A severe case of trucking ‘acronymia’

There’s no doubt the digital age has introduced a language of its own. The problem is, it’s bound up in acronyms that are coming fast from different directions and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs – here’s the first one.) One of the prime acronym inventors, WABCO, even publishes an acronym table in six languages with close on 50 terms that range from 4W ETC – 4 Wheel Electronic Transmission Control – through to VCS – Vario Compact System. It’s an alphabet soup of note! The 2005 January/February issue of Auto Engineering & Spares carried an article ‘Safety & operating acronyms need standards’ and six years down the line, the views in that article remain valid: ‘ in the world of vehicle electronic management systems…acronymic terminology is accelerating to create a Tower of Babel effect for vehicle specifications.’ But now we have the CPA (Consumer Protection Act) in place from 1 April 2011 and this covers product interpretation as viewed by a reasonable man. The danger, it would seem, comes from implied promises.

According to Advocate James Clark: “It is advised that product and service providers must, as far as possible, stay away from implied trade descriptions, as they are susceptible to the reasonable man’s interpretation and imagination as well as to those entity’s that may have a warped imagination. The negative of the implied will always be prone to interpretation beyond and far from the actually implied trade descriptions supplied by the product and/or service provider.” A good example is, what is offered by ABS? Does EBS – Electronic Brake System – include ABS or is this the other way around? And how far does ESC – Electronic Stability Control – extend over EBS and ABS? Is ASR – Anti-Spin Regulation and more aptly described as Acceleration Skid Control – part of an EBS or ESC package? Apparently ATC – Automatic Traction Control – is the acronym used in the USA for ASR while ETC is Electronic Traction Control, and how does this interface with ASR and ATC? But an EPS is an Electro-Pneumatic Gearshift, just when you thought that you were getting the hang of it. It’s all very confusing.


An acronym one sees more often in conjunction with Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS), is EBD. The term in Wikipedia is defined as follows: ‘Electronic brake-force distribution (EBD or EBFD), Electronic brake-force limitation (EBL) is an automobile brake technology that automatically varies the amount of force applied to each of a vehicle’s brakes, based on road conditions, speed, loading, etc. Always coupled with ABS, EBD can apply more or less braking pressure to each wheel in order to maximize stopping power while maintaining vehicular control. Typically, the front end carries the most weight and EBD distributes less braking pressure to the rear brakes, so the rear brakes do not lock up and cause a skid. In some systems, EBD distributes more braking pressure at the rear brakes during initial brake application before the effects of weight transfer become apparent.’ I am staring at an ExHCV (over 16t GVM truck) OEM brochure that offers ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control. The promo-blurb states that ACC ‘helps the driver to keep a safe distance in front by automatically operating in sequence the engine brake, the Intarder and the service brake’ – does this mean that ABS and ESP are all part of the ACC? Eishhh! And it won’t stabilise.

Rapid advances in software and hardware will mean even more technology that must be summarised in three or four letters. Each truck OEM also tries to brand for exclusivity – after all, strategic marketing is about differentiation and who wants their model line-up plastered with exactly the same acronyms as their competitors? It’s not just a South African problem, it’s an international issue. After six years the appeal in 2005 January/February issue of Auto Engineering & Spares still rings true: ‘It’s time that standards authorities took control of this situation and developed an acronym lexicon that has universal acceptance so we know what we are getting in passenger vehicles or trucks.” Perhaps the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) can step up to the plate. In the meantime, vehicle dealers better make sure that their sales people are not offering more than the acronym can support.

Posted in: Auto,Car