GMC Sierra Pickup Truck | Trailer Brake Controller

For more information about towing and trailering with your Sierra pickup truck visit: http://www.gmc.com/sierra-1500-pickup...

Adrian Interiors at the 2015 NTEA Work Truck Show

The 2015 NTEA Work Truck Show was a huge success! Thank you to all who stopped by the Adrian Steel booth to talk with us and see the new vehicles and products!

2015 Savana Full Size Cargo Van

Savana comes with the most powertrain options of any full-size van, backed by a 5-year/100,000-mile transferrable powertrain limited warranty.² Savana also offers StabiliTrak^® to help you stay in control while driving.

POWERFUL ENGINE OPTIONS

Savana offers fuel options including gas, E85, compressed natural gas (CNG), and biodiesel. Powertrain choices include the most powerful diesel in its class, with 260 hp and 525 lb-ft of torque.


FlexFuel-Capable Engine Options:

• Vortec 6.0L V8 VVT
  

Additional Engine Options:

• Vortec 4.8L V8
• Vortec 6.0L V8 Compressed Natural Gas
• Duramax 6.6L V8 Turbo Diesel
  

STABILITRAK^® WITH TRACTION CONTROL

StabiliTrak^® monitors how your Savana is responding to your steering and braking commands, helps you stay in control and on track, and reduces the risk of vehicle rollover.

• Intelligently manages braking and throttle control
• Helps keep the vehicle on the path being steered
• Gives you control behind the wheel
  

COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS

Savana is the only full-size van offering a fully integrated compressed natural gas (CNG) system, helping reduce CO₂ emissions.

• Includes specially designed Vortec 6.0L V8 engines built for gaseous fuels, along with an integrated and warranted dedicated gaseous fuel system
• Offers two systems: a 3-tank system with a range up to approximately 200 miles³; or a 4-tank system with a range up to approximately 300 miles³
  

TOW/HAUL MODE

Tow/haul mode provides a dual-mode shift program that lets you hold gears longer, giving you more torque and providing a smooth transition between gears when climbing hills.

• Reduces excess shifting
• Allows you to select desired gears with manual range selection
• Enables activation of automatic grade braking
• Comes with 6-speed automatic transmission

See all the features and benefits at:  http://www.gmc.com/savana-cargo-van.html

A Day in the Life - W.J. Scott Company

To make a family business last from generation to generation, families pass down the best ethics and practices to keep their businesses the most successful that they can be. This is one thing that The Knapheide Manufacturing Company and W.J. Scott Company have in common.

Watch this video to find out why Matt and James Scott continue to choose Knapheide KUVs for their business for the fourth time in their company's history.

Head’s up! Clean Displays Help Keep Drivers Informed

Keeping eyes on the road 

aided by colorful, simplified HUD systems 

DETROIT – In the days of wearable technology that connects you to the world around you, the automotive head-up display, or HUD, is a seasoned veteran. General Motors pioneered the system decades ago, yet its design teams continue to refine both appearance and functionality to help reduce driver distraction.

“We know that keeping eyes on the road is critical to safe driving – and recent studies back this up,” said Jeff Boyer, vice president of GM Global Vehicle Safety. “Head-up displays can play an important role in maximizing ‘eyes-on-the-road’ time, and that’s what we’re striving for.”

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s 100-car Naturalist study showed that the odds of a crash or near-crash more than doubled when a driver’s eyes were off the road ahead for more than two seconds. In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study that concluded that visual and manual distractions – such as dialing or texting on a handheld phone – increased between two and three times the risk of getting into a crash.

By projecting pertinent information onto the windshield and into the driver’s line of sight, head-up display systems allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road ahead instead of glancing at gauge clusters, infotainment screens and other devices. GM research shows drivers can spend 134 milliseconds shifting their gaze to a gauge cluster and back to the road. At 70 mph, a vehicle can travel 13 feet in that time, roughly the average length of a passenger car.

There’s far more work involved with developing HUD systems than just creating hardware: careful attention is paid to how the display looks and how it interacts with both the driver and other systems within the car.

“We have to make smart decisions about what content goes into the HUD,” said John Weiss, an interaction designer for HUD systems, “and how we can then present it to the driver in a manner that’s easy to read and intuitive to use.”

Simplified Screens
Today’s head-up displays, offered on more than 30 percent of GM vehicles sold in North America, can provide far more information than the first production system introduced on the 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. To reduce clutter, drivers can select from screens that focus on navigation, audio information, a tachometer, or simply a speedometer.

“The HUD screens are tailored to the driver,” said graphic designer William Thompson. “We do lots of prototyping, where we mock up different arrangements or graphics and get feedback from users.”

Fine Lines and Fonts
Compared to a gauge cluster or infotainment touchscreen, the head-up display space is constrained, forcing designers to work within a limited space. Designers inherently “think small,” but legibility restricts how far elements can be downsized. Icons are simplified, and lines must be at least four pixels wide. Fonts typically considered “grotesque,” – meaning letters are distinct and discrete from one another – are used.

Choosing the Right Colors

The use of a full-color screen allows designers more flexibility in selecting what colors to project. Each hue in the display is carefully selected to ensure it projects well and appeals to the driver.

Real-world testing helped the design team finalize color selections. White – the brightest color in the liquid crystal display, or LCD – is used for most fonts and displays. Winter testing helped find a hue that didn’t disappear against a snowy background. “We’ve done quite a bit of legwork to see what colors work best on the road,” said Weiss. “Some colors might look good when viewed on a computer screen but appear quite different when projected on a windshield.”

Simple Controls
Although the head-up display duplicates information shown elsewhere on the instrument panel, it doesn’t require a second set of controls. “You might have an incoming call notification pop up on both the gauge cluster’s driver information center and the head-up display,” says Weiss, “but you don’t have to dismiss each one separately. We make sure the control interface on the steering wheel can interact with both displays.”

In order to further reduce complication, HUD-specific controls largely focus on adjusting the screen’s height and brightness to the driver’s liking.

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com  

GMC Sierra Pickup Truck | Exhaust Brake

For more information about towing and trailering with your Sierra pickup truck visit: http://www.gmc.com/sierra-1500-pickup...

Aluminum Work Truck Bodies

Aluminum bodies are becoming more mainstream. Though they have been around for decades, they have been hard to find and very expensive. A number of companies have made a commitment to building more aluminum bodies to help increase fuel economy and increase payload capacity. As a result, the cost of aluminum bodies has dropped significantly and now they are affordable for most customers. Lighter weight serves everyone and aluminum is light weight and yet retains its well-known strength.

Choose from a wide selection of aluminum Flatbeds, Stakebeds, Service Bodies, Contractor Bodies and Aluminum Dump Beds from manufacturers like Reading, ProTech, Highway Products, and many more every day.

GMC Pickups 101: Alphabet Soup of Acronyms

Explaining the GVWRs, the SRWs and the DRWs

Editor’s Note: For more than 100 years, GMC pickups have come in many varieties to suit a wide range of customer demands. From that have come a number of acronyms for various capacities and features. This third in an occasional series of “GMC Pickups 101” features explains those jumbles of letters.

DETROIT – Nearly every full-size pickup owner has a unique use for his or her truck. And considering the GMC Sierra’s 19 different cab and box combinations, the veritable alphabet soup of models practically has its own language of acronyms.

Some of the most important truck acronyms for owners to know are gross weight ratings. Exceeding any of a truck’s weight ratings is unsafe, and it’s a driver’s responsibility to know and avoid exceeding them.

“Nearly every vehicle performance attribute is designed and tested to one or more gross weight rating,” said Robert Krouse, General Motors trailering engineer. ”Body and chassis structural durability, powertrain and driveline durability, handling, braking, thermal and propulsion performance are all validated to specific ratings. That’s why it’s so important for owners to understand those limits.”

• GAWR, or Gross Axle Weight Rating, is the maximum amount of weight that can be placed on either a truck’s front or rear axle, including the weight of the truck, driver, passengers, equipment and cargo. A higher front GAWR generally means more capacity for accessories like plows, while a high rear GAWR relates to a higher payload.
• GVWR, or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, is the maximum amount of weight for the entire truck and everything in it. This number isn’t simply each axle rating added together; for that to work, the owner would have to precisely load so that each axle weight rating is met just as the overall vehicle rating is met, which isn’t possible in real world conditions. As a result, GVWR is always lower than the sum of each axle to account for changes in weight distribution.
• GCWR, or Gross Combined Weight Rating, is the maximum weight of a truck and an attached trailer, plus everything in each of them. Some of a trailer’s weight is supported by the truck – this is known as tongue weight – a GCWR isn’t simply the GVWR plus the trailer’s weight. When attaching a trailer, an owner should factor tongue weight into a truck’s payload capacity.

“It’s very important that drivers observe these limits to maintain safe stopping distances,” said Krouse. “Not only that, overloading a truck causes excessive wear on suspension and brakes and could lead to engine or transmission failure.”

The 2013 Sierra’s highest GCWR is 30,500 pounds for a 3500HD Duramax DRW model. DRW, another truck acronym, applies only to 3500HD one-ton pickups. It implies a “dual rear wheel” option, as opposed to a “single rear wheel,” or SRW.

The option adds not only higher payload and weight limits, but also better stability with a large trailer attached. For a 2013 Sierra 3500HD 4x4 Crew Cab, a DRW option adds 5,700 pounds of available trailer weight rating and 1,011 pounds of payload capacity.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, and is one of the industry's healthiest brands. Innovation and engineering excellence is built into all GMC vehicles and the brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover.  GMC is the only manufacturer to offer three full-size hybrid trucks with the Yukon, Yukon Denali SUVs and the Sierra pickup. The Sierra Heavy Duty pickups are the most capable and powerful trucks in the market. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

CargoGlide - A.R.E. Truck Caps and Tonneau Covers

To learn more about the CargoGlide, please visit www.4are.com.

Transfer Tank Video by Highway Products

Aluminum transfer tanks are very convenient when you need to transport diesel, bio-diesel or water to your worksite. We have four different transfer tanks to choose from or you can customize a fuel tank that will meet your needs. We use 3/16 inch marine grade aluminum and Heliarc®all transfer tank shells. All transfer tanks for pickup trucks and custom transfer tanks come with a Lifetime Warranty.

Gullwing Truck Tool Box by Highway Products, Inc.

The Gull Wing cross over truck tool box is a double lid box that rests on the side rails of your truck. With its raised center and lowered lid entry, you can easily place long into this truck box and you can easy reach the bottom of the truck tool box.

Pickup Pack Turns A Pickup Into A Service Body

The Pickup Pack™ is a unique alternative for companies needing organized storage and lockup security without the cost of a service body. All in an attractive aluminum body that can be easily installed on your pickup in a few hours. 

This "service body" in a Pickup Pack™ includes a gull wing saddle box, two lockable low side boxes, a flat or dome center hatch, a headache rack, and a removable ladder rack. When closed, the hatch locks the tailgate, making the bed area secure and weather resistant. There is still an 8"-10" space beneath the tool boxes for sheets of plywood or other cargo.

See more at www.highwayproducts.com/product/pickup-packs

New GMC Campaign Celebrates the Art of Precision

Features entire showroom for the first time 

since ‘Professional Grade’ debut

DETROIT – Precision can be the difference between winning and losing, or that element that separates ordinary from a cut above. GMC today unveiled “Precision,” an advertising campaign promoting the brand’s relentless attention to detail, a foundational value for the brand.

The multimedia campaign is part of a major investment by GMC this year that showcases GMC’s full line of premium trucks, SUVs and crossovers, including its popular Denali sub-brand. The entire GMC showroom is featured in the campaign for the first time since the 2000 launch of tagline “GMC: We Are Professional Grade.” The ads represent a broader, contemporary interpretation of the longstanding GMC positioning. 

“For discerning GMC customers, Professional Grade has evolved to mean exacting attention to detail and fine craftsmanship in everything they do and purchase,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing. “Precision is a core attribute of the brand and is reflected in GMC’s continued momentum. GMC’s year-over-year sales gains are a strong indicator that premium GMC attributes resonate with customers who seek more from their vehicles.”

“Fastball,” the first of three TV ads developed by GMC and agency-of-record Leo Burnett Detroit begins airing nationally in a 60-second ad on March 2. The ad’s underlying theme is that the same precision and attention to detail applied by pro athletes and accomplished professionals translate to GMC engineers and designers. Ultimately customers who demand superior execution in the products they purchase look for the same level of precision and craftmanship.

“Fastball” opens with a panoramic view of a packed ballpark. The scene shifts to San Francisco Giants left-handed relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt as he deftly paints the corners of the plate, a “Rembrandt” in baseball terminology. Striking out a batter is one thing; painting the corners of the plate to strike out the batter elevates his craft to a higher level.

As the narrator speaks, shots of Affeldt pitching alternate with GMC vehicle details, such as the French stitching on a GMC leather seat and a grille’s sparkling meshwork.

“Precision, to me, is pretty much everything in the role I play on my team,” said Affeldt, explaining that he continually pushes himself because a lack of precision can contribute to a loss on the diamond. Affeldt’s precise fastball helped his team win the 2014 World Series.

“Swish,” the second of the three TV ads, features basketball forward Harrison Barnes, of the Golden State Warriors, as he sends a ball clean through the hoop without touching the rim.

“When you have that perfect swish, you hear the net and it goes right in,” Barnes said. “That’s precision, and it’s the best shot you can shoot. We’re always striving for that precise movement and pure shot.”

The third TV ad, “Sharp,” draws a parallel with contemporary menswear. The ad juxtaposes the details of an impeccably dressed man, right down to his designer cufflinks, to the precision features on a GMC Yukon Denali.

The “Precision” ads will air throughout 2015, and the campaign will extend to digital, social and print advertising featuring every truck, crossover and SUV in the 2015 GMC lineup. 

All three “Precision” ads open with an instrumental portion of The Who’s “Eminence Front,” chosen for its confident tone and technical, precise musical execution.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, with innovation and engineering excellence built into all GMC vehicles. The brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover. GMC’s highest-volume vehicle, the Sierra pickup, is the most powerful light-duty pickup on the market, and the first full-size pickup to receive the highest-possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

CargoGlide Introduction

Introduction to the CargoGlide line of top quality bed slide products 

for your Work, Play and all of Life in between.

GMC Savana Cargo Van - 2015

New for 2015:

• Digital AM/FM radio with auxiliary port
• Digital AM/FM with USB and auxiliary port
• Standard 110-volt power outlet
• Standard side-cut keys
• Three banks of LED Lighting
• Exterior color: Emerald Green

2015 GMC SAVANA CARGO OFFERS TRADEMARK VERSATILITY

GMC Savana Cargo is a versatile van designed to make work easier and more accommodating. It is available in regular (135-inch / 3,429-mm) and extended (155-inch / 3,937-mm) wheelbase lengths, in heavy-duty 2500 Series and 3500 Series models.

The 2500 Series includes models rated at 8,600 pounds (3,901 kg) GVWR, with the 3500 Series includes full-bodied models rated at 9,600 pounds (4,354 kg) GVWR with a standard 6.0L gas V-8 and 9,900 pounds (4,490 kg) with the available Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel.

A wide range of features and configurations offers many competitive advantages, with standard and available features including:

• ·         Standard 4.8L and available 6.0L gas engines
• ·         Available dedicated compressed natural gas package
• ·         Available 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel engine with B20 biodiesel capability
• ·         Fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmissions
• ·         Available locking rear differential
• ·         Trailer rating of up to 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg)
• ·         StabiliTrak electronic stability control is standard on all models
• ·         SiriusXM Satellite Radio is available.

The Savana Crew Cargo Van offers a three-passenger rear bench, with additional equipment including full-length black rubberized-vinyl floor covering, fixed full-body window package glass, swing-out passenger-side door, head- and side-curtain air bags and a Medium Pewter interior color. On extended wheelbase models, it also includes rear air conditioning.

Savana design and exterior features:

·         Chrome appearance package is available and includes chrome front and rear bumpers and chrome grille with dual composite headlamps. Black-painted bumpers are standard

·         Swing-out 60/40-split passenger-side doors are standard.

·         Sliding passenger-side door is available

·         Heated power-adjustable outside folding mirrors are available on all models.

·         Sixteen-inch steel wheels are standard

·         Ambulance prep package and hotel shuttle package are available

·         Exterior colors: Quicksilver Metallic, Cyber Gray Metallic, Dark Blue Metallic, Black, Dark Green Metallic, Summit White, Victory Red, Wheatland Yellow, Emerald Green and Bronze Alloy Metallic.

Savana interior standard and available features:

• Power locks are standard
• Air conditioning (single-zone) is standard
• Rear air conditioning is available
• A range of audio systems, including CD/MP3 capability and USB port, and navigation is available on all models. An audio system provision package is standard
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio is available
• Driver information center is standard on all models. A compass and outside temperature features are available
• A rear auxiliary heater is available
• An enhanced interior lighting package three light-emitting diode roof-mounted lights in the cargo area is standard
• Two auxiliary 12-volt power outlets are standard and located on the dashboard
• 110-volt outlet located on dash is standard
• Remote keyless entry is available
• Remote vehicle starter system is available
• Six-way power-adjustable driver and passenger seats are available
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and steering wheel audio controls are available
• Custom vinyl or cloth upholstery is offered in Neutral or Medium Pewter colors.

Savana powertrains – 6.6L Duramax diesel

The available Duramax turbo-diesel V-8 delivers best-in-class torque and horsepower. Known by its “LGH” engine code, it is rated at 260 horsepower (194 kW) and 525 lb-ft of torque (711 Nm).

The LGH Duramax was designed with a robust EGR cooling system, along with revised turbocharger tuning that helps enhance EGR performance. It also has a large-capacity selective catalytic reduction system. In fact, the engine features the latest in emission control technology, making it the cleanest Duramax engine ever produced. NOx emissions are controlled via a Selective Catalyst Reduction aftertreatment system that uses urea-based Diesel (Emission) Exhaust Fluid (DEF). The DEF is housed in a 5.83-gallon (20 L) tank and needs to be replenished about every 5,000 miles (8,000 km). Electrically heated lines feed the DEF to the emission system to ensure adequate delivery in cold weather.

The Duramax also includes GM’s second-generation diesel particulate filter system. Unlike most competitors’ systems, the Duramax regenerates its diesel particulate filter using a downstream injection of diesel fuel directly into the exhaust stream and can travel up to 700 miles (1,125 km) between regenerations – a 300-mile (482 km) increase over the previous Duramax engine. The use of downstream injection also helps improve engine life by eliminating concerns surrounding the possibility of diesel fuel contaminating engine oil, which can happen when fuel used for regeneration is introduced directly into the cylinder. 

The Duramax also provides outstanding cold-weather performance, with  microprocessor-controlled glow plugs capable of gas engine-like start performance in less than three seconds in temperatures as low as -20 degrees F (-29 C), without a block heater. The engine has been developed to operate for at least 200,000 miles (322,000 km) on a rough-duty cycle without the need for a major overhaul; and it is backed with a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

A fuel-operated heater (FOH) also is available for vans equipped with the Duramax 6.6L to quickly provide heat to the vehicle interior in cold weather. The seamlessly integrated system is designed into the Savana chassis, saving customers the time and labor of upfitting an aftermarket system. The electronically controlled, fuel-operated heater operates automatically, turning on and off within parameters that include outside air temperature, fuel level, coolant temperature and whether the engine is running. It features a self-contained, pressurized auxiliary coolant heater (with a surge tank) that uses diesel fuel to generate up to 17,200 Btu/h (5 kW) of heating energy.

The Duramax engine is backed by GM’s Hydra-Matic 6L90 heavy-duty six-speed automatic transmission.

Savana powertrains – gas engines

GMC Savana offers a choice of two gas engines: a standard 4.8L V-8 rated at 285 horsepower (213 kW) and 295 lb-ft of torque (400 Nm) and an available 6.0L V-8 rated at 342 horsepower (255 kW) and 373 lb-ft of torque (506 Nm). Each is part of GM’s legendary small-block engine family and designed for quiet operation, including:

• Special friction-reducing polymer coating on piston skirts
• Full-floating piston pins
• Damping patch on the oil pan (externally mounted)
• Timing chain tensioner
• Quieter alternator.

Backing the engines’ quietness is the assurance of long-lasting performance. The engine family was validated under extreme conditions, with the 6.0L engine dynamometer-tested to the equivalent of 200,000 miles – 50,000 miles more than other engines in the family. The engines also feature many long-life engine components that can reduce maintenance intervals and costs. The iridium-tip spark plugs, engine coolant, accessory drive belt and sealing gaskets are some of these items.

Some of the stringent durability testing included cycling engines between the peak torque and peak horsepower rpm points – the equivalent of towing a heavy trailer up a steep grade – for 600 straight hours.

The engines are mated to the Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic and a fast-idle option makes it easier to run accessories at a work site.

The 6.0L is also offered in a special version with hardened valve seats for the available dedicated compressed natural gas models – the industry’s only CNG vehicles that are fully integrated at the factory, crash tested and backed by GM’s 100,000 mile/five-year transferable powertrain limited warranty. Two systems are offered:

• ·         A three-tank system (RPO code UFM) provides a range of up to 200 miles and allows complete use of the cargo area
• ·         A four-tank system (RPO code UFP) provides a range of up to 300 miles, with the additional tank in the driver’s side of the cargo area, just inboard of the wheel well.

Savana chassis and suspension

The Savana is built on a strong, ladder-type full frame architecture. The frame features fully boxed sections for greater strength and rigidity, while extended and tapered front frame rails are used for improved crashworthiness. Also, additional tubular frame cross members are used to increase torsional stiffness.

All models feature an independent short-long arm (SLA) front suspension, with a 35mm front stabilizer bar. Two-stage, semi-elliptic multi-leaf springs are used in the rear suspension and help locate a semi-floating axle.

Additional chassis and suspension features include:

• Hydroboost four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and dynamic rear proportioning 
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control is standard on all models
• A locking rear differential is available
• 31-gallon (117.3 L) fuel tank is standard on all models (except for dedicated compressed natural gas package)
• 8,600-pound GVWR on 2500 models
• 9,600-pound / 9,900-pound GVWR on 3500 models.

Savana safety and crash-avoidance features

Savana is equipped with a host of safety features, including available head curtain side air bags, which provide a higher level of protection in the event of a side impact or a vehicle rollover. Additional safety features include:

• StabiliTrak is standard
• Tire pressure monitoring system is standard
• Flat and convex exterior mirrors for a wider field of vision are standard
• Four-wheel anti-lock disc brake system with Hydroboost is standard
• Driver and front passenger air bags are standard
• Daytime Running Lamps are standard.