The day before the official opening of the American Trucking
Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council annual conference is always
dedicated to new product and service announcements. In a series of press
conferences on Sunday in Atlanta, companies introduced themselves and their
latest offerings to the press.
FreightWaves will break out several of these new products
over the coming days, but here is a brief roundup of some of the other
offerings introducing, including products from Alcoa Wheels, Mitchell 1,
FlowBelow and Snap-on.
Mitchell 1
Mitchell 1 has added interactive wiring
diagrams to its TruckSeries truck repair software. The
new feature is designed to improve efficiency for technicians, said Ben
Johnson, director of product management for Mitchell 1.
“We exist to make those guys jobs easier. We exist to make
them relevant,” he said, noting the increasing number of electrical components
on vehicles, a trend that is only expected to grow.
Interactive wiring diagrams allow technicians to access component
repair information directly from inside the wiring diagrams without having to
initiate a secondary search.
While
viewing a wiring diagram, technicians can click on any component within the
diagram to see a pop-up menu with selections to learn more about
specifications, component location, connector views, guided component tests, and
more. There is no need to exit the wiring diagram to find related information
needed to diagnose the issue, the company said.
“We
think with the complexity these systems are facing, technicians are going to
challenged,” Johnson said. “As this complexity comes to our vehicles, we believe
these interactive diagrams are going to become [important].”
Johnson
said that no tests on a time savings have been conducted, but it would “not
surprise me to see a 20- to 30-minute savings.”
Cojali USA improves test offerings
Cojali USA unveiled new
innovations to its Jaltest Diagnostics, an all-makes diagnostics tool, and new
solutions within its Jaltest Telematics offerings.
The
first product is the Jaltest V9 diagnostic hardware. Lighter than previous
versions with faster connection rates, the V9 comes with OBD/9-pin connectors.
It has four CAN channels with integrated bluetooth antenna and double the RAM
capacity of older devices.
The
company has updated its Jaltest software with version 20.1. The all-makes
diagnostics tool has a new design with improved, customizable user interface
and includes coverage across 260 brands, 6,866 models, 53,910 systems, 50,182
functionalities and over 480,000 fault codes.
Also
introduced was the Jaltest T-Vod. A plug-and-play installation product, the
T-Vod controls vehicle measurements in real time and allows users to adjust the
dashboard to maximize data reading. Through it, users can launch diesel
particular filter (DPF) regenerations and DPF resets remotely. Future features
include possible upgrades to enable ELDs and other telematics-based solutions.
Finally,
Cojali announced a new OEM Solutions business line. This new line will work and
develop products specifically for original equipment manufacturers, including
diagnostics and telematics, cooling systems, electronics and big data
solutions.
Snap-On enhances diagnostic tool
Snap-On’s
Nexiq brand announced enhancements to its eTechnician tool. The PC-based
application, first launched in 2015, has been used primarily by large fleets to
manage warranty repair. It is now ideal for fleets of all sizes, the company said.
Version
2.0 of eTechnician includes a clouded vehicle history that lets a technician to
retrieve test results, component details, technician’s notes, recordings and
life/trip data from anywhere.
The
new version also adds proprietary original equipment manufacturer data and
features engine data for Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar, International,
Navistar MaxxForce, Hino, Volvo/Mack, Paccar and light and medium trucks. It
also includes transmission data.
New
bi-directional support allows Nexiq to perform 90% of OEM tests remotely. Color-coded
identification helps technicians diagnose DPF regeneration status.
Snap-On
also reviewed its recently released Pro-Link Edge diagnostic tool. The handheld
tool includes a 10-inch display, simplified navigation, expanded protocols for
enhanced vehicle coverage, full proprietary diagnostic code descriptions and
improved vehicle connectivity speed and vehicle history. There is no
subscription required. It integrates with Mitchell 1’s RepairConnect.
FlowBelow Aero now a factory option on Volvo trucks
FlowBelow’s Tractor AeroKit
aerodynamic system is now a factory option for Volvo Trucks North America
vehicles. The AeroKit, which includes wheel covers and drive wheel fairings,
has been shown to deliver up to 2.23% in fuel saving based on third-party SAE
J1321 fuel economy testing using EPA SmartWay guidelines, the company said.
The
factory-installed option means that FlowBelow products can be installed on
Volvo trucks at the factory or in the aftermarket, where they have been
available since 2017 as part of Volvo’s Direct Ship program.
FlowBelow
worked with Volvo’s engineers to develop a custom mounting system for the drive
wheel fairings. The fairings are part of Volvo’s Xceed fuel efficiency package.
The
company also said its products have been added to the Alliance Parts catalog.
These include first-fit drive wheel fairings, and wheel covers for Daimler’s Freightliner
and Western Star models, as well as all-makes FlowBelow replacement and
retrofit parts.
“We
want to make sure our products are available [for new vehicles], but also
available for existing products so customers can bring them up to new-truck
specs,” Gordon Virginski, vice president of OEM and dealer programs for
FlowBelow, said.
In
December, Richard Ruebusch took over as CEO. Ruebusch has spent 15 years in automotive
businesses and 10 years in private equity. He has 15 years of CEO experience
prior to joining FlowBelow.
“Rick’s
unique mix of experience in finance, sales, marketing and international
operations adds great value to FlowBelow and aligns perfectly with our future
objectives,” Josh Butler, president and founder, said in a statement.
Alcoa Wheels
Alcoa Wheels introduced a new
39-pound wheel in its Ultra One line. The ULT39 is a 22.5-inch by 8.25-inch
aluminum wheel and is the company’s lightest heavy-duty truck wheel.
“This is quite possibility the strongest wheel we’ve ever
made, and it’s the lightest wheel we’ve ever made,” Mike Baird, director of
engineering, said.
The wheel features a “classic look” with 34% larger
handholes for easier valve stem access compared to competitive products, and
Alcoa’s patent-pending Hub Bore technology.
The Hub Bore technology reduces the hub-to-wheel contact
area by up to 64% versus other aluminum wheels on the market, leaving less
surface area for corrosion to form, Alcoa said. Corrosion leads to wheels,
especially inside wheels, sticking to the vehicle, making it difficult to
remove the wheel. The introduction of Hub Bore technology leads to faster,
easier and safer wheel removal; increased productivity and overall job
efficiency for the technician; and lower total cost of ownership, the company
said.
It is available for all major truck OEMs and available in three
finishes: high polish with reflective finish and high-gloss levels, and mirror
polish with the highest level of gloss and reflectivity. It is also available
with Alcoa’s Dura-Bright and Dura-Black surface treatments.
“Aesthetically, it is identical to the wheel it is
replacing,” Baird said, noting that this allows the wheel to be mixed and
matched with existing wheels already on fleet trucks.
The wheel is now in production. Baird said anyone that has a
truck in production that is spec’d with the previous version of the Ultra One
wheel will be upgraded to the new ULT39. The phase-in process will occur over
the next two months.
Alcoa also announced the launch of the Behind the Wheels
podcast. Hosted by Alcoa Wheels’ Doug Mason, Dave Walters, and Mike Yagley, the
30-minute show talks about heavy truck and medium duty axle ends.
The first episode highlights the topic of wheel-offs. Titled
Behind The Wheels: Industry’s Darkest Secret, the episode features conversation
on why wheel-offs occur and how they can be prevented.
Behind The Wheels is available to listen at
alcoawheels.com/podcast, iTunes, Spotify and Google.
Tech-Celerate Now announced
ATA
announced the Tech-Celerate
Now program, which will provide education and research into advanced
driver assistance systems (ADAS) and a return-on-investment calculator.
The
program, a collaboration between the American Trucking Associations, ATA’s
Technology and Maintenance Council, the American Transportation Research
Institute, and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, is a
two-year effort aimed at trucks over 10,000 pounds. The group is working with
the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration which is funding the program.
The
program initially is focused on four technologies: driver facing cameras, air
disc brakes, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. These
four technologies were chosen because they are the most widely used
technologies on trucks that are not regulated, Ross Froat, director of
engineering and information technology for ATA, said. Additional technologies,
though, will be part of the program.
Tech-Celerate
Now will include industry outreach, ATA marketing, regulatory and legislative
roles, ADAS adoption committee assisting from vendor side, ATA/TMC educational
sessions and reports among other efforts. There will also be a road show at
industry events this year. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute will be
producing research reports on ADAS.
“We
are going to educate fleets on these technologies as best as possible,”
