Freightliner Introduces On-Line Driver, Maintenance Manuals
4 February 1999
Freightliner Introduces On-Line Driver, Maintenance Manuals
PORTLAND, Ore.--Feb. 4, 1999--Freightliner Corporation has unveiled the latest in its array of software and Internet offerings: on-line driver and maintenance manuals.Now, Freightliner customers can use the Internet to access information on operating and maintaining Freightliner, Sterling, American LaFrance and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. vehicles. The on-line manuals are available immediately at www.alliancesupport.com, the web site of Freightliner's Alliance parts and service division. To reach the manuals, users should click on "Technical Information" under the "Information Systems" heading. No password is required and access is free.
"On-line driver and maintenance manuals will prove a tremendous tool for our customers," Freightliner President and CEO James L. Hebe said. "Truck owners are entitled to know everything there is to know about their trucks. With Internet access, an encyclopedia of Freightliner vehicle information is ready for them at the desktop."
Decentralized companies with multiple locations will find the on-line manuals especially useful, Hebe said. "With accurate, consistent information always available on the Web, businesses can be sure they're on the same page -- literally -- regarding maintenance and operating practices."
Freightliner's on-line manuals contain the entire text of the company's printed driver and maintenance manuals, along with hundreds of drawings and schematics. Information is presented in a clear, easy-to-use format. The user need only click on a topic, "Pretrip Inspection," for example, and he or she is transported immediately to that section of the manual. To view a drawing or schematic, the user need only click on an interactive icon, and a clear image appears.
The on-line manuals even have animation to show how different components work. For instance, the user can click an icon to "play" a moving animation of how to operate the driver's seat. Another interactive animation shows how to remove the air reservoir.
Also included is a powerful search engine, which guides the user straight to the pertinent information.
"Anyone with Internet access will find these manuals very easy to use," said Carlo Nardini, Freightliner manager of technical service systems. "They are simple to navigate, intuitive and the screens are easy to read."
Separate on-line driver and maintenance manuals are offered for each Freightliner vehicle -- everything from the company's flagship Class 8 Century Class tractor to the Sterling 7500 Series vocational truck to the American LaFrance Eagle fire truck.
Driver manuals cover everything the driver needs to know about working in and operating Freightliner Corporation vehicles. Topics include vehicle access, heating and air conditioning, seats and seatbelts, steering and brake systems, daily maintenance and cab appearance, among many others.
Maintenance manuals relate information on maintenance cycles, access points and routine maintenance processes. All major systems are covered, including engines, transmissions, clutches, brakes, steering, front and rear axles, suspensions, drivelines and numerous others.
Nardini said Freightliner will continue to enhance its on-line manuals using multimedia. "We are exploring audio and video streaming and other methods of delivering information via the Internet," he said. "This technology has amazing potential for helping us serve our customers."
Eventually, Freightliner will deliver all its literature through the Internet, including service bulletins, Nardini said, though the company will not discontinue printing bound copies any time soon. "We know many of our customers like printed copies and we will continue to meet their needs."
The new, on-line manuals join a full stable of software and Internet solutions from Freightliner Corporation. That includes the company's Fleet Assistant fleet management software and SpecPro vehicle specifying software, as well as its ServicePro, PartsPro, F&I Pro and LocatorPro systems, which perform a variety of service and support functions. Freightliner also maintains comprehensive Web sites at www.freightliner.com, www.freightlinertrucks.com, www.sterlingtrucks.com, www.americanlafrance.com and www.alliancesupport.com.
"No other truck OEM is providing driver and maintenance manuals on the Internet and no truck manufacturer comes close to Freightliner's systems solutions," Hebe said. "Freightliner knows that today's truck customers need much more than a truck. They need leading edge truck technology combined with a comprehensive package of service and support. And that's what Freightliner delivers."
Freightliner's on-line manuals are maintained by the company's newly-formed Alliance Division. Established in late 1997, Alliance is charged with the aftersales support of all Freightliner Trucks, Sterling, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., American LaFrance and Thomas Built Buses products.
Freightliner Corporation, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading heavy truck manufacturer in North America. Freightliner produces and markets Class 3-8 trucks and is a DaimlerChrysler company, the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.