KIRKLAND, Wash, May 8, 2015 – Kenworth’s latest new technologies are featured in four, fast-moving and informative videos available on the Kenworth Truck Co. YouTube site.
The new videos examine Kenworth's TruckTech+, Driver Performance Assistant, Predictive Cruise Control, and Adaptive Cruise Control, and are posted under Kenworth New Technologies (www.youtube.com/user/KenworthTruckCo).
“These videos inform fleets, truck operators and drivers about effective technologies being integrated into Kenworth trucks that offer excellent uptime, fuel efficiency and productivity opportunities and benefits today to Kenworth customers,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “Kenworth also is committed to drivers by offering new technologies that help make their jobs easier, in addition to providing them with excellent, industry-leading driver comfort features that we build into our fuel-efficient Kenworth trucks.”
TruckTech+: This new technology is designed to help improve vehicle diagnostics and productivity on the road. Kenworth customers will benefit from real-time vehicle health monitoring technology provided by PeopleNet, the telematics provider for the Kenworth system. TruckTech+ is for new Kenworth Class 8 trucks specified with the PACCAR MX-13 engine and will be available starting this summer. The system will provide information on the health of the PACCAR MX-13 engine to fleet managers and dealers in order to optimize truck uptime and productivity. TruckTech+ not only diagnoses a problem, but gives the driver and fleet manager the recommended solution. Every new Kenworth truck equipped with a PACCAR MX-13 engine will have a 2-year subscription to TruckTech+.
Driver Performance Assistant: Now standard for new Kenworth T680s and T880s specified with PACCAR MX-13 engines and automated and manual transmissions, this built-in virtual driver’s coach is a tool to help enhance driver performance for fleets and owner operators. The system provides drivers with real-time coaching based on coasting and braking as a means to improve fuel economy and reduce brake wear. A point system gives drivers, and fleets, the visual feedback they need to impact improvement. The ‘assistant’ may calculate if they performed at a very high level – 80 percent or more – or it may give them a low score to help indicate where improvement may be made. During rest periods, drivers can view a trip performance chart, which might show that the driver is coasting at a 90 percent efficiency rating, and gently braking 80 percent of the time. It then combines the scores to give an overall driver performance rating. The Kenworth Driver Performance Assistant can be customized and programmed to offer performance settings selected by fleets or owner operators.
Predictive Cruise Control: This system optimizes cruising speed based on topographical GPS data inputs to help maximize fuel economy. As a truck enters certain types of terrain, such as rolling hills, Predictive Cruise will modulate cruising speed to correspond to the surrounding geography. For example, as the truck ascends and crests a hill, Predictive Cruise will allow the vehicle speed to drop slightly below the set cruise speed, which is an effective way to boost fuel economy. The integration of Predictive Cruise Control into the Kenworth Driver Performance Center is seamless with intuitive displays that provide operators with only the information they need. Predictive Cruise Control will be available this summer for the Kenworth T680 and T880 when specified with the PACCAR MX-13 engine.
Adaptive Cruise Control: This radar-based safety system with collision mitigation technology works in conjunction with standard cruise control. When the operator sets cruise, the radar mounted in the front bumper monitors the following distance of the vehicle ahead and will automatically reduce vehicle speed to keep that following distance constant. When the vehicle ahead speeds up or changes lanes, the system accelerates back to the original cruise control set speed. This functionality does not replace the driver, but makes the driver’s job easier when navigating through traffic. Collision mitigation technology continuously monitors vehicle speed and following distance. When the system determines a collision is imminent, it will apply the service brakes to help mitigate the incident. Both of these systems have been seamlessly integrated into the Kenworth Driver Performance Center. The intuitive display puts the information that operators need right at their fingertips.
Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth’s Internet home page is at Kenworth.com. Kenworth is a PACCAR company.