Spec'ing For Drivers
Large cars, big engines, comfy sleepers, lots of chrome and safety devices are among the stuff that can attract and keep drivers.
Tom Berg
Equipment Editor
Another driver shortage is upon us and this one really hurts. At last month's convention of the American Trucking Assns., fleet executives complained of turning down business because not enough drivers are available to haul loads. As with previous crises on this score comes renewed concerns on how to attract good drivers and keep them happy once they're aboard.
Good pay and benefits plus fair treatment should be at the top of any exec's solutions list, but anyone considering a job as a truck driver will also want good equipment to operate and - for over-the-road fleets - to live in. So, what kind of specifications do drivers prefer? Those that add up to a vehicle that looks good, has lots of power and is comfortable.
The most basic specification from any truck builder is the model, and it's no secret that the fastest-moving type of long-haul tractor is a traditionally styled long-nose conventional with high horsepower, a big sleeper and all the fancy appointments the owner can afford.
Also called a "long-and-tall" or "large car," such tractors have been the most popular among owner-operators and "premium" small fleets for 30 years or more. Large fleets buy such tractors as "reward" trucks for their top drivers. Manufacturers say that price spikes for fuel - like the one we're now in - don't change this preference, and neither do high insurance premiums, sluggish freight rates and economic slowdowns. Those maladies cause some owner-operators to sell or park their tractors and work for fleets for a while, but they still like the large car's "real-truck" style.
So do company drivers.
Such trucks are often the easiest to sell and bring the most money, whether new or used.
The archetypical large cars are the Peterbilt 379 and Kenworth W900L. Freightliner's Classic likewise fits the definition and generally sells in greater numbers. Freightliner has also revived the upscale and premium-priced Coronado. Others in this category are International's 9900i and Western Star's 4900.
None of them claim to be streamlined and they use somewhat more fuel than aerodynamic models. But large cars have higher resale value, which can more than make up for whatever they lose in fuel efficiency.
Of course, most of those truck builders also offer aerodynamically styled road tractors and can outfit them just as nicely - nicer, if you consider the larger, roomier cabs of the Pete 387 and KW T2000. Most customers for those, however, are fleets, who generally spec sensibly smaller or lower-horsepower engines.
Volvo offers only its aero VN and adamantly argues that it serves its customers better because it saves them operating money. The VN is among the most comfortable trucks on the road and can be ordered with Big Power. It appeals to a segment that likes contemporary styling. Many Volvo dealers are dualed with other makes, so they can also offer traditionally styled tractors.
Mack moved away from the over-the-road market several years ago by dropping big sleepers from its Vision models.
It's brought back some large sleepers, but the Vision has a medium-length nose, which is more practical than a long one. The Mack CL could be a large car and it comes only with a big-block Cummins ISX, but it has evolved into a heavy vocational truck.
However, Mack has been displaying a chromed up, tricked out large sleeper prototype version of the CL at trade shows, so don't be surprised if they don't bring that product to market soon.
Big Power Gets It
The second major driver-pleaser is Big Power. This means 460 horsepower or more from a 15-liter-class diesel, usually a Caterpillar or a Cummins. Twelve-liter-size engines from Detroit, Mack, Volvo and now Mercedes-Benz also make respectable power and torque, but stop below where the other engines go - above 500 hp and now as high as 625. Rational people will say it's crazy to run engines like that, but enlightened managers might call it "job enrichment." Drivers simply call it fun, and lots of power makes them happy.
Moreover, if driven right, a Big Power diesel can still turn in very respectable fuel economy. Correct driving includes keeping down revs and cruising speed, and shutting off the engine whenever possible. One fleet manager we talked to runs large cars with big Cat engines, but he stops at 475 hp and 1,750 lbs.-ft. of torque because anything stronger starts eating up drive tires.
Meanwhile, if driven wrong, an 11- or 12-liter engine - which is what many fleets prefer - will turn in less than sparkling mileage. Any spec that can boost fuel efficiency falls apart if the driver doesn't care about economy, or simply doesn't like the truck and beats on it.
One spec that doesn't work well at resale time is a smaller engine in a long-nose large car. Buyers expect a big-block engine in that kind of vehicle, and any second owner who'd buy one with a smallish diesel will expect a lower price. Exceptions would be Detroit's 12.7-liter Series 60 and 12-liter Mack or Volvo engines in those builders' chassis.
It's Different With Dumpers
Other exceptions lay in the big world of vocational trucks. Those driven by their owners also tend to resemble large cars, though without sleepers. And those often have 11- and 12-liter power (and now 13 liters, in the case of Cat), because they save some weight over a bigger engine, performing well enough with a typical rating of 430 hp. Besides, dump trucks, for instance, are usually empty half the time anyway.
In that sense Mack's 12-liter engines fit right in, even if Mack's vocational models are neither large-car nor aero in style. And a Mack engine is one of the main reasons a Mack loyalist buys a Mack. But if we're talking about heavy-haul tractors, it's back to Big Power.
One trick used by dealers and fleet buyers is to spec a big-block engine but limit horsepower to 400 or so. At trade-in time, the engine can be uprated to as far as it'll go, which boosts the truck's appeal. It works if the transmission and the rest of the driveline is also spec'd for the higher torque that comes with a higher horsepower rating. With modern electronic controls, it's also possible in some engines to raise horsepower but keep torque to lower-than-normal levels.
Caterpillar just announced a 470-hp rating for its C13, which formerly topped out at 430 hp. Torque stays at 1,550 or 1,650 lbs.-ft. Dealers can reset the C13 to 500 hp, for bragging rights and higher resale value. It's not offered from the factory because economy is "optimized" at the 430 and 470 ratings, engineers explain.
It almost goes without saying that preferred transmissions are10-, 11-, 13- and 18-speeds that owner-operators and second owners both enjoy driving. Automated mechanical transmissions, or AMTs, from Eaton and ZF Meritor sell in relatively small numbers, but builders say their popularity is increasing. Fleet drivers usually dislike them at first, then learn to appreciate them for all the work they save. Eaton AutoShift AMTs are showing up now in used trucks, but it may be too soon to know what they add, or detract, from resale values.
Allison claims its fully automatic transmissions add worth to vocational trucks, and are standard equipment in trash trucks and "tactical" transport trucks bought by the U.S. military. The more rugged the duty, the more valuable an Allison is to both driver and owner.
Size Does Matter
Over-the-road drivers who live in a tractor for weeks at a time want room, storage space and comfort in their sleepers. Operators who haul heavy commodities are aware that weight affects payload; the bigger the sleeper the heavier it is, so there are limits. In any case, factory sleepers have grown in length and height to meet demand, though they stop short of what buyers can get from the custom sleeper makers, not just in size, but also in amenities like showers and toilets.
Removable sleepers, whether from the factory or a custom builder, can turn a truck into a daycab to increase its resale potential. But its wheelbase might also have to be shortened, and the cab's rear closed up, preferably with a factory built kit. So it's not always as simple as yanking off the box.
There's almost no limit to the amount of electric and electronic equipment that can be built into or added to cabs and sleepers. Good sounding stereos and TVs with CD and tape players are common, as are refrigerators and microwaves. Just be sure that the truck's electrical system can take the loads for lengthy periods. This at the very least means a high-output alternator and proper "house" wiring for the sleeper.
Electronic safety equipment is building a following among fleet managers and drivers because the devices reduce accidents and remove some of the scare from driving in rain, fog and snow. Eaton's Vorad forward-looking radar system and Delphi's Forewarn back up aid and side detection technology alert drivers to slow-moving vehicles and other obstacles, while side-looking sensors warn of something in the next lane.
The Iteris Lane Departure Warning System "reads" lane striping and tells a driver when he's wandering out of his travel lane. Surveys of users in Europe and North America indicate strong satisfaction, Iteris says. Sample comments from drivers:
• "In inclement weather conditions such as rain, it is like another pair of eyes."
• "I like to use it a night when I might get tired and when it is raining."
• "Helpful in driving in unfamiliar roads where road is narrow."
• "What I like about the system is if you are doing your job and driving safely, you won't know the system is in your truck. If you mess up and start out of your lane, you will be warned."
Idling Alternatives
There's a strong movement among local, state and federal authorities to get truckers to quit the unnecessary idling of their engines.
Some locales now enforce ordinances outlining strict limits, and levy hefty fines for violations. Diesel-fueled sleeper heaters are an economical answer to staying warm without idling in the winter, and new types of coolers are becoming available that could allow drivers to get rest in hot weather.
To run electrical accessories without idling the main engine, wise buyers are now spec'ing inverters and extra batteries, and "shore-power" wiring. Owner-operators are more likely to purchase APUs than fleet managers, although lower-cost APUs could become cost-efficient if drivers begin collecting anti-idling tickets. Silent fuel cells may be available in a few years, but development has been slow and they seem to keep receding into the future.
In the here and now, extra insulation and sound-deadening packages become wiser as the need to keep sleepers ventilated and at comfortable temperatures becomes more critical.
The Technology & Maintenance Council of ATA now has a Recommended Practice on insulation and how to test for its performance. When considering these and other driver-oriented specs, remember that the change in hours of service regulations are forcing drivers to spend more time resting in their trucks, and that's likely to get longer with any future changes to the current regs.
Storage areas - in the form of cabinets and closets - are best installed at the factory, although the custom people can also upfit a factory sleeper with such stuff. Double bunks are useful in some team-driver operations, but the upper bunk occupies space on the back wall that could otherwise be devoted to extra storage shelves and compartments.
Other Pleasers
Any tractor can be set up with a big engine, multi-speed gearbox and large, comfortable sleeper, but it should also have other things owner-drivers crave.
These include an engine brake, full gauge package, handsome trim on the instrument panel, power windows (at least on the passenger side), remote-control mirrors, upscale upholstery, and high-quality adjustable suspension seats.
Learn how a seat can be adjusted and take time to explain it - and everything else on a new truck or tractor - to its assigned driver. At the very least, be sure that instructions are in the glovebox. Surveys have shown that many drivers complain about seats until they're shown how to use them.
Outside, what is more glorious to anyone who loves trucks than a set of dual chromed stacks? That's why they're standard on large cars, and can be fitted to almost any truck or tractor to give them extra appeal. Be careful making changes to any Cat-powered truck, though, because most have aftertreatment devices on their exhaust systems and cannot be legally removed. Other bright-metal trim can also be applied - even to aero tractors - which can only add to their appeal.
While paint on modern trucks tends to be monochromatic, it can usually be spiffed up with Vinyl stripes and graphics. And who knows - maybe someday we'll return to the delightful days of three- and four-color paint schemes.
Owner-operators loved 'em, even if factory paint shops didn't.
