The Bose Ride system can now be purchased by individual owner-operators and small fleets, as the company has opened the first five Bose Ride system installation sites across the country.


Introduced in January 2010, the Bose Ride system replaces a conventional air-ride truck seat with a Bose suspension base and an integrated, custom-designed seat top.

The new installation centers are located in Southborough, Mass.; Detroit; Crossville, Tenn.; Dallas; and Phoenix.

"Over-the-road drivers spend up to 11 hours a day in their trucks, withstanding a ride much worse than that of a passenger car," said Mike Rosen, chief engineer and general manager, Bose Ride. "In our trials, drivers told us that this punishing ride dramatically impacts them -- both in the truck, and at home."

Instead of the usual air spring and shock absorber of the conventional air-ride suspension seat, the Bose Ride System uses a super-fast acting, active electromechanical actuator to cancel out the vibrations that find their way to a truck driver even when a suspension seat is specified.

To act fast and react to a driver who may be 350 pounds, the system draws a large power of 3500 Watts (around 50 hp) but the design uses the actuator as both a forcing device and as a regenerative generator which, with some energy storage built into the assembly means most of this energy stays within the seat base. The actual current draw in most circumstances is only around 4 amps or about the same as a 50-Watt light bulb.

More info: www.Bose.com/BoseRide