Keyless access for commercial vehicles

An auto-opening bulkhead door actuator, comprising:

• an outer sheath configured to attach to a bulkhead wall;
• an inner sheath configured to attach to the bulkhead door;
• an inner retracting spring coupled at a first end to the outer sheath and at a second end to the inner sheath such that the inner sheath is retracted into the outer sheath when the inner retracting spring is in a quiescent state;
• an outer dampening spring;
• and
• an inner dampening spring.

A keyless access system for a commercial vehicle having a cab compartment, a cargo compartment, a slideable bulkhead door, and a bulkhead wall separating the cab compartment from the cargo compartment, comprising:

• an auto-opening bulkhead door actuator having an outer sheath and an inner sheath, one of the outer sheath and the inner sheath configured to attach to the slideable bulkhead door and an other of the outer sheath and the inner sheath configured to attach to the bulkhead wall, the auto-opening bulkhead door actuator having a retracting mechanism coupled to between the outer sheath and the inner sheath, a dampening mechanism configured to at least reduce an impact force between the outer sheath and the inner sheath upon retraction thereof to prevent damage thereof;
• a solenoid latch operable to selectively to latch the bulkhead door in a closed position and to unlatch the bulkhead door to allow opening thereof by the retraction mechanism;
• a control module operably coupled to the solenoid latch to control operation thereof;
• and
• a transmitter configured to relay an operator command to the control module to open the bulkhead door.