He describes himself as the “trucker’s best friend.” His detractors say he is a man with an “elegant solution in search of a problem.”
Whatever he is, Dee Howard is not someone easily dismissed. His resume is too extensive.
D. U. “Dee” Howard is founder and president of River City Products in San Antonio.
His company makes an automotive product called the Howard Power Center Steering System. It uses hydraulics to keep a vehicle’s steer wheels straight, even — Howard would say especially — in heavy crosswinds and on crowned road surfaces. This is important because the constant corrections a driver must make to keep his vehicle straight lead to fatigue and contribute to excessive tire wear.
The system has been installed on more than 3,000 buses, trucks and recreational vehicles. But Howard hasn’t made significant inroads in the heavy-truck market, which bothers him.
Detractors say it isn’t particularly difficult to keep a truck going straight, making the invention unnecessary. And if it was difficult, the problem certainly could be solved by a less elaborate system than the Howard Power Center.
The inventor isn’t afraid to use colorful terms to describe his detractors. At 79, with a lifetime of entrepreneurship behind him, he doesn’t mince words.
For the full story, see the July 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
