Autoblog

Man blames zombies for causing him to crash stolen big rig

Zach Bowman — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:43:00 EST

Here's a pro tip: if you happen to have stolen a semi truck and proceeded to crash it into a number of cars on an interstate, do yourself a favor and don't blame the escapade on zombies. That's exactly what 19-year-old Jerimiah Hartline did after he bounced his pilfered a big rig off of a number of vehicles in Temecula, CA. Hartline told the police he was attempting to flee from zombies when the accident happened, but that didn't stop law enforcement from charging him with a rash of offenses, including auto theft, attempted auto theft, reckless driving, hit-and-run resulting in injury and driving without a license among others.

California Highway Patrol said truck driver Daniel Martinez picked Hartline up in Tennessee as he was headed to San Diego. But when Martinez stopped to make adjustments to his truck just off of I-15, Hartline jumped behind the wheel and took off after having visions of zombies "coming after him."

There is some suspicion Hartline was under the influence of a controlled substance.

The young man then proceeded to swerve the truck from side to side in an attempt to elude his imagined pursuers. After around two miles, Hartline struck and overturned a Toyota Tacoma, which then bounced into a Toyota 4Runner and a Mercedes-Benz. Hartline then struck a Ford Taurus and a Honda Accord before jackknifing and blocking all four lanes of traffic. Hartline has since pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Man blames zombies for causing him to crash stolen big rig originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Truck, Government/Legal, Safety, Videos, Work, Chevrolet

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is always looking for new ways to make America's highways safer, and this latest test checks out the crashworthiness of one of the most overlooked vehicles on the road: tractor trailers. Pointing out design flaws inherent in semi trailers during rear-end collisions, the IIHS performed three different tests on eight of the most popular semi trailers on the market including a full-width impact, a 50-percent overlap (where only half of the car makes contact with the trailer) and a narrower overlap where only 30 percent of the car hits the trailer.

In the tests, which were run at 35 miles per hour using a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, all of the trailers safely prevented the vehicle from underriding - going underneath the trailer - during the full-width crash. Compared to the results from this same test just two years ago, it's a big improvement in safety. In the 50-percent test, only one of the trailer's underride guards failed allowing the rear edge of the trailer to impact the passenger compartment, which would have most likely killed the driver. In the 30 percent overlap test, only one trailer managed to prevent the crash car from going under the trailer. The safest trailer, produced by a company called Manac, had the underride guard beams pushed out to the edges of the trailer providing additional strength and support. All of the trailers passed US and Canadian crash standards.

Scroll down for the crash-test video as well as a press release from IIHS.

Continue reading IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video]

IIHS calls out big rigs for dangerous rear underride guards [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another crazy custom Jeep Wrangler spotted in Morocco

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Videos, Jeep, Specialty, Design/Style

What in the world is the vehicle you see above? Well, um... yeah. We have no idea. According to the video description from YouTube, however, it's a modified Jeep Wrangler, and it comes from the same person who created the equally insane side-by-side merged Wrangler you saw here.

We can clearly make out the Wrangler-shaped passenger compartment up top, but as for the other bits and pieces that make up this rather amazing machine, your guess is as good as ours. At the very least, it seems to us that the car's wheelbase has been given a significant stretch, and the grille may have come from an International LoneStar Harley-Davidson Special Edition semi truck.

What other components are sourced from the massive International hauler? No idea. We suggest you check out the video below and draw your own conclusions. Oh, and if you've got any other ideas, feel free to let us know in the Comments.

Continue reading Another crazy custom Jeep Wrangler spotted in Morocco

Another crazy custom Jeep Wrangler spotted in Morocco originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Local Motors wants your help designing the next Peterbilt big rig

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Specialty, Design/Style

No, that's not Peterbilt's new concept for a futuristic long haul truck you're looking at. It's an entry in the company's RIG2: Road Icon Generation 2 competition, a contest being run by Local Motors to develop new ideas in aerodynamic designs for Peterbilt semis.

Contest entry is open through June 26, with design materials including CAD and Photoshop files available at the Local Motors Forge website. Prizes include $10,000 for the winning entry, and cash for anyone who finishes in the top ten. All will be selected via community voting, except for the top prize, which will be chosen by Peterbilt from the top 10 vote-getters.

The partnership with Peterbilt is just the latest effort in crowd-sourcing from Rally Fighter builder Local Motors, which launched its Forge collaboration site at SEMA last year.

Scroll down to read the full press release.

Continue reading Local Motors wants your help designing the next Peterbilt big rig

Local Motors wants your help designing the next Peterbilt big rig originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA proposes mandatory stability control on big rigs, busses

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety

Stability control was made mandatory on passenger vehicles for this current model year, but it's still not a requirement for semis and busses. But that could soon be changing, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed requiring the technology on all new large commercial trucks, motorcoaches, and other large buses.

While big rigs and their brethren are often available with stability control, the rule would make the feature standard, with manufacturers given between two and four years to comply. NHTSA says the change in policy could save about 50 lives a year, and prevent over 2,300 crashes. Further, research into the effectiveness of stability control systems in preventing rollover crashes shows that over half of all such accidents could be prevented by adopting it.

Scroll down to read the full press release.

Continue reading NHTSA proposes mandatory stability control on big rigs, busses

NHTSA proposes mandatory stability control on big rigs, busses originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safety groups file lawsuit against new U.S. trucking standards

Zach Bowman — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety, Work

A range of safety groups are calling for judicial review of federal rules for truck drivers' hours of service. According to a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition and two truck drivers, the new rule doesn't protect the public from tired truckers. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently ruled drivers could only work 70 hours within a seven-day period, down from a previous limit of 82. Truckers must also take a break of at least 30 minutes after an eight-hour shift.

That's a step in the right direction, but drivers are still allowed to travel up to 11 hours in one day. Those who reach their hourly limit in a week may then restart the clock by taking a 34-hour break, but that may only be done once within a seven-day period.

The concerned parties want a judicial review of the rule to eliminate the 34-hour restart provision and cut consecutive drive hours to 10, saying that truck crash fatalities increased by nine percent in 2010.

Safety groups file lawsuit against new U.S. trucking standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz Actros semi fitted for taxi duty, picks up humorous fares

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Work, Mercedes-Benz, Humor

The new-generation 2012 Actros big rig has already won Truck of the Year - for the fourth time - and Mercedes-Benz figured it would have some fun letting other truck people know about its semi. It kitted an Actros out in the eggshell hue and black-and-yellow sign that's standard-issue German taxi livery, then sent it out to pick up passengers.

The hook? Some of these passengers were waiting outside competing truck companies like MAN and Volvo, and were a little surprised at the arrival of their seven-ton chariot. Follow the jump to see it in action.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Actros semi fitted for taxi duty, picks up humorous fares

Mercedes-Benz Actros semi fitted for taxi duty, picks up humorous fares originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vehicles not immune to violent western winds

Zach Bowman — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:14:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

A rare storm system working its way from the west coast has caused millions of dollars in damage, left many without power and spurred fires from California to Colorado. According to USA Today, wind speeds reached as high as 123 miles per hour, or the equivalent of a category three hurricane. In Eldorado County, California, a total of seven fires burnt more than 130 acres as the harsh winds whipped fueled the flames. In Southern California alone, 350,000 people lost power due to downed lines. Of that number, 270,000 were still in the dark as of Friday morning.

Meanwhile, in Utah, authorities temporarily closed Interstate 15 after ten semi trucks toppled over in the heavy gusts. Meteorologists are calling the wind storm one of the worst in recent history, and while the winds have died down significantly since they first made landfall, the storms are expected to make their way toward Oklahoma, Missouri and Indiana. Hang on tight.

Scroll through our above image gallery to see some of the automotive carnage that resulted from this storm system.

Vehicles not immune to violent western winds originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chinese big rig tips going too fast around corner

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 02 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: China, Etc., Videos

Chinese driver rolls big-rig in traffic - Click above to watch video after the jump

Running a red light in your standard passenger vehicle is never a good idea. Trying to rush a trailer-laden semi-truck through a busy intersection is far, far worse. Such a machine has a lot of weight to throw around, as one Chinese driver recently learned. Physics strikes again!

The truck ends up on its side, but this crash could've been a lot worse. A quartet of two-wheeled traffic-goers hit the brakes at just the right time, and fortunately, a nearby cyclist was also paying rapt attention to the wayward cargo-hauler.

Click past the jump to watch a truck driver try to imitate Sam Hubinette... unsuccessfully.

[Source: YouTube via CarScoop]

Continue reading Chinese big rig tips going too fast around corner

Chinese big rig tips going too fast around corner originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Recreating Ken Block's Gymkhana... in a Gulf-livery semi truck

Aaron Richardson — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Truck, Videos, Work, Racing

Mike Ryan's drifting Freightliner - Click above to view watch the video after the jump

Mike Ryan has won a dozen Pikes Peak Hill Climbs in his Gulf-liveried Freightliner Cascadia, so it's no joke when we say this man has some serious talent. To raise his and the truck's profile a little bit, Ryan has decided to show off what he does when he's not storming mountains to stay sharp.

Aping Ken Block's Gymkhana series, Ryan haunts abandoned airstrips, looking for cones, old hangars and dirt roads on which to slide his truck around. In fact, Ryan has gone so far as to shoot this video at El Toro, the same Marine air base where Block filmed the first installment of his epic videos. Ryan's Freightliner packs 1,950 horsepower and more than 3,400 pound-feet of torque, so roasting the truck's handmade custom Michelin tires isn't a problem, even in a 10,000-pound Big Daddy Freightliner. Check out all the action in HD splendor after the jump. Top tip, Jason!

Gallery: Mike Ryan's Freightliner Cascadia Pikes Peak Special

Continue reading Video: Recreating Ken Block's Gymkhana... in a Gulf-livery semi truck

Video: Recreating Ken Block's Gymkhana... in a Gulf-livery semi truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IIHS: Underride guards on semi trucks can fail even at low speeds

Dan Roth — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety semi trailer crash test - Click for high-res image gallery

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that underride guards on semi trailers are prone to failure. Despite major advances in passenger car safety since the mid-1970s, it seems the guards on tractor trailers still fail to reliably prevent vehicles from sliding under trailers in the event of a collision - a similar result to studies conducted over 30 years ago.

Of course, some trailers are better than others, but there is no testing standard for evaluating the underride guards and their attachment points and hardware. Despite this, there is a federal safety standard for the guards, and there's also a more stringent Canadian specification that requires the guards to be stronger and absorb more crash energy. In analyzing the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, a federal database of about 1,000 actual crashes from 2001-2003, the Institute determined that of the 115 crashes where a passenger vehicle struck the rear of a truck or semi, nearly 80 percent involved underride, and nearly half of those vehicles suffered severe or catastrophic damage.

The guards aren't required on as many trucks as you'd first think, despite a 1996 standard calling for increased strength, guard size and energy absorbtion. Many trucks are exempt due to their trailer or chassis configuration, with dump trucks being a notable (and notably dangerous) example. When hit straight-on, the guards can perform better than offset tests, but in crash tests, the IIHS found performance was all over the map for trailer underride guards.

The worst performance in these new IIHS tests belongs to a Hyundai trailer whose guard bent and tore from its attachment points in a 35-mph crash test with a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. Instead of keeping its passengers safe with its high-performing safety design (the Malibu is an IIHS Top Safety Pick), the front of the car slid under the trailer and left the roof structure to absorb the impact with the trailer. A Wabash trailer with a Canadian-spec guard kept the Malibu from plowing under the trailer in the 35-mph center crash test. Offset impacts - when only part of the guard is engaged by a vehicle - are still troublesome, and even the high-performing Wabash trailer suffered severe underride in a 30-percent overlap test.

In light of this ever-present danger on roadways, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is callig for more stringent standards, closing the gaps that allow many trucks to go without guards or use guards that don't meet the 1996 standards for strength and energy absorption, and a more comprehensive standard that incorporates a method of better protecting vehicles in offset impacts as well as crash tests by trailer manufacturers to certify that the underride guards and their mounting systems live up to the intent of the law. Full press release after the jump.

Gallery: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety semi trailer underride crash tests

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading IIHS: Underride guards on semi trucks can fail even at low speeds

IIHS: Underride guards on semi trucks can fail even at low speeds originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ram brand may enter heavy-duty 18-wheeler market

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:39:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Dodge

2007 Dodge Ram BFT Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to the passing note about considering a unibody replacement for the slow-selling Dodge Dakota, Ram CEO Fred Diaz said (with conviction...!) that they are strongly considering entering the heavy-duty 18-wheeler market with the Ram brand.

Interesting, no? The consumer-grade pickup that popularized the big rig styling on a smaller scale might make the jump up the ranks and into the heavy-hauler market. In the past, Dodge has teamed up with both Sterling and Freightliner - both of which are big players in the large truck marketplace - and the Ram brand is sure to keep up its current partnership with heavy truck engine maker Cummins. In other words, it might not be as big a leap as you may at first think to see a Ram-badged 18-wheeler rolling down a highway near you within the next few years.

Gallery: SEMA 2007: Dodge Ram BFT

Ram brand may enter heavy-duty 18-wheeler market originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: C/D channels inner redneck with International LoneStar Harley-Davidson

Chris Shunk — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Videos, Work, Humor

Car and Driver takes on the LoneStar Harley Davidson edition - Click above to watch the videos after the jump

Over the decades, we've read Car and Driver reviews of just about every high performance vehicle on the planet. While we'd hardly say that we're bored of 200 mph supercars and 3.2 second 0-60 times, it's nice to see C/'D mix it up now and again as well.

In predictable fashion, C/D once again tested a really expensive vehicle with 550 horsepower. But this big rig also hauls loads with 1,850 lb-ft of torque, or enough twist to drop Dorothy's house on some east-side gang banger. The International LoneStar Harley Davidson special-edition is most definitely not typical buff mag cover girl, yet the un-trailered rig managed a 0-60mph time of 20.4 seconds. That's almost fast enough to time with a sundial, but we suppose it's not terrible for a vehicle with an 18-speed manual that weighs 22,100 pounds.

Statistics have little to do with this video, though, and we're pretty sure C/D rolled film just so they could have fun with a life-size Tonka Truck. Hit the jump to view C/D take on the mighty LoneStar. While the 3:22 isn't quite as funny as we were hoping, we still got a decent laugh out of the trip out of the video's happy ending.

[Source: Car and Driver via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: C/D channels inner redneck with International LoneStar Harley-Davidson

VIDEO: C/D channels inner redneck with International LoneStar Harley-Davidson originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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