Demise of the Dumb Dump Truck
Dump trucks have always been tough. But today, they’re getting increasingly smarter as well. Photo: Mack
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Dump trucks have always been tough. But today, they’re getting increasingly smarter as well. Photo: Mack
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Technology tends to come late to Class 8 dump trucks. Usually, a new piece of technology has to spend a few years proving its value and durability on tractors spec’d for long-haul freight applications before it trickles down to vocational applications such as dumps.
That’s changing. Technology is transitioning from the on-highway segment into dump trucks at an unprecedented rate. This is partly because the adoption rate for new technology is much faster today. And partly it is because of regulatory pressure on truck makers to meet pollution and fuel economy standards. And, increasingly, since many on-highway and vocational trucks share common bodies and components, the trucks are simply hard-wired and ready to seamlessly accept all of the new technology available today.
But mainly, it is because dump truck fleets today face many of the same real-world business struggles their on-highway counterparts do. And new technology can deliver real help.
The result is a new type of dump truck: A vehicle that remains tough enough to handle heavy hauls in tough working conditions, but is also a connected vehicle with an often surprising degree of fuel economy and an ever-increasing focus on safety.
Safety first and foremost
If fuel economy is a priority for long-haul fleets, dump truck fleets today are focused on safety, says Chad Semler, HX marketing manager for International. “In some vocational segments with larger fleets today, we’re starting to see fleet managers who live and breathe safety. It’s really become a top concern for construction fleets today, which is why we see these professionals studying a wide range of items to address those concerns.”
Semler says safety items can range from mundane offerings such as specialized step and grab-handle packages all the way up to highly sophisticated …Read the rest of this story
