Author: Erica Burke

Kenworth has announced exterior and interior enhancements to its K270 and K370 models. The Kenworth K270 Class 6 and K370 Class 7 cabovers are ideal for city and neighborhood applications where tight turning and a shorter overall length are required. Available with wheelbases ranging from 142 to 242 inches in 12-inch increments, the K270 and K370 can accommodate bodies from 16 to 28 feet. A large 2,500-square-inch wraparound windshield combines with large side windows to give optimum visibility. Powered by the 6.7-liter PACCAR PX-7 engine – which has power ratings from 200 to 250 horsepower, and up to 660 foot-pounds of torque – the Kenworth cabovers are now available with a six-speed Allison transmission, joining a five-speed transmission already available. www.kenworth.com

Reading’s Aluminum Classic Service Van (CSV) utilizes the same quality and design principles that have made the Classic II Service Body the industry’s most popular body in its class. The CSV boasts a weight-saving, high-strength alloy aluminum shell and a rugged corrosion-resistant understructure. It is 50 percent lighter than steel, and offers impressive fuel savings and a greater payload capacity. It also contains many outstanding standard features designed to increase productivity and organize materials and equipment, and provides increased security without adding cost. www.readingbody.com

Mack Trucks is making business easier for body builders by making its Body Builder Manuals available as free downloads from www.macktrucks.com. The documents, found under the “Parts and Service” tab of the website, offer general chassis information for Mack models, including the Mack Pinnacle, Mack Granite and Mack TerraPro models, built from 2010 through the present. Additional electrical and programming documents have been added for 2013 and beyond, and are separately listed. Included in the PDF downloads are online service and parts information, service bulletins, legacy information and a listing of Mack Trucks Academy online offerings. www.macktrucks.com

Ford has announced the C-MAX Solar Energi Concept, a first-of-its-kind sun-powered vehicle with the potential to deliver the best of what a plug-in hybrid offers – without depending on the electric grid for fuel. Instead of powering its battery from an electrical outlet, Ford C-MAX Solar harnesses the power of the sun by using a special concentrator that acts like a magnifying glass, directing intense rays to solar panels on the vehicle roof. The result is a concept vehicle that takes a day’s worth of sunlight to deliver the same performance as the conventional C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid, which draws its power from the electric grid. Ford C-MAX Energi gets a combined best miles per gallon equivalent in its class, with EPA-estimated 108 mpg equivalent city and 92 mpg equivalent highway, for a combined 100 mpg equivalent. By using renewable power, Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is estimated to reduce the annual greenhouse gas emissions a typical owner would produce by four metric tons. C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is a collaborative project of Ford, San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower Corp. and Atlanta-based Georgia Institute of Technology. www.ford.com

Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies has released the Load’N’Go ST-2000 model, a secure, steel service body that is light enough for half-ton pickup trucks such as the Ram 1500, Silverado Sierra and Toyota Tundra. Half-ton trucks now provide the towing capacity and horsepower of their heavy-duty counterparts with the added benefit of better fuel economy. Features on the Load’N’Go ST-2000 include barn door configuration with double panel doors for easy access to supplies; solid fixed top that provides added security for expensive cargo and tools; and a durable spray-in bed liner that adds to a heavy-duty floor. www.fleetwest.net

Western Star Truck Sales Inc. has announced the availability of its 4800SB all-wheel drive (AWD) model in an 8×8 axle configuration. Suited for demanding utility, construction, government and refuse applications, the 4800SB 8×8 AWD is equipped with a two-speed transfer case that promotes excellent gradeability and is ideal for low- and high-speed operations. Spec’d with a 57,000-pound tridem rear and a 23,000-pound front axle, the 4800SB 8×8 AWD is ideal for customers operating digger derricks and other specialized heavy equipment. Additionally, the transfer case is equipped with integral air shift controls for front axle engagement and features helical gears with constant mesh to minimize operating noise. www.westernstar.com

As industry-wide interest in e-logs grows stronger, more state trucking associations are endorsing the J. J. Keller Encompass e-log and fleet management system. Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina and Rhode Island are the most recent state trucking associations to endorse Encompass to their members, in addition to the 32 associations that have already done so. Encompass offers fleets unprecedented flexibility, with the option of using drivers’ iPhone, iPad, or Android mobile devices, using the all-inclusive J. J. Compliance Tablet, or any combination of devices. www.jjkellerencompass.com

Doosan Portable Power and Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America recently integrated technologies that provide unmatched mobile generator performance and reliability in cold weather and extreme arctic conditions. The Webasto engine preheat system will now be offered as a factory-fit option available on the full line of Doosan generators. The system design includes a Webasto Thermo 90 ST fuel-operated coolant heater, seven-day programmable timer and Arctic Fox fuel warmer. The timer controls the engine preheat system, allowing users to schedule remote start-up of the machine up to seven days out. Users will no longer lose job site productivity waiting for engine heat-up. The programmable system preheats the engine so the generator is ready to provide power at the precise moment it’s needed. www.doosanportablepower.com, www.webasto.com

Warner Bodies has introduced the Select II service body, which features Warner’s radically new FlushFinish door system. The Select II concept is the result of extensive qualitative research conducted with end users and distribution channel partners who identified service body doors as the primary source of corrosion, theft and maintenance problems. When closed, the doors on the new Select II are entirely flush with the body panels and don’t overlap. Recessed doorjambs, polymer seals, water management systems and drains have all been redesigned for optimal performance. www.warnerbodies.com

Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. has instituted a battery maintenance management program (BMMP) created by PulseTech Products Corp. Progressive Waste Solutions’ implementation of the BMMP will improve both the performance and life extension of its waste truck fleet batteries while minimizing the impact of dead batteries on the environment. According to PulseTech Products, Progressive Waste Solutions has purchased multiple diagnostic, corrective, and preventive battery tool kits to use on fleets servicing commercial, industrial, municipal, and residential customers in 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. www.pulsetech.net