Maxx Effort
Kelsie Epp is quick to point out that she's not like a lot of girls her age. "I'm not one of those people who got into racing because my family does it, but simply because my friends introduced me to it, and I enjoy it so much I will probably never stop doing it. I recently turned my pretty, black, '03 Maxx (as I call him) into a trailer queen pulled proudly behind my '05 Duramax," she stated. "Maybe I'm a bit shy, but put me behind the wheel of a diesel truck and I'm a new person. My truck was a damn near write-off when I bought it, and it has come a long way since then. My fastest pass on the track is 13.09 seconds at 104 mph due to some good EFILive programming and a custom-built Allison transmission."
Wahoo!! BioDiesel Tax Incentives
The National Biodiesel Board recently applauded Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and John Shimkus (R-IL) for introducing H.R. 4070-legislation to reform and extend the biodiesel tax incentive. H.R. 4070 could help provide stability and reliability in the marketplace by changing the biodiesel tax incentive from a blender's excise tax credit to a production excise tax credit.
Kanan Kontinues
When we shot Kanan gubins' '02 Chevy 2500HD truck in the studio for the cover of the December '09 issue of 8-Lug HD Truck magazine, we knew it was kind of funny that we had this ultimate warrior truck in a clean and pristine environment. We wanted the photos to capture every nuance of the outrageous truck and that was accomplished. Kanan's truck was a huge hit at the SEMA show and now that he's done with the world of showing it off, he's been using the rig like it was intended to be driven. He sent us this photo from a recent off-road sojourn.
Viscosity=MPG
A research paper by Chevron Oronite engineers titled "The Lubricant Contribution to Improved Fuel Economy in Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines" claims truck owners can save as much as 1 percent of their fuel economy by simply switching from 15W-40 engine oil to 10W-30. "Many of the OEMs have internal fuel economy tests, but most are not willing to release theirs because they are viewed as a competitive advantage," said Gary Parsons, global OEM and industry liaison manager at Chevron Oronite. So why not go even thinner, like 5W-30? The oil has to be thick enough to protect the parts that come in contact with each other to prevent excessive wear. "The last 10 or 15 years, the focus has been on reducing NOx and particulate emissions," Parsons said. "Now the focus will shift back to fuel economy."
On-The-Road Tech Support
If you're working out of your truck, you don't have time to deal with office-based IT technicians in a traditional way. Maybe PlumChoice can help with its remote technology support over the phone or Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You don't have to take your laptop or mobile devices anywhere. For more info contact PlumChoice, 888/758-6434, Plumchoice.com.
User Fees Not Cutting It
A study by Pew's Subsidyscope project recently pointed out that highway construction and maintenance repairs are being funded more through fees that were not intended to be used as such. These include sales tax, income tax, property tax, and more. The study said that user fees have been decreasing over the last 40 years, partly because of better fuel economy. "Our nation's highway system benefits all Americans, even those who are not drivers," said Marcus Peacock, director of Subsidyscope. "However, user revenues are paying for a smaller share of the pie. That means the broader population is paying a bigger share." In the early '60s, more than 70 percent of construction and maintenance costs were covered by highway user fees. As of 2007, that percentage is down to 51.