What's New In Class 8 Specs
Here's a roundup of the latest offerings in OEM data books.
Long-Lasting Finishes for Peterbilts
High-quality Dupont Imron Elite Commercial Finishes paints are now standard on medium- and heavy-duty Peterbilt trucks, providing an improved, longer-lasting finish. The extremely broad color offerings mean a color to match most every preference, says the company. The new lineup of paints include solid-color Imron Elite Single Stage finishes and Imron Elite Base Clear finishes, which are available in solid colors and with pearl or metallic effects.
The new standard exterior finishes are the highest quality available and provide customers with added ultraviolet resistance to preserve gloss and luster. The paint formulations are optimized to work with Peterbilt's robotic electrostatic paint application process, helping produce vehicles with the best in class appearance.
Volvo offers Bendix ABS-6 Advanced
Volvo Trucks North America will offer the Bendix stability control system on the Volvo VN and Volvo VHD beginning in early 2005. The safety system is the ABS-6 Advanced with ESP (Electronic Stability Program), to address a wide range of driving conditions.
Bendix ABS-6 will be Volvo's standard antilock brake system in North America, while ABS-6 Advanced with ESP will be a customer-specified option. Antilock brake systems are required by law on trucks sold in North America.
ESP is able to selectively apply the brakes on individual wheel-ends, depending on driving conditions, vehicle speed and other inputs from onboard sensors. This allows the driver to reduce speed, keep the vehicle in proper alignment, and reduces the tendency for the truck and trailer to slide or jackknife. This anti-skid function is known as yaw control. In addition to jackknifes, yaw control is a safety advantage in situations involving oversteer or understeer, and sudden transitions from dry to slippery surfaces.
The Roll Stability Program (RSP) - an element of ESP - monitors inputs from sensors and applies all available brakes on a vehicle to rapidly reduce rollover potential while turning, a consideration for fleets operating high center-of-gravity trucks. Rollover is an especially dangerous accident for truck drivers, contributing to 58% of truck driver accident fatalities, according to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. RSP is a safety advantage in dry conditions involving curves, sudden lane changes and obstacle avoidance maneuvers.
Class Eight Specs continued...
