Comcar chooses Bendix full-stability and collision mitigation technologies

March 28, 2013
Nationwide carrier bolsters fleet safety by adding Bendix ESP and Bendix Wingman Advanced.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC is helping nationwide carrier and logistics company Comcar Industries, Inc., strengthen its commitment to fleet safety through an agreement to provide the BendixESPElectronic Stability Program full-stability system and BendixWingmanAdvanced – A Collision Mitigation Technology – on its vehicles.

Comcar is adding 500 InternationalProStartrucks to its fleet, all of which are equipped with the Bendix full-stability solution and collision mitigation technology. The carrier has also chosen the Bendix AD-ISair dryer for the vehicles.

Founded in 1953 as a cement-hauling business, Comcar Industries encompasses five trucking company subsidiaries and six logistics company subsidiaries serving the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Comcar and its subsidiaries employ more than 4,500 employees and contractors at its 53 terminals and its Auburndale, Fla., headquarters.

"Safety is a value at Comcar, and we believe that all work must be performed safely. To that end, we have established a Zero Defects culture that extends to every task, action, and decision," said Jim Gourley, vice president of safety and risk management at Comcar. "That commitment includes providing our professional drivers with tools like Bendix ESP and Bendix Wingman Advanced – the most advanced safety technologies available. These new technologies help ensure our drivers' safety and the safety of everyone on the highways. An added benefit is the safety ROI they provide."

Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies, was the first North American brake system manufacturer to make a full-stability solution widely available to the commercial vehicle market. BendixESP, unlike roll-only stability systems, addresses both roll and directional stability. Bendix ESP also recognizes and mitigates conditions that can lead to rollover and loss-of-control situations in a range of driving and road conditions, including snowy, ice-covered, and slippery surfaces.

Full-stability technology tends to be more effective than roll-only systems. Full stability typically assesses situations quicker – thanks to additional sensors that measure driver intent and vehicle direction – and then delivers automatic brake interventions involving the steer, drive, and trailer axles. Roll-only systems typically don't have the additional sensors and only apply the brakes on the drive and trailer axles. Slowing the vehicle quickly helps mitigate rollovers faster, while slowing and redirecting can help the driver maneuver in loss-of-control situations.

Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding stability technology on commercial vehicles. If enacted, new NHTSA rules would require full-stability technology, known as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), on truck tractors and certain buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 11,793 kilograms (26,000 pounds). Bendix ESP is a full-stability, or ESC, system.

BendixWingmanAdvanced, built on the foundation of Bendix ESP technology, delivers active cruise control with braking features, along with collision mitigation technology. Using a radar sensor mounted to the front of the vehicle, Bendix Wingman Advanced delivers both warnings and active interventions to help drivers potentially avoid rear-end collisions or, at least, help reduce their severity.

Whether or not cruise control is engaged, Bendix Wingman Advanced provides following distance and stationary object alerts at any speed above approximately 10 mph. When cruise control is in use, the system will actively intervene to help drivers maintain a safe following distance behind a forward vehicle by reducing throttle; engaging the engine retarder; or, if necessary, applying the foundation brakes.

The system's collision mitigation feature provides additional braking interventions, delivering up to two-thirds of the vehicle braking power through the steer, drive, and trailer brakes. Above about 15 mph, this "always available" braking feature can assist drivers through an alert and an automatic application of the brakes to help decelerate the vehicle when a rear-end collision may be imminent. The driver still maintains control of the vehicle and can add additional braking or steering inputs to help avoid or minimize the collision situation.

"Comcar Industries is clearly focused on the safety of its fleet, and we are pleased that the company has turned to Bendix for its active safety technologies," said TJ Thomas, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions, Controls group. "These solutions alone do not replace the need for alert, safe drivers practicing safe driving habits, and comprehensive driver training, but they are powerful options for reducing accidents and improving the safety of our highways."

Comcar has also spec'd its new trucks with Bendix AD-ISair dryers. Bendix air dryers keep air brake systems clean by collecting and removing solid, liquid, and vapor contaminants before they can jeopardize efficient operation. Providing clean, dry air to reservoirs, valves, and other components increases the life of air brake systems, reduces maintenance costs, and prevents system freeze-up.

The BendixESPand BendixWingmanAdvanced systems are part of the company's ever-growing portfolio of technology developments that delivers on safety, plus other areas critical to fleets' success. By improving vehicle performance and efficiency and providing unparalleled post-sales support, Bendix aims to help fleets and drivers lower total cost of vehicle ownership and strengthen return on investment in equipment and technology.

Bendix supports all of its commercial vehicle safety solutions through robust "train the trainer" driver and technician training programs, ASE-certified service teams, and the Bendix Tech Team – the venerable field technical phone support group representing over 85 years of comprehensive commercial vehicle troubleshooting experience.

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