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Here's an article I found on my harddrive when I was trying to find a part number for that C5 spacer--the article is still on the web years later, go figure. Anyway, it starts out with Sparkletts transitions to diesels, and then their move to automatics. It's a business article--a bean counters article.
For some reason I can't use the buttons up there, so here's the link. The text I have from when I copied years ago to rebute automatic haters. It's not the complete text though. Use the link to see the whole thing if you want. There's a lot more about it.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3469/is_n46_v41/ai_11630223/
Natural Durability
"We switched to diesels in 1980," Bob explains, "because there was a large increase in fuel economy and less of a chance that drivers could overrev the engine, which translated into longer life and lower life-cycle costs. Today, we're specing Caterpillar's 3116 in the GMC TopKick as well as Ford's 6.6-liter in our F-700s and International's DTA-360 in the Navistar 4700s. We know the diesels are a big step forward in trying to engineer out any type of driver error because of their natural durability and the shutdown systems included on each engine."
Beyond the nameplate on the front of a Sparkletts route truck, Bob points out, the components are fairly standardized. Specs call for a turbocharged 170-HP diesel, and engine accessory equipment includes Eaton's viscous fan clutch and Bendix AD-9 air dryer and 13 CFM compressor. Axles are rated from 8,000- to 9,000-lbs capacity on the front and 17,500 or 19,000 lbs on the rear. S-cam brakes, 15x4-inch on the steer axle and 16.5x7-inch on the drive, with non-asbestos linings are standard, along with 245/75R22.5 Bridgestone radials mounted on 22.5x7.25-inch steel disc wheels.
Once the changeover to diesels took hold in the Sparkletts fleet, Bob adds, the engine's higher torque shortened clutch life and produced a rash of broken rear axles. The driver training program was adjusted to address the issues but was only able to relieve some of the problems. As with most beverage delivery fleets, he points out, salesmen are hired, not drivers. And as a result they are more attentive to increasing sales rather than learning about the dynamics of a diesel-powered vehicle.
The answer, Bob says, was automatic transmissions, which have been speced on all new route trucks for the last four years. They are helping to make vehicles more "bullet-proof," he notes, by eliminating downtime due to clutch, rear axle and driveline repairs. Currently 140 Sparkletts straight trucks are equipped with Allison's AT 545 four-speed automatic.
"Some of the first Allisons in the fleet," he relates, "have run for more than 50,000 miles, which is a lot for our operation, without any problems. We're happy because the automatics take the guess work out of when to shift. And our drivers look forward to getting a new truck because they know it will have an automatic, which means they'll be able to pay more attention to the traffic instead of concentrating on making the next shift."
For some reason I can't use the buttons up there, so here's the link. The text I have from when I copied years ago to rebute automatic haters. It's not the complete text though. Use the link to see the whole thing if you want. There's a lot more about it.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3469/is_n46_v41/ai_11630223/
Natural Durability
"We switched to diesels in 1980," Bob explains, "because there was a large increase in fuel economy and less of a chance that drivers could overrev the engine, which translated into longer life and lower life-cycle costs. Today, we're specing Caterpillar's 3116 in the GMC TopKick as well as Ford's 6.6-liter in our F-700s and International's DTA-360 in the Navistar 4700s. We know the diesels are a big step forward in trying to engineer out any type of driver error because of their natural durability and the shutdown systems included on each engine."
Beyond the nameplate on the front of a Sparkletts route truck, Bob points out, the components are fairly standardized. Specs call for a turbocharged 170-HP diesel, and engine accessory equipment includes Eaton's viscous fan clutch and Bendix AD-9 air dryer and 13 CFM compressor. Axles are rated from 8,000- to 9,000-lbs capacity on the front and 17,500 or 19,000 lbs on the rear. S-cam brakes, 15x4-inch on the steer axle and 16.5x7-inch on the drive, with non-asbestos linings are standard, along with 245/75R22.5 Bridgestone radials mounted on 22.5x7.25-inch steel disc wheels.
Once the changeover to diesels took hold in the Sparkletts fleet, Bob adds, the engine's higher torque shortened clutch life and produced a rash of broken rear axles. The driver training program was adjusted to address the issues but was only able to relieve some of the problems. As with most beverage delivery fleets, he points out, salesmen are hired, not drivers. And as a result they are more attentive to increasing sales rather than learning about the dynamics of a diesel-powered vehicle.
The answer, Bob says, was automatic transmissions, which have been speced on all new route trucks for the last four years. They are helping to make vehicles more "bullet-proof," he notes, by eliminating downtime due to clutch, rear axle and driveline repairs. Currently 140 Sparkletts straight trucks are equipped with Allison's AT 545 four-speed automatic.
"Some of the first Allisons in the fleet," he relates, "have run for more than 50,000 miles, which is a lot for our operation, without any problems. We're happy because the automatics take the guess work out of when to shift. And our drivers look forward to getting a new truck because they know it will have an automatic, which means they'll be able to pay more attention to the traffic instead of concentrating on making the next shift."
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