Peterbilt
UltraLoft takes Model 579 to new heights
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Peterbilt has unveiled a new 80-inch integral sleeper known as the UltraLoft, adding an array of features to the Model 579 that improve comfort for team drivers and enhance aerodynamics in the process. “It has that distinctive Peterbilt style,” said Scott Newhouse, chief engineer, also referring to added storage, lower and upper bunk space, and the widest mattress in the industry. “The driver experience starts when you’re in the cab. It’s a big, open space with plenty of headroom.” The upper mattress itself measures 82 x 36 inches, while the lower bunk is an expansive 85 x 42 inches. “The lower bunk can actually handle a seven-foot-tall person,” Newhouse said.
Strong economy, $60 oil driving truck sales, Peterbilt says
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Peterbilt is projecting sales of Class 8 trucks in Canada and the U.S. to reach between 235,000 and 265,000 units this year, with another 85,000 medium-duty trucks to be sold on top of that. Several economic conditions back the healthy projections.
Test Drive: Paccar unveils 12-speed automated transmission
Paccar is the latest North American truck manufacturer to bring a proprietary automated transmission to market. Called the Paccar Automated Transmission, it's a 12-speed, twin countershaft design that was conceived as an automated transmission, which is to say, it was designed that way. It's not a manual box fitted with add-on shift-actuators. Paccar says it's the lightest automated transmission currently in production. At just 657 pounds, it is nearly 200 pounds lighter than Eaton's Advantage AMT. The addition of the automated transmission completes Paccar's goal of having a fully integrated proprietary powertrain. Paccar says its new transmission has been performance-optimized for MX-series engines and the new 40,000-pound drive axles unveiled in October 2016.
Suppliers predict growing truck market
LOUISVILLE, KY - What a difference a few months can make. Earlier this year, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems was projecting Class 8 truck sales would drop about 5-10%. Now it's projecting the market will grow about 5%. "Overall, I think the economy has turned for us in the trucking industry," chairman Joe McAleese observed, citing growing truck orders and dropping cancellations. Truck tonnage and utilization are both seen as under control. It was a theme repeated during briefings during the Mid-America Trucking Show's media day.
