Freightliner Trucks has announced new factory-installed options to enhance its Class 8 vehicles: Meritor WABCO Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Eaton VORAD Collision Warning System. These products can be spec'd on the Cascadia, Coronado, Columbia, and Century Class S/T.
Meritor WABCO's ESC provides stability assistance similar to that found in automobiles and enhances the stability of a truck in critical driving situations. Freightliner customers already have been able to spec Roll Stability Control (RSC). The new ESC combines RSC protection with directional stability control. ESC is seamlessly integrated into the trucks at the factory and requires no activation by the driver. The system acts automatically to sense critical driving events and take appropriate action.
The Eaton VORAD VS-400 collision warning system helps drivers identify traffic conditions in advance with in-cab notifications, alerts for slow-moving vehicles, stationary objects, and short following distance warnings.
An additional feature is SmartCruise, which collects data from the collision warning system and helps the truck automatically maintain the appropriate distance from the vehicle in front of it. This feature maintains a pre-determined distance from the vehicles ahead requiring no input from the driver.