Jack RobertsHomeFinal Word: Small steps across the culture gapIt was the early ’90s when the first group of Hispanic workers showed up in my hometown. They moved into a low-rent trailer park out on Highway 82, kept to themselves and went to work. Most of them found their way onto jobsites working for local contractors. Much has changed in Alabama since the dark, […]May 28, 2009EquipmentTrucks: Junk scienceWhat if you could pour a 12-ounce bottle of additive into your fuel tank and boost a truck’s fuel economy by 14 percent? Or maybe you could attach magnets to your fuel line. These magnet “catalysts” might energize, or “align” fuel molecules as they rush past, improving the engine’s combustion and fuel economy. Sound too […]June 10, 2008EquipmentTrucks: Chevrolet’s Tahoe HybridGM is touting its Chevy Tahoe Hybrid as the most fuel-efficient SUV available and it’s hard to argue with their logic. The fuel economy claims are impressive: The Tahoe’s two-mode hybrid drive system delivers 30 percent better overall fuel efficiency than a conventionally powered Tahoe equipped with a smaller V-8 engine; and Chevy says the […]May 3, 2008BusinessTrucks: ConExpo’s big-bore bruisersTwo new on-highway trucks dominated this year’s ConExpo-Con/Agg show in Las Vegas in April. Both are powerhouse trucks, built to withstand the rigors of modern construction sites thanks to big-bore diesel engines, modern electronics, reinforced frames and enhanced cab ergonomics. But that’s where the differences end. Each truck, taken individually, is a testament to the […]April 5, 2008MaintenanceWestern Star’s new niche truckThese days, it seems like construction equipment manufacturers are all trying to identify the last market niche and exploit if before their competitors. And if the word “niche” conjures up images of tiny, specialized pieces of equipment, truck OEM Western Star isn’t following your line of thought. The company’s new 6900 XD off-highway truck is […]March 13, 2008BusinessTrucks: International enters Class 8 big bore engine marketUntil now, if you wanted big-bore power in your International trucks you had to go to Cat or Cummins – an arrangement International made clear it wanted to change. Today, after three years of development, International has its engine: In Las Vegas in January, company officials pulled the curtain off of the new MaxxForce 11 […]March 2, 2008HomeTrucks: Kenworth’s T170 modelAs fuel prices rise and constricted working conditions increase, smaller vocational trucks are increasingly attractive for many contractors. This fall, Kenworth threw its hat into the Class 5 ring with the debut of its T170 straight truck. The truck rounds out Kenworth’s medium-duty vocational line, which already consists of the Class 7 T370 and Class […]December 6, 2007BusinessTruck Management: A never-ending battleIt seems like everything comes harder in Alaska. The freezing winters, rough terrain and isolated living and working conditions can make what passes for routine maintenance chores in the lower 48 states shut an entire construction business down for hours or even days. Seventeen years ago, Jim Huffman was a single-truck owner-operator running over-the-road freight. […]October 4, 2007EquipmentTrucks/Test Drive: Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HDA pickup truck these days is called upon to do triple duty: tow a backhoe to the jobsite on Monday, take the spouse out to dinner Friday and tow the boat to the lake on Saturday. That’s an example, but it gives you some insight into the challenges truck designers face when they draft a […]September 6, 2007MaintenanceTrucks: Number one with a bulletPickup trucks seem to be the Holy Grail for heavy-duty truck manufacturers. If you follow the construction or trucking industries, rumors swirl every couple years that one heavy-duty OEM or another is designing or putting the finishing touches on a pickup truck that will complete the company’s Class 3 through 8 product offerings. Well, rumors […]August 10, 2007Previous PagePage 10 of 21Next PageTop StoriesCompact equipmentMassimo Expands UTV Line with 6-Seater T-Boss 900LThe new model packs 52 horsepower, GPS navigation and a hydraulic dump bed – for moving crews and supplies across the jobsite.The DirtWhat’s New on Komatsu’s Next-Gen PC220LC-12 Excavator? – Almost Everything!Market PulseTop-Selling New and Used Construction Equipment in the First Half of 2025Compact equipmentManitou Debuts 5 New Large-Frame Compact LoadersFeatured SponsorThink like a thief to protect your fleet. Watch our on-demand webinar.
