As you assessment your fleet priorities for 2025, you will need to first know what you need out of the subsequent addition to your fleet and the way it will go well with the necessity of your jobsites, operators and backside line. Among the many many elements that play right into a at this time’s buying issues are energy, capability, operator consolation, know-how and extra. And among the many many authentic tools producers (OEMs), Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) has been reshaping its choices to fulfill the wants of its finish customers. The corporate designs, engineers, manufactures and markets medium- and heavy-duty vans and their related applied sciences and elements beneath the Freightliner, Western Star and Detroit manufacturers.
Freightliner’s vocational phase portfolio spans Lessons 5-8 and features a vary of extremely customizable autos for quite a few purposes, from development to refuse assortment. Freightliner vans are designed to maximise productiveness, security and flexibility.
For over 50 years, Western Star has set an ordinary for constructing premium, high quality heavy-duty vans designed for special-purpose and long-distance haulage. With the launch of the X-Sequence, probably the most superior and rugged vans in its lineup, it presents purpose-built vans to fulfill tough challenges.
Detroit manufactures diesel and electrical powertrains, security methods and related car companies for Freightliner and Western Star industrial vans. Detroit’s diesel powertrain contains the DD collection of medium- and heavy-duty engines for a wide range of industrial and work car purposes, the DT12 automated guide transmission collection that meets each on-highway and vocational enterprise wants, and a number of axle choices for an entire built-in powertrain answer.
Samantha Parlier, director, model advertising and operations at DTNA, stated of the DTNA truck product portfolio, “There’s one thing for everyone,” showcasing its smallest M2 106 service physique to its largest twin-sphere crane from an axle capability, and every part in between at World of Concrete 2025.
The corporate has undergone considerably of a vocational transformation during the last 5 years. In response to Parlier, “We acknowledged we had two manufacturers – Freightliner and Western Star. The facility of each manufacturers is having the ability to serve a large market. So as a substitute of competing immediately, we’re in a complementary area. We have now our Freightliner model for a few of the lower-end Class 6, 7 and eight vans, after which now we have the Western Star model for the heavier, extra work truck, bigger frames, twin steers.”
She notes the advantage of the complementary manufacturers shouldn’t be solely the breadth of product, but in addition, for an upfitter or finish person, working with a standard electrical system throughout each Western Star and Freightliner collection.
In response to Aaron Scates, vice chairman, vocational and medium-duty market at DTNA, “Within the complementary product portfolio method, manufacturers are differentiated for various prospects who’ve completely different buy drivers. There are issues that make lots of sense to commonize, like {the electrical} structure, the way you upfit when it comes to the wiring and the programming, powertrain, security methods, diagnostics, and so on.” Scates says a bonus is assembly the wants of all kinds of various operations, however sustaining an identical expertise, makes it simpler coaching drivers and unifying security options, for example.
Applied sciences and Options
In response to Scates, know-how is a precedence for finish customers, and DTNA desires to provide its prospects the correct tech for the job. “We don’t do applied sciences for know-how’s sake,” stated Scates.
“For the final 4 and a half years since we launched the [Western Star] X Sequence, we’ve been targeted on getting prospects aware of the product. After which in 2022, on the Freightliner aspect, we did a serious enhancement to the inside, operator consolation, powertrain, electrical structure, security, calling it the Plus collection.” With each manufacturers and merchandise available on the market, DTNA says it’s keenly targeted on the options its finish customers need.
The corporate’s QuickFit Electrical System goals to assist prospects construct the right medium-duty service truck to suit a fleet’s wants shortly and effectively. “That is principally programmable digital modules and programmable switches powered by the Customized {Hardware} and Digital Configurator (CHEC) Device. CHEC is software program you could create versatile logic in,” stated Scates.
With this software, physique builders and upfitters can create their very own versatile logic to program the truck and management their physique tools with manufacturing facility switches within the truck.
In response to Scates, “With manufacturing facility switches, the Fast Match System and the CHEC software, we will really function your complete truck mattress and truck field, with all the switches on the sprint. That’s an enormous milestone.”
Raul Pena, who leads the CHEC staff, develops options and coaching for CHEC on completely different vans, emphasizing the rise in productiveness and effectivity on an upfit. “We’ve tried to make it actually easy with visible programming,” stated Pena. Utilizing solely 4 screws to take away the panel, upfitters have as much as 400 completely different built-in cap choices. “If we don’t have a change you want, we are going to create one for you,” stated Pena.
“All of those go to a connector on the again of the cab, and that’s your single level,” he stated.
“So, historically, if you happen to ever have a difficulty with physique features, you’re going exterior to a connector to diagnose what’s or what isn’t working. And also you’re going to splice completely different locations. We’ve eradicated that,” stated Pena. By means of the CHEC Device particularly, the client can program these to suit their wants, equivalent to open the tarp or carry gate, drop the mattress after they’re over a sure velocity, and so on.
“What we’ve tried to do is give folks a playground the place they will make the truck what they want it to be, and likewise lower the period of time takes for a brand new operator to come back in, and improve the reliability,” stated Pena.
There may be additionally a possibility to template a change configuration, program it in a batch and apply it to program each truck outfit in a fleet.
Within the cab, extra tech options come to mild with a 7-inch interactive touchscreen, providing integrations with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, together with a factory-installed backup digital camera, pre-selected upon speccing the Freightliner or Western Star.
“We’re marching towards ultimately getting [backup cameras] into each truck,” stated Scates. “It’s an enhancement for jobsite security and operator effectivity, and it enhances different options just like the Detroit Assurance lively security system.” Detroit Assurance makes use of radar and high-definition digital camera methods to speak with the Lively Brake Help (ABA), engine and transmission in actual time.
Additionally coming base mannequin commonplace on each Western Star and Freightliner is the ABA collision mitigation system that look out for stationary objects like automobiles and shifting objects like pedestrians. With a forward-facing radar on the bumper and a digital camera within the windshield, the 2 talk and make sure visible security threats.
As a part of the bottom mannequin commonplace setup, Adaptive Cruise Management (ACC), permits finish customers with a DT12 automated guide transmission to go right down to zero mph. These not on a DT12 can go right down to 10 mph.
Once more within the help class, Facet Guard Help (SGA) presents a aspect radar that covers passenger-side blind spots, offering an audible and visible warning to the motive force. On the jobsite, it’s on the lookout for shifting objects like human security threats.
Buy Drivers
When it comes right down to the specs and choice of a vocational truck, the recipe adjustments with the prepare dinner.
“The acquisition driver adjustments primarily based on the applying and the enterprise the client is in,” stated Parlier.
In a mixer versus dump state of affairs, Parlier says, “In the event you’re the mixer buyer, your job is to work with concrete. You receives a commission by the yard. So, if it can save you weight, you’ll be able to carry extra. And if you happen to care lots about weight, you may sacrifice energy for weight if you’re operating masses that you just’ve obtained to ship each 90 minutes out of your batch vegetation or your steady masses.”
For the dump truck operator, weight is commonly not as crucial. “It’s normally mattress dimension and never pushed by the burden of the fabric that they’ve within the mattress. And whether it is, they don’t receives a commission that rather more per cubic load. So, they could focus extra on the ability, saying. ‘I wish to get there quicker. I don’t actually get a profit from the burden.’ So, once we speak about speccing attributes, the reply is: it relies upon, which is the reply for nearly every part vocationally.”
In response to Parlier, “It’s all a numbers sport, so it’s essential to know your online business and your online business targets properly earlier than you even discuss to a truck producer, after which begin strolling the spec by means of that.”
Transmission Transitions
In response to Scates, the subsequent main shift within the vocational trade is transmissions. “For years, there have been manuals after which automatics. Automated manuals, principally clutched guide transmissions are comparatively new to the vocational area.”
In 2020 on the X Sequence, DTNA launched the DT12-V, a purpose-built model of its DT12 transmission made for the vocational and development area. Some options embody:
- Brake Maintain Mode — This unique function permits the motive force to pump the brake, holding you on a hill, then launch the brake if you hit the accelerator.
- Rock-Free Mode — One other unique function, this mode helps you keep away from wheel-stuck conditions by utilizing the accelerator to rock the car free
- Creep Mode — Permits a car to maneuver at a low velocity for higher maneuverability.
- Paver Mode — Permits a dump truck to shift from impartial to drive with out urgent the brake pedal whereas shifting away, making certain a gradual circulation to the paving machine.
- Off-Street Mode — Options shift maps that offer you peak efficiency on any terrain.
- Energy Launch — Robotically will increase engine velocity for easy, highly effective take-offs with heavy masses, whereas additionally defending the clutch and driveline.
Breaking down transmissions by demand, Scates says automatics have a robust demand as a result of, together with nice efficiency, it’s what persons are usually most aware of.
Nonetheless, Scates maintains that in some areas, the DT12 can carry out a bit extra effectively than an automated can carry out, with the identical stage of acceleration, shift, efficiency, and so on. “Automatics are higher in some areas, for positive, however we actually see it as a coexistence inside our portfolio.”
“All of it comes right down to the applying,” stated Parlier, who notes that 10 or 15 years in the past, the view might have been “guide or nothing,” however over time, it has fully shifted. “Most individuals and corporations don’t inventory manuals anymore, and it’s all automated or automated, and that’s been an enormous shift in demand,” stated Parlier.
With an automatic guide transmission, operators don’t have to consider the shift of the transmission, say, in a ready-mix truck or a dump truck. Scates says that’s only one thing more drivers can take off their minds with a purpose to give attention to the job at hand. “It makes coaching lots simpler. It helps with fatigue. Additionally helps with attracting extra operators to your online business,” stated Scates. “We actually see it as the longer term for vocational [trucks]. Automatics and automatic guide transmissions are positively taking on. They’ve taken maintain,” he stated.
Wanting Forward
With the corporate’s vocational transformation throughout the previous 10 years, DTNA has lots to supply with its X Sequence and Plus Sequence. In response to buyer suggestions, standouts among the many newer enhancements embody the cab inside upgrades, the standard of the trip, the mud and noise discount efforts, and total consolation.
With a watch to the longer term, DTNA is actively rising its footprint inside the market. In Canada, the corporate has moved up three locations in recent times. “We have been sixth total in market share. We moved as much as three, so we’ve surpassed Peterbilt, Worldwide and Volvo, which is a big badge of honor for us in a very quick time, and reveals the acceptance of the merchandise,” stated Parlier.
“We’ve additionally grown in North America — 39% 12 months over 12 months in 2024, and we’ve doubled since 2019,” stated Parlier. “It speaks to the work and the element that went into the merchandise and the acceptance of the market and the general public.”
In response to Scates, “We have now principally doubled our heavy vocational market share since we launched the X Sequence, so it’s been an enormous success.” He additionally notes there’s definitely extra to come back.
DTNA is scheduled to exhibit at Work Truck Week (Sales space 1121), happening in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 4-7, 2025.
