Problems with trucks - APU/EPU, Collision systems... what are your experiences?

When I get assigned a new truck, it will have the Collision Detection systems. My father in law drives for the same company I do and has a 2013 Volvo and says it drives you nuts in the city. Anytime I talk to him while he's driving, I can hear it beeping in the background.

 

We run for Central Ref... We have the On Guard system... We were one of the first trucks ordered with them as a trial... Now that we are use to it, it's OK.... Yes the beeping is irritating, but it only beeps if it deems you are too close the the vehicle in front of you... So back away, no more beeping. Nice in construction zones or in 'moderate' even flowing traffic, because it will maintain a select distance between you and the vehicle in front of you... Yes it will slam on breaks ... So you still have to be vigilant, and I just HOPE it puts the brake lights on when it does!! Also if you don't keep the Iceland bugs off the screen, it will get blocked and then neither it nor the cruise control will work.

Would I specifically order one for my truck... Eh... Depends on the cost... Would I take one that is given to me... Yeah... Is it a necessity?? Nope...

 

I used to have the easton-vorad and hated it. It would beep at nothing, and i mean nothing. No cars, no bridges. Clouds? Maybe. Another driver showed me how to disable it so disabled it was. Imo you will pay much more attention to road road when you dont have the truck doing it for you.

 

I work for Roehl in a 2012 Prostar. Our Cascadia's have them as well and they're some trucks in the fleet that dont have them. Luck of the draw what truck you get. At first before I moved into this truck I wasnt on board with the sensors and all that jazz. Then the older model truck I was driving had constant problems to where I moved into a new truck. My driving style the sensors dont really affect it at all being in mind I keep a good following distance and maintain my situational awareness. It is annoying to hear the beeping just have to back off not to hear it and can be a benefit to do so. I have the Bendix system and heard its better than the on guard but thats just hear say. The sensor would go out of alignment and have to get re aligned. When out of alignment it would fault and you couldnt run cruise control and not have tractor abs. Even when it works I dont run cruise bc really the computer may compensate for following distance but some situations like large hills or through the mountains you need that speed to crest the next hill or grade. It does tell you the speed of other vehicles around you and your following distance so you can make a out to avoid losing speed or momentum which is good. Overall I like it and dont mind it that much just some taking to get used to and make your driving habits good ones instead on instilling bad driving habits. The break check sucks when it happens but as long as your aware of your surroundings and traffic patterns you'll be ok. You slip and no pay attention then for sure it'll let you know

 

Ran for US Xpress with the On-Guard on my 2012 Cascadia.....it was OK in that it regulated my speed (with the cruise on), which was nice......but it also slammed the brakes on for shadows or anything on the side of the road.

Ran for Hirschbach with an APU on my 2010 Cascadia......it would run for about 6 hours and then I had to idle.

Now I'm with D&D Sexton, 2009 Cascadia, and none of that stuff...but they don't holler when I have to idle.

 

I drive for TransAm and the APU is great. Keeps battery charged and gives you ac and heat. TransAm also puts in a 3000 watt inverter so there is plenty of power in the sleeper. And one other thing they put in there trucks is Automatic transmission. (EATON 10 Speed UltraShift)

 

The bunk heaters are designed to draw minimum power plus they have built in low voltage cutouts. If it's cold enough to affect the batteries, you'd better be idling anyways.