It has been one of the busiest trucks of the year, gaining attention for what it is missing as much as the new technology it offers.
The Class 8 tractor is from Stoneridge, which has been displaying the MirrorEye camera monitor system at numerous industry events since receiving approval from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as an alternative to conventional rear-vision mirrors.
Regan Grant, director of global strategic marketing and communications for Stoneridge, showed Fleet Owner the system during the recent Truckload Carriers Association annual conference in Las Vegas.
Grant said the retrofit system has been tested for more than 2.2 million miles, and that ordering demand is rapidly increasing. Stoneridge said the system helps eliminate blind spots, solar glare, poor night visibility, fog, rain, dust, and ice.
The cameras are placed above the truck doors and display screens mount on the A-pillars inside the cab. Grant noted the system uses individually wired cameras providing built-in redundancy, creating a defense against any possible malfunction.
In January, Stoneridge announced a strategic partnership with Velociti Inc. to work together with fleets to install the MirrorEye system. Grant said the system can be installed in a couple hours.
During last week’s Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting, a study group asked for input from fleets and drivers that are using the system.
Earlier in March at TCA, executives with Maverick Transportation, J.B Hunt Transport Services and Schneider all spoke positively about the system. J.B. Hunt has tested MirrorEye on two trucks for more than 135,000 miles, while Maverick has tested the system for 600,000 miles.
Stoneridge was founded in 1965 and is a manufacturer of electrical and electronic components for a variety of industries.
