This edition of What’s New highlights new products from companies exhibiting at the 2003 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY, March 20-22. All the products reviewed here, except Ositech CellFlex, will be displayed at MATS.
Staying connected without
getting wired
The King of Hearts PC Card and the King
Of Clubs PC Card feature Ositech’s CellFlex technology, which enables
Internet, e-mail and faxing access in digital and analog cellular coverage
areas by connecting a laptop or PDA to a cell phone. The company says
CellFlex’s ease of use and wide geographic coverage make the technology
useful to truckdrivers who need online access while on the road. Sending
and receiving e-mail and faxes, paying bills online and finding loads
on the Web for return trips are examples of how wireless Internet can
help truckdrivers stay connected in business and their personal lives.
The King of Hearts Connection Kit provides a cellular plus 56k landline
modem PC card with Cell Flex technology. Listing for $199, the kit includes
the cellular modem PC Card with CellFlex, cellular cable, landline modem
cable and documentation of installation and setup. The King of Clubs
Cellular Connection Kit sells for $149 but does not include the landline
modem.
Muffles dual-exhaust trucks
Grand Rock’s Quiet Performance
mufflers are available for dual-exhaust trucks. This patented, new technology
is designed to increase fuel mileage and improve performance with no
turbo lag. Because these mufflers are designed to be as quiet as stock
mufflers, the company says they are legal in all 50 states. They install
inside Grand Rock’s long chrome stacks, eliminating the large 10-inch
mufflers. MATS booth No. 255
MATS souvenir truck
DG Productions will produce the official
2003 MATS Truck, a 1/64 scale die-cast replica of a Freightliner Century
with a 53-foot dry van. The truck featured detailed interior and chassis,
steerable front wheels, springs in all tandems, pivoting fifth wheel,
spare tire on the trailer and trailer doors that open. MATS booth No.
598
Trucker-designed winch
Hugg Manufacturing has designed Porta
Winch to be a strong, trouble-free portable tie-down device that won’t
be jammed by grit and grime. This winch fits all stake pockets, uses
standard straps and winch bars and quickly installs on either side or
both ends of the trailer without tools. Designed by owner-operator and
OOIDA member Dick Hugg, Porta Winch will work over tires, toolboxes
and stepdecks. MATS booth No. 6805
Liftable suspension designs
from Link
Link Manufacturing is introducing
DuraMax and DuraLift at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
The new DuraMax non-steer liftable suspension incorporates Link’s
patented mounting brackets that work with the Link self-steering Model
9000. DuraLift self-steering liftable suspension incorporates a lift
mechanism designed to ensure correct and consistent airspring geometry
through the full range of travel. Full production release of these units
is scheduled for April 2003. MATS booth No. 4215
KW wear at MATS
Cyrk Inc., a corporate merchandise
services firm, has designed T-shirts and caps with the Kenworth brand
for the Mid-America Trucking Show. The dragster tee is made of 100 percent
preshrunk cotton and features bright flames on both sleeves and a Kenworth
hood ornament logo on the left side of the chest. Shirts are available
in sizes medium to 2X. The flame cap features multicolor asymmetrical
embroidered flames, mod-crown styling, stitched eyelets, a Velcro sizing
strap and the Kenworth hood ornament embroidered on the front. MATS
booth No. 3030
The truckers’ bumper
American Durabilt, a manufacturer
of stainless steel truck accessories, has created what it calls “the
truckers’ bumper.” These bumpers are built with the trucker
in mind, designed to be affordable and durable with a lifetime warranty
against rusting, chipping and peeling. The bumper’s reflective,
mirrorlike finish is intended to look like a chrome bumper but to last
much longer. The bumpers are offered
in stock sizes compatible with most models of Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner,
Western Star, International and Mack trucks. Custom bumpers can be special
ordered. And American Durabilt bumpers are recyclable. The bumpers are
sold directly to owner-operators via telephone or the Internet. MATS
booth No. 6761
How to find a stolen truck
or trailer
iNet Blue Corp. has come up with
a tracking device that allows you to locate your equipment anywhere,
anytime using satellite technoloty. Only 1 inch high, the Pigeon S Automatic
Vehicle Location device is battery operated, but can be connected to
vehicle power if necessary. With the unit attached to the top of your
truck or trailer, you can track or locate your truck or trailer through
TraXall’s Web site. You decide who sees your tracking records and
how long they are stored in your account. The Pigeon S comes with data
connectors to customize the units by adding features such as door alarm
sensors and temperature probes for refrigeration units. MATS booth No.
9115
Tire technology rolls on
Bridgestone Corp., the parent company
of Bridgestone/Firestone North America Tire, has developed a system
dubbed Aircept for its Greatec line of truck and bus radials. In 2000,
Bridgestone introduced its Greatec line of ultrawide, ultralow aspect
ratio radials to replace dual truck and bus tires with a single tire.
With just one tire instead of two, a sudden loss of air pressure would
be critical. Bridgestone addresses that issue with Aircept technology.
The Aircept unit fits around the rim inside a Greatec radial. Any sudden
loss of pressure causes the Aircept unit to expand and support the load.
Initially, the Aircept system has been available only in Europe, but
is being introduced into the U.S. market at the Mid-America Trucking
Show. Another MATS highlight for Bridgestone is its new deep-tread steer
radial for regional and short-haul operations. The R260F has a 22/32-inch
tread depth, more than 20 percent deeper than standard steer radials
and intended to produce long wear in the very high-scrub environment
of urban and regional hauling. MATS booth No. 509
