Overdrive

November 2015

Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info

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44 | Overdrive | November 2015 Team effort New integrated dri vetrains speak a language all their own. It translates into fuel savings and better performance. BY JACK ROBERTS O ne equipment-spec'ing trend over the past few years has been the unprecedented market share growth of automated manual transmissions. Considering the traditional ben- efits of AMTs, such as fuel economy and ease of driving, that's not ter- ribly surprising. Now the systems are even more valuable as truck and engine makers have developed highly advanced integrated drivetrains. Volvo, Daimler Trucks North America and Paccar report AMT specifications in more than half their tractors sold so far this year. In April, Con-Way Truckload announced it was purchasing 635 new Class 8 trac- tors – all spec'd with AMTs. Truck and engine makers say that AMTs can improve fuel economy by 5 percent to 7 percent for a Class 8 line- haul tractor. Also, fleet managers have found them to be largely bulletproof in terms of durability, performance and decreased maintenance costs, such as clutch replacement. AMTs are also a good selling point for attracting younger drivers. While many older drivers traditionally have resisted AMTs, that, too, is changing. "Even the old guys who didn't want an AMT really like and enjoy driving with them now," says Kevin Tomlinson, director of maintenance for South Shore Transportation, based in Sandusky, Ohio. "And there's a significant safety enhancement involved with AMTs." Integrated powertrains were born out of the ability of vertically inte- grated truck and engine makers to design diesel engines and AMTs that communicate electronically, optimiz- ing performance and fuel economy. "The Volvo engine and Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmis- sion are designed to speak the same language to achieve common project goals set by Volvo engineers," says John Moore, product manager of drivetrains for Volvo Trucks. The I-Shift "knows" the efficiency map for each engine rating, and by continu- ously monitoring vehicle speed, accel- eration, torque demand, weight, grade and rolling and air resistance, the transmission selects the engine's most Kenworth's T680 pairs Paccar's MX-13 engine and Eaton's Fuller Advantage Series automated 10-speed transmission to optimize fuel economy. haul tractor. Also, fleet managers have "Even the old guys who didn't want an AMT really like and enjoy driving with them now," says Kevin John Moore, product manager of Cummins and Eaton are initiat- ing more intricate integration for their SmartAdvantage powertrain partnership.

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