Happy New Year!
First and foremost, I'd like to introduce OEM Off-Highway's new Editorial Advisory Board (listed on page 5). We've selected a mix of system experts and industry professionals to keep us on track with our editorial topics and to keep us even more closely attuned to the fluctuations of the on- and off-road market.
When your job revolves around dealing with emissions reduction and on-board diagnostic regulations, and constantly fluctuating safety standards, all while trying to keep an eye on new technology, economic trends and foreign market influences, as well as staying flexible enough to be reactive to any unforeseen impacts of enforced standards, we figured our readers could use a hand. On that note, I'd like to encourage our readers to continue to write to us about challenges they are facing in their jobs and in the industry, so OEM Off-Highway's editorial staff can investigate and report on the technologies and solutions available to you. We're calling it our "You Asked, We Covered" Campaign, our continued commitment to helping our OEMs do their jobs better.
Our cover story this issue features an in-depth look into the progress of the Dept. of Energy SuperTruck Program's four teams, highlighting system optimization over individual component optimization for better overall vehicle efficiency. Smart technology—the use of sensors and electronics to gather data and electronically send results to a vehicle's computer to make decisions—also aids in overall system efficiency, as is demonstrated in our Special Section focused on Sensors, as well as our articles on mobile mapping systems, "Where will positioning take us next?" on page 30 and "To the cloud!" with a detailed report on data collection and distribution within the cloud on page 33.
In our upcoming March issue...
- Global construction and forestry industry trends
- Design software features to enhance collaborative design efforts
- On-board diagnostic (OBD) technologies
- Hydrostatic variable transmission
- Modular emissions system
- SPECIAL SECTION: INTERMAT 2012
Our INTERMAT 2012 coverage will be an extensive investigation into the products and news to be announced at the show, as well as construction industry trends and economic insights for the domestic and foreign OEM market.
Got an editorial idea? Want to participate? Have a product or news item you want featured? Be sure to email me directly to find out how you can get involved!
And, be sure to keep an eye on OEM Off-Highway's blog "Manufacturing Matters"—now housed on our website at www.oemoffhighway.com—to join the conversation on topical developments in the industry.
Our most recent blog post, Emissions around the world (www.oemoffhighway.com/10615092), outlines the expanded reach beyond the EU Stage and EPA Tier regulations in countries such as China and Brazil. OEM Off-Highway's globally recognized Market Forecaster, Frank Manfredi, has announced that his company, Manfredi & Associates, is offering a multi-client study entitled Quarantined Markets? The Possible Isolating Impact of U.S. Emission Regulations On Used Construction Equipment Sales and Pricing.
Find out more about the study on our website, on our blog and in upcoming issues of OEM Off-Highway magazine!
