Eaton Corp. said the company's Fuller UltraShift HV (Highway Value) automated transmission has been named the preferred specification for all future North American medium-duty vehicle transactions at Idealease Inc., of Barrington, Ill.

According to Wade Lucas, vice president of service and equipment for Idealease, the decision was made because of the significant fuel savings advantages the UltraShift HV achieves when compared to competitive automatic transmissions.
Eaton confirmed that recent tests conducted by an independent firm in accordance with SAE J1526 Joint TMC/SAE Fuel Consumption In-Service Test Procedure, Type III, measured the UltraShift HV transmission against a conventional automatic transmission and determined that the UltraShift HV transmission delivered fuel economy savings of up to 19 percent.
The UltraShift HV is a fully automated transmission system for Class 6 and 7 vehicles with diesel engines in the 195 to 260 horsepower range. The HV is capable of handling torque capacities up to 660 pounds per foot and loads up to 33,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. The UltraShift HV transmission is ideally suited for pickup/delivery, service/utility and recovery applications.
Additional key features and benefits of the UltraShift HV transmission include:
• No scheduled maintenance: No filters to change and a Lubed for Life feature provides lower maintenance and reduced downtime costs.
• Hill assist: Automatically minimizes rollback on up to 10 percent grades while the operator makes the transition from the brake pedal to the accelerator, which benefits the driver in both uphill and downhill stop/start situations.
• Modular design: Provides more rapid service and reduced service costs.
• Commonality: Electronics modules and shift controls used on other Fuller manual and automated transmissions allow service providers to reduce service parts inventories and speed training and certification of technicians
With more than 400 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Idealease is one of North America's largest full-service transportation companies. The Idealease fleet numbers over 41,000 trucks, tractors and trailers.
For additional information on Eaton's UltraShift HV transmission and other Roadranger commercial vehicle components, visit www.roadranger.com. To reach Roadranger customer service in the U.S. or Canada, dial (800) 826-4357. In Mexico, dial 001-800-826-4357.