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Archive for July, 2008

It’s Show Time!

Relax, have fun and let the competition begin

The intent of this article is to inform you how to get ready for those truck beauty contests! Maybe next time I will give you “The Boss’ Top 10 List” for getting your truck ready for the Show-n-Shine, but for now let’s focus on mental preparation, shall we? There are dozens of events to attend, from the big shows like MATS and GATS to a host of laid back fairground shows like Waupun, Carlisle and the Big Iron Classic. Regardless of what type, these words of wisdom …

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Thank Me

For a job well done

It’s nice to be appreciated for something you do. And I’m a big fan of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (Aug. 24-30), which brings public attention to the difficult job truckers do. But why don’t those involved in the logistics supply chain thank truckers on a more regular basis? A lack of appreciation can cause reduced performance and promote a poor attitude. Sincere appreciation, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. When I got my first long-haul trucki…

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Reel Wheels

A website devoted to vehicles in the movies

Forget Steve McQueen. Bullitt made the Ford Mustang a star. While some folks like nothing better than trivia contests about actors and their roles, plenty of gearheads get the same pleasure recalling the wheels those actors used. The Internet Movie Car Database — www.imcdb.org — is for them. It offers photos and information about cars, motorcycles and trucks that have appeared onscreen. Though originally devoted to four-wheelers only, the website quickly added motorcycles a…

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Smoke Free Zone

Smokers learn to cope when they can't light up

With the increasing number of smoking bans sweeping across the country, smokers are finding creative ways to get their nicotine fix. And companies are taking notice with some unique products of their own. Smoke-free tobacco has taken on a new form in Ariva and Stonewall, dissolvable compressed powder tobaccos. You don’t have to chew, spit or stick on a patch to get the nicotine and can even opt for  wintergreen- or java-flavored blends. Ariva contains 1.5 mg of nicotine, the am…

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Pitch Perfect Paving

Japanese invention turns stretch of road into musical interlude

Japan now has a way to deliver music to drivers that doesn’t require batteries. A car driving over a series of grooves cut into the pavement will create a resonance as the tires move over them, resulting in a true road song. According to reports, the system was the brainchild of Shizuo Shinoda, who accidentally scraped some markings into a road with a bulldozer, before driving over them and realizing they produced a variety of tones. Engineers from the Hokkaido Industrial Research…

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