Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/741843
30 commercial carrier journal | october 2016 Freightliner redesigns Cascadia with driver-focused updates D aimler Trucks North America last month unveiled a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia redesigned to up the bar on fuel economy, connectivity, uptime and driver comfort. The truck will be powered by Daimler's Detroit Integrated Powertrain, includ- ing a 2017 emissions-compliant Detroit DD15 or DD13 engine and the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission. Production will begin in January. In a 2,400-mile test that pitted a 2018 Cascadia against the company's highly fuel-efficient 2016 Cascadia Evolution, the newer truck consumed 8 percent less fuel than the Evolution, said Kary Schaefer, DTNA general manager of product marketing and strategy. Martin Daum, head of DTNA, said there are no plans to stop building the Evolution for at least two years. In the 2018 Cascadia, Detroit's updated fourth-generation Intelligent Powertrain Management transmission management software uses GPS-based technology to maximize the DT12's fuel economy performance by anticipating changes in road terrain. The transmission also has super-finished gears engineered for lower-viscosity transmission oil. Changes to the rear axle include a lower sump volume, gear-set coating, fric- tion-reducing gear cutting and optional Axle Lubrication Management designed to reduce parasitic loss. New Detroit rear drive axle ratios of 2.28 and 2.16 are available to promote down- speeding and improved fuel economy. "Every aspect of the truck has been reimagined," said Richard Howard, DTNA's senior vice president of sales and marketing. That includes the exterior, which adds even more sleekness to the aerodynamic tractor. Standard enhancements that help mininize drag – some new, others improved – include an upper door seal, elliptical mirrors, a sloped hood, a bumper with an integrated air deflec- tor and integrated antennas. Optional Aero and AeroX packages provide additional aerodynamic benefits, including longer side extenders, lower chassis fairings, drive wheel covers and proprietary wheel fairings. For the interior, DTNA partnered with Teague, designer of Boeing plane interiors, to develop the truck's interior lighting, storage and ergonomic features. "Being on the road for 10 days and sleeping in a truck can be brutal, and we have to make that job easier for drivers," Daum said. Additional grab handles help improve driver ingress and egress. Aircraft-inspired LED ceiling-mounted ambient lighting, with a dimmer switch, offers more diffuse illumination to help reduce eye strain. A wraparound dashboard includes switches and steering wheel controls designed to allow drivers of all sizes to work without leaning and stretching. The instrument cluster features digital smart gauges and information displays. A 5-inch display on the instru- ment cluster panel provides plain text messaging rather than numeric fault codes. It is navigable with steering wheel-mounted controls that also han- dle phone and radio commands. The redesigned sleeper area includes more cabinets and larger spaces that can accommodate standard appliances. A television swivel bracket can hold a 26- inch flat-panel TV. Double-bunk and loft options are available. The Driver's Loft features a dinette and work table and opposing seats with seatbelts, and the seats can be folded flat to allow for a Murphy-style bed to drop down. The Cascadia also features new Detroit Connect services that facilitate over-the- air engine updates and enable integration of third-party telematics applications that also will be available in late 2017. The Detroit Connect Remote Updates over-the-air capabilities are designed to allow customers to perform remote engine parameter updates and receive Detroit-ini- tiated engine and other powertrain elec- tronic controller firmware updates. – Jason Cannon The grille takes styling cues from the Freightliner Inspiration, the company's semi-autonomous truck unveiled last year. The new Freightliner Cascadia will be powered by Daimler's integrated Detroit Powertrain. One configuration for the new sleeper includes a dinette and work table and a bracket that can hold a 26-inch TV.