The Cascadia recently was enhanced with additional aerodynamic and powertrain management improvements to provide up to a 5 percent fuel efficiency gain over the previous model.
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) utilized its display at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) to highlight new product and service solutions, including the introduction of the Dynamic Lease Program from Daimler Truck Financial (DTF).
"The North American Commercial Vehicle Show is the ideal venue to showcase the latest solutions for our customers," said Roger Nielsen, president and CEO, Daimler Trucks North America. "The innovative work of our collective team is represented in the products and services displayed in our booth, designed to demonstrate the complete customer journey of today, as well as the future."
Notable Customer-Driven Solutions from DTNA at NACV
- An all-new and unique telematics-based solution for vehicle financing, the Dynamic Lease created by DTF and powered by the Detroit Connect Platform enables pay-as-you-drive financing to match lease payments to billable miles.
- The latest Freightliner Cascadia enhanced with additional aerodynamic and powertrain improvements to deliver up to a 5 percent fuel efficiency gain over the previous model. It is the first truck in series production in North America to offer SAE level 2 automation when equipped with the full Detroit Assurance 5.0 suite of safety systems.
- The next generation heavy-duty Detroit DD15 Gen 5 engine (available 2021) boosts fuel economy and lowers CO2 emissions for the Class 8 market.
- Western Star hints at the vocational truck of the future with the showcase of one-of-a-kind design models.
- DTNA's Aftermarket team launches Excelerator, the company's new e-commerce platform to streamline the parts ordering process and speed order fulfillment time.
Dynamic Lease from Daimler Truck Financial
To enable customers to finance the next generation of connected commercial vehicles, DTF has introduced a pay-as-you-drive lease financing solution exclusively for DTNA. This telematics-based financing option is powered by the embedded Detroit Connect Platform and debuts on the Cascadia spec'd with Detroit engines. The Dynamic Lease will be released in late Q1 2020, and will empower customers to better manage cash flow by aligning billable miles to the lease payment.
"We are excited to offer this innovative financing solution starting with the Freightliner Cascadia, the most innovative truck on the market," said Tobias Waldeck, head of Daimler Truck Financial. "The Dynamic Lease offers our customers an incredible amount of flexibility to manage their business and is a great complement to our other products."
Freightliner Cascadia
The Cascadia recently was enhanced with additional aerodynamic and powertrain management improvements to provide up to a 5 percent fuel efficiency gain over the previous model. The enhanced Cascadia further benefits from the addition of Detroit Assurance 5.0.
Aided by the use of virtual reality (VR), NACV attendees had the opportunity to take the advanced safety suite for a "test drive" directly on the show floor. Participants in the VR experience experienced firsthand how industry-firsts like Active Brake Assist 5.0 with full braking for moving pedestrians, Adaptive Cruise Control to zero miles per hour, and Lane Keep Assist enable the first SAE Level 2 automated driving experience for heavy-duty trucks.
Also demonstrated in the VR experience is Side Guard Assist with full-trailer sweep. Side Guard Assist uses a robust sensor array to alert the driver to the presence of vehicles, stationary objects or pedestrians alongside both truck and trailer when the driver attempts to make a lane change or right-hand turn, maximizing safety in both receiving yards and urban driving situations.
"The Freightliner Cascadia is the most efficient truck on the market and continues to improve for customers and fleets by getting smarter, working harder and running cleaner," said Richard Howard, senior vice president, sales and marketing. "Equipped with an Integrated Detroit Powertrain and Detroit Assurance 5.0, the Cascadia delivers a seamless driver experience and an unrivaled focus on safety to bring us one step closer to our goal of accident-free driving."
New From Detroit
The Cascadia further extends its Class 8 fuel-efficiency leadership due to the new DD15 Gen 5 engine, available in 2021. Updates to the next generation engine will allow for more efficient combustion which increases fuel economy and reduces CO2 emissions. The DD15 Gen 5 will further benefit drivers with increased performance and durability.
The DT12, Detroit's automated manual transmission (AMT) gets even better for 2020 with higher overall ratios that will contribute to fuel efficiency improvements and provide better low-speed maneuverability. New side Power Take-Off capabilities allow increased flexibility and expanded application coverage.
During NACV show days, live teardowns of both the DT12 and a Detroit DD5 mid-range engine were conducted on the show floor. The engine and transmission teardowns will demonstrate the robustness and reliability of these proven industry leaders as both have been subjected to the rigors of real-world use. The DT12, which has more than 950,000 miles, is three years old and was used for long haul/line delivery in a Classic Cascadia. The DD5 has more than 360,000 registered miles delivering mail, and it is one of the first production DD5s placed into service.
Detroit Connect improves the drive toward maximum uptime to keep Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Bus customers up and running with the use of Remote Diagnostics and Remote Updates. New enhancements to the platform include a smart alert system that accurately identifies and classifies various fault events by the level of fleet and driver response required. This results in reduced unplanned downtime and better alignment with planned preventative maintenance events.
Available since early 2018 for the new Cascadia, Remote Updates, which allows select engine parameters including road and cruise speeds to be remotely updated by fleets, will be complemented in 2020 with Firmware Over the Air to further reduce the need to take a vehicle off the road for select service updates.
Western Star's Truck of the Future Student Design Inspiration
In collaboration with the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles, Western Star put young, aspiring design students to the tough task of designing the tough trucks of the future. Select examples of the students' designs will be on display and include models of a snow plow that vaporizes snow, a concrete truck with a forward-facing chute, a dump truck with see-through A-pillars and many more creative and unique solutions to enhance driver and product safety. Also on display at NACV — and currently available for purchase at Western Star dealers — were the 4700, 4900 and 5700XE.
"Western Star has a hard-earned reputation for building the toughest trucks for tough environments," said David Carson, president, Western Star Trucks. "Demanding vocational applications deserve purposeful innovation and Western Star will be ready for the truck of the future with a laser focus on being the most trusted tool on the job site."
Aftermarket and Alliance Parts
At NACV, DTNA introduced Excelerator, the company's new e-commerce platform, coming in 2020. Excelerator links DTNA's dealer management systems to streamline the parts ordering process and improve fulfillment times. The Excelerator platform addresses the growing propensity for online parts ordering and simplifies the process by opening up access to DTNA's parts catalogue within its expanding distribution network and growing footprint of Alliance Parts stores. Rapid delivery through a dedicated delivery service further contributes to increased Uptime.
DTNA's focus on improving the customer experience is evident in a multi-pronged approach to reduce the time spent on repairs, both in the service bay and in the office. Guided Diagnostics for the DTNA Techlane app, a streamlined pre-authorization process, and a forthcoming Voice App for technicians are all dedicated efforts to speed up turnaround times at the dealer. The launch of a new One Stop program in November 2019 will eliminate the variations in claim processing requirements and procedures for customers and dealers when filing for supplier extended coverage programs for parts supplied by DTNA's top suppliers.
"We pioneered the concept of 24-hour turnaround and have gotten a running start to ensure every one of our customers is back on the road as quickly as possible," said Stefan Kurschner, senior vice president, Aftermarket. "Investments in our parts distribution network, our dealerships, and our new Excelerator e-commerce platform, continue to set the bar for the industry and deliver an exceptional customer experience."
For more information, visit TheFutureDrivenByYou.com.
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