International Truck recently introduced a new lightweight spec for its International HV Series.
The new HV50B mixer package removes more than 1,000 pounds of weight from the vehicle, with engineering optimizations that allow drivers to haul up to 9.75 cubic yards of concrete while staying under 66,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW), the company said. As a result, customers currently only able to legally carry 9 cubic yards of concrete will be able to increase revenue by $750 per truck, per day.
The spec also includes fringe benefits, such as enhanced safety due to improved line of sight for the driver, International added.
“A major concrete producer was excited about our HV series but had some constructive feedback regarding the chassis weight and line of sight for their application,” said Mark Stasell, vice president of vocational truck business at Navistar. “As with all customer feedback, we took that challenge to heart and wanted to respond to these suggestions. We put together a small, passionate team and got creative from a design standpoint.”
The spec was designed specifically for saving pounds that don’t affect the integrity of the vehicle, the company maintained. To start, it features an all-aluminum, lighter bumper that is used on the International HX series. The team also optimized the front suspension components, allowing for a lower hood height, which leads to increased visibility for the driver and improved safety on the work site. The fuel water separator and air dryer also were mounted on the same bracket, saving the weight of multiple brackets and getting out of the way for concrete mixer hydraulics.
In addition, the team optimized crossmember locations, further reducing the weight of the chassis.
“With this spec, we were able to reduce the weight of our vehicle without compromising any job site performance,” Stasell said. “Reduced vehicle weight means heavier loads per trip and per truck, which directly improves our customers’ bottom lines.
“I’m very proud of what our team accomplished with this project and look forward to continuing to optimize our offerings based on the needs of our customers.”