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Higher torque for SmartAdvantage
International LT Launched Loudly, Described Enthusiastically
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Cowan Systems' Kenneth Stiltner was among the fleet drivers who took Navistar executives on runs. Cowan operates ProStar daycabs and sleepers, and will begin acquiring LT tractors next year, said its president, Dennis Morgan.
">International LT625 sleeper-cab tractor appears amid clearing smoke at Navistar's 'Vegas-worthy launch event on Friday. Photos: Tom Berg
">Navistar unveiled its new International LT series in Las Vegas on Sept. 30 with speeches, videos, hard rock music, and fire-and-smoke effects – a launch befitting a "Vegas" production and a vehicle range that will become the company's flagship model and, executives hope, the most popular highway tractor on the market.
At the event at the World Market Center, dealers and customers applauded and some trade press reporters nodded approvingly as three tractors drove onto a platform from which top executives had previously spoken. All emphasized the customer research and meticulous design and engineering work that had gone into the new model. It will begin replacing the nine-year-old ProStar series when it enters production in November.
The initial version has Cummins power, and several Navistar execs remarked that their company's strong relationship with Cummins will continue, notwithstanding the recently announced alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus of Germany.
The Internationl LT (for Linehaul Transport) was publicly announced Friday morning. It is the first model that stems from Navistar's Project Horizon, a three-year effort to update and improve the ProStar. Horizon affects steel-cab models, and the WorkStar and DuraStar trucks are now being worked on for introduction in 2017.
The HX premium vocational truck, introduced eight months ago and now in production, uses an aluminum cab, so was not part of Horizon.
During development, several Navistar executives rode with fleet drivers to learn what they want in a highway tractor. Drivers' comments and the execs' experiences were chronicled in a video. Those drivers -- Kenneth Stiltner of Cowan Systems, Jose Reyes of Mesilla Valley Transportation and David Spore of J.B. Hunt -- were present at the launch in Las Vegas.
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Jost Shows New Trailer Developments at IAA 2016
The Jost Group introduced a new fifth wheel coupling and trailer steering system at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany.
The JSK 34 sensor coupling version of the ultralight JSK 34 fifth wheel coupling was shown at the show. The ultralight JSK 34 cast fifth-wheel coupling is designed for 2-inch kingpins and can reduce the system weight by up to 88 pounds in some series. It is suitable for all weight-sensitive transports, such as tanker and silo transports.
Jost has equipped the JSK 34 with a hybrid bearing to increase driving comfort and service life while also reducing the dynamic load on the vehicle's frame. This type of bearing combines the robustness and shock absorbing performance of a rubber bearing with the frame-friendly properties of a plastic bearing.
Tridec, Jost's brand for trailer axle steering systems and single-wheel suspensions, presented the EF-S steering system for trailers, which provides more options for driving, maneuvering and safety with its sensor technology and remote control.
EF-S enables trailers with an extremely low trailer neck, such as milk and bulk tankers or trailers with monocoque constructions, to be equipped with a steering system for kingpin axles. The kingpin steering system can steer a maximum of three kingpin-steered axles. It allows the trailer to turn more than usual in tight bends or minimize the swing-out radius of the rear in confined space conditions.
Manual steering by wireless remote control makes the axles steer in ratio or at equal steering angles (“crab steering”). EF-S can deliver extra maneuverability leading to time savings, lower fuel consumption and less tire wear. The EF-S steering system is designed to be simple and easy to install without enormous adapting to the frame, allowing the steering angle to adapt to the mounting space.
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