Freightliner’s Inside Man

Martin Daum Photo: Daimler Trucks North America

Martin Daum is the type of fellow who gets things done. Case in point: Last year, in his role as president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks North America, Daum got The Rolling Stones to play at the American Trucking Associations' convention in Las Vegas to help Freightliner celebrate the launch of its new Cascadia model Class 8 truck.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to negotiate with Mick Jagger or to get The Rolling Stones to do anything?

Last week, Daimler Trucks North America caught a huge break when the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG – essentially the strategic/leadership committee that guides Daimler's worldwide operations – named Daum to its Board of Management with responsibility for the company's global truck and bus operations. He is succeeding Wolfgang Bernhard, who left for personal reasons, Daimler said, after overseeing some of the most stunning technological advances the trucking industry has witnessed in decades.

I have to think my friends at Daimler Trucks North America were turning backflips when the announcement was made. Because Martin Daum oversaw Freightliner attain the dominant position in Class 8 marketshare during his tenure and is intimately familiar with the wants and needs of this market. The news that Daum will now head up Daimler's global truck and bus business cannot be construed as anything but positive for the Freightliner and Western Star brands.

North America – and the United States in particular – remains the preeminent truck market in the world. Daimler has hardly ignored this part of the world, as its recent technological and marketshare successes confirm.

But now, with the global head of the company's truck and bus operations taking over fresh from the States, it seems logical to assume that Daum's intimate knowledge of this market, the concerns ...Read the rest of this story

Trailcon names regional manager for Western Canada

Wabash Names Final Mile and Distributed Services Exec

Kevin Page Photo: Wabash National

Wabash National has named Kevin Page as its vice president and general manager of final mile and distributed services.

In the new position, Page will drive further commercialization of the Final Mile Series and Cold Chain Series truck bodies. He will also direct and manage growth in the aftermarket parts and retail businesses.

Prior to joining Wabash National, Page served as the interim president of Truck Accessories Group. He also served as the president of Universal Trailer Cargo Group and vice president of sales, marketing, and service at Utilimaster Corporation.

Related: What Smart Tanker Fleets Are Spec'ing

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

ATA pleased with hours-of-service restart report

Kenworth Offers All-Wheel Drive T880

Photo: Kenworth

Kenworth's T880 is now available in an all-wheel drive configuration installed at the factory to speed delivery time and reduce costs.

The Marmon Herrington MT-22 front drive axle is available in a 6x6 or 8x8 Class 8 configuration with a capacity rating up to 22,000 pounds. The all-wheel drive configuration requires a Fabco transfer case, and can be specified with Fabco's 1-speed TC-142 or 2-speed TC-143 transfer case, depending on customer requirements.

“For severe duty applications where the ultimate in traction is required, our new configuration is a welcomed spec,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “We see our all-wheel drive T880 being used in oil fields, configured as an off-road crane, in utility and construction work, or used with municipalities and fire/rescue.”

For more information, click here.

Related: Kenworth's Rock-Solid T880

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

Navistar reports $62 million first quarter loss

Meritor Offers Heavy-Haul Axle for Severe-Duty Applications

Meritor has introduced the P600 Series Tridem Heavy-Haul Planetary Axle for heavy-duty, long-haul, oilfield, mining, and logging applications.

The P600 Tridem is designed to operate in extreme conditions and offers a gross axle weight rating of 126,000 pounds and gross combination weight of 560,000 pounds. Meritor's new proportioning inter-axle differential delivers even torque split between the three axles for improved traction, higher load capacity and increased longevity of the drivetrain. Full production on the P600 will begin in June at the company's Laurinburg, N.C., plant.

"The new Tridem is the next-generation axle from our award-winning P600 series and one of many new products Meritor will bring to market during the next three years as part of the company's M2019 growth initiative," said Steve Luepke, director, off-highway, for Meritor. "Reduced lead time, aftermarket parts and support and continued investment and innovation differentiate us in this market and support our strategy to be an industry leader."

The P600 Tridem's wide ratio coverage and standard anti-lock brakes deliver better safety and performance in the most extreme conditions. When equipped with the optional driver-controlled differential lock and hardware for central tire inflation systems, the P600 has the features required for the most demanding applications, according to Meritor. All P600 axles are designed for durability and supported by Meritor's DriveForce service and support team.

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter