Pierce Manufacturing Uses Safety and Environmental Innovations in Its Fire Truck Designs

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Pierce Manufacturing was founded in Wisconsin in 1913 when Humphrey and Dudley Pierce began building aftermarket and custom truck bodies for Ford's 1-ton truck chassis. By 1940 the operation had grown, and Pierce was building fire trucks. Now owned by the Oshkosh Corporation, Pierce is the largest fire apparatus manufacturer in North America. The company is based in Appleton, Wisconsin with another plant in Bradenton, Florida, and employs over 2,000 people.

Pierce Manufacturing has a dealer network that spans across the United States, Canada and around the world, and according to Jeff Resch, Pierce Manufacturing's Vice President of National Sales, the company sells one out of every three fire trucks in the marketplace. Despite the world's economic problems, the company is boldly working to sell one out of every two trucks in the market. Resch says that their business in the United States and Europe has remained constant in the current economic climate, and claims that their competitive edge is their ability to develop innovative technology and safety features.

Resch explains, "So far we've been able to do very well. There's no question there is pressure on municipal budgets, and some fire departments are being cut back on what they can spend on equipment and apparatus budgets. But our plan of attack is to continue to grow market share so we can keep our production rates at a high level."

Pierce Manufacturing has indeed been the leader in product innovations aimed at safety. They were the first fire truck manufacturer to introduce side roll protection and front airbags. Their Tak-4 independent suspension allows for better braking, and in 2007 they introduced the PUC, a revolutionary plumbing system. Jeff Resch says that whenever Pierce sets out to design a truck, the safety of the firefighters and the mechanics who work on their trucks is forefront in their minds.

Looking ahead, Resch predicts that the fire truck manufacturing industry will go through a transition in the next year due to higher EPA engine requirements in 2010, and he says this is the latest area where Pierce Manufacturing's innovations will shine. Pierce has the exclusive rights to the Detroit Diesel DD13 engine for 2010. They will also offer fire departments the option of using a Cummins engine. Both of these motors will reduce emissions, making their fire trucks environmentally cleaner.

When asked about Pierce Manufacturing's commitment to "Going Green", Resch told FDNNTV.com, "At Pierce we definitely are thinking green all of the time about how we can do it, and not just what is coming out of the tailpipe. That's obviously the first thought. These new EPA engines will be doing that. But as a company and corporation we are trying to do those same things in recycling and reutilizing our products back at the plant. So we keep an eye on the opportunity every chance we get to make a green impact."

While Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is an existing technology that is environmentally friendly, many municipalities have been recently turning to CNG to power their buses and trash trucks. When asked if CNG would be a part of Pierce Manufacturing's future designs, Resch said that at this point the large horsepower and fueling requirements for fire trucks responding in wildland and rural areas limit the ability to use this technology. Resch explains that large horsepower engines are required to run pumps, and so CNG would not be appropriate for this application as it stands. However, he says that in the future fire apparatus manufacturers may consider using this technology in lighter duty vehicles.

Watch a video on the Pierce Velocity, one of Pierce Manufacturing's innovative designs.