Posts Tagged ‘Jan-2008’

There are competitive venues for nearly every human endeavor: spelling bees, the Olympics, NASCAR, the World Cup, Miss Teen USA, the Soap Box Derby and, of course, the Guinness Book of World Records. Since 2005, the nation’s truck mechanics (or technicians, in the vernacular of the trade) have also had a contest to find their “best of the best”: SuperTech, an annual event that coincides with the fall meeting of the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC). SuperTech, organiz…

What do a designer of high-end restaurants, private homes, country clubs and design center showrooms and a Native American artist, blacksmith and builder have in common? They’re building a complex that’s right out of a movie — except this one is interactive. At Wild West Junction in Williams, Ariz., 30 miles west of Flagstaff, visitors can eat, shop, sleep, be entertained and otherwise sample the Old West. Friends Mike DuCharme and Jay Redfeather (above) share a lifelong fas…

There’s one thing missing from OshKosh Truck Co.’s new model: a driver! The lime-green TerraMax truck navigates traffic and avoids obstacles on the road without a human at the wheel. But OshKosh isn’t trying to put professional drivers out of a job or make owner-operators obsolete. The vehicle is intended for military use only, and its creation was mandated by Congress to help save lives in combat. By 2015, one in three ground combat vehicles must be self-driving, in …

A record amount of floor space means more exhibitors, more fun and what may be a banner year for attendance at the highly anticipated 2008 Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), March 27-29 in Louisville, Ky. Renovations to the North Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center are complete and will house new exhibitors such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay initiative, devoted to fuel efficiency and other energy-saving measures. Now in its 38th year, MATS is the trucking indus…

There’s automotive irony in the fact that the most distinctive feature of NASCAR’s new Car of Tomorrow is its detached rear wing — reminiscent of a 1970s-vintage Dodge Charger or Plymouth Superbird. And there’s even more in the hope that the new car will bring back old-fashioned racing. Whether the latter will succeed remains unknown, but one thing is certain: The Car of Tomorrow is here today. After a 16-race tune-up in 2006, the Car of Tomorrow (COT) will roll out at…