Trucking Warms to Electronic Stability Systems

This story appears in the June 8 print edition of Transport Topics.

Despite the lack of a new, long-promised federal stopping-distance rule for heavy-duty trucks, brake companies are making — and original equipment manufacturers are offering — a growing array of electronic systems designed to help truckers stop faster and maintain more control.

From radar-assisted cruise control devices to full-stability systems that apply various brake combinations to help a truck maintain control, factory-installed options are available already on many large trucks for $2,000 to $4,000 in anticipation of the federal rule.

“Manufacturers are overdesigning their vehicles so they meet federal stopping requirements in advance,” said Frank Bio, truck product manager for Volvo Trucks North America.

The long-awaited stopping-distance regulation has been under review by the federal government for much of this decade. On several occasions, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials offered projected release dates, but they have not yet issued a final rule. A 2005 proposal suggested the final rule would reduce the brake-stopping standard for heavy-duty trucks by 20% to 30%.

Though the timing of the rule remains unclear, many fleets are going ahead already with purchases of advanced braking systems to improve safety.

For example, Jeff Hall, president of J&R Hall Transport Inc., Ayr, Ontario, said he first ordered Bendix full-stability systems in 2006 for a handful of new trucks after he saw the system demonstrated at a trucking show. His 70-truck fleet travels the mountainous roads of western Canada, where severe weather and highway encounters with wildlife caused three of his units to jackknife in the winter of 2005.

Since J&R Hall added the systems, only one jackknife has occurred, Hall said. Because the firm trades in its trucks every two or three years, it now has full-stability systems on 65 units.

The stability systems add $2,000 to $2,500 to the cost of each truck, he said.

“Full stability really makes a difference,” Hall told Transport Topics. “Our drivers say the odd time when they’re not paying 100% attention is when the system reminds them. Either the brakes come on or something else happens to let them know the system is working.”

OEMs said full-stability systems represent the evolution of roll-stability controls.

Roll-only systems integrate with a truck’s anti-lock braking system to monitor forward direction. They do not have sensors that detect back-and-forth movement, nor do they have steering-wheel sensors.

Fred Andersky, marketing di-rector for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, said roll-only systems work best on dry surfaces, while full-stability systems work to prevent rollover on all types of surfaces.

Full-stability systems use a network of sensors to monitor truck direction and the direction in which the driver turns the steering wheel. When the sensors detect opposing directions, the system automatically intervenes to mitigate loss of control.

“If a driver wants to turn left, turns the steering wheel to the left and the truck moves to the left, everything is good,” Andersky said. “But if the truck is doing anything but moving to the left, that’s cause for intervention.”

By selectively applying tractor and trailer brakes and dethrottling the engine, a full-stability system helps redirect the vehicle back onto the path intended by the driver.

International, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Mack and Volvo all offer full-stability technology on their heavy-duty models. Volvo and Mack make the Bendix full-stability system standard on all their Class 8 trucks, but Peterbilt and Kenworth offer it as standard equipment that can be deleted from a new-truck order. International and Freightliner offer the system as an option.

International and Freightliner offer similar systems made by Meritor Wabco. Peterbilt Motors Co. offers the VORAD 400, the latest generation of a Vehicle Onboard Radar collision-avoidance system originally made by Eaton and sold earlier this year to Bendix.

No information was available on how many large trucks use these systems.

“Interest has remained consistent, but there are more inquiries in general regarding safety equipment,” said Ken Marko, market planning manager for Peterbilt.

Meritor Wabco also recently made available a retrofit kit for the third generation of its Roll-Stability Support system for trailers. Product information says the “RSSPlus” system calculates the trailer’s roll-stability threshold, based on side-to-side movements and individual wheel speeds. When conditions indicate a rollover could occur, the system applies the trailer axle brakes to slow the vehicle and help the driver maintain control.

The kits are available for both spring and air-suspension applications and cost around $1,200, including installation.

Hall’s drivers protested at first when he installed full-stability systems because, he said, “They thought our purchasing the system meant we didn’t think they were good drivers.” But after they saw a video demonstrating the technology at work, the truckers became more receptive to the systems.

Said Hall, “Now they know it’s an extra tool to help keep them safe, and that’s been nothing but positive.”

Just as full-stability systems are attracting more buyers, so are advanced cruise-control products with proactive braking.

Freightliner began offering Meritor Wabco’s new OnGuard collision safety system in February, and in March, Bendix introduced its Wingman ACB cruise-control system at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.

At the same show, Mack an-nounced it would offer the Bendix product, known as Mack Road Stability Advantage.

Advanced cruise-control systems use radar sensors mounted behind a truck’s front bumper to detect and track as many as 32 moving objects in front of the truck as far as 500 feet ahead.

Additional sensors can be in-stalled to track objects alongside trucks. When the driver turns on cruise control and sets the speed, an active braking system integrated with the truck’s ABS subsequently adjusts the truck’s throttle, engine brake and foundation brakes as necessary to maintain a set time-gap behind the vehicle in front.

Advanced braking systems also can operate with cruise control turned off. If the predetermined safe distance is compromised, the system issues audible and visual warnings via in-dash displays to alert the driver that a potential collision is developing so he or she can take the appropriate action.

Another manufacturer, MGM Brakes, Charlotte, N.C., has found its niche in brake monitoring systems by producing the third generation of the e-Stroke.

The e-Stroke is a cam air brake stroke-monitoring system that can send SAE J1939 maintenance codes to a truck’s onboard computer and wirelessly to a maintenance facility. By detecting lining wear, dragging and imbalances early, the system gives fleets time to make repairs before problems get worse.

MGM spokesman Chad Robinson said 7,000 vehicles already use the system, but he added that most sales so far have been to passenger fleets.

OEMs “basically oppose anything that’s not a cookie-cutter application,” he said.

Systems requiring customization “are upcharged to the point that the price dissolves any interest a fleet might have,” Robinson added.

OEMs will install the MGM system at the factory, but instead of the $1,200 to $2,500 cost in the aftermarket, depending on truck model, manufacturers may charge $3,000 and up.

“We have several customers doing retrofit, since it’s often cheaper,” said Robinson.