6/29/22

Building the Ultimate Work Truck | A Guide for Contractors and Equipment Suppliers



A good work truck shouldn’t just be reliable transportation—It needs to be a toolbox, a mobile office, a hauler, and more… Here’s a complete guide to building a work truck that works as hard as you do. Work Truck Job Requirements When it comes to the different work truck functions, here are some questions to get you started… Passengers. How many people will you have to fit? Some trucks offer a way to easily reconfigure the interior to accommodate more people or more cargo. Load. How much weight do you need to haul? If you regularly haul heavy equipment to job sites, you may want a truck with a high towing capacity. Tools. What kinds of tools do you need to keep handy in the truck? You’ll want a way to organize and secure them and may want to consider aftermarket accessories as well—But more about this later. Distance. How far do you travel each day? If you’re clocking in some heavy miles, a hybrid or all-electric work truck could save you some dough. Terrain. What kind of terrain will you travel on? You may not need an all-wheel-drive (AWD) if you’re just driving on regular pavement. Truck Size You want to be comfortable! One indication that the truck may not be the right size for you is your need to move the seat to maximum positions—For example, do you need to move all the way up and forward in order to see over the wheel? Or will you want to lower the seat and recline it in order to avoid hitting your head? Don’t judge a truck by a photo, alone—You’ll want to take a seat inside the real thing! Truck Hauling and Towing If you regularly move equipment and other heavy items, we recommend getting the highest rated towing capacity that you can afford. For some, sacrificing interior space for a longer truck bed will suit their hauling needs. It is not necessary to buy a work truck large enough to tow items that you rarely have to transport. In the event you have a super heavy load, you can always just lease a larger truck. Truck Wheels You’ll want the type of wheels that can handle the terrain you are most likely to encounter on a regular basis. Some like the look of oversized tires, but it can be harder to get into a truck that is high off the ground. You can be dazzled by expensive rims, but you’re going to work, not a truck show. These are opportunities to save money to buy more practical accessories. Truck Safety Airbags are standard these days, but some newer work trucks include some impressive safety features, including braking when a living being is detected in front of you or warning you if you start to drift into another lane. And backup cameras are getting more sophisticated with guides to help you back into spaces and warning signals when you’re getting too close to a wall. Tools
There are several ways to organize your tools. Here are just a few options: Decked offers a unique drawer system that doesn’t take away your bed space. Bedslide makes it easy to slide your tools and equipment out from your truck. Weather Guard has their line of Pack Rat pull out storage in various sizes. Ram offers the Rambox Cargo Management System on some models. It has locked storage that lines the bed of the truck.

6/27/22

GMC HUMMER EV PICKUP | “Declassified: Off-Road App” | GMC


Learn how the available Off-Road App provides you with a variety of real-time off-roading information right on the infotainment screen, including:

6/25/22

You Ask. We Answer. ft Gerald Johnson and Paul Jacobson | General Motors


6/23/22

2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1’s Outstanding Performance Powered by Ultium


 Ultium 24-module battery system
  • Three-motor Ultium Drive system with GM-estimated, best-in-class 1,000 horsepower and combined axle torque of GM-estimated 11,500 lb-ft
  • Segment-exclusive available driving modes, including Watts to Freedom1, CrabWalk2 and available Extract Mode3
  • 800-volt 350-kilowatt DC fast charging capability4
  • First GMC EV with brand-first Regen on Demand5, Super Cruise6 available driver assistance feature for compatible roads

DETROIT – The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1 will be the first vehicle in production with GM’s all-new Ultium battery architecture and will offer impressive on- and off-road features and a broad range of vehicle dynamics and performance features.

This new architecture provides the framework to integrate advanced technologies for optimal driving range and — in the case of the HUMMER EV — will enable performance and capabilities that would not be possible with a conventional vehicle architecture and propulsion system.

The 24-module Ultium battery pack and three-motor Ultium Drive system will provide this all-electric supertruck best-in-class power output.

“As the first of GM’s next-gen EVs, the HUMMER EV will fundamentally alter conventional off-road and truck paradigms,” said Ken Morris, GM vice president, Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Programs. “It will also debut new technology, including our all-new Ultium batteries, Ultium Drive units and the industry’s first wireless battery management system.”

Ultium cells

Ultium batteries are unique in the industry because of their large-format, pouch-style cells, which can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack. In the Edition 1 HUMMER EV, two layers of vertical cell modules will be used to produce a combined 24-module pack offering a GM-estimated range of 350+ miles7.

In addition to power and range, the Ultium battery pack will contribute to the HUMMER EV’s driving dynamics and structure. The pack’s low mounting position in the chassis contributes to a low center of gravity, enhancing the vehicle’s overall feeling of control and stability. The compact construction of the Ultium battery pack also contributes to HUMMER EV’s ideal off-road proportions, including a short front overhang and short front breakover angle.

With GM’s state-of-the-art nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum (NCMA) chemistry, HUMMER EV’s Ultium batteries will have some of the highest nickel and lowest cobalt — a rare and costly material — content of any large-format pouch cell. The breakthroughs of the Ultium chemistry allow GM to use 70 percent less cobalt than GM’s previous generation of EVs.

HUMMER EV will also be the first vehicle in GM’s lineup to feature its wireless battery management system, which maintains balance within the truck’s battery cell groups for optimal performance and battery longevity.

Electrifying off-road

This is the first truck that we have ever designed around an EV propulsion system,” said Adam Kwiatkowski, GM executive chief engineer, Global Electric Propulsion. “Designing the truck and the propulsion system together enhances HUMMER EV’s unique performance capabilities, while also making this the stiffest truck GM has ever built.”

Edition 1’s three electric drive motors within Ultium Drive will yield a combined GM-estimated 1,000 horsepower, and when multiplied through the front and rear drive unit gear ratios, there will be more than a GM-estimated 11,500 lb-ft of torque available at the wheels.

The single-motor front drive unit will have a 13.3:1 fixed gear ratio and will offer an electronic lockable differential, capable of delivering up to 100 percent of the motor torque to one wheel, in case traction is lost on the opposite wheel. All four wheels can be fully synchronized for true e4WD propulsion.

Two rear motors contained in one Ultium Drive unit will independently power the rear wheels through a fixed gear ratio of 10.5:1, with the capability of varying torque output to each wheel to optimize traction in off-road driving and highway-driving conditions. Motor output can also be synchronized to simulate a locking differential.

The system’s pure electric propulsion holds peak torque much longer, through a wider speed range (up to 40 mph) than even diesel engines, which is optimal for off-roading, but also thrilling on-road. For straight-line performance, the Ultium batteries and Ultium Drive will offer enough power to enable the Watts to Freedom performance feature, launching the HUMMER EV from 0-60 mph in approximately 3 seconds (based on GM estimates).

DC fast charging

HUMMER EV will have the ability to take advantage of the industry’s fastest 350-kilowatt DC fast chargers4. This vehicle will offer a GM-estimated 350+ miles7of range based on preliminary testing, with a unique ability to switch its battery pack from its native 400-volts to 800-volts for charging. A disconnect unit and mechanization within the pack enables the battery to switch from “parallel” to “series,” allowing it to add nearly 100 miles of range in 10 minutes of charging8.

The charging system is also designed to support legacy 400-volt charging infrastructure, without the need for a converter box or other accessories, allowing HUMMER EV to use a variety of charging stations.

The HUMMER EV’s charging hardware will be complemented by in-vehicle and available smartphone apps that help customers find available charging locations and can even precondition the battery to get the most efficiency out of their upcoming charging session.

Energy Assist

The HUMMER EV’s in-vehicle Energy Assist, also part of the myGMC mobile app9, will monitor the vehicle’s energy use, and sets up a charging schedule, preheating the battery en route to the charging station for optimal charging and learning to drive more efficiently to maximize range and more. It is accessible through the infotainment system12 and designed with a simple, intuitive interface with easy-to-understand icons.

Regen on Demand5, one pedal drive10

HUMMER EV is the first GMC vehicle to offer variable Regen on Demand5, a driver-controlled regenerative braking feature, which converts the kinetic energy of the truck’s forward momentum into electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery packs for maximizing the driving range.

This standard feature is compatible with all of HUMMER EV’s available drive modes. Unlike other EV regenerative braking features, Regen on Demand allows the driver to decide when and to what extent the system should be used. With the pull of a steering wheel paddle, drivers can even slow the vehicle to a full stop without engaging the brake pedal. If the driver anticipates the need to decelerate the truck, he or she can engage Regen on Demand before lifting off the accelerator pedal, for a greater measure of control.

HUMMER EV also features one pedal driving10 through a driver-selectable Terrain Mode, which provides low-speed, one-pedal control for driving over off-road terrain and obstacles.

Super Cruise6

The GMC HUMMER EV will launch with the latest version of Super Cruise6, which includes a new automatic lane changing feature, where the system can determine when a lane change is optimal and initiate the maneuver, while following signaling protocols. Super Cruise capability with three years of service comes standard on HUMMER EV and is available on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads in the U.S. and Canada.

Super Cruise is the industry’s first true hands-free driver assistance systemUnlike others, it uses two advanced technology systems: a driver attention system and precision LiDAR map data. Recent enhancements to Super Cruise include performance and ease-of-use updates, including richer map information, improved software controls and user interface improvements to make Super Cruise more intuitive.

The HUMMER EV is the first full-electric vehicle in GMC’s portfolio and is powered by General Motors’ new Ultium battery system. Production begins in late 2021, at GM’s Factory ZERO, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center11— a nearly 40-year-old facility repurposed and retooled with a $2.2-billion investment devoted to electric vehicle production. Future production vehicles out of the factory will offer zero emissions.

Performance targets, estimates and capability specifications based on computer-aided analysis and simulation using virtual engineering tools. Estimates may vary depending on model and trim. Additional model and trim details can be found at GMC.com. Actual production model and results may vary.

More information and reservation details are available at www.gmc.com/HummerEV.

About GMC
With a strong foundation of manufacturing trucks since 1902 and now selling in a dozen countries across the world, GMC offers purpose-built vehicles designed and engineered to the highest standard. From the all-new compact SUV Terrain to the Sierra HD, our trucks and crossovers deliver GMC’s signature combination of intuitive technologies and premium execution, with the popular Denali representing the pinnacle of GMC design, performance and amenities. Details on all GMC models are available at www.gmc.com, on Twitter at @GMC or at www.facebook.com/gmc.

6/21/22

GMC Introduces Its Most Luxurious, Advanced and Capable Sierra 1500 Lineup


Introducing the New GMC Sierra, the most advanced and luxurious Sierra ever. The lineup includes the New Sierra Denali Ultimate trim, the most advanced and luxurious pickup in its class* and the First Ever Sierra AT4X — the new peak of premium off-road with serious capability and uncompromising refinements.
*Class is half-ton gasoline and diesel pickups. https://s.gmc.com/njdfzj

6/20/22

SAFE STEPS Road Safety: Pedestrians


Ford VAN (E-Transit,Transit) Production at Kansas City Assembly Plant The new E-Transit is produced at Kansas City Assembly Plant – Ford’s first U.S. plant to assemble both batteries and all-electric vehicles in-house.
Ford Pro begins shipping the all-new E-Transit™, the electric version of America’s best-selling commercial van1, from Kansas City Assembly Plant – the company’s first U.S. plant to assemble both batteries and all-electric vehicles in-house2
E-Transit is Ford’s newest fully electric vehicle for customers, following Mustang Mach-E®. F-150 Lightning™ and F-150 Lightning™ Pro begin arriving this spring, while Ford will have global capacity to produce 600,000 battery electric vehicles annually by late 2023
Ford invested $100 million in Kansas City Assembly Plant and added approximately 150 full-time jobs to produce E-Transit as part of its commitment to American manufacturing

6/18/22

GMC HUMMER EV PICKUP | “Declassified: MyGMC App” | GMC


Discover how the available myGMC mobile app puts tools and information at your fingertips. From your smartphone, access functions like remote start and stop, check energy levels and tire pressure, view current energy level and range and much more. 

 To make the most of your GMC HUMMER EV Pickup driving experience, explore all Declassified videos here: https://s.gm.com/jburz4

6/16/22

2022 SIERRA AT4 Desert Sand Metallic | Is This NEW COLOR For You?


Today's video we check out the new Desert Sand Metallic paint job on a 2022 Sierra AT4 Duramax Diesel and ask... is this the color for you?

6/13/22

GODWIN 184U SERIES DUMP BODY


Small & Versatile

Godwin Mfg 184U Series Body

This body is available in lengths of 8' to 11' in 1' increments. Inside width from side to side is 84". SIDES: One piece sides with no welded seams. 10 gauge A607 grade-50 high tensile steel with boxed top rail and fully welded boxed rear corner post. 6" side board gussets with full length rub rails, and box-type sidebraces. RUB RAILS: Full length 45 degree deflector panels are an integral part of the sides. FLOOR: 10 gauge -two piece high tensile steel floor with 2" floor to side radius. A607 grade-50 steel. FRONT WALL: 10 gauge high tensile A607 grade 50 steel. Full width integral inverted V-type horizontal bracing.TAILGATE: 3 Panel fully boxed 10 gauge high tensile A607 grade 50 steel with boxed horizontal reinforcements and sloping lower deflector. Tailgate is 6" higher than side.TAILGATE HARDWARE: Heavy duty: Standard upper hardware is offset cast steel hinge. Lower hook is cast steel: engages tailgate pin from top. Banjo eye keeps tailgate chain in position you select. LIGHTS &REFLECTORS: FMVSS 108 lights are standard, recessed for protection, rubber mounted and shock proof. UNDERSTRUCTURE: Completely jig built with 3" structural channel crossmembers on 12" centers and 5"structural channel longitudinal. Crossmembers are gusseted and welded to longitudinals. POPULAR OPTIONS: 36" cab shield, 8 gauge sides, 3/16" one piece floor, fold down 13" sides, 18" sides, quick release upper hardware, other options available.
Learn more at: http://www.godwinmfg.com

6/12/22

Built to Last: Aluminum Truck Bodies from Knapheide


6/10/22

Dual Rear Wheel Service Body Has More Room!


Ron Sadler, Commercial Manager shows off a Knapheide 9' service body on a GMC 3500HD dual rear wheel chassis. This setup is close to the same length as the popular 8' service body on a 2500HD, but has deeper compartments and carries considerably more weight for those heavy tools. See more about our commercial truck department at http://www.lehmersgmc.com

6/08/22

GMC Sierra | “Shock and Awe” | GMC


Here’s your first glimpse of the all-new, all-electric GMC Sierra Denali. The all-electric Sierra Denali will further evolve the technology, capability and premium innovation you expect in a GMC. Get ready for the full electrifying reveal in 2022.

6/05/22

Tour The VMAC Demo Truck With Tim Parks


Allow Tim Parks from VMAC to take you on a tour of his VMAC demo truck, loaded with VMAC’s rotary screw air compressors and multipower systems. Tim will also focus on the UNDERHOOD™ 40 air compressor system, the only air compressor that fits in the engine compartment of trucks and vans.

6/03/22

Tire Blow Out Reaction Tips


Tires are the most important part of your vehicle and unexpected blows outs happen almost everyday! Watch this video to find out the two key steps to keep you safe in the event of a tire blow out.