Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/269152
Severe Service 58 | Overdrive | March 2014 T wo years ago at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., Peterbilt debuted its Model 579 tractor. For its development, the company put hundreds of drivers in cab mockups and asked for their preferences on structures, components and controls. The 579's innovations also have led to Peterbilt's Model 567 vocational truck, which now is entering full production. Charlie Cook, vocational brand manager, noted some subtle improvements as we walked around the truck prior to my test drive. Paccar's new proprietary Evolution air suspension seat, developed with the Model 579/567 cab, features an infinite range of ergonomic settings. Its most high- profile feature, however, is an automatic raise-lower function; the seat automatically lowers to let a driver out and remains down until he climbs back in, when the seat rises back to the preselected height. Perhaps the most noticeable hallmark of the Model 567 is the near-silence of its 450-horsepower Paccar MX-13 whether you're inside or out. Engineers have isolated the interior from engine and road noise and have dampened powertrain and road vibrations. The optional – and highly effective – Eaton UltraShift Plus automated transmission smoothly converts the MX- 13's 450 horses into usable power. All displays on the instrument cluster are presented crisply and laid out logically. This clearly reflects the driver input Peterbilt acquired during its research. Although the Model 567 eventually will be Peterbilt's primary vocational truck, for now production of both the 365 and 367 will continue. The company is taking Model 567 orders for 115- and 121-BBC models. Pete's 567 shows smart evolution The 567's front end features retro styling that instantly calls to mind Peterbilt's long-nose truck heritage. But the new front end also is highly aerody- namic and features aggressively sloping lines that give the driver excellent views to the front. Peterbilt engineers angled the steering gearbox off the frame by 8 degrees; the result is more even steering inputs and a more sure-footed vehicle in tight surroundings. The dump truck proved to be a breeze to maneu- ver across Peterbilt's busy plant in Denton, Texas, and a delight to handle on the highway. By Jack Roberts Severe_Service_0314.indd 58 2/26/14 11:22 AM