ReAx from ZF was originally designed as something that would make it easier to steer a truck at lower speeds, but it has become a key component in automated driver assist features and may someday enable fully autonomous driving.
We’re nearly halfway through 2019, so HDT Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge asked HDT’s Editorial Advisory Board what current trends and issues are most on their minds.
Medium-duty truck builders will soon have a groundbreaking transmission to add to their data books, and heavy-truck makers will have more steering assist options thanks to recently demonstrated technologies from German supplier ZF.
Beginning next year, ZF will use a two-lens camera system to improve the performance and functionality of various advanced driver safety features. A second lens enables redundancy for Level2+ autonomous functions and offers wide-angle field of view for pedestrian detection.
Daimler’s optional Level 2 technologies, Lane Keep Assist and ACC to Zero, will make drivers’ jobs easier and likely a little safer — if they don’t abuse them. Jim Park reports on his experience with the latest Detroit technology on a Freightliner Cascadia.
Collision mitigation and emergency braking systems on trucks could save lives, according to the National Transportation Safety Board and fleets that use them. But you can’t just spec advanced safety technology on your truck and think you’re done.
A switch to more regional haul routes, combined with a slate of new and emerging technologies, could transform the trucking industry on multiple fronts, says a new report from the North America Council for Freight Efficiency.
As it gets closer to announcing the availability of commercial truck platooning, Peloton Technologies laid out the details of how its two-truck platooning system, PlatoonPro, works to ensure safety and security in a new report.
In a seeming repeat of last year's performance, Daimler Trucks North America said it is effectively sold out for the remainder of the 2019 model year. The company sold a record 175,950 units in 2018. It was the largest year ever for retail sales in the history of the company, said Richard Howard, DTNA’s senior vice president – sales and marketing.
In our January issue, HDT Equipment Editor Jim Park explored how advances in steering are soon going to make driving easier, and will be an important part of the move toward more automation in trucks. Here's a more extended interview on the topic with Jon Morrison, president of the Americas at Wabco.