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HERE'S HOW WE DID IT |
For years we've been telling you how Allison automatic transmissions can make your trucks more productive and your business more profitable. And, the marketplace has listened - as evidenced by the fact that Allison is the leading supplier of transmissions to commercial vehicles in North America. Allison's superior productivity, ease  of use, driver preference, improved operating safety and low maintenance costs have been further validated by so many imitators - automated manuals - entering the marketplace. The simple fact remains: there's no transmission as effective, efficient and productive as an Allison Automatic. |
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS - AND A WELL BEYOND |
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To introduce our new vocational automatic transmissions, Allison put on a ride and drive unlike any ride and drive ever attempted. Entitled Allison Transmission's Ultimate Truck Driving Adventure, prospective customers were invited to a testing facility in Nevada. Here they could drive their choice of trucks under the most accurate and extreme conditions relative to their particular vocation. They drove Allison Automatic-equipped trucks and comparative models of manual or automated manual trucks. This was as honest as it gets. The only differences between the trucks were the transmissions.
Well, there were exceptions. In some cases the manual or automated manuals had higher horsepower and torque engines. This was intentional. It proved that Allison Automatics, because of their superior torque management, make better use of engine power, especially in the operating conditions that comprise 98% of a vehicle's time.)
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IT DOESN'T GET ANY MORE REAL THAN THIS |
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To appreciate the validity of this "cage match," you've got to appreciate the place it was held. The testing facility is one of the foremost vehicle proving and testing grounds in the world. It has more than 3,000 miles of test courses and access to more than 40,000 acres of varied terrain simulating much of the earth's geographical conditions.
Allison configured two rigorous courses: an on-highway course to demonstrate Allison's new Highway Series transmissions and an on-/off-highway venue to showcase the new Rugged Duty Series transmissions. Both courses accurately captured the day-in, day-out type of driving these trucks encounter. In addition, we took operating conditions to extremes, with steep grades, tight turns, stop and go scenarios, acceleration tests, soft soil - you name it, we tried it. We really took off the gloves and went at it.
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GRANTED, WE HAD A FEW ANGLES |
To those who had never driven an Allison Automatic-equipped truck up a steep grade, stopped on the grade and  then continued on up the grade, we gave a new slant on how much control and ease of operation the Allison affords. We made believers out there on the 7 to 32% grades, both paved and unpaved. The stick shifts and automatic wannabees couldn't keep up. So if you ask how much better did the Allisons perform, we'd have to say it's a matter of degrees. |
THEN THE FLAG DROPPED |
A lot of stick  shift drivers had to eat dust and swallow their pride as Allison Automatics repeatedly trounced manuals and automated manuals on the dragstrip. Not only did several of the Allison-equipped trucks have lower engine horsepower (340 hp vs 500 hp) than their manual and AMT rivals, we gave the competitive vehicles a truck-length starting position advantage. Furthermore, we had rookie drivers from Allison's marketing department driving Allison-equipped vehicles, blowing away hardcore professional drivers using manuals and AMTs. |
THE PROOF IS IN THE CARDS |
| At the end of the day, whether on-highway or off, every Allison-equipped truck proved more capable and more productive than a superior horsepower/torque-equipped truck with a standard transmission or automated manual.
This wasn't just seat of the pants empirical evidence. We applied rigid scientific tests to each vehicle and each driver via sophisticated onboard data acquisition computers. Every driver was provided a data memory card that was inserted into the vehicle's data logging computer. The computer recorded the number of shifts it took to complete the course,  time to complete the course, distance traveled and percent of time at speed. This same information was acquired and compared across all trucks each driver experienced. In every case, the Allison-equipped vehicles outperformed their manual or automated manual counterparts. And each driver took home a printout verifying the results. |
OFF-ROAD EDUCATION |
While a good portion of the day was spent driving under the most grueling (and scenically awesome) conditions, there was also some classroom time, featuring a drivers' forum. Here Allison customer spokespeople explained how and why an Allison Automatic performs better,  the business advantage of Allison Automatics was discussed and drivers conversed with other drivers about their particular operating needs and conditions. Attendees also had the opportunity to speak to current Allison users in their own lingo about why they switched to Allison. |
SPECIFY YOUR TRUCK TO THE JOB |
Most trucks actually are purchased for specific operational requirements. And, they generally end up working under those specific conditions. That's the good news. The bad news is most trucks aren't spec'd out precisely to fit those operating conditions. Buyers end up buying way too much engine for the operating ranges their trucks are in 90% of the time. That's a waste of horsepower, fuel and purchase price  money.
Allison Vocational Models let you maximize your engine torque, converting it to usable wheel power, under all driving conditions. So you don't need to buy more horsepower than you'll ever use. But you'll still have all the performance you need. |
UP TO THE TASK |
| The new Allison Vocational Models are built for the job at hand. You've got a job to do. Your trucks have a job to do. Your business has a job to do. The right truck doesn't just mean what it hauls. It means how it hauls. How productive it is. How many deliveries it makes per day. How efficient it is. And how much it costs to buy, own and operate. All those criteria go into "the right truck". And, even more than the engine, the transmission is the only component in the driveline that defines your truck's efficiency.
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HONESTY IS THE BEST PERSUASION |
| To a person, all attendees of this remarkable event came away with a better understanding and appreciation of how Allison automatic transmissions could improve their business. Some attendees even changed existing truck orders on site to Allison Automatics. This event redefined how important the transmission selection is to the performance, cost and value of the vehicle.
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YOU WANT MORE PROOF? |
If you'd like to know more about the new Allison Vocational Models, click on the Sales & Service Locator at the top of the page.
And, if you want firsthand experience of how the new Allison Vocational Models will improve your business, ask your truck dealer to contact Allison to arrange a Ride & Drive for you. Once you experience it, you'll believe it.
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