?A leading North American food grade carrier is spec?ing Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program full stability on its planned purchase of 350 new Peterbilt 386 and Volvo VN Series trucks.
With a total fleet of 470 tractors and 600 trailers, Indian River Transport Company, a privately owned fleet based in Winter Haven, Fla., chose Bendix full-stability technology to help ensure the safety of their drivers, said Johnny Cotton, director of maintenance for Indian River Transport Company.
?Once we made the decision to choose stability technology, we opted for Bendix ESP because of its ability to prevent accidents and protect our drivers and cargo under the most difficult weather conditions,? Cotton said. ?In addition, the level of service and support we receive from Bendix has made them a trusted partner in providing technology and products that support our efforts to take a proactive approach to driver safety.?
Bendix was the first North American brake system manufacturer to make a full-stability solution widely available for the commercial vehicle market. Full-stability technology is more comprehensive than roll-only system technology known as Roll Stability Control (RSC). Unlike roll-only systems, full-stability systems ? such as Bendix ESP ? address both roll and directional stability. While roll-only options function on dry surfaces, full-stability systems recognize and mitigate conditions that could lead to rollover and loss-of-control situations sooner on dry surfaces and in a wider range of driving and road conditions, including snowy, ice-covered, and slippery surfaces.
To reinforce the benefits of full-stability technology to its customers and the industry, Bendix has conducted more long-term and extensive testing of commercial vehicle full-stability than any other manufacturer in the industry. Testing and proof of performance continues to be a core element of the Bendix commitment to quality and an integral part of its full-stability program.
In 2009, a study developed for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) was released showing that full stability on heavy trucks (above 10,000 lbs.) can both substantially reduce the number of annual heavy truck crashes, as well as prevent injuries and deaths.
?As more testing is conducted and information from industry and government studies is available, fleets, owner-operators, and OEMs will continue to learn more about the benefits of full-stability technology and how it can help mitigate accidents and improve the safety of our nation?s roadways,? said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of marketing ? Controls. ?Bendix continues to educate the market about full-stability solutions and their advantages ? from an on-the-road performance, tangible ROI, and driver training perspectives.?
In addition to Bendix ESP, Indian River Transport also utilizes Bendix® air dryers on their entire fleet and Bendix® compressors when applicable.
