Navistar International and its Continental Mixer subsidiary have completed an assembly agreement with Indiana Phoenix and say they are ready to take orders for an integrated front-discharge mixer chassis.
The news came this week at the World of Concrete show in Las Vegas.

As announced last year, the truck will use a Phoenix rear-engine chassis, Navistar MaxxForce 13 diesel and Continental front-discharge mixer body, and will be sold and serviced through Continental dealers in the United States and Canada.

Navistar and Continental meanwhile are expanding their planned lineup of integrated mixer trucks, with the latest being a Bridge Saver model for bridge formula states requiring long wheelbases, and a trailer mixer with a high-capacity drum.

The trailer mixer is due out this summer and can be pulled by an International WorkStar or other tractor. It's aimed primarily at Canadian markets, though this type is also used in some U.S. locales.

The Bridge Saver truck uses a WorkStar chassis and a Continental barrel fabricated of Hardox high-strength steel specifically formulated for concrete mixers.

This material saves nearly 2,000 pounds versus comparably spec'd steel mixers and retains the durability advantages of steel over composite materials, Guillaume said. Controls for the mixer can be tied into the truck's Diamond Logic multiplex wiring system to allow easier and more efficient operation of the drum.

The front-discharge mixer truck will be assembled by Indiana Phoenix at its plant in Avilla, Ind., with a variety of axle configurations available. The drum and associated componentry will come from Continental's factory in Houston, Tex.

The MaxxForce 13 diesel, rated at 415 or 430 horsepower and 1,450 pounds-feet, will be built at Navistar's engine plant in Melrose Park, Ill. The engine uses Navistar's Advanced EGR emissions system which needs no liquid urea tanks or SCR aftertreatment. This alone saves about 400 pounds compared to competitors' engines, Guillaume said.

The 12.4-liter engine had previously been certified to meet EPA 2010 emissions limits for International truck models, so was a logical choice for the new mixer truck, he said. It has been thoroughly tested at Navistar's Fort Wayne, Ind., technical center for use in the Phoenix chassis.

Continental's dealers will sell and service the integrated mixers. The company now has 29 dealers with 120 locations in 24 states and Canada, Guillaume said. More will be added soon.