The Lockwood Report: 10 in ’14

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TORONTO-This entirely subjective review of the hardware highlights of 2014 has, happily, become an annual thing. As usual I have to preface the next 1,500 words or so by saying that these 10 choices from 2014 – my short list was three times longer – represent a very personal list with which you may well disagree. That’s pretty much a given so I’d love to hear your own ideas about last year’s highlights.

Normally I don’t include trucks here because they could easily take all 10 spots in a good year. Nor do I include telematics, because the market is so flooded with products that I can’t keep up with what’s truly useful or actually unique. But in both of those cases I’m going to make exceptions.

A couple of these products aren’t actually available yet, but they were indeed introduced and in my mind they’re so significant that I couldn’t very well ignore them here – the very new Western Star 5700XE and Eaton’s Procision dual-clutch transmission. Both are coming to market around the middle of this year.

I’ll deal with them first but otherwise things are in simple alphabetical order, using the company name.

Slippery Western Star

Labelled “the newest fuel-efficient on-highway truck in North America,” the all-new Western Star 5700XE goes for fuel efficiency with style in its aerodynamically angular look.

‘XE’ stands for extreme efficiency, by the way, and I include it here partly because it’s so darned good looking, but mostly because it represents a departure from the classic Western Star idea of a tough truck focused mostly on just the work at hand. This one is pretty sophisticated.

The 5700XE features a 126-in. BBC with a set-back axle, with aerodynamic features such as the hood and roof with chassis and cab fairings to reduce drag. A new sweptback four-piece bumper and an under-bumper valance also contribute, and new halogen headlights are optimized for aerodynamic performance. The “state of the art” visor is specifically engineered to work with the slope in the hood’s rear air ramp to direct air flow over the cab without adding drag. Optional chassis side fairings reduce drag by up to six percent while still providing easy access to batteries and DEF tank.

The 5700XE can be spec’d with the Detroit DD15 engine as well as the DD16 with up to 600 hp and also the DD13 engine for regional hauls and weight-conscious customers.

Another departure: the truck comes standard with an automated transmission, the Detroit DT12.

Buyers can select the new integrated Detroit Powertrain, which includes a downsped 400-hp DD15 engine, the DT12 transmission with Intelligent Powertrain Management, and Detroit axles.

The 5700XE is also equipped with the proprietary Detroit Virtual Technician remote diagnostic service.

One Slick Transmission

Eaton‘s Procision transmission is a dual-clutch automated manual gearbox to be released first for medium-duty use. Designed from a clean sheet of digital paper, the company claims it can deliver eight- to 10-percent better fuel economy than a similarly equipped vehicle with a torque-converter automatic.

It’s not the world’s first dual-clutch transmission but it is the first one built for class-6 and -7 applications, and in my test track experience it worked awfully well. Shifts were seamless, up or down, sometimes nearly imperceptible because there’s no torque interruption at all.

There’s no specific plan – yet – to build it for other weight classes.

It’s a 7-speed with electronically controlled shifting using grade, vehicle weight, and throttle input data to provide, in the company’s words, “optimal fuel efficiency and smooth, continuous delivery of torque under all shift conditions.”

Dual-clutch technology allows for more efficient acceleration from a stopped position and optimized shift points that will efficiently get the truck to the highest gear. Gear changes are made by swapping the engine torque between clutches with the next gear pre-selected every time. That’s possible because there are two main shafts as well a pair of clutches.

The Lightest Wheel?

Alcoa has rolled out what it calls the world’s lightest heavy-duty truck wheel. Called the Ultra One, it will help trucks shed pounds for increased payload and fuel efficiency.

Alcoa says the new 40-lb wheel is 47-percent lighter than steel wheels of the same size, namely 22.5 x 8.25. That means a potential saving up to 1,400 lb per rig.

To take five pounds out of its lightest heavy-duty truck wheel, Alcoa’s engineers invented the new, patent-pending MagnaForce alloy. It’s on average 17-percent stronger than the industry standard, Alcoa’s 6061 alloy, in similar applications, the company says.

Allison Can Save Fuel

Allison Transmission‘s FuelSense fuel-efficiency package can deliver up to 20-percent fuel savings, the company says. It automatically manages shift schedules and torque, maximizing transmission efficiency based on load, grade, and duty cycle without sacrificing performance.

It sports fifth-generation smart controls, acceleration management, and a precision inclinometer, plus ‘EcoCal’ shift technology to keep engine speed at the most efficient level. Dynamic Shift Sensing automatically senses when low-engine speed shifts can be made. And ‘Neutral at Stop’ saves fuel and reduces emissions when the vehicle is stationary.

Freightliner was the first OEM to offer FuelSense in the North American medium-duty market, available in M2 chassis equipped with Allison 2000 and 3000 series transmissions.

VDO Electronic Log

From Continental Commercial Vehicles comes the VDO RoadLog, an electronic log device (ELD) that’s compatible with mechanical-ignition vehicles and those that pre-date the J1708 and J1939 can bus, as well as trucks with the newer 9- or 6-pin diagnostic ports.

The ability to customize the wiring configuration allows this ELD to be used on both old and new trucks and thus allows owners of older vehicles to be ready for the implementation of ELD regulations this year.

It also features a flexible software design that can be updated as HOS and electronic log regulations continue to evolve, ensuring that fleets are always in compliance with the most up-to-date regulations.

RoadLog is also said to be the only electronic logging device on the market with a self-contained, on-board thermal printer that can automatically produce a paper log to help drivers get through inspection stops quickly.

Super B Grain Trailer

The Doepker Legacy is claimed to be the lightest aluminum Super B grain trailer on the market using what the company calls “innovative, cutting edge technology that gives strength never seen before on an aluminum trailer.”

The one-piece aluminum honeycomb slope, also used in the construction of aircraft, uses a minimal number of rivets and has no horizontal seams or rivets, giving “unmatchable” cleanout and sealing properties. The smooth double-wall aluminum design provides an aerodynamic outer skin complimenting optimal inside cleanout.

The “first to market” open-end dual-aluminum-wall design allows easy cleaning and maintaining of the suspension and slope area from road contaminants.

Hendrickson’s Lightweight Slider

Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems’ VANTRAAX ULTRAA-K slider system became available last summer. The company says it’s the next level of air-slider technology, a “game changer.” From the slider box to Zero Maintenance Damping to its unique pivoting mudflap brackets, the system is said to bring superior ride quality while carrying more cargo per load.

It’s said to be lighter than any other slider system in the industry by nearly 100 lb. The hot-dip coating process allows Hendrickson to back the slider with a 10-year structural corrosion warranty.

Instead of shock absorbers, ULTRAA-K uses Zero Maintenance Damping (ZMD) air springs for suspension damping. With no moving parts, these unique air springs are designed to provide uniform and consistent damping levels over their lifespan.

Since the air spring’s damping capacity does not degrade or diminish over time like a shock absorber, ZMD air springs are claimed to out-perform shocks in ride quality, cargo protection, downtime, and maintenance costs.

Electronic Air-Processing

Meritor WABCO called its fuel-saving electronic air-processing system “breakthrough connectivity technology.”

It combines the System Saver 1200 Plus air dryer with electronic fuel-saving software stored in the anti-lock braking system. Integration of these technologies with the new connectivity tool reduces system cost for OEMs and helps fleets improve fuel efficiency. Europe has been using such electronic systems to good effect for some time, but this is new to North America.

This “highly intelligent and cost-effective” air-processing system will improve vehicle efficiency and boost fuel savings by up to one percent, the maker says. The system’s single electronic control unit integrates Meritor WABCO’s proprietary fuel-saving software with braking, air compression, and air-cartridge regeneration.

Pneumatic Trailer Legs

The PTS50 pneumatic trailer support system from Prime Transport Solutions, based in Ireland, replaces the traditional gear-driven support leg assembly, doing away with the hand crank to raise or lower the trailer’s landing gear. That job ordinarily takes three to four minutes, and often some hard work, but with the PTS50 it’s done in five seconds. The system works off the same air supply used for brakes and air suspension.

The advantages include significant improvements to driver health and safety. The system can be operated by drivers with slight disabilities and should help an aging truck driver to prolong his working life. All of which might also mean easier employee retention and fewer workers’ compensation claims. There are simply two buttons to raise or lower the landing legs.

On the maintenance front, Prime says there are savings to be had because the PTS50 has just two moving parts, with no gears or lube. Each leg set is designed to last the lifetime of the trailer, and each leg is identical, fitting both nearside and offside. The company also says you won’t see a dropped trailer because the locking pin will not allow the leg to collapse. Nor will there be any damage caused by unsecured crank handles. And if the PTS50’s pneumatic lift cylinder somehow fails, there’s a provision to lift the landing legs manually.

There’s also said to be an aerodynamic advantage. Without the crank handle, trailer skirts can be extended past the landing gear to improve air flow around the trailer.

Cooler Running Brakes

Webb Wheel Aftermarket released a new Webb Vortex Unlimited brake drum last year, featuring patent-pending CRT vents (Cool Running Technology) that increase air flow. They produce 15-percent cooler operating temperatures for better braking performance and add 25 percent to brake drum life, the company says.

External cooling ribs conduct heat away from brakes and the CRT vents mean superior heat-transfer efficiency. The drums also include patent-pending wear indicators that further reduce costs by taking the guesswork out of repairs, saving labor time and money, and maximizing brake drum life, Webb says.

The drums are available for most popular axle applications.

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Rolf Lockwood is editor emeritus of Today's Trucking and a regular contributor to Trucknews.com.


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