International Advantage

Boaty’s Produce, a small business from Georgia with big expansion plans, is putting its faith in International to carry it to new opportunities. Not only are the reefer hauler’s ProStar®+ rigs providing jaw-dropping fluid economy—they’re turning owner Michael Boatright into a newfound fan of International® trucks.

A former driver, Boatright was recruited to haul loads for the packaged produce company Fresh Express 20 years ago—and never looked back. At the time, Boatright had a single truck and trailer. Now, his company features a fleet of 65 trucks and 100 trailers that deliver to major grocers’ warehouses throughout the southeast.

For years, Boatright’s fleet was dominated by other OEMs. But as fuel mileage became a bigger focus, he decided to give the ProStar+ a look. However, Boatright knew he wanted something a little different than the trucks available on the lot. So he collaborated with his dealer, Yancey Truck Centers in Macon, as well as truck and engine experts from Navistar. The result: a custom spec that combined the hood of the ProStar+ 113-inch BBC vehicle with a 73-inch, high- rise sleeper. The short nose could help enhance aerodynamics, Boatright figured, while the shorter, 219-inch wheelbase would bring added maneuverability.

He sent his two customized Internationals out west—through Arizona, California, Washington state—on grueling test runs. The results were impressive: When equipped with aero-outfitted trailers and super-single tires, the ProStar+ pilot trucks—set to max out at 68 miles per hour—hit as high as 9 miles per gallon.

While that one-way run benefited from light freight, the fully loaded return trip delivered 8.4 miles per gallon. (The trucks’ average mpg has been 8-plus.) The company also measured the fuel consumed versus a competitive tractor, and found the International product built to their specs saved 200 gallons. “With our ProStar+ tractors, the way we hook them up right now, they’re beating everybody else when it comes to fuel mileage,” says Boatright.

Much of Boaty’s success when it comes to fuel economy can be attributed to reduced aerodynamic drag, reduced parasitic drag (drivetrain changes), and optimized engine torque and RPM ratios. This balances the company’s fast service business model while still maximizing fluid economy.

Steve Cates, Boaty’s fleet manager, says the 430-horsepower MaxxForce 13 engine and its 1,700-foot-pounds of torque can handle the flatlands of the southeast and the steep inclines of the west with ease. “Based on the engine load, we limit the torque in top gear keeping the RPMs in the ‘sweet spot’ of the engine,” he says. “Our savings comes from taking advantage of the engine’s extreme torque and pulling power.”

The maneuverability of Boaty’s ProStar+ trucks has also garnered notice. In fact, the rigs have no problem backing into the most challenging bays at customer docks. “It’s like backing up a car,” Boatwright says. “The turning radius is awesome.”

The fact that the trucks feature Advanced EGR, and don’t require additional diesel exhaust fluid (the urea-based chemical reactant used with SCR engines), is another plus, freeing up frame space for a mounted super single spare tire and an APU unit. “And we’ve still been able to maintain between 2,000 and 2,200 pounds in weight reduction when compared to our standard spec tractors,” says Cates.

But perhaps the biggest compliment to the ProStar+ is the fact that Boaty’s is betting its westward expansion on the continued fuel efficiency and performance of the trucks. After success with the pilots, Boatwright ordered five similarly spec’d ProStar+ tractors and is considering seven more as his company begins taking on new routes.

“These trucks, they’re a piece of the puzzle,” Boatwright says. “They’re built with everything we can do to help improve our fuel mileage—and we’re still not through trying to get more out of them.”

For more information on the International ProStar+, visit: Prostar+.

Just one year into the Department of Energy (DOE)’s five-year Super Truck initiative, International is already exploring how certain findings can be incorporated into its vehicles in the future. Those with the most potential: advances relating to more efficient operation and reducing the carbon footprint.

One of the most exciting facets of the Super Truck program is how the shared funding model presents an opportunity for International to continue to develop and refine technologies where it has already demonstrated leadership. For example, in the area of aerodynamics, International is expanding its toolbox in terms of both wind tunnels and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). On the wind tunnel side, International is hoping to increase the scale of its models and explore the impact of “rolling road” resistance by conducting a 25% to 50% scale test in late 2012 or early 2013.

“Our expectation is that testing in this scale with a rolling road will enhance our understanding of aerodynamic ground effects,” says Andrea Brown, engineering manager, aerodynamics, Navistar. “As tractors and trailers move closer to the ground through aerodynamic add-on equipment, understanding the impact of the rotating tires could become more important in fully optimizing the system.”

In regards to CFD, International’s partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Lab enables the company to run multiple codes to better correlate test results and increase the reliability of CFD models going forward. “Combining the best available wind tunnel technologies is a key enabler to meeting the program’s 50% freight efficiency target established by the DOE,” says Brown.

Among the other innovations being explored with Super Truck partners: International’s collaboration with ATDynamics, a maker of aerodynamic trailer devices, and Wabash National, a top trailer manufacturer with proprietary trailer skirting technology, has helped put the program ahead of schedule on the development of advanced tractor and trailer shapes that build on International’s already industry-leading aerodynamics. (For the latter, wind tunnel testing will take place by the end of 2011.)

And working with partner Behr America, International was able to achieve advances in heat recovery via turbo compounding, a process that recovers energy from exhaust and adds a turbine wheel placed behind aftertreatment. This high-efficiency design of the turbo system will be deployed on test trucks by the end of 2011.

In terms of vehicle system technologies, 2011 will also see the complete installation of a dual mode hybrid powertrain (DMHP) in conjunction with Meritor, with accessory electrification and electrical/cooling system modifications in two ProStar® development vehicles. A close relationship with Argonne National Lab has facilitated accelerated testing of a dual fuel engine, including fuel reactivity.

Other features that are being examined for future product releases include:

• Advanced cab shape
• Advanced trailer shape
• Hybrid drivetrain
• Active fifth wheel
• Variable ride height suspension
• Advanced skirting on wheels and tires
• Mirrors replaced with cameras

“Our leadership in designing and developing clean, energy-efficient engines, combined with our achievements in vehicle aerodynamics, continues to provide a solid foundation as we work to deliver the ‘Super Truck’ program goals,” says Ramin Younessi, Navistar group vice president, product development and strategy.

To help its customers get planes off the ground on time, Garsite Aviation Refueling Equipment counts on the durability and maneuverability of the International® WorkStar® and TerraStar®. We spoke with the company’s technical support manager, Fred Stipkovits, about why they trust the reliability of the International chassis.

The largest manufacturer of aircraft refueling trucks in the US, Garsite builds equipment for oil companies, airlines, airports and other fuel suppliers tasked with keeping thousands of planes fueled and ready to fly. It’s a business when every second counts. “We need to minimize downtime,” says Stipkovits. “For our customers, our equipment is their cash register.”

Garsite’s trucks are subjected to a unique gauntlet of challenges. Even though the vehicles never get above 20 mph, the engines operate consistently at 1,200-1,500 RPMs. Just a few minutes after a morning’s cold start, their vehicles might run 40 minutes at 1,500 RPMs to empty a tank of fuel into a commercial airliner for its first fueling of the day.

It’s tough work, but the International® vehicles that dominate their truck builds are always up to the task. “For our application, hands-down there’s no better chassis,” says Stipkovits.

Typically, Garsite utilizes the International® WorkStar® for 5,000-gallon-and-up refuellers and the new TerraStar® for smaller applications. The latter is typically used at flight schools, where the truck’s visibility and maneuverability make darting around rows of small aircraft a snap. Drivers sit up a little higher in the TerraStar than in the competitive trucks previously used for this application, Stipkovits notes, but the vehicles are still roomy and easy to get in and out of.

But most importantly, the trucks are commercial duty and it shows. “It’s a heavy duty cab on a light chassis,” Stipkovits says. “Our previous trucks just didn’t hold up.”

The visibility of the new sloped-hood version of the WorkStar® 7400 is also beneficial for navigating the controlled chaos of the country’s busiest commercial airports. “You have baggage carts flying around, congestion, traffic running all over the place. And even though it’s a large truck, it’s still a maneuverable piece of equipment,” says Stipkovits.

But of all the reasons why Garsite insists on International, it’s the customer service that stands apart. In addition to manufacturing more than 400 pieces of equipment a year, the company also manages a 300-truck nationwide fleet for oil company Conoco Phillips. Because Garsite provides technical support for all of the vehicles it builds, Stipkovits needs to know he can rely on International’s dealer network on behalf of his customers. And whether a situation requires that he call his hometown dealer near Garsite’s Kansas headquarters, or an engine expert from International’s home base in Illinois, Stipkovits is always confident he’ll get a call back quickly, day or night.

In fact, Stipkovits recalls a recent occasion when loose wiring caused a new International tractor pulling a 10,000-gallon fuel tanker to stall at a port in the Dominican Republic. One call to his tech support rep from Diamond International, and the problem was solved.

“International knows our operation so well, even when I’m out of the country, we can walk through a few things over the phone and get it fixed,” he says. “The customer service is far superior to any other chassis manufacturers out there.”

For more information about the International TerraStar, visit: Terrastar

International is taking its after-the-sale support to the next level with OnCommand™ Repair Advocate. The program, created for International on-highway big bore customers, assigns truck owners a dedicated representative to operate on the customer’s behalf in all matters relating to service.

According to Anthony Balkonis, customer support center manager, Navistar, the idea for Repair Advocate came several years ago, when International retooled its service philosophy to support the customer on the whole repair versus individual pieces. “We asked the question: What if areas such as customer support, diagnostic and repair support, parts identification, and warranty support could all work together as one team towards the same goal?” says Balkonis.

Here’s how the program works: If a breakdown occurs while you are on the road and away from your primary dealer, an assigned Repair Advocate not only aligns and mobilizes Service and Parts departments at International service locations, but also loops in technical, diagnostic, warranty and other experts as needed. Your Repair Advocate will direct you to the nearest service location, identify any open recalls and ensure that you are kept up to date every step of the way.

“You have somebody who’s filling in the gaps,” explains Balkonis. For example, your Repair Advocate might explain to a dealer that you prefer an estimate for work that will cost above a certain amount, or what criteria dictates whether your trucks should receive additional PM (preventative maintenance) service away from your home shop.

To gather this level of knowledge, Repair Advocates typically work onsite with the customer for one week every quarter getting to know the nuances of their fleet, as well as their business. “The Repair Advocates become part of the customer’s team, and through them, the customer has access to more than 1,000 dealer and support staff,” Balkonis says. “The program gives truck owners an extension of their business inside International.”

Once enrolled in Repair Advocate (customers with a new MaxxForce® 11, 13 or 15 engine are eligible for a free two-year subscription), the customer is assigned a case file that aligns all dealer and International support groups to track repair progress (including parts identification and sourcing) and better manage repairs from start to finish.

Larger customers may have their own customized portal to track repair work and communicate with dealer and technical staff. Smaller customers can utilize the program’s toll-free number to reach their advocate, who will open a case and direct them to the nearest International service location. Either way, the customer’s service history is tracked virtually through the use of a common online Case Management System.

“Our customers deserve quick, quality repairs along with clear communication so they can sustain their business when a breakdown occurs,” says Vaughn Allen, vice president, Global Service, Navistar. “By supporting our dealers on the entire repair (Parts & Service), and communicating through Repair Advocate with our customers, we are fulfilling this promise.”

For more information on OnCommand Repair Advocate, visit: Services