When it comes to equipping your work vehicles with seating that is ergonomically sound and comfortable, you might want to consider taking a seat at the table next to Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG), which manufactures 19 seats for on-highway and 38 for off-highway vehicles. Those seats are equipped with a variety of optional features that meet comfort, safety, ergonomics, government regulations and/or luxury choices based on the vehicle and the driver’s desires.
MANUFACTURES AND DISTRIBUTES
CVG both manufactures—and distributes other manufacturers’ products—to offer customers the best selection. The company produces the well-known brands of Bostrom and National Seating, and also uses the same proven engineering and product development for its line of off-highway construction and agricultural vehicle seats known as KAB Seating. All of CVG’s products are developed and designed to assure buyers high value and low-stress use.
“CVG’s main focus is on producing a quality product at an affordable price to generate a high-value purchase for the driver,” says Bud Prenatt, product marketing manager for CVG. “All of the seats we design and develop are aimed at reducing harmful transmissible vibrations from the road and vehicle to the driver.”
CVG seats—such as the Light Truck Suspension Seat (LTSS)—sometimes incorporate non-conventional features to offset discomfort and potential injury on the road. The LTSS includes a vertical suspension allowing it to fit where a traditional horizontally suspended seat wouldn’t. The suspension helps reduce a driver’s exposure to those harmful transmissible vibrations Prenatt references.
ADJUSTABLE FORE AND AFT
Another product CVG offers that aims to eliminate pain and potential injury is the new Routemaster seat by National Seating. A fit for municipal fleets and independent drivers, Routemasters provide additional fore/aft adjustments so that shorter drivers can reach floor pedals and still support their backs. Prenatt cited a situation where a driver could no longer perform her job because she had to sit so far forward that she had no back support. The pain was about to cause her to quit, when a Routemaster seat fixed the problem.
OSHA regulations state that an employer must provide a workplace (including upfitted work vehicles) that is free from recognized hazards. More than ever before, today’s fleet managers are ensuring upfits will be ergonomically safe over the life of their vehicles. Some of the factors OSHA cites as associated with back disorders can occur while driving a truck. They include:
- Vibration, such as with lift truck drivers, delivery drivers, etc.
- Poor posture—how one sits or stands
- Poor design of a job or work station
- Maintaining bent postures
“Our sales and marketing groups focus on the voice of the customer to feed our design groups with how we can meet customer expectations and improve comfort for all drivers,” Prenatt says. “From adjustable armrests, headrests, lumbar, and bolsters that conform to various body shapes and styles of driving, we also focus on optional comfort features such as seat heat, vent, cover materials, and the BackCycler® which reduces back fatigue and promotes better circulation.”
PREVENTION IS KEY
Based on personal experience, some back injuries require a long recovery plan and timeline, Prenatt says. “When you depend on your back health for your profession, it is necessary to guard against back injuries to assure you’re not out of work. Prevention is much easier and a lot less painful than recovery and treatment.”
LOOKING FORWARD
CVG is working daily to develop the next line of premium seating at a low cost to generate high-value products, Prenatt says. He and his colleagues continually anticipate new vehicles coming out that will demand fresh features to help drivers work more efficiently and manage multiple tasks at the same time. That’s all part of the job. “CVG is very excited to be developing seats of the future by listening to not only the customer, but the OEMs and the future of industry,” he says.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
CVG is a leading supplier of a full range of cab-related products and systems for the global commercial vehicle market. Find out more about CVG, visit www.cvgrp.com.
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MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS: NOVEMBER 2017 ISSUE
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