Peterbilt Offers New Equipment and Safety Tech on Models 579 and 567

Photo: Peterbilt

Peterbilt Motors Company is making available the Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system and a new integrated suspension and axle system from Softek NXT on its Model 579 and 567 trucks.

Bendix Wingman Fusion incorporates such safety solutions as lane departure warning, enhanced colission mitigation and in-lane object recognition to the Peterbilt over-the-road and vocational truck models.

The Wingman Fusion system gathers input from radar, video, multiple sensors and the braking system to create a detailed in-cab picture of the vehicle's environment. Using the data from these active systems, the vehicle is able to alert drivers to potentially dangerous situations and can even react autonomously in certain situations.

The system is currently available for order through Peterbilt dealers.

“Peterbilt is a safety leader and we're pleased to strengthen that position by offering the most effective, comprehensive safety system available, Bendix Wingman Fusion,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt assistant general manager of sales and marketing. “Peterbilt trucks come standard with numerous safety features, including front disc brakes and electronic stability control. Additionally, we provide our customers with a strong portfolio of optional safety content and the Wingman Fusion system is a powerful addition to those offerings.”

Softek's integrated monoleaf suspension and steer axle system is designed to save weight compared to traditional two-leaf spring and I-beam axle systems, to benefit fuel-conscious applications such as tankers and bulk haulers.

The Softek NXT system combines the Steertek NXT 12,500-pound rated axle and the monoleaf spring technology with an integrated knuckle design. The design simplifies the kingpin bushing serviceability which can improve uptime.

The 12.5K-rated Hendrickson Softek NXT integrated monoleaf suspension and steer axle system is available now for order through Peterbilt dealers. The 13.2K-rated axle will become available for order by the end of the year.

"Peterbilt is pleased to strengthen our weight-saving leadership by offering this exclusive, lightweight suspension and axle system,” said Woodall. “This is an exciting addition to our portfolio of lightweight options for the vocational and long-haul segments.”

Related: QuickSpin: Peterbilt 567 SFFA

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Hino Trucks Recognizes Data Inc. for On-Time Delivery

Dana Incorporated announced that it was recognized by Hino Motors Manufacturing, Inc. for 100% on-time delivery at the annual Hino supplier conference in July.

Dana currently supplies driveshafts, companion flanges, and yokes to Hino from facilities in North America and Asia. These components are used on a range of Hino medium-duty trucks, as well as Toyota Tundra pickup trucks.

"As a global manufacturer of commercial vehicles, Hino requires the highest levels of quality, service, and reliability from the companies that supply it," said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies. "This award shows evidence of the operational excellence that Dana continuously drives throughout each of our global facilities and our demonstrated role as a trusted supplier."

Related: Hino Trucks Produces 50,000th Vehicle

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Truckload Linehaul, Intermodal Rates Continue Falling

Truckload linehaul rates fell again in July from the same time a year ago, marking the fifth straight month of year-over-year declines, according to latest readings from the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index.

The drop of 1.6% puts the measure at 122.5, but that is up 1.1% from June and is at its highest level since April.

Analysts at the investment firm Avondale Partners predict that pricing will remain down as much as 3% year-over-year for the remainder of 2016.

“Several factors continue to contribute to increased capacity, including driver pay increases; newer, more reliable trucks; overall fleet growth and an easing of the 34-hour restart rule,” the report said.

The index is an indicator of market fluctuations in per-mile truckload pricing, isolating the linehaul component of full truckload costs from other components, such as fuel and accessorials, providing a look at trends in baseline truckload prices.

Meantime, intermodal pricing fell 2.4% year-over-year in July, representing 19 straight months of declines.

Despite the drop in the Cass Intermodal Price Index the reading of 123.5 is 2% better when July is compared to June, following three straight month-over-month falloffs.

Historically, there is a "high degree of correlation between truckload and intermodal pricing," according to analysts with Avondale Partners. As contract rates for trucking continue to lose strength and move further into negative territory, “[this] would imply even more potential weakness for intermodal pricing," the report said.

The intermodal index is an indicator of market fluctuations in per-mile U.S. domestic intermodal costs, and includes all costs associated with the move, such as linehaul, fuel and accessorials.

Both the intermodal and the linehaul indices are based on costs as of January 2005 and use a base value of 100. Data is derived from actual freight invoices paid on behalf of freight payment processor Cass Information System and its clients, which totaled $25 billion in 2015.

The reports follow the release of the Cass Freight Index, which measures freight activity across all domestic modes, showing during July overall shipment volumes and pricing were persistently weak, with increased levels of volatility as all levels of the supply chain continue to try to work down inventory levels.

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