PACCAR upgrades parking brake safety
Kenworth and Peterbilt now offer the Bendix Intellipark Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) system on medium- and heavy-duty truck models.
The system comes equipped with advanced safety features such as rollaway mitigation, smart unpark, and auto trailer brake release (on towing models) that are supported by unique interlocks that verify the vehicle is ready to be parked or unparked through sensors that monitor door position, seat belt status, and vehicle movement.
“We’re driven to create the best solutions, and we believe Intellipark—part of our suite of advanced driver assistance products—solidly delivers on that commitment,” Nicole Oreskovic, Bendix vice president of sales and marketing, said in a news release. “With Intellipark, we aim to make a driver’s job safer and easier behind the wheel and offer additional peace of mind to them and their fleet managers.”
Kenworth upgrades parking safety
The EPB system replaces traditional red-and-yellow push/pull knobs with new ergonomic switches that feature LEDs clearly showing park brake status at a glance, Kenworth added. The easy-to-activate design maintains the recognizable symbols while simplifying operation, eliminating the “sting” usually associated with manual valves, and helping to reduce fatigue and distraction during frequent stops. The EPB system is an effective enhancement for drivers in pickup-and-delivery, refuse, and start-and-stop vocational applications.
“The Electronic Parking Brake system brings a new level of redundancy, simplicity, and assurance to our customers,” said Kevin Haygood, Kenworth’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “With EPB, drivers can count on an added layer of protection that helps to mitigate rollaway incidents. While this technology is beneficial for any customer, it’s particularly useful in vocational, P&D, and other applications that require drivers to enter and exit the cab numerous times per day.”
The EPB system is also compatible with Kenworth’s newly available Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) packages, which include the latest version of the Bendix Fusion system, tire pressure monitoring, lane-keeping assist with torque-assisted steering, and DigitalVision mirrors.
Peterbilt strengthens advanced features
Designed to enable electronic safety interlocks, the EPB system delivers advanced functions for Peterbilt trucks, including:
- Rollaway mitigation: Automatic application of the parking brakes on both the vehicle and trailer if the driver exits the vehicle without setting the parking brake
- Auto trailer brake disengagement: Automatic release of the trailer brakes when tractor movement is detected
- Smart unpark: Utilizes interlocks to confirm the vehicle is ready to be parked or unparked through sensors that monitor door position, seat belt status and vehicle movement
With ergonomic, easy-to-actuate switches and clear status indication, the new EPB offers intuitive operation. Other core features include quieter valve operation due to electronic activation, less parts complexity for ease of maintenance, as well as the availability of actionable information for analysis and future driver training.
“Safety is a core value and part of Peterbilt’s culture,” said Erik Johnson, Peterbilt assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The Electronic Parking Brake advanced functions and custom interlocks are the latest in several Peterbilt standard and optional driver-assistance features available to assist our customers in mitigating potential driving risks.”