News Archives - Patrick's Mobile

Do Any Large Diesel Trucks Use Automatic Transmissions?

The popularity of manual transmissions in automobiles is dropping sharply, with only about two percent of all cars sold in 2018 being manual. This shouldn’t be surprising: for manufacturers, it’s a lot simpler to put out one kind of car instead of two.

Semi-trucks are a different story, and the percentage of manual transmission trucks on the road is much, much higher. The manual transmission doesn’t have to worry about purely automatic transmissions – it has to worry about an advancement that works like an automatic in the cab, but internally is a manual. The big thing in transmissions is the automated manual transmission, and if it hasn’t already come to a fleet near you, it won’t take long.

Popular Diesel Diagnostic Equipment

Many drivers believe diesel engines to be easier fixes because the components of most trucks are now controlled with computers. You get the impression that because a diesel engine is computerized, the mechanic should be able to hook up a tool and see what is going on almost immediately.

Some specific engine problems are easy to diagnose, yes, but there are still many issues that require a lot of know-how and special equipment. You’ll find this special diesel diagnostic equipment in many mechanic shops, including ours!
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June 11, 2019/0 Comments/by hollie

News

How Did Recent Carbon Tax Laws Impact Truckers?

On April 1, 2019, the federal government imposed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) on the four provinces that had not yet passed their own carbon tax laws – Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. Now every province is under a carbon pricing scheme, and this will impact what trucking companies will pay at the pumps, what they’ll pay when filing taxes, and what consumers will pay at the store.

What Will The Future Of Trucking Look Like?

What does the future hold for the trucking industry? It’s not hard for us to slip into daydreams about what the next few decades will look like. Will our team soon be interacting with a computer system alone on the side of the road instead of a driver? Or will trucking stay as it has for the past half-century? There are many trends we have to watch very closely if we want to make accurate predictions for the future!