Oshkosh Truck Launches New Plow Truck for Municipal Market
26 July 1999
Oshkosh Truck Launches New Plow Truck for Municipal Market
OSHKOSH, Wis.--July 23, 1999--Oshkosh Truck Corporation , a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies, is introducing the MPT-Series Municipal Patrol Truck to the municipal snow plow truck market. For much of the Snow Belt, the venerable Oshkosh P-Series, from which the MPT-Series is derived, is the only truck that can clear roads of five feet of snow or more. During a record 126 inches of snowfall in upstate New York in 1997, the P-Series not only kept the roads open, but also pulled other plow trucks from the ditches.Based on the original P-Series, the new MPT offers many of the same rugged features in a more compact design for municipal and rural snow removal applications. The all-wheel-drive truck is designed to provide heavy-duty performance at an affordable price. For instance, the gross vehicle weight rating is 41,000 pounds. A front axle rating of 18,000 pounds and a rear axle rating of 23,000 pounds are standard. Overall height is 111 inches, allowing it to fit through standard 10-foot garage doors. The bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement is 118 inches, a full 13 inches shorter than the original P-Series, allowing the MPT-Series to maneuver easily through congested traffic and around tighter corners. In addition, ALL STEER(R) electronic all-wheel steering is optional. ALL STEER(R) reduces vehicle turning radius by up to one third.
The P-Series and the MPT-Series are the only two trucks made specifically for severe-duty snow removal. The frames are built to withstand punishing frontal and side thrust loads as well as the shock caused by breaking through drifted snow. Both models feature super heavy-duty frames made from 12.375-inch rails of heat-treated manganese steel. The frame rails feature a minimum yield strength of 110,000 PSI and a 2,733,500 resistance to bending moment (RBM) factor for optimum strength and durability. Both truck models use the same patented, heavy-duty Oshkosh transfer case and front-driving axles that allowed military transports to carry tanks and other equipment from Bosnia to Operation Desert Storm.
"The Oshkosh MPT-Series offers a tough, durable truck that is specifically designed for the rigorous operating requirements of the snow removal industry," said Oshkosh President and Chief Executive Officer Robert G. Bohn. "We've built trucks that are still moving the heaviest winter snows after 20, 30 and 40 years. That's the type of truck we've designed the MPT-Series to be."
The truck is built as a 4x4 on the main Oshkosh production line, instead of being converted to all-wheel drive in the aftermarket as many competitive models are. The MPT-Series features Oshkosh's own steering drive axle with closed-wheel-end design for maximum durability. The steering axle features adjustable tapered-roller trunnion bearings to easily handle the side thrust loads inherent in severe snow-removal operations.
The rugged, galvanneal-steel cab features a spacious interior with a flat floor to provide comfortable accelerator and brake pedal locations for long hours of clearing roads. The driver's seat is air-ride. The cab includes a cockpit-style dash panel and overhead console that place controls within easy reach. Controls are grouped by function and oversized gauges are five inches in diameter so they can be read accurately at a glance.
The Oshkosh MPT-Series is designed for maximum visibility with a 915-square-inch, reverse-slope windshield and top-mounted windshield wipers. The reverse-slope design is a signature design feature of Oshkosh Truck Corporation and helps prevent snow, sleet and ice from building up on the windshield. The design minimizes windshield glare as well.
The heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system has been integrated into the instrument panel, similar to systems found in passenger cars. The new HVAC system is more powerful and circulates warm air upward to more effectively defrost the windshield, a serious concern for snowplow drivers. Air conditioning is optional.
The MPT-Series is powered by a Cummins ISC 8.3 engine, rated at 285 horsepower and generating peak torque of 800 foot-pounds. The Allison MD-3060 six-speed automatic transmission is standard. The truck is available with standard 158-inch wheelbase, but operators can specify other optional or custom wheelbase lengths. Single or dual wheels are available on the rear axle. Standard tires are Michelin model XZY-1 on the front wheels and Michelin model XDE A/T on the rear axle.
Oshkosh Truck Corporation is a leading manufacturer of specialty trucks and truck bodies for the snow removal, defense, fire and emergency, refuse, and construction markets. Pro forma annual sales were $1.04 billion in 1998. Products are marketed under the Oshkosh, McNeilus and Pierce brand names.