Courtesy UCR Testing equipment sits atop a hybrid dozer at Waste Management's El Sobrante Landfill in Corona, Calif. Related Links: Test Drive: Caterpillar D7E Dozer Test Drive: Komatsu Hybrid Excavator Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have found that while hybrid construction machines reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions, they produce more smog-forming gases than their non-hybrid counterparts.The school's two-year, $2-million study, funded by the California Air Resources Board, evaluated the Caterpillar D7E dozer and the Komatsu HB215LC-1 hydraulic excavator in various field trials. In the tests, the machines demonstrated savings of up to 28% in fuel while emitting
Photo courtesy of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers A 1031 like-kind exchange can save money by deferring taxable gains from depreciation bonuses. Photo courtesy of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Fleet owners face uncertainty in 2014 as bonus depreciation incentives expire and stringent diesel regulations take effect. Related Links: Rental Fleet Purchases May Contribute to Modest Gains Equipment Manufacturers Raise Their Annual Sales Forecast Expiring tax perks and strict new emission rules could soon make equipment purchases pricier, spurring more rental activity and dampening new machine sales. Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 179 gives deductions for equipment purchases, including trucks and trailers, dozers and loaders,
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR An ICUEE visitor test-drives a machine made by Vermeer, which recently launched a new telematics portal. Related Links: Telematics Help Trim Contractor Fleet Costs Ford Atlas Concept Marries Brains and Brawn Telematics—the ability to pull data from a machine in the field—is a growing source of headaches for equipment fleet managers, surpassing even diesel engine emissions as the industry's major migraine, some say. A massive effort to set standards is under way, though, and stakeholders hope a deal may be only months away.Managers at Hertz Equipment Rental Co., which operates a fleet of
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR This year's ICUEE show drew 17,500 visitors, the second-highest-ever turnout for the biennial trade show. Related Links: Product Snapshot: ICUEE Show Rolls Out New Gear Why Contractors Are Buying Pickup Trucks Like it is 1985 How Are You Going To Restore the Capacity of Your Fleet? Even though new construction starts for electric utilities have fallen sharply this year, contractors with heavy workloads in the transmission business are replacing worn-out machines."The industry is doing really well," said Scott Kidder, safety manager at Bison Electric, Tulsa, Okla., at the International Construction and Utility Equipment
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Westport's concept Ford F-550 bi-fuel truck was fitted with a hardened V-10 gasoline engine, LNG injector rails and a cryogenic tank behind the cab. Related Links: Test Drive: Life On the Road With Natural Gas DOE Approves Fourth LNG Export Facility Fleet owners contributing to the natural gas extraction boom are increasingly looking to power their equipment on it. However, the alternative fuel's up-front cost and lack of infrastructure remain steep barriers to mainstream adoption.Potelco, a utility firm in the Pacific Northwest and unit of Quanta Services, is experimenting with running medium-duty construction
Photo courtesy of GM A 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup is loaded onto a train car for shipping July 31 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Related Links: Test Drive: 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 New EcoDiesel Engine Boosts Fuel Economy on 2014 Ram Trucks Here's some good news for Detroit: Contractors are acquiring pickup trucks in much greater numbers than they have in the past two decades, a hint that the long-depressed construction sector is recovering."Contractors are back," says a report issued this summer by CNW Research, which adds that the sales trend "indicates that there's more construction work to be had, and
Photo Courtesy of Crowley/Titan U.S. and Italian Specialists Team Up to Right Sunken Cruise ShipWith the parbuckling of the largest passenger ship ever conducted, U.S.-based Titan Salvage Co. and Italian underwater specialty contractor Micoperi in mid-September successfully righted the Costa Concordia cruise ship from its capsized position off the Italian island of Giglio, where it had run aground in 2012. According to the project's website, the contractors used a system of strand jacks and cables to rotate the stricken vessel an estimated 65° and place it onto a series of six undersea platforms, built upon 2-meter-dia pile foundations. After its
Photo courtesy of GM The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado offers up to 24 mpg on highway and tows up to 12,000 lb. Related Links: GM Pickups for 2014 Get New Looks, Engines Cummins Turbodiesel Option Coming to Nissan Titan As contractors are shaking loose from the recession, General Motors is filling dealers' lots with redesigned, light-duty pickups that are arguably its best ever, offering up to 24 miles per gallon on the highway, a 12,000-lb towing capacity and a payload rating of 2,108 lb. With enhanced details, including a standard two-year, 24,000-mile free maintenance plan, GM's 36-month residual values are estimated
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Fleet managers can calculate total machines available or productive hours in stock, the latter of which may yield capacity deficiencies as workloads increase. Related Links: New Equipment Rental Services Provide a More Holistic Approach Telematics Help Trim Contractor Fleet Costs There is no doubt that the last five or six years have been tough in the construction industry. Spending is down by over 30%, and the recovery struggles to find traction. Fleet sizes have shrunk, and most folks are wondering, "How am I going to get my fleet back to its full working
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone for ENR Liebherr's TA230 articulated dump truck is currently being tested with users in the U.S., and is expected to be available stateside in 2015. Related Links: For Excavators, Hydraulic Is the New Hybrid Bauma 2013 Equipment Expo Attracts Record Visitors With an eye on growing American market share, Germany-based equipment maker Liebherr is expanding it's offerings in the U.S. with a lineup of machines set to debut at CONEXPO 2014 and an articulated dump truck coming in 2015."We need to increase our coverage," said Peter Mayr, president of Liebherr Construction Equipment Co. at a trade
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