IN PRINT: Urban Renewal — The latest in MD trucks

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We who normally dwell in the realm of the heavy Class 8 trucks are used to long spec’ sheets, often drilling down to the type of fasteners used to attach components to the truck. The medium-duty crowd prefer to a buy an almost off-the-shelf truck and then get to work with it, satisfied that the OEM -engineers have designed it for their application.

That’s true for the smaller end of the medium-duty market – the Class 4 and 5 trucks. Buyers in the Class 6 and 7 crowd can go either way, often tilting more toward Class 8 thinking as the size and weight of their trucks increase, and powertrain spec’s take on greater significance.

“Our customers are not truckers, typically,” says Eric Smith, senior vice president, sales and customer support at Hino Motors Canada. “They are bakers and contractors and small businesses whose core competency is something other than trucking – unless we get into fleets. They just don’t have the requirement for specification that you’d see in Class 8.”

Most if not all the Class 4 and 5 trucks on our list now have automatic transmission and hydraulic brake systems, making them easier for non-CLD drivers to operate, and minus the requirement for an air-brake endorsement.

Smith says the transition from manual transmissions to automatics is nearly complete, with the vast majority of buyers opting for the shifter-free models.

“Manual transmissions used to make up a significant portion of the trucks we produced here in Canada,” he says. “Now they are very, very rare. We are also predominantly hydraulic brakes. Together those options give the customer a lot more flexibility in terms of hiring drivers, and that’s more important than ever today.”

Many customers will buy a larger truck than they might need, like Hino’s 33,000-pound-GVW Model 338, and licence it at a lower registered weight to avoid the requirement for a commercial licence. “That gives them a higher resale value at trade-in time,” Smith says. “We see that a lot with our rental fleet customers.”

Diesel fatigue has become an issue for some of the smaller -buyers, both in terms of fleet size and Gross Vehicle Weights. Andrew Craig, director of Canadian operations for Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada, says their gasoline-powered trucks are selling briskly, and for a number of reasons.

“In the 3-5 class, there is a trend back towards gas trucks,” he says. “With fuel prices reasonable, gas-powered trucks offer the advantage of lower purchase cost, lighter weight and simplicity of the emissions systems.” 

Diesel trucks are much more complicated and require more driver training and sometimes involvement when it comes to Diesel Exhaust Fluid and parked regenerations. Because of that, Craig says Isuzu’s 6-liter V8 Vortec gas engine, which is compatible with Compressed Natural Gas and Liquified Petroleum Gas (propane), has become popular, especially in Quebec.

Craig notes there’s building interest in electronic safety -devices, like Lane Departure Warnings and collision avoidance, and
even telematics.

“The Class 8 segment will lead this for various reasons, but the technology will make its way down to all classes,” he says. “On a more immediate basis, telematics is becoming both a tactical tool for business operators and an ‘uptime’ support tool for manufacturers. Isuzu has an alliance with Telogis and we have 1,000 units in operation in a pilot test.”

Flexibility is king

While the powertrain and running gear on many smaller vehicles is similar, manufacturers have to offer multiple chassis configurations to accommodate an enormous variety of body type and sizes. These run the gamut from utility bodies with access to the transmission or engine PTO ports, to flat decks and boxes or reefers ranging from eight to 24 feet long.

“The biggest selling point is being able to accommodate the customer, whatever they ask for,” says Bill Lyons, vice president – sales operations at Mitsubishi Fuso. “It’s being able to offer the variety of wheelbases to support the market. For example, Fuso offers a Class 3 vehicle with a very long wheelbase, which is good for customers with high-cube, low-weight requirements, as well as a short Class 5 that can handle heavier loads.”

Lyons says Fuso offers a limited number of powertrain options, but through engine calibration they can tweak such things as shift points so the engine performs well in a variety of applications.

When we get up into the higher weight classes – 6, 7 and even the so-called Baby 8s – customers do demand more customization and they have more specific end uses in mind for their trucks. It helps when OEMs offer powertrain combinations with a broad range of spec’s.

“With today’s engine technology and electronic controls, a 9-liter diesel can produce a range of horsepower and torque -ratings for applications that fall in between typical medium-duty and heavy-duty use,” says Kenworth’s marketing manager, Kurt Swihart. “The more choices of engine ratings we can offer, the easier it is to customize and fine tune the customer’s power needs.”

The operator-friendly transmission is becoming very popular where big trucks and small trucks share similarities. And now there are more choices than ever. The medium-duty segment has for years leaned toward non-manual transmissions, but now customers can choose from traditional torque-convertor automatics and traditional automated manuals, and even a new seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual from Eaton called Procision, designed especially for the medium-duty market.

And, of course, there are the upfitters and second-stage -manufacturers to consider. A generation ago, mating a body to a chassis involved drawings and body-builder manuals being sent across the country, with fingers crossed that there were no -mistakes or missed connections to delay the process.

“Today, we’re sharing 3D CAD models that show crossmember locations, PTO locations and clearances, special frame-drilling patterns, and other air, electrical, and emissions equipment on the frame,” Swihart says. 

The upper end of the medium-duty weight range is where you find the most body customization taking place, which makes the choice of chassis pretty important. The truck and the body have to get along.

“When you’re looking at truck and body suppliers, ask how the two communicate,” Swihart said. “Are they talking to one another and sharing ideas on a steady basis to make sure that the chassis and body come together as expected? As a customer today, you can visualize what your truck is going to look like right down to a fine level of detail before anyone drills the first hole.”

A truck is a tool for most buyers. The selection on the market today allows for a ton of choice and flexibility. As always, the best truck is the one that meets your needs and offers the lowest Total Cost of Ownership, from acquisition and operating costs to residual value. Choose wisely.   

For more on this topic, see the July edition of Today’s Trucking.

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Jim Park was a CDL driver and owner-operator from 1978 until 1998, when he began his second career as a trucking journalist. During that career transition, he hosted an overnight radio show on a Hamilton, Ontario radio station and later went on to anchor the trucking news in SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking channel. Jim is a regular contributor to Today's Trucking and Trucknews.com, and produces Focus On and On the Spot test drive videos.


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