Meritor's SMARTandem Demo

Meritor purchased what it called a "fleet spec" Freightliner 2012 Cascadia tractor equipped with a DD15 engine cranking out 475 hp and 1,650 ft.-lbs. of torque to help test the capabilities of its SMARTandem 6x2 axle.

Meritor used a freight dock ramp at is Fletcher NC axle plant to show off the traction control features of its SMARTandem 6x2 axle configuration.

Meritor's Charles Allen stressed that the company's electronically-controlled air suspension (ECAS) system is critical to boosting traction as well as eliminating excessive tire wear for its SMARTandem 6x2 axle package.

Meritor used a soap solution sprayed on its test tractor's tandem axle's tires as well as on slick plastic boards to show how even such slick situations could be conquerred by its SMARTandem axle configuration.

Meritor make sure to max out its test tractor-trailer to its 80,000 lb. limit for its tandem axle traction demo.