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.

Articles•by Jim Park•November 25, 2013

Are We Sacrificing Traction for Fuel Economy?

As more fleets embrace their fuel savings potential, a large portion of the driver population remains uneasy about low-rolling-resistance, fuel-efficient tires -- especially in winter. Has the quest for fuel efficiency pushed traction and safety into the back seat?

Articles•by Jim Park•November 12, 2013

Why Balancing is Important

If you look at balancing from a life-cycle point of view, the value of extending tread life speaks for itself. There’s also casing integrity to consider, retreadability, and to a growing degree, and disposal costs. Yet reliable estimates suggest only about 20% of heavy-duty truck tires are ever balanced.

Articles•by Jim Park•November 11, 2013

Getting the Lead Out of Tire Weights

Beware the lead tire weight cops. They are out there and working in six states, with several more states looking at banning lead weights. Here's a look at the alternatives to lead in weights -- and alternatives to weights themselves.

Articles•by Jim Park•November 8, 2013

Aero Add-ons Put to the Test

The Performance Innovation Transport Group recently tested trailer side skirts and undercarriage air deflectors.

News•by Jim Park•November 1, 2013

Goodyear's Fleet Smart Program Levels the Tire-Buying Playing Field

Goodyear's Smart Fleet Program provides full access to many benefits enjoyed by larger fleets, including premium Goodyear tires, published pricing, 24/7 road service and more.

On the Road•by Jim Park•October 29, 2013

Why We Need Good Driver Training

VIDEO -- Equipment Editor Jim Park recently found a truck route that reminded him of the importance of good driver training. Suspend your disbelief for a few minutes, pretend the sound of Jim's motorcycle engine is a Jake Brake, and join him for a trip down a truly hair-raising hill.

On the Road•by Jim Park•October 21, 2013

Twin-Sticks to No-Sticks (Trucks have sure come a long way, Baby)

It's easy to look back nostalgically at trucks that our grandfathers drove. Spend a day in one like Equipment Editor Jim Park did recently and say you wouldn't kill for an an automated transmission and an air-ride seat. Read more in Park's "On the Road" blog.

Articles•by Jim Park•October 15, 2013

Keeping Your Wheels On

There’s no mystery to why wheels come off trucks. The National Transportation Safety Board in 1992, and Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation in the late 1990s, both concluded after exhaustive studies that inadequate maintenance was the root cause of a series of fatal wheel separation incidents.

Articles•Cover Story•by Jim Park•October 8, 2013

Growing a Small Fleet

To be a fleet of fewer than 100 trucks in America today is to be a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs: every move fraught with risk, perils at every turn. Large fleets can outpace, outperform, outbuy, outhire and outlobby the smaller fleets.

On the Road•by Jim Park•October 8, 2013

A Tale of Two Fuel Tests

What conclusion is the reader supposed to come to when two sets of properly conducted and documented fuel economy tests yield significantly different results? It would be easy to dismiss one of the tests as inaccurate, but that would still not answer the question, which one is wrong? What if both of them are right? A recent news article published such test results and yielded a significant discrepancy. A week-long deep-dive into fuel economy testing and real-world fleet results reveals that we s

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