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Bose Ride System II introduced at TMC annual meeting

Bose seats have been popular with drivers for years, but the company’s newest offering is convincing carriers to make them standard equipment. Bose Chief Engineer Mike Rosen introduced the new seating system at the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2015 Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee on February 15.

Rosen said the new systems come with Selective Ride Control that allows the driver to choose between the softest ride, a firm ride, and a selection in-between the two. “Some drivers didn’t like the softest ride, at first,” he said. “We found that, after they had some time to experiment with the settings and get used to the different feel of the softest, that’s where they usually ended up.”

Rosen explained that Bose surveys indicate that drivers reported that they feel safer and recover more quickly from long days on the road, with many expecting longer driving careers.

The newest Bose offering is broader than previous models and allows for longer fore-aft movement. Drivers and carriers alike appreciate the back saving electronics built into the system.

The company brought a driving simulator for members of the press to gauge the effectiveness of the system. The simulator could be programmed to provide general highway conditions, washboard effects, off road, and other road conditions, including a stretch of North Carolina Interstate that was replicated by the system. Bose associates pointed out the movement of the floorboard, asking if the “drivers” could feel the bumps in the seat and back areas. Drivers could select any of the three ride positions and could switch the electronics off and on to get a first hand feel of the difference in ride comfort.

Bose seating has been an option in new Volvo tractors since 2012, and the new system will be available from the factory starting in April.

Several carrier representatives were on hand to talk about how the Bose Ride System II has impacted their operations.

“It’s made a huge difference,” said Vice President of Operations for R & L Carriers Jay Bullard. The company orders new tractors with a passenger seat bolted into the driving position, and then moves the seat to the passenger side to install the Bose system behind the wheel.

He said the first driver to receive the new Bose seat was “hand picked” due to back issues that necessitated a visit to a chiropractor after each Tennessee – Texas run he made. After the first trip with the new seating system, Bullard received an email from that driver’s wife, asking what the company had changed. The driver hasn’t been back to the chiropractor since.

“We’ll save enough just on chiropractor bills to pay for the seat,” Bullard quipped.

He also described drivers who refuse to drive other trucks when their assigned tractor, equipped with the Bose system, is in the shop for maintenance. “They say they’ll just take a couple of days off until their tractor is ready,” he said.

Another feature of the seat is a built-in audio driver orientation, which was on display at another station at the press conference. With the push of a button, a voice from the electronics beneath the seat takes the driver through basic adjustments and controls.

Carriers who supply the seat could realize reduced driver fatigue and fewer back injuries, as well as increased driver retention, Rosen explained.    

Unfortunately, Bose doesn’t make a version of the seat that fits in passenger vehicles.

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