International recently unveiled the LoadStar™, the first new low cab forward work truck in more than a decade. The vehicle not only shows the OEM’s commitment to the waste hauling, concrete pumping, and airline refueler segments—it also demonstrates a dedication to delivering game-changing solutions throughout its portfolio.

With the LoadStar, International has built on its longtime leadership in the vocational segment. But to build a better low cab forward offering, Navistar engineers and designers knew they had to drill deeper. Before the first design sketch was drawn, the team analyzed existing vehicles and rode alongside drivers to gather firsthand knowledge of their needs.

The goal: To develop a true 21st century work truck for applications that, until now, had to rely on designs stuck in the past. “We didn’t want to design this truck from the office,” says Jerry Hlavacek, general manager, refuse and specialty vehicles, Navistar. “We wanted to learn how drivers actually utilize their vehicles, to find out what they do day in and day out.”

Navistar didn’t stop there. Along with driver input, engineers tapped fleet managers, technicians, and truck body builders for feedback to ensure the LoadStar fit the collective needs of every audience. “It was important that we understood the customer’s needs from multiple dimensions,” Hlavacek notes.

The result is a fully re-imagined work truck that’s built to last, one that accommodates the customer in ways that the competition can’t match.

Key features of the new LoadStar

To serve industries that typically run their trucks for a decade or more, and run them through the harshest of conditions, the LoadStar features the industry’s first stainless steel cab-over design. “This is an all-new, North American-built precision cab,” says Hlavacek. He points out that the design provides the ultimate corrosion resistance, along with weight savings thanks to lightweight aluminum doors.

Additional strength comes from variable depth frame rails. These lighter-weight frame rails bring added benefits in the form of more payload capacity and better ride characteristics when compared with traditional straight rail systems.

Engineers also did extensive studies on mirror placement. With superior front, side and rear visibility and excellent wall-to-wall turning radius, this highly maneuverable truck can take on the tightest corners. And that means a safer ride. “Most accidents with waste collection trucks happen when they’re backing up,” explains Melissa Gauger, manager, North American truck product platform. “A tighter turning radius means you’re backing up less.”

And in an industry where cramped quarters are the norm, the new LoadStar offers the kind of well-thought-out ergonomic features that can reduce fatigue for drivers of all sizes. Among the enhancements are an available tilt/telescoping steer column and optimal joystick placement, a 90-degree door opening, and easy 18-inch first step height. “Very few products in this market have put much thinking into ergonomics,” says Gauger. “We wanted to make the truck easy to get in and out of, and comfortable to operate for 10 hours a day.”

The clean, driver-friendly layout also puts body control switches within easy reach, making it simple to utilize the full capabilities of the Diamond Logic® electrical system. International’s proprietary technology provides seamless integration between chassis and body operations, allowing for a wide array of safety locks and power switches for equipment such as rear cameras, packers, and PTOs (power take-offs).

The Diamond Logic multiplexed electrical system is an upgrade from traditional hardwired systems because, instead of needing separate, point-to-point wiring for each single piece of data, it sends data across just a few sets of wires. This reduces complexity during the truck build for body builders, and makes troubleshooting a snap.

The LoadStar also offers a full lineup of engines that’s unparalleled in the industry. No other severe-service truck can touch the wide variety, which includes diesel-powered MaxxForce® 10,11, 13-liter options that feature CleanBurn™ Emissions Technology, the only no-hassle emissions solution without the burden of liquid urea or extra weight. And, coming in Spring 2013: a Cummins Westport ISL-G compressed natural gas version for additional versatility.

Finally, those who invest in the new LoadStar will benefit from the industry’s largest dealer network. More than 700 dealer locations across North America are available to provide parts and service expertise to keep operators on their routes and away from the shop.

“I think it speaks volumes that we’ve made such a significant investment in a truck that serves a relatively low-volume segment,” says Hlavacek. “The LoadStar proves that Navistar is only concerned with one thing: designing solutions for our customers.”

For more information on the International LoadStar, visit: Loadstar

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Dirt. Grime. Grease. Extreme temperature swings. The service bay is no place for a computer. Thankfully, the laptops International dealers rely on for truck diagnostics are rugged Panasonic Toughbooks. We spoke with the trainer/recruiter at one of the nation’s top International dealers about how these essential tools improve the efficiency of his techs and help expedite customer repairs.

International’s relationship with Panasonic began in 1999, when it began offering Toughbook notebook computers as part of its EZ-Tech® dealer program. Created to standardize diagnostic technology in dealers’ bays throughout North America, one of the goals of the EZ-Tech program was to upgrade the heavy, costly and unreliable early-generation military mobile computers used by many dealers.

“We chose rugged Panasonic Toughbook mobile computers for the EZ-Tech program to ensure that our dealers have reliable technology in place to streamline diagnostic and repair procedures," says Tom Beesley, electronics service tools manager, Navistar. “With extreme environments like trucking service bays, durable technology and equipment are critical.”

Today, more than 3,500 rugged Panasonic Toughbook computers are used throughout the dealer network. As part of the EZ-Tech program, participating dealers order laptops with vendor and International® software already loaded, so the computers can be turned on and put to work right away.

According to Jim Hinton, technician trainer/recruiter at Diamond International, a dealership headquartered in Memphis with 16 locations across four states, the job of the service tech has changed dramatically over the past 15 years. Whether you’re working on an engine, a transmission, brake systems, any sort of trouble-shooting requires a laptop.

“It’s not just about changing parts anymore; you have to use the software, and you need a computer that works,” he says.

Hinton says that the Toughbooks bring his technicians confidence. “I don’t know if you could put a value on them. They are so important in terms of getting a truck repaired and back to the customer. We run those computers hard all day long. And if one diagnostic tool goes down, that’s one more obstacle we have to overcome in the shop.”

Thankfully, Diamond’s local Panasonic repair center shares International’s philosophy when it comes to service; laptops are fixed quickly, and replacement units sent out as needed. “They know the value of those laptops to us,” Hinton notes. “When we call in, they’ll promptly get on it and get it done.”

For Diamond and other International dealers, there’s a direct link between the reliability of their Toughbooks and the service department’s ability to perform its best. “When we have all of our diagnostic tools working, the truck gets diagnosed quicker, and gets back on the road for the customer that much quicker,” says Hinton. “That translates to reduced downtime and improved efficiencies and, ultimately, more satisfied customers.”

But more than anything, the partnership with Panasonic illustrates the commitment of International to ensure that their dealers have the tools they need to be successful.

“We have challenges every day, but International gives us the resources to support our customers. We’re all working together to get the customer back on the road as fast as we can.”

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By partnering with Clean Energy®—a supplier of natural gas fueling stations—Navistar is forging ahead with a plan to finally provide operators with a realistic, practical alternative to diesel.

Currently nearly $1.50 less-per-gallon-equivalent than diesel, the low cost of natural gas—as well as its abundant domestic supply—has helped it emerge as America’s best opportunity to reduce its longstanding reliance on foreign oil, according to many energy experts. “We import 12 million gallons of oil every year,” says T. Boone Pickens, the longtime oil executive who is now a leading proponent of natural gas, as well as a major investor in Clean Energy. “But we have a 100-year supply of natural gas right here at home; we have the resources to be energy-independent.”

The fuel is extracted from underground shale rock layers using a process called fracking, or hydraulic fracturing. Water and other components are pumped into the ground to create cracks, or fractures, that release the natural gas into collection wells.

As natural gas continues to gain momentum within the trucking community, Navistar is taking a leadership role. Late last year, Navistar executives met with Pickens to figure out a way to overcome the barriers to widespread acceptance: the shortage of affordable natural gas powered trucks, and the lack of a network of nationwide fueling stations.

“We needed to work together to bring the right products to the marketplace, along with the infrastructure,” explains Nadine Haupt, director of alternative fuels, Navistar.

The solution proposed by Navistar and Clean Energy is a breakthrough program that offers customers a quicker payback on their investment plus added fuel costs savings from day one of operation.

Under this new coalition, Navistar is committed to developing new natural gas products, and making them more affordable for operators with creative lease agreements that will keep their monthly outlay comparable to the costs associated with diesel vehicles. And Clean Energy is providing access by building a natural gas superhighway of filling stations across the nation, with more than 150 planned for next year alone, many co-located at Pilot-Flying J Travel Centers already used by today’s truckers.

The alliance offers guaranteed fuel costs (at a delta percentage under diesel costs), as well as rebates for those using at least 1,000 gallons of natural gas per month. “No matter the customer, there should be a one-to-three-year payback on the investment in a new natural gas vehicle,” explains Haupt.

The goal of the strategic partnership: To help accelerate the adoption of natural gas technologies by making it easier for customers to invest in trucks powered by the new technology.

The natural gas lineup

Navistar’s extended range of truck engines puts the company in a strong position to offer what will be the broadest portfolio of integrated products in the marketplace. In partnership with ESI, Navistar has created an engine using the legendary DT-466. The engine currently powers both the International® DuraStar® and WorkStar®. And soon, customers will soon be able to order the 8.9-liter Cummins-Westport ISL-G engine in the International® TranStar® and WorkStar, as well as the new LoadStar™ low cab forward work truck.

And, in mid-2013, Navistar will offer a true game-changing engine: a diesel pilot injection LNG (liquefied natural gas) MaxxForce® 13 developed with Clean Air Power Ltd. that will burn 85 percent natural gas and 15 percent diesel.

“We have some advantages [compared with other OEMs],” explains Navistar Chairman Dan Ustian. “Everyone [else] has been investing in aftertreatment; but we’ve been investing in combustion. That will bring us an advantage, whether the engine is natural gas or a mixture of natural gas and diesel.”

Navistar is also going above and beyond in terms of preparing dealer technicians for the industry’s shift towards natural gas vehicles. From facility modifications to expert training of service staff, customers can remain confident that natural gas trucks will get the same high level of service and support that they currently receive with their diesel-powered vehicles.

“Another advantage is our dealers,” Ustian adds. “They are committed to making the investment to service natural gas trucks. Our industry-leading dealer network and Clean Energy's unmatched fuel distribution system combine to make natural gas a good business decision for our customers.”

For more information on Navistar’s commitment to natural gas, visit: Commitment to Natural Gas

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Since its release two years ago, one of the hallmarks of the International® TerraStar® work truck has been its versatility. Across the country, fleets ranging from general contractors to landscapers to fire and rescue workers to oilfield operators are discovering that the truck is up for any challenge.

Powered by a MaxxForce® 7 engine that cranks out 300-horsepower and 660-pound-feet of torque, the TerraStar is a unique specimen that provides serious hauling capacity along with the maneuverability of a smaller truck. Factor in the standard Allison five-speed automatic transmission and high-strength, 80,000 PSI huck-bolted frames, and it’s no surprise that organizations everywhere are relying on the TerraStar for their toughest jobs.

For example, in Ft. Myers, Fla., Juniper Landscaping invested in a new International TerraStar that it utilizes as a smaller version of a tractor-trailer. Co-owner Brandon Duke equipped the medium-duty truck with a fifth wheel attachment and regularly hauls a 40-foot trailer filled with trees and shrubs to jobs that include residential installations and million-dollar roadway projects. “It has plenty of power to handle the weight we need it to handle,” Duke says.

Tim Felts, partner/vice-president of Crawford Landscaping in Naples, Fla., also finds the TerraStar ideal for construction work. The truck itself has a capacity of 19,500 GVWR, but when pulling a trailer the TerraStar hauls nearly 29,000 pounds worth of machinery and materials. “It can pull all that weight [without any problems],” Felts says. “And we have the crew cab, so we also have the ability to haul a large crew and get them to the job site.”

“This is a truck purpose-built for medium-duty workloads,” says Randy Oetting, director, business development, Navistar. “It’s unique in that it’s a work truck that offers the advantages of a larger truck in a lighter package. Anyone who could use the durability and reliability of a real-deal commercial grade work vehicle is going to find what they’re looking for with the TerraStar.”

Fire and rescue organizations are also responding to the ruggedness and maneuverability of the TerraStar, explains Bob Neitzel, vocational marketing manager, Navistar. At the recent Fire Expo 2012 show in Harrisburg, Penn., fire chiefs and other decision makers continued to show support for the vehicle as a solid solution for light rescue situations and other applications. “The short wheel base provides maximum maneuverability for their trucks,” Neitzel says. “For emergency vehicles, the ability to swing around in tight spaces can be the difference between life and death.”

And with an upated steering gear, the TerraStar now features a best-in-class turning radius and a 50-degree wheel cut.

In addition, the TerraStar features the International® Diamond Logic® electrical system, one of the most advanced electrical multiplexing architectures available in commercial trucks. Diamond Logic maximizes ease of body integration and helps deliver a number of smart, customizable features for added convenience and safety—such as automated headlights on with wipers, interlocks, and programmable switches.

Boasting the best visibility in its class, with 38 percent better front-forward visibility than the leading competitor, the TerraStar also features the largest cab in its class and a 107-inch BBC (bumper to back-of-cab) length. Plus, the truck provides a clean and clear chassis for easy body and equipment mounting.

The truck has received thousands of orders since its introduction, and International is currently developing a 4x4 version for customers with more severe commercial duty needs.

For more information on the TerraStar, visit:Terrastar