New oils lead to longer life
While many fleets may be looking at potentially extending their drain intervals beyond the engine OEM recommendations, those recommendations themselves are much longer now than they have been in the past. This trend has been ongoing for years, but recently got a boost from the introduction of the new API CK-4 and FA-4 oil categories.
The importance of oil drain intervals, used oil analysis
The appeal of extending your truck’s oil drain intervals beyond the manufacturer recommendations is easy to see: It’s both a cost-saving and time-saving measure, and it does make sense in a lot of applications. However, it’s important to remember that manufacturer oil drain intervals are set for a reason, and that while extending them may
Watch: Tips for switching to extended life coolants in heavy-duty trucks
Extended life coolant, or ELC, can simplify a fleet manager’s life by providing a longer service interval compared to conventional coolants. Click here to catch up on all the episodes of FE’s On the Road. When transitioning from conventional coolant to an ELC, you need to be aware of the conversion practices and ensure that
PACCAR transmission now available with PACCAR MX-11 engines
The PACCAR MX-11 engine is now available with the PACCAR transmission, the company announced. The transmission was already available with PACCAR’s MX-13 engine, and will now be able to be paired with its lighter-weight counterpart. According to PACCAR, the automated manual transmission is designed to work seamlessly with PACCAR engines and axles to increase fuel economy
WABCO extends agreement to supply automated manual transmission control technology to a major OEM
WABCO Holdings Inc. announced that it has extended its long-term agreement to supply automated manual transmission (AMT) control technology for a leading global original equipment manufacturer, which is headquartered in Europe. WABCO did not name the OEM. Under this extended agreement which is valued at over $500 million, WABCO will continue to supply this global
ZF demonstrates lane-keep assist technology, announces new automatic transmission
At a press event in Indianapolis, ZF demonstrated its OnTrax lane-keep assist technology. Employing its ReAX, hydraulic electric steering system, OnTrax combines information from the road, vehicle, camera and ReAX modules to provide lane keeping assistance by applying hand-wheel torque that urges vehicle away from lane boundary. ZF stressed that this is a driver-assistance technology—and the
Inside automated manual transmissions with predictive cruise control
Introduced to the market only a few years ago, automated transmissions equipped with advanced cruise control features are now a staple of OEM offerings. Predictive cruise control systems use GPS data, onboard maps and cruise control to optimize cruising speed based on the topography of a truck’s route. As the truck enters certain types of
Easing into efficiency: The importance of driver training with new powertrains
For seasoned drivers, the learning curve is less about the complexity of learning new tasks and more about learning to work with the truck and powertrain to achieve a smoother ride and to reduce fatigue. “In addition to spec’ing the right powertrain, driver training is critical to achieve optimal performance,” said Brian Daniels, manager for
The automatic difference in vocational applications
In the vocational world, durability, dependability and ease of use are bullet points that often trump fuel efficiency. Allison Transmission has a strong foothold in medium-duty markets, where fully automatic transmissions make up 90% of the marketplace. The difference between a fully automatic transmission like an Allison six-speed transmission and an AMT is that when
‘Automatic’ retention: Equipment that makes drivers productive and fleets profitable
As automated manual transmissions (AMTs) rose through the build ranks of the OEMs, you often heard a similar refrain: “Once you get a driver behind the wheel of an AMT, they will not want to go back to a manual.” Today, truck OEMs report that AMTs make up the majority of builds in on-highway applications.
Cummins Integrated Power now available with International LT, LoneStar
International Trucks has begun offering the Cummins Integrated Power portfolio—the X15 engine paired with the Endurant transmission—in both the International LoneStar and LT Series trucks. Endurant was designed as part of a joint venture between Eaton and Cummins, and is specifically designed to work with the Cummins X15 engine. The 12-speed Endurant transmission is built
Leaner and meaner: Cummins readies the X12 engine for the road
Late last summer, just before Cummins unveiled its Class 7 all-electric concept truck, the engine OEM took journalists through a tour of its technical center, an incubator for the hatching the next generation of powertrain technologies. We walked through corridors of testing bays. The rumbling of super-secret prototype engines being put through rigorous testing procedures
