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Keep a sharp eye on performance, shorten maintenance cycles and change the oil more frequently. hese recommendations from engine manufacturers could not be repeated enough at The Maintenance Council conference in mid-March.

The PLC4Trucks powerline protocol that will warn a driver of a faulty trailer antilock brake system was effective in tests and is expected to work on the road. But not all issues are resolved.

Is there an automatic transmission in your future?

Automated driver logs have been the talk of trucking since last April, when the government launched a test that uses satellites to monitor hours of service. But another type of automation is gaining momentum as well: log scanning.

The increasing demand for mobile communications in Europe is helping to fuel an explosion in the growth and spending for information technology and telecommunications services.

An information display has been developed that lets a driver monitor vehicle performance on a small screen built into his truck’s dashboard.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently recommended a nationwide smoke testing standard to avoid confusion among truck drivers traveling from state to state.

Following discussions with U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, the European Union has agreed to a short delay in implementing a controversial ban on older, nosier aircraft.

The Department of Transportation has a familiar face as its new chief spokesman. William Schulz, the department’s deputy director of public affairs, has been named director of public affairs.

TT File PhotoThe trucking industry would love to put hard-working people like Joe Childress (pictured) behind the wheel of a big rig. And that’s where he will end up after participating in a program that teams the U.S. Department of Labor with state trucking associations, the PTDI and ATA.