Author: Kate Wade

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium is offering a free, three-day training course designed to give automotive service technicians an in-depth look at servicing and maintaining propane-autogas-powered vehicles. The NAFTC launched the course to help fill a need for qualified technicians who can adapt, service and maintain the alternative fuel systems.

Course materials provided include a participant manual and program certificate. Instruction will mix classroom work with practical exercises and hands-on shop activities so technicians exit the course with an expansive knowledge of propane characteristics; bi-fuel, dual fuel and dedicated fuel systems; vehicle compatibility and conversion; system components; and personnel and shop safety.

Training is offered at Oklahoma City Community College April 25 to 27; Blossman Autogas Fuel and Research Center in Asheville, N.C., May 24 to 26; and June 14 to 16 at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Ore. www.propaneautogastraining.com

General Equipment Co. has added Tower Light temporary lighting products to its line of specialized light construction equipment.

The Tower Light is an inflatable, temporary lighting solution designed for use in lighting both large and confined areas. A cylindrical load-bearing nylon tower is inflated with constant air pressure delivered by an integral blower system. The units can be installed and ready for operation in approximately one minute with no special tools or additional components. Operational heights of 7.5, 10 and 14 feet provide 360-degree diffused, glare-free illumination while minimizing shadows. The tower remains inflated even with minor cuts or perforations.

Tower Lights are designed for indoor/outdoor use and can operate from readily available 115-VAC, 60-Hz electrical power sources or self-contained, gasoline engine-powered generator systems for remote site applications. The tower fabric is easy to clean with soap and water.

The Tower Light’s portability, simplicity in ease of setup and storage, and lumen output make it an ideal, cost-effective, short-term lighting solution for a wide range of construction, accident investigation, disaster relief, search/rescue and other applications. www.generalequip.com

Ditch Witch has introduced a new line of air excavators: the FXT30 Air, FXT50 Air and FXT65 Air. The versatile and high-powered FXT Air system has air and water excavation capabilities, making it ideal for locating utilities or gas leaks in below-grade work sites.

In terms of air pressure, velocity and power output, the Ditch Witch air pressure system outperforms comparable equipment on the market. Its high-performance operation translates to faster excavation, vacuuming and backfilling, helping to reduce project costs.

All three Ditch Witch FXT Air models use a PTO-driven air compressor for efficient power transfer and nonstop productivity. The efficient filtration system utilizes a cyclonic separator to remove fine particles before reaching sensitive components in the vacuum system.

While hydro-excavation is widely used by utility workers to penetrate compacted or frozen soils on job sites, more states are restricting its use near highways and railroads or under certain environmental conditions. The FXT Air system gives operators the flexibility to meet changing job site demands by enabling instant switching from air- to hydro-excavation, and from high air pressure for excavating to low air pressure for hand tools and moles.

The new system positions many of the air excavation components under the truck deck, giving operators extra room and easy access. Operators can easily monitor and command all components using an electronic controller that displays system parameters. FXT Air models also accept a variety of tooling attachments. www.ditchwitch.com

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc. recently unveiled an all-new entry in the Class 6 medium-duty truck segment – the 2018 Isuzu FTR. The F-Series truck is slated to go into production in the United States in mid-2017.

The FTR will be powered by Isuzu’s renowned 4HK1-TC 5.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, a first in the segment. Although horsepower and torque ratings have not been finalized, the company noted that the 4HK1 engine is well known for its high torque output. The powerplant will be mated to an Allison 2000 Series automatic transmission. The engine carries a B10 durability of 310,000 miles, meaning that 90 percent of engines should reach that mileage before requiring an overhaul.

Eight wheelbase configurations will accommodate bodies from 16 to 30 feet, allowing for a wide variety of body applications.

The all-new cab features a clean back-of-cab design that can provide more space for body applications compared to the previous F-Series truck. The FTR cab’s wide step and wide-opening doors allow easy entry to the spacious interior, which features three-across seating and extra space for storage behind the seats. Additional interior amenities include a side under safety mirror, overhead console and a suspension driver’s seat with armrest specially designed to increase comfort and reduce driver fatigue.

Pricing, available configurations, power ratings and additional features and specifications will be released in mid-2017. www.isuzucv.com

WorkWave, a provider of cloud-based software solutions for field service management and last-mile fleet management, has added three critical enhancements to its route planning solution, leading to a rebranding of the solution.

WorkWave Fleet, the company’s proprietary route planning software, has been rebranded as WorkWave Route Manager. The software allows users to easily manage schedules, drivers and customers.

WorkWave Route Manager has incorporated three major enhancements to fulfill its vision of being the on-demand enabler for last-mile delivery companies. The first enhancement is GPS integration. Now, from one screen, planners can instantly locate their vehicles and react smarter and faster to last-minute changes. Communication between drivers and the office is greatly streamlined, and information is always at planners’ fingertips so they can provide customers with real-time status.

Proof of delivery is the second enhancement. Drivers can now capture photos, signatures and notes that sync back to the office using WorkWave Route Manager’s mobile app. This enables companies to answer customer inquiries quickly and accurately and gain easy access to a digital record of all completed deliveries.

APIs are the final enhancement. Companies can now easily integrate WorkWave Route Manager with their fleet management solution. Companies benefit by automated processes enabled by seamless communication between systems and the flexibility to manage their business as they choose. www.workwave.com/route-manager

To complement Webasto’s Polar Cab TS, an engine-off cabin cooling system that features exclusive thermal storage technology, the company recently launched the all-new Polar Cab ES. The ES maintains cool cabin temperatures during wait/load time in hot, humid and full sun conditions. Operators can now turn off their engines and keep comfortable, leading to fuel savings, idle reduction and increased productivity.

The ES is a battery-driven electric cooling system that offers a cooling capacity up to 7,000 BTU/h while maintaining low power consumption. It includes a compact 24-volt variable-speed electric compressor, with no additional batteries required for operation.

The Polar Cab ES can be installed with one of two different aftermarket kit configurations. Operators can decide between a universal overhead compressor/condenser unit with evaporator (Oakland) or a universal vertical floor-mounted compressor/condenser unit with evaporator (Osaka). Kits include refrigerant lines and fittings, mounting hardware, control unit and wiring harness. www.polarcabcooling.com

The redesigned Fusion LED combination stop, tail, turn and backup lamp from Optronics International is 25 percent smaller. It includes new, optimized circuitry that hosts both red and white LEDs on a single board, plus a patent-pending optical design.

The original 9-inch oval Fusion lamp was introduced at the 2014 Work Truck Show and has since been made available in 4-inch round and 6-inch oval formats with grommet- and flange-mount versions that fit virtually any standard lighting application. The entire family of Fusion LED combination stop, tail, turn and backup lamps is also being upgraded utilizing the new technology.

The Fusion lamps have been radically redesigned and now employ a more advanced circuit-board configuration and LED light projection technology. An optical bridge helps project red LED light from the red area of the lens to the clear area of the lens during the braking function. The innovative design enables the lamps to use fewer diodes, reduces heat load and lowers the overall lamp cost.

Mounting the new 6-inch Fusion surface-mount LED combination lamp requires only a half-inch hole for the lamp’s wiring and four mounting holes to accommodate rivets or screws. The low-profile, half-inch-thick LED lamp mounts snugly to the vehicle’s surface while preserving the vehicle’s structural soundness.

The new Fusion LED combination stop, tail, turn and backup lamps are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2016. www.optronicsinc.com

The innovative BOLT (Breakthrough One-Key Lock Technology) series of locks, designed to provide convenient, one-key access to multiple locks, can streamline the workday and improve security for owners of 2015 and 2016 Ford Transit and Transit Connect commercial vans.

Patented BOLT locks are designed so that a single ignition key can be programmed to open any number of BOLT locks, reducing the need for multiple keys. The first time the ignition key is inserted into the BOLT lock cylinder, spring-loaded plate tumblers move, immediately coding the cylinder to that unique key. From then on, only the driver’s ignition key is needed to unlock a padlocked toolbox, unhitch a trailer or secure gear and other valuable equipment.

Rugged, weatherproof BOLT locks are manufactured with an electroless nickel-plated carbon steel pin or shaft assembly/shield for strength and durability, and feature an automotive-grade stainless steel lock shutter and a six-plate tumbler sidebar that prevents picking and bumping. www.boltlock.com

McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corp. company, has expanded its McNeilus NGEN Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) system offerings with a new high-capacity back-of-cab CNG configuration that provides 88 diesel gallon equivalents packaged in a low-profile design.

Ideal for fleets with Class 7 and 8 trucks, the NGEN brand system uses an exclusive, streamlined design with 50 percent fewer fitting connections and 25 percent fewer plumbing components. Three Luxfer G-Stor Go Type 4 cylinders are used, optimizing the overall weight of the system and minimizing the height to meet low-clearance specifications. Each cylinder is fitted with a Luxfer G-Flo One-Turn Valve that not only extends vehicle range by providing more usable gas at the required flow rate, but also significantly increases the filling flow rate. A dedicated pressure-relief device system spans the full length of each cylinder and provides continuous heat protection.

The system also features a fully enclosed structure with easy-access door, maintenance-friendly O-ring face seal connections, and North American-manufactured, CNC-formed high-pressure lines. Future plans to build off this new design will make the system scalable with customizable capacity options. www.ngencng.com

The new WEATHER GUARD EZGlide2 drop-down ladder rack improves user safety when handling heavy ladder loads, especially with many of the new high-roof van models. The heavy-duty design is built with long-lasting powder-coated aluminum for continual use and, due to the light weight of the ladder rack, it maximizes the roof weight capacity of the van and improves vehicle gas mileage.

Additional ladder rack features include ease of operation, versatility and safety. According to WEATHER GUARD, the EZGlide2 is 50 percent easier to operate than competitor drop-down ladder racks. It also fits extension ladders up to 40 feet and step or podium ladders from 3 to 12 feet, plus it easily operates with up to 100 pounds of ladders per side. The optional third cross-member accommodates a conduit carrier for secure storage, and the rubber guard strip protects ladders, while the ladder lock bracket secures the holder in a loaded position. In addition, the removable lever bracket secures ladders from theft, and storage clips secure the lever inside the van for extra protection.

A variety of mounting kits are offered with the EZGlide2 to allow OEM integration with a wide selection of van models. www.ezglide2.com