• ON THE ROAD
Page 15
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CM was allowed to put the truck through its paces before it entered service. From its home at Feitham, we jumped straight in at the deep end and followed John Prescott's bus lane into the mid-morning traffic of west London.
After a generous taste of city life, we then headed through the country towns along the A40 before switching to the M40 at Beaconsfield for the return leg.
Starting off is straightforward—after the initial shock of the left foot dropping unexpectedly to the floor. With D selected and the accelerator pressed, the 45 moves away with impressive smoothness. The adaptive electronics decide the change-up points according to throttle position and vehicle load. Just over half throttle ensures that the rev counter needle stays in the green sector throughout the acceleration, while a heavy foot will take it to the governor every time.
Under normal rates of acceleration the upward changes are almost imperceptible without reference to the rev counter. Any extraneous noise from the gearbox is masked by the Leyland Oaf's general background levels.
Impressive
Although we were only able to drive the 45 unladen, the performance from a standing start was impressive, and the vehicle easily kept up with lighter traffic.
The throttle pedal incorporates a kick-down which, although needing a hefty shove to operate, responds in a lively fashion at speeds up to 45mph. Down shifts are more noticeable, if only by the sound of the engine revs being dragged up at each change, with only the final drop into first being felt.
For short halts in traffic, the transmission can be held comfortably on the footbrake, with little tendency to creep at tickover. In reverse, though, the torque produced by the extra-deep ratio meant that manoeuvring in tight confines needed some checking with the brakes.
So who is likely to benefit from the 1000 Series? The short-term rental sector is a prime candidate, as a significant number of drivers are inexperienced in handling larger vehicles. Anything that allows them to concentrate on actually driving the truck is a positive safety benefit. But the urban multi-drop work of many T5-tonners could also benefit from the reduced driver stress provided by the elimination of gear-changing.
The full picture of whole life costs depends on the pricing details which are still to be finalised, but the overall prospect is good.
The converter lockup and general smoothness mean that a fuel consumption penalty is by no means inevitable, while Allison's extendable three-year, unlimited mileage 100% parts and labour warranty should provide peace of mind.
The 1000 Series will begin to arrive here in numbers in a few weeks, and the Allison staff at Northampton are talking to chassis manufacturers about original equipment deals.