Allison Transmission announced Friday, Dec. 12, that its ongoing product improvement initiative continues with the rollout of new Load-Based Shift Scheduling (LBSS) for MY09 Allison 1000/2000/3000/4000 Series models, available now.

LBSS automatically selects between Economy and Performance shift schedules based on the vehicle's actual payload and the grade on which it is operating, according to the company; this optimizes fuel economy while maintaining high productivity capability, even during heavily loaded situations.

Using advanced algorithms to calculate real-time vehicle load and operating grade, LBSS selects the appropriate shift schedule for the task at hand, Allison says; it is calibrated to primarily use the Economy mode, but automatically selects the Performance mode when conditions require it.

LBSS is part of the standard Shift Energy Management (SEM) calibration for approved engines, according to the Indianapolis-based company.