The North American Truck Writers committee announced the Top 5 Finalists for the 2020 Jim Winsor Technical Achievement Award. The annual award honors products or technologies introduced the previous year that embody innovation, vision, technical achievement, and applicability and benefits for the trucking industry.

The Top 5 Finalists for the 2020 award, which will be presented during the Industry Awards Luncheon at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition on Wednesday February 26, in Atlanta, include:

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Intellipark: The electronic parking brake system improves safety by preventing roll-away events by automatically applying parking brakes. It also prevents tire and driveline damage by automatically releasing trailer brakes when the vehicle is in motion.
• Chevron Delo 600: The engine oil, a low sulfated ash formulation, reduces the rate of diesel particulate filter (DPF) clogging to extend service intervals, lowers the need for active regeneration events, which cuts fuel consumption, and could enable improvements in DPF design.
• Link ROI Cabmate: The electronically controlled infinitely variable cab suspension improves ride quality and driver satisfaction. It protects the cab structure by controlling stress that can lead to higher maintenance costs and enhances safety by increasing vehicle stability and providing a more restful sleep for team drivers.
• SAF-Holland SMAR-te Tire Pilot: The tire inflation management system optimizes tire pressure based on axle load to maximize tire life. It improves safety under light loads by optimizing the tire contact patch for better traction, while cushioning the vehicle and cargo when lightly loaded.
• Stoneridge MirrorEye Camera Monitor System: The system replaces traditional glass mirrors with a five-camera, three monitor array that provides a better field of view for drivers while eliminating blind spots. It also enables additional warning opportunities and improves vehicle fuel efficiency by eliminating bulky external mirrors.

Each year, a panel of editors representing the industry’s major publications nominates products and technologies and chooses five award finalists and one overall winner for the Technical Achievement Award. This year's Top 5 finalists were chosen from more than 30 new products nominated by committee members.

Sponsored by LaunchIt Public Relations, the Jim Winsor Technical Achievement Award honors the highly respected, long-time truck journalist James W. Winsor, who passed away in 2015. Jim served as editor-in-chief at Commercial Carrier Journal and executive editor at Heavy Duty Trucking. He was also very active in the American Trucking Association’s Technology & Maintenance Council and its forerunner, The Maintenance Committee.

Since 1991, editors from the North American trucking trade press have honored a new product or technology with a technical achievement award. Prior to 2016, the group was made up of members of the now defunct Truck Writers of North America. In 2017, the editors formed an ad-hoc committee to carry on the award, believing innovation and technical achievement in new product development should be recognized.

Jim Park, a contributor to Today's Trucking and Heavy Duty Trucking magazines, currently chairs the North American Truck Writers committee. Technical Achievement Award committee members included John Baxter, freelance technical writer; Tom Berg, Construction Equipment and Land Line; Jason Cannon, Commercial Carrier Journal; Seth Clevenger, Transport Topics; John Hitch, Fleet Owner; James Menzies, Truck News; Jason Morgan, Fleet Equipment; Jack Roberts, Heavy Duty Trucking; Erica Schueller, Fleet Maintenance; John G. Smith, Today’s Trucking; Suzanne Stempinski, Land Line (retired).