Jim Park

Former HDT Equipment Editor

Jim Park served as Heavy Duty Trucking's equipment editor from 2006-2024. Specializing in technical and equipment content, Park is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the trucking industry since 1998.

Before joining HDT, Park was a truck driver and owner-operator for 20 years and served as an editor for HighwayStar magazine, which ceased production in 2011. He maintained his commercial driver’s license to bring a real-world perspective to Test Drives, as well as to features, videos and podcasts about equipment spec’ing and trends, emissions regulations and developments, maintenance and drivers.

He is the recipient of 16 Jesse H. Neal honors (both finalist and Neal awards), including “Best Range of Work by a Single Author” in 2020.

News•by Jim Park•August 8, 2014

Cummins Celebrates 40 years in Jamestown, N.Y.

Cummins' Jamestown, N.Y., engine plant has been producing diesel engines for 40 years. Friday, Cummins celebrated the 40th anniversary of the facility. Current production at the 1-million-square-foot facility includes the ISX15 as well as the ISX12 and ISM diesel engines, along with the Cummins Westport ISX12 G spark-ignited natural gas engine.

Articles•by Jim Park•July 31, 2014

Test Drive: Cummins-Eaton Powertrain Smooth as Silk

Cummins and Eaton may have finally nailed it with their SmartAdvantage Powertrain combo, reports Equipment Editor Jim Park in July's Test Drive. The SmartAdvantage powertrain offers fuel and weight saving, as well as a very, very good driving experience.

On the Road•by Jim Park•July 29, 2014

Trucking Lost Faith in Anne Ferro — But Replacement Could Be Worse

Trucker-turned-editor Jim Park gives his perspective of Anne Ferro's tenure as chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — and some chilling thoughts about her potential replacement — in his "On the Road" blog.

Articles•by Jim Park•July 22, 2014

The Benefits of Low-Rolling-Resistance Tires Explained

There's little doubt left that tires formulated for lower rolling resistance work as advertised, but it's still tough to give up at few thousandths of an inch of tread. After all, tire miles are important, too. How much of a difference does the reduction in rolling resistance make?

On the Road•by Jim Park•July 16, 2014

NTSB Spreads the Skagit Bridge Blame, Soft-pedals the Real Problem

There is no excuse whatsoever for a driver striking a low bridge if the obstruction is accurately marked. That obviously wasn't the case with the Skagit River Bridge and there's only one doorstep on which to lay that blame.

Articles•by Jim Park•July 14, 2014

Has the U.S. SmartWay Program Helped Retreading?

With regulations affecting how fleets fit their wheels, the retreading industry is still deciding whether or not the inclusion of verified low-rolling-resistance tires on the EPA's SmartWay list has helped the industry.

Articles•by Jim Park•July 9, 2014

Nitrogen Tire Inflation: Still in the Game?

We don't hear much these days about nitrogen tire inflation systems for heavy trucks. They are still out there, and some users are reporting good results from their installations. Still, the ROI is hard to quantify. Using nitrogen won't hurt your tires, but there might be better ways to spend your tire maintenance dollars.

Articles•by Jim Park•July 7, 2014

The Peterbilt-Cummins SuperTruck, Part 2: More Secrets Revealed

The Peterbilt-Cummins SuperTruck project achieved almost-unheard-of gains of 68% in freight efficiency over a 24-hour duty-cycle, a 50% improvement in freight efficiency on an 11-hour drive-cycle and a 20% improvement in the thermal efficiency of the engine. How did they do it, and what does that mean?

Articles•by Jim Park•July 7, 2014

Delving Into the Cummins/Peterbilt SuperTruck: Part 1

By the time the Cummins/Peterbilt SuperTruck made its public debut in February boasting 10.7 mpg, some contemporary trucks were achieving better than 8 mpg, and some super-fuel-conscious fleets boast even higher. While that may make the SuperTruck accomplishment seem slightly diminished, that 10.7-mpg milestone is only a small part of the story.

Articles•by Jim Park•July 7, 2014

Retread Your Way to Prosperity

Despite success stories reported by successful fleets, some misconceptions about retreads still exist. These myths are often based on bad, and sometimes severely outdated, information.

Prev Next