People In The News
Following are personnel changes that recently occurred in the trucking industry.
- Perry Bahr assumed duties as vice president and general manager of Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems, succeeding Gary Gerstenslager, the newly-appointed president and COO of Hendrickson. Bahr promoted Roger Hatten to director of operations for the trailer division and named Dave Armold plant manager of the company’s Lebanon, IN, facility.
- Jeff Peterson of The Holland Group, Inc., was promoted to manager of global marketing services.
- Mike Taliaferro has returned to DST Inc. as vice president of product engineering.
- Penray’s Tina Pawelczak has been promoted to marketing manager. Howard Laga, also of Penray, was promoted to vice president and general manager.
- Karmak Inc. selected Greg Holcomb as its new director of customer services and Brad Ambuel to succeed him as manager of sales services.
- Affinia’s Robert Gracey will serve on the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network’s (CVSN) education committee. Gracey is the senior vice president, sales, for Affinia Under Vehicle Group. CVSN also elected Wayne Keller of Keller Truck Parts, Baltimore, and Don Reimondo, The Affinia Group, to serve on its board of directors.
- Horton, Inc. appointed Neal Shawaluk to the position of director of sales, off-highway, industrial and specialty markets.
- Dominic Grote, vice president of sales and marketing, Grote Industries, received the annual Northwood University Aftermarket Management Education Award, established to recognize individuals in the aftermarket industry who have made noteworthy contributions to public or private education.
- Thermo King Corp. named Craig Fisher director of marketing. He will continue his duties as director of dealer development until a successor is named.
Company Celebrates Finalist Status
Webasto was named one of 22 finalists in the 2007 Automotive News Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence (PACE) award competition that recognizes product and business innovation among suppliers that contribute products, processes, materials or services directly to the manufacturers of cars or trucks.
Automotive News selected Webasto’s Glass ProTec vehicle roof panel technology for consideration. The product is a glass-plastic composite that combines characteristics of tempered and laminated glass. It provides high-flexural strength with rigidity, thin design, light weight, high safety performance, good weathering, scratch chemical resistance and high optical quality, according to Webasto.
The company and other finalists will undergo a review process by industry, academic and business leaders to select award winners. The PACE award recipients will be announced during the Society of Automotive Engineers conference in April.
New Courses Offered
Chevron’s Lubricants University, an educational web site, has made three new courses available, Automotive Gear Lubrication, Automotive Grease and Industrial Grease.
Automotive Gear Lubrication provides information on gear case lubrication and maintenance in order to increase understanding of automotive gear types, specific gear lubricants and operation.
The course, Automotive Grease, explains how grease products differ in performance, base oil, additives and thickener types. Industrial Grease covers the appropriate quantity, regreasing intervals and product selection for lubrication in industrial applications.
All courses are self-study, web-based programs designed to help increase maintenance professionals’ and industrial end users’ knowledge of proper grease applications and formulations.
Two Companies Team Up To Make Tire Pressure System
Michelin North America has teamed with Meritor WABCO to introduce an integrated vehicle tire pressure monitoring system to the North American trucking industry. The system, specifically designed for commercial vehicles, has been available to the trucking industry in Europe since 2003.
The system uses an algorithm to compare information between and across axles to monitor tire pressure and warn of improper pressure and slow leaks.
It consists of external wheel-mounted modules that are connected to the tire valves with pneumatic hoses that measure and transmit tire inflation pressure data by radio frequency to an electronic control unit. The unit then transfers them to a dash-mounted display.
Company To Participate In Vehicle Design Consortium
Dana Corporation’s Commercial Vehicle Systems group has joined a new consortium with Western Michigan University’s (WMU) College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences.
WMU’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Design And Simulation (CAViDS) consortium aims to provide breakthrough computer simulation technology and knowledge to the motor vehicle industry, especially in the areas of vehicle design and analysis. Through its membership in the CAViDS consortium, Dana will participate in or sponsor research projects, test emerging technologies, gain input from faculty experts, use the consortium’s design and simulation technologies (some will be adapted to the company’s specific needs) and take advantage of WMU’s new technology training.
Technician Scholarship Awarded By TMC
Matthew Lingro of Mantua, OH, is the second recipient of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC)/WyoTech Diesel Truck Technician Scholarship.
The scholarship is part of an effort by TMC’s Professional Technician Development Committee to promote the professionalism of commercial vehicle technicians. The scholarship is for 1500 clock hours (nine months) attendance at WyoTech’s Laramie, WY, or Blairsville, PA, campus, where Lingro will attend class.
Currently, Lingro works part-time at TL Express, a TMC sponsoring company, while attending WyoTech. He was a third-place regional winner in Skills-USA’s small-engine repair competition.
Patents Awarded
Eaton Corporation was awarded several United States patents for its hybrid electric power system now commercially available through several major OEMs, according to the company.
The patents focus on controls and systems related to Eaton’s hybrid technology for commercial vehicles, such as the patented ePTO (power take-off) feature, which provides the ability to run a vehicle’s PTO while the engine is off, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions and noise by cutting down engine idle times, said the company.
New Business Unit Established
Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems established a new business unit for pneumatic, mechanical and electronic controls, including the company’s automatic tire inflation system.
According to the company, the new business unit provides a greater focus for its line of control products. It is sized to better react to customer requirements.
Transmission Agreement
Allison Transmission has reached an agreement with International Truck And Engine Corporation to make Allison the only fully-automatic transmission offering in International’s heavy- and medium-duty and severe-service models, IC Corporation bus models as well as Workhorse Custom Chassis models.
Joint Venture For Diesel Particulate Filters
DENSO Corp. and Robert Bosch have agreed to set up a 50/50 joint venture in eastern Europe to develop and manufacture diesel particulate filters (DPF).
Starting in 2009, the joint venture partners plan to manufacture high performance and cost-effective DPFs made of cordierite, and to market them separately in anticipation of a strongly growing DPF market.
