Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/87831
efficiently. The direct transmis- sion is backed up by a Meritor final drive of 2.50:1 in the single drive axle to give it the tall gears it needs for economy with the direct top gear. The tandem is the available Meritor 6x2 setup with a forward drive axle and a load and anti-spin logic to reinforce the drive axle if traction is compro- mised. It's increasingly gaining atten- tion for its 400-pound weight sav- ings and the additional fuel econ- omy from only one set of gears back there. Some fleets – notably Mesilla Valley Transportation – have made this a standard spec on their trucks and are enjoying the fuel savings day in and day out. It is also a spec that's been proven over decades in Europe, even in notorious spin-out applications such as off-highway logging. The super singles – excuse me, ultra-low profile singles – are by Michelin. With over a million produced, that should be enough to convince anyone they work. And not one went flat on the Evolution's coast-to-coast run, where they were likely as not a major contributor to outstanding mileage, paired with aerodynamic hub covers developed by Jon Fleck. Albert has them on his own truck, and he'll promote them to anyone who will listen. In the cab, there's little new about the Evolution except in the dash and controls, which now include an instrument cluster with gauges in the speedometer and tachometer, making use of other- wise under-used real estate. It puts the coolant-temperature and oil- pressure gauges where you want to see them along with a repositioned fuel/DEF gauge. There are in- wheel switches for engine brake and cruise control, likewise marker light interrupter and flasher. And November 2012 | Overdrive | 37 there's the new shifter control on the steering column for the DT12. We were fully loaded sitting in a turnout at Yountville, Calif., facing southbound through the Napa Valley on State 29. It was hot outside, but the 2014 Cascadia Evolution was nicely cool. I was accompanied by T.J. Reed, director of product marketing for Daimler Trucks North America. With his help I explored the fea- (Continued on Page 78) Text INFO to 50298 or visit ovdinfo.com