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The new Peterbilt tractor design submissions have been something we’ve been looking at recently. Looking more in depth at this particular big conventional design for a Peterbilt in coming years, let’s consider what kind of things we want to see change on semi tractors.
Fuel efficiency is a given. Almost all the goods anyone has in any country, including the US and Canada, is at some point shipped using a commercial truck. That means we’re using a lot of fuel, burning it off into the environment, but also that we’re making our goods and services more expensive domestically. Since we’re in competition with countries that have cheaper labor and more lenient environmental protections laws, we’re reducing our competitiveness by not making our transport industry cheaper.
But we do have things those cheap-labor markets don’t have, like first rate technology and scientific resources. We can come up with the best designs, the newest technology, and thereby make our domestic shipping industry cheaper and more competitive, it seems to me. Am I wrong here?
Well, turning to this particular semi design, and considering truck “improvements,” let’s look at some of the things the vehicle designer himself thought he wanted to work on with his design, which I’m going to guess was partly based on the request Peterbilt put out when they began their modern truck design competition (the prize was $10,000, reportedly, but I think the competition is over now):
The design should be “ultra fuel-efficient” in order for truck investments (new vehicle purchases) to “pay for themselves” by reducing other costs associated with running commercial freight. (main practical goal: minimize surface exterior drag).
The design should also have parts that can be interchange — like wheel covers, farings, etc, so that more fuel efficient parts can be swapped for.
The design should have built in electronics that work reliably (this design comes from someone who knows this part of the business — the guys behind Rainey’s Truck Parts). They wanted to be able to adjust performance when they wanted to do so, without difficulty or further problems associated.
Well truckers, what would you add to this list of future truck design features needed?
Visit Rainy’s Truck Parts (click here). Visit Local Motors (click here). OR read more about this “future truck” (click here). OR see the 2 other future semi truck designs (click here).
