Truck Manufacturers
DTNA celebrates recent successes at MATS
According to Martin Daum, president and CEO of DTNA, “Our sales success in 2010 outpaced the development of the market. In the U.S. and the rest of NAFTA, we are the market leader in the segment of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in Classes 6 to 8, with a market share in NAFTA of 31.6%. We thus increased our market share by two percentage points compared to the previous year’s figure. We also recorded a very positive development of sales in the U.S. market alone, and with a market share of 32.6% (2009: 30%), we are the most successful manufacturer in this segment. The sales figures for 2011 look very promising. The market share for our medium- and heavy-duty trucks has been increased by February to 38.5% in the U.S. and 37.1% in the NAFTA region.”
Andreas Renschler, the Daimler Board of Management member responsible for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses, said, “We are expecting significant growth in the U.S. truck market this year, particularly in sales of trucks in Classes 6 to 8. As a result, we will revise our original 2011 growth forecast for the NAFTA region upward. We expect that the truck market in the NAFTA region will grow this year by 30% to 35%. Up to now, the growth prognosis was 20% to 25%. This upturn is resulting in a significant increase in the demand for transport services, and thus also for commercial vehicles—because economic growth means more demand for transport.
One of the success stories at DTNA, according to Daum, is the Western Star product line. The company showcased the new Western Star trucks at MATS, which included the new 34-in. Stratosphere sleeper and enhanced interiors on all models. More aerodynamic features for on-highway users make the truck more fuel efficient, without compromising the Western Star “look” that has helped build its customer loyalty, Daum added.
Mack enhancements drive up fuel efficiency
With a continued commitment to fuel economy offerings and greater reliability, four Mack Truck executives announced a number of product enhancements, citing improved truck market volumes and leadership in construction and refuse, with better position in trucks for economic haul vehicles like day cabs and small sleepers.
Optimized roof and chassis fairings for its Pinnacle models will add up to 6% fuel economy, according to Jerry Warmkessel, marketing manager, on-highway. “Adding that, plus a 5% fuel economy improvement in our proprietary ClearTech SCR, and our mDrive transmission contribution of 1.5%, we offer up to 12.5% improvement in the Pinnacle sleepers, and we will be in double digit market share in the near future.”
Building on the fuel saving performance of its EPA 2010 certified MP engines, Mack has added four new Econodyne ratings—MP7-405E, MP8-415E, MP8-445E, and MP8-505E—fully optimized for fuel efficiency without sacrificing power, the company noted. EconoBoost initiates at 1,300 RPM, providing additional power that allows drivers to remain in the top two gears longer. The engine torque reverts back to the lower profile when the engine senses situations with zero torque input, the truck maker added.
Kenworth unveils latest models at MATS
Kenworth introduced the new T660 regional hauler and its first 6×6 configuration for the T370 medium-duty model at the Mid-America Trucking Show. The T660 offers shorter wheelbases, tighter chassis packaging, enhanced maneuverability and weight savings, but maintains the same fuel tank capacity as a T660 with forward chassis fairings, according to Kenworth.
The new T660 configuration removes the standard under-cab chassis fairing and replaces it with a cab-mounted extension of the hood fender, allowing larger diameter 24.5-in. and 28.5-in. fuel tanks to fit under the cab. The use of a 24.5-in. diameter fuel tank can reduce the wheelbase by up to 19 in., while a 28.5-in. diameter fuel tank provides a potential wheelbase reduction of up to 34 in. The new configuration also reduces weight by at least 250 lbs. from a comparably equipped Kenworth T660 with forward fairings, the truck maker said.
The 6×6 configuration for the Kenworth T370 medium-duty model is designed for applications that require a heavier front axle and tandem rear axle, including utility service, construction, oilfield service and boom trucks, in addition to municipal applications.
Volvo powertrain, aerodynamic enhancements offer 8% fuel efficiency
Volvo Trucks North America said recent powertrain enhancements and advanced aerodynamics for its VN highway series result in an 8% improvement in fuel efficiency over EPA 2007 engines.
Building on the fuel efficiency delivered by Volvo’s EPA 2010 solution with No Regen SCR technology, the truck maker introduced a new 455 HP and 1,550/1,750 ft./lb. torque rating for the Volvo D13 engine. The new rating complements Volvo Trucks’ existing Eco-Torque and Dual-Torque ratings of 405, 425, 475 and 500 HP, designed to maximize fuel economy by providing a driver-intuitive, easy-to-use algorithm that rewards fuel-efficient driving and encourages low-rpm engine operation, the company said. Volvo also offers the Eco-Torque ratings on both its D11 and D16 engines.
The truck maker also is offering a new fuel management tool through Volvo Link that provides weekly reports with driver and vehicle data. The fuel management tool also allows fleets to compare their results against similar fleets so they can benchmark their performance. Volvo also rolled out an online driver development program—www.edrivertraining.com—ocused on equipping drivers with technical knowledge about their Volvo truck, information about Volvo’s active safety features, and techniques for maximizing the fuel efficiency performance of their Volvo.
Peterbilt goes standard with air disc brakes on Class 8 trucks and launches new luxury seat
Bill Jackson, PACCAR vice president and Peterbilt general manager, announced that the truck maker would make air disc brakes standard on its entire line of Class 8 products. Air disc brakes offer the shortest stopping distances in the market today and provide a compact design, minimizing weight, reducing maintenance and improving both vehicle and operator efficiency. Peterbilt is the first to go standard with air disc brakes across its full line of Class 8 vehicles, Jackson added.
In addition, the company said it would offer new Peterbilt Premium Seats with improved ergonomic and comfort features. Proprietary to Peterbilt, the new seats have gone through extensive design testing to help provide drivers optimal comfort and an enhanced work environment.
Unique to the industry, the Peterbilt Premium Seats feature an optional climate control system that provides drivers heating and cooling controls for additional comfort, according to the truck maker. Drivers can quickly adjust and maintain comfortable seat temperatures throughout varying climates. An automatic height modification feature has been added to prevent the seat from changing positions when a driver ascends or descends from the seat. Extra suspension zones within the seat have been positioned to reduce the topping and bottoming of suspensions, according to the company.
“Peterbilt worked to develop a seat with features comparable to luxury automobiles,” said Landon Sproull, Peterbilt chief engineer. “The Peterbilt Premium Seats deliver maximum comfort and exceptional reliability.”
The premium seat also contains several improved ergonomic features, including Peterbilt’s proprietary upper backrest recliner, which pivots at shoulder height to fine-tune the angle of the upper backrest, improving shoulder and neck support and reducing fatigue.The new seats will be standard on Peterbilt’s Model 587, and will be available in December.
Navistar ProStar+ with MaxxForce 15 engine
Navistar has announced the production availability of its MaxxForce 15 engine, which the company said completes the broadest, most comprehensive lineup of integrated truck-engine offerings available in North America.
According to Jim Hebe, Navistar’s senior vice president, North America sales operations, the addition of the MaxxForce 15 to the lineup of MaxxForce Advanced EGR big bore engines differentiates the company from its competitors.
Engineered specifically for International’s Class 8 heavy-duty, on-highway trucks, MaxxForce 15 for the International ProStar+ is available with up to 500 HP and 1,850 ft./lb. of torque and is the most powerful engine Navistar builds, according to the company. The engine is designed to handle the most extreme demands that customers require.
Hebe said the engine is built on a proven block and crankshaft combined with the fuel and air systems of the MaxxForce Advanced EGR system. Peak torque is achieved at 1,000 RPM and holds steady to 1,600 RPM, which reduces gear-shifting needs uphill and allows for shifting at lower speeds when accelerating. Durability is enhanced with a four-bolt connecting rod design, he added.
Anti-idling systems
Bergstrom offers Webasto Air Top 2000 ST
Bergstrom Inc. and Webasto Product North America announced that the Webasto Air Top 2000 ST is now available with Bergstrom’s family of battery-powered Nite no-idle systems. The Webasto Air Top 2000 ST will be available with Nite systems through Bergstrom’s commercial vehicle aftermarket distributors and truck dealers in the United States and Canada by the end of the first quarter of 2011, the companies said.
As a battery-powered, no-idling system, CARB-approved Nite systems incorporate an independent battery power source to provide electric service for climate control. This helps drivers reduce emissions and comply with anti-idling laws. Packaging the two systems together delivers the convenience of managing heating and cooling with one integrated set of controls, according to Bergstrom.
Brakes & axles
Innovative drive axle, braking solutions unveiled by Meritor
Innovative drive axle and stopping solutions from newly re-named Meritor are focused on fuel economy improvements and meeting upcoming, more stringent stopping distance FMVSS-121 requirements in four months.
“Changing the company’s name from ArvinMeritor to Meritor gives us the opportunity to leverage the brand’s strengths,” said Chip McClure, chairman and CEO of Meritor. The company became Meritor in 1997 after the spin-off from Rockwell International Corp. With a bull’s “brashness and agility” to meet customers’ desires to improve fuel economy and save weight, the company’s executives reviewed current technologies and announced several new ones.
First, a lightweight enhancement to its new 14X axle family—over 30,000 units ordered by North American motor carriers—is a 100-lb. lighter aluminum carrier option, available in 2012.
In terms of advanced axle technologies, Meritor detailed the benefits of an advanced rear axle concept “with the ability to achieve optimized weight reductions and corresponding payload increases of more than 1,000 lbs. and increase fuel efficiency by 10%,” said Joe Plomin, vice president, truck, Meritor.
Dana debuts new tandem drive axles, Spicer aluminum driveshafts
Dana Holding Corp. introduced a new series of lightweight, one-piece aluminum driveshafts for the commercial truck market. The Spicer Diamond Series driveshaft weighs 40% less than traditional two-piece steel driveshafts, has fewer parts and helps reduce problems associated with noise, vibration and harshness, the company said.
George Constand, chief technical and quality officer for Dana, said the company is the first manufacturer to combine steel end fittings with a single-piece, high-strength aluminum tube, replacing the traditional all-steel, two-piece driveshaft. The manufacturing process delivers a more robust driveshaft with significantly lower weight—up to 100 lbs. when compared with traditional two-piece assembly systems.
Designed for heavy-duty commercial trucks using two-piece steel driveshafts of 7.5 to 10 ft., the Spicer Diamond Series driveshafts reduce installation costs through the elimination of the center bearing and by reducing part count from three joint connections to two. The one-piece design improves vehicle efficiency by reducing component wear, and the use of high-strength aluminum offers resistance to corrosion and improved appearance.
The company also introduced a new family of heavy-duty 40,000-lb. tandem drive axles. The new Spicer Pro-40 axle is designed to offer fleets a reliable, lightweight and competitively priced alternative to current available axles for linehaul, bulk, regional and city delivery vehicles, Dana said.
Bendix expands air disc brake manufacturing
Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB) said it would open a new production line at its Bowling Green, Ky., manufacturing plant in June to meet increased demand for its patented Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes. Once fully operational, the new state-of-the-art automated production line will triple the current assembly capacity for BSFB’s North American operation.
With a nearly 120% increase in demand from 2009 to 2010 and an expected additional increase of nearly 40% in 2011, the new production line will help BSFB continue to meet the needs of OEMs, fleets and owner-operators that are looking to extend brake system life and improve highway safety, according to the company.
Trailers
Great Dane debuts MXP-120 all-aluminum platform trailer
Great Dane Trailers has launched its new MXP-120 all-aluminum flatbed. By offering weight savings to maximize payload versatility and eliminating the potential for corrosion, the MXP-120 combines the latest technologies and proven components from Great Dane’s other platform models, the company said.
All-aluminum construction eliminates the potential for corrosion found in steel and combination steel and aluminum models, meaning the MXP-120 can maintain a shiny, like-new image longer. Aluminum components have the added bonus of lowering costs due to the reduced maintenance required, the maker said. The MXP-120 features two-piece bolted aluminum main beams and has extruded aluminum side rails, and an aluminum floor, rear assembly and crossmembers.
Weight savings are inherent in this platform trailer. Particularly when equipped with aluminum wheels, the MXP-120 weighs about 1,000 lbs. less than a comparable combo steel-aluminum unit.
Tested at 60,000-lbs. concentrated in 4 ft. and loads in excess of 120,000 lbs. uniformly distributed, the MXP-120 underwent as many as six types of evaluations to prove its strength and durability. Customer testing of prototypes was also conducted with very favorable results, the trailer maker said.
Dorsey offers industry’s first ‘10-year reefer’
Pitts Enterprises’ Dorsey Trailer division said it is so confident in the durability of its new, wear-resistant LiteGuard 5000 refrigerated trailer, the company is offering a 10-year structural warranty. According to Justin Pierson, director of marketing for Pitts Enterprises, the LiteGuard 5000 is engineered to be the toughest, lightest and most energy-efficient reefer the company has ever produced. The reefer features robust, heavy-duty floor construction; impact-resistant, heavy-duty stainless steel rear frame; stainless steel upper coupler; and rear doors engineered with a proprietary fuel-saving seal design, the trailer maker said.
SAF-Holland leverages global technology
SAF-Holland said it has leveraged its global technology and engineering expertise to meet a range of industry demands and applications in 2011. The company’s focus on creating lighter-weight, better performing, value-oriented products and systems can be seen throughout the 2011 line-up, which includes everything from a new and innovative trailer suspension beam construction to new suspension systems, as well as a new landing gear line-up and new fifth wheel offering. The company also has realigned its landing gear portfolio in 2011 with the launch of the Atlas 55, Atlas 65 and Classic Series. Models feature a three-gear Constant Mesh gearbox, as well as an exclusive FloatingNut and Twin-Bulkhead design.
Holland FW16 LowLube—combines the lightweight precision casting of the FW17 with SAF-Holland LowLube green technology to completely eliminate the use of grease on the top plate, which helps keep the environment, shops and drivers free of harmful grease chemicals while saving on steer tire wear, the maker said.
Reefers
Carrier introduces new APX control system
A new, premium option—APX control system—has been introduced by Carrier Transicold and is available on the company’s X2 Series of refrigeration units. The company said the system will improve transport refrigeration unit (TRU) operation with “unique distributed electronics” for better reliability; a bigger, brighter display with simplified user interface; greater memory; and an expanded range of applications for unit customization.
In production now, the APX system is an entirely new modular hardware configuration. It is offered with a three-year/6,000-hour warranty.
“From an end-user perspective, it’s the easiest program to use, and the system provides exceptional temperature management for any hauled commodity, especially when users take advantage of popular optional Carrier applications, or ‘apps’ (exclusive from Carrier Transicold) such as IntelliSet, Range Protect or DataTrak,” said David Kiefer, director of marketing and product management.
Exhibiting modular architecture, APX takes what was positioned in a single large metal control box and splits it into three compact, sealed subcomponents.
From an architectural standpoint, all modules use CAN-bus communications protocols, a trucking industry standard. “It’s an out-of-the-box design that makes system expansion—adding modules for expanded capabilities—as simple as plug-and-play,” Kiefer said.
Thermo King electronic throttling valve saves fuel
At a time when owners and operators are finding it critical to economize, the new Thermo King electronic throttling valve (ETV) for straight trucks allows fleets to optimize energy and operational efficiency while improving product quality on delivery, the company said.
According to Thermo King, rigorous testing completed in late 2010 demonstrated that the ETV saves up to 30% in fuel and reaches set point up to 50% faster. The ETV from Thermo King enhances Thermo King T-Series single-temp truck units with scroll compressors. These units include the T-600, T-800 and T-1000.
“Our customers are saying they need to do even more with their limited resources, and this unique solution helps them do just that,” said Doug Lenz, director of product management for Thermo King. “The ETV enables straight truck owners and operators to spend less money delivering higher quality foods, pharmaceuticals and other fresh and frozen products to their customers.”
GPS & telematic products
Hino Trucks introduces Hino Insight
Hino Trucks announced “Hino Insight,” which the company said is an advanced, tailored, comprehensive web-based location and telematics solution for medium-duty commercial truck market. Hino Trucks and its telematics technology partner, WebTech Wireless, have invested more than two years and over a million miles of real world testing to develop the ultimate, value-added, versatile fleet management solution, Hino said.
According to the truck maker, Insight is more than a basic telematics package, it is a complete solution including a mix of premium and Hino exclusive services ranging from, route tracking, geofencing, advanced vehicle administration, and planned maintenance management to real-time critical Hino proprietary diagnostics alerts, custom fleet performance dashboard reporting, and remote door unlock telemetry. The Insight Dashboard allows fleet managers to simultaneously access real-time vehicle and driver-related information including key metrics.
“A prime advantage of our advanced telematics solution is that from conception through final design, Insight has been developed to improve customer satisfaction at all levels, maximizing opportunities for our customers to
achieve sustainable competitiveness,” said Dominik Beckman, Marketing Manager of Hino Trucks. He continued, “It’s more than simply a total operating cost reducing agent and CRM tool, Hino Insight lends to safe vehicle operation and environmental righteousness, which are core elements of our mission.”
Engine fan drives
DM AdvantageTwo-Speed Fan Drives
Horton’s DM Advantage Two-Speed Fan Drives alternate between eddy current and spring-actuated cooling. While using eddy current, the fan drive turns the fan at a lower speed, which reduces operating noise, increases available horsepower for auxiliary systems and minimizes radiator abrasion from dust and debris. It spring-actuates when more cooling is needed, running the fan at full input speed. It also provides faster engine warm-ups in cold weather.
DM Advantage Two-Speed Fan Drives are proven solutions for the highest-heat under-hood applications. Horton’s latest innovation assures you of maximum reliability and long-life performance.
Wheels
Alcoa offers beautiful solution to lower lifetime costs
Image is everything—a reflection of you, your company and your service. Alcoa said its Dura-Bright wheels provide the ultimate combination of no-polish beauty with lower operating costs. This patented surface treatment washes simply with mild soap and water for a brilliant, long-lasting shine. In fact, dirt has trouble sticking to it, allowing rigs to stay cleaner longer. And since Dura-Bright penetrates the aluminum, it won’t crack, chip, peel or corrode—and it never needs polishing to maintain that sparkling appearance, the wheel maker said. All Alcoa aluminum wheels are lighter, brighter and stronger than competitive aluminum and steel wheels to deliver improved productivity, lower operating costs and increased resale value, the company added.
SKF introduces SKF Splashguard Plug for Scotseal TF Hubcaps
SKF introduced the SKF Splashguard, an advanced protection plug for its line of Scotseal TF Hubcaps. The new Splashguard features an exclusion technology with multiple barriers to protect wheel end components from outside contamination.
Additionally, the SKF Splashguard design includes a hard outer shell that resists power washing and road debris; a pressure-sensitive vent that remains closed unless releasing pressure eliminates the entry path for contaminants; and an extended surface for added coverage between the window and plug for better sealing. The Splashguard also features side tabs for easy removal, the maker said.
SKF Splashguards are conveniently packaged in groups of four and sealed in 8.5 x 6-in. plastic bags. The Splashguards are available in green and black. A point-of-sale countertop display with six 4-packs of green Splashguards and six 4-packs of black Splashguards illustrating the features and benefits is available, the company added.
Lighting
Truck-Lite now offers white LED Signal-Stat lamps
Truck-Lite said it has added white LED auxiliary lighting options to the popular Signal-Stat line-up, in the form of round and rectangular work lamps. 
