SCR vs EGR: still simmering

“Last year, it was paranoia … the end of the world.”

Flu pandemic? Mayan calendar? No. We are talking about the SCR versus EGR technology debate, and those were the words of Kevin Flaherty, Mack’s Senior VP of Sales and Marketing.

Flaherty told the trucking press today in Louisville that the debate over the best technology is a “non-event.” He said last year the big question was “where am I gonna get that stuff (urea)?” Today he says it does not even come up in the conversation with buyers.

Last night, it did come up in the conversation, however, at a Navistar VIP event here at MATS. Even though Jim Hebe, Navistar’s Senior VP of Sales and Marketing, said he was “through arguing about it” – he did take a few minutes to say that it’s simply because there is no other way but EGR to provide drivers with “no-hassle” driving.

This was at the Navistar VIP event where Hebe also delivered the all-crap-aside message to the press that “you know how we feel … we think our competition sucks.”

The SCR versus EGR issue also came up this morning at the Freightliner press conference. Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler Trucks, told the trucking press that “some may argue whether SCR or EGR is the right solution to meet EPA 10 … but I think that debate is pointless, because the customer decides.”

And one thing that Hebe and Renschler seem to agree on is that the market HAS decided. They both think that it’s clear. However, Hebe touts the popularity of the MaxxForce, and Renschler, of course, points to the sale of 25,000 Detroit Diesels so far.

So, while both technology camps may be tired of quarreling over it and the fur is no longer flying the way it did last year, there are still a few shots being fired.

Behind the scenes with the Undercover Boss

Denny and Jam

Bumped into Denny Slagle, the CEO of Mack Trucks who was on the CBS television show "Undercover Boss." The show, episode 15 of season two, aired a couple of weeks ago. Knowing Denny from all of the press conferences I've been to over the years, there was no way I was going to miss that.

I wasn't disappointed at all. The show was an exceptional mix of good laughs and heartbreaking moments. Anyone who caught the show found out that Denny isn't, well ummmm, very handy. He struggled to remember the order in which parts went on, and dinged up at least one bumper that we know of.

I wasn't expecting to be "moved" watching a show about building Mack trucks. But when Denny met Allan Iezzi and heard the story about this loving grandfather who was raising his two special needs grandchildren, it got to even this jaded journalist.

Today, I had to ask about the bumper Denny screwed up. It was a minor ding, but on the show he didn't tell anyone about it. "That kept me up all night," Denny told us. "That next morning, I asked them to find it. "They laughed and told me that they had been going over everything I touched that week," he said with a laugh. Guess they knew they couldn't trust him.

He also told us about the outpouring of support the Iezzi family has experienced since the episode aired. In addition to Mack dealerships raising money for the family, Mack has been contacted by complete strangers wanting to help the family out. Kinda restores your faith in humanity, doesn't it?

While he was working in the plant, his alter ego "Roger" was told that Mack was moving its operations to Mexico. Mack has been committed to keeping its operations in the U.S. That was a point Denny was able to make at the end of the show. And he made it again today to us. He said it would cost millions of dollars to move the operations to Mexico. "And the only reason to do it would be for the cheap labor," he told us. I wouldn't bank on Mack backing out on their commitment to U.S. jobs any time soon.

What I especially liked finding out was that Denny was really nervous about going "undercover." Not so much because he was going to get the straight scoop from the Mack employees, but because of being in front of the camera. In the end, he said after being woke up at 4 a.m. and working 12 hour days, his defenses were gone. They might have been back up today with the press crawling everywhere, but you'd never know it. Denny is just a cool dude.

On the bucket list

I've added a new thing to my list of stuff I just have to do. I want to go on a test ride for the Bendix rollover protection system at their testing ground.
I know this sort of technology will never replace a well-trained professional driver. But, fact of the matter is, bad things happen to good people -- including professional drivers. And if they can't flip a truck on its lid trying, if it were my life on the line everyday around nitwit four-wheelers, I think I'd be looking into spec'ing it. As far as the test drive, I'm just in that for the thrill.

Carrier Transicold's APX: It makes so much sense

You know those little graphic icons on the smart phones that you can touch and instantly connect to a game, flight schedules, NASCAR news, recipes, or even the weather? We know them as “apps,” and there are literally thousands of them.

What if I told you that you now can get similar apps for a dashboard for your reefer control unit? Today at MATS, Carrier Transicold introduced their APX Control System, an option for the X2 series of reefer units. It features such apps as Door Man, Fuel Check, Sleep Mode, Range Protect, Product Shield, Driver Mode and even Virtual Technician.

Our senior technical editor, Paul Abelson and I, along with other Land Line editors, found an array of interesting features in the APX. Professor Paul got pretty excited about it, in fact.

Carrier Transicold takes a modular approach to the control system (you know, that big box normally stuffed full of wires?) – innovating in three areas: hardware architecture, the display or human-machine interface, and software apps.

They took a large control unit and broke out specific electronic functions into modules, with a main control module, a display module, a power control and others. Using the latest in wiring, it’s possible to locate modules strategically around the reefer, on the truck or trailer. The modules are sealed and waterproof.

Paul says it reminds him of the DOE/Caterpillar project, the More Electric Truck, launched about a decade ago. Anyone remember that? The idea was to relocate components from where they were driven to where they would be used. Why, for instance, should an air conditioner compressor be located in front of the engine (where the drive belt is) when its refrigerant is needed in the cab? Driving it "electrically" saves refrigerant, hoses and most important, underhood real estate. The same with power steering, and other accessories.

Well, that is what Carrier did. They broke up the central unit into its constitutional parts and connected them electrically, using multiplexing to separate functions. It’s expandable and allows for greater innovation with the apps. Imagine, for example, getting condition reports through your cell phone. There’s virtually no upper limit to progress with this approach.

In the words of Professor Paul, the potential is fantastic.

You don't see this everyday

The one truth about the Mid-America Trucking Show is you are guaranteed to see something you've never seen before.

Built by The Boyz

I won't steal all of the thunder about the a-ma-zing trucks competing in the Paul K. Young Truck Beauty Competition from Suzanne Stempinski, but I have to tell you about the latest holy cow innovation from the Chrome Shop Mafia.

The truck and trailer that make up "Disorderly Conduct" are killer as usual. But, true to form, The Boyz amped things up with see-through fuel tanks.

Now how cool is that?

I'm headed off to the back lot before another batch of press conferences. Who knows what else I will see ...

Shine on you crazy diamonds

It's colder than a dispatcher with a bad attitude and I don't care. Today it has rained, snowed and sleeted. And now, as the weather turns from awful to merely raw, Jami Jones and I have been out in the parking lot visiting the show trucks and the folks who drive them. My peeps. They're scrubbing and polishing and de-greasing and turning great working trucks into gorgeous, drop your socks and grab your camera amazing works of art getting ready for judging.

The creativity and imagination just keeps getting bigger, better, more. Who comes up with this stuff? See-through fuel tanks. Cutting edge bumpers. Lift kits on deck plates and fenders. Paint jobs that have depth and reflect the gleam of pride in their owners' eyes. Everywhere I turn I find something to delight my eyes.

I'm awestruck. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer. I'm ready for more.

Observations from a MATS newbie

As Jami Jones told you earlier, we hit the ground running for media day at Mid-America Trucking Show. I may be a MATS newbie, but I've already noticed some of the major themes emerging. We'll see how they play out with other exhibitors and show patrons.

One that I like to keep an eye on is fuel economy, and that topic has shown up in each of the first four press events we covered in the morning session.

As we know, the Obama administration has proposed the first ever fuel mileage standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and the manufacturers are preparing for it.

Kenworth and Peterbilt focused a big part of their respective presentations on aerodynamics and fuel economy.

While checking out some Kenworths in the South Wing, a KW representative told me the T700 is the most economical Class 8 especially when paired with the Paccar MX engine.

Peterbilt is also focusing heavily on aerodynamics and fuel economy. Chief engineer Landon Sproull explained a new feature called speed control management. He said it can be set to rein in rpms.

As we know, a large part of fuel economy rests with the driver behind the wheel. Peterbilt's speed control management system uses a setting to prevent a driver from exceeding certain rpms. Fleets may like this feature, and I will try to get some opinions from owner-ops later when the show opens to the public.

During the very first press event this morning, Bendix representatives told us their new air-disc brakes will contribute to a truck's overall efficiency through performance and lighter materials. Tests show that a long-hauler could achieve 1-4 percent better economy with Bendix's latest offerings.

Rand McNally's new IntelliRoute line -- the 510 and 710 editions -- can also help a trucker or fleet find the most economical route from point A to point B. And fuel savings play into that.

I think we're going to see a lot of these types of announcements at MATS this year -- how every little bit contributes to the big picture of saving precious fuel.

I love the smell of chrome in the morning

Walking into the Mid-America Trucking Show for media day this morning, we were greeted by a line of brand-spanking new trucks, polished up like a new penny.

Some might be attracted by the elaborate paint schemes (although you have to check out the U.S. Army tribute truck in the South Hall), but not me and Suzanne Stempinski. Oh no. It's the chrome. The shiny.

She said it best: "I love the smell of chrome in the morning."

And, for people like us, getting an all-access pass for a full day before the show even starts is like turning my kids loose in a candy store.

We have already checked out the new offerings from Bendix, Rand McNally and Kenworth. Now it's time to dart off and see what the oval heads of the world will love about the next generation of Petes.

We're on the run and loving every minute of it. Watch Facebook and Twitter. I'll grab some pics for you and post them to shewhoknowstruk on Twitter.

To friends old and new

I've heard countless tales from past Mid-America Trucking Shows, and a few are probably true. This year, I get to see things for myself.

This is my first trip to MATS and just the second large truck show I've ever attended. Needless to say, there are a lot of things I'm looking forward to. As cool as the trucks, products and Expo Center will surely be, it's really the people that make this show what it is, so I'm looking forward to face time the most.

As a reporter and associate editor, I've talked to a lot of Land Line readers, truckers and industry folks on the phone, and the truck show is always a topic of conversation -- especially this time of year. People talk about MATS as being a family reunion.

This will be a great opportunity to finally put some faces to familiar names. It will seem as if we've known each other for years.

Into the MATS “Wayback Machine” Part 2

With just a couple days to go before the 40th anniversary edition of MATS launches, I can’t help but wonder whether diesel prices will hurt attendance.

Recently, I paid more for 5 gallons of motion-lotion for my farm tractor than a lot of truckers would have paid for a full tank back then. In 1972, you could buy a barrel of oil for what you’re paying for a gallon of diesel today – with enough left over for a thermos of coffee and a doughnut. That changed overnight in 1974, when the Arab oil embargo kicked the price of crude to a sky-high $12 a barrel. 

In the early 1970s, the parking lots around the Expo Center would have displayed nameplates now found in the restored historical section of the Paul K. Young truck beauty championship – Autocars, Chevy Bisons, Dodge cabovers and Big Horns, White/Freightliners, Hayes Clippers, B-model Macks, Diamond Reos, and GMC Generals.

There’d have been lots of cabovers, with massive doghouses blocking the crawlspace into sleeper boxes that were just that – boxes. Accommodations aboard conventionals weren’t much better. A driver at the 1972 MATS who ran through the Time Tunnel and wound up at the 2011 show would think he was dreaming, or in heaven, once he laid eyes on even the most modest factory sleeper. I said “he” – there were some women truckers then, but darned few.

Of course, trucking was a different industry then. True long-haul driving had only begun to emerge as a major occupation. Under construction since the late 1950s, the interstate system was rapidly replacing smaller, slower, more crowded routes long plied by truckers.

So drivers demanding bigger trucks, bigger engines, bigger sleepers and began to find them at MATS. It was a time that put the “big” into big rig.

That golden time came to a crashing end with the independent trucker strike of 1979, which signaled other changes to come. If anything, trucking would become even more of a lifestyle and a way of life, but it was also clear that this was one tough business.

But, to paraphrase Terence Mann in “Field of Dreams” ("Parking Lot of Dreams?"), MATS has been the one constant through all the years. An army of trucks has rolled by. The roads have been dug up, widened, repaved and done all over again. But MATS has reminded us of where we’ve been, that trucking once was good and it could be again.

Are you gonna come?

Until next time, be safe, make money and get home often.

Goodbye Jessie. Hello MATS

The dog is mad at me. She saw the suitcase come out and knows she can’t come with me this time. I’m smiling and humming as I figure out what to pack and what to leave behind. You’d think I was leaving civilization and heading to a place where whatever I forgot can’t be found ever again. The piles of stuff I’ve been stashing all over the house like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter have been consolidated. In one pile is a stack of Land Line Magazines, a couple of umbrellas and some duct tape. Another pile has my trusty TWNA (Truck Writers of North America) badge holder, some business cards, my favorite pen and a blank notebook. The badge holder is covered in pins collected from years of attendance. My favorite is a round button that says "I Heart Trucks." It still has last year’s MATS badge safely tucked inside. Socks, extra socks, a Land Line hoodie with pockets in case it’s a little chilly or I need to cover my head while taking pix in the rain (been there, done that). Bandaids, ibuprofen, antacid, tissues. Batteries, power cords, chargers and lip balm. Oil changed, junk out of the trunk, fuel gauge on FULL, trip odometer reset to zero.

Woo Hoo. I’m headed to MATS and it feels like Christmas Eve. I’m filled with anticipation. I didn't sleep well last night -- kept waking up thinking 'bout what I packed, what I didn't, but it doesn’t matter. This afternoon I’ll be there. Even though I could head to the hotel first and get checked in, there’s no doubt in my mind where my wheels will be rolling. I’m headed straight to the prep lot to check out the trucks … and visit with old friends.

There’s no place else I’d rather be than Looavull and the Mid-America Trucking Show. Trucks, drivers, press conferences, chrome, news, new products, pork chop sammiches … I want it all. Sorry, dog. Love you, gonna miss you, I’ll be home soon. Take care of things while I’m gone.

Into the MATS “Wayback Machine” Part 1

I don’t often see awe on the face of my friend and ace gearjammer Rufus Sideswipe, but it’s definitely there when he goes to the Mid-America Trucking Show and stares at his reflection on some ultra-shiny piece of chrome.

This year, he’s more excited than usual: MATS turns 40, so he’s expecting the show to be way over the top.

In case you’ve never been there, MATS fills the million-square-foot Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center like Dolly Parton fills a dress and overflows into adjacent parking lots. Some 80,000 people crowd in trying their best to see every one of the 1,000 or so exhibitor booths.

Not too shabby for an event that started in 1972 with 83 exhibitors and 4,000 visitors and was tucked away in what was basically a corner of one wing of the Center.

The 1970s were a kind of Golden Age for trucking. Truckers were still heroes and trucking culture took a ramp off the superslab and into the mainstream.

Weirdly, it seems the truckin’ fad kicked off with one of the most negative movies about trucking ever: Steven Spielberg’s scary 1971 “Duel.” I’ve never been able to figure that out. Maybe it’s like today’s vampire craze: Vamps went from dangerous evil undead guys and gals to dangerous evil undead sex symbols.

Whatever – truckers and trucking suddenly became hip. CB radios became the “in” motoring accessory. Hollywood cashed in and fed the fad with more movies like “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Breaker! Breaker!”, “White Line Fever,” “Convoy” and “Every Which Way but Loose” (anyone out there ever name a pet “Clyde”?).

The music industry kept pace, particularly the country-and-western side, which had always been the rig-wranglers’ jukebox favorite. Dave Dudley’s 1963 song, “Six Days on the Road,” had about a million covers. Woodrow Wilson “Red” Sovine was already an established hit-maker and songwriter – “16 Tons” and “Phantom 309” – when he penned “Teddy Bear” in the mid-1970s. Songs from the truckin’ movies crossed over into mainstream pop.

And they’re off… (or East bound and down)

OOIDA's Emily Tutorino and Dale Watkins

It seems very appropriate to give that sort of send-off to OOIDA’s flagship, "The Spirit of the American Trucker" as OOIDA’s Dale Watkins and Emily Tutorino head east for Louisville, KY, home of the Mid-America Trucking Show and some big horse race, too.

I can’t help but get a little bit envious, knowing that folks are already filtering into Kentucky and heading to what will be the trucking mecca over the next week. Dale and Emily are one lucky pair to be on their way already.

But, in the same breath, I’m laughing a little bit.

We have a little bit of a tradition around here at OOIDA of sharing (mostly made up and some true) stories about MATS with staffers going to the show for the first time. We concoct all sorts of initiation rituals – our own versions of cow-tipping and snipe-hunting pranks.

By the time it’s over, the “newbies” are so afraid and excited to go, they don’t know what to expect.

Now, Emily is a veteran MATS attendee. We can’t pull anything over on her. However, she is in the process of earning her chops as a road dog today. It’s her first “real” trip in a truck. She’ll be safe and sound as Dale is a longtime trucker who joined the office ranks here at OOIDA a few years ago. He runs The Spirit to different events for OOIDA.

That hasn’t stopped us from torturing Emily with anything from homemade porta potties to quizzing her about the 10-codes from the old CB days.

She took it all in stride, because no matter what we could do to her, she had the ace in the hole: She’s already on her way to MATS and we’re not. You can follow her adventure on Twitter if you like: http://twitter.com/TruckinTutorino

While I should be paying attention to my last-minute details and preparation, I can’t help but turn green with envy when I read all the stories on Facebook and Twitter of people already there.

Oh well, the Land Line and Land Line Now crews will cut a trail to Louisville tomorrow. Soon enough, we’ll be surrounded by our friends and members, spending three great days together at the granddaddy of all trucking shows.

See you there.