Kalmar Delivers 60,000th Tractor, Rolls Out T2 Model That’s in Production
OTTAWA, Kansas — Kalmar Ottawa delivered its 60,000th Ottawa terminal tractor last week to longtime customer Averitt Express in Cookeville, Tennessee, following a media presentation of its new Ottawa T2 model, now in full production at the company’s 300-employee factory here.
The T2, introduced in 2014, features improved corrosion resistance, a more spacious cab with improved visibility and a wider door, rollover protection as standard, redesigned front suspension and an improved lift mechanism. The rarely used side door has been eliminated, so the only entry is through the back door.
The exhaust system is repositioned from earlier models, allowing for a larger fuel tank, the company said, adding that service access is improved.
Driver comfort is improved on the T2, with an insulated cab cap and a wider and deeper cab outfitted with a cup holder, coat hook and a dashboard mount for telematics.
David Wood, vice president for sales and marketing in the Americas, said Ottawa produced its 50,000th tractor in 2011, and that the redesigned factory can turn out 15 to 20 units per day.
While both T2 and its predecessor, T1, are still being made, the company has stopped taking orders for the older model.
Wood said Ottawa has a 60% share of the terminal-tractor market and tends to cost 3% to 4% more than competitors Capacity, Tico and Autocar. With a tractor’s cost of $100,000 sometimes impinging on customer’s capital expenditures, “renting has become a major trend,” so the company is changing its approach to emphasize renting.
The company offers a natural-gas model and is exploring other propulsion methods such as hybrids or all-electric, but “none are commercially viable at the moment,” Wood said, although he said he foresees significant technological breakthroughs in the near future.
