On Saturday, I left Peoria, IL and made my way towards Trenton, MO to make a delivery. Enroute, I experienced a small snow storm which made me disappointed as I spent many hours cleaning the truck and trailer in preparation for the Mid-West Truck Show. It’s difficult to see all that hard work vanish in just a short time. As I watched the truck/trailer get dirty, it was time to focus on something positive.


It occurred to me that I have Meritor WABCO – electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS) on my Cascadia Evolution. As many of you know, my truck has a 6x2 axle configuration. This means that only one of the axle’s on the tractor tandem is powered. This reduces the tractive effort available during low traction situations such as snow. The (ECAS) system mitigates the traction problem by shifting weight from the unpowered tag axle to the drive axle. The (ECAS) knows when to shift the weight to the drive axle by detecting wheel spin through the ABS system. The features of (ECAS) are as follows:


 Intelligent Load Monitoring that enables efficient transition to 6x2 drive configurations improves ATC event traction and reduces drivetrain damage due to over spin conditions.


 Intelligent Level Control to provide optimum ride height to reduce driveline vibration and wear, lower vehicle profile for improved aerodynamics, and reduce air consumption for increased fuel economy.


 Improved lifting capabilities to help in instances where the trailer is challenged on certain road grades.



While sitting at a traffic light in the snow, I decided to put the (ECAS) to the test. My load weight was low for this experiment. When the light turned green, I shoved the throttle to the floor to induce wheel spin. As the tire broke traction, I could see the suspension air gauge increasing pressure to the drive axle. When this occurred, the tire stopped slipping on the snow. I was impressed with how quickly the traction issue was eliminated.
After travelling several miles, I came upon a large parking lot and decided to do more testing. The large area afforded me room to make many different maneuvers, without fear of boxing myself into a bad situation. I completed several uphill starts, forward and reverse moves and 45 degree angle backing maneuvers. The results were favorable and I was very pleased with the (ECAS) system.


The best method for using the system was to lift up slightly on the throttle when wheel spin began in order to give the system a chance to shift the weight properly. Upon the shift in weight, a driver can use the throttle more liberally.


Having said all of this, I don’t want to lead anyone to believe that having (ECAS) on a 6x2 would ever give you the traction available on a 6x4 where both axles are powered. However, having (ECAS) closes the gap and makes the 6x2 axle concept much more user friendly in low traction scenario’s.

Comments (2)

Henry Albert

Henry Albert is the owner of Albert Transport, Inc., based in Statesville, NC. Before participating in the "Slice of Life" program, Albert drove a 2001 Freightliner Century Class S/T™, and will use his Cascadia for general freight and a dry van trailer. Albert, who has been a trucker since 1983, was recognized by Overdrive as its 2007 Trucker of the Year.

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Craig ,
It can be set up many ways but not in a way to cause a problem at the scale. It is set up so you can never overload a axle unless the whole truck was overloaded. So yes its different than shifting the fifth wheel as its all done by air bag pressure.

February 07, 2013 19:12:51 PM

Very interesting information Henry. Not being familiar with this technology, I have a question. Assming you were at the maximum 34,000 lbs on the drive axles, does this simply shift some of the 34,000 lb weight from the rear drive to the front drive axle? Am I correct in thinking it's not the same type of weight shift as sliding the 5th wheel which could cause a citation if you had to cross a scale?

Sounds like very interesting technology. Hope you enjoy the Mid-West truck show.

February 07, 2013 13:36:07 PM