Posts Tagged ‘Jul-2008’

If you want to spark a lively conversation with someone, simply ask them about their first car. Everybody’s memory of their first taste of freedom remains vivid, whether they tooled around in a Starlight Black 1964 GTO or a rusty blue 1981 Pontiac Grand Le Mans. Chances are, some of those first cars are on display at America on Wheels, a new museum in Allentown, Pa., devoted to keeping alive the fun and innovation of the ever-changing automotive market. “It’s charming, …

Long haul truckers can be considered soldiers of sorts, working mainly in solitude and doing battle with the elements to ensure their cargo is delivered safely. Maybe that’s why there are so many military veterans behind the wheel. Now there may be more. A new partnership agreement between the U.S. Army Reserve and the American Trucking Associations will turn the idea of trucker as soldier into a reality. The innovative agreement will provide experienced truck drivers for the milit…

Nothing can ruin a trip like a speeding ticket, which is why drivers continually find ways to warn others of speed traps. Now, in addition to flashing headlights and alerts over the CB, drivers can get a heads up to slow down on their GPS or mobile phone. “We wanted to build a community of people who wanted to avoid tickets, be safer and be an informed driver,” says Shannon Atkinson, president of Njection.com, a website that asks drivers across the country to point out spots w…

Even drivers who couldn’t be pried out of their rigs make it clear that the job isn’t suited to everyone. Now potential truckers can take a career assessment test for long haul drivers online, from JOBehaviors, at www.jobehaviors.com. The test consists of 100 questions, compiled from research that determined 400-500 traits needed for the job. It helps pinpoint whether candidates favor safety over risk-taking, and whether their independent streak means they can’t e…

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…