PRODUCT
Viper Guard’s safer pallet truck Daimler makes significant investment in Mexico chock
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afety and security specialist Viper Guard has come up with a simple idea that addresses today’s health and safety requirements. The Viper Guard Pallet Truck Chock is a polyurethane wedge with a v-shaped slot in it that immobilises the truck’s rear wheels. The weight of the truck itself holds the chock securely in position on any truck bed, whether wood or metal.
as fleet managers are becoming ever more concerned with the potential long-term costs of health and safety risks, the modest one-off price of our chock is a very att ractive solution. The fact that it prevents the damage to truck and cargo that a loose pallet truck can cause makes the chock doubly att ractive.”
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he North American Division of Daimler Trucks has invested $300m in establishing a new manufacturing facility in Coahuila, Northern Mexico. Covering 1.3 million square feet, the new plant is expected to create 1,400 direct and 200 indirect jobs plus an additional 1,100 positions through the purchase of local supplies. The decision in favour of Northern Mexico was also inf luenced by the site’s significant logistical advantages, including proximity to raw material sources, suppliers, and customers, as well as good connections with the road and rail
The device means no more loose pallet trucks damaging vehicles and freight in transit, and it also means drivers don’t have to risk back strain by laying the pallet truck on its side or lift ing its wheels into a tyre.
network. The plant will produce Freightliner’s new f lagship, the Cascadia heavy-duty Class 8 truck. Up to 30,000 Cascadia trucks will be produced here annually for sale in the US, Canadian and Mexican markets. The Cascadia will be introduced on the domestic market in Mexico in late 2009. “We are confident that with the Cascadia we will be able to fulfi l our customers’ high expectations regarding product quality, operating costs, and reliability,” commented Andreas Renschler, Daimler Truck’s Chief at the official opening.
“Basically, the pallet truck chock addresses a fairly widespread health and safety problem in a simple but ingenious way,” said Viper Guard Sales Manager, Nick Blake. “And
Touch Screen from Nokia
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arch 2nd heralded the touchdown of the much anticipated Nokia 5800. What it offers is a broad range of applications such as fi ngertip touch, stylus touch or exclusive plectrum touch. Texting is through alphanumeric keypad, full QWERTY keyboard or in-built hand writing recognition for really instant messaging. Whatever input method used, there is tactile feedback, or a “buzztouch” each time contact is made with the huge 3.2” screen. 48
FLEETTRANSPORT | APRIL 2009
With the Nokia 5800, touch just got really smart as favourite music, images and videos are just one tap away using the corner media bar, which also includes maps and Ovi share. It also has worldleading surround s ou nd bu i lt-i n speakers with up to 35 hours of music play back.
Volvo adds further intelligence to I-Shift transmission
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hen Volvo Trucks invests heavily in reducing fuel consumption and improving the performance of its trucks, the focus is not just on engines, but on the entire driveline. And it is here that Volvo I-Shift plays a central role. Now the automated gearchanging system has been adapted to match the performance levels of the new engines and to minimise power losses in the driveline. What is more, the operational sphere for I-Shift has now been further extended through a new range of practical and fuel-saving functions, such as improved freewheel
(‘I-Roll’) function, optimised gear changing for heavy hauls, better driveability on poor roads and longer gear hold in traffic congestion situations. More than half of all Volvo FH and Volvo FM trucks sold in Europe are fitted with I-Shift .
Text: Jarlath Sweeney – editor@fleet.ie