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Ford Axes Its Chariot Shuttles, Proves Mobility Is Hard Wired / January 10, 2019 Chariot has crashed. On Thursday, five years after launching and two and half years after being acquired by Ford for a reported $65 million, the app-based shuttle service announced it is rolling to a permanent stop. Transportation technology companies have never been sexier than in the past decade, but this stumble is a potent reminder that creating a profitable transportation business can be far harder than it seems. When Chariot launched in 2014, it joined a wave of Uber-inspired "microtransit" tech companies hoping to disrupt transportation services by providing faster, more efficient options for riders sick of—and underserved by—traditional public transit. Less than half a decade on, most have gone the way of the Hawaiian tree snail. San Francisco-based, elitist-wooing Leap Transit closed up shop just three months after its March 2015 launch, amid a regulatory fight with California. Bridj, which promised on-demand shuttle services, ceased American operations in early 2017. Shared rides company Via still operates in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC, but has diversified—it also runs a software business. Meanwhile, Uber itself continues to burn through millions and millions in funding every year, even as it preps for an IPO in 2019. Chariot struggled with ridership, spokesperson Erin Simpson says. Its 14-seat commuter shuttle services, which run limited, public routes in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as in London, will shut down February 1. Chariot’s newer initiative, running vans for specific companies, will end in March. Some of its 625 employees could be offered positions within Ford. Turns out transporting people really is very hard. In dense cities, it’s competitive: Riders might choose to use public transit, ride-hail, or even the bike- and scooter-share networks that now blanket so many city sidewalks. In less dense places, the transportation business is pricey: Dispatching vehicles to retrieve far-flung passengers takes time and plenty of fuel. And transportation firms generally must contend with regulators, another oft-expensive hurdle. In October 2017, California briefly shut down Chariot’s operations in the state after discovering some drivers did not have proper licenses. Chariot, which in San Francisco was charging $3.80 for off-peak rides and $5 during rush hour, always had a difficult road ahead. In fact, it hadn’t expanded its public commuter transit options in at least a year. “The microtransit companies would never say this, but you could see from their actions that a market for a public transit service paid for through fares was, at best, very limited,” says Bruce Schaller, a former New York City transportation official who now runs a transportation consultancy. Furthermore, Chariot could only fit so many fare-paying riders into its vans. It owns those vehicles, and its drivers are unionized. “Running a van cheaper than a bus, per passenger, is a daunting idea,” adds Schaller. As Chariot put it in a blog post announcing its death: “In today’s mobility landscape, the wants and needs of customers and cities are changing rapidly. As those changes continue, it has become clear that the mobility services delivered by Chariot over the past five years will not be a sustainable solution going forward.” In recent months, the Ford subsidiary had tried to adjust its business to fit customers’ needs. Though it continued to run its San Francisco-based commuter network, open to any member of the public, it had focused its business on enterprise solutions, signing contracts with private businesses that wanted to give its employees other options for getting to or from work. As recently as December, Chariot CEO Dan Grossman told WIRED that the company was focusing on solving first mile/last mile problems—helping companies connect their offices to major commuter train or bus lines. Grossman also said the company had thought about growing the size of some vans, perhaps up to 28 seats. “We don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket,” he noted then. Ford spokesperson Karen Hampton says lessons learned from Chariot’s run will inform the automaker’s larger mobility business. That includes “routing, dispatch, customer interfaces” at Ford Commercial Solutions, its fleet telematics and data arm; GoRide, its nonemergency medical transportation division; Ford Pass, its mobile application for vehicle owners; and “even the self-driving businesses we are building,” according to Hampton. The company has said that it will have a fully automated vehicle in commercial service by 2021. While Chariot’s demise proves the transit business is a tricky one, tech-enabled shuttle services aren’t dead. Public transit agencies—including Los Angeles’ Department of Transportation—are still experimenting with on-demand options, which riders beckon with a call or tap of an app. Agencies hope these sorts of services might help them cut down the costs of providing public transit in areas with little demand. Flexible van services and jitneys continue to operate in US cities too, including New York City’s robust, decades-old dollar van system. Ford, meanwhile, already has its hands in the latest transit hotness. In November, it acquired startup Spin. The Detroit stalwart has joined the scooter game. .

Ford ditches GoBike deal Ford is ending its sponsorship of a Lyft-owned bike-sharing service in San Francisco, reports Axios. In the deal, “part of a larger effort … to transform [Ford] into more than just a carmaker,” bike-share operator Motivate’s bikes were branded as Ford GoBikes. No reason was given for the unwind on Ford’s behalf; the car company is still involved in a scooter rental startup. .

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/35258-mack-beck-inter-city-buses/?tab=comments#comment-240223 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/34916-the-mack-ads-1-“bus-of-tomorrow”/?tab=comments#comment-235764 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/34314-the-mack-fr-1-motorcoach/?tab=comments#comment-227726

Navistar introduces CV Series online configurator. https://www.internationaltrucks.com/configurator/cv

Truck News / January 11, 2019 MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Teamsters Canada is slamming the Ontario Trucking Association’s (OTA) bid to bring in foreign workers to help address a driver shortage – stressing instead that the focus should be on improving wages and working conditions to make the job more attractive. “Trucking companies can’t move overseas, so they’re trying to bring cheap labor to Canada. This is nothing short of an attack on Canadian workers and the middle class,” said Francois Laporte, president of the union that represents 15,000 tractor-trailer drivers in Canada. It has 125,000 members overall, and 1.4 million members across North America. In pre-budget consultations, the Ontario Trucking Association called for access to the provincial nominee program, which could then be used to recruit qualified truck drivers from other countries. The union says Ontario driver wages have remained stagnant for close to 35 years, citing a 2013 Conference Board of Canada report that found 87% of the for-hire trucking industry’s productivity gains have since 1986 been passed on to customers in the form of lower prices. It adds the problem began with the trucking industry’s deregulation in the 1980s. There is no reference to recent pay increases that have been introduced in the face of supply constraints. “These businesses chipped away at working conditions and profit margins in the industry by offering ridiculously fast delivery standards at unfairly low prices. The entire industry was forced to adjust; unreasonable delivery schedules, low wages and long hours became the norm for truckers,” Teamsters Canada says. The union also calls on the province to recognize trucking as a skilled trade to ensure prospective drivers have access to grants and other subsidies.

Ford, VW to detail commercial pickup partnership Tuesday Ian Thibodeau, The Detroit News / January 11, 2019 Ford and Volkswagen are planning to partner on the joint production of commercial pickups as the automakers continue their broad-ranging discussions on global partnership. Volkswagen's governing supervisory board approved a piece of the partnership Friday in a board meeting in Germany. The automakers are expected to offer details Tuesday on parts of their agreement — and what they are continuing to discuss — during the Detroit auto show. Ford is a leading manufacturer of pickups in the U.S., producing the perennially best-selling F-150 and Super Duty pickups. Through its commercial vehicles division, VW has a slow-selling Amarok pickup in Europe. The partnership to develop pickups would allow Ford to expand its commercial vehicle lineup in Europe, and give VW a stronger model in its lineup. It was unclear Friday if a jointly developed commercial truck would be offered for sale outside of Europe. Steven Armstrong, Ford's president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, said Thursday that Ford saw value in VW's European plants which Ford would utilize to boost its lucrative commercial vehicle sales there. He said Ford would look to expand its commercial vehicle footprint in Europe to boost the automaker's struggling business unit there. The automakers are negotiating other partnerships, including an alliance on autonomous vehicles. VW's supervisory board had approved this piece of the partnership. The board meeting was the deciding factor in whether Ford and VW would make an announcement next week. Ford and VW have been in broad-ranging discussions for several months regarding partnerships in Europe and the U.S. The automakers have discussed partnering on autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, commercial vehicles and pickup trucks. The automakers signed a memorandum of understanding last summer to look into partnering on commercial vehicles, Ford's best-seller in Europe. Pickups are a weak spot for VW, which vies annually to be the global leader in vehicle sales. The companies have also discussed partnering on the more futuristic and expensive side of the business. As part of the partnership talks, Volkswagen is considering a $1 billion-plus investment in Argo AI, the robotics and technology company majority-owned by Ford. VW CEO Herbert Diess said after a White House meeting in December that he might used Ford plant capacity in the U.S. to build cars. Ford executive chairman Bill Ford said then that the discussions were progressing well. Partnership negotiations are on-going.

$500........for one door??? Please tell me you're pulling my leg.

They should, unless they have the breathers flex hosed to a high location like tactical military trucks. The water would enter a typical 541KB16 breather mounted to the carrier.

The all-new Chevy 5500HD has just landed at Unicell Body Company's Buffalo Plant. .

https://www.kenworth.com.au/trucks/t659/

Prime Mover Magazine / December 10, 2018 Transport and logistics company, Toll, has deployed a new fleet of Kenworths in far north Queensland running lead and zinc concentrates from the Cannington mine to Yurbi Rail Siding near Cloncurry before it is moved onto Townsville. The five new 8x6 Kenworth T659 Day Cab Tri-Drives will be used in quad road train side tipper application to also move copper concentrate from the Capricorn site. A Cummins X15 600hp engine has been paired to an Eaton FO-22E318B-MXP Ultrashift Plus that features Cummins ADEPT technology and Eaton’s Dual-Mode. The Kenworths, five in total, will operate around 175 tonne gross concessional mass, but can be approved to go higher, subject to application analysis according to PACCAR Australia. The trailers were built and designed by Mick Murray Welding, a Townsville-based manufacturer. “The design was intended to support a payload increase of around 10 per cent over current units, while meeting the regulatory requirements to haul concentrates that can be classified as dangerous goods,” said a Toll spokesperson. “As well as achieving the payload increase, our drivers have been impressed with the added safety and technology features on the prime mover and trailers; making them feel safer while operating a multi-combination at 164.2 tonnes Gross Combination Mass (GCM)” “The design also includes a unique lid system that improves the safe operation for loading and unloading compared to previous builds.” The Kenworth T659 comes equipped with a Knorr Bremse full-integrated safety suite, ABS Brakes, Electronic Stability Program, Trailer Response Module, Lane Departure Warning and Active Cruise Braking with Collision Mitigation. PACCAR confirmed it worked with CHJ Engineering to provide ROPS mounted brackets which were fitted in production so as to avoid disassembly of the trucks in post-production. The truck also has a full complement of LED lights including headlights, all market lights, beacon lights, tail lights, mirror mounted read flood loading lights. .

China mobilises DF-26 ballistic missiles capable of sinking US warships in the South China Sea Jack Kilbride, ABC News / January 10, 2019 Beijing has announced it has deployed intermediate ballistic missiles to the country's north-west region, saying the weapons have the capacity to destroy US ships entering disputed waters in the South China Sea. The DF-26 missiles — which have been previously dubbed the 'Guam Killer' or 'Guam Express' by Chinese media and defence experts — are capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads. They have a range of 4,500 kilometres, making them capable of reaching as far as Guam in the east and Indonesia in the south, providing Beijing with a powerful weapon as tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea. Positioning the missiles deep in China's mainland made them more difficult to intercept as it allowed the missile to enter its final stages at a high speed. The missiles were first displayed in 2015 and China confirmed they were now operational in April last year. 'They feel their time has come' A day before the announcement, a US guided missile destroyer, the USS McCambell, passed through waters off the Paracel Islands — an area Beijing considers part of its territory — without permission. The US called it a "freedom of navigation" operation, while Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urged the US to "immediately cease this kind of provocation". Late last year, Chinese Navy Rear Admiral Luo Yuan suggested Beijing could sink two US carriers in a bid to deter the US from entering the South China Sea. Admiral Lou was quoted in Taiwanese media as stating that destroying two carrier would kill around 10,000 US personnel, claiming that this would be the best way to hurt the US as "America is most afraid of the death of its people." Malcom Davis, senior analyst in defence strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the ABC the missile deployment was significant, particularly on the back of the recent threats from China. He said that up until now China only had the shorter range DF-21D in operation. "They're putting real capabilities in play to back up their threats," Dr Davis said. "Politically and strategically there is a growing risk of a conflict between China and Taiwan that could ultimately see China trying to sink US naval vessels, including aircraft carriers." He said the move further demonstrated President Xi Jinping's determination to make China ready for war with the United States, either over Taiwan or the South China Sea. "I worry that the Chinese are building up towards something in the next couple of years," Dr Davis said, adding that Mr Xi could look to make a strong statement on Taiwan as the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party approaches in 2021. "The Chinese, in terms of the way they think, the way they see themselves in the world and the way they see the US, they feel that their time has come." Last week Mr Xi told a meeting of top officials that China's armed forces must strengthen their sense of urgency and do everything they can to prepare for battle. The mobilisation is the latest in a string of moves from China's defence forces. Last week, a Chinese warship was pictured out at sea carrying what appeared to be an electromagnetic railgun, a weapon capable of firing hypersonic projectiles to hit targets hundreds of kilometres away in a matter of seconds. But despite their recent moves giving them the capability to back up their threats, Dr Davis said it was highly unlikely that the Chinese were about to launch an attack, and it was unlikely that the move would deter the US presence in the region. "Every carrier is supported by a naval taskforce of cruisers and destroyers which have sophisticated sea-based air defence systems on board that could potentially shoot down the incoming missiles. "But it's a difficult thing to do." Dr Davis said Chinese doctrine was to use a 'multi-domain attack' approach — firing a diverse barrage of missiles to create a complex problem for the Americans that would likely result in a loss of ships. "When we talk about between the US and China, forget past conflicts where the Americans have had overwhelming technological advantage," Dr Davis said. "Both sides are going to take heavy losses in that conflict."

Ford resigned to underwhelming profit even after Europe cuts Keith Naughton, Bloomberg / January 11, 2019 For all the cuts Ford Motor Co. is poised to make in Europe, it’s resigned to the region staying a drag on profitability for the foreseeable future. Ford on Thursday put a giant German van plant on the chopping block, started a strategic review of its Russia joint venture and vowed to consolidate operations in the U.K., adding to plans for a French transmission factory to cease production this spring. Even with the cutbacks, Ford is targeting just a 6 percent profit margin in Europe for the long term. That’s short of its 8 percent goal on a global basis. The company also stopped short of definitively saying it will close any plants and didn’t give any details about how many jobs it plans to eliminate. The announcement left the market wanting more. Ford’s shares, which plunged almost 40 percent last year to levels last seen in 2009, traded slightly lower to $8.67 on an otherwise upbeat day on Wall Street Thursday. CEO Jim Hackett, who’s caught flack for coming up short on earnings targets and canceling an investor day last fall, will face pressure to be more open and act quickly to turn around a company facing risk to its dividend and credit ratings. “Investor criticism for Ford over the past year has focused on a lack of details on the fitness plan,” says UBS analyst Colin Langan. “This release still lacks some specifics.” Ford has stuck around despite Europe rarely generating positive returns for years. The same could be said for General Motors before CEO Mary Barra decided to abandon business there in 2017 by selling Opel and Vauxhall to France’s PSA Group. Hackett, 63, and Barra, 57, will have more to share with investors soon. GM hosts an investor event Friday. Ford may announce a broader alliance with Volkswagen AG during next week’s Detroit auto show, according to people familiar with the matter, and Hackett and other senior executives will speak at several conferences coinciding with the event in Detroit.

Not true. India and Pakistan, for example, are what you're thinking. China has gone from Euro 1 to Euro 6 in under 20 years. That's quite an accomplishment. The major cities have changed heating plants over from coal to natural gas. Plastic bags are banned. The list goes on and on.

China is immensely worried, and is spending far more than any other country to correct matters in there.

19QE396P5 most likely......we used them on most FAW20 axles.

I don't know the "terms" of the deal. Once you deduct all the kickbacks, the price of the trucks themselves is probably reasonable.

With VW, the Piech and Porsche families (whose histories are deeply tied to Hitler and the Nazi regime).

No Jim. This has a pre-emissions Euro-3 engine like they still offer for export. Listen from 3:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=206&v=ZxvN5tLw4Sw

Produced by Wagner for Mack, they have significantly more force, a requirement for a 20k axle versus a 12k axle. That Volvo wants to charge you $744.85 for a $200 component should be a crime. Volvo doesn't want you operating a 1996 vintage truck. And they want to rinse their hands of "American" Macks.

Mack Defense details new US Army M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck Shaun Connors, Janes International Defense Review / October 16, 2018 Mack Defense has confirmed additional M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck (HDT) technical details to Jane’s after showing the type publicly for the first time at the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference in October. Following a solicitation released on 26 May 2017 and a subsequent competition between Mack Defense and Navistar Defense, on 29 May 2018 the US Army announced that it had awarded the HDT contract to Mack Defense. The initial market survey for this requirement had been released by the US Army in 2014. The M917 is a member of the M900 series of trucks. The M900 series are based on commercial vehicles with the minimum of modifications to make them suitable for military use, and as such are not classed tactical trucks by the US Army. (MilCOTS - Militarized Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) In addition to the M917, the M900 series includes the M915 6×4 and M916 6×6 tractor trucks, and has previously included M918 6×6 bituminous distributor, M919 8x6 concrete mixer, and M920 8×6 tractor truck. Mack’s winning M917 HDT bid is based on the company’s Granite axle-forward construction grade chassis. A key differentiator between the commercial offering and the HDT is the latter requiring a force protection capability. To meet this requirement Mack offered a swap-cab solution. The drop-in armoured cab, designed by Tencate, will be manufactured by JWF Defense Systems and fitted with Jankel BLASTech seating. The gap between the dump body and cab is primarily to retain a weight balance and axle loads with the armoured cab fitted. The 18 yd³ (13.76 m³) heated steel dump body is manufactured by Crysteel Manufacturing Inc.

Mack Brand Press Release / November 8, 2018 [Volvo Group subsidiary] Mack Defense recently showcased the Mack® Granite-based M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck (HDT) at the Association of United States Army (AUSA) 2018 show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Mack Defense was awarded a $296 million contract in May 2018 to produce 683 HDTs for the U.S. Army. “The M917A3 is a great example of the capabilities Mack Defense has to develop solutions for military customers,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “Using the rugged Mack Granite as a foundation, we were able to engineer the M917A3 to meet the U.S. Army’s challenging applications.” Based on the civilian Mack Granite model, Mack Defense optimized the M917A3 HDT to meet the current needs of the U.S. Army, while allowing for evolving requirements and future growth. Mack Defense engineers added heavier-duty rear axles and all-wheel drive, while increasing the suspension’s ride height to create a heavy dump truck capable of meeting the demanding payload and mobility requirements set by the U.S. Army HDT program. The M917A3’s cab armor was engineered by external partner experts to maintain all the comfort and driver-focused amenities of the commercial Granite model, while adding force protection to keep occupants safe in hostile environments. Mack Defense is a member of AUSA, whose vision is to be the premier voice for America’s soldiers. AUSA is committed to building the best professional and representative association for the U.S. Army. More than 30,000 attendees visited AUSA and the 700 exhibitors representing 100 countries around the world.