Beyond the powertrain, trucks have developed the capability to make some of the more menial decisions for the driver. For example, Hillman says Navistar’s Diamond Logic electrical system can be programed to turn on the headlamps automatically when the windshield wipers are activated.
“Customers will rely more on telematics for route planning, to diagnose problems and to make service decisions,” Aufdemberg adds.
Baney says drivers are increasingly looking for instantaneous feedback about the truck’s operation.
“In the work zone, the driver needs to concentrate on the status of the payload, PTO, dump bed, and what’s happening around the truck,” he says. “The idea is to [provide] the driver the right information at the right time for enhanced productivity.”
“It’s an improvement of the human/machine interface,” Hillman adds. “It’s the way drivers work with the equipment to improve their productivity.”
