Photo courtesy FCA FCA most recently recalled Ram trucks for telematics systems vulnerable to hacking and faulty air bags. Related Links: Ram Recall Lookup NHTSA Recall Database Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. LLC, which produces the Ram truck brand, is to pay a record-high settlement of up to $105 million in civil penalties to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and others for allegedly mishandling 23 recalls of some 11 million vehicles.Terms of the settlement state that FCA must also offer to buy back more than 500,000 Ram and other trucks that were recalled in 2013 for faulty tie-rod assemblies and
Related Links: AEMP Says a Telematics 'Good Housekeeping Seal' Is Coming Soon Telematics: Moving Data and Dirt In terms of overall operating costs for heavy equipment, including depreciation, fuel can account for 30% or more of the total tab. Over time, fuel costs add up. A heavy civil job lasting several years may easily consume $1 million in fuel.“It makes you think,” says Thad Pirtle, vice president of equipment for Evansville, Ind.-based Traylor Bros. Inc. “When fuel jumped up to $5 a gallon a few years ago, it got everybody’s attention.” Small changes, such as cutting idle time, upgrading machines
Photo courtesy Caterpillar Inc. Cat is ending a four-year partnership with Navistar and bringing vocational truck production in house starting next year. Related Links: Brazil Construction Machinery Sales Face Steep Drop in 2015 Caterpillar CT680 Expands Construction Truck Line Sales of construction equipment are performing better this year, but suppliers are taking a cautious approach to their full-year outlooks due to a slow mining sector, soft construction in Europe, China and Brazil, and less exploratory work in the oil patch.“While economic conditions in the United States are modestly positive, the global economy remains relatively stagnant,” said Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar Inc.
Photo courtesy John Deere The new John Deere 1050K crawler dozer now comes with five years of basic telematics service for free. Related Links: Telematics: Moving Data and Dirt Deere's 1050K Dozes Into the Production Class Members of the Association of Equipment Management Professionals are working on a certification app for the standard telematics code the group has developed for construction machinery.“It’s like a Good Housekeeping Seal,” Stan Orr, the Glenwood, Colo.-based association’s executive director, told ENR during a July 14 phone interview. “We want to make sure our members—the equipment customer—is getting what they are told they are going
Photo courtesy M&T Expo Despite a steep decline in machinery sales, global vendors at Latin American expo in June said they plan to maintain a strong presence in Brazil. Related Links: For Brazil Equipment Buyers, Support Is King Deere Expands Into Brazil (requires login) Construction machinery sales in Brazil this year will reach 15,800 units, a 37.8% decrease compared to the 25,389 units sold in 2014, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. However, the downturn has not deterred global suppliers from building a presence in the Latin American country, where import taxes are high and much infrastructure build-out is
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR The Chevrolet City Express is a rebadged Nissan NV200 serviced through the GM dealer network. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR The passenger seat folds down to reveal a handy workstation. Related Links: Test Drive: Nissan NV200 Compact Work Van Nissan Presents Practical Alternative to the Traditional Contractor Van Within the still-growing compact van category, Ford Motor Co. dominates, selling more than 24,000 Transit Connect models in the first half of this year. That’s nearly three times more than its closest rival, Nissan, according to PickupTrucks.com. General Motors is a major player in full-size vans with
Jonkers shows self-healing concrete at his lab in the Netherlands. The bacteria-based technology costs more to produce than conventional materials but promises to extend the life of concrete structures.
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