HDT’s 2018 Class 8 Truck Preview
The latest enhancements to Freightliner’s new Cascadia include 48-, 60- and 72-inch mid-roof XT sleeper cabs in both 116- and 126-inch BBC platforms.
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It seems likely that 2018 will be looked back on as the year North American Class 8 trucks made serious moves toward a more efficient and safer future. The past 12 months have seen a flurry of activity on the Class 8 front as OEMs launched significantly upgraded or all-new trucks.
These new and enhanced trucks will be the building blocks and enablers for much of the new technology coming to trucking over the next decade. Yet despite much talk about futuristic trends such as autonomous driving, platooning, drones and electric trucks, the bulk of the introductions are clearly focused on the human factor — making drivers safer, more comfortable, and more productive. New interiors being introduced across truck brand lines were developed with heavy driver input. And aerodynamic and powertrain improvements are driving further increases in fuel efficiency.
At the same time, OEMs are significantly expanding the concept of a “connected” truck that is constantly gathering data and sharing it with fleets, capable of over-the-air (OTA) powertrain upgrades and leveraging telematics to slash downtime.
“The next five years are going to be insane given the amount of technology that is coming into trucking. It’s going to be fast and furious,” said Bill Kozek, who is tasked with identifying future transportation trends for Navistar, at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta in September.
Kozek’s comments echoed others at the show, such as those by Richard Howard, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Freightliner. He said his company’s current theme was to be “100% connected” in terms of vehicle capability. Daimler Trucks North America President Roger Nielsen noted that the company is performing real-world platooning tests now in both Oregon and Nevada. David Pardue, vice president of Mack Trucks connected vehicle technologies, said the company will have OTA powertrain updates available …Read the rest of this story
