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Trucks get technical
Tony Whitney Contributing Writer
Like automobiles, large trucks are getting more technically complex.
As motorists, big trucks are very much a part of our everyday lives and love 'em or hate 'em, they will continue to be our constant companions on the highways and byways of North America.
Large trucks may present something of a challenge when they have to be negotiated under challenging road conditions, but we should always remember that almost all the food we eat arrives at the store by truck and just about every other type of consumer goods is trucked in too.
Motoring enthusiasts usually have a good idea of what's happening in the world of automobiles, SUVs, minivans and pickups, but what about the big rigs? Do they pick up technological upgrades from automobiles, or is it the other way around. Are truckers faced with the same constant flurry of high-tech advancements as car drivers? Are truck manufacturers as competitive as their automaker cousins when it comes to features and options?
Most car buffs know little or nothing about the truck field, so every now and again, it's worth taking a look at an industry that's every bit as fascinating as the one we're more familiar with.
To find out what's happening in the heavy truck field, you don't have to look too much further than the Kenworth nameplate. Kenworth is one of the best-known truck manufacturers and is a division of PACCAR Inc., located in Kirkland, Washington.
I've driven Kenworth trucks at PACCAR's huge test facility in Skagit County, which includes an oval banked track much like the ones used by automakers to evaluate their products. Kenworth trucks are, of course, widely distributed in Canada.
At a recent truck show, Kenworth displayed its T800 high-tech concept vehicle, which includes all kinds of advancements the company hopes to include on production trucks in the years ahead.
Since security is a major factor in the truck business - especially where fuel and hazardous materials are concerned - the concept truck pays special attention to this area. The T800 checks a driver's authorization to operate a specific truck using a fingerprint scanning system. The ignition system cannot be properly enabled without the fingerprint of the authorized driver being recognized. If the scanner doesn't recognize the fingerprint, the truck can still be started, but cannot be driven at normal speeds and the fleet dispatcher back at base is alerted using a wireless communications system.
The truck uses a GPS-based telematics system much like the navigation unit many automobiles and SUVs come with these days. Using this, the truck can be accurately tracked wherever it goes across the continent. If the truck is hijacked, for example, it can easily be tracked and the thieves apprehended by the police at any time. Even if the hijackers forced the driver to start the vehicle with his or her fingerprint, the truck can be disabled remotely, nipping theft efforts in the bud.
Vision has always been a problem for drivers of large trucks, especially those towing trailers. It's not for nothing that you see those "if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you" stickers on the back of large trucks. Kenworth has come up with its Surround Electronic Vision System to deal with this problem and it provides coverage of nearly 360 degrees.
The aim here is to enhance safety while driving and security when parked. Five cameras feed pictures to a flat-panel display in the cab of the T800.
Another novelty is Kenworth's Vehicle Information Centre or VIC.
This system can monitor tire pressure electronically and also monitor brake performance. Both these factors are critical to the economical operation of a large truck.
There's also an on-board electronic scale system which helps the operator keep the rig within legal limits right from the start of the journey.
VIC also offers two-way e-mail message capability, so maybe those long days on the road will be easier to bear when contact can be maintained with family and friends.
The concept truck boasts all kinds of other engineering wizardry which Kenworth hopes will be standard equipment in the years ahead.
Like their car-making counterparts, truck manufacturers use these concepts to gauge public reaction and try out new ideas.
One space-age system that is available on current Kenworth Class 8 (heavy duty) models is a night vision unit that looks to me a lot like the one you can get as an option on certain Cadillac models. The system costs $4,000 US, but according to Kenworth, that's less than it would cost in repairs and downtime resulting from a collision with a deer or other large animal. The night vision system uses thermal imaging technology to pick up pedestrians, cyclists, animals as far away as 1,500 feet. I've tried these systems and they're really amazing. I can imagine that they will be even more useful to truckers than motorists because it takes an awful lot longer to bring a Kenworth to a stop than a Cadillac. The detected objects show up on a screen in the cab and in tests I carried out, you could see animals on the screen well before they could be spotted by eye. Since the night vision camera works using infra-red technology, it is not affected by the headlights of oncoming vehicles.
As with the automotive industry, the truck business marches constantly forward as manufacturers like Kenworth continue to put the focus on safety and security. And next time you pass one of those big Kenworths out on the freeway, it's worth pondering that it just might have more advanced features than your late model automobile or SUV.
Given the potential danger of encounters with heavy trucks, we can all be grateful for that.
Tony Whitney's column appears courtesy of the B.C. Automobile Dealers' Association (BCADA).
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