ArvinMeritor PlatinumShield Brake Shoes
Win TWNA's Technical Achievement Award

Tampa, Fla. – (February 12, 2010) – Truck Writers of North America (TWNA) has recognized the rust preventative coating on ArvinMeritor's PlatinumShield Brake Shoes as the top technical achievement for 2009. The award presentation took place at the annual Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) meeting in Tampa, Fla.

The Technical Achievement Award and trophy were presented to Mac Whittemore, ArvinMeritor's Midwest Regional Manager, and Paul Greenlaw, ArvinMeritor's National Fleet Manager-Aftermarket, by Paul Abelson (Road King and Land Line magazines) and Tom Berg (Heavy Duty Trucking and Construction Equipment magazines), both members of TWNA's award committee along with John Baxter (Randall-Reilly Publishing), Peter Carter (Today's Trucking), Paul Hartley (AddMedia), James Menzies (Truck News and Truck West), and Jim Park (Heavy Duty Trucking).

The PlatinumShield coating was developed by ArvinMeritor to resist micro-abrasion caused by the movement of the brake lining against the shoe table during normal use. Rust-jacking occurs when rust forms on bare shoe metal under the lining, causing the lining to lift and crack.

"The Technical Achievement Award committee was impressed that ArvinMeritor's PlatinumShield coating offers a practical solution to rust-jacking, a problem that has frustrated countless maintenance managers and owner-operators in the U.S. and Canada," said James Menzies, chair of the committee. "As trucking companies search for ways to lower their operating costs, ArvinMeritor has come to market with an effective solution to a costly, long-running problem."

The review process for 2009 began with several candidates nominated by the press members of TWNA. From that group of candidates, four finalists were selected for an in-depth review. The "Top Four" finalists were ArvinMeritor's PlatinumShield Brake Shoes, Eaton's UltraShift PLUS Transmission, Rand McNally's IntelliRoute TND 500 GPS, and TruckLite's LED Headlamps.

Using a point system based on each committee member's ranking of the candidates, ArvinMeritor's PlatinumShield Brake Shoes scored a substantial lead to receive the honor of the 2009 TWNA Technical Achievement Award.

Created in 1988, TWNA is a professional organization whose membership is composed of writers, editors, public relations specialists, marketing personnel and others involved in the business of creating or producing information related to the world of trucking.

The very first Technical Achievement Award was presented in 1991 to Grote Industries for its red LED marker light. Since receiving the inaugural award, Grote has sponsored the yearly trophy. To be eligible, a product or service has to clearly exhibit technical innovation, have a wide applicability in the trucking industry, offer significant benefits and be widely available. While complete vehicles are not eligible, components and systems are.

TWNA congratulates all the finalists and thanks the members of the Tech Award Committee, as well as to those who took the time to suggest entries.

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Previous winners of the annual TWNA Technical Achievement Award are:

- Detroit Diesel DD15 Engine Turbo Compounding - 2008

- Michelin's Durable Technologies - 2007

- Cummins Filtration's Fleetguard User Friendly Filters - 2006

- Carrier Transicold's Deltek Hybrid Reefer - 2005

- ConMet's TruTurn Brake Drum - 2004

- Meritor-WABCO's anti-rollover system - 2003

- Bendix XVision (night vision system) - 2002

- XM Satellite Radio - 2001

- ZF Meritor's fully automated mechanical heavy duty truck transmission without a clutch pedal - 2000

- Donaldson's Silent Partner muffler - 1999

- Cummins' Signature 600 engine - 1998

- Eaton Fuller's Autoshift transmission - 1997

- Rockwell Automotive's ESS (Engine Synchro Shift) transmission - 1996

- Navistar International's flat floor of its International 9800 cabover - 1995

- Caterpillar Engine and Navistar International (joint award) for the HEUI (Hydraulic-actuated Electronically-controlled Unit Injectors) fuel system for diesel engines - 1994

- Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's G300 tire - 1993

- Cummins Engine's ESP variable power engine line - 1992

- Grote Industries' LED marker lamp - 1991

- In 1990, the predecessor of the TWNA Technical Achievement Awards, then called the "Most Significant Awards", were given to:

Most Significant Vehicle - Freightliner Corp., for the "Business Class" series of Class 6, 7 & 8 trucks and tractors.

Most Significant Product - United Marketing International Inc., for its Oberg Oil Filter Press.

Most Significant Service - Suspension Specialists Assn., for its sponsorship of clinics & training programs for its repair shop members.