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The news reports I've read have reflected a consistent story line. I have not read of anyone accusing her of changing her story. We don't know what the truth is....we weren't there. But she is convincing to me. Doesn't seem like the type to make it up. The only witness, the one other teenage boy in the room, allegedly was Mark Judge. Ford never said there were any other people in the room. I can't imagine any more evidence than what we've now seen. As for parties, with each passing day, I feel even more strongly that political parties should be banned. Bloomberg in 2020 for president? The mere thought of that is very depressing.

Interesting CT660 4x4 chassis. .

Fleet Owner / September 27, 2018 Parker Hannifin Corporation has launched a new solution to ease the burden of changing oil in engines and machines. QuickFit is a complete oil change system that takes the complex nature of changing oil and simplifies the process with a cleaner and safer way that can be accomplished in less than 30 minutes. Traditional maintenance oil changes face a multitude of challenges including confined spaces that make access difficult and can create safety and ergonomic risks. A system’s multiple drain and fill points greatly increases the chances for cross-contamination, and by removing an oil filter that’s still full of oil can result in leaks, spills and potential environmental issues. Parker says that QuickFit alleviates these issues with a more accessible, single point of connection. Its three-step process purges, evacuates and refills oil all from the one connection point. Purge: Uses compressed air to purge the oil by pushing it through the filter into the engine sump. Evac: Oil is drained directly to waste containment, allowing for clean removal of the filter. Refill: New oil is pumped into the engine using the same connection point. “Reducing the number of steps in the process eliminates any risk of safety hazards or spills, which creates less consumable waste and is more environmentally friendly,” said Mario Calvo, division marketing manager for Parker Quick Coupling Division (QCD). “The QuickFit 3-step process also makes for a more standardized solution, which helps to lower operating costs, increases profitability and reduces oil change time by about 50 percent.” . .

Here they come: First North American Volvo trucks to go electric Aaron Marsh, Fleet Owner / September 27, 2018 Volvo Trucks today announced that its first North American model heavy trucks—a total of 23 of them—will get the company's all-electric drivetrains in a special demonstration project in California. The trucks are to be tested out next year and will be commercialized in 2020, Volvo said. The California Air Resources Board has preliminarily awarded $44.8 million for the project. The demonstration, dubbed Volvo LIGHTS for "Low-Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions," is a partnership between Volvo Group, California's South Coast Air Quality Management District, and "industry leaders in transportation and electrical charging infrastructure." In that vein, Volvo also detailed that the project will involve 16 partners and will "transform freight operations at the facilities of two of the United States' top trucking fleets." Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks, said the company is "convinced that electrified truck transport will be a key driver of sustainable transports." Notably, this is not only going to include heavy truck technology—indicating Volvo and the parties involved are exploring how to work big electric trucks into the broader electric vehicle infrastructure. The Volvo LIGHTS project will work in some non-truck battery-electric equipment, non-proprietary (i.e., not Volvo-specific) chargers, and solar energy production equipment. "This is an excellent opportunity to show the end-to-end potential of electrification," said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "From solar energy harvesting at our customer locations to electric vehicle uptime services to potential second uses for batteries, this project will provide invaluable experience and data for the whole value chain." Which North American Volvo trucks? What trucks will this involve? Volvo officials are not yet ready to discuss which specifically, but did release some helpful details. First, the North American trucks in this project will get the battery-electric drivetrain used in Volvo Trucks' FE Electric cabover unveiled in Europe earlier this year and slated to go on sale next year. It's the equivalent of a light Class 8 truck by U.S. standards with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) rating of about 59,525 lbs. The FE Electric has a dual electric motor capable of 496 hp. maximum/ 349 hp. continuous and 627 lbs.-ft. of torque, with up to a huge 20,652 lbs-ft. max torque at the rear axle. The electric drivetrain provides a range of up to 124 miles and can be DC fast-charged in 1.5 hours or regular low-power AC charged in about 10 hours. With the Volvo LIGHTS project, Volvo said it will deploy eight multi-configuration battery-electric Class 8 electric demonstration units capable of GVW plus 15 tons. An additional 15 precommercial and commercial units will be put to use throughout California's South Coast Air Basin, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Given the range of the electric drivetrain and the location they'll be tested, the North American trucks for the project could well come from Volvo's new VNR regional-haul lineup, for instance, rather than Volvo's bread-and-butter North American VNL Series designed for long-haul operations. Volvo further noted that the project will include a variety of technologies such as remote diagnostics, geofencing, and the company's web-based service management platform to monitor truck performance and maximize vehicle uptime. The project is estimated to eliminate 3.57 tons of air pollutants and 3,020 tons of greenhouse gases annually, according to Volvo. Separately, Volvo recently also recently showed off a fully autonomous, electric concept tractor system called Vera (see below). Read more on Volvo's philosophy and insight regarding electric trucks at www.volvotrucks.com/electromobility.

Volvo Trucks to Bring All-Electric Truck Here in 2020 Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / September 27, 2018 Volvo Trucks will demonstrate an all-electric truck in California next year with plans to bring it to market in North America in 2020. The truck is based on Volvo's existing FE Electric truck, which was developed for Europe and will go on sale there in 2019. Funding for the demo project comes from the California Air Resources Board, which has preliminarily awarded $44.8 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to fund a project dubbed the Volvo Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions. Volvo LIGHTS will involve 16 partners and deploy eight multi-configuration, battery-electric Class 8 demonstration units to two unnamed "top trucking fleets." Volvo LIGHTS will also integrate non-truck battery electric equipment, non-proprietary chargers, and solar energy production equipment. The goal is to eliminate an estimated 3.57 tons of air pollutants and 3,020 tons of greenhouse gases annually. The project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that aims to use cap-and-trade dollars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while also strengthening the state’s economy and improving public health and the environment. “This is an excellent opportunity to show the end-to-end potential of electrification,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “From solar energy harvesting at our customer locations, to electric vehicle uptime services, to potential second uses for batteries, this project will provide invaluable experience and data for the whole value chain.” .

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / September 27, 2018 Volvo Trucks [North America - VTNA] announced Thursday it expects to begin all-electric truck demonstrations in California next year with commercialization to follow in 2020. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has preliminarily awarded $44.8 million to California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project – a partnership between the Volvo Group, SCAQMD, and industry leaders in transportation and electrical charging infrastructure. Volvo Trucks will deploy eight multi-configuration battery Class 8 electric demonstration units (GVW +15 tons), and an additional 15 precommercial and commercial units, throughout California’s South Coast Air Basin. The Volvo LIGHTS project will involve 16 partners, and transform freight operations at the facilities of two U.S. trucking fleets. Volvo LIGHTS is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. “This is an excellent opportunity to show the end-to-end potential of electrification,” said Peter Voorhoeve, President of Volvo Trucks North America. “From solar energy harvesting at our customer locations, to electric vehicle uptime services, to potential second uses for batteries, this project will provide invaluable experience and data for the whole value chain.” The demonstration units will be based on the technology currently being used in the Volvo FE Electric, which Volvo Trucks presented in May and will begin selling in Europe in 2019. A variety of smart technologies will be used – including remote diagnostics, geofencing, and the company’s web-based service management platform – to monitor all truck performance aspects of the project, and maximize vehicle uptime. The project will reduce an estimated 3.57 tons of air pollutants and 3,020 tons of greenhouse gases annually.

2020 Ford F-150 hybrid to be built at Dearborn Truck Plant Michael Martinez, Automotive News / September 27, 2018 DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. will build the upcoming hybrid version of its F-150 pickup at its truck plant in Dearborn, Mich., company officials said Thursday. The vehicle, announced in 2015, will feature a gasoline-electric motor that can double as a mobile generator. Until now, it had been unclear whether the automaker would build the hybrid model in Dearborn or in Missouri at its Kansas City Assembly Plant, which also makes F-150s. The F-150 hybrid is due out as a 2020 model. "It's going to be a truck that takes you farther, without sacrificing power, and a truck that lets you do more when you get there, with electricity for everything, from your tools to your camping gear," Executive Chairman Bill Ford said at an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ford's Rouge manufacturing complex in suburban Detroit, which includes the Dearborn Truck Plant. "When it comes to building the best trucks in the world, we never rest. Whether they're gas, diesel or hybrid — or, when the time comes, fully electric — they will power the world in a sustainable way and remain built Ford tough." Workers in Dearborn produce one F-150 every 53 seconds on average. The pickup is one of 28 vehicle models that have been built at the Rouge, where Ford currently employs 7,500 workers on three shifts. "To us, it's more than a factory," Bill Ford said. "It's a source of pride for generations of workers who have built the best cars and trucks in the world. It's an all-American symbol of strength, opportunity and hope; a place where we've always been creating tomorrow together." In addition to the product news, Ford and the UAW announced Thursday that Ford has invested $35 million to upgrade a technical training center a few miles from the Rouge complex, expanding the site by 50 percent to 120,000 square feet. The automaker had agreed to the investment as part of its 2015 contract with the union.

Fed chief Powell signals central bank is done with signaling Ann Saphir, Reuters / September 27, 2018 Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has a new message for financial markets: watch the data on jobs, wages and inflation for signals on monetary policy - not the U.S. central bank’s words or forecasts. That’s a big change for the Fed, which for most of the past decade has done what it could to steer markets on its policy intentions as it nursed a fragile economy to recovery after the financial crisis. As part of that so-called forward guidance, the Fed for years described its policy stance as “accommodative” to assure markets that it would not strangle economic growth. But on Wednesday, the Fed removed that phrase from its policy statement. Some investors read the change as a sign the central bank was nearing an end to the interest rate hike cycle it began in December 2015; JP Morgan chief U.S. economist Michael Feroli called that a “stretch.” Noting the U.S. economy is having a “particularly bright moment,” with unemployment expected to remain low, inflation stable, and no recession in sight, Powell said in a press conference on Wednesday that the removal of the “accommodative” wording was not a policy signal at all. “The question we are answering is, how do we provide the economy just the right amount of support - not too much, not too little - to sustain the recovery and achieve our statutory goals” of full employment and 2 percent inflation, Powell said. “We don’t want to suggest either that we have this precise understanding of where accommodative stops or suggest that’s a really important point in our thinking. What we’re going to be doing ... is carefully monitoring incoming data.” The Fed on Wednesday announced a widely expected rate increase, its third of the year, bringing its target range for its benchmark overnight lending rate to between 2 percent and 2.25 percent. Fresh economic forecasts also released on Wednesday showed most policymakers expect the central bank to raise rates five more times before stopping some time in 2020. But Powell, in effect, said not to put too much store in those forecasts because they could change with incoming data. He noted that he is unsure when the rate increases he and his colleagues expect to deliver in the next year or two will start to bite into economic growth, or whether the economy’s underlying momentum has sped up enough to offset any such drag. As the Fed raises rates, it will look for signals from the economy, like a slowdown in the labor market or economy, a spike in wages or inflation, or a sudden tightening of financial conditions, to cue an end to its tightening cycle, Powell said. David Papell, an economics professor at the University of Houston, summed up the Powell-led Fed’s approach this way: “Let’s wait and see.”

After watching her testimony, I'm inclined to believe her story. As for her not reporting it years ago, reflecting on the fact it was another time and place, with different attitudes, she would have been terrified to tell her parents and others out of shame. Such an act by Kavanaugh would make him a teenage scumbag, as no man should force himself upon a woman. Fast forwarding to today, if Dr. Ford's story is true, then Kavanaugh is inherently a liar, and thus a poor choice for Supreme Court judge. Thirty-six years ago, an immature teenage Kavanaugh let his pants do his thinking. Is it fair to be held accountable almost four decades later? There's no easy answer.

GM returning Cadillac HQ to Michigan from New York Michael Wayland, Automotive News / September 26, 2018 DETROIT -- General Motors is moving Cadillac's headquarters back to Michigan roughly three years after the brand moved to New York City's trendy SoHo neighborhood. The decision comes less than six months after GM executives ousted Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen, a former Infiniti and Audi executive, in exchange for Steve Carlisle, a GM lifer who most recently led the automaker's Canadian operations. Cadillac on Wednesday confirmed that the automaker has decided to relocate the luxury brand's headquarters back to Michigan, citing the move "will further support" the brand's upcoming launch cadence of a new or redesigned vehicle every six months through 2020. A GM spokesman confirmed that Cadillac will move to a location near GM’s technical center in Warren, Mich., north of Detroit. A probable location would be the former headquarters of longtime GM ad agency partner Lowe Campbell Ewald in Warren, Mich., north of Detroit. GM bought the 150,000-square-foot building for $2 million in 2014. "The move will place the Cadillac brand team closer to those responsible for the new Cadillacs, including design, engineering, purchasing and manufacturing, ensuring full integration of Cadillac's global growth strategy," Cadillac said in an emailed statement to Automotive News. GM says Cadillac will maintain a brand presence in New York City with its current Cadillac House headquarters, which the company reportedly leased for 10 years and spent $12.7 million to renovate. It's unclear how many of the brand's roughly 110 employees in New York will relocate to the Detroit area. A Cadillac spokesman declined to comment past the company's statement. Carlisle told The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the decision, that the move back to its home state is an attempt to streamline “the communication process between the Cadillac team and the GM partners.” Time in Detroit Earlier this month, Carlisle told reporters that he was spending a lot of his time in Detroit, not New York. The original move occurred under de Nysschen, however it was believed then-Cadillac CMO Uwe Ellinghaus, who started before de Nysschen and left the company at the beginning of this year, was a main proponent of the New York headquarters. "Cadillac's move to New York made sense in theory, but in practice it didn't address what Cadillac really needs to turn the brand around -- a laser focus on the product,” said Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds' manager of industry analysis, in a statement. “Moving the headquarters to Warren, where the heart of GM's design and engineering teams are, is a big statement that Cadillac is serious about bringing the brand and product visions together. Acevedo said the brand has spent “a lot of time and money trying to emulate the Germans,” but maybe the move back to its home state “is a sign that the company is ready to embrace its Detroit heritage and lean into its unique place in American culture.” Since the move to New York was announced in 2014, Cadillac's sales have dropped 12 percent and the brand's share of the luxury auto market has fallen from 9.3 percent to 7.7 percent, according to Edmunds.

Scania Group Press Release / September 25, 2018 After nearly winning the Top Team World Championship in 2013 and then losing the 2015 New Zealand championship to eventual world champions Christchurch, the CablePrice Whangarei team have their sights set on victory this time around. “We were just about to get where we needed to be when the Aussies slammed the buzzer down,” team leader Scott Cann explains, recalling how the Whangarei crew took second in the 2013 Top Team world championship. “It was disappointing.” Last year, Whangarei beat Christchurch in New Zealand’s national final and will represent their country at the 2018 regional final in Malaysia. “We didn’t go into it with high hopes,” says technician Tom Hicks, who explains that the Whangarei team, who had just two returning members, was young and inexperienced compared to some of the others. Preparing for 2018 Despite their unexpected victory, the team has worked hard to prepare for the regional final. Practicing with CablePrice trainer Russell Dixon, the team has been going through exercises that mimic the types of scenarios they will encounter in the competition, in addition to studying theory. Technician Craig Lucas, the newest member of the team, only began working on Scania products a few months before competing in last year’s national final, and he says Top Team is motivating him for familiarise himself with Scania. “I’m even finding now that I’ve got a bit more of a want to fix something,” he explains. Senior technician Braden Olsen agrees, saying, “You might fix something but then actually look into how it works, how different things affect each other.” Kiwi technicians among the world’s best It doesn’t take much time in New Zealand to notice the wide variety of trucks on the road – including Japanese, American, and European makes. And it’s not just a wide variety of makes – there are also decades of Scania trucks on the road. It’s not uncommon to see 4-series trucks, and even the occasional 3-series, still in everyday use by fire stations and small transport firms. This variety of vehicles (Scania’s New Zealand dealer, CablePrice, also services other truck makes), combined with the country’s geographic isolation and longer wait times for parts, means that Kiwi technicians are often used to working on different makes and models and sometimes have to come up with innovative solutions to get trucks back on the road. “You’ve got to learn to fix everything,” says Cann. Referring to a customer who came in during the morning with a coolant leak, Olsen explains the pressure, “As soon as his truck is in the shop, he’s not making any money. So we have got to get him back on the road.” That customer, KJ Murray, is perhaps a good example of a typical small transport operator in New Zealand. An owner-driver, Murray has had Scania trucks for decades, starting with a 3-series truck. His current vehicle is a seven-year-old Scania R 580 that he’s driven more than 1.2 million kilometres. When asked how long he’ll have it, he answers, “’Til it dies.” Murray says he typically drives around 700 kilometres a day and relies on uptime and quick turnarounds when something does go wrong. Today, the workshop has the needed part in stock and Olsen fixes the coolant leak, flushes the system, and has Murray out of the workshop and back on the road in under an hour. “It’s like a work family,” says the driver. “They’ll go the extra mile for owner-drivers like myself.” More than just a competition According to team leader Cann, there’s a synergy between the crew’s Top Team training and their ability to do the quick work their customers demand, “The guys who did it last time, they’re leaps and bounds over where they were at the start of it.” Referring to the 2013 team, Cann says, “These guys might go on one or two training courses a year, but we had probably 20 or 30 over the course of 14 months.” While they’re looking forward to both the training and the competition, Olsen admits, “We’ll be pretty happy just for the trip.” .

Sears' CEO has come up with a last-minute plan to save it from bankruptcy The Washington Post / September 24, 2018 Sears could face bankruptcy if it doesn't meet its next debt payment, due in the coming weeks. Now, the retailer's chief executive has come up with a last-minute plan to save it, after already shuttering thousands of stores and selling off some of its key brands. Eddie Lampert, who owns the hedge-fund ESL Investments and is also the retailer's largest shareholder and creditor, has asked creditors to refinance $1.1 billion in debt before a $134 million debt payment due Oct. 15, according to a Sunday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also called for the company to sell off $3.25 billion worth of real estate and assets, including Sears Home Services and the company's flagship Kenmore brand, which Lampert offered to buy last month for $400 million. In the filing, Lampert's hedge fund said it "must act immediately to have sufficient runway to continue its transformation" if Sears is to become profitable again. The company, which includes 820 Sears and Kmart stores, has about $5.6 billion in outstanding debt. "Eddie Lampert is seeking permission from himself to keep Sears on life-support while he continues to drain every last remaining drop of blood from its corpse," said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School and the former chief executive of Sears Canada. "The operation is a failure and there is no plan to turn that around." Sears said its board, which is chaired by Lampert, had received the proposal and had directed its advisors "to work closely with ESL." Analysts said the plan is likely to pass since Lampert is Sears' largest shareholder. Lampert's latest attempts may provide a short-term life line, but analysts said that it is not a sustainable plan for a company that has failed to reinvent itself for an era of online shopping. Sears, which hasn't turned a profit since 2010, last year posted a loss of $383 million. Sales dropped 25 percent to $16.7 billion. Sears, founded 125 years ago as a mail-order business, was for decades one of the nation's premier retailers. But in recent years, it has slumped, even as its competitors report quarter after quarter of growth. "Without revenue growth, Sears will remain a company at risk," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, wrote in a note to clients. "As usual, Sears is focusing on financial maneuvers and missing the wider point that sales remain on a downward trajectory."

James Menzies, Truck News / September 26, 2018 NEW ORLEANS, La. – With Hurricane Florence out of the way, I flew to Asheville, N.C. Sept. 17 with questions on my mind. A handful of editors were about to embark on a nearly 1,000-mile test drive in the new Mack Anthem, with a focus on fuel economy. I wondered, can I hit 10 mpg? Does turbocompounding work as advertised to deliver fuel savings? And how would my fuel economy stack up against more experienced drivers, and my editor peers? It was an insightful three-day trek that featured stops in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., Jackson, Miss., and which wrapped up in New Orleans, La. The trucks, the route, the food Who ever said a test drive can’t include a little fun? Our route with six Mack Anthems covered 940 miles over three days, and we took in some sights along the way. We also enjoyed some good grub – in fact, the tour was dubbed by Mack as the ‘Gears, Guitars and Grub’ tour. It’s true the barbecue in Memphis is tough to beat. The fleet consisted of six Mack Anthems with some key differences. Two red tractors had the MP8-445C Maxi-Cruise engine (445 hp/1,860 lb.-ft. torque) with full aero package, but without turbocompounding – or what Mack is now calling Energy Recovery Technology (ERT). More on that in a bit. Two white tractors featured the MP8-HE-415SE (415 hp/1,760 lb.-ft. torque) engines with ERT, and Mack’s HE+ aero package for maximum fuel economy. These also featured a 6×2 axle configuration with liftable pusher axle. The two blue tractors had the MP8-HE-445SE (445 hp/1,860 lb.-ft. torque) engines with ERT and the HE+ aero package. All trucks were loaded to about 67,000 lbs – a pretty typical payload. The HE+ package features: predictive cruise, and a full aerodynamics package including a roof fairing with adjustable trim tab, an under-bumper spoiler, and chassis fairings with ground effects. So, from those spec’s alone, you’d expect the white tractors to deliver the best fuel economy performance with the blue trucks hot on their heels and the red tractors slightly behind. What’s turbocompound…er, ERT? Initially introduced on the MP8 engine as turbocompounding, Mack has elected to adopt the more marketing-friendly term Energy Recovery Technology (ERT) to describe this feature. It did so to avoid confusion with past examples of turbocompounding, which differed completely by taking previously wasted exhaust heat and turning it into additional horsepower to provide a performance benefit. Mack flipped this model upside down and instead uses the 50 or so additional horsepower generated from previously wasted heat, and uses it to take a load off the engine, improving fuel economy. It’s an efficiency-based concept, rather than performance-based. “Mack Energy Recovery Technology is an advanced feature of Mack’s MP8-HE engine that captures engine heat that would otherwise be lost, converting it to mechanical energy and delivering it back to the crankshaft in the form of torque. The additional energy allows the engine to operate at 1,000-1,100 rpm, improving fuel efficiency and life expectancy without sacrificing performance,” Phil Cary, southeast regional fleet service manager with Mack Trucks, explained to me during our drive. “Mack ERT is not applying turbocompounding in the traditional manner, which has been used to add more power to the engine’s output, rather than to relax the engine to improve fuel efficiency and life expectancy without sacrificing performance.” Mack touts about a 5% fuel economy improvement in trucks spec’d with ERT. But would the trucks with ERT live up to this claim on our nearly 1,000-mile route? Achieving fuel economy parity It’s often said that the driver can have up to a 30% impact on fuel economy, all other things being equal. I don’t believe that to be the case anymore, when driving newer-generation trucks with all the latest technologies such as automated manual transmissions and adaptive cruise control. These technologies are the great equalizers, which allow even a novice driver to rival the fuel economy of a veteran. I was curious to prove my theory during this drive. Jim Park, an editor with Heavy-Duty Trucking and Today’s Trucking, has two million miles over the road to his name. He knows how to coax great fuel economy out of whatever powertrain you want to put in front of him. I’m not too proud to admit that the rest of us editors lack that over-the-road pedigree. You’d expect Park to blow our fuel economy out of the water. But that didn’t happen. Taking the non-ERT Macks out of the picture, there was an 11% spread in fuel economy between Park – who achieved the best mileage at 9.5 mpg – and the rest of us. But Park had a slight advantage. The non-ERT truck he was driving on the final leg had to be taken out of service due to a mechanical gremlin, so his mpg reflected only his time in the two ERT-equipped models. So, for fun, let’s take the 9.5 mpg driver out of the picture, as well as the driver of the other non-ERT Mack. Now we get a 5.6% gap between the best and worst drivers in the convoy. As I suspected, the technology available from this powertrain brought parity to our small pool of drivers, while the veteran was still able to squeeze a little better fuel mileage out of the equipment than the rest of us. For a direct comparison, Park got 10.5 mpg out of the same white #4 Anthem in which I achieved 10 mpg on the dot. A 0.5 mpg improvement cannot be overlooked. Put the technology to work for you My goal all along was to hit 10 mpg, something I haven’t been able to achieve before. I achieved that on the final leg with truck #4, a white Anthem that consistently obtained the best fuel economy. Here are some tips that I followed to get there: I used cruise control religiously – as much as 85% of the time. I upped the engine brake setting while in cruise by a few miles per hour in order take full advantage of the truck’s momentum on downhill grades and rolling terrain. I kept my speed at the speed limit, or against the top cruise setting of 68 mph in 70 mph zones. And I tried to minimize the number of times the active cruise with braking feature of Bendix Wingman Fusion brought a stop to my momentum, by dialing back the cruise speed when approaching traffic. Getting comfortable with the technology The Mack Anthems we drove were loaded with technology, including the Bendix Wingman Fusion collision mitigation system with active cruise control. It can take some time to get used to active safety systems, such as those that monitor pre-set following distances and apply the brakes when necessary to maintain them. But I clearly became more comfortable with the technology in short order, as evidenced by my increased use of cruise control on each leg of the drive – from 74% on the first leg to 78% on the next, and finally into the mid-80%s by the end of the drive, when I achieved my best fuel economy. The key to the getting comfortable with the technology is to trust it, but not to expect it to do your job for you. Of course, ideally you can avoid brake applications altogether by dialing down your cruise speed when approaching slow-moving vehicles. It also seemed to pay at times, following a brake application, to deactivate cruise and feather the accelerator to return to the set cruise speed rather than letting the truck do so in a harder-charging manner. One mild annoyance is that anytime the adaptive cruise applied the brakes, the driver must manually re-engage cruise control. This is going to be addressed with the next version of Wingman Fusion that Bendix will be releasing next year. While adaptive cruise control isn’t meant to replace the driver, it was an aid that helped me achieve better fuel economy while also providing peace of mind that I had some assistance with me in the cab in the event a sudden stop was required. These active safety systems are proven to react faster than a human can. By contrast, Park admitted to spending more time out of cruise control, and his driving experience enabled him to achieve better fuel economy than I did while spending almost my entire time in cruise. It goes to show an experienced driver can still outperform the machine at times. It should be noted the Anthems on our drive should get better fuel economy once they are fully broken in, and when the predictive cruise feature “learns” the route we are traveling, committing the terrain to memory and then taking further advantage of the truck’s momentum when cresting and descending hills. What we learned For those of us who write about trucks for a living, it’s a rare treat to get to spend three days and nearly 1,000 miles behind the wheel. I learned a few things during this opportunity, from watching our fuel economy so attentively. One is that small decisions have big consequences. It can take hours to gain 0.2 mpg, only to see it all vanish within a couple minutes if pulling out to pass a truck going uphill or increasing your cruise speed by just a few miles per hour. We also confirmed that today’s technology can bring relative parity to the fleet, allowing even novice drivers to compete with veterans – provided they take advantage of the technology that’s available to them. On the truck side, we learned that Mack’s ERT really works as advertised. The blue trucks with ERT were on average 4% better in fuel economy than the non-ERT red trucks, and the white tractors came in at a super-impressive 14% advantage. Mack took a risk and showed tremendous faith in the technology by allowing us to put it to the test in this manner, and I’m sure they’re pleased with the result. I also learned that the 10-mpg truck is here today in the form of the latest model highway tractors, even for someone who has never put in time as a professional driver. It took the better part of the final leg of my drive to get it up there, and it happened on the last few miles before arriving in New Orleans, where I quickly slammed the truck into park and shut down the engine before even the slightest time spent idling had the opportunity to push me back into the nines. Finally, I learned that a truck can boast traditional styling, some hard edges, and still deliver tremendous double-digit fuel economy. And oh yeah, I learned that Memphis really does have the best BBQ. .

Cummins shows at IAA why diesel will remain 'primary source of power' Neil Abt, Fleet Owner / September 25, 2018 HANOVER, Germany. Cummins Inc. displayed various emissions reductions technologies at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show aimed making diesel engines more efficient. “With our technical advancements, we see diesel remaining as the primary source of power in the commercial vehicle sector for the foreseeable future,” said Tim Proctor, executive director of product management and market innovation. The Indiana-based company is also heavily invested in electric technologies. However, at IAA one of its showpieces was a concept emissions control system that could one day be used to meet a potential Euro VII emissions regulation, anticipated in the coming years. “This innovative system allows further reduction in NOx and PM emissions, while simultaneously improving fuel efficiency,” said Tim Proctor, executive director of product management and market innovation. Proctor added in a statement that other technologies under development to reduce friction and parasitic losses “will also continue to make the diesel engine even more productive and energy efficient.” Separately, Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies showed the Endurant 12-speed automated transmission for the first time at IAA. It was launched in North American in the fourth quarter of 2017 and company officials said sales have been outpacing expected demand. Endurant is up to 105 lbs. lighter than competitive automated manual transmissions (AMTs).

Mild hybrid aims to create long-haul fuel savings Jim Mele, Fleet Owner / September 25, 2018 Eaton's 48-volt system should offer significant fuel savings by removing accessory parasitic power drains while also providing engine-off AC when drivers are off duty. HANOVER, Germany. Calling it a mild hybrid, Eaton is working on the development of an integrated system that bolts on to a heavy-duty transmission PTO replacing belt-driven accessories with electrically driven air conditioner compressor, alternator, starter and invertor to capture and store electric power. The 48-volt system should offer significant fuel savings by removing accessory parasitic power drains while also providing engine-off AC when drivers are off duty. The company introduced the new mild hybrid system, which is still in the prototype phase, at the 2018 IAA commercial vehicle show. The single transmission-mounted package replaces a traditional starter motor with an electric motor designed for automatic engine stop/start functionality. When paired with Eaton’s 12-speed automated HD transmission, it can generate electric power for storage in batteries when a truck enters neutral coast modes. That stored power can also run an integrated AC compressor, providing cooling when the engine is off, either when coasting or parked. Fuel savings estimates for the hybrid range from 3% to 7%, according to Matt Nolan, global product strategy manager for Eaton’s eMobility division. The prototype could move to U.S. production by 2021, he said. The 48-volt transmission-mounted system can also provide 24- and 12-volt power for vehicle electric loads, and reduces overall weight up to 50 lbs. by reducing or eliminating cables and harnesses, according to Eaton. In other IAA news, Eaton also introduced a 4-speed transmission for electric medium-duty trucks and buses. Unlike single- and 2-speed drives commonly used in electric commercial vehicle applications, the new 4-speed is intended to offer both high efficiency at top speeds and increased torque for launch and low speeds. With a torque capacity of 885 lbs.-ft, it does not have a clutch and uses gearing optimized for electric motor performance. Schedule to enter production later this year, the 4-speed transmission has shown a 20 to 30% efficiency improvement over single-speed drives and a 10 to 15% improvement over 2-speed transmissions, according to Eaton. Truck applications include medium-duty refuse collection, utility trucks and other medium-duty commercial vehicles with GVWs up to 18 tons, the company said at the European introduction.

Ford expands partnership talks with VW, Mahindra to cut costs Ben Klayman, Reuters / September 26, 2018 DETROIT -- With its stock trading near a 6-year low late last month, Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Hackett gathered the automaker's top 300 executives near its headquarters in Michigan for a global leadership meeting. Hackett's message: Ford must put in motion plans to restructure its business now in order to secure promised costs savings, Ford executives present at the meeting said. "We have clarity of purpose and now it's time to take action," Hackett told Reuters in an interview. A key part of that plan to save money calls for Ford to deepen partnerships with other automakers around the world to share factory floor capacity and develop vehicles together, Ford executives told Reuters. Specifically, they said Ford is engaged in talks with Germany's Volkswagen AG and India's Mahindra about expanding product and technology alliances. With Volkswagen, discussions are focused on how to expand a commercial vehicle tie-up they previously announced to include collaboration in South America and Europe -- where Ford is losing money -- and co-develop other types of vehicles, according to a Volkswagen executive and two sources familiar with Ford's thinking who asked not to be identified. Pablo Di Si, CEO for Volkswagen in Latin America, told Reuters the companies are studying a partnership in Brazil and the talks are "advancing positively," although he did not expect an announcement until 2019. A VW spokesman declined further comment on the alliance discussions. An expanded alliance would give Volkswagen access to some of Ford's most profitable vehicles, including the Transit commercial vans and Ranger compact pickups, said the two sources. VW could also help Ford strengthen its money-losing South American and European operations by combining vehicle production in those markets, the sources said. Separately, product sharing talks are underway with Mahindra & Mahindra, including using the Indian automaker as a benchmark to bring down supplier costs in the region, two other people familiar with Mahindra's plans said. The first vehicle from the platform they are jointly developing will likely be launched in 2020, they added. A spokesman for Mahindra did not respond to a request for comment. The twin efforts are meant to help remake Ford in conjunction with the $11 billion restructuring it outlined for the next three to five years. Ford needs to improve profitability because it is investing billions of dollars to develop electric and self-driving vehicles, and gearing up for a major roll out of products over the next two years. Hackett, who recently spoke with the heads of Volkswagen and Mahindra, told Reuters the alliance talks are going well and hold a lot of promise for Ford. He declined to comment on specific deal structures being discussed or locations, however. Broader product and cost-sharing deals with Volkswagen and Mahindra could allow the No. 2 U.S. automaker to reduce the number of different vehicles it builds and shrink engineering and purchasing costs, Ford executives said. Fewer vehicle architectures, combined with increased numbers of electric vehicles, would also help Ford reduce the number of plants and employees it needs for that work over the next several years, according to the two sources familiar with Ford's thinking. The moves are aimed to help Ford hit its goal of doubling global pretax profit margins to 8 percent by 2020, up from 4.3 percent in the second quarter of this year. Hackett remains under pressure to show results. The stock is down about 24 percent this year. "Hackett's job really is to cut the costs," said Edgar Wachenheim III, chairman of Greenhaven Associates, which is Ford's ninth largest investor with almost 33 million shares at the end of June. "You have this possibility that Hackett can eliminate the $4.5 billion of losses [in its weaker operations] that were there in 2017 and the earnings will shoot up." The capital demands currently in the industry have never been greater, Ford executive vice president Joe Hinrichs told Reuters at the company's headquarters outside Detroit. "A big opportunity is around leveraging other people's strengths," Hinrichs, who is president of global operations, said of the alliances. "There's a lot of opportunity to share capital, share engineering resources." Ford and Volkswagen said in June they were discussing whether to jointly develop and build a range of commercial vehicles, including vans. The commercial vehicle deal is a "quick win" and more will follow with VW, said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's executive vice president in charge of Ford's product development. "If you look on paper, we complement each other really well," he said of Ford and Volkswagen. "There's opportunities for some synergies without us stepping on each other." Alliances also offer automakers the chance to share the costs, Hinrichs said. "Everyone wants higher capacity utilization, but they want someone else to come to their capacity, and so we have to work through that," he said. In Europe, Ford's Mondeo sedan and S-Max, C-Max and Galaxy minivans are set to be phased out when they reach the end of their product lives over the next several years, two other people close to the company said. That will ultimately lead to capacity cuts and job losses at assembly plants in Valencia, Spain and Saarlouis, Germany, the sources said. The level of optimism at the annual leadership meeting last month about Ford's transformation was high, and now those executives want to get the message out more broadly to employees, according to Ford's Thai-Tang. "We have the right plan," he said. "We now have to go execute and execute quickly."

Then upgrade to a 13-speed UltraShift Plus MHP (multi-purpose high performance).

Why would you even want to ???

Jim, I'm troubled by our Supreme Court concept, given that justices may remain until......death. Respectfully speaking, I think they should retire at age 70. Serving into their eighties is ridiculous. Of course, I'm for term limits on congress as well.

This is getting old real fast, seeing the headlines day after day after day. It happened what.....three to four decades ago? People evolve. Is it fair to judge the immature teenage Kavanaugh of 35 years ago by the convoluted standards championed by some today in year 2018? As Paul would say, it was another time and place, with different attitudes. Even today, when you travel from country to country, you need to realize and respect that you're in another place, with different attitudes. I personally don't care if Kavanaugh gets in or not......just tired of hearing about it. These women should have made their accusations years ago, told their parents, ect. (and avoided frat parties at Delta House).

Ford CEO Says Metals Tariffs Took About $1 Billion From Profits Jim Hackett, president and chief executive officer at Ford Motor, discusses the automaker's focus on new technologies and the impact of the U.S.-China trade war. He speaks with Bloomberg's David Westin on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Americas" at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York on Sept. 26, 2018. Video - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-09-26/ford-ceo-says-metals-tariffs-took-about-1-billion-from-profits-video

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Green Car Congress / September 23, 2018 The Renault Master Z.E. (earlier post) is now available for sale in Renault Trucks’ dealerships. The Renault Master Z.E. is suited to last-mile deliveries. This all-electric utility vehicle comes in six variants—four panel vans and two platform cabs—to meet the varied requirements of professionals working in urban environments. It provides access to inner-city areas, even those with strict traffic restrictions. The Renault Master Z.E. offers a real-world operating range of 120 km (75 miles) and its 33 kWh pack can be fully charged in six hours. Its loading volume is the same as a conventional diesel Renault Master as the batteries are mounted under the front seats. To protect both the driver and the load and guarantee the safety of city-dwellers, the Master Z.E. is fitted as standard with a reversing camera, a reversing radar and a wide-view mirror. The truck also features the Z.E. voice alert system designed to warn pedestrians that the vehicle is approaching when it is travelling at speeds of between 1 and 30 km/h. The Renault Master Z.E. belongs to Renault Trucks’ all-electric range. This new line-up features the Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E., the Renault Trucks D Z.E. and the Renault Master Z.E. It offers capacities between 3.1 to 26 tonnes to cover the full gamut of urban uses. The Renault Master Z.E. features a 57 kW electric motor that delivers maximum torque of 225 N·m; maximum speed is 100 km/h. .

Green Car Congress / September 24, 2018 Renault Trucks is continuing its research into improving the energy efficiency of diesel trucks. (Earlier post.) With Optifuel Lab 3, the laboratory vehicle developed as part of the FALCON collaborative project, the manufacturer aims to reduce fuel consumption by 13% compared with a standard Renault Trucks T and trailer. Optifuel Lab 3 combines technologies relating to aerodynamics, rolling resistance, driver assistance, energy management and the powertrain. It brings together innovative technologies developed by a consortium of partners comprising Renault Trucks, Faurecia, Michelin, Total, FRUEHAUF, Wezzoo, Benomad, Styl'Monde, Polyrim, Enogia, the IFP Énergies nouvelles, the École centrale de Lyon (LMFA) and the IFSTTAR. Optifuel Lab 3 is part of the FALCON (Flexible & Aerodynamic Truck for Low CONsumption) project which receives public funding after selection by the French Public Investment Bank BPI France on the 23rd F.U.I. call for projects. Optifuel Lab 3’s technological developments will focus on optimized tractor semi-trailer combination aerodynamics, connected low-rolling-resistance tires, predictive energy-saving driving assistance and energy management functions, as well as an improved powertrain. Optimized complete tractor-trailer combination aerodynamics. The aim is to significantly improve the aerodynamics of the combination to considerably reduce fuel consumption, particularly by introducing a variable-geometry trailer. Developed by FRUEHAUF in collaboration with Styl’Monde for the fairings, this “adaptive” trailer is intended to automatically take on an optimized shape by using empty loading space thanks to a built-in control and command system and sensors. The tractor’s aerodynamics will also be improved by replacing wing mirrors with cameras, and a newly designed cab A-pillar based on a PhD thesis from the Fluid and Acoustic Mechanics Laboratory at the École Centrale de Lyon. Airflow will also be optimized by extending the front end and door and streamlining wheel arches. Side fairings will also be bigger and made from flexible material by Polyrim, like the side deflector extensions to provide continuity between the truck and trailer. Connected, low-rolling-resistance tires. On long-haul trips, tire rolling resistance accounts for around 25% of fuel consumption. Michelin will develop tyres with low rolling resistance for the laboratory vehicle by integrating innovative technologies derived from research projects. Renault Trucks and Michelin will also use data obtained by sensors installed in the connected tires. Predictive energy-saving driver assistance and energy management features. Navigation and traffic (Benomad), meteorological (Wezzoo), and tire (Michelin) data from Optifuel Lab 3 will be used by optimized predictive speed and cooling system controllers. This latest system will be equipped with new actuators to maximize energy savings. These developments will be accompanied by a new Human-Machine Interface specially developed in partnership with the IFSTTAR to provide the driver with an energy-saving, efficient and user-friendly driver assistance system. Alternator control will be made even more intelligent in order to optimize the balance between electrical energy production and internal-combustion engine fuel consumption. For Optifuel Lab 3, extensive work will also be carried out on the dual battery device with expected significant weight reduction and improved cold-start performance for the start battery and increased capacity and life time for the living battery. Powertrain: low-viscosity lubricants and Rankine waste heat recovery system. The whole powertrain will benefit from new-generation low-viscosity lubricants developed by Total for reduced friction. In addition, performance studies will be carried out on test benches and integration studies will be conducted for two types of waste heat recovery system architecture based on Rankine’s thermodynamic cycle. The research is being carried out jointly by Renault Trucks, Faurecia, IFPEN and Enogia. Optifuel Lab 3 will conduct its first on-road tests in 2019 and determine consumption savings assessments in 2020. .