New Truck Improves Efficiency And Reduces Road Damage

Go Back----Trucking Jobs by State

A new truck configuration that holds the promise of improved efficiency and

less road damage is being tested in the Prince Albert and Hudson Bay areas.

"Road damage resulting from increased truck traffic is one challenge we face

in building and maintaining our highways," Highways and Transportation

Minister Mark Wartman said. "While the province has made record investments

over the last several years to operate, preserve and improve our

transportation infrastructure, innovation and partnerships also play an

important role."

The project is a partnership between Weyerhaeuser and Saskatchewan Highways

and Transportation.

Testing will be conducted over the next 12 months. It will assess the new

truck configuration's ability to reduce wear and tear on the roads. During

this time, innovations will be evaluated including the impact of reduced

weight per axle on the road and central tire inflation, which allows the

truck's operator to adjust tire pressure on the fly to accommodate changing

road conditions.

In addition, because the new configuration is more stable and has a shorter

stopping distance than the vehicles currently in use, it will enhance safety

on our provincial highways.

"Since nearly 50 per cent of wood costs are for in-bound transportation,

Weyerhaeuser looks very seriously at finding improvements to this component,"

Harvest Systems Co-ordinator for Weyerhaeuser's Saskatchewan Forestlands

operations Dave Harman said. "The increased payload has an important economic

impact as Weyerhaeuser continues to work to make its operations more

Go Back----Trucking Jobs by State