International Advantage

One year after the vehicle’s debut, businesses throughout North America are experiencing the benefits of the International® TerraStar®, a medium duty work truck built with commercial grade components by a commercial truck maker. We recently sat down with chassis integration experts from a major body builder to get their take on what applications could see the most upside from this tough work truck.

The International TerraStar was developed to provide customers with a work truck from true commercial duty bloodlines—a truck that can be counted on day in and day out. Two big ways it delivers on those promises: a 6.4-liter MaxxForce® 7 engine, which delivers 300-horsepower and 660 lb.-ft. torque; and a rugged chassis featuring best-in-class 80,000 PSI frame rails huckbolted for strength and durability. That combination of power and strength places it in a unique position in the marketplace.

According to Eric Loyd, chassis applications engineer for Altec, a leading equipment provider for the utility, telecommunications, contractor, and tree care industries, the chassis also offers a number of advantages that body builders can pass on to the customer.

“It definitely offers a more robust platform for us to mount on,” says Loyd. “That class of chassis typically doesn’t have any reinforcement added by our facilities. With that frame, the TerraStar truck is more apt to resist torsion (twisting caused by applied torque). It gives us more meat to play with, and more options as far as what we mount and where we mount it. But for us, one of the main benefits is familiarity; the interface points are similar to the International DuraStar® and WorkStar® trucks we’ve been working with for years.”

Beyond the toughness and convenience of the chassis, it’s the integration possibilities available through the Diamond Logic® electrical system that really push the TerraStar beyond other players in the marketplace. The proprietary multiplex technology offered by Navistar provides control and communication between major functional areas of the vehicle. Plus, the system can be pre-programmed with features such a safety interlocks to protect equipment and parking brake alarms.

Indeed, for some customers, shifting to a truly commercial grade work truck means stepping up the game in terms of vehicle integration.

“Looking at the other Class 4/5 offerings, their integration is one-way. But with the International chassis, we can program it to do what we want it to do,” says Loyd. “If you have a basic truck that’s just about carrying a load, one truck may work just as well as another. But if you’re looking to add equipment such as telematics, lights, coolers, things that require electrical integration within the truck, as well as with our equipment, there are many more avenues to do that with the TerraStar.”

Loyd sees the most potential for the TerraStar within early adopters craving that level of technology, as well as fleets already running International class 6 though 8 chassis who may need to spread down to Class 4/5. “Now, instead of having to buy different trucks, they can continue their entire fleet across one brand,” says Lloyd. “That brings parts efficiencies. And their technicians are already familiar with the engines and know how they behave.”

For more information on the International TerraStar, click here: International Trucks-Terrastar

All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

Today’s transmissions are very different from those offered even five years ago. With so many options available, and the industry rapidly shifting towards automated products, we sat down with Shane Groner, product planning manager, Eaton Commercial Vehicle Transmissions, to learn more about what’s driving current trends.

Question: What should customers know about the new family of Eaton automated transmissions?

Answer: We’ve essentially automated every family of mechanical product that we have. With the UltraShift® PLUS, for example, you can still get a 10-speed, two-pedal system. But now it has an electric clutch actuation system; it no longer has that lag you used to get when you’d throttle up before the truck moves. It locks the clutch up at idle, with good low-speed maneuverability. It’s a different feeling transmission than you used to get from Eaton from an automated standpoint.

Q: What about direct drive vs. overdrive? That seems to be a hot topic.

A: It is a hot topic. You can still get the traditional 10-speed, that tried and true fleet transmission—and today you can get that in a direct drive or an overdrive. But before making a choice, it’s important to consider how engines have changed. I mean, look at torque curve on the MaxxForce® engines versus engines from five years ago: It’s a totally different animal. Today, we can produce top torque at 1100 rpms and carry that flat to 1600-1700 rpms. The curves are all a little different, but at a low rpm we are really pulling. That’s where the direct drive comes in. But overall, the decision between direct drive and overdrive is determined by your application requirements.

Q: What is driving the trend towards automated transmissions? Is it because of more inexperienced drivers in the industry? Or is it new engine technology?

A: There’s no one answer. Some do it for fuel efficiency; typically, overall fuel economy will go up by switching to automated transmissions. That’s mostly because it makes your less experienced or less talented drivers better. Good drivers make good shift decisions pretty much all the time—they work the engine; they figure out where it optimally runs; they’re watching fuel economy. But take a driver new to the business just figuring out how to get down the road, and these automated transmissions will most likely increase their safety record—because it’s one less thing the driver has to do—and they will improve driver fatigue issues. They don’t have to think through upshifting or downshifting because the automation will do that for them consistently, shift after shift.

Q: Why is the International® ProStar®+ with the MaxxForce® 13 and the UltraShift PLUS such a potent combination?

A: First off, the ProStar+ clearly has an aero advantage over other OEMs. So you take a solid aero package and then an engine that doesn’t require SCR, and you add all the benefits of our automated UltraShift behind it, it’s a powerful combination delivering optimal fluid economy. Plus, you have a lot of model flexibility, can go with the 10, 13, 18 speeds, whatever best fits your operation.

Q: What about products for vocational trucks?

A: If you’re going with a WorkStar® chassis, for example, you now have plenty of fully automated options. If you’ve run a mechanical or a torque-inverted automatic, you know those typically eat up a lot of fuel. But our automated vocational transmissions operate based on the same theory as our long-haul products. They’re optimized for the engine, and they operate consistently based on the information exchanged between the engine and the transmission. They feature a dry clutch gear system, which removes the inherent inefficiencies of a torque converter and an oil-driven system. All in all, it’s hard to beat that combination.

For more information on Eaton products, visit: Eaton Products.

For information on the Drive It To Believe It sales promotion, which features a $3,500 credit for the purchase of an UltraShift PLUS with an International ProStar+ and MaxxForce 13 engine, go to: International Trucks

All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

During his 58-year professional career, Mike Meehan has sold only one product: International® trucks. The 83-year-old dealer rep—who still sells trucks today—talks about how the trucking industry has changed over the years, but the fundamentals of good service haven’t.

Two days a week, Meehan gets in his car and drives 40 miles from his home in Huntertown, Ind. across the state to Norris International Trucks in LaGrange. Along the way he stops in Fort Wayne to attend church, grabs a quick breakfast, and then starts checking in with his customers. In an era when many sales relationships exist purely via phone and email, Meehan sticks with what he knows best: maintaining personal contacts.

“I think most customers still appreciate being called on,” he says. “It’s certainly helped me over the years. It’s the only way I know.”

Meehan began his career with International in 1953, working in the accounting department and then as a parts runner at the factory branch dealership in Fort Wayne, Ind. Soon, the gregarious young man found his way into sales. He still remembers the first truck he ever sold: a 1956 S-160 International.

“The old adage was you’d call on a customer once a month, so you’d see him every 30 days. I had one customer: he would call me every time he’d go out and shop for trailers. Well, I didn’t know anything about trailers except that the tires on them were black and round, and they had a big box on them,” Meehan laughs.

When the factory-owned dealership was sold in the 1980s, Meehan moved to another International dealer, Lincoln Way, in Fort Wayne, staying on through three ownership changes. Along the way he raised 12 children, providing a comfortable living through his hard work and dedication to selling a product he believed in. It’s a product he still believes in today.

“Over the years, the parts and service from International has been excellent. You could always tell the customer, ‘We have dealers throughout the country.’ That’s still a big factor,” he says. “You’re not going to find that quality anywhere else.”

Among the milestones of Meehan’s long and respected career, he recalls the time he helped sell more than 250 trucks in a single year to North American Van Lines. But he also speaks proudly of his most recent sale: a single used 2006 PayStar® he sold to a local construction contractor just this year. No matter what the sale, he believes the end result is always about the same thing: Delivering peace of mind. “The customer has to know they have a product that can go down the road and get them from point A to point B,” he says. “They depend on you. That’s why International is so strong.”

“I believe that he has been so successful because he is honorable. By honorable I mean that Mike maintained a high level of integrity when dealing with his customers, and his word was his bond,” says Gary Timmerman, owner of Norris International Trucks, who hired Meehan ten years ago to work there part-time.

Today, Meehan works a few days a week not because he has to, but because he wants to. He still loves selling trucks. “I don’t have any hobbies and you can only travel so much. You meet a lot of people and you get a lot of ideas. It’s still educational. That’s why I do it.”

To help keep customers safe and in compliance with new stopping distance regulations, International is taking a number of proactive steps. Among the changes: Increasing brake lining size, and adding partial and full disc brakes to its portfolio of offerings.

First announced in 2009 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the new regulations reduce the allowable stopping distance for the majority of new trucks by 30%. Heavy-duty tractors will be required to fully stop in less than 250 feet (when loaded to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and tested at a speed of 60 mph). This is 105 feet less than the current regulation.

The ruling goes into effect in two phases: the standard 6x4 tractor with a GVWR of 59,600 lbs or less on August 1, 2011, and all other non-standard tractors on August 1, 2013. The government’s intention is to reduce the stopping distance disparity between heavy and light vehicles, with officials stating this regulation could result in fewer deaths and injuries, as well as reduced property damage.

According to Bernie laBastide Jr., chief engineer, brake systems, Navistar’s goal is to minimize the effect of these new regulations on the customer as much as possible. “When it comes to brakes, cost is always an issue. And in many cases, weight is very important to customers,” he says. “That’s why International trucks will feature a variety of options, from low cost/low weight to bigger brake or disc options, to increase performance without sacrificing lining life.”

Load transfer offers the biggest hurdle when it comes to the development of the new brake options. This is because increasing the deceleration rate increases the load transfer from the rear axles to the front. “Most of the braking capabilities are on the rear axles,” says laBastide. “With the increased transfer of load to the front, we need to bulk up the front axle braking capabilities. And as the rear axles are unloaded, rear wheel friction can become an issue.”

In other words, putting the rear rubber to the road—and keeping it there—is a challenge. To meet those challenges, in some cases, 6-channel ABS systems may be required where 4-channel systems were standard.

One unavoidable byproduct of the new regulations: front brakes will become larger. The degree of how large depends on the customer’s axle GVWR and fleet requirements.

“We can utilize a 15” diameter brake on the front if we de-rate the vehicle GVWR,” says laBastide. “By upsizing to the 16.5” diameter front brake or going with a front air disc brake, we can offer the customer the current standard GVWR (12,350-lb front/40,000-lb rear). With the lightweight lower cost option, we can rate the vehicle to 12,350-lb front/34,000-lb rear. The 15”, lightweight option will allow the customer to haul more payload than if the standard larger brakes were specified.”

Choosing the best brake option

To help determine the right option, it’s important to review the priorities of your business. Those customers who ‘cube out,’ or run out of room, typically don’t need lightweight components as much as customers who ‘gross out’ and haul to the maximum load allowed by law. Cost-conscious customers may want to minimize brake lining material replacement and choose a bigger brake with more wearable lining material. And those fleets with more focus on safety will likely go with air disc brakes—the most expensive option, but also the lightest package if ordered on all axles.

From an ongoing maintenance standpoint, you shouldn’t experience any differences except for additional front brake wear. The front brakes will actually wear more in line with the rear brakes, meaning both will likely need to be changed out at the same reline.

And while most current brake linings will be eliminated, the new generation of brake lining material is expected to provide a longer life even with the shorter stopping requirements. “One thing I would highly recommend is that new generation lining materials be specified on new trailers, and up-fitted on existing trailers the next time a reline is required,” says laBastide. “This will help improve lining life so the tractor and trailer ‘work’ becomes more equal.”

In the end, while the new regulations may bring changes to the brakes you put on your trucks, the impact on those who drive them every day will be minimal. “Your drivers will not notice a change, nor will they have to change their driving habits,” says laBastide.

For more information on the new stopping distance regulations, visit:

NHTSA