Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/303000
20 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | MAY 2014 O ne of the crowd favorites at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., was Western Star's Optimus Prime, the heroic lead in the upcoming "Transformers: Age of Extinction" movie. Western Star officials hinted that if you imagine Optimus Prime without some of the movie makeup, you'll catch a sneak peek of their new highway tractor – one meant to carry the marquee's cachet and still hold its own against the industry's most fuel-efficient tractors. To be unveiled in the fall, the new aero-styled Western Star will be badged as a 5700. At Western Star's sister company under Daimler, Freightliner Trucks, new Casca- dia options aimed at driver performance and safety were introduced: s 0ARK3MART (6!# SYSTEM COMBINED with Optimized Idle: An integration of two systems, this new feature automatical- ly starts the engine if both the main and auxiliary battery packs are depleted. s 9ELLOW "PILLAR GRAB HANDLE 4HIS brightly colored handle option is more visible for cab entry in darkness. s ,EAF SPRING SUSPENSION RATING 4HE new 12.5K-rated suspension comple- ments the Detroit front axle offering and provides a smoother ride and weighs less than a 13.3K-rated suspension. s 'ENUINE "ENDIX !$3) !IR $RYER More than 40 percent lighter with an addi- tional 25 percent increase in capacity over THE CURRENT !$)0 DRYER THE !$3) HAS A spin-on cartridge for faster replacement. s "RIGHT lNISH AERO MIRROR FOR THE Cascadia Evolution): This new offering gives customers more options to custom- ize their trucks. s ,%$ mUSHMOUNTED LIGHTS 0ROVIDING bright and clean light, the new back-of- CAB mUSHMOUNTED ,%$ LIGHTS ALSO DRAW less amperage and have a longer life than incandescent lamps. s .EW DAYCAB ROOF FAIRINGS &OR NON%VOLUTION MODELS THE NEW DEmECTOR improves aerodynamics, resulting in up to a 3.7 percent increase in fuel economy. s "ULBOUT DETECTION 4HIS SYSTEM automatically notifies drivers via an in-dash light if an exterior lamp fails to turn on. Freightliner also is adding features for its natural gas-powered Cascadia, including a 48-inch sleeper cab and facto- ry-installed compressed natural gas tanks. !LSO -ERITOR 7ABCOS /N'UARD #OLLISION Safety System is available with a manual transmission. Equipped with the Cummins West- PORT )38 ' HEAVYDUTY .' ENGINE THE #ASCADIA .' TRACTOR FEATURES A VARIETY OF #.' TANK CONlGURATIONS UP TO DIESELGALLONEQUIVALENT $'% CAPACITY with a fill range of about 800 miles. P eterbilt unveiled enhanced fuel economy features for its trucks at MATS, including a new Apex- optimized drivetrain package for the -ODEL The Apex option pairs the Paccar MX-13 with the Fuller Advantage auto- mated transmission. The combination features optimized shift calibration, weight savings and proprietary control logic between the two components. 4HE LITER 0ACCAR -8 AND THE 13-speed Fuller Advantage share critical data, including torque, operating gear and other vehicle performance metrics. Chief Engineer Landon Sproull said Apex can result in up to a 4 percent improvement in fuel efficiency versus previous drivetrains. "Apex results in exceptional perfor- mance and fuel economy by pairing two already fuel-efficient components together and optimizing the way they communicate," Sproull said. Sproull said Apex is more than 80 pounds lighter than previous combina- tions and features a small step-ratio in TH AND TH GEARS FOR A MORE FUELEFl- cient operating range while downshift- ing. Peterbilt also introduced its Driver Information Center, a real-time visual Western Star's movie lead gives hint of new tractor Daimler's Western Star 5700 will look similar to this model, customized for the next "Transformers" movie. Peterbilt introduces fuel economy improvements Continued on page 22