Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/62228
TO COME SHAPE OF THINGS Peterbilt's new Model 579 blends need for economy with sleek styling photos by BRIAN BLEVINS | story by JACK ROBERTS 'm in Denton, Texas, at Peterbilt's world headquarters and manufacturing plant this mild March morning to try out the company's all-new Class 8 tractor. For the better part of the past decade or so, many truck and engine manufacturers' engineering resources and research and development dollars have been spent meeting the strict 2010 EPA diesel emissions mandates. That's not to say truck manufacturers — including Peterbilt — haven't made continual upgrades to their existing vehicles. But the emphasis has been on emissions technology. 32 | TRUCKERS NEWS | MAY 2012 This is Peterbilt's first all-new chassis and cab in 13 years and the sixth model to join the company's stable of trucks. Andy Weiblen, the 579's engineering manager, says the new truck takes everything that has happened to heavy-duty trucks during that time and turns it into a highly integrated technological marvel. Everything about the new truck was designed to make life easier and more productive for fleets, owner- operators and drivers. Advancements range from anti-idling solutions to simplified instrumentation to a new, optimized dash layout to the new Evolution driver's seat. Weiblen says the five-year development cycle for the new truck was driven by the most intensive