Mahle Clevite Inc. announced the ISO9001:2000 certification of its master distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss. The certification recognizes Mahle Clevite’s quality management system in areas of packaging and distribution of aftermarket engine parts, including ring set assembly operations.

Mahle Clevite received ISO9001:2000 certification for packaging and distribution of aftermarket engine parts in August. Most recently, Mahle Clevite increased its certification to include piston ring set assembly operations for conformance to the ISO requirements.

“It takes a true team effort to accomplish a goal of this magnitude,” says Rhiannon Brown, plant quality manager for Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Mahle Clevite. “From the commitment of upper management to the efforts of the operators and packers out in the warehouse, each individual contributed to the success of this program. We are all committed to providing quality products and service to our customers, which is embodied in our quality certification.”

Don Sitter, Mahle Clevite quality and aftermarket engineering manager, says that now that the company’s Olive Branch master distribution center is fully certified, the company plans to register all other NAFTA locations in the Mahle aftermarket to the same standards.

Clevite

MAHLE Clevite has been involved in the Heavy Duty aftermarket now for over 50 years and offers a wide range of replacement parts for Heavy Duty engines found in Agriculture, Construction, Trucking, Marine and Oil Field operations.

Click Here for more information about Clevite!

Drive and Deliver

In Drive and Deliver, brought to you by International Truck, Academy Award-nominated director Brett Morgen journeys into your world, and over far reaches of open road, where the realities of family, business and brotherhood converge into one inspiring story. Click on the banner above to get your copy of the DVD.

Stanley Proto says its utility carts are designed for technicians who have to move tools around a large area. The heavy-duty model (46 inches high, 39 inches long and 23 inches wide) is actually a cart, rolling toolbox and workstation all rolled into one, according to the company; it includes a lift lid with a rigid vinyl top that serves as a 900-square-inch work surface when closed. Oil-filled shocks facilitate smooth operation when the lid is being opened and closed to access the tools within.

The lid is attached to ball-bearing slides and can slide backward to reveal a two-tier tool storage compartment: a shallow upper shelf for wrenches and other hand tools, and a deep lower shelf for bulkier items. A row of slots on the side and at the rear of the compartment can secure long items,including screwdrivers, socket extensions and pry bars. The storage area is completed by two 23/4 in. deep drawers and one deep 6-inch drawer, both of which open or close on 100-pound ball-bearing slides. The cart also has a fixed bottom shelf for storage of large or seldom used items. The drawers and the lid are locked by a single barrel lock at the front of the cart to help protect tools and parts when not in use.

The standard-duty model (38 inches high, 37 inches long and 20 inches wide) is a basic two-shelf utility cart that includes double-layer corner posts to facilitate added strength, as well as a split handle designed to allow for multiple gripping angles. For more information, go to www.stanleyproto.com.

The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 3.0 percent in October, marking the fourth consecutive month-to-month drop. The index fell 0.8 percent in September and 1.9 percent in August, ATA announced Monday, Nov. 24.

In October, the seasonally adjusted tonnage index equaled 108.9, its lowest level since October 2003. The not-seasonally adjusted index increased 3.4 percent to 119.9 in October. The seasonally adjusted index declined 1.8 percent compared with October 2007.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello says that truck tonnage is down a total of 6.3 percent over the last four months, highlighting the current poor state of the U.S. economy. “October should be the busiest month of the year, but instead this October was a fizzle,” Costello says. October is typically a busy month for motor carriers, as retailers begin to take delivery of products for the holiday season. “The latest truck tonnage drop suggests that retailers are very pessimistic for the holiday sales season,” Costello says.

Costello notes that there has been a leveling off of the traditional fall freight season for trucking companies in recent years, where more freight is delivered in November and December, but that this October particularly was weak due to the economic recession. “The cumulative drop in truck tonnage over the last four months suggests that the economy is likely to contract substantially in the fourth quarter, at least 3 percent,” he says.

ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons and key financial indicators. The baseline year is 2000.

Clevite

MAHLE Clevite has been involved in the Heavy Duty aftermarket now for over 50 years and offers a wide range of replacement parts for Heavy Duty engines found in Agriculture, Construction, Trucking, Marine and Oil Field operations.

Click Here for more information about Clevite!

Drive and Deliver

In Drive and Deliver, brought to you by International Truck, Academy Award-nominated director Brett Morgen journeys into your world, and over far reaches of open road, where the realities of family, business and brotherhood converge into one inspiring story. Click on the banner above to get your copy of the DVD.

Waytek says its DIN rails are designed for mounting various electrical components, including terminal blocks, relays and circuit breakers. Offered in aluminum or steel, the DIN rails are corrosion-resistant and one meter in length, according to the company.

The aluminum DIN rail is designed for humid environments and rated to resist corrosion and salt spray. The company says the steel DIN rail is treated with a white passivation process to provide more than double the corrosion resistance of traditional treatments.

For more information, go to www.waytekwire.com.

Haldex says its Consep is a low-maintenance air pre-treatment condenser/separator designed for a variety of OE applications. When factory-installed or retrofitted in a vehicle’s air brake system, the Consep condenses, separates and removes up to 90 percent of the oils, liquids and other contaminants, while treating flow rates of more than 30 SCFM, according to the company; when installed properly, the Consep reduces corrosion and possible failure of air brake system components caused by contamination, and significantly increases the air dryer desiccant life.

The integrated automatic drain valve is designed so that it does not require monthly maintenance; it either purges contaminants with each brake service application, or it can be controlled independently by timer relay. The heated drain valve in the Consep can be installed in various configurations to meet a wide range of vehicle applications, Haldex says.

Mounted between the air compressor and the air dryer, the compact Consep requires little maintenance during its long service life, according to Haldex, which has made servicing the Consep even easier by offering upper and lower service kits. One kit is designed specifically for the upper portion, while the other kit is designed for the lower portion, helping to eliminate shop maintenance time.

For more information, go to www.haldex.com.

Penske Truck Leasing announced Tuesday, Nov. 25, that it now offers new warranty and financing options for used light-, medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles in collaboration with National Truck Protection and netLoan Funding.

Penske says it now offers extensive one-year 100,000-mile and two-year 200,000-mile warranty protection options on used equipment through its relationship with NTP, an independent provider of extended warranties. Both plans include NTP’s comprehensive platinum coverage.

“NTP is extremely pleased to develop this partnership with Penske,” says Robert Amico, president of NTP. “Their decision to provide NTP service agreements further demonstrates their commitment to customer satisfaction and quality, by making available the highest-quality warranty coverage available, on top of the superior maintenance and overall condition of Penske vehicles.”

Penske also teamed with netLoan Funding to facilitate faster, easier and more convenient used truck financing. When purchasing a used Penske truck, netLoan says it does all the groundwork and researches a variety of finance options, all done online within 24 hours.

“Building on our experience as a preferred provider of multiple funding options for eBay Motors, netLoan is in a unique position to understand and address the needs of Penske customers in this challenging credit environment,” says Richard Fleisher, managing director of netLoan Funding. “Coupling netLoan’s experience with Penske’s extensive inventory of used commercial vehicles is a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Penske’s inventory of more than 4,000 used commercial vehicles and financing and warranty information are available at www.penskeusedtrucks.com. Vehicles available for purchase include commercial semi-tractors, box trucks, flatbeds, refrigerated trucks, bucket trucks, semi-trailers, refrigerated trailers, crane trucks, buses, vans and more.

“We’re pleased to make these new options available to our customers,” says Jack Mitchell, vice president of remarketing for Penske Truck Leasing, based in Reading, Pa. “This will make it even easier for customers to purchase, finance and get the most satisfaction from their vehicles.”

The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors on Thursday, Nov. 20, approved a plan to raise tolls on trucks by 60 percent. The toll increase for trucks will be phased in over 2015-2017. Beginning in 2018, tolls for trucks will be tied to the Consumer Price Index.

The approval for the toll increase for trucks comes four years after the Tollway increased truck tolls by as much as 300 percent, according to the Mid-West Truckers Association. Meanwhile, an increase for tolls on automobiles was not proposed by the Tollway. The last time the Tollway increased tolls on cars was in 1983, MTA says. MTA opposed the Tollway’s plan to place a toll increase entirely on the trucking industry and then raise truck tolls every year at the rate of CPI.

Other components to the Tollway’s plan include a new I-294/I-57 interchange and upgrading the I-290/State Route 53 interchange. In addition, the Tollway plans to convert existing highway lanes into “Green” lanes that would be accessible to carpoolers and “environmentally friendly vehicles.” However, the Tollway does not know yet how this plan would work or how much they will charge for use of the “Green” lanes, MTA says.

Actron says its IR Thermometer PRO noncontact temperature reader safely measures surface temperatures of hot, hazardous or hard-to-reach objects, and is suited for a variety of applications, including automotive, electrical, HVAC/R and industrial use. Technicians can use the device to detect overheating electrical components, pinpoint radiator core restrictions and read the temperature of exhaust systems, electronics, cylinder heads, catalytic converters, heating and cooling systems, radiators, air-conditioning systems and brakes.

According to the company, simply aim the laser pointer at the target, press a button and read the temperature display; the IR Thermometer PRO utilizes an optical lens to provide accurate measurements over wide temperature ranges and features S.O.C. (system-on-chip) technology, which allows a complete IR design to be incorporated on a single chip, providing a lightweight unit that weighs only .5 pounds.

Actron says the infrared thermometer measures temperature by sensing the magnitude of radiated energy at infrared frequencies; using this data and the actual temperature of the detector, the thermometer calculates the temperature of the surface that emitted the energy. For more information, go to www.actron.com.