HEAVY-TRUCK ENGINEERING

Freightliner engineering VP says the appearance and function of heavy trucks belie their technological sophistication.

Like paperwork and retail outlets, the 18-wheeler may be a symbol of the “old way” of doing business in the largely “virtual” world of the new Internet age. But there's a whole galaxy of cutting-edge technology behind the business of making heavy trucks and buses.

In fact, said Freightliner Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology Michael von Mayenburg, innovations in design concepts, processes, tools, and materials have made heavy trucks “the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the planet.” He and many other engineers and executives from Freightliner will be heavily involved in the upcoming SAE Truck & Bus Meeting & Exposition Dec. 4-6 in Portland, which Freightliner is hosting (see sidebar).