Tired of your old Kenworth truck? No reason to worry, as Kenworth has made available a series of glider kits for the T660, T800 and W900L models. The glider kits can be mated to customer-supplied EPA 2004 engines and matching transmissions.
Alan Fennimore, vocational marketing manager declared, “We’re offering the gliders as both rolling and non-rolling models (customer supplies driveline, axles, suspensions, wheels, tires and other ‘rolling’ equipment) and no FET tax is included from Kenworth. Depending upon the project’s final cost, and if the host parts came from a useable truck, the 12% Federal Excise Tax (FET) on new trucks may not be applicable, which can be a real money saver for customers.”
FET will apply when a glider kit is used to repair a wrecked truck vehicle, or change its intended service or where the restoration cost exceeds 75% of the value.
Mr. Fennimore added: “There are several other engine-related components – such as electrical harnesses, power steering pumps, batteries and air cleaners – that customers need to supply themselves, or purchase from Paccar Parts through their local Kenworth dealerships, but for the truck itself, it’s a very complete package.”
Concluding the report, Fennimore said that the interest for gliders has started to grow in the latest years, hence their decision, “Gliders are a great alternative for fleets and owner operators with the tools and service technicians to bring a solid and existing powertrain back to life in a ‘brand new truck’. We’ve talked with several fleets that plan to purchase gliders and have their service technicians work on the conversions during slow or off periods. It can be an effective use of shop hours.”
General Motors has started to sell its T-Series trucks in 1998. The vehicles were based on the Isuzu’s F-Series medium duty range of trucks and shared the same design and technologies with their siblings.
The Chevrolet T-Series range consisted of three models namely the T6500, T7500 and T8500, all powered by a 7.8 liter Isuzu diesel engine. All Chevrolet T-Series trucks had a cab over engine configurations and were equipped with various Allison transmissions.
The Chevrolet T Series was sold until 2009 and came with GVM (gross vehicle mass) ratings between 24,350 lbs. to 39,000 lbs. and 4x4, 6x2 and 6x4 axle configurations.
Mack’s models are among the best truck’s you’ll find on today’s market and the company was always a leader when it comes to comfort and new technologies.
The company has recently made available a new series of features for the Pinnacle model, designed to increase the driver’s comfort.
Jerry Warmkessel, Mack highway marketing manager declared, “Driver retention is critical, and one way to positively impact that is to improve driver comfort. A comfortable driver is also a more productive, safer driver. We listened to what our customers told us they wanted in their cabs, and we’re delivering it with this series of interior enhancements that result in a more comfortable, productive cab environment.”
Mack’s new features include an optional center storage console with interior lightening and a 12 volt power slot. There is also a new optional ambient floor lightning and a standard rest pedal for the driver’s left foot.
The Pinnacle’s cab will be fitted from now on with a new standard dash-mounted single DIN Mack mDrive automated manual transmission shifter.
Mack has come also up with a series of improvements to the PowerLash and Engine brake controls to improve the driving performances.
Other new features include self-cancelling turn signals and a remote in-dash sleeper auxiliary HVAC switch which is standard for 70-inch and 60-inch sleepers and optional for the 56-inch and 48-inch sleepers.
The Freightliner Columbia is a medium duty truck designed for short or regional transportation. The vehicle has a highly versatile character and can cope with various medium duty jobs. At the moment the truck is sold in South Africa, New Zeeland and Australia.
Designed to for construction or short haul applications, the Freightliner Columbia offers a light tare weight and ideal axle positioning, being available in 6x4, 8x4 and 10x4 configurations for construction work, and 4x2 or 6x4 for distribution jobs. Furthermore there is also the option of a Day Cab or a 34” Mid-Roof Sleeper.
Under the hood, the Freightliner Columbia is equipped with a Cummins ISLe5 engine which delivers a maximum output of up to 400 hp and 1,254 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its powerful engine and the solid chassis the Freightliner Columbia can be rated to 40,000 kg Gross Combination Mass.
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.
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.
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.
The T 810 is a cab over engine medium duty truck with a highly versatile character. Thanks to its wide range of versions, the Tatra T810 can be used for various applications and makes duties even in war zones as a military vehicle. Tatra designers combined a ladder frame with rigid portal axles to offer the truck a very high ground clearance which gives it capable off road abilities.
The vehicle is offered with two wheelbase lengths and a three-point superstructure mounting system which is combined with gross vehicle weights of up to 27.5 tonnes. Thanks to its versatile nature and the generous payload capacity, the Tatra T 810 also offers the possibility to be equipped with special superstructures or various bodies.
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.
In US, CAT sells only its CT660 vocational model, but in Australia its lineup includes two models namely the CT 610 and CT 630. Both Australian models were developed by NC2, a joint venture between Navistar and Caterpillar and you won’t need to be an expert to see that between CAT’s trucks and International’s models there is a strong resemblance.
While the CT660 has a totally fresh design the 610 model is based on the International DuraStar and TranStar models. These vehicles don’t share only the exterior design, but also the same interior and technologies. However, the CT610 isn’t powered by Cummins engines, as at its hart sits a 470 hp CAT engine. The CT610 is as versatile as its International siblings and was developed especially for regional haul applications.
The Scania G Series is the perfect compromise between the bigger R Series and the smaller P Series. The truck is as versatile as its other two siblings and features the same fluid design that is so appreciated by truckers from all over the world.
Under the hood, the Scania G-Series is powered by either a 13-liter inline 6-cylinder or a 9 liter engine. Thanks to its versatile character the truck is offered in four pre-configured specifications for a variety of applications. The Scania G Series is also available in 4x2, 6x2, 6x4 or 8x4 configurations with Day, Sleeper or Highline cabs.
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).
Mitsubishi’s range of heavy duty trucks received recently a host of upgrades which make it able to deal better with the competition. The truck received new engines, new transmissions and a host of useful features, most of them being based on Daimler’s products.
Thanks to the new upgrades, the Mitsubishi Fuso Heavy has made an important step forward, being closer to the requirements of today’s transport industry.
Mitsubishi’s Fuso Heavy range includes two models namely the FP and FV models. The trucks come with a choice of three diesel engines and with GCM (Gross Combination Mass) ratings between 40.000 – 58.000 kg.
Mitsubishi’s medium duty truck was built with versatility in mind and is available in a wide range of version with GVMs (Gross Vehicle Masses) ranging from 10400 kg-24000 kg.
The Mitsubishi Fuso fighter has undergone a full model change in 2009 when it received a more comfortable cabin and a host of technical upgrades to make it able to compete with success against its rivals.
The truck is offered with a choice of two engines which develop 177 or 199 hp with maximum torques of 686 Nm and 785 Nm respectively. The interesting part is that recently the Fuso Fighter’s transmission lineup was completed with an Allison automatic unit which is now offered together with the manual gearboxes.
Kenworth has a history of over 40 years on the Australian market and one of its best sold models was the K100. Over the years, the truck received continuous upgrades and the K100 evolved in the K200 model which is currently the only cab-over heavy duty model in Kenworth’s lineup.
The truck is offered with a choice of three cab versions and is powered by a Cummins ISC engine which develops between 485hp – 600 hp. For maximum flexibility, there are also available three axle configurations including 6x4, 8x4 and 10x6 models. Kenworth’s K200 truck can be built to a variety of wheelbases with components mounted on the frame to suit different needs.
The heaviest vehicle built by Hino is the 700 Series. The truck is around for some years now, but the newest version of Hino’s heavy duty model is starting to get closer and closer to its European rivals which currently set the standards in the cab-over engine segment.
The exterior design is still pretty basic, without having the potential to make any eyebrows rise in admiration, but what is going under the sheet-metal is what really counts, so most of the upgrades are starting to be observed only after you’ll fire the engine.
The Hino 700 is offered with a choice of different wheel base lengths that range from 4005 mm- 4575 mm and comes with GVMs (Gross Vehicle Mass) of up to 28.300 kg.
The Freightliner Argosy received a major upgrade in 2011 and features a new exterior style and a host of technical modifications. A few years ago, Freightliner decided to withdraw the truck from the US market, and focus especially on the Australian and South African markets.
Compared to the old generation the latest model is a major evolution, as besides the exterior and interior upgrades it also comes with a wider range of engines and transmissions which make it more versatile. Moreover, the truck is also fitted with a improved air management system along with a much larger radiator.
There are two engine options available for the Freightliner Argosy, namely the Detroit Diesel DD15 and Cummins ISX. The engines offer maximum outputs that can go up to 600 hp with 2050 lb-ft of torque.
Available in 90”, 101”, 110” midroof and 110” raised roof variants, the Argosy’s cabins offer a high level of versatility and are designed to cope with a wide range of road missions. The new generation Freightliner Argosy is also available in 6x4 and 8x4 versions and can be rated up to 140 tonnes GCM (gross combination mass).
Not long ago the amount of technology fitted under a truck bonnet could’ve been categorized as basic and we say that with generosity. But in the latest years we’ve seen a surprising metamorphose among the light and medium duty commercial vehicles and every manufacturer struggles to raise the bar as much as it can to lower the fuel consumption and to improve the driver’s comfort.
Hino’s 500 Series isn’t among the most advanced trucks in the business, but is still a major improvement over the previous generations, especially in the transmission department were it comes with a wide range of manual and automated units.
The truck is also available with different wheelbase lengths and its GVM (gross vehicle mass) ratings range from 8.000kg to 26.000 kg.
The Powerstar is the only truck built by Iveco that features a conventional cab configuration. Built especially for heavy duty applications, the truck is offered with a wide range of strong Cursor and Cummins ISX engines which cope great with its utilitarian nature. The engines develop between 450 -560 hp and are mated on a EuroTronic II electronically automated transmission which offers maximum efficiency and easy drivability.
The Iveco Powerstar is available in 6x4 single cab Active Day and as a low-roof or medium-roof Active Time sleeper cab. Thanks to its powerful engines and the strong build quality, the truck’s GCM (gross combination mass) can go up to 90 tones.
The ACCO is a medium duty truck build by Iveco. The vehicle was designed for the Australian market and is available in a wide range of versions with 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 axle configurations. Thanks to its versatile character, the truck can be used for waste, distribution and construction applications.
The Iveco ACCO has a long history behind and was launched for first time in 1972. Since then, the truck was continuously improved and the latest major upgrade was made in 2007 when the truck received a new exterior design together with improved comfort and efficiency.
The Iveco Acco is powered by a 2010 Cummins ISL-E5 engine which is available with three power ratings, ranging from 260 hp to 315 hp.