier who does routine inspections?

want a safe carrier

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Trucking Industry News | Comments Off

Have You Seen Your Carrier’s Safety Record?

Monday, June 6th, 2011
chemical spill

chemical spill

Every time you ship a product, your reputation and brand equity is at risk.  Food/beverage, pharmaceutical, and chemical companies face consumer health concerns each time their freight is placed within a trailer.  Hazardous spills can result in the release of toxic chemicals into the air as well as onto the ground, posing a risk for those who inhale the compounds.  Food and pharmaceutical companies face improper transportation conditions necessary for the products to remain fresh up until delivery as well as the reselling of their products after a theft.  In these cases, products face contamination issues and pose harmful risks to consumers who unknowingly ingest these products.

When tainted products hit the markets, whether through theft or failure to be alerted of transportation conditions, the FDA and manufacturers are prompted to issue recalls/health alerts, advertising the company’s brand name with a series of reported cases of salmonella, among other concerns.  Years of building up a reliable and trustworthy reputation can be destroyed with a single delivery.

In many cases, accidents/thefts are the result of inadequate carriers, demonstrating the importance of reviewing a trucking company’s record before placing your freight in their hands.  When trusting a 3rd party to find you the cheapest rate, you are taking the chance of shipping with some unknown carrier who may be on an alert status in one or more of the CSA’s BASIC categories.  This not only puts your freight at risk, but poses a danger to everyone else on the road.  Do you want your freight onboard a carrier that just caused a major accident due to improperly maintained equipment or reckless driving?

The CSA 2010’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores a carrier and driver’s safety performance in seven BASIC categories, placing those who pose as a risk on “alert” status.  Ranking from 0-100 (100 being the worst), the CSA 2010 has changed the scoring of deficiency from 75 and above to a lower number based on whether the carrier is a passenger, Hazmat Certified, or Other-which includes most trucking carriers.  Scoring reflects a carrier’s BASIC scores compared to other carriers in their group.  The categories are as follows (provided by http://www.carrier411.com/csa2010.cfm):

-Unsafe Driving:  This category includes reckless driving, inattentiveness, speeding, failure to use a seatbelt, among others.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥50 (passenger), ≥60 (HazMat), or ≥65 (Other).

Road Scholar Transport, a HazMat certified asset-based carrier, received a very low score of 9.3% in this category due to its safe drivers.  (If you’re a qualified driver, Road Scholar wants to hear from you.  Apply today at http://www.roadscholar.com/employment.php).

-Fatigued Driving (Hours of Service):  This category includes violations against the current HOS rules such as surpassing the 11-hour allowed driving time, log violations, and driving after being placed out-of-service, among others.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥50 (passenger), ≥60 (HazMat), or ≥65 (Other).

Road Scholar, once again, scored lower than the 60% category with 49.2%.

-Driver Fitness:  This category includes those drivers who are unqualified, does not meet medical qualifications, and improper endorsements on CDL, among others.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥65 (passenger), ≥75 (HazMat), or ≥80 (Other).

Road Scholar’s drivers are continuously being educated to ensure their competence and your safety on the road, receiving an inconclusive score in this category.

-Controlled Substances/Alcohol:  This category includes those drivers who are under the influence or in possession of drugs and alcohol.  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥65 (passenger), ≥75 (HazMat), or ≥80 (Other).

In this category, Road Scholar received NO violations due to responsible drivers and routine drug tests.  You can’t get better than that.

-Vehicle Maintenance:  This category includes improper truck maintenance (Defective lights, windshield wipers, and brakes, flat tires, etc.).  To be placed on an “alert” status, a carrier must receive a score of ≥65 (passenger), ≥75 (HazMat), or ≥80 (Other).

maintenance staff

With an “alert” status being 75% or greater, Road Scholar scored in at 36.5%.   This score reflects daily maintenance procedures, newer equipment models, and pre/post-trip inspections conducted by Road Scholar staff.

The final two BASIC categories (Cargo-Related and Crash-Indicator) are not available to the public.

So the next time you ship a product, think about your company’s reputation before you put your freight onboard an unknown carrier and go to www.roadscholar.com to get your LTL and truckload rate.

Would you ship with a company who has a series of alerts out on them?

want a safe carrier

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Company News, LTL freight, Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off

Bendix Announces New, Lighter Brake

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

You spoke and they responded.Bendix

According to Gary Ganaway of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB), consumers stated concerns of “added weight from recent emissions changes, an influx of less robust service parts from off-shore, as well as greater enforcement targeted at improved safety and proper maintenance” and that’s just what Bendix sought out to resolve (http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2011/1/20/BendixlaunchesBendixEverSurespringbrake.aspx).

Bendix has created the EverSure double-diaphragm spring brake with No Touch technology.

The brake comes with two main benefits: its light weight and no touch capability.

As an article in The Trucker notes, when compared to other spring brakes on the market, the EverSure spring brake is the lightest, weighing over two pounds less.

What does this weight reduction mean?  According to the site, lighter weight means “the ability to carry increased payload and improved fuel efficiency,” as well as “the best vibration resistance in the industry” that helps “prolong the life of the spring brake and supporting components.”

The EverSure spring brake also eliminates “contact between compressed power spring coils allowing the protective coating to remain intact and resulting in significantly better corrosion resistance than competitive products,” the article notes.

Along with its lighter weight and No Touch technology, the EverSure brake is safe, demonstrating its ability to sustain corrosion twice as long as other spring brakes.

Road Scholar Transport is concerned about safety, which is why we are equipping a new brake system that will decrease the average stopping distance of a truck traveling at 60 mph from 355 feet to 250 feet or less.

Another equipment Road Scholar Transport is incorporating is anti-crash technology, which is actually a radar system so if we see the closing distance of our truck coming up upon another object stopped or moving more slowly, the ECM (Electronic Control Module) will automatically start reducing fuel, engaging the engine brakes and the foundation brakes if necessary to bring it to a stop.

Read more about Road Scholar Transport’s technology at www.roadscholar.com.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Services, Trucking Industry News | Comments Off