2018 LT Series & “Super Truck” Catalist

TOUR ABOUT TRUCKING

TANDEM FEATURE: In this “Tour About Trucking” episode you’ll see International’s 2018 LT Series and the U.S. government commissioned “super truck” called Catalist!

Tour The New LT Series

Steve Giligan, Navistar’s V.P. of Product Marketing, tells us that the new LT Series was designed with the philosophy of “driver first.” Gilligan told us, “The intention was to make the truck easier for the driver to operate. We took the controls that the driver uses most frequently and moved them closer to the driver.”

The LT Series replaced the International Pro Star series. Gilligan says what really sets the LT Series apart is the fuel economy improvement it provides. “Very seldom do trucks go straight down the road. More often than not they are heading into a crosswind, sidewind, or tailwind. The LT is designed to maximize fuel efficiency by being aero-dynamic in every situation,” Gilligan said.

Tour “Super Truck” Catalist

We got a tour of International’s super truck called Catalist from Darren Gosbee. Gosbee is Navistar’s V.P. of Powertrain Engineering and Advanced Technology and oversaw the development of Catalist. Gosbee says what separates Catalist from any other vehicle is what he calls “active aerodynamics.” He explained, “As you increase speed the nose of the vehicle will drop, the tail of the trailer will drop and the rear tandems on the back of the trailer will lift.”

Gosbee says this gave them a “huge reduction in aerodynamic drag which led straight to fuel economy improvement.” Then there’s the addition, or should we say, the subtraction of mirrors. That’s right, Catalist does not have mirrors. Instead it deploys two side cameras which project the images on monitors inside the truck.

Gosbee says drivers really enjoy driving Catalist. “It cruises effortlessly. It’s engine is very quiet because the power to actually propel the vehicle down the freeway is so small because it’s so aerodynamic,” Gosbee said.

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