Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/201087
CCJ TEST DRIVE: Old school rules Even without modern touches, International's 9900i still makes a powerful statement By JACK ROBERTS A s I left the muggy mist of Chicago and headed toward Iowa on Interstate 88, the skies suddenly turned stark blue, spattered with brilliantly puffy clouds. The fields and woods were a fluorescent green that would make the Irish mutter with envy. It was the American Midwest in all of its glory, and I was driving a truck with an iconic American feel that matched that landscape – International's 9900i. In many ways, this is a truck from an era of cheap diesel fuel, when fleets and drivers alike sneered at the idea of aerodynamic trucks. The 9900i remains in production, satisfying buyers who value its traditional style over marginal fuel savings. International says the 9900i is its default "heavy-haul" tractor, and the company points to the brawny Cummins ISX15 as proof. While true, the plush Eagle interior and the gleaming plum paint on my test truck are clues that International isn't telling the whole story. The company knows that for many drivers, the long nose, massive grill and towering sleeper ceiling on the 9900i define the quintessential American long-haul truck. Those who want that high-horsepower diesel, regardless of their application, believe that their driving skills can more than compensate for any aerodynamic penalty. The 9900i cruises easily at 70 mph with about 1,400 rpm indicated on the tach. The continuing tweaks International has made to the cab and sleeper, combined with the constant upgrades Cummins has made to the ISX15, make this a much quieter tractor than expected. During my five-hour drive, I found the truck The 9900i's retro gauge cluster is a nice throwback to the days before all-digital dashboards. 38 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2013 Despite its traditional looks, the International 9900i has been upgraded and improved continually by International engineers. The result is a surprisingly nimble big rig that is as quiet inside as many of today's aerodynamic tractors. as hushed as any new aerodynamic tractor I've driven. You'd assume that a long-nose conventional like the 9900i would take serious muscle to maneuver, but I found it to be surprisingly nimble at highway speeds. Combined with the quick acceleration from the 500-horsepower Cummins, this proved to be an outstanding truck for getting up into the top hole quickly and settling into a comfortable economical cruise mode. Also, its turning radius is very good. I was a bit more uncertain about the International 9900i specs ultra-old-school as tested nonhydraulic-assisted GENERAL CONFIGURATION: Long-haul 6x4 sleeper model clutch mated to the Eaton-Fuller 10-speed ENGINE: Cummins ISX15 POWER RATING: 500 hp at 1,800 rpm manual gearbox. It's TRANSMISSION: Eaton-Fuller FRO/FROFrare to see manual 18210C 10-speed manual with overdrive transmissions on TORQUE RATING: 1,800 lb.-ft. at 1,200 rpm test drives, and I was FRONT AXLE: Meritor MFS-14-142A wide a little concerned track, I-beam type about how it would FRONT AXLE CAPACITY: 14,000 lbs. perform in heavy REAR AXLE: Meritor RT-46-160P tandem, Chicago traffic. Even single reduction in stop-and-go snarls REAR AXLE CAPACITY: 46,000 lbs. near O'Hare Airport, BRAKES: Bendix antilock with full vehicle wheel control system I had no trouble with