UPS Makes Collision-Mitigation Technology Standard on Class 8 Tractors It Orders
NORWALK, Ohio — UPS Inc. announced it is making collision-mitigation technology from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems standard equipment on every Class 8 tractor the company orders.
Atlanta-based UPS plans to take delivery of more than 2,600 new tractors this year. The technology includes lane-departure warnings, electronic stability control and air disc brakes. The systems also can alert drivers to objects in front of the tractor and to moving objects around the vehicle.
“We’re investing in technology that provides UPS drivers with opportunities to increase visibility of their surroundings in constantly changing environments,” Randy Stashick, the company's president of engineering, said in a statement. “The safety benefits of these technologies make incorporating them into UPS’ fleet the right things to do for our employees and fellow motorists.”
UPS and Bendix held a joint media briefing and ride-and-drive here on July 21 in conjunction with the announcement.
Participants in the event included UPS Freight’s Paul Savill, who is an America’s Road Team captain, as well as Bill Lazarski, who has more than 36 years of accident-free driving.
Each truck driver told Transport Topics they were extremely impressed with the technology, but stressed the systems are only meant to assist the driver.
During the demonstrations, the UPS drivers said the required speed and turning maneuvers went against all of their years of safety training, but helped prove the technologies can help mitigate — or potentially prevent — accidents.
Earlier this year, the National Transportation Safety Board called on the federal government to make mandatory the installation of forward-collision-avoidance systems on all new motor vehicles.
UPS ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in the United States and Canada.
Please see the July 27 print edition of Transport Topics for additional coverage of this event.
