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To make more Ram trucks, Fiat Chrysler reconsiders Mexico Nick Carey, Reuters / October 29, 2018 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s new CEO is tired of being No. 3 in U.S. pickup truck sales. With a strategy of loading up its revamped Ram 1500 full-size trucks with new features - ranging from 12-inch touch screens on the dashboard to large battery packs and electric motors to help adjust speed and gears and conserve fuel - the automaker is banking on a sustained surge in demand. So Chief Executive Mike Manley is now reconsidering a decision announced in January to stop building Ram heavy-duty pickups at a plant in Saltillo, Mexico. That plant, and another in Warren, Michigan, between them would produce other Ram models and free up manufacturing capacity to make even more new trucks to eat into sales of Ford Motor Co’s F-Series or General Motors Co’s Chevrolet Silverado, and its higher-end GMC Sierra. “We need to get ourselves into second” place, Manley told Reuters exclusively in his first interview since taking over the No. 7 global automaker after Sergio Marchionne died suddenly. “Frankly, I don’t care which of the two I take share from.” When U.S. President Donald Trump was threatening action that would have imposed a 25 percent tariff on Mexican-made pickup trucks earlier this year, Fiat Chrysler said Saltillo would be “repurposed to produce future commercial vehicles.” In 2017, Marchionne had raised the possibility his company could move heavy-duty pickup production out of Saltillo, saying U.S. tax and trade policy would influence the decision. Now, the United States, Mexico and Canada have a tentative trade agreement that imposes no ceiling on shipments of pickups to the United States from Mexico, provided they meet thresholds for the share of parts produced within the region. “With a combination of Warren and Mexico building what we call the classic truck, we have enough production to increase output next year if it’s required,” Manley said. “In my opinion it will be required. We are gaining share. Obviously I am looking for that to continue, but it’s an incredibly competitive segment,” he added. The Ram and Jeep brands underpin the automaker’s North American business - which accounted for nearly 85 percent of Fiat Chrysler’s second-quarter pre-tax profit - and offset the struggles of its legacy Fiat business in Europe and operations in China. Ford’s F-Series trucks have led the segment for four decades. In 2017, Ford had a 35.6 percent share of U.S. retail truck sales, followed closely by GM at 34.2 percent and FCA with 22.3 percent. Pickup trucks are the single biggest contributor to the Detroit Big Three automakers’ profits, so there is plenty at stake as they fight for market share. In the battle for pickup customers, GM launched a new version of its Silverado truck designed with a focus on slashing weight and trimming production costs to compete with market leader Ford. Fiat Chrysler, which reports third-quarter results on Tuesday, took a different tack with the new Ram. The automaker stuffed more features into the vehicle - including an optional 12-inch touch screen and partial electrification that saves fuel and helps with acceleration and cruise control - on a bet that customers would pay more in return. So far, the gamble appears to be paying off. The new Ram 1500’s average sale price for the year to date through late October hit $46,856, - higher than the $42,389 average for the Ford F-150, according to industry data. Hayden Elder, owner of Elder Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Athens, Texas, said three times in under a month he has had families trade in nearly-new large SUVs made by FCA’s rivals for a new Ram 1500. “This new Ram is the biggest leap I’ve ever seen from one version to another,” Elder said. About 70 percent of the 800 vehicles he sells annually are trucks. “Haven’t found the ceiling yet” Phil Jansen, Fiat Chrysler’s head of product development, said when his team began redesigning the Ram 1500, they decided a lighter, all-aluminum body - which Ford uses for its trucks - was too expensive. GM executives reached the same conclusion. But Fiat Chrysler took a chance that GM did not, and added a large battery pack and electric motor that assist with acceleration and shifting, plus deliver a smooth start-stop function that idles the engine when stopped in traffic, boosting fuel economy. “It can save about this much fuel at an average stop,” said FCA electrification manager Brian Spohn, holding up a small tumbler of water. The decision to offer a larger dashboard screen than its rivals have came late in the design process. Initially, the big screen was offered in the top three of the truck’s six versions. Fiat Chrysler has since decided to offer it on an additional version. Demand is so high, the company has pushed the screen’s supplier for as many screens as it can provide, according to a source familiar with production plans. “We haven’t found the ceiling yet” for what U.S. customers are willing to pay for additional features, said Jim Morrison, head of the Ram brand in North America. Fiat Chrysler had problems earlier this year accelerating production of the new Ram truck on a highly-automated production line installed at a Detroit-area plant that previously made slow-selling sedans. Among the problems: Dropped bolts and other debris would shut down automated vehicles that carried truck frames through part of the assembly process. The solution was to put debris-sweeping skirts on the carriers, FCA executives said on a recent tour of the plant. Now, the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant is cranking out around 65 trucks an hour, 20 hours a day, six days a week - a pace of about 400,000 vehicles per year. “It is capable, if we wanted to, to push it up more from there,” Manley told Reuters. “Clearly, having the capacity to fulfill our ambitions is important.”

China troubles dampen Ford's outlook Michael Martinez, Automotive News / October 29, 2018 DETROIT — The world's largest vehicle market is causing some of Ford Motor Co.'s biggest headaches. The automaker lost $378 million in China during the third quarter, down from a $102 million profit there a year earlier. That nearly half-billion-dollar swing dragged Ford's otherwise-profitable Asia Pacific region into the red and was a big reason executives said they no longer expect to meet a companywide target of 8 percent global margins by 2020. In light of the dismal performance, Ford last week hired a new CEO for its China operation, Anning Chen, and separated the country into a standalone unit directly accountable to company headquarters. Chen, 57, a former Ford executive with 25 years of industry experience, was most recently CEO of China's state-owned Chery Automobile and chairman of Chery's joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover. Ford is facing slower sales in China due to an aging product lineup, as well as increased competition and trade barriers created by the Trump administration's tariffs and retaliation by Beijing. It's a stark turnaround for a country that just a few years ago represented a big growth opportunity for Ford, which began selling vehicles there later than many of its rivals. Ford's new-vehicle sales in China plunged 43 percent in September from a year earlier and were down 30 percent in the first nine months of 2018. "China has really changed," Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets, told Automotive News this month. Farley said Ford's profits in China are driven by three key vehicles: the Ford Edge, Kuga and Transit. All are at the end of their life cycles. The company is attempting to fix that problem with a product blitz that includes 50 new models by 2023, including a China-only crossover called the Territory and a redesigned Ford Focus sedan that won't be coming to North America. "These launches and the growth opportunity of improving profit really come down to those products and how they land in the market," Farley said. Chen, who starts as CEO of Ford China on Thursday, Nov. 1, previously spent 17 years at Ford in executive management roles focused on product and technology platform development and JV expansion. He joined Chery in 2010, when it was the seventh-largest vehicle manufacturer in China. He earned an MBA from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Cincinnati. "Success in China is critical as we reposition our global business for long-term success," CEO Jim Hackett said in a statement. Despite a 37 percent decline in third-quarter net income, Ford's stock jumped 9.9 percent the day after last week's earnings report. That was its largest one-day gain since April 2009, though the shares still ended the week below $9. Ford's earnings beat analyst expectations by a penny per share, and revenue rose 3 percent to $37.6 billion, driven by higher sales of big-ticket vehicles in North America, including the redesigned Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. In North America, earnings rose 7.5 percent to $1.96 billion. Profit margin for the region was unchanged from the same period a year ago, at 8.8 percent, despite fewer sales and a drop in market share. That's because Ford is selling fewer low-margin sedans as it phases them out and more high-profit SUVs and pickups. Hackett said those results "demonstrate early evidence" that his restructuring plan is improving the business. ‘Building blocks' "We've had an extremely productive quarter in terms of putting building blocks in place," Hackett said on a conference call. "We're addressing real issues, and we're moving quickly to redesign the business in support of our stated strategy." Ford's global profit margin was 4.4 percent, down from 6.3 percent a year earlier. The company lost $558 million outside North America. Ford said its mobility unit lost $196 million in the quarter, vs. a $72 million loss during the same period a year ago. The unit is in a heavy investment phase that has little offsetting revenue. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Credit made $678 million, marking its best quarter since 2011. Ford said higher costs and uncertainty across the industry, as well as the international challenges it's working to overcome, likely will prevent it from hitting its goal of an 8 percent global profit margin by 2020. CFO Bob Shanks declined to offer an alternate time frame for reaching that threshold. "We don't see, at the moment, a way to get there," Shanks told analysts. "Certainly, we're trying to get there as fast as we can. I'm not going to put a time frame on it because I don't want to go back and have to change it."

Hmm, yes it certainly does.

IVECO Australia Press Release / October 15, 2018 .

The Oz Ranger Raptor is diesel-powered.......not gasoline. .

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40960-volvo-group’s-mack-defense-unit-to-supply-1500-re-badged-renault-kerax-8x8-trucks-to-canadian-armed-forces/?tab=comments#comment-296894

Green Car Congress / October 25, 2018 Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has launched the new SoCalGas Truck Loan Program. The program allows qualified fleet owners the opportunity to try out the latest in heavy-duty natural gas truck technology by test-driving a 12L near-zero truck. This “try before you buy” program provides fleet owners with the opportunity to haul loads with the new truck for up to two weeks. Operators will experience the similarities between natural gas trucks and diesel trucks with respect to power, drivability, fuel range and fuel availability. Additionally, fleet owners will see the advantages natural gas trucks have over diesel, including lower fuel costs. SoCalGas is working in partnership with the truck’s owner, Rush Truck Centers, the only company with a 12-liter near-zero natural gas truck equipped with a Cummins Westport ISX12N engine (earlier post) and Momentum Fuel system available for rent in Southern California. The ISX12N and the Cummins L9N are the lowest certified NOx emission engines available in North America. NOx exhaust emissions are 90% lower than the current EPA NOx limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr, and the engines also meet or exceed the 2017 EPA greenhouse gas (GHG) emission requirements. CWI natural gas engines have met the 2010 EPA standard for particulate matter (0.01 g/bhp-hr) since 2001. The ISX12N is the first Class 8 truck engine for larger heavy-duty vehicles to certify to the 0.02 g/bhp-hr optional standard. Based on the ISX12 G, first introduced in 2013, the ISX12N natural gas engine is available with ratings from 320 to 400 hp and up to 1,450 lb-ft (1,966 N·m) of peak torque. The ISX12N is designed for line haul, regional haul, refuse, and vocational trucks, as well as motorcoach and commuter buses. Like Cummins Westport’s new L9N and B6.7N engines, the ISX12N features a new engine control module with improved durability, on-board diagnostics, an enhanced, maintenance-free three-way catalyst, and a closed crankcase ventilation system. As part of the rental program, customers will participate in a “pre-rental” and “post-rental” survey of their natural gas vehicle driving experience. The survey will include topics such as truck performance, fueling availability, grants and incentives and purchase decision. SoCalGas account executives have assisted dozens of fleet owners with incentive funding applications to purchase more than 350 near-zero natural gas trucks and build five new CNG fueling stations since the beginning of the year. Replacing 350 diesel trucks with near-zero natural gas trucks is the equivalent of taking more than 20,000 passenger cars off the road. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas services 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90% of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Natural gas delivered through the company’s pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians;about 60% of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.

General Motors calls for National Zero Emissions Vehicle (NZEV) program in the US Green Car Congress / October 26, 2018 In comments being filed today on the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, the Trump Administration’s proposal to freeze fuel economy regulations, General Motors proposes the establishment of a National Zero Emissions Vehicle (NZEV) program to support a 50-state solution, promote the success of the US automotive industry and preserve US industrial leadership. General Motors anticipates the NZEV program, as recommended, has the potential to place more than 7 million long-range EVs on US roads by 2030, yielding a cumulative incremental reduction of 375 million tons of CO2 emissions between 2021 and 2030. General Motors supports a nationwide program modeled on the existing ZEV program and provides these framework recommendations: · Establish ZEV requirements (by credits) each year, starting at 7% in 2021 and increasing 2% each year to 15% by 2025, then 25% by 2030. · Use of a crediting system modeled on the current ZEV program: credits per vehicle, based on EV range, as well as averaging, banking and trading. · Requirements after 2025 linked to path toward commercially viable EV battery cell availability at a cost of $70/kWh and adequate EV infrastructure development. · Establishment of a Zero Emissions Task Force to promote complementary policies. · Program terminates when 25% target is met, or based on a determination that the battery cost or infrastructure targets are not practicable within the timeframe. · Additional consideration for EVs deployed as autonomous vehicles and in rideshare programs.

Would be nice to see the MoD buy trucks with a Bedford or Leyland nameplate.

The Ministry of Defence has signed a £53 million deal with MAN Truck & Bus UK for the modernisation of its logistics fleet. The project will deliver a new pallet and container loading system: 382 retrofit kits for the enhanced pallet loading system (EPLS) will be supplied and integrated into MoD’s HX trucks, which were supplied by MAN under a contract signed in 2005. MAN’s partner Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Austria (RMMV) will provide the technical solution and the EPLS, which MAN will then install on the vehicles. Shipping and retrofitting is due for completion by the end of January 2021. The MoD acquired 7,500 HX logistics vehicles from MAN between 2005 and 2013, and a growing demand for container transport led to the project to retrofit the flatbed vehicles with a hooklifting system. MAN is undertaking overall project management responsibility; RMMV is building and supplying the conversion kit, with the hookloading system made by Hiab. .

Transport Engineer / October 25, 2018 Bruntingthorpe Logistics has taken delivery of two Scania P450 rigids fitted with the new Odyssey trailer bodywork, by Transporter Engineering of Essex. The Lutterworth-based operator placed the order for the first two rigid next-generation Scania car transporters as soon as they were available, and they are now in operation transporting new and used cars across the UK. Supplied by dealer TruckEast, the 6x2 Scania rigids are plated at 44 tonnes gvw and have a 13-litre engine, delivering 444bhp. The low sleeper cabs were specified with extras including an extended bed and external storage lockers on both sides. “Operationally, we need the low roof option, but in spite of this the sleeper cab is extremely comfortable and offers a lot more space,” says Martyn Rose, transport manager. “As a brand, Scania has always performed for us. But this model takes it to a new level. It’s a better build, the quality finish is impeccable and what’s more, they’ve listened to the market.” “Quite simply, the Scania really works for our business,” he adds. “It’s a great truck and we always get the back-up – why would we go anywhere else?” The new Odyssey body provides welcome versatility, too: “It gives us an alternate configuration where we can maximise the loading space within the given payload, so if we are transporting larger vehicles we no longer have to compromise in the same way on volume.” The haulier has already placed an order for a two more Scania P450s, this time with the 494bhp engine. .

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Robert Snell, The Detroit News / October 25, 2018 Cabin for retired leader rises as feds question UAW spending Public records, blueprints and interviews offer insight into how UAW leaders spent money amid a widening corruption scandal. Detroit — A United Auto Workers nonprofit is building a custom-made, lakefront cottage for retired President Dennis Williams as FBI agents question union leaders' spending of membership dues and money from Detroit's automakers on personal luxuries. Public records, blueprints and interviews offer insight into how UAW leaders spent money amid a widening corruption scandal that is expected to lead to additional criminal charges. One previously undisclosed expense is the Williams cottage under construction at the UAW Black Lake Conference Center, a 1,000-acre retreat in northern Michigan financed with interest from the union's $721 million strike fund, which is bankrolled by worker dues. The UAW's nonprofit real-estate arm Union Building Corp. started building a three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath, 1,885-square-foot cottage for Williams this year on the shores of Black Lake in Onaway, a half-hour drive south of Cheboygan. The cost of the cottage was unclear but the initial estimate was $285,000, a cost that likely increased due to labor costs. Williams retired in June and was implicated in the scandal one month later when prosecutors said he directed subordinates to use funds from Detroit’s automakers, funneled through training centers, to pay for union travel, meals and entertainment. The Williams cottage, featuring granite counters, stainless-steel appliances, a wood-burning fireplace, a wine cooler and a patio overlooking Black Lake, was under construction Monday, and workers were spotted on the lakefront property. Williams, 65, whose Michigan driver's license lists the Black Lake resort as his home address, could not be reached for comment. He has not been charged with wrongdoing during the ongoing investigation. Cabins at Black Lake have been provided for generations of former UAW presidents, but the Williams cottage is the first one being built during a federal investigation into union spending. "This is absolutely ridiculous, it's a dereliction of duty and a complete misappropriation of member dues," said autoworker Terry Bowman, 53, an outspoken critic of UAW leaders and a right-to-work activist who works at Ford Motor Co.’s Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti Township. Blueprints indicate the Williams cottage is the fourth cabin on the property. The cottage is being built as FBI agents question UAW officials' use of almost $1 million of membership dues on condominiums, liquor, food and golf in Palm Springs, Calif. Gary Jones held annual conferences in Palm Springs before succeeding Williams as union president. The timing of the cottage construction and appearance send a bad message to rank-and-file UAW workers, said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor and former federal prosecutor. "This doesn't help the view that the leadership has feathered its own nest over advancing the cause of the members," Henning said. The Williams cottage is a contrast to the rustic lodging available to rent at the 241-room resort. Opened in 1970, the center features a campground, gym, Olympic-size pool and an adjacent golf course. The ashes of former UAW President Walter Reuther and wife May were scattered on the center’s grounds after the couple was killed in an airplane crash nearby. The UAW flirted with selling the Black Lake retreat in early 2010 during the Great Recession, citing shrinking membership. At the time, the retreat had lost an estimated $23 million during the previous five years and the UAW was forced to borrow to keep it afloat, according to Labor Department filings. "It’s not a big, fancy joint for the most part," said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of Industry, Labor & Economics at the nonprofit Center for Automotive Research, who stayed at the resort earlier this year for an industry event. "It’s not all granite counter tops and swankiness." The retreat is owned by Union Building Corp. Williams was president of the nonprofit, according to its most recent tax filing. UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg declined to answer questions about the cottage or whether the union has provided federal investigators with records related to the spending. The U.S. Attorney's Office declined comment about the investigation. The cabin construction started after the union faced a serious budget crunch in 2014. In response, members approved the first hike in membership dues in almost 50 years. The increase generated more money for the UAW strike fund, which bankrolls the union's resort in Black Lake. Simultaneously, prosecutors and former UAW official Nancy Adams Johnson say Williams directed subordinates to save money by having Detroit's automakers pick up entertainment, travel and meal expenses incurred by "senior UAW officials, their friends, family and allies." Once members started paying higher union dues, a UAW subsidiary started acquiring new boats. On June 9, 2015, the UAW subsidiary Union Building Education Inc. registered two Lund fishing boats and two Aqua Patio pontoon boats, according to the Michigan Secretary of State. The purchase would have totaled $65,000 based on average retail price data compiled by J.D. Power. Union Building Education Inc. manages, operates, and maintains the Black Lake education center. The subsidiary posted a $2.8 million loss last year, according to its audited financial statement. The center requires about 2 percent of the UAW's annual budget, Williams told Automotive News this year. It is unclear who is using the boats, which generate little income for the Black Lake resort. Last year, Union Building Education Inc. reported $1,690 in "boat income," according to the group's audited financial statement. The source of boat revenue was unclear Thursday and the UAW did not respond to messages seeking comment. In September 2015, three months after the boat purchases, the government's investigation into corruption involving the UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV emerged publicly. Since then, federal prosecutors have secured the convictions of seven people linked to a conspiracy in which the government says Fiat Chrysler funneled cash and things of value to UAW officials in an attempt to influence the collective-bargaining process. A team of agents from the FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Labor Department, meanwhile, have widened an investigation that has caused upheaval at the top ranks of the auto industry and raised questions about the sanctity of labor negotiations. In recent months, prosecutors labeled the UAW and Fiat Chrysler co-conspirators in a conspiracy to corrupt the bargaining process. In June, UAW delegates approved providing Williams with the use of a cottage. The Williams cottage was under development by that point. Union Building Corp. pulled a permit to replace a cabin with the Williams cottage in January, according to Cheboygan County records obtained by The News. The president of Union Building Corp. was Williams, according to the nonprofit's most recent tax filing. Several directors appointed to help oversee Union Building Corp. have been linked to the corruption investigation. They include former UAW Vice President Norwood Jewell, whose home was raided by federal investigators, and Vice President Cindy Estrada. Late last year, The News revealed federal agents were interested in Estrada and her predecessor Joe Ashton, a retired UAW vice president appointed to GM’s board in 2014, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Since that disclosure, Ashton resigned from GM's board and Estrada was transferred to replace Jewell as head of the UAW's Fiat Chrysler department. Neither Ashton nor Estrada have been charged with a crime. It is unclear when construction started on the Williams cottage, but the cabin's exterior appears close to completion. One set of blueprints from September 2017 labels the project the "Williams Cottage." The blueprints show the cottage will be wrapped in a stone veneer and topped with an aged copper metal roof. Inside, the kitchen will feature cherry cabinets with a "chocolate glaze finish" and walls covered in "white cedar shiplap." The cottage will include a gas fireplace in the great room, a wood-burning fireplace in the three-season room and "dapple gray" porcelain tile floors. The cottage has one more flourish, according to the project's blueprints. In Williams' master bedroom, behind a hinged bookshelf door, is a hidden storage room. “The UAW was created to represent employees in the workplace, not to buy boats at a vacation property up north or a cabin for Dennis Williams,” Bowman, the autoworker, said. “They are completely disregarding the membership and tapping into the good-old-boys club and using money to support former executives. This shows the divide between the rank-and-file and union executives and how little they think and feel about the actual rank and file.” Williams retired in June but already was planning on a prolonged stay in Black Lake. The cottage is listed as his home address on state registration forms for two new boats purchased this year that would have retailed for approximately $92,000, according to state watercraft registrations. One of the boats, a 24-foot Berkshire pontoon, is marketed as a "bar boat" for entertaining people on the water. The 2019 model was purchased in February and retails for approximately $55,000. Williams and his wife also registered a Lund 1875 Crossover XS fishing and skiing boat, according to state records. The boat, purchased in May, features a 150-hp motor that cost $13,000 extra, bringing the price to approximately $37,000. Both boats were purchased from a Lansing-area dealership. There is no secured party on either boat, an indication that no bank, credit union, finance company held a lien on the watercraft. .

The COE image is that of the all-new Chinese JIefang (FAW) brand "J7. This is lip service for being on the verge of a huge new engine contract. A world class truck, the cab was designed by Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. .

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) / October 24, 2018 Fuel efficiency for the VNR is more than a single feature—it’s a combination of customized solutions working together in perfect harmony to help you achieve the performance you want with the fuel savings you need. .

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) / October 22, 2018 With a unique combination of cruise control, innovative camera and radar technology, Volvo Active Driver Assist helps drivers recognize and respond to changing traffic situations. Standard in new VNL and VNR models, Active Driver Assist helps reduce the risk of forward collisions. .

Cummins Press Release / October 26, 2018 .

Given you have a 675, I would change the ratio in your R170 from 4.33 to 4.11.

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / October 26, 2018 According to Kenworth, its T370 models can now be spec’d with Fabco FSD-18A and FSD-20A front drive axles paired with an all-new Fabco TC-548 transfer case for exceptional durability. The two front drive axles are available with the PACCAR PX-9 engine rated up to 350 hp and 1,150 lb-ft of torque. Both models require taperleaf front springs, and are available with air or mechanical rear suspensions. Kenworth says it has designed the front drive axle configurations with the lowest possible cab and frame heights. This allows easier body access and permits body builder boom installations to remain under most height requirements in U.S. states and Canadian provinces. In addition, the transfer case occupies frame space inside the rails from 36 to 52 inches behind back of cab, which provides clear space behind cab for body builder outrigger equipment. The transfer case includes an air activated front axle engagement switch and dash mounted indicator light, as well as a switch to control the high and low ranges in the transfer case. The T370 is available with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of up to 66,000 pounds, and can be specified with manual, automated or automatic transmissions. The Kenworth T370 is already available in 4x4 and 6x6 configurations with axle ratings from 10,000 pounds to 16,000 pounds. “The addition of the heavier 18,000-pound and 20,000-pound front drive axles expands the T370’s already excellent reputation for being a vocational workhorse,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “The PACCAR PX-9 offers excellent power in a smaller package to move more weight. When combined with the higher-capacity front axles, customers can benefit from more of the payload’s weight shifted to the front axle, while still taking advantage of the T370’s short, 109-inch BBC (bumper-to-back-of-cab) measurement.” .

Kenworth to Offer Paccar Fuel Economy Package on T680 Models Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / October 26, 2018 Kenworth has announced the that the Paccar Powertrain Fuel Economy Package will be available as a spec on T680 model trucks beginning next year. According to Kenworth, the new package combines the fully integrated Paccar Powertrain, including the Paccar MX-13 engine with a new 405-hp at 1,650 lb-ft of torque rating, Paccar 12-speed automated transmission, PACCAR 40K tandem rear axle, and enhanced Kenworth predictive cruise control technology. According to Kenworth, this package includes a new version of the MX-13 engine, featuring a new torque curve that further refines the engine’s fuel economy performance in line-haul and regional haul applications by lowering the engine’s horsepower rating while maintaining its torque. “This combination maximizes fuel economy and offers excellent performance for our customers,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “One of the bigger contributors is the deeply integrated predictive cruise control function, which varies the vehicle’s speed over rolling hills without reducing the average vehicle speed. The transmission software is also optimized for the PACCAR MX-13, allowing for lower engine RPMs at cruising speeds. At Kenworth, we’re continually researching ways to enhance spec’ing to find the best fuel economy combination available. The new 405-horsepower rating is just one example.” The PACCAR Powertrain Fuel Economy package will be available in the first quarter of 2019.

Ted, for what you do, I like the AC6. Click the link to the brochure...............https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/51804-rockwell-camelback/

International Truck Press Release / October 26, 2018 LISLE, Ill. -- Building on its commitment to offer customers the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO), International Truck is introducing the International LT Series MPG Package for Fuel Efficiency. "At a time when every one-percent improvement in fuel efficiency can save customers hundreds of dollars per truck per year, this new fuel efficiency spec package can help customers achieve major reductions in their TCO," said Michael Cancelliere, Navistar president, Truck and Parts. "In addition to savings from fuel efficiency, the LT Series MPG Package provides customers with upfront savings through cost-effective bundling of a range of aerodynamic, fuel-saving features." The LT MPG Package's highest-efficiency spec offers proprietary and supplier-provided enhancements, including an aerodynamic chassis package, predictive cruise control, air dam and bumper seal, as well as a roof fairing and extenders, chassis skirts and energy-efficient wheel covers. This spec delivers up to an 8 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the International LT Series with just the roof fairing and extenders, air dam and bumper seal. "Spec'ing for fuel efficiency can be a complex process," Cancelliere said. "The LT MPG Package simplifies that process while reducing customer TCO." The International LT Series MPG Package is available in day cab, 56-inch hi-rise and 73-inch hi-rise/sky-rise cab models. It can be viewed from October 27 through October 31 at the International Truck booth at ATA-MC&E, Booth #5075 at the Austin Convention Center. Learn more about fuel efficiency at Internationaltrucks.com/mpg-news.

Scania Group Press Release / October 26, 2018 The Spanish food retailer Alimerka in the northern Asturias region has recently taken its 46th Scania Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) truck in operation. These trucks now constitute nearly two-thirds of Alimerka’s fleet. The latest addition to the LNG fleet features Scania’s new more powerful 13-litre, 410 hp, engine, enabling distribution services with a truck and trailer. Thanks to the twin LNG tanks, this truck has a range of up to 1,600 kilometres depending on the route and the type of transport. From its central warehouse in Lugo de Llanera, near Gijon, Alimerka distributes goods to its 173 supermarkets in Asturias and in the neighbouring regions Castile and León and Galicia. .

VW, Ford Considering Self-Drive Tie-Up as Talks Broaden Keith Naughton & Christoph Rauwald, Bloomberg / October 26, 2018 Talks between Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. on forming an alliance have broadened to include potential collaboration on autonomous driving and arrangements to make vehicles for one another. The potential cooperation on self-driving technology could result in significant cost sharing. Ford’s chief financial officer told Bloomberg News that talks are open-ended. “Collaboration isn’t being limited in any way whatsoever, whether it’s different types of technology, product segments or geography,” Ford CFO Bob Shanks said Thursday. “We’re having a very broad set of discussions about how we can help each other around the world.” Ford reversed declines on the news and rose as much as 0.8 percent to $9.06 as of 11:30 a.m. Friday in New York. Volkswagen shares also pared their drop in Frankfurt trading. A more significant alliance between Volkswagen and Ford has the potential to be one of the more compelling tie-ups for the industry. VW is the world’s largest automaker and has been spending tens of billions of dollars cleaning up after a diesel emissions scandal. Ford is embarking on a costly and years-long global restructuring and just abandoned a profit margin target it had set for 2020. Partnering with rivals is one way to lower costs and get new cars and technology to market faster. A VW spokesman said talks with Ford are progressing well, but refused to elaborate. Cooperation Talks When VW and Ford first announced they were exploring joint projects in June, the only area they specifically discussed was development of commercial vehicles. VW CEO Herbert Diess had said in August that VW is generally open to expanding cooperation with Ford beyond light commercial vehicles and noted previous joint projects worked out well. Ford has been struggling to reverse losses in markets including Europe and South America. It’s also in similar talks with Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. to broaden an alliance that began to develop models for India and other emerging markets, including sport utility vehicles and electric cars. Together with its self-driving partner Argo AI, Ford has also said it’s open to outside investment, including providing autonomous technology to a second automaker. “With VW and Mahindra, we haven’t put boundary conditions in terms of where we could collaborate,” Shanks said. “We’re looking at the strengths and the gaps of each company on both sides of the table and trying to understand how we can help each other.” Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett hinted that the partnerships were progressing when he spoke to analysts on the company’s earnings call earlier this week. “We look forward to sharing more about this global redesign of the company,” said Hackett, who is leading an $11 billion restructuring of the company. “We are going to be coming to you more frequently, including we’re going to talk about these strategic partnerships in the near future.” Shares Slip Ford shares slipped in early trading Friday after rising the most in more than nine years a day earlier. A $2 billion pretax profit in North America on the strength of sales of high-profit pickups and SUVs exceeded analysts’ expectations and was early validation for the automaker’s controversial decision to abandon sedans in America. Striking deals with VW and Mahindra could further improve Ford’s outlook. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas predicts Ford will lose $3.6 billion in Europe from 2019 to 2021, making it the least-profitable automaker in that market. In South America, where VW also operates, Ford has lost more than $4 billion since 2012. Sharing costs to develop cars and new technology with another automaker could help reverse those losses. “In the world we’re in, where the future is so ill-defined because it’s yet to be created, companies are going to have to collaborate more together,” Shanks said Thursday during a break from meetings with investors and analysts in New York. “We have a history with VW. We get along with them. And if you look at the strengths and weaknesses of each of us, we match up really, really well.” The same is true with Ford’s relationship with Mahindra, Shanks said. “That’s very important in these types of collaborations because getting along well is a good part of the formula for success,” Shanks said. “There’s lots of examples where that hasn’t been the case and, ultimately, they haven’t succeeded.” Shanks wouldn’t say if there is a deadline for reaching deals with the automakers, but he said talks are proceeding with urgency. “We’re trying to get things done as quickly as we can because we’re all trying to improve the fortunes of each of our companies,” Shanks said. “So we’re moving to get clarity and get moving on to the actual collaboration as quickly as possible.”

Volkswagen deals ready truck business Traton for stock market listing Reuters / October 25, 2018 Volkswagen struck a slew of deals on Thursday to streamline its new Traton unit into a pure truck and bus business and prepare it for a planned stock market listing next year. VW’s legacy trucks unit MAN SE will sell a 76 percent stake in Renk AG and its wholly owned subsidiary MAN Energy Solutions SE to a subsidiary of VW, MAN SE said in a statement. The purchase price for the deals would correspond to the expected equity book value of the holdings at the end of this calendar year, estimated to be between 1.85 and 2.05 billion euros ($2.1-$2.3 billion). In addition, MAN SE’s 100 percent indirect ownership of MAN Energy Solutions USA, Inc., will be sold and transferred to a subsidiary of VW for a purchase price of around $99 million. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. “As a result of this transaction, Traton AG will become the lead company of a pure truck and bus group,” MAN said in the statement. VW is close to hiring Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan to help with a mid-2019 listing that bosses estimate could raise up to 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion). A domination and profit transfer agreement between VW and MAN will expire at the end of the year, meaning that the Wolfsburg-based auto maker would profit from any revaluation if the deals close before then. ($1 = 0.8794 euros)