Freightliner medium-duty vocational truck lineup updates aim to increase productivity and comfort

Freightliner has introduced the new Plus series – updated versions of its M2 and SD models, including the M2 106 Plus, M2 112 Plus, 108SD Plus, and 114SD Plus.  

The new models provide an update to the interior and electrical systems of the popular M2 and SD models. Collectively, the Plus series is designed to update Freightliner's medium-duty and vocational lineup with improved driver comfort and increased productivity potential.

David Carson, the senior vice president of sales and marketing at Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), says that Daimler listened to fleet owners and drivers to redesign the medium-duty truck to improve its features.

An updated interior

Equipped with maneuverability, visibility, and other features, the Plus series trucks now feature a new interior design for a more comfortable and safer driving experience.

Enhancements to the interior include:

• All-new trim levels designed for user preference and applications; improved insulation that muffles exterior noise and provides greater thermal efficiency.
• Driver-centric dash with an easy-to-read driver information centre.
• A fully customizable switch layout.
• Comfortable steering wheel with integrated controls.
• An easy-to-use transmission control stalk that allows automated manual and automatic shifting and engine braking functions from the column for safer operation.
• Configurable dash panel featuring 2.5 times more space for truck equipment manufacturers to utilize.
• Ergonomic seats with precise adjustability for improved driver comfort and reduced fatigue. 

The Detroit Assurance safety systems and connectivity

For the first time, a suite of safety and connectivity systems are now available across Freightliner's entire vocational and medium-duty truck lineup.

Users selecting the combination of Detroit engine and DT12 transmission have access to Detroit's safety systems.

With its new electrical architecture, Plus series trucks give fleet operators access to Detroit Assurance with the ABA5 suite of safety systems. In addition to being available with all Detroit engine models, users will for the first time be able to order certain Detroit Assurance features when spec'ing a Cummins engine. Now, fleets will have access to the safety features regardless of the powertrain option selected.

Standard selected safety features including active brake assist, lane departure warning, and optional side guard assist allow for increased safety on the road or job site. Additional features like adaptive cruise control, which automatically adjusts cruising speed to maintain a safe following distance, will become available with the Plus series start of production in Q3 2023.

Outfitted with the Detroit Connect suite of connectivity systems, Plus series fleets will receive information about vehicle performance that enables better decision-making and reduces downtime. For example:

• Within minutes of a fault event, a virtual technician remote diagnostic service informs fleets of the severity of the fault, and when, where, and how to best fix the issue.
• Remote updates use secure, over-the-air programming capabilities to make engine parameters and other updates.
• Detroit Connect analytics provides users with automated analysis, identifying behaviours and trends, and providing actionable insights on fuel consumption and safety performance data.
• Safety Event Viewer enables visibility into driver safety performance, notifying fleets of collision mitigation events. It will show the time, date, and location of an event, plus the vehicle speed at the time of the event and the duration of the event. This record-keeping allows Detroit Connect users to monitor and track all critical events and take action to increase the safety of trucks on the road and job site (standard with Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5). 

Powertrain and transmission updates

The Plus series features a powertrain that delivers the ideal amount of performance and durability to get the job done.

The 114SD Plus features the latest in Detroit's heavy-duty engine lineup, the DD13 Gen 5, which offers new diesel technology and exceptional reliability. It also offers new vocational power ratings as well as updated performance, uptime, and reliability. Its rapid torque feature gets payloads moving quickly. Additionally, ThermoCoasting in the DD13 Gen 5 prevents aftertreatment cool down during a driving regen to keep the system at its optimum temperature and significantly reduces the need for parked regens.

The Detroit DT12-V transmission is built for vocational performance, durability, and low-speed maneuverability. It has an off-road mode that features aggressive shifting for sustained momentum and ideal performance on any terrain; Hill Start Aid helps to guard against rolling back on steep grades; and rock-free mode aims to reduce downtime caused by wheel-stuck situations. Paver mode allows a dump truck to shift from neutral to drive without pressing the brake pedal, ensuring a steady flow to the paving machine.

Depending on truck model, the Plus series lineup will also feature the Cummins B6.7, L9 and X12 diesel engine options as well as L9N and ISX12N natural gas-powered engines. Eaton manual and automated manual transmissions, and Allison automatic transmissions are also available in Plus series trucks.

Upfit efficiency of the Plus series

The Plus series was engineered to possess upfit efficiency with the introduction of the QuickFit electrical system.

QuickFit features a new multiplexed architecture that makes integrating truck equipment into the vehicle easier. QuickFit delivers easier access to critical connection points, more power sources, programmable switches, customizable parameters, and interlock features, making upfits more reliable.

The Daimler Truck North America CHEC tool provides a user-friendly interface to view and modify electrical configurations and change parameters in minutes, keeping customization ideal. With the power of QuickFit and the CHEC tool, tasks that were once considered too complex or expensive can be accomplished more easily.

With the introduction of the Plus series trucks, key electrical components were also relocated to provide improved isolation from external variables and road debris that can cause downtime.