Daimler Truck New Mercedes-Benz Actros Recorded As World's Most Economical Series-Production Truck

[Wolfgang]

Daimler To Recall 540 Workers As Truck Order Demand Grows

Daimler AG's North American truck unit said it would recall about 540 workers to three manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, citing strong order activity in the latest sign the auto industry is enjoying a turnaround.

The world's largest truck maker by sales was battered by last year's slump in demand for premium cars and trucks amid the global economic slowdown, partly because it scaled down car production later than rivals.

The production boost benefited from the company's investments in vehicles that meet this year's new emission standards. It said customers had placed orders from more than 21,400 of those vehicles to date, including 16,565 Freightliner-brand trucks.

Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales and marketing, said Daimler was the only heavy truck manufacturer in North America currently increasing production. "Our Class 8 daily build rate in the U.S. will increase by more than 67% this July" from a year earlier, he added.

In April, Daimler reported it swung to a first-quarter profit, fueled by a sharp rise in vehicle sales. It sold 402,700 cars and commercial vehicles in the quarter, up 21% from a year ago.

By John Kell, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2480; john.kell@dowjones.com

Freightliner Trucks, New Freightliner, New Freightliner Trucks

 

[bum-man]

Does anyone know why Europe uses the flat nosed cabs while here in the states we use the extended nosed?

 

[Wolfgang]

Does anyone know why Europe uses the flat nosed cabs while here in the states we use the extended nosed?

Here's some info for you.

Until 1986, the cabover was the most popular configuration because of overall length laws. However, when overall length become less critical, the conventional become the overwhelming truck of choice. The cabover market has declined to about 3% of heavy trucks today, but Freightliner executives believe that market will grow again.

"As highways and metropolitan areas continue to grow more congested, pressure will be placed on the trucking business to reduce the number of loads, to restrict the time of day that trucks are on the road, and to increase productivity," said Mark Lampert, senior vice-president, sales and marketing at Freightliner." Also, as the driver shortage continues, fleets need to find a way to haul more freight with fewer trucks.

Freightliner Introduces Non-conventional Argosy with Century Class Technology

 

[Gullwing]

Does anyone know why Europe uses the flat nosed cabs while here in the states we use the extended nosed?

Because we are better

 

[Wolfgang]

U.S. Xpress Receives 50,000th Freightliner Truck from Daimler

Last week, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) presented the freight carrier U.S. Xpress with its 50,000th Freightliner truck. Martin Daum, President and CEO of DTNA, and Mark Lampert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at DTNA, handed over the vehicle to Max Fuller, co-Chairman of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, during a special ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Freight Carrier U.S. Xpress Receives 50,000th Freightliner Truck | Mercedes-Benz Passion eBlog

 

[Wolfgang]

This is the grown-up version of the two-mode hybrid, Daimler developed with Allison/GM, BMW and Chrysler.


Allison Hybrid System to be Offered in Orion VII Transit Buses

Allison Transmission Inc. announced that Allison Hybrid Systems will be offered in Daimler Buses North America’s Orion VII transit bus. Orion stated that the Allison Hybrid H 40 EP is now being quoted for active bids and will be available in 2011.

“The Allison Hybrid System further enhances Orion’s current hybrid leadership and now allows customers to specify which hybrid system is best suited for their specific needs,” said Patrick Scully, chief commercial officer for Daimler Buses North America.

The Allison Hybrid H 40 EP is a two-mode parallel hybrid that operates automatically as a parallel hybrid or series hybrid. The continuously variable drive features an infinite number of ratios and automatically adjusts ratios to operate at optimum power curves, attaining the best performance and fuel economy.

Allison’s Hybrid System is in operation around the world in approximately 3,500 buses and coaches that are providing over 250 million miles of reliable and low emission service. These hybrid buses are operating in over 160 cities worldwide, including the transit agencies of Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Seattle, Houston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baltimore, Vancouver and Yosemite National Park. They have traveled over 100 million miles without a single “end-of-life” battery failure and have saved an estimated 13.5 million gallons of fuel.

MassTransitMag.com » Article » Allison Hybrid System to be Offered in Orion VII Transit Buses

 

[Wolfgang]

Walmart to go electric?

Walmart weighs in on hybrid Cascadia development

By Jack Roberts | CCJdigital

Daimler Trucks North America and Walmart have collaborated to build the first-ever hybrid electric Freightliner Cascadia. This truck also marks the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership between DTNA and Walmart to develop innovative, green technologies.

Developed based on a Walmart spec’d truck, the 72-inch raised roof Detroit Diesel DD15-equipped Cascadia features a parallel hybrid system based on an electrically-driven second drive axle. The system uses an advanced lithium-ion-based energy storage and advanced electronic control algorithms that were developed in collaboration with the Daimler Trucks Global Hybrid Center in Japan.

With this advanced hybrid technology, the conventional drivetrain remains completely intact, allowing for high system reliability from the very beginning. In addition, initial assessments of fuel efficiency further indicate the potential of this technology.

Walmart weighs in on hybrid Cascadia development | Trucking Magazine Covering Business News, Fleet Management, Technology, and Equipment

 

[Wolfgang]

Grede Receives Award from Thomas Built Buses

Novi, Mich. - Grede Holdings LLC, a leading manufacturer of high quality cast, machined and assembled components for the transportation and industrial markets, announced it has received an award for outstanding performance from Thomas Built Buses, based in High Point, NC.

The bus manufacturer’s “Silver Award” recognizes suppliers who have received a 90 percent or higher average on the Thomas Built Buses Supplier Performance Report, which measures engineering, scheduling and logistics, purchasing, quality and warranty. Grede manufactures suspension components and brackets for Thomas Built Buses at its Biscoe, NC, facility.

“We’re very pleased to have received this award from Thomas Built Buses because the high rating validates Grede’s focus on customer service and quality,” said Richard Cabadas, general manager, Grede Foundry – Biscoe Division. “We value our relationship and this recognition from Thomas,” added Tony Lovell, vice president, Sales and Marketing. “It reflects our long-standing philosophy of going the extra mile to exceed our customers’ expectations.”

About Grede Holdings LLC - Grede Holdings LLC was formed in 2010 through the combination of assets of the former Grede Foundries, Inc. with Citation Corporation. The Grede Holdings LLC legacy dates back to 1920, when William J. Grede founded Grede Foundries, Inc. with an iron foundry in Wauwatosa, Wis. Privately-held with headquarters in Novi, Mich., the company specializes in high quality ductile, gray and specialty iron castings, including lost foam and high silicon molybdenum applications. Grede Holdings LLC operates 13 foundries and two machining operations in the United States serving the Transportation and Industrial markets globally.

About Thomas Built Buses - Thomas Built Buses (www.thomasbus.com) is the leading manufacturer of school buses in North America, with more than one-third of the market. Since the first Thomas Built bus rolled off the assembly line in 1936, the company has been committed to delivering the smartest and most innovative buses in North America.

Thomas Built Buses, Inc. is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of class 4-8 vehicles. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates. Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company.

Source: Grede: Ductile and Gray Iron Casting, Machining and Assembly

 

[Wolfgang]

Mercedes-Benz makes Euro-6 straight six engine

Mercedes-Benz is the first truck maker to launch a Euro-6 engine. The OM471 12.8-litre straight-six, which has found 70,000 buyers in the US and Japan (albeit in a slightly different guise in order to meet emissions standards), is the first in a new generation of Daimler global engines.

Mercedes has reached Euro-6 with a combination of SCR, EGR and a particulate filter and says it will not be any thirstier than its predecessors. In terms of weight, it will fall somewhere between the current V6 and V8. Service intervals have been stepped up to 150,000kms, and overall longevity has been increased by 20%.

Although Mercedes remains tight-lipped as to where and when the OM471 will appear, CM suspects it will be available in the current Axor this summer. It will take longer to adapt it for the Actros (which currently uses V-configuration engines), so we expect Mercedes to wait for the all-new Actros, which will probably hit the roads later this year.

The new engine will be available as either Euro-5 or Euro-6. Although Mercedes remains optimistic that it will find environmentally-conscious operators to buy the Euro-6 version, CM doubts if there will be any significant demand without European-wide early adoption incentives.

Mercedes-Benz makes Euro-6 engine - 3/17/2011 - Road Transport

 

[Wolfgang]

Appetite for 'clean' is driving vehicle technology: Daimler CEO

Long Beach, Calif. -- The president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) says the market for ultra-clean, energy-efficient trucks is driving technological advancements in the natural gas and hybrid fields.

“We see tremendous growth opportunities for our line-up of ultra-efficient products, and are extremely excited about the market potential here,” Martin Daum told delegates at the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2011 in Long Beach, Calif., yesterday.

Daum said DTNA’s partnerships in new vehicle technology include the U.S. Department of Energy and its Clean Cities program; the Environmental Protection Agency; the California Energy Commission; and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Through these partnerships, he said, DTNA has achieved significant successes, such as the deployment of 400 Sterling and Freightliner natural gas tractors to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach; and, together with the Maryland Energy Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy, the nation’s largest collaborative hybrid deployment project in the nation, where DTNA spearheaded the deployment of 143 hybrid trucks to Aramark Uniform Services, Nestle Waters, Sysco Foods and UPS.

In January 2011, DTNA marked the success of its hybrid-electric product by celebrating the production of its 1,000th hybrid-electric commercial vehicle. The company, which has already delivered nearly 1,600 natural gas-powered Thomas Built Buses and FCCC buses and walk-in-vans, will also deliver its 1,000th natural gas vehicle since 2008 under the Sterling and Freightliner brands later this year.

ACT Expo is the largest clean transportation event in North America.

http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=26312

 

[Wolfgang]

Daimler Trucks to hire 425 in Portland

Daimler Trucks North America CEO Martin Daum on Thursday said the company will add 500 new jobs.

Daimler said it will hire 350 workers at its Swan Island plant. The company also said it plans to fill 150 engineering jobs, half of which will be located at its Portland headquarters.

The 350 new jobs at the plant will swell the Swan Island truck-maker's manufacturing payroll to 1,050 people. It also employs around 1,950 white-collar workers at its nearby headquarters.

CEO Martin Daum, at a press conference Thursday morning, cited increased plant efficiencies and a series of new products that have been well received in the market as reasons for the expansion.

As part of the hiring, the company will add a second shift to the plant, which makes Western Star trucks.

At the press conference, Daum said the company also planned to add 150 engineers at its headquarters. A spokeswoman later clarified that only half of those jobs will be in Portland. The rest are at other Daimler Trucks locations. Each of those jobs has already been posted on the company's website.

It's the second major hiring news this year from the company — the U.S. truck-making division of German auto giant Daimler AG — continuing a sharp turnaround from two years ago, when the company announced plans to shutter the plant.

“It wasn’t that long ago that manufacturing of trucks at this site was in real peril,” Mayor Sam Adams said during the announcement Thursday. “I want to thank you for the great work that you’ve done to turn this plant into the most efficient plant, the most productive plant in the system.”

In January 2009 the company said it planned to close its Swan Island manufacturing operations, laying off 900 people in Portland as it shifted work to the Carolinas and Mexico. The company had previously acquired 396 acres of undeveloped land near Charlotte, N.C., which officials in the region believed would eventually be home to a new corporate headquarters.

Daimler Trucks to hire 425 in Portland - Portland Business Journal

 

[Wolfgang]

Asymmetric twin-scroll turbos help to make Daimler Trucks efficient and dynamic performers.

Asymmetry is in.

To meet Daimler's demands for system robustness and durability, BorgWarner's latest B-series turbocharger with asymmetric twin scroll turbine housing delivers improved efficiency, high durability and excellent sealing attributes even in the harsh working environments encountered in heavy-duty on- and off-road applications. In contrast to a twin scroll turbocharger consisting of two scrolls of equal size, an asymmetric twin scroll turbine housing incorporates two scrolls of different sizes for separate exhaust gas routing to provide high exhaust gas recirculation rates for efficiently reducing NOx emissions. The smaller scroll achieves recirculation of the exhaust gas through higher back pressure built-up in front of the turbine. The larger scroll provides a high turbine output using exhaust gas energy for optimum efficiency without being affected by the exhaust gas recirculation. This combination provides optimum engine response and helps the engine to comply with global emissions standards while achieving better fuel economy and improved performance.

BorgWarner Supplies Turbochargers to Daimler Trucks for First-Ever Euro VI Heavy-Duty... -- AUBURN HILLS, Mich., PRNewswire

 

[Wolfgang]

Guess who visited Daimler?

President Obama Visits Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) Mount Holly Manufacturing Plant

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. – President Barack Obama today visited the Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) manufacturing facility in Mount Holly, North Carolina to address economic issues facing the United States.

The Mount Holly plant is part of DTNA’s network of commercial vehicle manufacturing facilities and produces the company’s Freightliner Business Class® M2 and severe duty product lines, including the M2 112 and 114SD natural gas vehicles, and the M2 106 hybrid vehicle. In 2011, the company hired over 1,000 workers and commenced second shift operation, currently, the facility employs 1,450 associates and produces 25,000 trucks annually.

Daimler Trucks North America LLC

 

[Wolfgang]

a recall

Daimler Recalling 110,000 Trucks

The National Highway Safety Administration said Daimler Trucks North America told the agency it is recalling more than 110,000 trucks because of potentially damaged engine fuel lines. Daimler said the recall involves 110,411 Freightliner, Sterling, and Western Star vehicles manufactured between Jan. 20, 2006 and Feb. 20, 2012 with Detroit DD13 and DD15/16 engines.

“The fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire,” Jennifer Timian, chief of NHTSA’s recall manager division, said in a letter to Daimler on Friday.

An additional 428 Detroit DD13 and DD15/16 engines sold to other vehicle manufacturers are included. Daimler officials estimate that less than 1% of that total vehicle and engine population is affected by the reported defect and said there were no related accidents or injuries.

Dealers, distributors, and customers will be notified shortly, and inspection of the support systems and replacement, if required, will be performed at authorized Detroit Diesel repair facilities, Daimler said.

Daimler Recalling 110,000 Trucks | Transport Topics Online | Trucking, Freight Transportation and Logistics News

 

[Wolfgang]

http://translate.google.de/translat...ros-gewinnt-gleich-zwei-designpreise/&act=url

 

[Wolfgang]

Well-received: 500,000th Freightliner Truck Handed Over to Customer as It Rolls Off the Production Line

• Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) produces 500,000th Freightliner truck at Mount Holly plant in North Carolina
• The milestone vehicle – a medium-duty Freightliner Business Class M2 106 – rounds out the truck fleet of the U.S. power company Duke Energy

Stuttgart / Mount Holly, North Carolina: Daimler´s commercial vehicle subsidiary Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) recently celebrated the production of its 500,000th truck at its Mount Holly plant in North Carolina. The milestone vehicle – a medium-duty Freightliner Business Class M2 106 – was handed over to long-time customer Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the U.S. With the acquisition of the new truck, Duke Energy is completing its fleet, which consists of several hundred vehicles of the Freightliner brand.

“Ever since the plant was established in 1979, our employees’ diligent daily efforts have turned the production plant into what it is today – a state-of-the-art Daimler Trucks facility that meets the highest quality standards,” emphasizes Martin Daum, Daimler Trucks North America President and CEO.

http://3d-car-shows.com/2012/well-r...customer-as-it-rolls-off-the-production-line/

 

[Mr Robert]

The Actros is a fine truck, but when it comes to trucks, I have a hard time looking past the Volvos.

 

[Wolfgang]

An update from Detroit.

Redford, Michigan/USA, December 10, 2012
Detroit Diesel Corporation
US President Barack Obama Visits Detroit's Redford Plant
The US President Barack Obama will visit Detroit Diesel Corporation, a Daimler Company, today to recognize the company's latest investment in new technology, expanded production and jobs in the United States.

Daimler Trucks North America will become the first heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer in North America to offer a fully integrated powertrain from one production facility. And by making all parts – the engine, axles and transmission – of a truck in the same place, Daimler engineers can design each part so that it works more effectively with the others. That means trucks with greater fuel efficiency and lower total cost of ownership for customers.

http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-7153-1-1558102-1-0-0-0-0-0-16694-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html