Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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in as much air as possible to minimize fan-on time, in turn reducing parasitic draw on the engine and boosting fuel economy. The test Cascadia featured the Detroit DD15 at 475 hp and 1,650 lb.-ft. of torque, backed up by an Eaton 10-speed transmission. It came from Los Ange- les Freightliner in Fontana, Calif., on Valley Boulevard. The first surprise was the smooth, comfortable ride; another excellent feature was the sporty shifter Freightliner engineered for the 10-speed. It had a close gate with short throws, but it was not in the least heavy. Good throttle modulation meant little difficulty with the gears, whether clutching or float- shifting the transmission. The DD15 has excellent clutch en- gagement torque and needs no throttle to get the truck moving, then almost no foot-feed to get to speed; going through low range, 900 rpm was all that was needed. After flicking the range-change up and pulling the shift lever left and back to pick up high range, no more than 1,400 rpm was necessary to get to freeway speed. The DD15's two-turbo design is not unique to American big-bore diesels, where series turbocharging almost has become common- place. The difference with the Detroit, though, is that downstream turbo actually provides power to the flywheel through a reduction gear. The upstream turbo provides the air for the engine by way of a charge cooler. Since the downstream turbo- compound power requires its own ➡ Engine: Detroit DD15, 475 hp, 1,650 lb.-ft. torque ➡ Engine brake: Jacobs ➡ Transmission: Eaton Fuller FRO16210C 10-speed O/D ➡ Wheelbase: 225 inches ➡ Front axle: Detroit DA-F, 12,000-lb. dual taper-leaf suspension ➡ Rear axle: Detroit DA-RT40, 40,000 lbs., 3.42:1 ➡ Suspension: Freightliner Airliner 40,000-lb. air ride ➡ Wheels: Accuride hub pilot, outside polished ➡ Fuel tanks: Dual 120-gallon, unpolished ➡ Fifth wheel: Holland FWS1 ➡ Other: Heated motorized mirrors, full aerodynamic package, AM/ FM/CD weatherband radio with MP3 player interface, automatic temperature control HVAC, 160-amp alternator, Borg Warner on/ off fan clutch, Delco 69MT starter, Davco 482 fuel/water separator, ConMet pre-set aluminum hubs, Virtual Technician diagnostics backpressure, the engine turbocharger needs no complex variable geometry to recirculate the exhaust. The turbo-compounding's contribu- tion makes an additional peak 50 hp available, and the result is a real kick in the pants when the accelerator is 2012 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA ➡ Frame: 11/32 x 3½ x 10 3/16-inch steel, 120 ksi The Right Battery, the Right Application Does choosing a battery for your fleet really make a difference? There was time when choosing a battery for your truck fleet was simple – you simply chose a starting battery. Today, advances in OEM products and new anti-idling equipment have stimulated the need for advanced battery technologies. Now, more than ever, choosing the right battery for the right application really does make a difference. Introducing Trojan's advanced line of Transportation Batteries… specifically engineered for heavy duty trucking applications. TransPower™ ST1000 for starting applications – Backed by a 48 month warranty, the Trojan TransPower ST1000 is a powerful, rugged, maintenance free AGM 31 starting battery delivering 1000 cold cranking amps, superior performance and long battery life. OverDrive™ AGM 31 for APU and liftgate deep cycle applications – Engineered specifically for deep discharge applications, the Trojan OverDrive AGM 31 is the only heavy duty, cycling battery on the market that can withstand the repeated deep discharge of electric APU and heavy duty liftgate applications. Trojan products are available through our worldwide distribution network. Visit us at www.trojanbattery.com or Call us at 800.423.6569 28 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2012 Write 235 on Reader Service Card or visit ccjdigital.com/info