PORTLAND, OR - Freightliner Trucks, in conjunction with Meritor WABCO, has announce the availability of the OnGuard Collision Safety System for select Cascadia and Century Class S/T fleets.

Developed by Meritor WABCO, OnGuard is a forward-looking, radar-based adaptive cruise control system with active braking for commercial vehicles. New to the North American market, active braking improves vehicle safety by automatically using the vehicle foundation brakes to alert the driver and decelerate the vehicle when a pre-set vehicle following distance is compromised.

The system is an industry-first technology introduced in early 2008 and is designed to improve commercial vehicle safety.

Freightliner Trucks prepped select vehicles for the OnGuard system that applies the foundation brakes in adaptive cruise control mode. In adaptive cruise control mode, automatic foundation brake control distinguishes OnGuard from existing systems, which alert the driver to a potentially dangerous situation through alarms, and engine control.

With adaptive cruise control activated, if the pre-determined "safe" distance is compromised, OnGuard will immediately provide visual and audible warnings to the driver; vehicle deceleration through engine control, retarder control, and most important, foundation braking.