ELYRIA, Ohio — The Canadian Trucking Alliance has found an ally in its push for mandatory stability technology on heavy trucks, but the supportive manufacturer suggested the CTA take its request further.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is encouraged by the CTA’s recent stance in asking all major North American heavy truck OEMs to make stability technology standard on all new commercial power vehicles.

The CTA recently made its pursuit of standard rollover technology public during the Ontario Trucking Association’s annual convention in November.

At the present time, two heavy truck manufacturers have made one of the anti-rollover systems standard equipment on all new Class 8 trucks they sell in North America. The other six manufacturers offer an anti-rollover system as an option.

According to David Bradley, CEO of the CTA, there are many reasons for a truck to rollover – excessive speed on corners, improper load securement, evasive maneuvers by a truck driver in response to improper lane changes by a car, are just a few of them.

“Of course, any stability system cannot prevent all situations and is in no way a replacement for good drivers and good driving practices,” said Bradley. “However, our members are convinced that the current anti-rollover technology performs well with all types of tractor-trailer configurations and should become part of all standard new vehicle packages.”

CTA has written to all of the heavy truck manufacturers asking them to consider doing this voluntarily.

However, Bendix believes the action doesn’t go far enough and has urged the CTA to revise its position to include a preference for full-stability technology. Bendix continues to advocate for the protection provided by full-stability technology, commonly referred to as electronic stability control (ESC).

There are presently three main manufacturers of anti-rollover devices in North America. The technology uses sensors that detect when a vehicle may be reaching a state of instability and will intervene by reducing throttle and applying the brakes on the steer, drive and trailer axles as needed to help the driver regain control and mitigate the potential loss of control or rollover situation.

A parallel technology, known as ESC, is also widely used in light-duty vehicles around the world. The U.S. government recently announced that the ESC will be mandatory on all new cars and light trucks by 2011, while the Government of Canada is now engaged in consultations to determine whether ESC should also be mandated on light duty-vehicles in this country.

Full-stability technology, according to Bendix, is more comprehensive than roll-only stability options the CTA recommends; unlike roll-only stability systems that impact select rollover situations, full-stability systems address both roll and directional stability.

“We applaud the Canadian Trucking Alliance for taking a position on this important issue,” said Joe McAleese, Bendix president and CEO. “We also welcome the opportunity to partner with the CTA in recommending full-stability technology as the standard and the best means to making our highways safer.”