MaxxForce Big Bore Engines Exceed Expectations
WARRENVILLE, IL - With a full year in the marketplace and more than 5,200 units built, Navistar's MaxxForce 11.0L and 13.0L big bore heavy-duty diesel engines are providing customers with a new level of performance, drivability and fuel efficiency.
WARRENVILLE, IL - With a full year in the marketplace and more than 5,200 units built, Navistar's MaxxForce 11.0L and 13.0L big bore heavy-duty diesel engines are providing customers with a new level of performance, drivability and fuel efficiency.
"Since delivering the first units in 2008, we've consistently received positive feedback from our customers on the outstanding performance and fuel economy characteristics of our MaxxForce big bore engines," said Jack Allen, president of Navistar's North American Truck group. "As we prepare for the launch of our 2010 EPA-compliant Advanced EGR engines early next year, we're delivering a customer-friendly, no-hassle solution that places emissions compliance on us, the manufacturer, not the customer."
MaxxForce big bore diesel engines were designed and engineered specifically for the International WorkStar, International TranStar, and Internationl ProStar Class 8 commercial trucks. Using the latest in innovative technologies-from a compacted graphite iron (CGI) block to a high-pressure, common-rail fuel system and advanced electronic controls-the MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 deliver outstanding fuel economy, excellent power and torque, and quiet operation with low noise, vibration and harshness. Several customers experiencing these benefits firsthand have shared their stories in a series of short videos available at www.MaxxForceTV.com.
Convenience, Performance and Outstanding Fuel Economy
One customer impressed with its new MaxxForce big bore engines is the Brockway-Smith Company (BROSCO), a wholesale millwork distributor based out of Andover, Mass.
"What really drove us toward the MaxxForce engines were the upcoming emissions requirements," said Al Dirth, BROSCO's vice president of operations. "It seemed like a no-brainer. I didn't want to get into a system that would require us to put in an extra urea tank, which would need an extra heating and cooling system, etc. To me, if I could make my life simpler, why not do it?"
Beyond the customer-friendly simplicity of the MaxxForce big bore, Tennant Truck Lines, Inc. (TTL) of Orion, Ill. is realizing tremendous improvements in fuel economy. With more than 75 trucks in its fleet, TTL is an open deck carrier that transports heavy farming machinery.
"It's a tough time to be in this business, and with fuel currently our biggest expense, we're trying to cut costs wherever we can," says Bob Tennant, president of TTL. "Compared to the competition, our MaxxForce 13s are getting upwards of a half-mile to the gallon better fuel economy on the same haul."
"It wasn't that long ago, to get even seven miles-per-gallon was unheard of in a semi-truck," adds Gary Holderness, a TTL driver. "And, to be getting the kind of fuel mileage I get, eight miles-per-gallon, that's way up there."
Another customer impressed with the performance and fuel efficiency of the MaxxForce big bore is TC Trans, Inc. Based out of Blaire, Wash., TC Trans specializes in cross-border freight services, with loads going into and out of Canada.
"Switching to the new technology in the MaxxForce big bore is one of the best things we've done," said Chuck Schamel, vice president of TC Trans. "We've actually run our MaxxForce 13s against the other 15-liter engines and we're able to stay right with those trucks. On top of that, the MaxxForce is getting about eight percent better fuel economy than a15-liter-and that's a huge difference. Every ounce of fuel that stays in the tank, that's less money that I'm paying out of my pocket to get the job done."
Built on a lightweight CGI block, MaxxForce big bore engines deliver remarkably low noise, vibration and harshness characteristics, helping the International ProStar cab achieve best-in-class quietness.
"It's the quietest engine I've ever driven in my life," adds Tennant. "I was down at our terminal near the Moline airport and was walking around behind the trailers. That MaxxForce is so quiet, it wasn't until I heard the fan kick on that I realized the engine was running. I quickly woke up the driver to tell him he wasn't supposed to be idling!"
Mike Curtis, a BROSCO driver agrees. "It's like driving your own pick-up truck. "You're climbing a pretty steep hill with the engine at 1,500 rpm and all you can hear is a slight hum. It goes down the road smooth and the engine's about as silent as a graveyard."
More Operations

Family Ties Inside the Fleet Families Building Careers Across Generations
Three fleet families share what it really takes to work together, learn across generations, and keep business from following them home.
Read More →
Shades of Fleet Call for Voices: Fleet's Hidden Heroes
Fleet’s hidden heroes are often the ones keeping everything moving behind the scenes. September’s Shades of Fleet is looking for dispatchers, coordinators, parts specialists, and other support pros to share their stories.
Read More →
Truck Centers, Inc. Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week with $1,000 Fuel Card Giveaways
During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Truck Centers, Inc. is offering customers a chance to fuel up for free. Customers at all Truck Centers locations can enter to win one of four $1,000 fuel cards from Sept. 14 - 18.
Read More →
Fleet Guides, AI Time-Savers, Truck Tariffs & Fuel Strategy Lead the News
This week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet covers new fleet vehicle guides, practical AI use cases, U.S.-Canada truck production, mixed-energy strategy, and more.
Read More →
What Fleet Employers Are Missing When Hiring Veterans
What if some of the strongest candidates for fleet are already out there, but their experience is written in a language our industry does not always recognize?
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
What Resilient Fleets Do Differently When Conditions Change
Fleet resilience is about more than reacting to disruption. Lauren Fletcher talks with AP Fleet’s Alex Coveney about flexibility, planning, scaling, and what helps fleets adapt when business conditions shift.
Read More →
If We Want the Next Generation in Automotive, We Have to Give Them a Reason to Care
The automotive industry talks constantly about its workforce shortage. But before we can recruit the next generation, we may need to do a better job giving kids a reason to care about automotive in the first place.
Read More →
Ram ProMaster City Under $40K, Truck Tariffs, and AI Maintenance Lead the News
A sub-$40K commercial van, tariff questions, AI-powered maintenance, and a new EV production strategy headline this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.
Read More →Bob Adamsky Shares the Fleet Lessons You Usually Learn the Hard Way
After more than 30 years in fleet, Arrow International’s Bob Adamsky has learned that the job is about far more than vehicles. He shares the lessons he wishes every fleet manager could learn a little earlier.
Read More →
