Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/85081
International's engineers have done a great job making drivers feel like they're integrated into the vehicle's overall de- sign. Drivers really feel more like they put this truck on, as opposed to climbing into it, and everything – from the instrumen- tation, switch placement and views over the hood and to the sides, to the tight responsive way the truck handles rolling down the road – seems to reinforce this notion. Another strong positive was the cab's sound insulation. More noise was ex- pected from the big 15-liter up front, but it's clear that International's designers worked hard to create an integrated com- plementary sound-dampening system that isolates vibration and wind, engine and highway noise. It doesn't hurt that the MaxxForce 15 already is an inherently quiet engine thanks to its compacted graphite iron design, but it's still remarkable how quiet this engine was at highway speeds and even when lugging at low rpms to get a heavy load under way. This particular MaxxForce 15 was mated to an Eaton 13-speed manual gearbox – and that big engine got the rig going fast. But once at cruise speeds, the MaxxForce 15 settled in at about 1,200 rpm and stayed there. Even the occasional long climb up a lengthy shallow Texas grade didn't rile it up. The combined engine- tractor package is a truly integrated design. In this environment, downshift- ing was optional: It was OK to grab a lower gear, but there really was no need. The MaxxForce 15 might have lost 4 or 5 mph starting up the rise, but halfway up the slope it was back on target speed, and by the time it reached the top, it might have gained a few more mph. That wouldn't happen in more extreme terrain, but it was solid evidence that this engine has the on-demand power to make a driver's life a lot easier if the countryside al- lows it. The main takeaway was that the overall MaxxForce 15/ProStar+ pack- age is a truly integrated design. Inter- national would be the first to admit that a 15-liter diesel isn't for everyone, but if the application demands one, they've certainly got an engine that fits the bill. It has plenty of power on demand but cruises as quiet as a kitten when brute force isn't required. It's a solid engine mounted under the hood of a solid tractor. 30 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2012 Write 238 on Reader Service Card or visit ccjdigital.com/info