A key safety system that provides vehicles with additional stability and traction - the Bendix ESP (Electronic Stability Program) full-stability system with Automatic Traction Control (ATC) - becomes standard in May 2012 on the majority of Peterbilt Motors Company's heavy duty trucks and tractors, including the newly announced 579.
The Bendix ESP full stability system works in conjunction with Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) to maintain vehicle stability and help mitigate rollovers, jackknifing and loss-of-control situations by selectively applying brakes when excessive wheel slip or a critical stability threshold is compromised.
"Stability control has long been an option for our product lineup and we are now advancing it to a standard feature due to customer demand and our continuing focus on serving the industry by offering vehicles with uncompromising performance, reliability, efficiency and safety," said Bill Kozek, Peterbilt General Manager and Paccar Vice President.
The system is ideally suited for loads with a high center of gravity, such as mixer, dump and tanker applications, and helps improve safe operation across all vocations and industry segments.
Landon Sproull, Peterbilt's Chief Engineer, explained the system works by monitoring numerous vehicle parameters and automatically makes adjustments while accounting for a wide range of road conditions.
"The system integrates and analyzes input from sensors monitoring wheel speed, lateral acceleration, steering angle, brake pressure, weight distribution and yaw rate," Sproull said. "When a potential stability hazard is detected, the system provides near instantaneous correction by selectively engaging brakes and accurately supplementing the operator's actions throughout the maneuver."
The Bendix ESP full-stability system will be standard on all Class 8 trucks and tractors with the exception of the Models 320 and 382.
