What happing in our industry
Mention “American big rigs” to someone not associated with the trucking industry, and odds are an image of the Kenworth W900 is going to pop into their heads.
And why not?
The truck is a cultural icon and movie star in its own right. Who can forget Jerry Reed’s Snowman, gear-jamming a trailer full of Coors beer over to Atlanta while Burt Reynolds’ Bandit ran interceptor in his black Trans Am?
And we can’t forget about Claude Akins' green 1974 model in the TV series “Movin’ On,” can we?
A big part of this truck’s presence in American popular culture stems from its broad-shouldered, rugged good looks. Without a doubt, Kenworth designers nailed the truck’s aesthetics from the jump. And it remains a popular, aspirational truck for fleets and drivers to this day. And that’s a remarkable achievement considering the truck has been on the market for more than 50 years, now.
This first-ever purpose-built agriculture truck, spawned from a partnership between The Certified Agriculture Group and Fox Factory Performance Vehicle Development, is now available.
The groundbreaking first build uses the venerable Ford Super Duty platform, but the AGwagon will ultimately be available on all domestic manufacturers' heavy-duty chassis, including Chevrolet, GMC, and Ram.
The AGwagon is engineered for agricultural toughness and prowess, boasting advanced suspension, rugged wheels, heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, two-way radio capabilities, proprietary easy-access bed steps at the rear and sides, and 360 degrees of high-intensity LED lighting to keep working at any hour.
How are drivers and vehicles selected for inspections?
There are several reasons a driver and vehicle are selected for a roadside inspection, including:
- Traffic violation: The driver is pulled over for a traffic infraction and then inspected.
- Visible vehicle violation: An officer at a facility or on patrol sees a vehicle defect and stops the driver for an inspection.
- Inspection selection system (ISS) score and recommendation: The ISS is a tool that officers can use when selecting who to inspect. A carrier’s ISS score and recommendation are based on the carrier’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores. If a carrier has a Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) score over a predetermined threshold, the carrier will not have a “Pass” recommendation and will have an “Optional” or “Inspect” recommendation. Carriers with an “Optional” or “Inspect” recommendation in the ISS will see more roadside inspections.
- Post-crash: Following a serious crash involving a commercial vehicle, many jurisdictions require a roadside inspection. Pre-existing and post-crash violations will be separated on the report.
- Random selection: There is a random component to being selected. However, the situations noted above are more common reasons for an inspection.