Updated Lonestar Truck Announced For National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

by Jake Tully - Published: 9/11/2017
Coinciding with the annual commemoration of Truck Driver Appreciation Week, International Truck has announced a recently-enhanced version of the International Lonestar Truck, a flagship model for the heavy-duty truck manufacturing company.

International Truck reports that the enhancements made to the previously released truck model are safety-related features as well as enhancements to improve uptime on the road, with a debut that falls in line with the nationwide recognition of truckers in America.

President, Truck and Parts, at Navistar, Michael Cancilliere reports that the newly-upgraded International Lonestar will present both a vehicle of utility and dignity for drivers across the country.

"As we honor the more than 3.5 million professional truck drivers across America during National Driver Appreciation Week, it is fitting that we are unveiling the beloved American classic, the LoneStar with interior updates that maximize driver productivity and improve driver ergonomics and visibility," said Cancelliere. "The LoneStar is a flagship product for International and not only is it a beautifully designed truck, it represents the best in driver pride and vehicle uptime."

In regards to technical aspects, International Truck reports that the International Lonestar falls into an “Advanced Classics” category of machine, featuring an aerodynamic design, improvements to fuel efficiency and an ergonomically designed cab for the driver.

Dave Majors, Vice President, Product Development at Navistar reports that the improvements made to the International Lonestar were not solely influenced by performance-driven attributes, some updates reflected the aesthetic appeal of the truck.

"Over the past decade drivers have come to love the iconic status of the LoneStar tractor's exterior styling and appearance with the distinctive grille and sloped hood that were inspired by International's D-Series trucks," said Majors. "Based on this feedback, we wanted to incorporate much of what we've recently learned from drivers and focus our engineering on an all new driver-centric interior while maintaining the iconic exterior look of the truck. As a result, we've made major improvements to the LoneStar in vehicle uptime performance and multiple new and improved features that enhance driver appeal."

In addition to upgrades that may increase efficacies, International Truck expressed importance in providing attributes to a truck that may help increase driver retention by way of updates that focus on the individual driver.

To this end, International Truck reports many technical capabilities of the new model that relate to uptime and overall performance, the company has expressed that maintaining a design that drivers enjoy driving and being seen in is crucial to the success of an upgrade.

"As a signal of our continued success in the Class 8 on-highway segment we thought it was critical to bring smart features that are all about optimizing uptime and enhancing driver appeal to the bold and stylish design of the LoneStar," said Cancelliere. "The LoneStar rounds out our Class 8 on-highway portfolio updates and positions us well to be competitive in the market with a truck that we know drivers love to drive."