Gearing up for Phase 2 GHG, fuel economy standards
In mid-June, a regulatory proposal for tighter greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel economy standards for heavy- and medium-duty trucks was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The long-anticipated vehicle and engine standards cover all types of trucks, including large pickups, vans and buses, for
Trucks: Today’s rolling technology platforms
Daimler Trucks North America Senior Vice President Friedrich Baumann is clear as to the direction in which the North American truck industry is going. “Today, it is as much about the service as it is the product,” he says. You have heard this many times before. In fact, it’s been a nigh-on constant refrain from
Upgraded dealer service relationships
What do you expect from your dealership? I’ll bet top on your list is throughput time; in other words, how much time it takes for the vehicle to enter the shop, be serviced, and get back on the road making money. Also on your list might be parts availability, quality of repairs and service, attitude
Rassini receives Masters of Quality Award from Daimler
Rassini, a Mexican industrial company engaged in the design and manufacturing of suspension and brake components for the automotive industry, has received the 2014 Masters of Quality Award from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). It is the highest award Daimler gives to its suppliers. Rassini provides front taper leaf springs and rear suspension airlink ‘Hockey Stick’ components used
Watch: Western Star 5700XE ride along, Daimler SVP talks dealer support
How do you craft a profitable fleet? Start with efficiency-grown original equipment, toss in productivity-boosting components and then blend in an experienced maintenance approach. But there’s one missing ingredient: The service support network that helps keep your trucks on the road. How important is that relationship and how does it impact your equipment’s uptime? Fleet
Five truck trend takeaways from July
1. The summer months spell trouble for truck tires Rubber on the road, more commonly called “road alligators,” increase dramatically on the nation’s highways during the summer driving season. The majority of the motoring public clearly believes that these road alligators are caused by bad retreads; this is just not accurate. The alligators on the
Detroit Connect realigns product offerings, integrates with Zonar
Detroit Connect has announced that it is realigning its product offerings to reflect its integration with Zonar Systems Inc. Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), owners of Detroit Connect, recently invested in Zonar, and now that investment is manifesting itself in the company’s product line. Detroit Connect will transition the branding of its Visibility Fleet Software and On-Board Tablet
Coming together: Daimler’s Elite Support program pushes for consistency in service experience
“Any bad experience has more impact than the three great experience the customer had before. That’s why we are going to raise the bar in our dealer network,” said Friedrich Baumann, senior vice president of Daimler’s aftermarket division. It’s a sentiment that the OE is taking seriously, as it gathered dealers, customers and editors together
Daimler appoints new chief diversity officer
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has announced that Kelley Platt, president of Western Star Trucks, has been assigned the additional responsibility to serve as DTNA’s Chief Diversity Officer and member of the company’s Operating Committee effective August 1. According to Daimler, the primary purpose of the chief diversity officer’s position is to ensure alignment of
Daimler Trucks invests in Zonar Systems
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and Zonar Systems Inc. announced that DTNA has become a minority investor in Zonar. This investment aims to help DTNA and Zonar better integrate Daimler’s trucks with Zonar’s telematics and connectivity services. Zonar will continue to operate independently of DTNA, with Martin Daum, chief executive officer of DTNA, becoming a member
Eileen Frack named GM of human resources for DTNA
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced the appointment of Eileen Frack to the position of general manager of human resources. Frack, who formerly served the company as director of executive management development, will succeed David Carson who was appointed president and chief executive officer of Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. Additionally, Frack was named a member of
Powertrain integration: Transmission focus
While the engine supplies the power, the transmission puts the integration to work. “Integration allows the engine and transmission to streamline communications and decision making,” said John Moore, Volvo Trucks product marketing manager-powertrain. “The transmission is programmed to shift based on the peak torque of the engine and not specific RPM points. Trucks can maintain
