Low-Speed Acceleration of a Kenworth T2000 Tractor-Truck with Autoshift Transmission

The time/distance relationship for a heavy truck starting from a stopped position is often needed to accurately assess the events leading up to a collision. A series of tests were conducted to document the low speed acceleration performance of a Kenworth T2000 tractor- truck equipped with an auto-shift transmission. The tests included several load configurations and acceleration rates. The vehicle was instrumented with a DATRON speed sensor to measure time, distance and speed. This paper presents data from these tests and discusses low speed acceleration profiles of heavy trucks.