Sheppard steering gear recall hits 47,000-plus Kenworth, Peterbilt trucks

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Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022:

Steering gear recall hits 47k Kenworth, Peterbilt trucks

More than 47,000 Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks equipped with recalled Sheppard steering gears are being recalled to ensure the steering gears do not fracture, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.

According to the recall issued by Paccar, the affected steering gears were assembled with fewer than the required number of recirculating balls, which can lead to a fracture in the steering gear worm-shaft and loss of vehicle steering.

The vehicle population included in the recall was determined using a list of steering gear serial numbers from Sheppard identifying units that had re-work done that could have resulted in incorrect recirculating ball assembly.

Paccar’s recall includes approximately 47,513 model year 2022-2023 Kenworth T170, T270, T280, T370, T380, T440, T470, T480, T680, T800, T880, W900, W990, C500, and model year 2022-2023 Peterbilt 325, 330, 337, 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 536, 537, 548, 567, and 579 vehicles.

Dealers will inspect the steering gear serial numbers, and replace the steering gears as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Sept. 26.  Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and Peterbilt's customer service at 1-940-591-4220.  PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 22PBE and 22KWE. NHTSA’s recall number is 22V-547.

1,300 Daimler trucks recalled over ECM issue

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling approximately 1,375 model year 2023 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, Business Class M2 and Cascadia trucks; 2023 Freightliner FCCC MC, MT45, S2C 106CAB, XCM, S2RV 106CAB, XCR and XCS models; and 2023 Western Star 4700, 49X and 47X trucks. 

In the affected trucks, the engine control module (ECM) may experience an internal short-circuit, which can result in an unexpected engine shut down.

The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Sept. 26. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-949. NHTSA’s recall number is 22V-554.

Orange EV gets $35M cash infusion

Electric yard tractor manufacturer Orange EV announced it has closed a $35 million institutional funding round led by S2G Ventures and CCI, an affiliate of Henry Crown and Company, to support and accelerate the company’s growth.

The company says the investment will allow Orange EV to scale its manufacturing to meet demand increases, deliver class-leading vehicles to new markets, and develop new technologies that will increase the company’s lead in the Class 8 commercial vehicle segment.

Founded in 2012 in Riverside, Missouri, Orange EV was the country’s first manufacturer to commercially deploy 100% electric Class 8 vehicles in 2015. The company’s focus has been on Class 8 yard trucks, which are used to move trailers and containers in distribution centers, manufacturing plants, warehouses, rail intermodals, ports, and other facilities where goods movement is mission critical.

Now into its second decade as an EV innovator, Orange EV has more than 450 heavy-duty electric yard trucks operating in 130 fleets across 28 states, Canada, and the Caribbean. 

“Orange EV’s mission is to deliver electric vehicles that are better than legacy diesel ones in every way -- for the earth, people, and the business bottom line,” said Kurt Neutgens, Orange EV Co-founder, President, and CTO. “With this funding, Orange EV will be able to further scale its impact through continued investment in manufacturing to meet the demand that is outstripping our current facilities, as well as advance R&D to develop and deliver other products which will further improve our customer's operations while providing them significant savings.”