The Undeniable Name of GMC Trucks

The General Motors Corporation, formerly known as GMC Truck is a name that is very well known throughout the world. In 2007 this company was GM's second largest selling vehicle division coming in close behind Chevrolet. GMC was originally dubbed the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company by Max Grabowski when he established the company in 1901. This was when some of the earliest commercial trucks were designed. By 1909 the company was turned over to General Motors which then formed the basis for General Motors Truck Company.

Since that time GMC has been manufacturing trucks that are used throughout the world. Thought their personal and smaller vehicles are very popular, the trucks from this company are highly appreciated by truck drivers around the world. A book was released by GMC in 2002 that details the company's history, their ups and downs and the process by which General Motors acquired the truck division.

The main commercial vehicle distribution is in vans, light duty and medium duty trucks although fire trucks, ambulances and heavy duty trucks and buses have been manufactured under the GMC Truck name in the past. Although GMC and Chevrolet trucks are virtually the same they do have some distinctive differences that have survived throughout the years. The trim, engine options and typically the price are a few of the differences that are very evident between the two. Once the production of the quad headlight designs were halted, the two truck brands became even more similar, much to the point of confusion for many drivers.

Of course serious truck drivers will know the difference immediately. While Chevrolet trucks have a distinct look about them today, GMC trucks will always bear the same quality that has endured form more than 100 years. Drivers who choose this brand of truck are typically not easily swayed to other models. With features ranging from standard power outlets and cruise control on the inside to heated and lighted mirrors, running lights and roof mounted air deflectors on the outside, General Motors is producing top of the line trucks that all drivers are proud to sit in and drive. From the smaller personal sedans and SUVs to the heavy duty freight haulers, these trucks have withstood years of history to become one of the top chosen truck brands for truck drivers everywhere. It is not completely surprising that the GMC name has become somewhat synonymous with commercial driving.

Hybrid Vans - Fuel-Efficient Workhorses

Delivery vans come and go even at rush hour, especially at early mornings to bring produce to their client stores and shops. These vans can not afford to run low on fuel, or stall in traffic, and can not care how much pollution their dashing in and out of busy side streets can bring, lest perishables rot or late deliveries refused. Good thing these work-vans' manufacturers are beginning to see the toll their vehicles are taking on the environment. And they have begun work on the production of workhorses that use fuel more efficiently and safely for everyone - the hybrid vans.

Commercial Vehicles Go Hybrid

Daimler Chrysler started the move to transform their commercial vehicles to environmentally responsible traffickers of goods and public passengers. The Hybrid Sprinter of the Mercedes Benz family of quality vehicles is an example of these eco-friendly and fuel-efficient offerings. Its use of electricity in its motors shows how transportation and mobility can be served commercially without the toxic greenhouse gas emissions and soaring, if not wasteful, fuel consumption.

The hybrid van links the electric motor to the powertrain automatic transmission. Energy is sourced from a drive battery that is mounted under the van's flooring. This allows maximum use of the cargo area without any obstruction to the free-flow design. A logistics company loading lots of boxes of deliveries will surely appreciate the sensitivity.

Can Near-Zero Emissions be Achieved?

Not if you use conventional fossil fuel, because these delivery vans crowd in mass-critical areas like restaurant and store strips, stadiums, hotels - weaving in and out throughout the day to bring in their deliveries. But take a diesel engine and supplement its power with an electric motor, one that is quiet (noise-pollution-free) and emission-free, and you get diesel vans using this parallel combination that are really clean and eco-friendly.

More Deliveries At Less Cost

The engine, together with the fuel tank that is larger than usual as this is diesel, plus the added power from the electric hybrid technology, only means the delivery destinations can be farther and more numerous. The longer the distances and instances the more evident the efficiency of these hybrid vans.

The hybrid van from Mercedes Benz ensures optimum performance and efficiency, especially since the drivers can choose which mode they wish to drive with, diesel or hybrid, all at a touch of a button. When the van goes hybrid, a control computer manages the drive, letting the internal combustion engine alternate with the electric motor in operating the vehicle. With the battery's charge at optimum, it is smooth on-time delivery resulting.

When was the last time you got smogged by a pizza-delivery van weaving in city traffic just to cut on the delivery time? With the hybrid van, the driver simply puts the car on hybrid mode, and it shifts to its quiet smoke-free drive that you won't even notice its passage.

Then again, to beat deadlines and maximize cargo capacity, the driver can opt for the combination and simultaneous use of the diesel and electric motors. The added boost is achieved for quick dashes or long distance-drives. No late delivery, no overloading.

Regenerative Braking To Recharge Batteries

The new hybrid vans, like their smaller contemporary hybrid sedans and SUVs, also use regenerative braking wherein during coasting, the wheels' momentum acts as generator for the electric battery recharging function. No need to worry about the amount of diesel used up, as this will definitely be recouped with the braking and coasting drives that charge the battery and re-invigorate the electric motor. The energy generated is deemed sufficient for short rides within commercial areas.

A van that will run on pure electricity is being developed even as hybrid advocates speak. There are also plans to power the engine with alternative fuels like natural gas or even liquefied petroleum (LPG). Some vehicles will also be fitted with fuel cells, hydrogen most probably, for totally zero emissions.

Other Hybrid Van Developments

Enova Systems, known for its environmental-friendly engineering and systems products, is developing a hybrid system for Asian mini-trucks and delivery vans. The technology will ride on an electric drive system which is integrated with the transmission of the hybrid vans to achieve fuel efficiency and low environmental impact.

Culmination of the Semi Truck Industry's Best - The 2007 Mid America Trucking Show

Related to the heavy duty truck industry? Then you ought to head to the...

2007 Mid America Trucking Show. The four-day show is live from March 22 through March 24 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 2007 Mid-America Trucking Show will encompass an incredible 1,000,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 1,000 exhibiting companies making it the largest trucking show in the world! Attendance this year is expected to exceed 100,000.

The semi truck showcase event of the year is marked by the presence of who's who from the trucking world. It provides an opportunity for those companies that manufacture semi trucks and semi truck accessories, to display their latest products and highlight the technological advancement achieved by them. Equipment and services of every conceivable description, representing the most innovative technology and advanced developments in the industry will be on display!

The history of the Mid America Trucking Show began in the early 1970s when Paul K.Young formed a private management group. The aim was to come up with the largest trucking show of the United States that will cater to the diverse needs of trucking professionals' right from trucks to truck chassis and vans to forklifts. The first show was held in 1972. It recorded the presence of 80 exhibitors and 4000 visitors. The popularity of the show kept on rising and the year 2006 saw the exhibitors crossing the 1000 mark and the attendance of 80,291 trucking professionals.

The Mid America Trucking Show ranks as the "must attend" event for manufacturers, owner operators and trucking companies, some who venture clear across the country to the event that typically kicks off the semi truck and semi truck accessory buying seasons for fleets and individual owner operator truck drivers. As one who has attended the event for the past three years, I can assure you it is "the" event of the year for the heavy duty truck industry.

This year's event will be highlighted by Great American, one of the nation's leading insurers of independent owner operators, who will give away more than just a bag of trade show trinkets at the this year's Mid-America Trucking Show. One lucky owner operator winner will be chosen at random to receive the keys to a 2002 Freightliner Classic XL. This Freightliner will be completely 'tricked out', according to Tim Clinton, Director of Marketing for Great American's Trucking Division..

But still, you would question 'What can I look forward to from the biggest event in the trucking industry'? Well, I know one place you'll find a large number of big rig semi truck accessory junkies, truck owners and fans. The highlight of the show for many owner operators is the third annual Big Rig Build Off.

The Big Rig Build Off takes place in the parking lot behind the convention center. Even for the most casual truck show fan, this is largest collection of tricked out semi trucks you will see this side of heaven. Independent truck drives from across the country bring their flat out gorgeous big rigs to display at this show. You'll see incredible paint jobs, big truck chrome and thousand of LED lights that makes many a head turn as these trucks cruise the heartland of America.

So, if you want to know about the latest innovations in semi trucks and semi truck accessories, or you are a semi truck owner operator seriously considering a semi truck purchase in the near future, then you should check out Mid America Trucking Show.

Ten Things That You Should Know Before You Rent a Van

Typically when it comes to renting a van, everyone starts and ends with price. While looking for value for money is fine, so is using a reputable company with a good track record. This article is going to explain 10 basic things to keep in mind when dealing with a van rental company, it may well save you some money and hassle.

1. Price of Your Van Rental: Right, this typically is most peoples starting point. Look at the comparative prices of companies. Check also on excess mileage charges and insurance excesses. look at the breakdown assist policy and the deposit required.
2. Check The Van Rental Company: There are a huge amount of resources out there for people to check on companies. There are numerous forums and even now within Google search engine you can view discussions and update on the company. This is a great resource to see of people have had problems with the company you are thinking of using.
3. Tell The Rental Company What you are moving: The people who work in a truck or van hire firm will be much more familiar with vehicle sizes and capacities than you are, it always pays to tell the company the load that you are moving and if the selected vehicle will be suitable. Quite often you will find there is a better match for your load. For example, the rental company I work for always ask customers what they are moving. They do this for two reasons, first to make sure that the van the customers is getting is right for the job and secondly that it is legally fit for purpose. By this I mean if someone needs to move 4 tonnes of gravel from Dublin to Cork, they are not going to do it in a Ford Transit van.
4. Ask about Credit / Debit cards. Talk to anyone who working in a van hire depot and they will tell you this is the most awkward aspect of the rental business. You have someone who walks in that you have never seen before and you are handing over what can be up to €40,000 euro worth of new van. All goes well until the customer pulls out one of those new pre-paid credit cards and then flips out when it is not accepted. The reason for this is simple, these cards are essentially vouchers and have no ownership criteria attached to them. Worse still, they can typically signal you are a person with a poor credit history who is unable to hold a proper credit card. A rental company will usually do a check on your card for a preset amount and bill you for your rental when you return the vehicle.
5. Check the vehicle properly before you leave. Prior to taking your van, spend some time looking over it. Make sure that lights, mirrors, windows etc are working. Check the spare wheel and tool kit. Examine the van for panel damage and make sure these are noted on the agreement, check also the fuel policy.
6. Make sure you can drive the van properly. If you are uncomfortable with the size of a hire van, tell the rental agent about this. It may not feel like the most manly thing that you have ever done, but if you are not used to driving big units you should be cautious about taking one out on the open road.
7. IF you damage a rental van, tell the representative. This seldom happens. Usually you find people looking with wonder at the side of the vehicle swearing blind that it was not them, this usually comes to an end when you make a bet with them that the gate to their house is lime green. Simply put, rental companies seldom make mistakes when picking up on damage. It can often happen to vehicles when you are not in them. For example, how many times have you come back to your own car and found a new dent or scratch down the side.
8. Stick to the Fuel Policy. If you are to bring the vehicle back full, then return the vehicle full of fuel, if you are to return it empty then bring it back as low as possible.
9. Ask for a refund receipt. When you return the rental van, ask for a receipt showing the return of your deposit, you run a higher risk of problems with those companies that allow unattended drop offs.
10. van rental customer ask for a discount. Repeat customers typically take less time to process than first time customers, if you use rental vans quite a lot try to pre negotiate a rolling rate each time you use a vehicle.

Should I Buy A Truck

There is nothing that says I am an American then riding around in a nice beefy truck! Trucks are a blast to own and drive in. You ride way above most other vehicles including vans. And you have roomy options to utilize if need be. But you might wonder if you should really invest in buying a truck. We'll look at the advantages here.

For one owning a truck is all about the ability to tow and lug things around. Moving big items is no problem with a truck. Just plop whatever it is in the bed of the truck and off you go. If you work in construction or other job that requires you move big objects and have tools a truck is for you. It makes life a lot easier to handle.

Then again on the other hand you might consider the reputation you will get. If you are a truck owner your friends and family will be calling you every time something needs to be moved someplace else. That can become tiring real fast!

While trucks give you extra storage room they don't necessarily give much in the cab. Trucks are generally built with a smaller interior and less comfortable to drive in. That hot date may not work out in a big beefy truck. It all depends on the lady.

The bottom line for every vehicle purchase anymore is with gas prices. Trucks generally don't get the gas mileage that a car will get. You will pay more at the pump. That may turn you off. However if you are a safe driver with a good record you might find that insurance prices are lower for a truck than a car.

Should I buy a truck? That is a good question. Now all you have to do is put the above pieces together and decide!

The Right Way to Buy Cheap Van Insurance

Businesses depend upon lots of factors to become successful, and insurance is something that might keep a business running successfully even if an accident were to occur. If your van is being employed to transport products, tools, equipment, or additional things it is also necessary to obtain insurance to protect the stuff being transported in the vehicle.

There are numerous issues that must be considered before getting commercial van insurance coverage. The kind you get is based on lots of factors including the size, year, and value of the van. It also depends on additional factors like what you are planning to have protected in the policy along with the kinds of loss or damage you wish to have covered. This will likely be based a whole lot on what the van will be used for and what model it is. A few common kinds of vans obtained for business purposes are courier vans, escort vans, cargo vans, and others. Determining the type of coverage you require furthermore is based on whether the vehicle is leased or owned.

When purchasing commercial van insurance coverage be certain to read the small print. A number of companies may perhaps charge higher prices based on the how many miles you drive during the course of business hours or during non-business hours. If you're searching for discount rates you will normally save money by paying a full year ahead of time rather than quarterly or semi-annual payments.

Classic company van insurance comes in three distinct styles and is determined by the many coverage alternatives for damages and losses. The three types are third party only, comprehensive, and third party fire and theft.

Third Party Fire and Theft covers you when your van is stolen, damaged by fire, vandalized, or if it explodes. It also protects you if a person files a claim against you for damage to their car, truck, or van or property and also injuries.

Full comprehensive, generally considered comprehensive, comprises identical protection as Third Party Fire and Theft, although it goes a little further. It also covers damage to the van, personal property, medical and legal costs, and accidents. However, you are allowed to purchase various amounts of protection, so be aware of this.

Fully comprehensive coverage will cost the most because it is a complete policy that protects you against all types of damage or loss. It also has liability protection for injury or death to an individual in your vehicle.

TPO, or third party only, covers you from liability claims brought by third parties. It will only provide coverage for a third party. Liability coverage insures you from losses that occur to a third party like injury orproperty damage or loss. If you are shopping for cheap van insurance, this variety is the most affordable. If your van is getting old and not worth very much it will generally pay to purchase Third Party Only since it is the most fundamental insurance coverage. It is going to fulfill the minimum legal insurance requirement, but will furnish less coverage.

You'll find a great number of options that might be added to one of these three kinds of coverage. You can also obtain increased personal damage, full replacement, increased third party theft, but be mindful they'll cost a bit more. To obtain the lowest rates it's always advisable to obtain a comparison van insurance quote through a handful of companies.

Need Of Truck Hire In UK

Most people hire trucks for moving across the town or city. That is, to move properties by themselves. Truck hire is helpful for the people who don't have enough money to buy their own truck and for those people who are shifting from one place to another.

The rental cost will depend on the truck size, the company from which you are hiring the truck, the distance you are travelling by using the truck and also the availability. In weekends the companies will charge high hire cost because most of the people move on the weekend, so the demand also will be high.

Some companies will charge the rent per day or per hours or according to the distance travelled. So before you hire the truck gather all the information about the rental charges and also about the company terms and conditions.

To get the information about the truck hire companies is not so hard, just search "truck hire" in any search engines, if it is a local search engine then it will be easier for u to find the companies near you. Just find the companies in internet. If you are not able to use the internet then you can use the telephones to contact the companies directly and can enquire there. Some companies offer optional insurance to the vehicle.

While going for truck hire you should submit some personal documents like your driving license, your personal proof of insurance etc. This information is just to verify that you are legal age to rent a truck.

Before leaving with the truck that you hire, make sure that all the needed documents are there with you. Documents like, rental agreement, truck inspection report, insurance papers, registration paper and other paper works that the truck hire company suggests.