When was the last time your rig was comfortable - without idling?

Everyone's cab is comfortable while they're rolling down the highway, but when you don't want to idle, or can't, things get downright unpleasant. Some states have laws against idling; other times, you just want to conserve fuel to make a tight load pay better. If you don't have an alternate solution to idling, you're the one paying the price - in more ways than one.

The price for idling over long periods isn't just the fuel involved, even though that's bad enough when you burn through an additional 3,500+ gallons of fuel yearly idling for comfort. Multiply that total by the cost per gallon for some ugliness.

You also have to take into consideration the number of extra oil changes you'll have to pay for, because now there's fuel and particulates in your oil from extended idling. And let's not forget the scoring of the cylinders because of the damage to your oil. Now you get to plan for a rebuild of the motor sooner than expected. Unless you have a plan.

If that plan includes a Nite Phoenix Climate Control System, you're on the right track. With a deep cycle battery powered AC unit, and a heater that uses only .03 to .06 gallons of fuel per hour - vs. ½ to 1 gallon via idling, this unit will start paying for itself immediately.

The Nite system has the highest cooling capacity available of any battery-powered system on the market. It doesn't matter what the temperature is outside, you can relax, work or sleep comfortably.

This is not a genset, so it complies with all no-idle laws. This unit works from a set of batteries mounted on your truck, and draws power from that. This unit draws no electrical power from your truck when the truck is shut down. And it doesn't just keep you comfortable for a few hours, it can go for up to 10 hours, or more - depending on charge and solar load. To break it down, here's the highlights:

·         Electrified AC unit runs on auxiliary AGM/deep cycle batteries.

·         Larger compressor leads to larger cooling capacity.

·         New LCD digital user interface and battery monitoring system. Features on-board service diagnostics, automatic temperature control and check filter function.

·         Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Complies with all idle restriction laws.

·         Approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

·         Installs easily under bunk in 8-10 hours.

·         Shore power and hotel load options.

·         Espar or Webasto diesel fuel-fired heater option.

The Nite system also doesn't take a lot of time to install, so you have very little down time. If you've got 8-10 hours, you can have a Nite system installed. Start putting that cash for idling fuel in your pocket. If you want to know how much this system can save you specifically, and how quickly the system pays for itself; call us, and we'll do the calculations for you. 800 849 2178

Universal Concealed Carry Needed

With the recent Supreme Court ruling for concealed carry, and a constitutional right to not only keep, but bear arms better defined, more truckers are beginning to ask about having a single, universal concealed carry permit - allowing them to carry their weapons throughout the United States. And with good reason.

No one likes to talk about it, but there are truckers that do carry weapons – whether it’s legal in a particular state, or not. While someone may well be licensed to conceal carry in one state, unless they go through another state’s licensing, they are not licensed to do so in another. Making their self-defense measures illegal in that state. This presents a series of problems.

The need is obvious. Drivers pick-up, drive through and deliver loads in some of the most dangerous places in America. We often see the results of that with drivers being hurt or killed because they chose to over-night in their rigs in a less-than-safe area, or because of a load heist gone horribly wrong.

Criminals aren’t afraid to carry illegal weapons to assault their victims, and yet drivers have to be concerned about whether they can carry firepower to protect themselves in these same situations. Because there is no universal carry permit, drivers suffer the consequences of not being able to protect themselves from armed thugs.

Sure, one can go about acquiring a license in all 50 states (good luck in DC and NJ – where, even as a law abiding citizen, you have to prove need), but how long will that take, and at what annual cost for continued licensing of what is supposed to be a constitutional right? How much time does one have to spend trying to obtain licenses, and still try to make a living delivering the products everyone needs?

Allowing our drivers a universal license to defend themselves can’t come soon enough.

Simple Steps To Keep Your Truck Tires From Eating Your Profits Alive

We know tires are expensive. We also know most drivers mean to keep up with their tire maintenance programs, but driving often gets in the way. Until you drop a tread, or pick-up a bolt, it's easy to forget about your tires. Problem is, tires are very unforgiving, and will eat up your profits any chance they get. Don't let them. Here's how.

Any tire showing damage is trying to tell you something. You might need an alignment if you see certain patterns, so knowing which tire patterns to look for helps you identify the problem. Tire sites usually have a chart on types of damage to expect with each problem.

Keep tires of the same diameter together (New with new. Used with used). If not, you end up with one tire skipping and scraping the road because it isn't the same size. Premature wear isn't pretty.

Know when to replace/retread your tires. Minimum legal depth is 4/32" on the steer and 2/32" on others. Tires wear at approximately 1/32" per 13-14,000 miles. Measure your treads now, and mark their expected replacement dates based on your average mileage. Problem solved.

Service those bearings and kingpins. This WILL make your tires wear better.

Always install new tires - not retreads, on your steering axles. Better safe than sorry when it comes to steering gear.

Make sure your inflation is correct for your load.Underinflated tires, especially under load, will chew tires quickly.

Adjust pressures for cold climates you are driving in. If you're coming from a warmer area, when you hit cold weather areas the air in your tires contracts, and suddenly you're running underinflated. Check your pressures.

Damaged, improperly balanced wheels will damage tires.Look over all of your wheels for signs of damage - every trip.

Keep radials with radials, and bias ply with bias ply. Don't mix them, or you will see a shorter tire life.

Tires do have a maintenance schedule. Whether you're a single O/O, or have a fleet of trucks, have a plan for replacement and/or repair with an escrow fund and based on mileage and you'll keep those tires from eating your profits alive.

What are the changes in trucking?

Any number of words have been dedicated to writing about the problems in the trucking industry, as well as the difficulties for the drivers themselves. I don’t need to list them here. If you’ve been in trucking for any length of time, you already know these blemishes. That said, what are the positive industry changes for truck drivers?

It’s now much easier to find a job. With a driver shortage that’s only going to get worse in the next 5 years, the opportunities – and pay, are better now that they have been in a while.

It’s safer to be on the road. There has been a crackdown on unsafe trucks, as well as drivers. While we can’t speak to the four wheelers, we do know truck and driver safety has gotten better.

Truck stops are doing a better job of catering to the needs of their customers. From fresh fruit and salad bars, to real grocery stores, they’re beginning to respond to your needs as a driver.

Equipment lasts longer. Even with longer maintenance cycles, todays equipment is much more reliable that those parts of yesteryear. Not just better engineering, but better tires, fuels and lubes make our equipment less prone to breakdown than before. Additionally, more training for owners on proper maintenance seems to be making a big difference.

Electronics makes your life as a trucker easier. From e-logs, to GPS and Skyping with the family, electronics allow us to better manage life on the road. Smart phones also give you communication, and application options that weren’t available, even a few years back.

There are lots of other changes, but these are the big ones in the industry. The real question remains; what modifications would you like to see in the industry?

It’s already been a year!? Weren’t we just making sure we wrote 2014, instead of 2013? Well, as you might expect, we need to review the ECTTS year that was 2014, and let you in on some things that are going to happen in 2015.

With the introduction of a new parts web site, we accomplished one of our big goals this year. This had been planned for a while, and the implementation took a bit longer than we thought, but our new e-commerce site looks great, and works even faster. You can find our great new site at https://parts.ectts.com/index.php, if you haven’t already been there. It’s not just a new design, though. We’ve added new ways to pay, as well as a chat function, so you can ask us questions and get immediate feedback. With larger graphics, and redesigned categories, it’s easier to navigate, as well.

Just as before, we’ve also been busy writing and blogging original articles about our industry. This year, we’ll be bringing you even more of them each month, as well. Like the articles, the blog photos and artwork are all original, and created right here. If you’re interested, you can see all of our latest blogs right here: https://parts.ectts.com/index.php/blog/

Some blogs from last year you might find interesting:

• Are You Really Prepared For The Economic Upturn?
• Fifth Wheel Maintenance
• Height sticks and GPS
• Recognizing Truck Driver’s Contributions
• Using an Open Wi-Fi Network on Your Wireless Device

Like the parts website, our newsletter has been redesigned from the ground up. We now bring you more articles, artwork and insight about our industry. You’ll also notice our new specials. We’ve tried to make them even better than they were before, so be sure to look for them in your e-mail. You can sign up for our e-mail newsletter on our home page. Just look for this area:

It probably goes without saying that you will also find us on social media. One of the big changes this past year is that we’ve begun posting on a daily basis, or more, according to what’s happening here at East Coast Truck and Trailer Sales. If you’ve not been to our social pages, we would invite you to drop by.

So, what are we doing different next year? Just like our parts site, we’ll be redesigning our web site for ECTTS.Com, as well as making our parts site even better. You’ll notice new ways to ship your orders, contact us, and  look at trucks. In all, we want to be your go-to site for trucks, parts and service. If you know of a way we can improve in the new year, please feel free to contact us on our web page, e-mail address or simply phone us. We can’t wait for the new year, so we can serve you even better.