Allison partnership with CNHTC brings automatic transmission to yard tractors in China. Now in its ninth year, Allison's OEM partnership with CNHTC has driven the automatic transmission market, bringing reliability, durability and ease of use to port operators throughout China

INDIANAPOLIS – Allison Transmission, the world's leading supplier of commercial duty fully automatic transmissions has been working closely with China National Heavy Duty Truck Company (CNHTC) for the past nine years, developing the very best transmission solutions for customers working in the tough yard tractor environment. Last year, 300 Allison-fitted CNHTC yard tractors were at work in Chinese ports. In 2008, CNHTC's decision to expand its fleet of Allison-fitted yard tractors is further evidence of the increasing demand for Allison transmissions.. "Allison is an ideal product for the yard tractor in sea port operations, and offers great service and technology support to our customers," says Mr Ma Jing, Sales Manager for Special Vehicles Co. at CNHTC. "We have developed 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 tractors fitted with Allison transmissions, and feel confident in taking between 80 and 90 percent of the local market share within the next two years. We are also developing our overseas markets and have already exported ten yard tractors to other countries this year."

Allison transmissions have been working in ports for more than 20 years, providing reliability, manoeuvrability and greater productivity in one of the toughest haulage environments. Allison's partnership with CNHTC is enabling increasing numbers of port operators to experience the benefits of fully automatic transmissions, tackling a full range of performance and financial issues by delivering greater power and durability, improving fuel efficiency and enabling trucks with smaller engines to achieve the same if not better performance than larger alternatives. In an environment where manual transmissions still dominate, the improvements in terms of manoeuvrability, ease of use and driver comfort couldn't be more apparent.

CNHTC yard tractors are fitted with Allison 3500 Series transmissions, part of Allison's next generation 3000 range of high performance transmissions which include electronic control features such as auto neutral and RELS (Reduced Engine Load at Stop) to help improve fuel efficiency, reduce wear and tear, and increase productivity. Allison is also introducing a new load-based shifting feature which automatically selects an economy shift mode when conditions allow. This means that optimal fuel economy can be achieved without driver intervention while still enabling high productivity during heavily loaded situations.

"Our partnership with CNHTC has enabled us to establish a strong presence in the yard tractor market – an area that is in need of productivity enhancements we can deliver," says Vincent Yang, Sales and Customer Support Manager for Allison in China. "With our support, CNHTC is able to bring cost effective, high performance yard tractors into the local Chinese market, enabling them to increase their competitive edge and enter into a market traditionally dominated by foreign imports."

China's booming economy has created a demand among port operators for technologies that can boost performance and profits, as they work to maintain a competitive edge in what has become a fast paced and relentless marketplace. With twelve-hour shifts and trucks expected to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there is no room for downtime, and very little allowance for maintenance and repair. More recently, the escalating cost of fuel is leading many operators to look for vehicle solutions that can help save money without compromising reliability and performance.

About Allison Transmission, Inc.

Allison Transmission, Inc (Allison) is the premier global provider of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world's leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military and specialty applications. Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs 3,600 people. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil and Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,500 distributor and dealer locations. Allison generates annual revenues in excess of $2 billion.