Peterbilt demonstrated its newest aerodynamic tractors – the Model 579 – and vehicle technology, along with advanced concepts, at an event in late May at its manufacturing plant in Denton, Texas, and during a ride-and-drive at the Texas Motor Speedway.
The Showcase included presentations on Rapid Check – Peterbilt’s new quick assessment service program that provides customers with diagnostics and an estimate of needed repairs in two hours or less; SmartLINQ – a factory-installed a remote diagnostics technology option that provides real-time notifications if a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics trigger a service event; the company's holistic approach to fuel efficiency; the Peterbilt Technician Institute; and the Peterbilt Dealer Training Academy.
Among the advanced concepts demonstrated were like lane keeping, GPS auto pilot and camera systems for safety around the truck, which included a 360-degree bird’s eye view and a forward-facing infrared forward camera.
Also shown was Peterbilt and Cummins’ SuperTruck demonstration tractor-trailer that averaged a 75 percent increase in fuel economy, 43 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 86 percent gain in freight efficiency in 24-hour, head-to-head testing against a 2009 baseline truck.
