DTNA Tells Details of Plans for Drivetrain Unit, Axle Line

This story appears in the Jan. 23 print edition of Transport Topics.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Officials of Daimler Trucks North America revealed details about their plans to turn what formerly had been known as Detroit Diesel into an integrated drivetrain brand, offering information on its new axle line and saying it soon would begin selling automated mechanical transmissions.

Company officials initially revealed general plans in October, when they changed the name of the unit to simply “Detroit.” Executives met with the press here on Jan. 11 to flesh out the details.

“The issue today is vehicle integration, not vertical integration,” said David Hames, DTNA’s general manager of marketing and strategy. And that shift drove the company to look to broaden Detroit Diesel’s horizons while retaining the cachet of a proven brand.

In sum, Hames said, “Detroit is bringing a full powertrain to the [North American] market” and will offer all the components necessary to move the products built by its Freightliner, Western Star, Freightliner Custom Chassis and Thomas Built Buses subsidiaries.

He said that “the next big opportunity for Daimler in North America” will be to introduce a line of automated transmissions, which already dominate the markets in Europe and Asia and are beginning to grow in popularity here.

DTNA, Hames said, intends to be the only truck maker that also offers engines, axles and transmissions in North America. The company announced its intentions to begin selling the transmissions here late last year.

He said the company would customize automated transmissions that it currently manufactures and sells in Europe and Asia.

He said the transmissions are becoming more popular because they help fleets improve fuel economy. Other officials also have pointed to the automated units as a way to make operating trucks easier for all drivers and to allow smaller people, including women, to pilot heavy-duty vehicles more comfortably.

“AMTs are the missing link in powertrain optimization,” Hames said, which has driven DTNA to begin selling them here.

The AMT business in the United States currently is dominated by Eaton Corp. DTNA competitor Volvo Trucks North America also currently offers its I-Shift AMT and is moving production of the transmission from Sweden to North America for its Nafta sales.

Meanwhile, Detroit officials detailed the axle line they are now selling to the gathering of industry journalists.

The full line of products will be produced in Detroit’s engine plant in Redford, Mich., and will be offered in competition with axles from DTNA’s current suppliers, Meritor and Dana Corp.

Detroit will offer axles for on-highway and off-road applications “in nearly all weight ratings,” said Brad Williamson, DTNA’s manager of engine and component marketing.

He said the designs are based on existing products produced by Germany-based parent Daimler.

Meanwhile, Tim Tindall, director of component sales at Detroit, told reporters that DTNA unit currently has 11,000 heavy-duty trucks employing its new Virtual Technician product, which alerts company technicians when their trucks develop mechanical problems.

The product, also unveiled late last year, allows Detroit technicians to diagnose the problem and propose a solution to the fleet owner of the vehicle.

In many cases, that solution will mean directing the vehicle to a service facility that Detroit officials have determined is along the truck’s route and has the necessary repair parts in stock.

The system is designed to speed the repairs by doing the diagnosis before the truck reaches the service bay.

Tindall said Virtual Technician can cut repair times in half.

He also unveiled a new Visibility package that can be added to Virtual Technician. It provides fleets with data such as truck location, fuel economy and speed.

Tindall said 5% to 10% of fleets that buy new trucks with the Virtual Technician service included currently are paying the additional fees for the Visibility package. Hames said the company only now was beginning a marketing campaign for the add-on.

Virtual Technician is a standard feature on DTNA’s new Class 8 trucks.