International Advantage

Customers rely on their local International dealers to provide answers to questions that arise before, during, and after the truck purchase. To ensure that dealers have the knowledge to provide spot-on advice, Navistar is investing in boot camps that train their sales people on every aspect of International trucks and MaxxForce engines.

Advances in truck and engine technology have changed the role of the salesperson; today’s dealer professionals need to operate as business consultants, guiding customers to the right solution for their specific application needs.

To meet these changes, last summer Navistar began holding a series of two-day training sessions designed to enhance dealer knowledge for the benefit of the customers. The initial sessions were focused on International medium-duty products such as the International® DuraStar® and new International TerraStar™, and covered everything from 2010 emissions standards to the many benefits of the programmable Diamond Logic® system. Starting this month, International sales personnel will receive similar training built around the International ProStar®+ and the MaxxForce® 13- and 15-liter engines. These heavy-duty events are currently taking place at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“We know that our sales people are the first point of contact with the customer,” notes Jim Hebe, Navistar senior vice president, sales and marketing. “It’s absolutely essential that they know the pros and cons of the different engine technologies in the market. And they also need to have first-hand experience with how our trucks drive, what they weigh, and other features and benefits, in order to make the proper recommendations.”

To that end, the boot camps feature a ride and drive component where sales people can get behind the wheel of both International and competitive make trucks. But perhaps the greatest benefit for customers, according to Gilligan, is the detailed engine teardown reviews that dealers participate in during the immersive training sessions.

“Our dealers get first hand experience by working side by side with our engine and powertrain experts in both the Sales and the Engineering organizations,” Hebe says. “By looking at our products directly compared to competitive engines, dealers walk out with real experience and a ton of information they can pass on to customers. The end result is a more educated and helpful sales force.”

The medium-duty sessions also dedicated a substantial amount of time educating dealers about features such as the Diamond Logic Electrical System, which allows TEM’s the flexibility to easily customize application-specific bodies. For the heavy-duty boot camps, training modules focus on the many advantages of the International ProStar+ with the MaxxForce 13 and 15 engines, such as the truck’s proven weight advantage, fluid economy savings, and power capabilities. Both include courses that explain the advantages of the no-hassle MaxxForce Advanced EGR in-cylinder emissions solution as they relate to specific applications, as well as industry trends.

“Our Sales, Training, and Dealer Marketing organizations are spending a considerable amount of time, effort and money to bring everyone in to help them serve the customers’ needs better,” says Hebe.

In the past, buying a fuel-efficient tire meant sacrificing things like traction and tread life. But according to Tim Miller, marketing communications manager for Goodyear, the performance gaps between standard and fuel-efficient tire offerings have narrowed, providing more options to help mitigate pain at the pump.

The scientific relationship between tires and fuel-efficiency is well known: As each tire on a vehicle rolls down the road, it creates a drag force. Known as rolling resistance, this energy loss is caused by the deflection of the tire sidewall and the compression of the tire tread on the road surface. Reducing this energy loss, combined with improvements in other areas such as aerodynamics and driver behavior, can go a long way towards boosting fuel economy.

Research shows that tire tread contributes to more than half of a tire’s rolling resistance. In order to make a tire more fuel-efficient, manufacturers such as Goodyear modified the tire’s tread compound, tread pattern, and tread depth—which resulted in fuel-efficient tires that could offer 20% lower rolling resistance and deliver a 3.5% improvement in fluid economy. But these fuel-saving tires used to require some compromises on the part of the truck owner.

“In the past, you gave up some wet traction and tread life in order to get fuel efficiency,” explains Miller, who says the technology behind Goodyear’s FuelMax brand tires has come a long way since their debut five years ago. “But over time, we’ve learned to use the technology that’s out there to produce tires where you don’t have to give up as much (including drive tire tread depth) as you used to; and, in some cases, you don’t have to give up anything to get the fuel economy benefits.”

Goodyear launched its latest example of advanced tire technology just this month: A new, SmartWay-approved fuel-efficient tire with full-tread depth, which also provides excellent traction and long wear. In addition, the company has begun distributing wide-base single tires. Because single tires weigh less than double-tire configurations, single tires can be both are more fuel-efficient and can allow for bigger payloads. The new single tires feature a technology called DuraSeal which seals a tire puncture up to a quarter-inch deep in diameter —which Miller says should ease driver concerns about being stuck on the road if the one tire goes down.

“Fuel-efficient tires cost a little bit more, but fleets have proven that they pay for themselves in a relatively short time,” Miller adds. “And as fuel prices go up, the more they make sense.”

While tire tread technology is focused mostly on aiding the fuel economy of on-highway fleets, tires are less of a factor when it comes to fuel economy for off-highway applications like construction or refuse pick-up. (For those applications, high idle-times and frequent start/stop operation are typically the culprits.) Those businesses are more worried about getting the traction they need, or resisting the chipping or chunking of the compound tread area on their tires when trudging through a landfill or quarry.

But Miller is quick to point out that all trucks benefit from proper tire inflation. It’s one of the easiest things you can do to save money, he notes, for fuel economy falls off sharply the more your tires are underinflated. “Keeping tires properly inflated will go a long way towards the durability of the casings, but it also ensures the tires are running down the road efficiently,” says Miller.

However, when it comes to improving fuel economy, perhaps even more important than tires is monitoring the driving habits of those behind the wheel. Aggressive driving habits can rapidly negate any investments in fuel-efficient or aerodynamic technologies. And reducing speed can have a tremendous impact: On average, every 1-mph increase over 50 mph reduces fuel mileage by .1 miles per gallon. With today’s technology, it’s easy to track and reward drivers who meet fuel economy goals.

Shifting has a huge impact as well: While accelerating, experts suggest short-shifting to keep your engine below 1,200 rpms; while decelerating, lug your engine to 1,150 rpms before downshifting.

When tackling rising fuel costs, the bottom line is this: Find the right balance of fuel-saving strategies that makes sense for your specific operation and application. And remember, little things can add up to big savings in the long run.

For more tire-related fuel saving tips, go to: http://www.goodyear.com/truck/support/feqs.html.

This year’s launch of the MaxxForce®15 engine marked a significant milestone: Navistar is now the first integrated truck and engine manufacturer in North America with its own line of engines across Class 4-8 commercial vehicles. For the customer, that means the company offers a truck and engine combination for virtually every commercial need.

The production of the new MaxxForce 15—available in International® ProStar®+ and International PayStar® vocational models—completes the broadest, most comprehensive lineup of integrated truck-engine offerings available, according to Jim Hebe, Navistar’s senior vice president, North American sales operations.

“Our lineup of MaxxForce Advanced EGR big bore engines truly differentiates us from the competition,” he says. “With the MaxxForce 15, we can provide customers the ultimate combination in durability and power.”

MaxxForce 15 for the International ProStar+ is available with up to 550 horsepower and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque and is the most powerful engine Navistar builds. The engine is extremely durable, and designed to handle the most extreme demands. It’s built on a proven block, with more than a million units produced since the 1970s.

The combination delivers unprecedented hauling power and unrivaled durability, with the convenience of a hassle-free 2010 emissions solution. “For fleets based in the Mountain West and Northwest, and throughout Canada, we now have the perfect option for you,” says Heather Street, integrated marketing manager, Navistar.

Peak torque is achieved at 1,000 rpm and holds steady to 1,600 rpm, which reduces gear-shifting needs uphill and allows for shifting at lower speeds when accelerating. Durability is enhanced with a four-bolt connecting rod design, which assures the clamping force and rigidity required for extreme loads and environments. The engine, currently in full-scale production, has received 2010 emissions certification from the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Beyond the addition of the MaxxForce 15 to Navistar’s portfolio, the MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 continue to provide customers with a winning combination of lightweight, fluid-efficient power. With a combination of technologically advanced materials and components, the MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 engines are the ideal powertrain for a wide range of applications.

Built on a block of compacted graphite iron (CGI), the engines provide superior strength, less fatigue and years of reliable service up to 1.2 million mile B50 durability. The engine design provides up to 500 pounds of weight savings over traditional big bore, gray-iron engines, which translates to greater payload capacity. A high-pressure common-rail fuel system, dual sequential turbo chargers, effective heat-management system and low-friction design deliver more torque and responsiveness at low rpm for outstanding fuel efficiency.

In the MaxxForce 11 and 13 engines, peak torque is achieved at 1,000 rpm and holds steady to 1,200 rpm, a much lower engine speed than other big bore engines. This reduces gear-shifting needs uphill and allows for shifting at lower speeds when accelerating. Later this year, MaxxForce 13 will be offered with up to 500 horsepower and available for order in the International® LoneStar®.

To date, Navistar has secured more than 71,000 orders for EPA 2010 vehicles. And with the industry’s most complete and integrated truck and engine lineup, the company expects that positive momentum to continue into the future.

With diesel fuel prices reaching record highs, many fleets are looking for alternatives. But how does Navistar determine which technologies to invest in? Whether the solution is natural gas, hybrids, or all-electric trucks, the first step is to study what’s driving the different technologies—and what the market can sustain in the long run.

For decades, Navistar has demonstrated its commitment to clean technologies. Navistar was the first OEM to release the smokeless diesel engine and the first manufacturer to gain EPA certification for meeting 2007 emissions standards—six years ahead of schedule. The company was also the first to deliver a commercial-duty hybrid-powered vehicle (within its International® DuraStar®). And the eStar™ all-electric powered vehicle is the first of its kind within the commercial truck industry.

This approach has led Navistar to the most comprehensive range of vehicle power in the industry. But their engineers continue to take a broad view, studying the technologies on the horizon that have the best potential to become a real-world reality.

According to Steve Gilligan, vice president, product marketing, Navistar, there are four areas the truck and engine maker considers when looking at new technologies: The potential for the technology to save the customer money; the belief that a certain solution is a fuel of the future; the impact of government regulations and incentives (and the long and short term impact of those elements); and whether a particular alternative fuel approach is technically unfeasible, or a passing fad.

“We want to ensure that we are investing in products that have both a short- and long-term future,” explains Gilligan. “It doesn’t make sense to pump out products to take advantage of short-term incentives and end up with dissatisfied customers because the technology doesn’t hold long-term potential. That’s why we’re looking at a combination of technologies to find the best options for our customers.”

For an example, look no further than Navistar’s natural gas powered solutions. Knowing that many customers are striving to reduce their carbon footprint, the OEM now offers a compressed natural gas 2010 emissions-compliant option for its International WorkStar®. The truck offers factory-installed 7.6L natural gas engines based on the legendary MaxxForce® DT, developed in partnership with Emissions Solutions, Inc. (ESI).

With today’s sky-high diesel prices, the fact that natural gas is on average $1 per gallon-equivalent cheaper, the potential for significant customer savings is certainly helping drive that particular technology. But many medium-duty fleets in the utility, construction, and other industries are also shifting to natural gas because they view it as a fuel of the future. In fact, in the refuse segment, many companies believe they can ultimately create their own natural gas from waste products.

But Gilligan thinks the bigger potential for natural gas could actually be in the heavy segment, where on-highway applications can see the biggest financial payback in the shortest amount of time. “We see heavy-duty customers moving there because it’s economically attractive,” he says. “From a technology standpoint, that’s the best place to be: When an alternative fuel reduces overall operating costs, it has the greater likelihood to be sustainable long term.”

For on-highway fleets, Navistar has developed and tested an International ProStar®+ 122” BBC tractor with a 430 HP / 1550 lb-ft LNG (liquified natural gas) MaxxForce 13-liter engine through a partnership with Clean Air Power. The engine uses diesel pilot injection for combustion on the compression stroke and mixes air and natural gas on the intake stroke. The result is an engine that runs on a mixture of 15% diesel and 85% natural gas.

The only change to the engine is the addition of a natural gas injection system. The changes to the chassis are the addition of a 26” diameter 119-gallon standard LNG tank that provides a 400-mile range, a coolant heated fuel vaporizer, and an LNG regulator and filter. Currently, Navistar is working with the EPA to define the engine’s regulatory requirements.

“There are some definite advantages to the diesel pilot injection approach, primarily that it can run on 100% diesel if a customer doesn’t have access to LNG,” says Gilligan. “And that diesel pilot injection engines provide ‘diesel-like’ fuel economy. It’s excellent in a regional haul, heavy truck operation where customers want good fuel economy performance, and don’t want the risk of running out of fuel. As the country builds out infrastructure for natural gas, the risk to a customer running out of fuel is significantly reduced.”

But no matter the technology, the end-user is the ultimate arbiter of the future. That’s why Navistar is committed to listening to customer needs. In fact, this month, Navistar leaders met with large truckload carriers in Long Beach, California to discuss their preferences when it comes to next-generation technologies.

We’re being careful to talk to customers as we determine what the final product will be for the big bore segment,” says Gilligan. “The movement to any new technology has to be carefully orchestrated. As a company, we’re committed to staying proactive in order to find the best solution.”