AYR, Ont. — J&R Hall says it has significantly reduced its weather-related jackknife incidents since it started spec’ing the Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program on its fleet of trucks.

The company, which operates 70 trucks, runs Western Canada where winter weather can prove to be dicey. In the winter of 2005, it experienced three single-vehicle weather-related jackknifes, prompting president Jeff Hall to look for a solution, Bendix explained in a recently-released case study.

“We’re committed to safety for all our drivers and the public we’re travelling with,” said Hall. “So after three jackknifes in the winter of 2005, I knew it was time to take action.”

Since it began spec’ing trucks with the Bendix ESP full-stability system, Hall said the fleet has only experienced one weather-related jackknife.

“We’ve had only one incident in three years, and we had three just in the winter of 2005,” he explained. “We’ve definitely seen a difference.”

The company currently has the stability system on 50 of its trucks with another 12 ESP-equipped trucks on order.

“The safety factor that Bendix ESP provides for our drivers, our customers, and the public is huge,” Hall said. “And the savings on insurance claims is also huge. Now we spec’ it on every single truck we buy.”

Bendix has been a proponent of ‘full-stability’ systems which include yaw and steer angle sensors to protect against not only rollovers, but also other out-of-control situations such as jackknifes.