Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821508
66 commercial carrier journal | may 2017 BUSINESS | 2017 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP CUMMINS UPDATES MIDRANGE, NATURAL GAS ENGINE LINEUP CUMMINS announced several improvements to its lineup of midrange engines for the 2017 model year. The B6.7 received base en - gine fuel economy enhance- ments, including a Stop-Start capability that provides an additional fuel economy improvement from 3 to 15 percent. Stop-Start technol - ogy allows the engine to operate only when necessary by shutting off the engine during idle. Also, Cummins Westport announced that full production of it ISB6.7 G and ISL G Near Zero engines is underway. Both engines operate exclusively on compressed, liquefied or renewable natural gas using proprietary spark-ignited stoichiometric combustion with cooled exhaust gas recirculation technology. Cummins' B6.7 mid- range engine received base engine fuel econo- my enhancements, while production is underway on its ISL G Near Zero NG engine. ISUZU SET TO BEGIN PRODUCTION ON CLASS 6 MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCK ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK OF AMERICA announced that production on its latest entry in the Class 6 medium-duty truck segment – the 2018 Isuzu FTR – would begin this month. The F-Series truck's combination of a low- cab-forward design and a Class 6 gross vehicle weight rating is designed to increase maneuverability and visibility and allow it to carry more cargo. Eight wheelbase lengths ranging from 152 to 248 inches accommo- date bodies from 14 to 30 feet, and the low-cab-forward design comes with an inner 50-degree wheel cut. The FTR is powered by Isuzu's 4HK1-TC 5.2-liter turbocharged four- cylinder diesel engine. GM, NAVISTAR CLASS 4/5 TRUCK WILL GET DURAMAX ENGINE, ALLISON TRANSMISSION WHEN GENERAL MOTORS' NEW CLASS 4/5 COMMERCIAL TRUCK – the product of a joint development with Navistar – debuts next year, it will be powered by a Duramax engine and matched with an Allison transmission, the Detroit automaker announced. The new Chevrolet medium-duty truck will be the company's flagship fleet and commercial vehicle, said John Schwegman, GM's director of commercial product and medium-duty fleet. Technical specifications for Chevrolet's new medium-duty truck – including cab and frame dimensions, horsepower and torque, GAWR, GVWR, payload and other ratings – will be released closer to launch. MACK, VOLVO UNLOCKING TELEMATICS CAPABILITIES FOR OLDER-MODEL TRUCKS MACK TRUCKS AND VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA will make their telemat- ics platforms available for legacy trucks not factory-equipped with predictive diagnostics. After installing a small plug-and-play Geotab telematics device, the Uptime Centers for both truck makers can monitor the same critical vehicle codes on older trucks as they do on newer models. When an issue is detected, service agents can evaluate it and provide the customer's designated contact with information through an online communications and service management portal. Repair scheduling, as well as parts and ser- vice bay availability, also are confirmed. The Geotab upfit process takes about an hour and can be performed at a dealership or by the customer. An employee at the Duramax engine plant in Moraine, Ohio, assembles a diesel engine. Mack's GuardDog Connect service for legacy vehicles now is available for order through Mack dealers. DETROIT SHOWCASES DD8 MEDIUM-DUTY ENGINE DETROIT unveiled its new DD8 medium-duty en- gine, a vocational 7.7-liter in-line six-cylinder power- plant that boasts a range of 260 to 350 horsepower and a torque range of 660 to 1,050 lb.-ft. The DD8 initially will be available in Freightliner M2106, 108SD and 114SD models. Expanded availability is expected for both Thomas Built Buses and Freightliner Custom Chassis. Vehicles equipped with the DD8 also will of - fer Detroit Connect's Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service that helps fleets make mainte- nance decisions. Production of the DD8 is set to begin next February, and the engine targets a wide range of vocational applications. Detroit's vocational 7.7-liter in-line six- cylinder DD8 boasts a range of 260 to 350 horsepower and a torque range of 660 to 1,050 lb.-ft. The 2018 Class 6 FTR is powered by Isuzu's 4HK1- TC 5.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine.