ZF to supply Paccar trucks with lane assist and adaptive steering systems
By Bradley Osborne - 9th March 2023
Germany / USA – ZF Friedrichshafen AG of Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany has announced an agreement with Paccar Inc of Bellevue, Washington, USA to supply new Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks with adaptive steering and lane keeping assistance systems.
ZF’s ‘OnTraX’ system can determine, using a forward-facing camera, whether or not the truck is keeping to its lane while travelling 40mph+. If it senses that the vehicle is departing from its designated lane, ‘ReAX’ will kick in, adjusting the steering torque and “gently” counter-steering the truck back into its lane. The system is overridden while the turning indicator is activated. ZF also states that the system can accurately differentiate between ordinary and critical manoeuvres by assessing the speed of steering input by the driver’s hand. Therefore, it should not activate in an emergency scenario, such as when a driver needs to quickly swerve to avoid a collision.