CONWAY Makes Commitment of Over $1 Million to Safety
IVsource.net
14 March 2002

Hundreds of new tractors equipped with Eaton VORAD collision avoidance system hit the road.

Con-Way Transportation Services has taken delivery of 605 new Sterling tractors in the last year, as part of their annual equipment replacement cycle that keeps their fleet operating in top shape. But this time CON-Way took the safety plunge and ordered these vehicles equipped with the Eaton VORAD collision avoidance system. Cost of the safety improvement is estimated at more than $1 million.

"We've been following the development of this technology for a number of years," said Doug Stotlar, executive vice president of operations for CON-WAY. "The vendor test evidence has shown good reliability and we expect to achieve good results. Having 605 units in our own fleet equipped with the system will give us the opportunity to gain experience and carefully measure the results. If we get the anticipated results from these first units, our plan is to make collision avoidance systems standard equipment on all new heavy duty, over-the-road tractors we buy. Within seven years we should have the entire fleet equipped."

The system has a set of radar antennas on the front and the side of the tractor. The antennas are connected to an on-board computer that monitors the tractor speed and engine activity and matches that activity to that of vehicles in front and beside the tractor. When the front-mounted antenna detects a faster-than-desired closing rate on a vehicle the computer alerts the driver to the potentially dangerous situation. The side-mounted antenna gives a sound warning to the driver when they detect a vehicle in the "blind spot" on the right hand side of the vehicle.

"The driver is still in control of the tractor, but this system acts as a separate set of eyes and gives the driver notice of a potentially dangerous situation," says Stotlar. "We will monitor the safety results of this portion of our fleet and compare it to the portion of the fleet that is not equipped with the system. In addition, we'll be sharing the experience and suggestions of our drivers and mechanics with the equipment manufacturer. Highway safety is a national priority, not just a CON-WAY priority. Each day, however, there are over 12,000 CON-WAY employees whose work place is the streets and highways of North America. We're committed to investments and procedures that bring greater safety to them."

Industry experts estimate that 50,000 or more trucks in the US are equipped with the Eaton VORAD system by now, which has been on the market since the early nineties. While other systems are being marketed by other vendors, the VORAD system dominates the market. The system price is in the range of $2000 for small quantities.

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