Allison Transmission has launched the 3414 Regional Haul Series (RHS) transmission, and has announced a partnership with Freightliner Trucks in conjunction with the new product. As part of the partnership, Freightliner will be the first to offer the 3414 transmission, which is an enhancement of Allison’s 3000 Series made specifically for regional haul applications.
“In response to the voice of customers, the new 3414 RHS has been designed to meet higher engine torque requirements and provide improved efficiency while continuing to deliver the superior reliability, performance, and drivability of an Allison fully automatic transmission,” said Randy Kirk, Allison’s senior vice president of product engineering and program management.
Allison is offering the 3414 RHS with ratings up to 410 HP and 1450 lb.-ft. of torque. This increased power supports a growing trend for fleets to utilize their trucks in mixed duty cycles, often in city delivery routes on one shift and regional haul transport routes during a second shift. Through Allison’s xFE technology, which incorporates an internal gear scheme optimized for fuel efficiency, as well as Allison’s FuelSense 2.0 with DynActive shifting technology, the 3414 RHS will deliver up to 8% fuel economy improvement, according to the transmission maker.
“We’ve had customers looking for slightly higher torque ratings. This is great for mixed-delivery applications, and our joint customers are interested,” said Kary Schaefer, general manager of product marketing and strategy at Daimler Trucks North America, who named food and beverage as one such segment where this transmission is of interest.
The 3414 RHS is a drop-in solution for any chassis with a current Allison 3000 Series option, with the same form, fit, function and connections. According to Allison, the 3414 RHS will be the lightest transmission in this segment. The 3414 RHS includes Allison’s warranty of five years, 750,000 miles, including towing, with no exclusions on individual components. With no clutches to replace, fleets will be free of unplanned downtime due to clutch replacements, the company said.
Beginning in 2020, the Allison 3000 Highway Series will be the standard transmission in the Freightliner M2 112. The 3414 RHS will be an available option with the Detroit DD13 engine in the M2 112 and the Cascadia 116 in the second half of 2020.
