Since its release in Australia in the late 1990s, the Freightliner Argosy has become a popular choice among operators in the long distance and line haul markets. They must be doing something right, so we saddled up the latest Evolution up for a ride.’
The latest offering comes with a few changes, the most obvious being the cosmetic alterations made to the front of the truck.
The grille has been chrome plated and made larger to allow for the extra cooling required by the new, more environmentally-friendly engines. The vents on either side of the cab have also been changed to give the Argosy a more aggressive look.
While the lower section guides air under the cab to assist cooling, the upper sections also have a purpose: keeping air flowing smoothly around the cab by directing air along the side of the truck. This airflow assists with aerodynamics and also lowers the amount of spray or dust which accumulates on the side of the cab, as was proven on our drive.
The addition of twin air-ram intakes, mounted on a gantry at the rear of the cab, is the only other visible external difference.
A big selling point of the Argosy is the swing-out staircase. It’s a great solution to the access problems associated with cab-over prime movers. With wide treads and a platform outside the door, the stairs allow for safe entry and exit in all weather conditions. This, particularly, is a boon for operators of cab-over trucks – and we are all aware of the occupational health and safety benefits of easy access.
The system is fitted with sensors to stop the staircase opening in the event of any contact with walls, people, other trucks, etcetera. It minimises the risk of damage or injuries, and also works when the stairs are closing to protect anyone working under the truck from being crushed. Override switches are fitted both inside and outside the cab, allowing drivers to disable the system in tight areas such as loading docks. This again reduces the chance of any damage or injury. Even with the staircase closed access is still easy, with three steps and well-positioned grab rails.
Drivers of previous model Argosy rigs will find the inside of the cab hasn’t changed. In fact, the dash and the controls have hardly altered since the truck was first introduced on the market. It seems Freightliner is sticking with the tried and tested layout which has served it well up to now.
The driving position is good, with a tilt/slide adjustable steering wheel to make things more comfortable. The Easyrider air-suspended seat has adjustments for slide, recline, height and a single lumbar zone, with plenty of padding and a wide base. This seat should be comfy for even the biggest drivers.
The fixed passenger seat offers the same cushioning but no adjustment, although a second air-suspended seat is optional for two-up work.
The gauges are well laid out and easily visible through the steering wheel, with good lighting and clear displays. The driver information display is mounted centrally above the gauges, and clearly displays fuel consumption, trip distance and leg distance while on the move.
It also shows the vehicle diagnostics, trip details and various other information, but only when the park brake is applied. The controls for this are mounted low, to the left of the steering wheel, which means the driver must look away from the road to identify the correct button for each operation. This may get easier with regular use.
The dash-mounted controls and switches are all within easy reach of the driver. Unfortunately, the lighting on the switches was pretty poor, making the various controls and their operation hard to identify when driving at night.
The two-switch wiper operation takes some getting used to, and seems a little old fashioned. One switch operates the two-speed intermittent setting and washer, while the other (which also acts as the on/off switch) controls the constant operation, also with two speed settings.
We had plenty of practice using this control due to the conditions on the run and found it awkward. The wipers themselves seem to be small, leaving large areas of the two-piece windscreen unswept.
Also bemusing is the lack of radio in the test truck, and noticed the manual listed a “radio preparation kit” was fitted. This includes the speakers and wiring, but no radio. It’s obviously a dealer fitment, and was overlooked on this unit.
Roomier cab
The truck we drove was fitted with the 110-inch mid-roof cab, and is the flagship of the Argosy line up. Interior room is abundant, with ample height to stand and walk around the cab.
The flat floor and lack of gear lever make access to the bunk a piece of cake. There are storage compartments galore, including aircraft-style compartments around the top of the bunk, a shelf area (with wiring for a television) and a drawer with a foldaway desktop.
A nice touch is the wardrobe, with a hanging rail for your freshly ironed shirts! Add to this a storage area and external toolboxes access from under the bed and you have a very user-friendly living space.
For extra comfort the bunk area has a separate heating and cooling unit, giving a more comfortable climate for sleeping. The controls are mounted on the rear wall of the cab, along with a reading lamp and digital alarm clock.
This system also allows for two different temperature zones in the cab, by closing the privacy curtain between the driving area and the bunk area. This feature is ideal for two-up teams.
Under the cab a few things have changed. The cooling capacity has been increased, with a 25 percent increase in frontal cooling area. A smaller, secondary radiator mounted behind the steps on the passenger side is cooled by thermostat controlled electric fans which operate independently of the main radiator fan.
The primary fan is operated by a two-speed Horton clutch, which is claimed to reduce noise output due to shorter periods of full-speed fan operation. The secondary radiator also contributes to reduced running time on the main fan.
The engine air intakes have been moved to the rear of the cab with air-ram induction creating positive pressure in the intakes. This means the engine is being fed air, rather than having to suck it in. The intakes are mounted behind the cab and up high. This keeps them in the clean air above the cab, thus avoiding the majority of dust and debris. The intake rams also separate air and water, adding to filter life.
This all sounds rather good, you say, but what about the drive?
On the blacktop
This unit was powered by a Detroit Diesel Series 60, rated at 525hp (392kW), and putting out 1,850ft-lb (2,508Nm) through an Eaton 18-speed gearbox.
Also fitted was Freightliner’s Smartshift auto-shift system. This combination didn’t seem very comfortable in the peak hour traffic of Melbourne, and so I found it better to operate manually. This is easy with the Smartshift: just select manual and use the paddle to change gears without taking your hands off the wheel.
Once out on the open road it was back into auto, though there were some issues with gear changes in the hills. I found the system would let the engine lug down too low, and then jump two gears, meaning it was revving way too high. It would then go back down two gears to the previous gear and struggle again. After a little driver intervention, by selecting the gear between, all was well. This gear jumping might be due to American software programming: they don’t run the same weights as we do and so can get away with these gear changes.
I was left wondering what Freightliner had done about noise insulation on this latest Evolution. The engine noise was very loud in the cab any time the engine was working. While cruising on flat ground, or downhill, the cab was relatively quiet, but as soon as the power came on so did the volume. The engine fan was also extremely loud, making conversation almost impossible until things had cooled down.
There was also a noticeable vibration in the cab when the engine was under load. This was obvious through the floor, and the dash would vibrate in time with the engine noise. Not the kind of vibration that made you think it was going to fall out, but it did make pens and spare change rattle, and made me feel that noise reduction was not high on the priority list here.
How can a Mercedes-Benz truck be so quiet, yet the Freightliner (owned by the same company) be the opposite? Some people like to hear what’s happening underneath, but there is a point where it gets too much.
Rock and roll
Our two-day test drive took us west from Melbourne across to Adelaide and back. Conditions were far from perfect, with strong winds and rain hampering the economy results.
Firstly, the ride quality in this truck was far from great.
The parabolic springs up front gave good road feel through the steering, and the airbags at the rear did a good job of getting power to ground. But even on the best sections of road the cab still moved around.
The cab suspension – air at the rear and rubber up the front – didn’t seem to do so well damping the ride, though with the extra weight of the big cab it was probably working pretty hard.
The air-suspended seat took a beating, and I am far from being the heaviest driver out there. I have had experience with these seats, and wonder how long the shock-absorber in them will last in these trucks.
It’s also worth noting that I didn’t load the trailers, and so load position might have been a factor in the ride quality in this case.
Loaded to just under 53 tonnes, well below the legal (and usual) operating limits, the Argosy still had to work hard on the hills.
It is interesting to note that the cruise control deactivates at 40km/h, which came as a surprise halfway up one of the bigger hills between Melbourne and Ballarat. One second the truck was working hard at the climb, the next the jake had kicked in and it was losing speed fast.
Over the course of our journey the trip computer showed we had covered 1,557km, and used 913 litres of fuel. This gives us around 1.7 km/l or 58.6 l/100km – not too bad given the conditions, loads involved, and my lack of experience with the Smartshift system. A regular driver of this truck would likely achieve better results.
The Argosy has been a great success for Freightliner, especially in the role of a B-double prime mover. It has what its American-based rival, the Kenworth cab-over, doesn’t – a flat floor. And it has what the Europeans don’t – the big cab option.
It makes it an attractive truck to those operating in this field. But the compromise comes in the ride and noise for the driver.
This is a genuine workhorse, with a few comforts added, and should continue to sell well for Freightliner. With a big following, and a growing reputation, expect to see more of these trucks on our roads.