Fightliner Trucks has unveiled a new line of Class 5-8 medium-duty and vocational trucks in North America. The Business Class M2 has been designed to provide commercial truck operators with advantages in productivity and operational efficiency, the company says.

The Business Class M2 will succeed Freightliner’s original Business Class line which was introduced in 1991. Freightliner decided to continue the ‘Business Class’ name because the new truck is, like the previous line, designed to address the demands of daily business.

“Freightliner designed the Business Class M2 truck as an advanced business tool to help customers operate with maximum safety, productivity and efficiency,” says Mark Lampert, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

The Business Class M2 will serve various industries and commercial truck applications-local and regional distribution, food and beverage delivery, fire and emergency services, fuel oil delivery, utilities, government services, towing and recovery, agriculture and many others.

Freightliner says its engineering team has maximized lines of sight on the M2 by incorporating a 2500 square inch windshield, lowering the corners of the windshield, lowering the dash and sloping the hood, resulting in a 28 percent reduction of obstructed ground in front and to the side of the truck. New features in the Business Class M2 are standard demister/defogger vents in the interior door panels.

“With the new Business Class M2, Freightliner is taking medium-duty and vocational truck design another step forward to help deliver maximum returns for our customers,” says Rainer Schmueckle, President and CEO of Freightliner LLC.

For manoeuvrability, Freightliner has incorporated wider king pins in the M2, has altered the front axle position and incorporated a new hood and bumper design, for an up to 55 degree wheel cut delivering an extremely tight turning radius.

The cab is roomier and has a completely redesigned heating, cooling and ventilation system that keeps drivers comfortable and productive. Wider, taller doors provide easy entry and exit.

Over the next two years, Freightliner plans to introduce numerous Business Class M2 configurations, which can be customized to a broad range of commercial truck applications. Freightliner is rolling out the Business Class M2 in a 106-inch BBC (bumper to back of cab) configuration. Extended cabs and crew cabs will be available in late 2002. A 100-inch BBC model and a 112-inch BBC model will be available in 2003.

Power stroke diesel

Int ational Truck and Engine Corporation and Ford Motor Company are now offering increased torque in the Power Stroke Diesel engine. The engine is available in Ford’s Super Duty F-Series pickups, Econoline vans and Excursion sport utility vehicles, and provides 525 lb-ft. of torque at just 1600 rpm on automatic transmission-equipped models. The updated powertrain is rated at 250 horsepower.

The Power Stroke Diesel is the best-selling engine, gas or diesel, in the over 8500 lb. GVWR market and has been the last five years, says International.

Its towing power suits a variety of business applications, such as agribusiness, construction, emergency services and utility and towing services, as well as many outdoor activities.

International has produced more than a million and a half Power Stroke Diesel engines since their introduction in 1994, primarily due to the power, fuel economy and durability benefits of diesel over gasoline. Since then, 98.9 percent of all Power Stroke Diesel trucks are still on the road, says International.

Allison Transmission extends drain intervals for TranSynd

Allison Transmission says it has extended drain intervals for its TranSynd synthetic automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The company, which made the move in January, has also begun using the fluid as “factory fill” for its AT, MT, HT, MD, HD, B and MH series transmissions.

The company says the move was prompted by the success of TranSynd in more than three years of extensive field testing of the product. Introduced in 1999, TranSynd acts to extend oil drain intervals for Allison automatic transmissions. TranSynd is a co-branded ATF exclusively formulated by Castrol Heavy Duty Lubricants, Inc. for use in heavy-duty Allison Automatic Transmissions.

“In rigorous field studies, TranSynd has shown remarkable performance in a broad range of applications. This proven performance, combined with Allison’s use of TranSynd as “factory fill” for our World Transmission products, is enabling us to confidently extend drain intervals to these dramatic levels,” says Mitch Murray, manager of Tactical Marketing at Allison.

Allison has set the new drain intervals for TranSynd in most WT models at 75,000 miles for severe duty applications and 100,000 for general duty.

Able to function within wider operating temperature ranges, TranSynd is recommended for use year-round in all climates.

As part of the drain interval extension, Allison has also begun using high-performance “Gold Series” oil filters on all its WT products. The Gold Series filters offer increased filtration capacity that also plays a key role in extending TranSynd drain intervals by up to 50 percent.