What Drivers Want
New Midrange focus is heavy on comfort and driveability.
STEVE STURGESS
SENIOR EDITOR
At a recent medium-duty ride 'n' drive at its Michigan proving grounds, Ford staged a line-up of competitors' trucks with its newly introduced Blue Diamond Class 6 and 7 models. Immediately apparent was the fact that the whole medium-duty lineup has changed in the last 18 months.
And the big winner is going to be the driver.
The different strategies displayed in designing the products is truly fascinating. On display were the traditional Class 6 and 7 trucks, exemplified by Ford's use of the SuperDuty cab on a medium chassis for its new F650 and F750. GM is using a derivative of the full-sized Savanna/Express van for the cab on its Top Kick/Kodiak ranges that go all the way from Class 4 through Class 7. And there were two examples of the medium-sized short conventional cab on the International 4700 and the newly launched Freightliner Business Class M2 that cover Classes 5 through 7.
Not represented in the lineup at the Ford event, with cabs from their big-truck ranges, were medium-duty models from Peterbilt in the 330; from Kenworth in the K300; and Sterling, which uses the full-size ex-Ford cab on the Acterra mediums. Also missing were the midrange and medium cabovers, which cover the weight range in two sizes from Isuzu (and GM with GMC and Chevrolet badges), Mitsubishi Fuso, Hino and UD. Covering just Class 6 and 7 is Mack's Freedom, a straight truck from European partner Renault. And in the heavier-duty medium segment is the soon-to-be introduced new low cabover from both Peterbilt and Kenworth, based on the DAF LF, which was named Truck of the Year in Europe last year.
Also coming next year will be a head-to-head competitor for Ford's conventional midrange and medium trucks from Hino. This will feature the Toyota Tundra cab on a medium chassis.
What all these have in common is a very recent introduction date and a heavy focus on the driver in comfort and driveability.
Worth The Weight
While all offer major enhancements in driver comfort from Class 4 through the bottom of Class 8, they all bracket the weight class break at Class 6 and 7. Up to the top of Class 6 at 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight, these trucks can be driven by anyone with a car driver's license. From 26,001 pounds and up, the driver must have a commercial driver's license (CDL).
In some jurisdictions, this is blurred by the issue of air brakes. California, for instance, says that a truck with air brakes requires a driver with an air-brake endorsement — and that requires a CDL as the basis. The same is true for any company hauling hazmat in the trucks — the drivers must have the hazmat endorsement and hence, the full CDL.
In most cases, trucks under 26,000 pounds with hydraulic brakes will not require a CDL driver. Heavier than that, chances are the truck will have air brakes since a CDL is required anyway. The need for a CDL driver can complicate matters for a business. For one, you have to find the qualified driver or someone prepared to study for and pass the test. And that's fine most of the time. But when the driver doesn't show for work, or if the truck needs moving from one place to another — to the dealer for service, for instance — trying to find another CDL holder to stand in can be a real problem.
Size Matters
The total change in the medium-duty market means a wide choice of up-to-date products offering performance, economy and serviceability with a wealth of driver comfort and convenience features that set them worlds apart from their Class 4 through 7 predecessors.
The choice for the truck cab can have a major impact on driver accommodations. It's well worth climbing aboard different trucks to check out the space. Trucks with pickup-derived cabs look like they will be shorter on space than others, but the configurations vary widely, as do the different seating arrangements. The pickup cab features a lower, stretched out driving position, more like a car's. At the other end of the spectrum, the cabs from the heavier trucks have a more upright seating position, so while headroom might seem an issue, it's not.
Width is likely more of a factor, depending on the truck's use. For a driver to be comfortable while carrying a crew, there has to be adequate three-across seating.
For bigger crews, there are some crew-cab options. The pickup-derived Ford has more than most, with a short cab, the super-cab configuration with twin suicide doors to the surprisingly roomy rear seat, or the full crew-cab option. Crew cabs are also available from the short-hood conventional medium-truck manufacturers, with Freightliner due to introduce stretched cabs next year, and International with one on the 4200 Class 5 truck. Kenworth has a crew-cab option for the K300 through converter Bentz Transport Products, available as an approved conversion.
There are also factory crew-cabs available on the Isuzu and Mitsubishi Fuso cabovers.
Conventional Vs. Cabover
All can accommodate drivers and crews to a greater or lesser extent. Similarly, there are differences between conventional trucks with a hood out front, and cabovers, which have the engine under the cab. Most significantly, they differ in visibility and maneuverability. This has changed mightily with the latest introductions in the medium field. All feature tight steering cuts so they can be spun around in narrow city streets. Even the bigger Fords, which are build on the International 4000 series frame, turn handily, as does the International 4000. The Business Class M2 was specially designed to turn as tightly as its cabover counterpart from Mercedes-Benz in Europe.
All these trucks feature big windshields and, with the exception of the pickup cab trucks, sloping hoods that intrude very little into the forward visibility. As such, they offer the best safety in crowded urban operations, where close-in sight to the ground is a plus.
For all that, the low cabovers often have the best front and side visibility, with the rearward view determined by mirror location and size. Given the number of fender benders that occur when drivers back up, this is an area that deserves careful consideration and attention during a test drive.
Because the cabover has a shorter cab than the conventional, they generally feature a shorter wheelbase for the same length freight body. As a general rule, they will also turn better. Because the cabovers often come from Asia or Europe, where many city streets are narrow and congested, they have the tightest turning steering gears, too.
Where cabovers score with maneuverability, they pose more of a challenge to driver access. Since the mediums are relatively low, there's a minimal step, but they still require a driver to use grab handles as he or she swings up into the seat. In contrast, a good step arrangement on a conventional can allow a driver to clamber up more easily. All trucks benefit from well-placed grab handles and they are preferable to using the steering wheel as an access aid. Steps are not all equal, so take a look at spacing and whether they can be seen when stepping out of the cab and looking down. A nice touch is a courtesy light in the cab that illuminates the steps at night when the door is opened.
The conventionals — especially those with pickup-type cabs — have more under-cab space for chassis components such as fuel and air tanks, battery boxes, mufflers and so on. This can often mean less equipment hanging off the frame rails behind the cab, simplifying the body design and mounting. That translates into a less expensive body installation and one that is easier to service. Recent medium-duty truck introductions have all been designed with this in mind, so it's far less of an issue today than in the past.
Also, more effort has gone into providing electrical systems that upfitters can easily tie into without disturbing the factory electrical system. Some of these are multiplexed, which can cause concerns at the smaller bodybuilders. Those in the mainstream, though welcome these more sophisticated wiring systems and often use them to advantage, offering additional features that can be controlled from modular switches on the dash, for instance. The downside is, the more sophisticated the system, the more expensive the chassis. That can be offset by time saved in the body mounting process.
Spec'ing For Comfort
Medium-duty trucks offer far fewer options than heavies, but most come well equipped for drivers' needs. On air-braked trucks, there may be an air seat option, though that's not a must with the vastly improved ride on the new vehicles. Seat facings in hard-wearing fabrics are essential because they must deal with the driver sliding in and out of the truck all day. This is especially the case with low cabovers.
A major convenience, especially in a vehicle that is to be driven by different people, is a tilt, or tilt-telescope steering column. Allowing the driver to get as comfortable as possible in driving position not only eases the workload, it likely enhances safety and productivity. Steering-wheel size is another issue. At the Ford ride 'n' drive, we noticed a wide variety of steering wheel sizes and attributed some peculiar handling on one medium-duty truck that had a wheel that was unusually small.
Cab suspension may be an option. If so, it's probably worthwhile, since it adds to the driver's comfort and alertness. It also gives a softer ride for all the equipment in the cab, and that includes sensitive in-cab electricals, wiring and gauges.
Dashboards have a minimal set of gauges, but there should be room to accommodate all the switches you're likely to need if you're spec'ing the truck for a vocation. It is much more satisfying for the driver to have everything integrated into the dash rather than having supplementary panels hanging from the bottom of the dash. Driver displays will likely not be offered and probably are not necessary.
If the truck is to have any communications equipment, bar-code readers or other driver accessed features, there must be adequate real estate on the dash or the surface above to accommodate it without hindering the driver's performance or the view forward.
The new trucks all handle driver needs for cupholders, ashtrays and lighters. But owners need to look for accessory outlets to power cell phones and storage that will accommodate a laptop computer if one is needed as part of the driver's tasks. There should also be storage for work clothing when required — at least a convenient coat hook.
Air conditioning is a given, but additional ventilation through electric windows is a worthwhile option many drivers appreciate, especially if the driver's side is an automated full-down type. This makes paying tolls much more convenient in cities where they are a fact of life. Another enormous convenience — especially if a driver is carrying a clipboard or electronic reader — is remote door-locking. It also adds to security, because a driver is more likely to lock doors when leaving the truck. And as a practical plus, the driver is unlikely to lock the keys inside.
Providing a radio/CD/cassette player might seem like an extravagance, but it enhances the vehicle and shows the driver you value him. Also, it avoids having a driver provide his or her own boombox with attached earphones. Over-the-ear headphones provide distraction, don't allow drivers to hear emergency vehicles and potentially impact the safe operation of the vehicle.
Noise and ride also impact driver's productivity. Fortunately, with the passing of the earlier generations of medium trucks, this is much less of an issue today, with cabs that are well sealed and engines that feature pilot injection for better emissions. These emit less noise to find its way into the cab. Isuzu's NPR is the only medium-duty truck to offer a gasoline engine and is exceptionally quiet with this option.
Safety Savers
The truck must offer driver safety and in a primary sense, the conventional comes out ahead — at least in the driver's perception. It's always said that the first person to arrive at the accident is the cabover driver. And the conventional will often fare better in fender benders, where easily repairable bumper ends, fenders and grilles are much less costly than a torn-off front corner of the low cabover.
Visibility plays to safety, too, and mirrors have been mentioned above. A consideration is windshield wiper pattern and how much of the glass is cleared in a sweep. This is important during rain and snow, of course, but the windshield can get obscured by accumulated dirt, even when there is no precipitation.
And that all important view down to the steps needs to be considered, too, as the driver will be getting in and out of the truck all day long.
