CHATHAM, Ont. — Internationals new flagship ProStar has begun rolling off the assembly line at the companys Chatham, Ont. plant.

The aerodynamic tractor is being rolled out as scheduled, with a gradual ramp-up planned, the company announced.

The ProStar was designed to deliver best-in-class fuel economy, improved driver satisfaction and unprecedented uptime as well as the lowest cost of ownership. International invested US$270 million into modernizing the Chatham plant in preparation of the ProStars arrival. Modifications included a complete reconfiguration of the assembly line.

In all my years working with vehicles, Ive never seen a product launch this flawless, said Tom Baughman, vice-president and general manager of Internationals Heavy Truck Group. Weve tested and re-tested the product design and production process under every possible scenario to be sure were ready for full production. Our unparalleled assembly process sets the standard for manufacturing heavy trucks. The additional time being spent on quality control delivers what our customers are looking for and more.

To ensure a flawless launch, International started out producing just 10 ProStars a day on Jan. 29. The company plans to ramp up production slowly, to 30 units per day. After that, build rates will be determined by demand. At full production, International says it can produce more than 100 ProStars each day, employing two shifts. The first production units will be released to customers in early March – the company is holding back its first units to ensure they are flawless, before releasing them to customers.