LOUISVILLE, Ky. Peterbilt Motors Co. unveiled a spate of new truck models and component options here at the Mid-America Trucking Show – including a brand-new, single rear axle Class 8 tractor aimed at regional, short-haul, and pickup and delivery fleets.

The new Model 382 is a 111-in. BBC day-cab designed to offer improved maneuverability for urban operation. It includes Peterbilt’s proprietary Aerodynamic Package to boost fuel efficiency for the short-haul end of the Class 8 market. The truck comes standard with a smaller-block Cummins ISL9 engine and one-piece windshield for greater visibility. Peterbilt said it will begin building the Model 382 in June.

Next is the Model 587 on-highway, long-haul Class 8 tandem rear axle tractor, which replaces Peterbilt’s Model 387. The new Model 587 has already earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay certification and is available with two sleeper options or in day-cab configuration. Engine options include the new 2010-complaint Paccar MX engine rated at 380 to 485 hp or the 2010-ready 400-600 hp Cummins ISX15. Fuller Manual and Automatic transmissions are available with axle ratings up to 46,000 lbs.  

The Model 587 is specifically designed for long-haul fleets and is touted to improve fuel efficiency by 1.25% over the Model 387 it replaces. Standard Bendix air disc brakes on the front axle are included. The new Model 587 also provides an over 2 ft. improvement in the driver’s forward line of sight, with new steering geometry improving curb-to-curb maneuverability by 12%.

Limited production is beginning on Peterbilt’s Model 320 Hybrid low-cab-forward Class 8 refuse truck, equipped with Eaton’s Hydraulic Launch Assist (HLA) technology to boost fuel savings in vocational stop-and-go applications.

HLA technology works by recovering up to 75% of the energy normally lost by the vehicle’s brakes in the form of pressurized hydraulic fluid, which is then stored until the driver next accelerates the vehicle, reducing fuel consumption and wear on the engine. Landon Sproull, Peterbilt’s chief engineer, said the Model 320’s hybrid configuration should increase fuel economy by 20% and reduce brake replacement by two times.