Meeting medium-duty fleet needs - Fleet Equipment Magazine

Navistar Medium Duty Needs — “We know, for example, that fuel costs are a major issue, so we are always looking for ways to improve efficiency, including adopting alternative fuels when it’s appropriate and developing enhanced aerodynamics,” said Bill Kozek, president, North America Truck and Parts at Navistar.

Navistar’s president reflects on how truck OEMs are addressing the needs of medium-duty fleets: “The goals of medium-duty fleets are not really different than those of heavy-duty on-highway operations,” says Bill Kozek, president, North America Truck and Parts at Navistar. “While medium-duty operations generally see trucks as a tool to get their real business done, they are equally concerned about having the lowest possible cost per mile and the most uptime.”

OEMs like Navistar are also equally focused on meeting medium-duty fleet needs, Kozek relates. “Our truck design initiatives are aimed at market requirements,” he states. “We know, for example, that fuel costs are a major issue, so we are always looking for ways to improve efficiency, including adopting alternative fuels when it’s appropriate and developing enhanced aerodynamics. At the same time, our medium-duty customers want reliability, so we’re working on ways to use remote diagnostics to make maintenance more predictable and limit downtime for service as much as possible.”

Navistar’s strategy begins long before a new truck model is brought to market. “We’re working much earlier in the process and much more closely with our suppliers,” Kozek says. “Combining our expertise with that of engine, drivetrain, brake, HVAC and other suppliers to test and integrate systems and components into our vehicles allows us to get to market faster with a proven product.”

Such was the case behind Navistar’s recent announcement that it was expanding its engine offerings to include the Cummins ISB 6.7-liter diesel with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions aftertreatment in International DuraStar medium-duty trucks and IC Bus CE Series school buses.

“Since 2010, we’ve gained extensive experience packaging and manufacturing medium-duty trucks with the Cummins ISB through our Ford Blue Diamond joint venture,” Kozek says. “Adding this engine to medium-duty truck and bus products is something we viewed as a winning combination for customers. Many fleets in different market segments already have extensive experience with the Cummins ISB, which is a proven engine and one that customers can get serviced everywhere in North America.”

Kozek adds that the well accepted Cummins ISB, as an addition to Navistar’s medium-duty truck and bus lineup will complement existing engine offerings in 2014 and beyond at a lower cost due to the large scale production of the engine model. The engine will be in regular production in International DuraStar trucks in December and in IC Bus CE Series school buses in late January of next year.

While the Cummins ISB is a new offering for Navistar’s medium-duty trucks and buses, the two companies have been collaborating for more than 75 years. In the past year, the partnership launched the Cummins ISX 15-liter engine in Navistar Class 8 trucks, including International ProStar, PayStar 5900 and 9900i models. In addition, the OEMs have been collaborating to add Cummins SCR aftertreatment systems to the proprietary MaxxForce 13-liter engine in ProStar, WorkStar and TranStar and PayStar models.

“That same level of teamwork will continue as we leverage our relationships with suppliers of numerous medium-duty systems and components,” Kozek states. “The experience we continue to gain collectively will increasingly be seen in medium-duty trucks. As we apply what we’ve learned to optimize how our vehicles work best for customers in many different market segments, we can provide the lowest cost of ownership and enhanced uptime.”