Harbor Steel Floor Contractor Body

The Harbor Contractor Body is a cost effective way to take tools and carry gear and materials to job sites.The Contractor Body starts out as a flatbed and then we add tool boxes, a rack, short gates, load divider, clean looking tapered headboard and even a hitch and plug, This is all standard equipment.

This heavy duty chassis has a 12' Harbor Contractor Body with a steel floor. It has 8' upper bed boxes with stainless steel open top lids like a service body, underbed boxes, short fold-down solid gates around the rear, a load divider, tapered headboard, tapered HD forklift loadable rack,

Notice the nice forklift loadable rack on this truck, the hefty square tubing, the removable rear bar and that there is no vertical posts in the rear, leaving a clear open workspace.

There are now a number of variations on the original 12' Contractor. The 10' has become a very good seller especially on Extended Cab and Crew Cab trucks thereby keeping the overall length manageable. 

Find Harbor Truck Body at:

http://htbi.net/

GM Earns More ENERGY STAR® Awards

 Two-time Partner of the Year also recognized for climate communications

DETROIT – For the second consecutive year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized General Motors with a 2014 ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy management.  

The U.S. EPA also recognized GM’s efforts to raise consumer awareness of climate change and presented the company with a 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Climate Communications Award. GM shares energy efficiency best practices within its own operations, as well as with suppliers, partners and customers by amplifying the important, positive effects that energy-efficient behaviors can have on the environment.

“As the world faces sustainability challenges, we strive to be part of the solution—from designing more efficient vehicles to transforming how they’re built to reduce environmental impact,” said Mike Robinson, vice president of GM Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs. “There is a strong business case to be made for integrating energy-efficient practices at all of our global facilities.”

GM is committed to reducing carbon intensity at its facilities 20 percent by 2020. Since 2010, the company has reduced energy intensity in the U.S. by 11 percent.

In the last year, GM has 

·         Reduced 158,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from energy efficiency and fuel switching projects, the equivalent of powering 22,000 U.S. homes for a year.

·         Converted two coal-fired boilers to natural gas at its Wentzville, Mo., assembly plant, for carbon reduction of 57,000 tons. That’s equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 1.5 million trees.

·         Invested $24 million at Orion, Mich. and Ft. Wayne, Ind. assembly plants to increase landfill gas use and avoid 23,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually

·         Engaged logistics suppliers in carbon reductions and change of delivery and shipping routes to cut CO₂ emissions by 62,000 tons – the equivalent of energy used by more than 5,600 U.S. homes in a year.

·         Added nine new and 22 repeat achievers to list of facilities that met the U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry – contributing $72 million to total program savings and reducing energy use by 23 percent.

“General Motors has earned EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR award – the 2014 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award – because of its unwavering commitment to helping consumers become increasingly more energy efficient,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe.

Through 2013, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. 

For more information on GM’s environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.

About General Motors Co.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com  

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. About 16,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and buildings.  For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov

Looking Toward the Future of Truck Bodies

What will the commercial truck bodies of tomorrow look like? What will be different? What design innovations can we expect to see?

For clues on what the future holds in the commercial truck body market, one starting point is to look at what the automakers are doing, said Ray Chess, president of R.J. Chess Consulting LLC, an automotive industry advisory firm based in Oxford, Mich. Chess is a former commercial truck vehicle line executive for General Motors.

“OEMs are a leading indicator. To me, that’s your road map for seeing what will happen in the commercial truck and equipment sector,” Chess said. “The truck body manufacturers do not need to create a lot of new invention here because they don’t have to. They can piggyback off what the OEMs are doing. And, when OEMs get involved, they help lower the cost.”

Take, for example, the 2015 Ford F-150 pickup, which is 700-pounds lighter than the outgoing model by replacing traditional steel with a military-grade aluminum alloy throughout 95 percent of its body. According to Ford, the aluminum alloys, already used in the aerospace and other industries, not only make the new truck’s body lighter, but also stronger and more resistant to dents.
Ford introduced the 2015 Ford F-150 at the Detroit Auto Show, noting that it will utilize an all-new, high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy body and will weigh 700-pounds less than previous models.

Ford introduced the 2015 Ford F-150 at the Detroit Auto Show, noting that it will utilize an all-new, high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy body and will weigh 700-pounds less than previous models.

“The things we see getting utilized in light-duty vehicles — if and when it becomes cost effective — tend to migrate into bigger trucks and bigger truck bodies,” said Doyle Sumrall, managing director for the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), the association for the work truck industry. “I think we’ve already seen a transition in the last decade where, as truck chassis become more aerodynamic and use more modern materials, I think we’ll see that same sort of trend being adopted in the body industry over time.”

Bob Johnson, the NTEA’s director of fleet relations, agreed. “OEMs are developing the advanced material technologies and increasing their use, which means as the availability of these materials increase, driving down the price,” he said. “As the OEMs use more and more of these advanced material technologies, they are going to refine the technology and build the service and repair infrastructure to make the material more available and affordable.”

Utilizing Advanced Material Hybridization

If the automakers are a leading indicator for what to expect in the truck body market, then it’s not likely one advanced material — whether aluminum, fiberglass composite, plastic composite, high-strength steel, or carbon fiber — will be declared the sole winner in the foreseeable future.

The MY-2015 Ford F-150 incorporates other advanced materials beyond aluminum, such as high-strength steel that’s used in design of the truck’s fully boxed ladder frame to make it stronger yet lighter.

Johnson of the NTEA forecasts a similar trend with truck bodies, where one material does not fit all fleet applications or duty cycles.

“Moving forward, I think we will see more hybrid bodies. We’re going to see a lot of innovation in design in the area of moving away from an all-steel or all-aluminum or all-fiberglass bodies and start mixing and matching the materials and technologies to get the best features of all of them into one body — for weight reduction, corrosion resistance, reparability, and lifecycle considerations,” Johnson said.

Additionally, the increased cost of the advanced materials currently comes into consideration, and increased usage may drive these costs down.
Johnson added: “I can’t say the OEMs are leading the body companies because the body companies are really doing more in the area of fiberglass, plastics, and aluminum right now than the OEMs are. But, that being said, as OEMs get involved with it they achieve much higher volume, which drives availability and cost and knowledge of how to repair it.”

Creating High-Strength Bonds Without Welds

The increased use of lighter-weight materials in truck bodies may increase the use of high-strength adhesives versus conventional riveting and welding techniques to ensure an optimal bond. Used extensively in aerospace applications, these adhesives are ideal in joining dissimilar materials where welding may not be possible.

In the right applications, these adhesives provide greater bonding flexibility to achieve more aerodynamic body designs and reduce the number of welds to increase manufacturing efficiency.

“Once the adhesive technology matures, I think you’ll see more use of the adhesives in the truck body market, especially when you get into the advanced materials like the carbon fibers, plastics, and things of that nature,” said Johnson of the NTEA. “You can weld plastic, but it takes special equipment and skills, so why not bond it?”

by Sean Lyden
 http://www.worktruckonline.com

Freightliner Sprinter Van at Mid-America Trucking Show 2014

Check out the new look of the Freightliner Sprinter Van on the show floor at MATS 2014! See it in person at booth 30125.

www.freightlinertrucks.com | www.facebook.com/freightliner | www.twitter.com/freightliner | www.instagram.com/freightlinertrucks

Great Dane Provides a Glimpse into the Future of Trucking

Visitors to Great Dane’s booth at the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) will be among the first to explore the Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience, the latest in tractor and trailer technology.
The project is the result of a multi-year collaboration between a team of vendor partners including Walmart, Peterbilt, Great Dane and Capstone Turbine. Almost every component on this vehicle is cutting edge and showcases innovations of the future that will drive increased efficiencies.

The vehicle’s tractor, built by Peterbilt, includes advanced aerodynamics; a Capstone prototype advanced turbine-powered range-extending series hybrid powertrain, combined with an electric motor and battery storage system; a sliding driver’s door; a centered driver’s seat; electronic dashboard with customizable gauges and performance data; and a comfortable full-size sleeper.

The vehicle’s trailer, manufactured by Great Dane, offers a host of fuel-saving features. The trailer body is built almost exclusively with carbon fiber, including one-piece carbon fiber panels for roof and sidewalls, saving nearly 4000 lbs. compared to traditional designs. The trailer’s convex nose also enhances aerodynamics while maintaining storage space inside the trailer.

Walmart’s U.S. trucks log millions of miles every year, so when it comes to sustainability and fleet efficiency its goal is simple: Deliver more while driving fewer miles on efficient equipment. It’s the driving principle behind the company’s commitment to double fleet
efficiency by 2015.

GMC Easy-to-Use Trailering App

DETROIT – GMC owners can pull off their next trailering chore without a hitch – at least figuratively – thanks to a new trailering guide app available today at the iTunes store. The free app is designed to give GMC customers a better understanding of trailering techniques and capabilities. It, even helps identify the appropriate GMC model for specific trailering needs.

“Our customers believe in the right tool for the job, and this app helps them get the most out of their GMC trailering capability in a convenient and accessible way, whether they’re hauling a utility trailer across town or a fifth-wheel cross-country,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president, GMC Marketing.

The app packages trailering tips and information from the trailering section of gmc.com, including maximum trailer weight ratings by model. When consumers open the app, they can access information either by selecting a specific GMC model or by entering their trailering needs to identify the right GMC model for the job.

Also featured is a dedicated learning center that caters to both first-timers and veterans, with features that include:

• Trailering 101
• Hitches and equipment
• Pre-trailering checklist
• How GMC trailering technologies work
• Power and performance information
• Safe trailering techniques

A third section contains a glossary of commonly used terms, and a fourth category focuses on dinghy (flat) towing. Video content includes Trailering 101 videos developed earlier this year in conjunction with the launch of the all-new 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 full-size pickup. Additional “How To” video content will be added over time to enhance the app’s user experience. 

“Even for customers who’ve been trailering for years, our continuing enhancements in features, power and technology make the GMC Trailering Guide App a handy resource,” said Hugh Milne, GMC Training and Accessory manager.

The new Sierra 1500, equipped with a 4.3L EcoTec3 V-6 offers segment-best standard V-6 torque with trailering capacity of up to 7,200 pounds (3,266 kg) and segment-best V-8 fuel economy.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, and is one of the industry's healthiest brands. Innovation and engineering excellence is built into all GMC vehicles and the brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover. GMC is the only manufacturer to offer three full-size hybrid trucks with the Yukon, Yukon Denali SUVs and the Sierra pickup. The Sierra Heavy Duty pickups are the most capable and powerful trucks in the market. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

CASE Introduces One-of-a-Kind Ram Laramie Longhorn-Inspired 580 Super N Wide Track Backhoe

On display for the first time at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014, the Ram Truck-inspired 580 Super N Wide Track backhoe loader will tour the country at Ram- and CASE-sponsored events throughout 2014 with a new Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4. 

March 4, 2014 , Racine, Wis. - CASE Construction Equipment unveiled a one-of-a-kind, Ram Laramie Longhorn-inspired 580 Super N Wide Track backhoe loader at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014. The backhoe, which features the iconic Ram Laramie Longhorn two-tone black and white gold paint scheme, will tour the country at Ram- and CASE-sponsored events with a new Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 truck. The machine also features a newly detailed cab designed to match the look and feel of the Ram Laramie Longhorn interior, as well as new chrome detailing and badges to give the backhoe the distinctive Ram appearance.

“Countless contractors rely on both the durability and performance of Ram Trucks and CASE Construction Equipment,” says Katie Pullen, brand marketing manager, CASE Construction Equipment. “Matching this truck and backhoe showcase two of the construction industry’s most enduring jobsite images – the rugged Ram 3500 dually and the tireless CASE backhoe loader. Ram Truck is an excellent partner to CASE, and we’re excited to spend 2014 showcasing these technologies together.”

"The Ram 3500 Heavy Duty is by far the most capable pickup truck on the market, and like CASE Construction Equipment, is no stranger to hard work. With its long list of best-in-class claims -- including payload, power and towing – the Ram 3500 is well suited for the jobsite," said Reid Bigland, president and CEO – Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "The award-winning Laramie Longhorn model is loaded inside and out with distinctive Western-style design cues. With its matching CASE backhoe, this rig is a show-stopper."

The 580 Super N Wide Track features a 3.4-liter, turbocharged 95 HP engine that burns cleaner while delivering superior horsepower, faster response and up to 5 percent better fuel efficiency under load. The N Series models’ lifting capabilities outperform competitive backhoes by as much as 39 percent while running at low RPMs. Additionally, these machines deliver significant increases in breakout force, lift and reach when compared to previous models.

The Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn is among the most luxurious and most powerful pickup trucks ever produced by the Ram Truck brand. The truck claims a 30,000-pound trailer capacity thanks to a class-exclusive 50,000 pounds-per-square-inch high-strength steel frame, an improved transfer case, a higher-load transmission, an upgraded 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine with a best-in-class 850 foot-pounds of torque, and other significant driveline upgrades. The Ram 3500’s Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) -- which is defined by the maximum combined weight of the truck, payload and trailer -- has been raised to 37,600 pounds, which surpasses the closest competitor’s 30,500-pound GCWR.

Stay tuned to CASEce.com for updates on where this exclusive backhoe will be seen and additional details on this one-of-a-kind package.

About CASE Construction Equipment

CASE Construction Equipment sells and supports a full line of construction equipment around the world, including the No. 1 loader/backhoes, excavators, motor graders, wheel loaders, vibratory compaction rollers, crawler dozers, skid steers, compact track loaders and rough-terrain forklifts. Through CASE dealers, customers have access to a true professional partner with world-class equipment and aftermarket support, industry-leading warranties and flexible financing. More information is available at www.CASEce.com.

CASE Construction Equipment is a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., a World leader in Capital Goods listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CNHI) and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario of the Borsa Italiana (MI: CNHI). More information about CNH Industrial can be found online at www.cnhind.com.

About Ram Truck Brand

The Ram Truck brand continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has the truck market covered.

The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities. Truck customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are designed to deliver a total package.