Now you have it: a 13-speed UltraShift transmission from Eaton Corporation. They’re calling it the Fuller UltraShift LHP (Linehaul High Performance), specifically designed for on-highway applications where you want the performance that a 13-speed’s ratio coverage provides, to handle varying terrain and load conditions. It’s based on the well known and well proven Fuller RT 13-speed but it does away with the clutch pedal, though not the clutch itself. Automatic starts – just put it in ‘Drive’ — use a dry-clutch module based on the industry standard 15.5-in. twin plate, ceramic-facing technology.

It can handle torque capacities up to 1750 lb ft and loads up to 110,000 lb GCW. Eaton emphasizes that the LHP is a highway gearbox, not intended for extensive off-road use.

“The LHP has been designed to provide best-in-class performance with gathered ratios in the top and bottom gears for excellent launch quality, unsurpassed low-speed and reverse maneuverability, and superior shiftability on grades” says Eaton’s Scott Steurer, product line manager for performance and vocational heavy-duty transmissions.

It’s really a 14-speed in that it also has a selectable low starting gear of 12.2:1, designated by an ‘L’. The LHP features progressive gearing with gathered ratios in the low- and high-end gears for superior startability and better operating efficiency, letting the engine operate within a tighter rpm range for efficiency. Its three reverse gears provide maneuvering flexibility.

The LHP comes in two torque capacities, both approved to 110,000-lb GCW — 1650 and 1650/1750 lb ft in a Multi-Torque model with 1750 in the top two gears only. Will there be an 1850-lb-ft model? Probably, but not with the existing clutch.

The new 13-speed is electronically controlled, of course, using the same controls and XY shifter as in the Generation 3 AutoShift, reducing the parts count and improving serviceability. One unique feature is the driver-triggered ‘Data Logger’ – it captures 10 seconds of system performance data to record hard-to-replicate faults when they occur in actual operation.

The UltraShift LHP has undergone extensive testing and is now in its “LQR” phase (limited quantity release), with an initial production quantity of 400 over the next six months. Full production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Among those testing the UltraShift LHP is Gary Coleman, president of Big Freight Systems, a flatbed carrier in Steinbach, Man. “We have been testing five units and have had such great results that we recently placed an order for 45 additional LHP units,” says Coleman. “Our drivers like the performance and we consider the reliability to be equal to that of the 13- and 18-speed manual transmissions.”