How to Lure Heavy Duty Equipment Customers

The construction industry in Pennsylvania probably never had it so good. With so many high quality and certified distributors as well as equipment dealers they can readily find the exact parts they are looking for. Thus, their productivity and efficiency is always high not to mention the longevity of their machinery.

Special deals to lure more customers

Many equipment dealers in Pennsylvania have very exciting schemes in a bid to lure more customers. Some of the special deals and discount schemes include a 0% interest financing for a period of 3 years, year end saving schemes, one hour guarantee on truck servicing, 36 hour opt-in feature for overhauling challenge, 90 days of CAT access with same as cash specialty and many other exciting offers. As if this weren't enough the prices of various equipment is extremely affordable meaning that in these times of recession, industries will not be feeling the pinch so much with regards to purchase of equipment. Special depreciation bonus schemes have also managed to rope in many customers to the stores of distributors.

Range of products
The equipment dealers stock up on a large variety of products and heavy duty equipment. These range from crushers and screens, power systems as well as hydraulic systems. All of these products and models can be purchased brand new, used or can even be rented out for a specific period. In addition, there is the option of purchasing specific parts of machinery too. This makes it very flexible for most construction, mining and landscaping companies, who want the option of choosing between parts and whole equipment. With the recession dampening the buying spirit of most companies, having access to high quality used parts is an added bonus these dealers provide PA based companies.

New and exciting product lines

Some of the fresh and exciting product lines introduced by these dealers include mini excavators for sale. These have power ranging anywhere from 18 HP to even a massive 55.6 HP. Operating weights can range between around 3000 pounds to around 18000 pounds as well. The special mini versions of these hydraulic excavators are compact, fairly light and easy to carry around making them a portable and cost-effective choice for most construction companies. These excavators are also available in small, medium, large as well as ultra high demolition or UHD models. The larger the size the more is its operating weight. However, if the end usage requirement load is lesser then the mini versions are perfect for such uses.

Choose from an extensive line-up of superior new, used heavy duty machinery including mini excavators for sale at jaw-dropping prices! We at Cleveland Brothers are the leading equipment dealers located in Pennsylvania and specializing in selling high quality brand heavy-duty machinery, used parts and servicing at cost-effective rates.

» Read More...

Auto insurance risk selection

Auto insurance risk selection is the process by which vehicle insurers determine whether or not to insure an individual and what insurance premium to charge. Depending on the jurisdiction, the insurance premium can be either mandated by the government or determined by the insurance company in accordance to a framework of regulations set by the government. Often, the insurer will have more freedom to set the price on physical damage coverages than on mandatory liability coverages.

When the premium is not mandated by the government, it is usually derived from the calculations of an actuary based on statistical data. The premium can vary depending on many factors that are believed to have an impact on the expected cost of future claims.Those factors can include the car characteristics, the coverage selected (deductible, limit, covered perils), the profile of the driver (age, gender, driving history) and the usage of the car (commute to work or not, predicted annual distance driven)

History

Conventional methods for determining costs of motor vehicle insurance involve gathering relevant historical data from a personal interview with, or a written application completed by, the applicant for the insurance and by referencing the applicant's public motor vehicle driving record that is maintained by a governmental agency, such as a Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Such data results in a classification of the applicant to a broad actuarial class for which insurance rates are assigned based upon the empirical experience of the insurer. Many factors are deemed relevant to such classification in a particular actuarial class or risk level, such as age, sex, marital status, location of residence and driving record.

The current system of insurance creates groupings of vehicles and drivers (actuarial classes) based on the following types of classifications.

* Vehicle: Age; manufacturer, model; and value.
* Driver: Age; sex; marital status; driving record (based on government reports), violations (citations); at fault accidents; and place of residence.
* Coverage: Types of losses covered, liability, uninsured or underinsured motorist, comprehensive, and collision; liability limits; and deductibles.

The classifications, such as age, are further broken into actuarial classes, such as 21 to 24 year olds, to develop a unique vehicle insurance cost based on the specific combination of attributes for a particular risk. For example, the following information would produce a unique vehicle insurance cost:

* Vehicle: Age - 7 years old; manufacturer, model - Ford, Explorer XLT; value $ 18,000
* Driver: Age - 38 years old; gender - male; marital status - single; driving record (based on government reports) violations - 1 point (speeding); at fault accidents - 3 points (one at fault accident); place of residence 33619 (zip code)
* Coverage: Types of losses covered; liability - yes; uninsured or underinsured - no; motorist comprehensive - yes; collision - yes; liability limits - $100,000/$300,000/$50,000; deductibles - $500/$500.

A change to any of this information might result in a different premium being charged if the change resulted in a different actuarial class or risk level for that variable. For instance, a change in the drivers' age from 38 to 39 may not result in a different actuarial class because 38 and 39 year old people may be in the same actuarial class. However, a change in driver age from 38 to 45 may result in a different premium because the records of the insurer indicate a difference in risk associated with those ages and, therefore, the age difference results in a change in actuarial class or assigned risk level.

Current insurance rating systems also provide discounts and surcharges for some types of use of the vehicle, equipment on the vehicle and type of driver. Common surcharges and discounts include:

* Surcharges: Business use.
* Discounts: Safety equipment on the vehicle airbags, and antilock brakes; theft control devices passive systems (e.g. The Club), and alarm system; and driver type - good student, and safe driver (accident free); group - senior drivers fleet drivers .

Usage Based Insurance
Main article: Usage based insurance
Telematics Insurance System from AIOI patent application WO patent 2005083605

Conventional rating systems are primarily based on past realized losses and the past record of other drivers with similar characteristics. More recently, electronic systems have been introduced whereby the actual driving performance of a given driver is monitored and communicated directly to the insurance company. The insurance company then assigns the driver to a risk class based on the monitored driving behavior. An individual, therefore, can be put into different risk classes from month to month depending upon how they drive. For example, a driver who drives long distance at high speed in one month might be placed into a high risk class for that month and pay a large premium. If the same driver drives for short distances at low speed the next month, however, then he or she might be placed into a lower risk class and charged a lower premium.

Norwich Union offered a type of telematic auto insurance in the United Kingdom,discontinued in 2008, called Pay as You Drive. This system employed a combination global positioning system (GPS) and cell phone in a car to monitor driving performance and communicate risk factors to the insurance company. Drivers were offered a discount if they exhibited safe driving as Norwich defined it. Trials conducted by Norwich Union in 2005 found that young drivers (18 to 23 year olds) signing up for telematic auto insurance had a 20% lower accident rate than average.

In the United States, Progressive Corporation has an auto insurance program called MyRate. The program gives drivers a customized insurance rate based on how, how much, and when their car is driven. MyRate is currently available in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon. Driving data is transmitted to the company using an on-board device. The device connects to a car's OnBoard Diagnostic (OBD-II) port (all automobiles built after 1996 have an OBD-II.) and transmits speed, time of day and number of miles the car is driven. There is no GPS in the MyRate device, so no location information is collected. Cars that are driven less often, in less risky ways and at less risky times of day can receive large discounts. Progressive has received patents on its methods and systems of implementing usage-based insurance and has licensed these methods and systems to other companies. Progressive has service marks pending on the terms Pay As You Drive and Pay How You Drive.

Other insurance companies are offering telematic auto insurance products in Germany, South Africa, and Japan.

Patented risk selection systems

New risk selection methods may be patentable to a greater or lesser degree depending upon the patent laws of various countries. These patents are generally described as business method patents. The United States is fairly liberal in granting business method patents. Europe is fairly conservative.

Different forms of telematic auto insurance, for example, were independently invented and patented by a major U.S. auto insurance company, Progressive Auto Insurance us patent 5797134 and a Spanish independent inventor, Salvador Minguijon Perez EU patent 700009. The Progressive patents cover the use of a cell phone and GPS to track movements of a car. The Perez patent covers monitoring the car's engine control computer to determine distance driven, speed, time of day, braking force, etc. Ironically, Progressive is developing the Perez technology in the US and Norwich Union is developing the Progressive technology for Europe under a license from Progressive. Progressive does not have to get a license to the Perez patent since it was never filed in the US.

References


1. ^ McClenahan, Charles. "Ratemaking" (PDF). Casualty Actuarial Society. http://www.casact.org/admissions/syllabus/ch3.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-05-11.
2. ^ "What determines the price of my policy?" (HTML). Insurance Information Institute. http://www.iii.org/individuals/auto/b/whatdetermines/. Retrieved on 2006-05-11.
3. ^ "How Are Auto Insurance Rates Calculated?" (HTML). Countrywide Insurance Services. http://insurance.countrywide.com/auto/ratescalculated.aspx. Retrieved on 2006-05-11.
4. ^ U.S. Patent Application 20040153362 Bauer, Alan Rex; Burns, Kurtis Tavis; Esposito, Michael Vincent; Huber, David Charles JR.; O'Malley, Patrick Lawrence; "Monitoring system for determining and communicating a cost of insurance", January 2004
5. ^ UK: Norwich Union launches innovative "Pay As You Drive" insurance with prices from 1p per mile, Norwich Union press release, 05 October 2006
6. ^ Nowotarski, Mark, "Progressive Builds a Fortress of Patent Protection", Insurance IP Bulletin, October 15, 2004

» Read More...

Explorer Front Brake Upgrade

Parts used: Powerslot cyro brake rotors and Hawk LTS brake pads, CRC Disc Brake Quiet, Permalex Ultra Disc Brake Caliper Lube (or similar).

Tools needed: Jack, jack stands, sockets (12mm, 18mm, 19mm), and socket wrench, impact air wrench (optional), woodworking bar clamp or other type of padded clamp, six pack of your favorite barley pop.

Unless you have several football player sized buddies willing to hold the vehicle off the ground for your while you work under it, I suggest raising the vehicle and securing it on jack stands.� Remove the lug nuts with the 19mm socket or vehicle supplied lug wrench, then remove the wheels.� Optional procedure: loosen all lug nuts only one turn prior to raising vehicle and drive around the block turning abruptly and using the brakes.� Doing this may help loosen the rotors by breaking them free from the rust on the hubs.� Drive slowly but make quick stops and turns while braking.� Stay close to the garage and don�t drive fast.� Also, since you are likely to draw the attention of your neighbors to yourself, please don�t do this while wearing your old high school wrestling uniform.� No one wants to see that.



Using the 12mm socket, remove the two upper and lower caliper bolts.
Pull the caliper off the pads by moving it towards the rear.� That�s what she said.

Making sure that no one is watching you, pull the old pads out of the bracket.
Using the 18mm socket remove the two bracket bolts.

Carefully remove the two retention washers on the lug threads with a screwdriver.� Take your time and don�t bend the washers too much, they will come off and you can reuse them.� Now, remove the old rotor.� Lower your cost of this brake job by $20 and sell the old rotors on Ebay or Craiglslist, or use them as a paper weight during the next hurricane.� If the rotor is difficult to remove try penetrating oil or a big hammer and a piece of wood to protect the rotor.�� Hit away.�� If you don�t care about the rotor, then by all means forgo the wood and whack the heck out of it.
You are half way done.� Better have the beer on ice.� Carefully pull out the two caliper pins on the bracket, clean them, and smear them with the Permalex caliper lube.� The pins are just slightly different, so to avoid mixing them up, do one at a time and reinstall.
I put a little of the left over lube on the hub that contacts the rotor.� Hopefully, this will help prevent rust and should make removal of the rotor easier in the future.� If not, you, like me, just wasted 2 minutes doing something that makes no difference at all.�� If you do this, be careful not to get any lube on the lug threads.


Use a Quick Grip brand wood clamp with pads and slowly squeeze and finesse each caliper piston closed.� That hammer you used to remove the rusted on rotors will work too. �However, if you do it this way make sure you have another vehicle handy as you will need to run to the auto parts store for a new caliper.� Watch the level in the master cylinder and make sure that you do not back fill too much brake fluid and overfill the reservoir.� You may also want to consider replacing and flushing the fluid (not covered in this article).

Slide on the new shiny fangled rotor and the two retainer washers.� Can you feel the excitement?� Fantastic, now get back to work and reinstall the caliper bracket.
Put the CRC Disc Brake Quiet on the back of the pads.� I hope it is obvious why you want to be careful not to get any on the business side of the pads.� Let the CRC set for 10 minutes or so.� Good time to check the score of the game.� What?� No old TV in the garage!� Good grief, do I have to spell out everything?� Go inside and check the score.� I�ll wait here.
Place the new pads in the bracket.� Yes, the sides with the CRC goop on it go on the outside.� The pads will work much better installed this way.� In all seriousness, make sure you install the pads correctly and double check everything.
Reinstall the caliper on the bracket. ��Always replace rotors and pads in pairs, so now would be a good time to do the other side.� Just about brings tears to your eyes just looking at it doesn�t it?� If not, then something is seriously wrong.� Seek psychological help immediately.

I probably shouldn�t need to mention this but just in case you snuck a few sips of the adult beverages while you were waiting for the CRC to get tacky, be sure and replace the wheels and lower the vehicle prior to attempting to brake in the new rotors and pads.� It is a whole lot easier if you do.� For maximum safety and performance, it is very important to brake in the new rotors and pads according to the manufacturer�s instructions.

Congrats, you just saved yourself several hundred dollars in labor charges

» Read More...