Bauma, the triennial equipment trade show hosted in Munich, Germany, will be the 2010 launching ground for new excavators, dozers, skid steer loaders, and a myriad of other construction machinery. Here's a sneak preview of products that will appear at Bauma this April and a distributor near you later this year.

Bobcat Mini Excavators

Bobcat has added three new models to the 4-to-5-ton weight class of its M-Series compact excavators. They feature redesigned hydraulics with a load-sensing pump, as well as a closed center-valve system. The E42 comes in at an operating weight of 9,246 pounds and is powered by a 41.8-horsepower engine, while the E45 runs on the same...Read More

We've worked at bringing as much of the on-road Tier 4 engine debate to our audience as we can in a fair way. It's been a knockdown fight between Navistar, fielding it's EGR-based engines, and the other OEMs that are building SCR engines in order to meet the 2010 requirements.

In October, we presented the two sides in preparation for the January deadline. Truth be told, I've talked to equipment managers who are still up in the air on this decision. Much will depend on their current vendors, some will depend on whether they want to deal with additional fluid storage (DEF for the SCR powerplants), but most will probably be able to wait it out to see how the engines perform.

Tom Berg, our truck editor, drove an ...Read More

In the days since I posted 7 tasks for equipment managers, one other challenge has been bouncing around my head. It wasn't until this morning, though, that my thoughts condensed into a task. 

The industry's equipment distributors are meeting this week for their annual convention. There is much angst among dealers, and it's becoming more piercing as 2010 is shaping up as a transition year from 2009 to 2011. 

I suggested that distributors should be offering solutions to their customers, the equipment users, instead of cutting back on service-ori...Read More

I love snow so much that my family gave me snow shoes for Christmas. I don't own a snow blower because I enjoy shoveling our driveway.

And I always pause and wave when the trucks come down the street. 

It's a thankless job, I often think, and drivers probably hear more complaints about clogging a driveway than they do appreciation for keeping our car-centric towns functioning. 

So, enjoy these videos as my personal hat tip to the unsung heroes of clean streets and parking lots:

...Read More

Could the tide actually be turning? Could the trucking industry and truckers themselves actually be curried favor from the general public?

OK, before I get carried away, full disclosure here, folks: I am the son of a trucker. This, of course, means growing up with a front-seat view of what it means to be blamed for just about everything wrong that happens to people the second they walk out the front door every morning.

Couldn't fly through the traffic light at the end of your street? It was the trucks. Couldn't see the side street up ahead and missed your turn? It was the trucks. Got caught in the slowest moving lane in the history of the Interstate system? It was the trucks. Finally got to work and couldn't do anything because you didn't get any sleep from all the noise outside last night? It was, of course, the trucks.

And so it goes.

But what n...Read More

One of my Facebook friends posted this on New Year's Eve: "Good riddance 2009, don't let the door hit you on the butt on your way out." 

The optimism many felt as 2009 ended has not necessarily extended to the construction side of the economy, however. As construction markets continue to lag the general economy, what better way to start the year than with a list of priorities for equipment managers heading into 2010:

1) Contain costs. Tough competition is the new normal. With fewer jobs, more organizations will be bidding against yours. The construction equipment manager has to be able to present and manage costs so your firm doesn't underbid a project. On the flip side, you have to be able to provide the absolute best costs so your company can win the bids that will bring in the most profitable revenue. ...Read More

One of the rewarding parts of my job as editor in chief of Construction Equipment is representing the magazine in the field. It's an honor to meet people on behalf of the editorial staff and all who contribute to the excellence we've tried to bring to equipment reporting and evaluation over the years.

I traveled to a factory to represent the magazine last week. The manufacturer was one of our Top 100 products of 2009 and they asked if I could present the crystal award during an employee meeting.

I've done this a number of times, but it's always fun to go before a crowd and recognize innovation. In past years, I've presented the award to small groups of product-development people, to factory meetings, and to company presidents and CEOs.

One ye...Read More

I've been writing Construction Equipment's Annual Report & Forecast for almost 10 years, and the magazine has been investing in this industry-exclusive research for more than 25, but never have we seen as pessimistic an outlook as this year.

Managers of the fleets that do the work in this country look far into 2010 before seeing signs of a return to growth. For most, 2010 looks like a year to simply get through:

* Economic outlook
* Contractor fleets
* Nonconstructi...Read More

Emissions projections based on the 2009 off-road-fleet inventory prove CARB can relax its retrofit rule

Operators of off-road diesel equipment will exceed the ambitious emissions targets set by the California Air Resources Board with no need for further diesel retrofits, repowers or replacements until 2014 or 2015, according to CARB’s recent inventory of the state’s off-road diesel equipment. This year, the Associated General Contractors of America used the very same computer model that CARB used earlier in the decade to project emissions levels for California’s in-use off-road diesel engines.

The only changes in AGC’s analysis reflect this year’s exhaustive inventory of California’s...Read More

Indifference to a scientist's purchased PhD could overthrow the Air Resources Board

Edit 12092009: CARB to Look at More Flexible Truck & Bus Rule; Rewriting Challenged Research Report: http://bit.ly/5DcSAp; Off-Road Vehicle rule's inventory shows that the current California fleet is emitting well below CARB's clean-air targets for years to come.

Edit 12072009: See below how to send comments on CARB's Truck & Bus Regulation and In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleet Regulation. Deadl...Read More

The EPA has used nonattainment areas for years to enforce clean air regulations. This coupled with the Tier timeline has fueled much angst regarding diesel emissions compliance.

The pain is spreading. EPA will expand the number of designated nonattainment areas next year, meaning more counties will be deemed "unclean," opening the door for stricter emissions controls on equipment operating within them.

I have been hearing rumblings about this for some time now, but it wasn't until a recent educational event in Cincinnati that I saw the proposed map. The event, presented by AEMP in cooperation with Construction Equipment, featured a pr...Read More

Comments to my post about the plight of construction equipment distributors have been numerous. I also heard from folks in the field as I traveled the past couple of weeks.
 
Nobody disagrees with what I wrote, and for that I'm thankful. But the discussion quickly turns to who is at fault. Some say it's the Obama administration, others say it's the individual dealer's lack of business savvy, and others (no surprise here) blame the OEMs.

One thread that has consistently wound its way though the discussion, though, is the lack of customer service. Earlier this fall, the Associated Equipment Distributors presented a fascinating dialogue among end-users about how dealers could help them in these current economic times....Read More