Hands on with Navistar’s latest transmission options
Discover Navistar's Transmission Options
The side-by-side test drives used two ProStar tractors, one equipped with an Eaton AMT and the other with an Allison TC10 fully automated transmission.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes at Navistar right now.
Moving from an exhaust gas recirculation-only strategy to a thorough selective catalytic reduction integration across the entire product line is the company's primary priority. According to Steve Gilligan, Vice President of product and vocational marketing, additional product enhancements are in the works.
He provided evidence in the form of the very advanced gearboxes and aerodynamic upgrades on the two ProStar test trucks I had seen while touring International's Melrose Park Test Center and Engine Plant, west of Chicago.
According to Gilligan, automated gearboxes are ordered for close to 30% of new International vehicles. Another strong reason against the continued usage of manual transmissions, he asserted that it is approaching 50% for some vehicle manufacturers.
He also talked about how International's ability to pioneer the integrated Cummins-Eaton SmartAdvantage drivetrain was made possible by a revived partnership with Cummins. Gilligan implied that International and Eaton were working together to develop a new integrated drivetrain that would go with its unique MaxxForce 13-liter engine.
The improvement in average fuel economy is evident, claims Gilligan. Despite how great they are on their own in terms of driver comfort and safety, automated manual gearboxes are known to have a significant role in obtaining higher levels of average fuel efficiency in heavy-duty vehicles. Integrated drivetrains are crucial for obtaining and maintaining such statistics, which I predict will soon replace the current industry requirements for fuel efficiency of 8 or possibly 9. International wants to collaborate closely with its component supplier partners in order to accomplish this integration.
A torque converter, as opposed to an electronically controlled clutch, is used in Allison's TC10 fully automated transmission, which I would also be evaluating.
First was the ProStar with SmartAdvantage. Unfortunately, I was unable to drive at my usual long-distance pace due to traffic. But even in stop-and-go traffic, it was clear that the Eaton AMT and Cummins ISX15 were making accurate, seamless shifts and were more than capable of fast accelerating a heavily loaded tractor-trailer. Drivers will value the certainty that the engine performs just as it would with a manual transmission and that every shift is faultless.
In my ProStar daycab with the Allison TC10 and MaxxForce 13 power, it performed equally well. I thought the Allison would shift smoother than an AMT, the main advantage of a torque converter, and it did. However, I think the majority of motorists wouldn't notice the difference, which is a tribute to contemporary AMT design.
The Allison undoubtedly shone amid the stop-and-go traffic. It will be interesting to see how Allison uses the TC10 with an "integrated drivetrain." International is undoubtedly committed to the heavy-duty gearbox initiative going forward.
