What do you do if you’re a truck maker and your over-the-road market share numbers are in the stratosphere? If you’re Freightliner, you turn your attention to the vocational truck market.
About four years ago, the company decided to update its work truck lineup to take advantage of powertrain and ergonomic upgrades found on the Cascadia. Many of these upgrades are in keeping with Freightliner’s “Real Cost of Ownership” concept to make certain that every component contributes to the customer’s bottom line.
The result was the SD series that comprises three models: a 108-inch BBC, a 114-inch BBC and a 122-inch BBC. All accept a bewildering array of bodies and allow for easy spec’ing of compressed and liquefied natural gas systems.
Freightliner’s new vocational product manager, Mark Howerton, offered me the chance to compare the 108 BBC and 114 BBC models on drives through the Texas hill country, based out of Freightliner of Austin. The 114 BBC truck was outfitted with a roll-off body and an all-Daimler powertrain: a 475-horsepower DD13 mated to the Allison 4000 RDS automatic transmission. In contrast, the 108-BBC dump truck featured a 9-liter Cummins ISL diesel with an Eaton-Fuller 10-speed manual gearbox.
Both trucks feature the SD’s bold new styling, a departure from the highly refined aerodynamic lines of Freightliner’s long-haul tractors. Howerton told me that good fuel economy remains a priority on the vocational line. But given the decidedly unaerodynamic bodies featured on these trucks, and in some cases the cargo they haul, the fuel economy emphasis targets the powertrain.
Some vocational drivers spend as many hours in the cab as long-haul drivers do, so Freightliner engineers pay particular attention to cab ergonomics as well as driver comfort and productivity. The SD cab is wide, with air-ride seats as optional equipment.
Instrument and control layout borrows heavily from the Cascadia. As a result, sight lines to all instrument clusters are excellent. The steering wheel design allows a driver to check primary gauges at a glance without ducking his head to see around the steering wheel spokes. Similarly, all switches on the center panel are within easy reach.
