Author: Kate Wade

McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corp. company, has announced an expansion of offerings of its industry-leading McNeilus Next Generation (NGEN) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) systems. To satisfy growing customer demands, McNeilus NGEN CNG systems are now available on a wider range of vehicle types, including construction, delivery, over-the-road and other severe-duty fleets.

McNeilus NGEN CNG systems are available on new vehicles and retrofits through the company’s national network of regional installation centers. NGEN CNG-powered trucks are built with both the operator and service team in mind. The company’s exclusive fuel management system reduces the number of fittings and increases reliability, while the fuel storage pods feature lightweight DOT Type 4 tanks. McNeilus systems meet all NFPA 52 standards and are installed by the company’s team of factory-trained technicians. NGEN CNG systems are backed by a two-year standard warranty, with an optional extended warranty. In addition, McNeilus carries a comprehensive inventory of replacement parts on hand at its regional installation centers. www.ngencng.com

DICA Outrigger Pads has introduced the ZeroLift Pad Rack, a crane accessory offering safety benefits for crane operators. The Pad Rack eliminates the need for crane operators to manually lift and carry outrigger pads, and makes transport on the job site simple and safe.

The ZeroLift Pad Rack has a carrying capacity of 1,000 pounds and is adjustable to fit pad sizes up to 48 inches by 60 inches. Made of high-strength steel, the Pad Rack easily installs on either the front or rear of rough-terrain cranes. A single hitch point allows the ZeroLift Pad Rack to fold up and out of the way when not in use. When mounted correctly, the ZeroLift Pad Rack has minimal impact on crane ground clearance. At only 60 pounds, the Pad Rack does not affect crane load charts. In addition, the ZeroLift Pad Rack is versatile enough to transport other equipment, such as toolboxes.

DICA offers more than 50 models of engineered outrigger pads that help employers with proper crane setup. Many of these models can be transported with the new ZeroLift Pad Rack. www.dicausa.com

Deb Group has introduced a complete line of heavy-duty hand cleaners designed specifically for the automotive aftermarket industry. KrestoGT offers advanced and powerful products formulated to protect, clean and restore technicians’ hardworking hands.

KrestoGT heavy-duty hand cleaner contains all-natural, biodegradable scrubbers with no harsh solvents or sharp scrubber materials, keeping even the grimiest hands not only clean, but healthy and productive as well.

Developed with Deb’s advanced technical expertise, the new KrestoGT line will offer high-performance skin care products for the automotive industry at a great value. New products include KrestoGT Orange Boost and KrestoGT Cherry Turbo. These formulations are available in gallon, half-gallon, 2-liter cartridge and wipe formats that address the removal of a broad range of automotive contaminants. KrestoGT Paint Shop is an advanced formulation specifically designed to remove extra-tough soils such as paint, tar and adhesives.

The KrestoGT line of products will be available for purchase beginning in January 2015. www.krestogt.com

XL Hybrids has received a California Air Resources Board executive order allowing aftermarket conversions of gasoline-powered 2012-2014 model year General Motors 2500 and 3500 vans, Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans into hybrid electric vehicles. The XL Hybrids XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System is on sale now in California for the first time.

The XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System has been shown to increase miles driven per gallon by approximately 25 percent in real-world fleet vehicle driving. The XL3 is a regenerative braking system that requires no special fueling stations, plug-ins or maintenance. Fleets can rapidly adopt the XL3 system because there is no driver training required, no new fueling infrastructure required, and the install takes less than one day. Plus, driver productivity increases because drivers can spend more time on their routes and less time at the pump.

In addition, the fuel reduction achieved with the XL3 hybrid system helps California fleets accelerate their corporate sustainability initiatives. According to the EPA, every 1,000 gallons of fuel saved results in 8.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide reduced. www.xlhybrids.com

Conditions for winter travel can be challenging, and driver safety is the No. 1 priority. If your fleet is located or operates in an area that experiences winter conditions, you may want to consider a specific tire tread or retread that is designed to handle those conditions. The MICHELIN XDS2 tire is optimized for winter performance, providing outstanding traction from more than 700 3D Matrix Sipes that lock together for extra stability. Another option is the MICHELIN XDN2 tire and pre-mold retread. With Matrix Siping and more than 1,300 biting edges, these products provide excellent levels of traction year-round for the drive position. www.michelin.com

Founded in 1984 as a limited distributorship with responsibility for importing Class 4 through 7 cab-over trucks, Hino has evolved into a prominent U.S. company with a dealer network of more than 200 points, assembly and manufacturing facilities in Williamstown, W.Va., and Marion, Ark., with eight locations throughout the country.

Having garnered more than a dozen industry awards for customer satisfaction and Truck of the Year three times in the last six years alone, Hino Trucks continues to set record sales and post market share gains annually that make the 30-year-old company one of the country’s fastest-growing medium-duty truck brands.

“It is a great honor for me to celebrate this anniversary as the president of Hino Motors Sales U.S.A.,” said Yoshinori Noguchi, Hino Trucks president and CEO. “While many things have changed since 1984, our goals have always remained the same – to create the most innovative, high-quality products in our industry. To all of our employees, dealers, customers and shareholders, we thank you for your continued commitment to Hino Trucks. Our 30th anniversary is a milestone and turning point for Hino to take the next step. I am excited about this journey and believe the best is yet to come.” www.hino.com