TROY, Mich., (June 24, 2009) – Over 55 motor carrier executives from the Northeast, Midwest, South, and Canada experienced yesterday first-hand the performance and benefits of advanced braking systems for truck trailers at a ride-n-drive demonstration in the Detroit suburb of Romeo. Attendees included members of the Safety Committee of the National Private Truck Council.  

The fleet managers were able to see and feel the latest active-safety technology for commercial trucks, buses, and trailers, including air disc brakes, SmartTrac^™ stability control systems (truck and trailer), and the OnGuard^™ collision safety system.

The program is part of a series of demonstrations Meritor WABCO is holding throughout the U.S. for fleets and dealers. (The next demonstration is July 23 at the Iowa Speedway from 9 am to 4 pm.)

“For many participants, this is their first experience with active safety systems,” said Jon Morrison, president of Meritor WABCO. “Throughout the demonstration, the fleet executives clearly saw and experienced how intuitive these products are to use, and how effective they are at improving vehicle and driver safety and security.”

Meritor WABCO is a leader in the development of a wide range of commercial vehicle controls, including SmartTrac stability control systems for trucks and trailers, and OnGuard, designed to detect objects in the vehicle’s path and manage the distance between them. Both systems can automatically intervene to slow the vehicle to reduce the likelihood of a rear-end collision or loss of stability. This allows the driver time to maintain control and apply additional braking force as needed.

SmartTrac stability control systems and the OnGuard collision safety systems are building blocks in Meritor WABCO’s “Pyramid of Safety.” The products are extensions of the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and use software and sensors to coordinate object detection, braking, and throttle adjustment, minimizing the need for additional hardware. 

Meritor WABCO¹ is a joint venture of ArvinMeritor, (NYSE:ARM) and the WABCO Automotive Control Systems, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of WABCO Holdings, Inc.

WABCO Vehicle Control Systems (NYSE: WBC) is a leading supplier of safety and control systems for commercial vehicles. For over 140 years, WABCO has pioneered breakthrough electronic, mechanical and mechatronic technologies for braking, stability, and transmission automation systems supplied to the world’s leading commercial truck, trailer, and bus manufacturers. With sales of $2.6 billion in 2008, WABCO is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. For more information, visit www.wabco-auto.com

ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry. The company marks its centennial anniversary in 2009, celebrating a long history of 'forward thinking.' The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle manufacturers. ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For more information, visit the company's Web site at: http://www.arvinmeritor.com/.

 

CONTACT:  D. Mike Pennington

(248) 435-1933

david.pennington@arvinmeritor.com