Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/723429
22 Service Bay after Aug. 1, 2017, and all other truck tractors, including two-axle tractors, in 2019. The rule also is applicable to buses weighing more than 33,000 lbs. GVWR in 2018, and buses weighing between 26,000 and 33,000 lbs. GVWR in 2019. This distinction includes motor coaches. Straight trucks are not included in the mandate. Andersky commends NHTSA for targeting tractors instead of trailers. Though the latter may be what people think of when they envision a rollover, "rollovers and loss of control start at the front of a vehicle," he says. "The head of the snake always knows what the tail is doing. By having the sys- tem on the tractor we can read [potential rollover data] earlier and react sooner than a trailer-only system. It allows for a faster intervention to prevent the rollover." Michael Lambie, marketing depart- ment manager at Meritor WABCO, says ESC technology "builds upon the current 'self-learning' capability whereby the sys- tem is designed to automatically monitor and adapt to changes in vehicle charac- teristics and wear without the need to reprogram a separate electronic control unit (ECU)." At the OEM level, North American truck makers are well on their way to integrating ESC systems into future truck models. Freightliner has offered Meritor WABCO's stability systems for nearly a decade, says Keith Harrington, manager, product strategy at Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). Though RSC has long been the more popular option due to its lower cost, Harrington says most customers under- stand and accept the reasoning behind the ESC-centric mandate. And because the systems are both well developed and about to grow rapidly in production rates, Harrington says DTNA is confi dent that the additional upfront cost will quickly be absorbed by truck buyers. He references the highly publicized June 2014 accident where a Wal-Mart driver collided with a limousine, killing one and injuring comedian Tracy Mor- gan and two others. "We saw a real spike in the interest of safety systems after that," he says. "It's one thing for us to design a truck and protect the driver but the best truck is the one that avoids an accident in the fi rst place." He adds, "People are accepting. They are starting to see safety systems as where they need to spend their money." Freightliner is making the ESC system T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6 Above: A test truck executes a high-speed turn without electronic stability control. Below: The truck executes the same turn with a functioning ESC system. By having the system on the tractor we can read [potential rollover data] earlier and react sooner than a trailer-only system. It allows for a faster intervention to prevent the rollover. – Fred Andersky, director, Customer Solutions – Controls, and director, Government and Industry Affairs at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems