With the specification of the Freightliner Cascadia 126 36, the brand have brought a truck which is a genuine B-double prime mover with no compromises involved. Tim Giles takes one for a spin to see how it performs. 

In the specification driven for this truck test, the Freightliner Cascadia 126 is fitted with the 36” XT sleeper cab and, correctly coupled, this prime mover can pull 34 pallet B-double curtainsider set and stay in side the 26 metre envelope. 

Ever since the B-double allowance was extended from 25 to 26 metres, the makers of conventional trucks have spent a lot of time and research dollars trying to shoehorn their typical conventional prime movers, based on original design concepts from North America (where length is never an issue), into the space in front of a 34 palleter.

The 126 denomination is the 126 inches between the bumper and back of cab and just to make sure you remeber this, the number is written in letters a metre high down the side of the cab. The wheelbase is 4,925mm and has a factory fitted bullbar that keeps the dimensions inside the envelope.

Often this kind of exercise has led to compromises with cab interiors feeling cramped or just difficult to move around in, and for a driver trying to rest in the bunk. Some have been more successful than others, but none have come up with a truly suitable solution. That being said, this design of the Cascadia does get Freightliner a quite a bit further down the road to the perfect solution and there is plenty to commend this Cascadia. 

The arguments for a conventional B-double prime mover have always been the same. With the driver sitting further back from the front wheels there is less of a tendency for the prime mover to ‘nod’ out on the highway when its under power and working hard. Conventional prime movers feel more stable, especially on rough road surfaces, and we have plenty of them in Australia.

Alongside precise dimensions, the other deciding factor in the choice of B-double prime mover is the power and torque available to the truck. Hauling up to 68 tonnes GCM does put a strain on a driveline. Also, for many operators, many tasks are moving cross to the use of A-doubles, occasionally or more regularly, this puts more pressure on the driveline at 85 tonnes GCM.

The engine at the heart of that driveline is the Detroit DD16 rated at 600hp and at 2050 ft lb of torque, right in the sweet spot many look for in this kind of application. Choices range down to 500hp and 1850 ft lb, but Freightliner are finding that the specification at 560hp and 2050 ft lb of torque is suiting many of the operators running these trucks in B-double applications. The 600hp versions are chosen by operations where the trucks are up on their weights most of the time.

Behind this is the Detroit DT12 AMT, but there is still an option for traditionalists of an Eaton 18-speed Roadranger. However the DT12 predominates, with the Roadranger chosen often in rural locations or for heavy haulage. 

On the back end there’s the Meritor 46160 rear axles with a final drive ratio of 1:3.42, a common choice for a North American truck in Australia with the AMT, whereas the Roadranger is normally coupled with the 1:3.79 ratio. 

Out on the highway in the DT12’s top gear, 100km/h sees the engine running at just over 1400rpm. At 1150rpm the engine reaches peak torque and maintains that torque up to 1600rpm. This means that the engine is producing maximum torque most of the time while out on the road.

This driveline uses the eco-roll function when it realises there is an opportunity to disengage the clutch and coast, dropping the revs down to 600. The driver has control of the sensitivity and can adjust the speeds at which the eco-roll is activated. If the driver thinks it’s coasting too often they can reduce it.

The Detroit DT12 used with the 16 litre is now the OBX option which includes an off-road mode. In this mode, on the bottom six gears there is extra torque launch available, plus a ‘rock free’ mode which enables the driver to put power on and off to rock the truck out a hole, with a power on and then clutch off action.

There is also adaptive cruise control available and it’s relatively simple to adjust the following distances as you drive along. Of course there’s now the obligatory, and soon to be mandatory, automatic emergency braking, and this along with the adaptive cruise control are standard. All of the other add-ons remain optional, including lane keeping assist and sideguard assist.

From the point of view of this driver, I would be happy if all of them were available all of the time. Yes, you do get some false positives sometimes, but you never get false negatives.

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Developing relationships is an important focus for the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, as the agency works towards strong partnerships, strong engagement and communication, says Sal Petroccitto, NHVR CEO.

The NHVR’s commitment to build strong and respected relationships with industry as well as local and state governments helps us stay connected and informed on the challenges and opportunities that are facing the heavy vehicle supply chain, and provides the opportunity to work collaboratively to deliver improved safety and productivity outcomes. 

Seeing the enormous effort put in by the Brisbane Truck Show organisers as well as the attendees and display owners this year was an absolute credit to the industry as a whole.

From our end our NHVR displays saw thousands of industry, government and general community engagement with extensive conversations across an array of topics.

Our main NHVR display was staffed by a cross section of our subject matter experts who were on hand to talk through any questions or topics around fatigue management, productivity improvements, general compliance enquires such as mass, dimension, load restraint as well as access permits, vehicle standards, and more.

In particular, we had some great conversations around the interpretation of notices and working with road managers for access decisions.

For our second display, we partnered with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to discuss enforcement and road safety. The issue of road safety is everyone’s responsibility and during the event, we received some great insights from industry on their experiences behind the wheel.

The Brisbane Truck Show was a great opportunity to collaborate further with the QPS. Together we previously released the Sharing our Roads with Oversize Loads campaign, to advocate for the safety of oversize or overmass heavy vehicle drivers and escorts.

Targeted at light vehicle drivers, we had QPS feature in a series of videos to increase awareness around the safe movement of oversize vehicles, and the need to slow down, pull over and stop for an approaching wide load.

We thank QPS for collaborating with us for the event, to improve road safety for all road users.

The third display gave industry an up-close look at how we are reaching young drivers at the beginning of their driving journey, with our important safety message – Don’t #uck With A Truck.

Inside the Don’t #uck With A Truck trailer, attendees tested our virtual reality (VR) immersion experience used to educate Learner and Provisional licence holders on the challenges truck drivers face when cars drive up the inside lane of a turning truck, pull in front of a truck or don’t apply patience when overtaking a truck.

We also showcased content from our second phase of the campaign Don’t Truck It Up, where a scrap metal claw, sledge hammer and slingshot destroy popular objects in a young person’s life, such as mobile phones and gaming consoles, to show how quickly crashes can occur if they don’t follow the rules around driving safely around trucks. A special thank you to Kenny Easter from Easters Transport for providing a trailer for this display.

The response to each of our displays was very positive and it was great to see so many familiar faces engaging with our staff and sharing their experiences. We look forward to building on these strong partnerships further in the months to come.

To protect and support the safety of operators, drivers, and everyone on our roads, we continue to expand our Don’t #uck With A Truck and We Need Space campaigns.

I’m excited to share our latest phase of We Need Space, aptly titled We ALL Need Space. This latest phase will feature the faces of popular celebrities to help spread the word that whether you’re a comedian, musician, athlete, truck driver, car motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian, we all need space to stay safe on the roads.

The first celebrity we’ve partnered with for We ALL Need Space is renowned Aussie comedian and social media personality Jimmy Rees.

Jimmy has shared three videos in his signature point of view style, sharing his humorous take on the family road trip, young drivers’ attitude after first receiving their Provisional (P) licence, and the habits of caravanners, all whilst highlighting how these groups, and everyone, can drive safely around trucks.

In the videos, Jimmy addresses how to navigate a truck’s blind spots, keep the lanes beside a turning truck free, and how to safely overtake a truck. Specifically, for caravanners, the video explains the importance of leaving truck rest stops free and using the UHF radio Channel 40 to let truck drivers know if a caravanner plans to overtake, or vice versa.

Stay tuned – we have more exciting personalities lined up to lend their voice to this important safety initiative.

The campaign is live now with more components being released through to September, so keep an eye out on your socials for Jimmy’s videos.

Once again, a big congratulations to everyone involved in the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show and I look forward to doing it all again in 2025.

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With the new Airtec AXS SmartOBM, made with components from all over the world and assembled in Noosa, Queensland, Airtec moves to an Australian made Smart OBM. In the past, the company had been manufacturing in Singapore.

“We identified that with this whole OBM regulatory scheme and changes around the whole new revision of the product, meant the next iteration needed to be made closer to home,” says David Hewett, Airtec Corporation Director. “So we’ve been developing this new system specifically for what operators want to do with it.”

Production of the main components is actually handled on site, in the Airtec facility in Noosa, Queensland, populated with the various elements needed to make the systems work using one assembly machine. 

The process involves a screen printer, pasting the solder onto the correct spot, followed by a pick and place machine which picks up all the components and then places them on the board. Once it populates the entire board with all components that then runs through the oven and it gets baked.

“Essentially, in Noosa, we are still a research and development house, and we’ll run this through till we’ve got it all locked down,” says David. “So we’re also trying to bring jobs back to the Sunshine Coast. It’s part of our plan. Currently, there’s a dozen of us, six on the Sunshine Coast and six in Adelaide. We are in an expansion phase. We’ve got dealers to install the equipment and work with auto electricians. 

“We are getting people in each region to make sure the products are fully supported, with things like firmware updates and little tweaks for regulatory compliance. There’s going to be a massive spike in the need for that kind of thing.

“We’re expecting changes, in connecting with different telematics companies. Six of them are approved, with another six in the pipeline of the approval process. It’s now got to a tipping point with the regulations, where operators will need OBM for their truck, and we’re going to be set up for that.”

The AXS SmartOBM system is already integrated with telematics providers, then there are new products and the AXS units need to communicate to other devices, with some of them now going wireless. Airtec need to be able to update those products in the field when there is a new telematics device or a new integration partner.

The units mainly find their way onto new PBS approved combinations, with the fitting made as the trailer is manufactured, or on a new truck before it is delivered. Part of the process is getting the trucks and trailers fitted with the OBM being operational and with the tools and training needed. There is training for fleet managers and the drivers, everyone’s got a part to play. 

Over time David expects organic growth of 10 per cent per annum in the use of OBM. Most fleets grow at around that rate as they replace trucks. 

“We just want to maintain the customers we’ve got and grow slowly,” says David. “I’m really concerned, if we were to double the business, can we give that level of support and service?” says David. “We don’t want people to lose that original Airtec experience.”

OBM system needs to be installed by authorised installers. It is no longer possible for operators to self install and the work has to be done by authorised techs, this is due to compliance regulations. The amount of support required is also becoming a lot higher. This has led to Airtec looking for technically minded people to support the product out in the industry, not an easy task in the current labour market..

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