Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. img src="http://www.ttnews.com/images/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>Truck makers said dealerships in the Gulf were scrambling to provide the vehicles, including dump trucks, refuse haulers and roll back carriers used for towing.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. — In an event designed to spotlight both an industrywide shortage of heavy-truck technicians and the skill levels the vocation demands, dealership technician Steven Talmadge outperformed 66 other competitors to win the first national skills contest for truck technicians.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ARSHALL, Mich. — Dana Corp. said it would introduce its version of an air-ride suspension for steer axles in late 2006, joining a market increasingly receptive to that style of component on linehaul trucks.

The trucking industry is increasingly turning to hands-free shifting, and the momentum has the potential to make smooth-flowing automatics and self-shifting automated-mechanical versions the preferred transmissions for heavy-duty as well as medium-duty trucks, according to a market survey by Havill Consultants.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. he need to capitalize on high freight rates and strong demand is putting more pressure on maintenance departments to keep increasingly complex trucks up and running, fleet executives said.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. s simple as it sounds, routine and frequent tire pressure checks can help minimize breakdowns and reduce tire operating costs for truck fleet operators, according to tire makers.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ith tire costs ranking as the third-largest operational expense for trucking companies, behind fuel and labor, fleets increasingly are looking to manufacturers to help them find ways of containing their costs, tire makers said.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. Most truck manufacturers will not have trucks with 2007-model engines in them for fleets to test until late this year or early 2006, Transport Topics has learned.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ire makers Bridgestone Corp., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Michelin Cie each reported strong second-quarter earnings. The companies said higher tire prices and the strength of the North American commercial market helped them offset increased raw materials costs that earlier this month showed no sign of slowing down.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. .S. sales of Class 8 trucks jumped 38.2% in June from year-ago levels, and reached their highest monthly total since December 1999, as fleets’ buying spree continued.