The Truck Writers of North America recently recognized the Bose Ride System as the top technical achievement for 2010.

The Bose Ride System replaces a conventional air-ride truck seat with a unique suspension base and an integrated, custom designed seat top -- providing over-the-road drivers with an unprecedented level of protection from road-induced shocks and vibration.

Bose is known for high-end audio products, including their popular noise-canceling headphones. Similar to the manner in which the headphones cancel background noise, the Bose Ride System senses and counteracts road vibrations to smooth out the driver's ride.

The Technical Achievement Award winner was selected by a committee of trucking media editors.

To be eligible for the Technical Achievement Award, a product or service has to clearly exhibit technical innovation, have a wide applicability in the trucking industry, offer significant benefits, and be widely available. While complete vehicles are not eligible, components and systems are.

The review process begins with candidates nominated by the press members of TWNA. Using a point system based on each committee member's ranking of the candidates, the four highest-scoring products are selected as finalists.

The "Top Four" finalists for 2010 were the HMP Thermal De-Icer from Heat Matt, Wheel Torque Solutions from Alcoa & Partners, the 14X Tandem Drive Axle from Meritor, and the Bose Ride System from Bose.

The very first Technical Achievement Award was presented in 1991 to Grote Industries for its red LED marker light. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Technical Achievement Award.