Schneider National will replace about one-third of its tractor fleet by the end of this year, the company said. The national truckload carrier is purchasing 3,000 2012 and 2013 tractors this year, each installed with the OnGuard collision mitigation system. The company has approximately 10,000 tractors
The vehicles will primarily be Freightliner models, Schneider said, and will be installed at the rate of 75 per week.
“Safety first and always is our number-one core value, which means we always look for new ways to prevent crashes that could endanger our drivers and the motoring public,” said Don Osterberg, senior vice president of safety and security at Schneider National. “OnGuard certainly meets that goal. Our drivers are trained to keep a safe following distance of 7 seconds on dry pavement and at least 14 seconds on wet or snowy roads, but if a situation should arise where the gap between our truck and the vehicle in front closes to less than 3.6 seconds, a warning will sound, allowing the driver to take the necessary steps to regain a safe cushion.”
OnGuard, produced by Meritor Wabco, features a forward-looking radar sensor that monitors the distance, speed and deceleration of a vehicle ahead and alerts the driver to take appropriate action through an in-cab display. If the driver fails to take appropriate action, the system will deactivate the cruise control, depower the engine and even apply the brakes to avoid a collision.
The new tractors will feature aerodynamic features to reduce drag, including wheel covers. Most will be equipped with farings as well as predictive cruise control.
