The Freightliner Century Class is around from some time now and was designed especially for long haul operations. The truck features a conventional cab configuration with an aerodynamic design which gives it a low drag coefficient.
Moreover, the Freightliner Century Class uses strong, lightweight components in the hood and fenders to reduce the overall weight thus allowing for increased payload. The truck has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 26000 kg for the 6x4 model and 30800 kg for the 8x4 version. There are also available both day and sleeper cabs and the truck is powered by a Detroit Diesel engine which develops between 470 hp - 525 hp.
In the world of trucking there are a few brands which are instantly put into the “not good” category and don’t even get the chance to prove themselves. Of course that everyone loves the well known and proven European models from DAF, Mercedes, MAN and so on, but what about the less known trucks? Are those trucks that bad to deserve to be treated with ignorance?
Let’s take a closer look at Tata’s Novus model, which is part of the heavy duty league and it’s the first Indian truck that passed the 300 hp barrier and went against the legendary European giants.
After has acquired the truck section from Daewoo, the first model launched by Tata was the Novus. The new truck is based on the Daewoo Novus model which is sold in South Korea.
The Tata Novus features a cab over engine configuration and is available in a wide range of version being able to suit various heavy duty applications. The truck is powered by a Cummins C8 engine which develops between 320 and 420 hp.
The BMC Professional is a highly versatile range of commercial vehicles designed for medium and heavy duty applications. The BMC Professional is available with both sleeper and day cabs and comes with a cab over engine configuration.
The truck has a payload of up to 50000 kg and it’s powered by a range of Cummins engines which develop a maximum output of 410 hp and 2000 Nm of torque. The BMC professional is also offered with a choice of 4x2 and 6x4 axle configurations which makes it eligible for a wide range of jobs.
Foden has started to build trucks back in 1856 but after a history of 150 years the production was halted.
A significant milestone in the company history was the year 1980 when it became a division of Paccar Inc and has started to build models with its new partner. The last truck built by Foden and Paccar was named the Alpha and it was a cabover engine model powered by Cummins engines. The truck was sold in UK and New Zeeland until July 2006 when the company retired from truck production.
The Foden Alpha had a pretty versatile nature and thanks to its flexible chassis and the wide range of axle configurations it was suited for various heavy duty applications.
At the moment, the company continues to supply spare parts and service for its old trucks throughout the UK.
Aixam is specialized in building only electrical vehicles and besides passenger cars it also commercializes light commercial trucks.
There are two LCVs in Aixam’s Lineup, namely the Mega Multitruck and the e-Worker. The e-Worker is the smaller model and features compact exterior dimensions and a tight turning circle which permits it to deal with the city driving with agility.
Thanks to its robust construction and the practical load bed, the Aixam Mega e-Worker is a versatile LCV which meets the needs of light commercial applications.
The Aixam Mega e-Worker is offered with two wheelbase lengths and a choice of three battery packs. The three battery packs consist of 36 open lead elements of 2v in series for powers of 8.6 kWh, 11.5 kWH and 17.3 kWh.
This small truck also comes pretty cheap having a starting price of only $15,400.
Freightliner has revealed its new generation of the Cascadia heavy duty Class 8 truck which will be introduced as a 2014 model.
The main trait of new Cascadia Evolution is its increased fuel efficiency and the improved aerodynamics. The truck is equipped with Detroit diesel engines and thanks to a few significant aerodynamic improvements and engine tweaks it offers up to 5 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the 2013 Cascadia.
Talking about the new model, David Hames, general manager, marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America said “With the introduction of the Cascadia and Detroit DD15 in 2007, our priority was to help customers lower their total cost of ownership through improved fuel efficiency and performance. Now, with the Cascadia Evolution, we are building upon our commitment to maximizing our customers’ bottom lines with new product advancements that will deliver unprecedented fuel efficiency.”
Tatra is highly appreciated for its solid and rugged trucks. While there are a lot of fire trucks out there, there aren’t many models that can stack up with confidence against the 815 model build by Tata.
The most important weapon needed in firefighting operations, is without a doubt the water tender truck. The volume of water that can be carried by a fire truck could make the difference between a few pieces of burned wood or a full scale inferno and at this part Tatra’s truck receives high marks being able to transport up to 9000 l of water.
The Tatra T 815 water tender is built by THT, s.r.o. Polička, a leading Central European specialist in firefighting vehicles. Using the newest Tatra chassis, the fire truck it is designed to transport large quantities of extinguishing agents and 1+3 firefighting crew.
The Tatra Jamal is a three-axle truck with conventional cab configuration which is available as a tipper or construction dump designed to tackle the most difficult construction sites.
This vehicle is part of the heavy duty category engineered for off-road operation and off-road transport of loads. The truck’s body volume is 14 m3 with a payload of approximately 24 t. The Jamal can be also driven or public roads, but the signaling lights must be permanently on.
Powered by a 12 litre, air cooled, turbocharged V8, 440 hp diesel engine the Jamal has the potential to deal with the biggest payloads and the hardest working conditions without backing down.
In 2009 the old Tatra Terrno 1 benefitted from a small facelift, as it received improved aerodynamics and a host of technical upgrades.
The Terrno 1 features a cab over engine configuration and is offered with a choice of 4x4, 6x4, 6x6 and 8x8 drives. Due to its versatile character, the medium duty truck can be used for various applications on any terrains as its King Frame combined suspension (mechanical leaf or coil springs and high-pressure air bellows) gives it capable off road abilities.
For Tatra it was very hard to survive to the difficult economic conditions and had also need to face a very strong competition coming from its European drivers. Luckily, in 2011 DAF acquired 19% ownership in TATRA and now it also supplies engines and cabs for the Czech manufacturer.
Tatra’s main product is now sold globally under the name of Phoenix. The Tatra Phoenix is part of the heavy duty league and can carry massive loads on both regular roads or on harsh terrains.
The truck features a unique chassis design which requires no sub-frame for affixing tipper body. This translates into more payload capacity hence lower costs per km.
Tata decided to take a stab at the heavy duty segment and has come up with the Prima truck which will compete in the 40 tonnes segment with famous names like Scania, Volvo, Iveco and even Mercedes.
Tata plans to sell its heavy duty truck globally and not only in India and this is why it paid maximum attention in the developing process. The Tata Prima’s main objective is to combine strong performances with lower prices featuring strong engines and a generous load capacity. Tata claims that the Prima can cover 600 km with a single driver and 900 km with two drivers in a day.
The Chinese manufacturers are starting to conquer more and more markets and their vehicles have finally begun to offer satisfactory performances and prove that these guys are fast learners. However, some faults regarding the build quality and reliability still remain, but some sacrifices had to be done to keep the price as cheap as possible.
The new generation of Heavy Duty trucks from JAC is a major improvement over the previous models, but while we appreciated the technical upgrade and the more comfortable cabin, we’ll have to criticize the exterior design. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with it, but it’s almost identical with Scania’s trucks and you won’t need to be an expert to spot the resemblance.
Not many of you heard about JAC, mostly because it’s a Chinese manufacturer which until recently didn’t managed to catch much attention. The company however, has recently made a joint venture with Navistar and started to use Cummins engines for its lineup of trucks.
At the moment, JAC is also in full expansion and plans to conquer new markets. Its lineup of vehicles includes light, medium and heavy duty models and all of them are fairly versatile.
The Heavy duty range of trucks is offered in tractor, mixer, dump and lorry configurations with gross vehicle weights ranging from 13000 kg to 50000 kg.
CAT has a long history behind and the company is famous thanks o its strong engines and the heavy duty working vehicles that were designed to tackle the harshest construction sites without thinking twice. Recently, the company decided to try its luck in the transport industry and allied with Navistar to launch its first highway truck.
At the moment, the CAT CT630 is sold mainly on the Australian market and was developed especially for highway operations. Except for a few small differences, the truck shares the same design with the International ProStar, but is powered by a CAT C15 engine which develops 550hp. The CT630 also features a roomy cabin and an aerodynamic exterior design that was developed to enhance its fuel efficiency.
Mercedes is planning to extend its trucks lineup with the addition of a new model. The fresh truck bears the name Antos and was specifically engineered for heavy duty short radius distribution applications.
The new vehicle has borrowed many technologies and design lines from the Actros which is its bigger brother, but it features a character of its own and a unique cab configuration that was designed specifically for short delivery purposes.
The Mercedes Antos will be offered with a choice of medium- and short-size cabs and will be available with a range of 13 engines that will meet the latest Euro VI emission requirements.
For the moment, Mercedes revealed only a few details about its new Antos, but the truck will make its global debut in Frankfurt at the Commercial Vehicle IAA in September, so stay posted for more information.
The Foton Auman is the biggest truck built by the Chinese manufacturer. The truck’s main advantages are that it uses Mercedes-Benz technology for its chassis and is powered by a range of Cummins engines.
While the Chinese trucks are still seen with doubtful eyes by the truckers from all over the world, the Foton Auman could prove to be of a different breed thanks to its American engines and the German technology used for the chassis.
The Auman is offered with a wide choice of wheel base lengths which range from 3400 to 6000mm and has a gross combination mass of up to 45 tonnes. In order to meet a wide range of operational needs, the Foton Auman is offered in various models including tractor, platform, dump and other.
Mercedes is well known for its nice luxury cars that can move you in full comfort from point A to point B. Everyone likes these cars, as they are like small oases of luxury and make you feel relaxed and safe wherever you are.
The German manufacturer however, has also a darker side. This time the intelligence of its engineers was put to work with the main purpose of constructing the ultimate heavy duty work truck. The result was the Zetros which is the toughest truck built by the company. The vehicle has a bullet proof build quality and it’s so tough, that even if you’ll drive it in the middle of a war zone it will feel just like a walk in the park.
The Mercedes Zetros is available in all-wheel drive, two-axle models with a gross vehicle weight of 16.5 or 18.0 tonnes, as well as three-axle vehicles with a maximum of 25.0 or 27.0 tonnes. The payload for the two-axle models is almost ten tonnes, while for the three-axle models it is 16 tonnes (excluding body weight).