Fleet Equipment’s 2016 Truck Equipment Trend of the Year
This past year saw the introduction of new trucks, new proprietary integrated powertrain equipment—including the introduction of 2017 engines—and a huge leap forward in terms of truck technology and telematics. Yet the biggest equipment talking point this year was the piece of the equipment productivity puzzle that has the largest direct impact on the truck’s
Detroit to offer PTO option for DT12 transmission
Detroit has announced the availability of a power take-off (PTO) option for its DT12 automated manual transmission. Both the direct drive and over drive DT12 transmissions are available for order with a proprietary rear mounted PTO on original Freightliner Cascadia models with or without the Evolution aerodynamic package, and Western Star 5700XE models. This option
Reman parts offer cost savings and dependability
Remanufacturing engines includes being in compliances with evolving emissions regulations. “The emission guidelines we follow,” begins Dennis Krawczak, engineering manager at the Detroit Reman corporate office, “ensure the engine is remanufactured to the same performance specifications as the original engine. All engines are tested for performance before shipping to the customer. Since Detroit Reman is
How integrated powertrains bring out the best in trucks
With more integrated powertrain choices than ever, Fleet Equipment dived into the offerings to give you the lowdown on what’s out there, what’s new for 2017, and how it all works together. How it works Let’s get right into the specifics of integrated powertrains—how do engines “talk” to transmissions that are part of the integrated
Detroit partners with AT&T, Microsoft on connected solutions
Detroit Diesel Corp., a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), has announced collaborations with AT&T and Microsoft Corp. to deliver enhancements to its Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle services. AT&T will provide Internet of Things connectivity for the new Detroit Connect Truck Data Center platform. The platform, made specifically for the new Freightliner Cascadia,
How remote diagnostics stay on top of service issues
While OEMs will share their proprietary service data through Right to Repair, they have also continued to develop their respective remote diagnostics offerings to better diagnose a truck’s problems. In fact, Remote diagnostic systems are now offered in some form by all the major truck and engine OEMs. These systems collect diagnostic data on the
API FA-4 oil backward compatibility update from Detroit, real-world fleet findings
Fleet Equipment‘s talked a lot about engine oil recently—and with good reason. After all, new engine oil categories (FA-4 and CK-4) will be in place on Dec. 1, and there is no shortage of questions: Which oils are compatible with which engines? How will this impact fuel efficiency? How will older engines benefit from these new oils? These and
Driven by the desire to do more: The 2018 Freightliner New Cascadia
The goal was a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency over what is now dubbed the “Classic” Cascadia Evolution. A lofty goal, considering the already impressive fuel economy offered by the Cascadia Evolution. Yet, when it came time for Freightliner to unveil the 2018 New Cascadia, 5% was in the rearview mirror and it had practically faded
Detroit introduces new Connect platform, including OTA updates
Detroit has introduced a proprietary connectivity platform for the new Freightliner Cascadia. The platform features new vehicle communications hardware that will facilitate new Detroit Connect services to deliver customers deeper insights into their fleets’ fuel efficiency and safety performance as well as enable over-the-air powertrain programming capabilities. The Detroit Connect platform also features technology that
The impact of expanding integrated technology across different truck applications
Integrated vehicle technology continues to evolve. While medium-duty trucks have long been built with integrated systems, new onboard technology is raising the level of sophistication and, for at least one truck maker, borrowing from its proven heavy-duty vehicle technologies. According to Kary Schaefer, general manager of marketing and strategy for Freightliner and Detroit brands at
Manual transmissions, does the bell toll for thee?
They’ve been a staple of trucks since the very first one was built, but for manual transmissions, the end may be nigh. Magnus Koeck, Volvo’s vice president of marketing and brand management, says he believes that five years from now, manual transmissions in trucks will have disappeared entirely. One catalyst for this change, he explained, can
Detroit readies the DD5 engine for production
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced that it will begin production of Freightliner M2106 trucks equipped with the DD5 engine beginning in October. The DD5 is the newest Detroit engine to be released, and was first announced in late 2014. Detroit also announced that the DD5 engine has received EPA certification, meaning that it has met the 2017
