Clever Cruise Control: The Future of Fleet | Semi Truck Repair

Oh, it’s clever alright….

It’s common knowledge that using cruise control systems (and consistent speeds) can help keep a fleets fuel economy down. So it’s no surprise that fleet owners and managers alike are excited to see the changing face of cruise control technology.

The two terms that are becoming hot buttons in this sector of the industry are adaptive and predictive. Here is a quick explanation of the two so you can better determine if they are updates you should consider for your fleet.

Adaptive – Adaptive cruise control (ACC) uses a Doppler radar system to track a vehicles speed driving in front of the rig. If the vehicle driving in front of the tractor slows or brakes, the semi’s ACC automatically senses this and does the same. This helps in place of relying solely on human reaction time when the vehicle has cruise control is engaged.

Predictive – Predictive Cruise Control (PCC) takes cruise control to a whole new level. PCC utilizes GPS and map data to communicate to the cruise control system in a truck the changing physical landscape of the road up to a mile ahead. The PCC then figures the best speed to cover that path at a peak fuel economy. So, for example, should the GPS report back that an incline is approaching, the truck may speed up to gain momentum and expend less gas on the slope of the hill.

Where to go? –  A Freightliner service rep mentioned that they can install aftermarket systems on newer trucks (the best guess was ’07 and newer). Have you found a place that does these installs? Leave a comment in the comments section below!