Test Drives: 2017 an epic year for new heavy trucks
This year, I logged 62,781 air miles en route to trucking events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico and many of those miles were ticked en route to test drives – 17 of them, in fact.
A big part of my job is climbing behind the wheel of trucks, and occasionally vans, but this year has been one for the record books. Mack, Volvo and International each debuted new trucks this year and a host of new component technologies also hit the market. Other OEMs, ones who didn’t launch new models, updated designs and features of existing models.
Below is a brief rewind of the year in test drives in case you missed any of them when they were originally published.
To read more, click here.
Ram unveils 2018 Hydro Blue Sport, a highly noticeable truck
Ram says its latest special edition 1500 package is designed to get its owners “noticed…with great visual appeal.” And the new shade of ‘Hydro Blue’ covering the 2018 1500 Sport this package is named for is certainly attention grabbing.
The Hydro Blue Sport is the third brightly-colored special edition 1500 Ram has released in the last 18 months, joining the Sublime Green and Ignition Orange models. However, the Hydro Blue edition differs from those trucks in that it features a new body-colored Sport grille with black billet inserts and a RAM letter badge.
The truck also features a black-decaled Sport hood and flat black exterior body-side and tailgate badging. The headlamps, too, have been blacked out.
To read more, click here.
Atlas Copco renames construction equipment division Power Technique
Atlas Copco Construction Equipment North America will now be called Power Technique North America. Atlas Copco says Power Technique will remain in its Rock Hill, South Carolina, offices and will continue to comprise the Atlas Copco, Chicago Pneumatic and American Pneumatic tools brands in the air power (including light) and flow categories.
Atlas Copco says the Power Technique name was chosen “U.S. and Canadian customers recognize power as the defining characteristic” of these categories.
Power Technique will offer portable compressors, generators, light towers and pumps along with dedicated construction products including handheld pneumatic, electric and hydraulic tools, and customized solutions.
The name change for the company’s construction equipment division follows a major reorganization of the Atlas Copco brand.
To read more, click here.
The Top 10 Construction Equipment Videos of 2017
With 2017 drawing to a close, it’s time to take a look back at all the great videos we’ve come across in the last year. Refreshingly, this year’s Top 10 is light on the fail videos and heavy with cool machines going about their work.
These are ranked in order based on the number of clicks you, our dear readers (and watchers), provided. So join us as we take a look back.
To see all the videos in the countdown, click here.
Former Kawasaki loaders to drop KCM name for Hitachi branding
KCM loaders will soon take on the branding of its parent company.
According to a company press release, nearly two years after Hitachi Construction Machinery completed its purchase of the company, KCMA Corporation will change its corporate name to Hitachi Construction Machinery Loaders America.
The change, which includes a new corporate structure, takes effect today, January 1.
Hitachi says it plans to increase loader production and streamline its loader offering in North America. The company manufactures loaders in Banshu and Ryugasaki, Japan; and in Newnan, Georgia.
To read more, click here.
