FE On the Road: Hands on with the Mack Granite, mDrive HD transmission
Fleet Equipment Editor Jason Morgan visits the Mack Trucks Customer Center in Allentown, Pa., to take the Mack Granite, outfitted with the new mDrive HD automated-manual transmission (AMT), for a spin, while getting the inside story from Mack Trucks Vice President of Marketing John Walsh. The mDrive HD was specially designed for tough tasks like
Freightliner unveils autonomous Inspiration Truck
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) unveiled the Freightliner Inspiration Truck to several hundred international news media, trucking industry analysts and officials. Want to take a ride in Freightliner’s new autonomous truck? Click here to watch a ride along video from Fleet Equipment. The Freightliner Inspiration Truck is the first licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate on
Freightliner Inspiration Truck Receives Autonomous Vehicle License
At a ceremony at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval officially granted the first license for an autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the United States to Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). At the event, hosted by DTNA President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Daum, Gov. Sandoval took
Power to the people: Truck stop electrification
We are a power-hungry society. Of course, I mean electrical power. Walk into any coffee shop and you’re sure to find people huddled around plugged-in mobile workstations; glance around any airport and you’ll see people uncomfortably tethered to the closest outlet. Today’s truck drivers are no different—they demand power for their sleeper creature comforts. There’s
‘We don’t need a revolution’
“Sometimes customers ask me, ‘Should we wait [to buy trucks]? When is your best truck coming?’ I tell them: If you wait, you’ll wait forever because the best truck is the one you’re getting today from us,” Martin Daum, president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks of North America, said to a room of
Investing in aerodynamics to improve fuel efficiency
Wind resistance is a total drag—literally. Wind resistance is one of the top forces working against the truck as it runs down the road. (The other factors being: grade resistance; tire rolling resistance; and engine accessory and/or drivetrain losses, according to Cummins MPG Guide: “Secrets of better fuel economy”.) Did you know that every 2%
Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. showcases expanded S2G applications
As it enters its first full year of production, the propane-autogas S2G chassis from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) is demonstrating its capabilities for additional applications at the 2015 NTEA Work Truck Show. FCCC debuted the S2G at the 2013 Work Truck Show with an initial focus on marketing the truck to the propane delivery segment,
Mercedes-Benz Vans launches mid-size Metris van
Mercedes-Benz Vans USA introduced the Mercedes-Benz Metris at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis. The Metris, which launches at U.S. dealers in October 2015, is the U.S. and Canadian sibling to the “Vito,” which remains the midsize commercial van nameplate for all other global markets. “We are pleased to debut the Mercedes-Benz Metris at
Time to turn around?
At the Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition, the latest and greatest products were on display and many of them aimed at tackling a fleet manager’s biggest headache: Downtime. While efficiency is often one of the most talked about truck buzz word, there’s no gain in efficiency that can offset a
Top brake questions, answered
The No. 1 job of truck brakes is safety; within that application, there’s more than one way to stop a truck. Drums have been the brake of choice for many trucks, but air disc brakes (ADBs) continue to gain popularity in nearly all heavy-duty on-road applications. “Current [ADB] market penetration is in the 12% to
The value of safety
Standing in the presence of the country’s top 19 professional truck drivers who were named to captain ATA’s America’s Road Team, one stat stood out among all others—30.3 million combined accident-free miles. These drivers are the face of the 3.2 million professional drivers on the road today, and their outstanding safety records are humble reminders
Equipment that drives retention
While you may be able to spec the most efficient truck the world has ever seen, designed to reap the benefits of unprecedented fuel economy, it would all be for naught if there weren’t an operator to drive it down the road. The looming driver shortage cloud is growing darker month by month. The latest
