Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/599511
36 commercial carrier journal | november 2015 INCREASE UPTIME AND DECREASE MAINTENANCE COSTS. The Prestone Command ® line of heavy duty antifreeze, additives and testing products deliver the technology and innovation fleets can trust. Protects your engine from extreme on-road conditions and corrosion while increasing uptime with the proven reliability of Prestone. Prestone Antifreeze/Coolant has protected vehicle cooling systems since 1927. www.PrestoneCommand.com • (888) 282-8960 • Email: OrdersPrestoneCommand@Prestone.com PRESTONE PRODUCTS CORPORATION, 1900 West Field Court, Lake Forest, IL 60045, ©2015 Prestone Products Corporation WITH THE COMPLETE SOLUTION TAKE COMMAND INCREASE UPTIME AND DECRE The Prestone Command testing products deliver the technology and innovatio Protects your engine from while increasing uptime wi Pr Pr P estone Antifreeze/Coolant has protected restone Antifreeze/Coolant has protected r www.PrestoneCommand.com • (888) 282-8960 • Email: OrdersPrestoneCommand@Prestone. PRESTONE PRODUCTS CORPORATION, 1900 West Field Court, Lake Forest, IL 60045, ©2015 Prestone Products Corporation COMPLETE SOLUTION TAKE COMMAND WITH THE COMPLETE SOLUTION Untitled-1 1 10/6/15 10:21 AM strong gust pushed me onto the rumble strip. I engaged Highway Pilot and watched as it smoothly steered the truck back into its proper lane. The system reacts to wind gusts far quicker than a human driver and responds with fluid movements far removed from the half-panicked jerk of the steering wheel most drivers would make instinctively. At its core, Highway Pilot is simply a highly advanced cruise control system that never gets tired or loses its focus. Its entire intent is to assist drivers, not replace them, says Diane Hames, general manager of sales and marketing for Freightliner. The system is designed to relieve drivers from tedium and unrelenting focus, allowing them to rest for extended periods while maintain- ing command of the truck. Highway Pilot is still being tested on tracks and public roadways in Nevada, and no official timetable has been set for putting it into production. But this technology works exactly as advertised and has great potential for boosting fleet fuel economy and safety while easing driver workloads. What it's like to pilot the Inspiration START CRUISING AND ENSURE HIGHWAY PILOT IS HAPPY. Once you're rolling on the highway, enabling Highway Pilot is possible if all of the systems' sensors are satisfied that safe operating conditions are present. The cameras must have clearly defined lane markers to track, the radar systems must have uncluttered acuity looking forward, and the GPS system must have a strong signal and reliable information about the area where the truck is operating. HIT THE BUTTON TO TURN OVER CONTROL. When the sensors have confirmed their ability to operate, a message flashes onto the driver infor- mation screen. You push the "Resume" button on the steering wheel. WATCH HIGHWAY PILOT TAKE OVER. A message alerts you that Highway Pilot is taking control. Another visual cue is found on the futuristic rear- view monitors attached to the A pillars inside the cab. When the line across the screen is white, the system is inactive. Once engaged, the bar turns a vibrant shade of blue. The first time you relinquish control, your hands hover over the wheel, waiting to grab it if something goes wrong, but nothing does. There is no jerking of the steering wheel, and the system is almost silky smooth. RELIEVE HIGHWAY PILOT WHEN YOU WANT. Disengaging Highway Pilot is a piece of cake. You can turn off the switch on the steering wheel, take hold of the wheel and start driving yourself, or pump the brake pedal as you'd do to kill cruise control. This is standard procedure for actions other than cruising in your lane, such as passing a car or exiting the interstate. YOU'D BETTER RELIEVE HIGHWAY PILOT RIGHT NOW. Should any Highway Pilot system determine that it's not getting enough infor- mation to drive safely, an alarm sounds, and a five-second countdown clock flashes on the screen, prompting you to take control. If you haven't by the end of the countdown, Highway Pilot will slow the truck, pull off the road and stop. Regardless of how poor sensor input may be, the system never relinquishes control until it is certain that you have taken over.