Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/873209
40 | Overdrive | September 2017 DRIVE TEST T he debut of Paccar's drive axle last October gave the company two-thirds of a fully integrated powertrain. For the 2018 model year, the truck maker will slide the last piece of the puzzle into place with its own trans- mission. The introduction of an automated transmission signals for the first time both Kenworth's and Peterbilt's transition to their first built-in-house gearbox for the T680 Advantage and Model 579 Epiq, respectively. That transition, at least from my expe- rience on a Texas highway, should be as smooth as the transmission's shifting. Automated manual transmissions cur- rently are spec'd in almost 70 percent of Peterbilt and Kenworth orders. Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager, expects sales for both companies to hit 90 percent by 2020. I took the new gearbox, outfitted in a Peterbilt Model 579 Epiq and matched to a 455-hp Paccar MX-13 engine, for a 120-mile-plus spin last month around Decatur, Texas. The 12-speed transmission is rated at 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque and 110,000 GCVW and features standard eight-bolt power-takeoff capability. It isn't a manual design with automated components; it is purpose-built as an automated transmis- sion, which is why Paccar engineers don't refer to it as an AMT. Aluminum construction, the absence of an oil cooler and a lubrication system that needs only 16 quarts of oil shave about 200 pounds when compared to the weight of a Fuller Advantage transmis- sion. Paccar included an industry-exclusive oil pressure sensor in place of a sensor that provides only temperature alerts. If the sensor detects a low-fluid warning, it will cause a derate, allowing the truck to limp in first gear. This offers improved burn-up protection, as the sensor doesn't just warn the driver about the problem; it takes action to keep it from getting worse. A column-mounted shifter places con- trols at the driver's fingertips, allowing for increased focus on the road. I prefer the column shifter as opposed to the con- sole-mounted cobra head or selector but- tons in just about every case. It improves ergonomics, with better access to more DRIVE TEST The Paccar automated transmission, devel- oped with Eaton, is available for order, with an expected mid-October build date. It will be manufactured at Eaton's plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Easier operation Paccar's automated transmission adds new features and completes its integrated powertrain BY JASON CANNON