Oregon tests showed Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia using automatic braking to avoid one cut-in crash and reduce impact in another at 40-55 mph with a roughly 30,000-pound trailer.
Active Brake Assist 6 drives that response with five radar sensors and a camera, giving about 270 degrees of coverage to detect stopped vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists and brake when needed.
New Cross Traffic Assist and Active Side Guard Assist 2 extend protection at intersections, including vehicles crossing a truck’s path and certain left-turn conflicts with oncoming traffic.
Beginning in January 2027, those added systems are set to become standard on new Freightliner Cascadias, while ABA6 is already standard on the fifth-generation model.
An optional Attentive Driver Protection feature can slow an unresponsive truck to a stop, keep it centered in its lane and activate hazard lights, though Daimler says performance still depends on road and sensor conditions.