Why the Fan Clutch is Important: A Refresher

There’s no question about why the engine is important for your truck or fleet, but it’s also important to remember that one reason your engine is running smoothly is because of the smaller parts working together to help it along. Your engine’s fan clutch cooling system is a good example.

When your truck is in motion, the internal combustion engine heats up. While the production of heat is necessary for the engine to power your truck, if it gets too hot, it can lead to trouble unless the fan clutch and fan activate to cool the engine temperature down.

Heavy duty trucks and transport vehicles are only making money when they’re driving on the road. The sooner a truck gets to its destination, the sooner it can pick up another load and go to its next destination. The faster a truck can get there, the more likely the fleet will be able to be awarded competitive jobs. To put it simply, more money is made when the truck is moving while money isn’t being made when the truck is “parked”.

Roadside Inspections are one of the easiest ways to lose money, and there are a lot of issues that get flagged that could be in your truck's brake system right now. So we decided we'd "brake down" all of the most common braking issues in our new 5-Part Blog series. Throughout the journey will identify what inspectors look for, and how to identify issues before they cause your fleet heavy fines and extended downtime.

What Does it Mean to be Fuel-Efficient?

Traditionally, the goal of the trucking industry has been simple — deliver the freight safely and quickly. In the past, fuel costs were simply considered a means to achieve that end. But there are many aspects of the trucking industry that have changed over the last few decades, and chief among them is the emphasis on having fuel-efficient trucks.

But what does that mean? Googling the definition can lead you down a super technical rabbit hole that you may not get out of, but simply put, the fuel efficiency of your truck refers to the relationship between how much fuel you’re using and how far you’re traveling. While investing in companies and parts that focus on improved fuel economy can be more expensive in the short-term, it can also lead to some serious wins and savings for your business down the ro

The Battery You Can Depend On for Your Fleet. Extreme Power, Performance, and Durability.

With today's no-idling laws and high gas prices, fleet owners and managers are faced with a critical decision: reduce the number of vehicles in their fleets or instruct drivers to shut engines off and draw power from critical auxiliary accessories from the battery.

The problem with the second option is that frequent deep discharges shorten the life of conventional Starting, Lighting, and Ignition (SLI) batteries. So gas savings are offset by the cost to replace them more frequently. The answer is the revolutionary ODYSSEY® battery. Thanks to its unique Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL)

What Do Fan Clutches Even Do?

One of the under-celebrated heroes of your truck’s power generation system is the fan clutch. Going back to Engine 101 for a minute, you know that an engine gets hot from all the pressure put on it. You also know that letting that engine overheat is not only dangerous to driver safety but can also cause serious damage to the vehicle. The cooling fan is what helps cool the engine down when things are heating up under the hood, but the fan clutch plays a key role in supplying the power behind that cooling fan.

Just as engine cooling needs are different depending on your application,

Why Does My AC Smell?

Your truck’s heating and air conditioning system may not be crucial to the overall functionality of the vehicle, but nobody can argue that it’s still one of the most important systems to keep in proper working order. A non-functioning or faulty HVAC system means the driver is either too warm or too cold and is probably distracted from the main task at hand — staying safe on the road.

But even if all the essential parts and components of your AC system are working seamlessly together, there’s still one major problem that haunts thousands of AC systems every year — a funky odor coming through the vents from the blower motor. Although this issue may not affect the temperature of the air coming through, it’s still a seriou

From Hot to Not: Knowing Your AC Blower Motor

When your truck or fleet is on the road, you depend on a lot of small things to work correctly, like the vehicle starting on the first try. Something else you may take for granted is a refreshing blast of cool air coming out of your air conditioning vents when it’s hot and stuffy in your passenger cabin. When this doesn’t happen, it can not only be frustrating and lead to an uncomfortable journey, it can also signal trouble within your truck’s heating and cooling system.

Knowing the major players in commercial vehicle heating and cooling can help you identify what might be going wrong with your AC so you can find the right part and fix the problem the first time around with minimal downtime to your business. The journey to understanding air conditioning components starts with the

When the Best Gets Even Better: PreSet Plus Hubs

It’s no industry secret that Consolidated Metco has been one of the largest pioneers in wheel hubs since 1964, but the continued dedication to innovation and modern trucking needs is what keeps ConMet blazing trails in the commercial vehicle industry.

ConMet made a name for itself by introducing the PreSet hub assembly to the commercial vehicle industry in 1995 — completely changing the way truckers and fleet managers viewed wheel hub replacement and service. But even though PreSet hubs have increasingly become the standard over the years boasting fewer labor costs and more convenience, ConMet wasn’t done yet. In 2011, the PreSet Plus wheel hub assembl