Technology Briefs - April 11 - April 17
- Maverick to Install Eaton’s Vorad System
- Illinois Testing Ethanol-Diesel
- IEEE Working to Establish Crash Data Standards
- Delphi Unveils New Commercial Vehicle Battery
- UPS Wants to Expand Logistics Business
- Satellite Radio Companies Concerned About Interference
- Hawaii Ends Anti-Speeder Camera Use
- Virginia Bridge Being Outfitted With Monitoring Gear
- Illinois Testing Ethanol-Diesel
Maverick to Install Eaton’s Vorad System
Flatbed trucking firm Maverick Transportation said Tuesday that it is installing Eaton Vorad ORAD EVT-300 Collision Warning Systems on its entire fleet of more than 750 tractors.The system includes forward and side radar sensors, which can detect objects and vehicles. In-cab display units with warning lights and audible tones are used to warn the driver of the presence of these objects.
After testing Vorad for nearly eight months, the Little Rock, Ark.-based company said it can reduce the frequency and severity of accidents by giving drivers extra warning time. It also will help lower insurance costs, the company said in a release.
Maverick said the installation process should be completed by the end of the year and will be included on all new truck orders. Transport Topics
Illinois Testing Ethanol-Diesel
Researchers at the University of Illinois are working with an experimental fuel that blends corn-based ethanol with diesel, the Associated Press reported Monday.The fuel, dubbed E diesel, is being tested at two farms in the state in the hope that it proves to be durable, cost-effective and more environmentally sensitive than conventional diesel fuel, the AP said.
One of the other long-term goals for the project is to get E diesel on the market in large quantities, thus expanding the demand for ethanol and providing more revenue for farmers, the AP said.
Initial estimates show that E diesel would likely cost between 5 and 15 cents more per gallon than conventional fuel, the AP reported. Transport Topics
IEEE Working to Establish Crash Data Standards
The lack of uniform scientific crash data has led the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association to try and establish a universal standard for motor vehicle data recorders, the group said Monday.The recorders, or “black boxes,” would create a standard way to measure event data, similar to the system currently employed on aircraft.
Observers say that such information could help prevent future crashes.
The standards will establish what the recorder will measure, likely to be information like speed, date, time, location, heading, seat belt usage and number of passengers. The standards will also define how that information is tabulated, obtained and transmitted. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
Delphi Unveils New Commercial Vehicle Battery
Vehicle parts maker Delphi Corp. said Monday it is debuting a new line of long-lasting batteries for commercial vehicles.Called the Delphi Freedom Extra Battery, it utilizes gas recombinant technology to extend the life of the company’s batteries and provide packaging flexibility for commercial vehicles. The battery is designed to last twice as long as conventional batteries.
Delphi’s press release said the battery is unique because there is no free liquid (or electrolyte agitating) in the battery. The electrolyte is absorbed by the glass mat, similar to a sponge absorbing liquid. This creates a leak- and spill-proof design that can be mounted essentially in any orientation anywhere within the vehicle. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
UPS Wants to Expand Logistics Business
United Parcel Service plans to expand its logistics business in Europe and boost sales through acquisitions, the German newspaper Handelsblatt reported Sunday.Joseph Pyne, the logistics chief of UPS, said he is aiming for 30% annual growth in the sales revenue of the group for 2002.
UPS recently bought U.S. logistics company Fritz and German company Uni-Data, but Pyne denied reports that the company is interested in buying Stinnes AG and Schenker AG.
Based in Atlanta, UPS is ranked No. 1 in the 2000-2001 Transport Topics 100 list of the 100 largest trucking companies in the United States. Transport Topics
Satellite Radio Companies Concerned About Interference
XM Satellite Radio Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. say they are worried that wireless Internet signals will interfere with their national radio service, the Washington Post reported Thursday.Satellite radio services are gaining popularity among truck drivers. XM has one broadcast channel directed specifically at long-haul truckers.
Wireless Internet technology, known as wireless fidelity, or wi-fi, uses signals that are close to XM and Sirius on the radio signal spectrum. The two companies are afraid that because of this, subscribers may be interrupted by wi-fi devices like laptop computes, personal digital assistants and cell phones with Internet access, the Post reported.
XM and Sirius have appealed to the Federal Communications Commission to require the wi-fi companies to either lower power output or add filtering equipment. An XM official told the Post he is "confident" that the FCC won't allow wi-fi interference to become a problem. Transport Topics
Hawaii Ends Anti-Speeder Camera Use
Hawaii Gov. Benjamin Cayetano ordered a halt to the use of van-mounted cameras to catch speeders in that state, the Associated Press reported April 10.The House voted to discontinue to the use of the cameras because of their limited effectiveness and unpopularity with drivers.
Armed with a camera and radar, the privately operated vans captured the license plate of a speeding car, then arranged for a ticket to be mailed to the vehicle's owner, similar to cameras that ticket drivers who run red lights, the AP said.
Mockingly referred to as "talivans," drivers tried to beat the cameras with license plate covers, while cell phone users frequently called radio shows to reveal the location of the vans. Transport Topics
Virginia Bridge Being Outfitted With Monitoring Gear
The new bridge being built at the intersection of U.S. 29 and U.S. 460 in Lynchburg, Va. is being outfitted with experimental monitoring equipment that will provide officials with ongoing information on its structural integrity, the Associated Press reported April 9.Virginia Technologies Inc. donated four computerized instruments to be built inside the structure of the bridge. They will measure conditions in the concrete of the bridge's deck and keep track of the rusting of the reinforcement steel, the AP said.
The system is designed to monitor the bridge's structural health, which could lead to significant savings if problems are found and fixed before they become critical.
The National Research Council estimated that the cost of repairing aging U.S. bridges is about $20 billion. That figure increases by about $500 million each year, the NRC said. Transport Topics
