Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/409540
20 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2014 r .BDL5SVDLT said it is making its mDrive automated man- ual transmission a standard spec on all of its Pinnacle models due to a surge in market acceptance of AMTs. The 12-speed mDrive AMT is engineered to work with Mack MP series engines to provide a 1.5 percent improvement in fuel efficiency as part of the Mack Pedigree powertrain or up to 4.0 percent with the Super Econodyne integrated powertrain package. r /BWJTUBS will offer Tremec's 10-speed manual transmis - sion in International ProStar models equipped with its 13-liter MaxxForce engine. Navistar said Tremec offers a wide range of high torque- to-weight ratios designed for weight-sensitive over-the- road and city applications and that the pairing also will help maximize payloads in bulk-haul applications. Navistar already offers Tremec transmissions as an option in ProStar models equipped with Cummins' ISX 15 engine. r 6UJMJUZ5SBJMFS.BOVGBDUVS - JOH$Pannounced its largest single trailer order in the company's history: Spring- field, Mo.-based Prime Inc.'s purchase of 2,500 3000R re- frigerated trailers from Utility Trailer Sales of the Ozarks. r .FTJMMB7BMMFZ5SBOTQPSUB- UJPOPG-BT$SVDFT/. is outfitting its entire fleet of 1,200 tractors with FlowBe- low's Tractor Aerokits, which consist of patented quick-re- lease wheel covers and tan- dem fairings designed to fill the gaps around the tractor drive axles. r "5%ZOBNJDTfull-length maximum-efficiency Trailer - Tails now will be permitted to operate within all Canadian provinces. r "DDVSJEF$PSQ decided to remain based in Evansville, Ind., reaching agreement on INBRIEF Continued on page 22 D aimler Trucks North America announced its intentions to launch two medium-duty engines – the DD5 and DD8 – beginning in 2016. The announcement came during a press roundtable at the 2014 American Trucking Associations' Management Conference & Exhibition in San Diego. "We have the confidence that we can offer our customers another great choice in addition to the Cummins engines," said Martin Daum, DTNA president and chief executive officer. "We want to have nothing but the best medium-duty engines in this market and give the best solu- tion for our customers and increase the choices available." The DD5 and DD8 en- gines are part of Daimler Trucks' Global Excellence Strategy to have uniform production standards and processes worldwide. The engines, which will be tailored in terms of horsepower ratings and specs specifically for the North American market, initially will be supplied from Daimler's engine plant in Mannheim, Germany, before production moves to the United States as early as 2018. The medium-duty DD5 and DD8 will join Detroit's heavy-duty DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines, providing DTNA the ability to offer proprietary engines to customers across its entire truck model line, including Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis vehicles. DTNA executives also discussed new Detroit Assurance safety enhancements coming to the Freightliner Cascadia, including a new radar system and lane de- parture warning system. The radar system will include adaptive cruise control designed to allow fleet operators to slow the truck automatically when it comes within a preset distance from another vehicle, as well as active braking assist that will help alert the driver of slow or stopped traffic and is designed to bring the truck to a full stop auto- matically to avoid a rear-end collision if the driver does not interact. The lane departure warning system is powered by a series of cameras and is designed to communicate to the driver when he goes out-of-lane. "Safety systems are critical to the future needs of society," said Richard Howard, DTNA's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "In terms of the evolution of our trucks, this is another step in that journey. Safety systems are the next step, and there is more to come." The integrated safety systems will be available on all Detroit-powered Cascadia models beginning in March 2015. – Jeff Crissey Detroit medium-duty engines, safety upgrades on the way /FX%FUSPJU"TTVSBODFTBGFUZFOIBODFNFOUT DPNJOHUPUIF'SFJHIUMJOFS$BTDBEJBJODMVEFBOFX SBEBSTZTUFNBOEMBOFEFQBSUVSFXBSOJOHTZTUFN