The effect of light truck design variables on top speed, performance, and fuel economy, 1981. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Design and cost analysis of truck-trailer rear underride guards. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Development and Validation of a Forklift Truck Powertrain Simulation

Fuel economy has become an important consideration in forklift truck design, particularly in Europe. A simulation of the fuel consumption and performance of a forklift truck has been developed, validated and subsequently used to determine the energy consumed by individual powertrain components during drive cycles.
The truck used in this study has a rated lifting capacity of 2500kg, and is powered by a 2.6 litre naturally aspirated diesel engine with a fuel pump containing a mechanical variable-speed governor. The drivetrain consisted of a torque convertor, hydraulic clutch and single speed transmission.
AVL Cruise was used to simulate the vehicle powertrain, with coupled Mathworks Simulink models used to simulate the hydraulic and control systems and governor. The vehicle has been simulated on several performance and fuel consumption drive cycles with the main focus being the VDI 2198 fuel consumption drive cycle.
To validate the model, a truck was instrumented and measurements taken to compare the performance and instantaneous fuel consumption to simulated values. The fuel injector pump was modified and calibrated to enable instantaneous fuel flow to be measured.
The model has been validated to within acceptable limits and has been used to investigate the effect four different torque converters have on the fuel consumption and performance of the forklift truck. The study demonstrates how the model can be used to compare the fuel consumption and performance trade-offs when selecting drivetrain components.

Improved commercial vehicle conspicuity and signalling systems. Task II: analyses, experiments and design recommendations. Interim report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Light duty truck weight reduction evaluation. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Considerations in light truck suspension design

The present work aims at to approach considerations of trucks suspension design. The proposal of the work consists of discussing the aspects related to the acting of the suspension and of factors that interact with the system through representative models of the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle ride when operating in total load and/or empty conditions. The importance of this work is to revise some procedures of suspension study in the sense of adapting them to the Brazilian reality, tends in view the importance of the design characterisation and adaptation to the typical roads of Brazil. Copyright © 2000 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.

Comments on the Department of Transportation's draft study design for the truck size and weight study.

Mode of access: Internet.

Truck escape ramp design methodology. Volume 1. Executive summary.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Truck escape ramp design methodology. Volume 2. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Development of a low-cost truck weighing system design and operator manual. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Engineering and Highway Operations Research and Development, McLean, Va.

Truck lane needs methodology: a heuristic approach to solve a five option discrete network design problem. Interim report.

Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Transportation Planning Division, Austin