How ride height effects truck shockers Words and photography by Howard Shanks (diagrams supplied by Powerdown) As the title suggests, changing the ride height of your truck’s air suspension can have shocking results on the life of your shockers. Suspensions like many components on a heavy vehicle are precision pieces of equipment that play a…
Bogie Drive Basics – Advice for truck drivers Dana Diff Lock Driver’s instruction manual available to download at end of article. Diff Lock engaged – axle in the locked position All bogie or tandem drive trucks require an inter-axle differential, also referred to as the Power Divider, which allows the forward and rear axle to…
Minimising truck fuel consumption is essential for a fleet’s profitability, even in good times. The good news is that immediate techniques and training are available that can significantly improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Roadtrains.com.au asked Karlie Shire, Scania’s Driver Trainer for Western Australia, to share these strategies to reduce fuel consumption. Karlie Shire, a seasoned…
How to Couple and Uncouple a Fifth Wheel on a prime mover is a skill that should be mastered before a driver get’s their heavy combination licence. Yet there are an increasing number of photos posted on social media of trailers being dropped. We sent our resident trainer-assessor, Howard Shanks, to find out why is…
The following article descibes how a Turbo Retarder Clutch works. The skilful art of getting a heavy load to start moving without damaging the truck’s driveline is a skill often developed only after many years behind the steering wheel. But thankfully, the Mercedes-Benz Turbo Retarder Clutch now takes the guesswork out of heavy haulage lift-offs,…
Commer was a British truck manufacturer founded in 1905 as Commercial Cars Limited. Their primary business was manufacturing commercial vehicles, including car-derived vans, through to medium and heavy trucks and buses. In addition, they made engines, including their most famous, the TS3 Diesel. If you’ve got a senior’s card, you’ll undoubtedly remember the distinct sound…
How to drive an Eaton 18-Speed Roadranger Eaton’s 18-Speed Roadranger Driver’s Instruction manual available for download at end of article. Driving a constant mesh transmission like a 13-speed or 15-speed Roadranger transmission correctly used to be a fundamental part of truck driving, and old school truck drivers took great pride in the way they swapped…
Secret to Reversing a B-Double & Semi-Trailer I often get asked what is the secret to reversing a B-Double? This article should put your mind at ease, as it explains the fine art of reversing a B-Double in simple terms. Basically, it can be broken down into three uncomplicated steps; have a plan, understand the…
Since the birth of road transport, trucking operators have strived to reduce fuel usage and increase payloads. Over the past decade, the industry’s push towards alloy wheels because they’re far lighter than steel wheels has seen many truck manufacturers make alloy rims a standard fitment on various models. For instance, almost half a tonne (476kg)…
With the rapid increase in heavy vehicle running costs, the following tips on how to match your tyres will undoubtedly see you extract a few extra thousand kilometres out of your tyres. But ultimately, it will make all the difference to your bottom line. Furthermore, it might even save you costly downtime from changing a…