Wherefore art thou, vocational truck retreads?
Retread tires and vocational trucks: Is it just me or is there a bit of a “Romeo and Juliet” quality to this tale – sort of a “we want to be together, but what will our fleet families think” kind of vibe? And, when that truck happens to be one working in one of the
Watch: The right axle choices for vocational trucks
Many applications – especially vocational trucks – have modified components based upon the specified intended service, and there’s no exception for axles. Click here to watch more of FE’s On the Road video series. Application is the alpha and the omega of equipment spec’ing. Consider the differences between a flatbed hauling materials to a construction
Tough vocational suspensions that go easy on your drivers
Rolling over rugged off-road terrain, hauling heavy loads and tackling tasks that require your drivers to get in and out of the truck countless times throughout the day are all par for the course in vocational truck applications. It’s hard work tackled by tough equipment, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hard on
Podcast: Choosing the right engine and transmission for vocational fleets
Western Star Trucks recently made news with the launch of its 49X vocational truck and DT12 Vocational series transmission, the first products launched since Daimler Trucks North America reorganized its business into on-highway and vocational segments. Both the truck and the transmission were made specifically for vocational applications, a demanding area of the trucking industry
Designing a vocational frame to stand up to heavy vocational demands
At the end of September, Western Star introduced its new 49X vocational truck built from the ground up—and that included re-thinking the chassis. According to Samantha Parlier, DTNA’s vice president of vocational market development, the truck is underpinned by a stronger, lighter chassis and equipped with a new X-series cab. She says the design of
Where you see DTNA’s renewed vocational focus in the Western Star 49X
When Daimler Trucks North America announced that it was reorganizing its entire organization to focus more on the application (on-highway; vocational) vs. brand (Freightliner; Western Star), the big question was: Where will we see this in the product? We now have the answer in the Western Star 49X. Fleet Equipment sat down with the Western
The secrets to spec’ing your next vocational truck chassis
If you have ever found yourself with your hands on your knees, nose three inches from a model ship in a glass bottle, you have no doubt silently contemplated the same question everyone else has in this position – how did they possibly build that? It begins with preparation. As each combination of ship, bottle
Detroit announces new DT12 Vocational series transmission in the Western Star 49X
As part of the launch of the new Western Star 49X, Daimler Trucks North America debuted the Detroit DT12 Vocational series of automated manual transmissions. Available as either the DT12-V or the DT12-VX and rated up to a GCWR of 330,000 lbs, the DT12 Vocational series was validated in over 35 million miles of testing
Western Star unveils next-gen 49X vocational truck
Western Star introduced the 49X, its next-generation vocational truck. Underpinned by a stronger, lighter chassis and equipped with a new X-series cab, the 49X sports the new Detroit DT12 Vocational series of transmissions and Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems. “A vocational truck is a tool for a job,” said David Carson, senior vice president
Five steps to bring retread savings to vocational truck tire applications
Rolling through rugged construction sites, cornering in cramped city streets, or tackling rough-and-tumble, stop-and-go refuse tasks, you demand performance from your vocational tires above all. While the ROI that their long-haul brethren reap from retreads is well documented, that same value prop can be true for vocational tires. And you don’t have to just take
