Eaton Corp. said today it will have five Class 8 trucks on hand for a special test drive event to showcase its UltraShift Plus automated manual transmissions during the Mid-America Trucking Show, to be held in Louisville at the Kentucky Fair & Expo site at the end of the month.
On Thursday March 31 and Friday April 1, show attendees who sign up in advance at the show will have the opportunity to test-drive the transmission in a mix of vehicle types, including those built for linehaul, heavy-haul and vocational applications.
Show attendees will need to sign up on the show floor for the demonstration drive at the Roadranger booth (# 32175 in the South Hall).
“I’ve driven manual transmissions for more than 26 years, and can tell you the UltraShift Plus takes truck driving to a whole new level,” said Forrest Powers, Eaton’s test track engineering technician and demo driver. “For example, it removes the stress of trying to find that proper gear to climb a hill. I never get tired of hearing the positive comments from customers after I take them on a test drive.”
Eaton noted that its UltraShift Plus product family covers these transmission platforms:
- Linehaul Active Shifting (LAS)
- Multipurpose High Performance (MHP)
- Multipurpose Extreme Performance (MXP)
- Vocational Construction Series (VCS
- Vocational Multipurpose Series (VMS)
- Vocational Extreme Performance (VXP) models
The manufacturer said each of these platforms is configured to meet the safety, performance, reliability, profitability and driver comfort needs for specific applications.
Eaton said all UltraShift Plus transmissions are available in overdrive and direct-drive models, and feature a new self-adjusting electronic clutch actuator for fast, smooth engagements. In addition, the company said intelligent shift selection software employs grade sensing, weight computation and driver throttle commands “to make shift decisions for efficient, safe and profitable vehicle performance.” Unlimited gross combination weight is available with 18-speed platforms. Other features include a Hill Start Aid to prevent rolling while on steep grades and to allow for a controlled launch as well as a “creep” mode “for significantly improved maneuverability with continuous low-speed control.”
Roadranger is a marketing partnership of Dana Holding Corp. Eaton Corp. and other manufacturing partners.
