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If you have time to attend the IAA commercial vehicle show in September and get "hands on", and it really should be on your "bucket list", you'll see just how different each European COE's styling and engineering is.

Here's that downward sloped side cab architecture again. .

No, it's not a Volvo cab. No connection with Volvo. It's an all-new cab, proprietary to Ford. Perhaps the sloped side styling is tricking you. That's actually the norm in side cab architecture nowadays. For one thing, side window visibility is much better. In exchange for having their own variant, Jiangling (JMC) helped pay for its development.

Mark, the perfect truck, including the ultimate aerodynamic envelope, would be a cross between a conventional and a COE, and the world's truckmakers including China are converging in their design toward that end. I always preferred COEs owing to the visibility, space and maintenance ease. In other words, I preferred an F-model, Cruise-Liner and certainly Ultra-Liner to an R-model, U-model or Super-Liner. The exceptions were the US and Australian market Value-Liners.....they were special. Had the Ultra-Liner been evolved forward, had Volvo not killed the E9 V-8, well.......then you'd really have something, the North American equivalent of the Scania V-8. The Mack brand, with the E9, would have an entire market segment all to themselves in North America, as Scania now does in the global market.

There was a time when Ford Brasil and Ford Otosan (Turkey) were each doing their own thing. But apparently Mulally wanted a more tidy approach. Ford-Otosan, clearly the stronger of the two, was designated the hub for Ford Truck global design. Brazil does sell some small Cargo models unique to their market (the C816 and C1119 use the old cab to reduce cost in that price-sensitive market.....https://www.fordcaminhoes.com.br/cargo/?_ga=1.240094019.1964630396.1468551166). The Brazilian economy is stuck, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Turkey is booming and they're signing up distributors from Morocco to Moscow. And, they scored a big and lucrative technology sale in China with Jiangling (aka JMC). Passionate truck people who work tirelessly are rewarded.

I'm always shocked at the negative comments here about the appearance of European COEs, given that the US market was 50 percent COE not that long ago, and none of the COEs of that era were any better looking. As in the US with conventionals, the demand for better and better aerodynamics has dictated exterior European COE design cues to a great degree. But that said, just as I feel the new Ford Cargo has a sharp looking grille and side appearance, Scania, M-B, and MAN all have sharp looking trucks in my book. And Kenworth's K200 is cutting edge Australian design. Yes, as an American, I still like the Argosy and 9800i....love seeing them in South Africa. And the MH Ultra-Liner is written down in my book as the best US COE of all time. But again, I think Ford has a winner. My hat's off to the Ford-Otosan team. If I had a choice between any US conventional sold today and Ford's new COE Cargo, I would climb into the Ford.

Tornado is a classic Brazilian pickup (i.e. ute, bakkie), and the only GM Brazil product sold in Mexico. http://www.chevrolet.com.mx/tornado-2018-camioneta-pick-up.html

The new "premium" global market heavy tractor.....from Ford Trucks Ford Trucks and You – "Sharing the Load" At Ford Trucks, we’re serious about trucking. It's why we designed the all-new 2019 Cargo heavy truck range from the ground up to meet your needs and expectations. See your authorized Ford heavy truck dealer for details. . .

Avon is my favorite town on the Outer Banks (Ocracoke is wonderful but coming and going is too much hassle). If you'd told me years ago that a Food Lion would open in Avon, I wouldn't have believed it. The Albatross fleet of charter fishing boats is legendary.

If this was a factory option beginning tomorrow, Chevy truck sales would rise 15-20 percent, AND the jolt would be so much that Ford would have to make a sales marketing response.

New Zealand Trucking / July 2018 The Port of Rotterdam is the gateway to continental Europe. From old it has been of great importance to the economy, but the more so since the first container shipments began in the mid-1960s. The method of packing goods in a steel box conquered the world and in 1966 this led to the start of the Europe Container Terminals (ECT) in Rotterdam. In the first year just under 10,000 containers were handled, but three years later that number was already over 100,000. After signing an important contract with Sea-Land in 1988, the huge Delta Terminal was constructed directly on the North Sea shore. By this time a new in-port transportation system was commissioned that consisted of a heavy-duty truck-tractor that pulled a nearly 100-metre long rubber tyred train. ECT called it the Multi Trailer System (MTS) or Trolley System. Because a customary terminal tractor could not handle the 250 to 300 tonnes gross loads, ECT drew up a tender for a custom-built truck-tractor with 6x4 drive and at least a 298kW (400hp) diesel engine coupled to an automatic transmission. In 1979 ECT asked DAF, Mercedes/Titan, and truck and trailer manufacturer Floor to each build a prototype that could be tested in real working conditions as part of their bids for the lucrative order. At the time, the Floor Truck Company had just introduced the Second Generation Motor Panels cab on their FTF chassis. A large number of drawbar skeletal trailers were also needed and the first 4-wheel steer units were developed and built by DAF. Subsequent orders, however, went to Dutch machinery manufacturer Buiscar of Apeldoorn. This firm had a great tradition in the building of carts and trolleys for internal transport. The system that initially was developed for ECT but later also became commercially available, consisted of a train with seven to 10 coupled trailers pulled by a heavy-duty prime mover. All trailers were self-tracking and braking and could be coupled automatically without the driver leaving the cab. The set up was developed primarily to save time, an important focus in container handling. In 1980 Floor received the order to build two trucks to be tested in real working conditions. The 6x4 drive model FD-8.20D1 tractor was equipped with a two-stroke 8V92TA Detroit Diesel with blower and turbo that transferred the power via a 4-stage Allison HT750DRD automatic transmission to a GKN-Kirkstall rear tandem. According to the specification sheet the V8 Detroit turned out 343kW (461hp), but in the case of the ECT tractors this was turned back to 308kW (414 hp), which was done to prevent the FTF losing grip when moving off loaded in wet conditions. Empty the rig was limited to 30kph, and at weights over 150 tonnes to 20kph. Test drives with the very first Multi Trailer Train were staged at Rotterdam Airport. After these trials had proved successful a deal was closed with Floor in 1985 to supply 15 new model FD-8.20D1 truck-tractors for operation at the just-opened Delta Terminal. The FTFs performed so well that three years later a follow-up order was placed for five more vehicles. These did not feature Kirkstall axles at the rear, but Kessler products. Because worldwide containerisation was on the up, between 1991 and 1994 another batch of FTF tractors joined the port fleet. These tractors sported some cosmetic changes such as a new grille. Including the original prototypes, Floor built 40 units for the ECT. All vehicles were fitted with a sturdy ballast box that held two blocks of concrete weighing 14 tonnes total. They also sported a heavy-duty front bumper, a special drawbar coupling, and a strong steel cage above and behind the cab for protection. The word goes that at least one FTF tractor was completely written off when a loaded container fell from a quay crane. Only four of the famous FTFs survived. One is sitting idle in the Port of Abu Dhabi, a second is in the hands of a Belgian truck collector, and the other two form part of the FTF Museum owned by Ton Spaansen in ‘t Zand, the Netherlands. Ton’s interest in the Floor products goes back to 1973 when the family firm bought an FTF truck and trailer to transport sand, bricks, shells and building materials. “At the age of 25 I drove the rig each day to Belgium on a 1000-kilometre return trip hauling mine stone,” says 71-yearold Ton. “I just loved it! Notably the sound of the screaming V8 Detroit when it had to tackle a hill made a big impression on me. Three years later we bought another FTF tandem truck, but because I was asked to fill a different role in the business my family not long after decided to sell it again. Some 19 years later I ran by chance into this very truck and I bought it right back. This was also the start of my hobby, restoring old commercial vehicles. Some years later my wife Ans and I founded the FTF Club, and in 2006 the FTF Museum.’’ The real eye-catchers in the museum are the two ex-ECT tractors and a huge FTF off-highway dump truck that once operated at a nearby steel mill. “It was not easy to obtain these rare beasts,’’ says Ton. “Both companies are world players and all communications with them go over many desks. And you need some luck too. In 2003 we heard that the ECT wanted to do away with nearly all their container tractors and we were lucky to get unit number 940. This was not only the last tractor that the ECT had purchased from Floor, but also the last FTF built before the truck maker shut its doors for good in 1994.’’ This truck is shown in the museum ‘as found’. W hen ECT’s last working FTF (unit number 936) was put out of service in 2008, the museum managed to obtain this too. In recent years it was refurbished in part by Ton with the help of mechanic Klaas Poutsma, although some panel work to the ballast box, as well as sandblasting and spraying the complete vehicle, was contracted to a professional body shop. The intention is to take the rare FTF also out to classic truck meets, but this is easier said than done with a top speed of only 30 kph. After the FTF era ECT turned to Belgian specialist truck and trailer manufacturer MOL Cy in Hooglede. MOL was well known as a producer of terminal and ro-ro (roll-on roll-off ) tractors. When the ECT asked them to develop a completely new multi-trailer tractor they came up with the 4x4 drive TG280. This purpose-built vehicle was equipped with a (320kW) 430hp 6-cylinder 12.6-litre DAF diesel engine that was coupled to an Allison HD4060 automatic transmission and a Steyr VG 2001 transfer box. Axles were Kessler with front and rear capacities of 16 and 25 tonnes respectively. The F230 cab was also sourced from DAF. Later versions of this sturdy compact worker have a Renault or Iveco cab fitted and engine options are now Cummins, Iveco, and Volvo diesels. The full automatic trailer coupling is retained in the MOL TG280 tractors. ECT bought several dozen of these terminal tractors that can pull container trains of up to seven trailers with a maximum gross weight of 350 tonnes. But no matter how good they are, the MOL tractors cannot match the sound that a screaming V8 Detroit makes under full power! .

Deep in the North Canterbury forest lurks New Zealand’s most unique Western Star. Never seen or heard, it’s gleaming, new, and just happens to be the pride and joy of not just its owners, but also New Zealand’s most hidden away lady trucker. New Zealand Trucking / July 2018 If you stumbled across Patoa Farms by mistake on a tramp or something, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d slipped through a wormhole in space and been instantly transported to Iowa, Dakota, or somewhere like that. Confronted with a Dodge Ram truck fitted with a stock feed body, or a gleaming new Western Star 4700 6x4, also equipped with a feed bin, it wouldn’t be until Jax Clarke, driver of the Western Star, pulled up, jumped out, and said, “Ya right there mate?” that you’d realise you were still in Aotearoa. Patoa Farms in Hawarden, North Canterbury is a huge operation by any measure, one of the largest free-farm piggeries in the Southern Hemisphere, proudly flying the banner ‘Our little piggies roam free’. Readers will remember the story we ran on one of the region’s earliest 58 tonne HPMV units, a Scania R620 owned and operated by R J Baker in Rangiora whose sole purpose was carting food to the farm’s 40,000 inhabitants (ref Jan/Feb 2017 issue). Patoa is a best practice operation that ’s used as a model in how best to treat Porky and Priscilla Pig en route to their inevitable destiny. Life is life, and pork, like beef, mutton, chicken, and fish, doesn’t grow on trees, it has to be farmed – but that can be done with dignity and respect for those upwardly supplying the mammalian food chain. The farm is owned and run by the Sterne family with co-founder Steve Sterne and his daughter Holly at the reins on a daily basis. They ’re immensely proud of their farm, both what they ’ve achieved, and how they ’ve achieved it. Even here in New Zealand Holly recalls the ‘delightful’ offspring of local farming aristocracy teasing her about being a pig farmer. However, the ‘shoof ’s’ most certainly on the other foot now. Anyone who knows anything about pig farming knows that once a year the go-to place is the International Hog Fair in Des Moines, Iowa. “It has to be seen to be believed,” said Steve. “If it ’s to do with a pig, it’s there.” Pig farms need trucks, and because Steve knew little about trucks and trucking in New Zealand, he took his leads from experts in the States. That ’s pretty much how a left hook Dodge Ram feed truck ended up in Hawarden. To us on the outside a Dodge Ram feed truck is likely to induce drool. To Steve it’s a feed wagon. Albeit a pretty cool one. Understandably the Dodge got to the stage where it was not up to the demand the curly-tailed customers in the lodges were imposing on it. Patoa needed something bigger. So, at the Des Moines Hog Fair in 2015 Steve was introduced to a Western Star truck sporting the ‘Rolls-Royce’ Sudenga feed bin. Now this was it, the real deal. So he commenced the journey to get one back to Patoa. That, as it turns out, was easier said than done. In the course of daily operations, being left or right-hand drive is of no consequence, but trying to communicate metric chassis and body measurements with imperial US suppliers, border controls, and ensuring a myriad of other compliance requirements were met proved harder than herding a piglet on an icy morning in Red Bands. So, the Western Star folks stateside did some digging and pointed Steve at Heavy Trucks Ltd in Christchurch, home of Western Star in the region, and at that point truck sales manager Glenn Heybourn entered the fray. Steve was surprised Western Star was so well represented in New Zealand and Glenn couldn’t believe his ears when Steve arrived and said, ‘I’m trying to get one of these, can you help?’ “ The team at Heavy Trucks have been absolutely great to deal with the whole way,” said Steve. “ They know their stuff inside out.” And as for Glenn, well every truck sales person loves that surprise, quirky, left-field job from a customer who walks in cold and is the real deal. Something that requires research, tweaking and fine-tuning. Glenn commenced the job as the truck guy in New Zealand who knew what it was the customer wanted and was able to chew a bit of jerky and communicate that to the ‘ole boys in the US. “ The whole project was really fascinating,” says Glenn. “ There were so many things we looked at and thought ‘we can improve that ’. The Americans did a lot manually from the outside; we got them to bring it inside, automating the control of things on the body from inside the cab. A good example is the lids on the bin. We had them split them so Jax could load half in the rain while keeping the other half shut. Cameras were another thing. We put cameras on the unit so Jax could keep an eye on everything and make tasks like positioning the auger much easier. Everyone here loved the project and the truck that resulted. We’re very proud of it.” With the build and fit up completed, the truck was brought home to Patoa. The Western Star itself was specced to suit the hot, freezing, dusty, muddy, world of the farm. It’s a tough place for a truck, with extremes of conditions and an almost constant wind. The end product was a right-hand drive 6x4 Western Star 4700 with a Cummins ISL 8.9-litre e5 SCR Euro 5 motor producing 264kW (355hp) at 2100rpm and 1599Nm (1180lb/ ft) of torque at 1200rpm. Behind that is an Allison 3000 RDS 6-speed automatic transmission with a PTO. Front axle is a Meritor FG-941 on parabolic taper leaf springs with shocks. Out back are Meritor MT 40-140XGP tandem axles with diff-lock rated at 40,000lb, on AirLiner air suspension. The truck’s on steel 10-stud wheels (giving it such a cool US flavour) with 295/80R 22.5 tyres. But let ’s put the brakes on for a bit. Before we continue, we’ll take a look at what Jax and her Western Star do, just to put other spec related things into context. Firstly, it’s worth remembering the wind is relentless, the dust constant, the fragrance unique, and the noise omnipresent. Jax drives under a row of eight feed silos with loading booms. The truck can load from four silos at a time and she can put different mixes in each of the truck’s sealed compartments, according to her order list. Her customers’ ages determine the banquet they get. Once loaded – about 14 tonne payload – she’s off, stopping at the feed silo next to each lodge on the delivery run. She can position and operate the truck’s auger from in the cab or remotely from outside, and she’s an expert at dropping the sock into the hole at the top of the silo. Once in, it ’s a matter of engaging the auger and unloading. With all the deliveries done and having wound her way around the various drop sites, it’s back to the loading silos and the process starts again. Total distance travelled? Anywhere from 500m to 1.5km. Customer satisfaction? By the sound of the squeals, extreme. It’s like a metro dial-a -pizza run in a town populated entirely by Warner Brothers’ finest. Now that we have that information under our belts, let ’s get back to the truck. There’s no number plate, RUC holder or COF (although maintenance on the dot because this is a mission critical part of the business). The engine has extra dust combating capabilities. That includes air intakes on the side of the bonnet, pre-cleaners and a safety element on the hefty under-hood Donaldson air cleaner, as well as an engine fan that runs in reverse for a minute or two every time the truck starts in order to blow gunk out of the radiator. There’s no cruise control and no traction control; there’s no need; top speed would rarely exceed 40km/h, and the central lodges at Patoa are on flat-as-a -pancake ground. There’s a Denso extreme duty air conditioner on the roof so the cab can be kept shut as much as possible. So, does Jax like her Western Star feed truck? “Hell yes! This is cool.” The inside is a credit to her considering the world she operates in, and she keeps on top of things with a quick brush and wipe after every load. Inside it’s all Western Star and if you’re going to be doing a job like this then providing kit that makes the operator’s eyes light up each time she sees it is a good business decision on any level. Jax has been at the farm for three years and although the feed truck is her number one role, she has other responsibilities and works closely with operations manager Rob Reynolds. She knows the whole feed operation inside out, where the stopping points are and all the subtle stuff that makes it appear deceptively easy. Just looking you know it would take you half a day to do a run she’s nailed in about 45 minutes. Riding on board it’s also instantly apparent what the Western Star brings to the operation. This is a typical tuff Western Star, little troubled by the job requirements. Accelerating rapidly, stops and starts, it could do this forever...which is just as well, it probably will be, although Glenn said the truck’s been specified to be useful outside the farm in the unlikely event it finds itself in the big wide world. The Allison was the perfect solution gearbox wise, it’s not a job you’d ever want to be changing gears in, nor putting up with the fussiness of an AMT. Jax is no slug operating the package either; she certainly has the truck’s measure. Already it’s an extension of herself as she wheels it around the lodges with consummate ease, managing the entire process from a central console inside the cab, able to communicate with Rob via radio telephone. “ You get some interesting looks from others when you tell them what you do and what you drive. This is my baby and I love her. She makes the job so easy.” So there you have it. The Patoa Farms Western Star 4700, hidden deep in the forests of North Canterbury. Arguably New Zealand’s coolest little trucking secret, in the hands of the amazing Jax Clarke – a proud and passionate lady trucker. .

Sam Drake reflects on Drake Group's storied past and bright future Australasian Transport News (ATN) / July 27, 2018 Iconic Australian trailer manufacturer, Drake Group, hits the big 6-0 this year and we sat down with third generation worker in the family business Sam Drake to find out how it all began and where it’s headed. Back in 1958, when a couple hundred horsepower was a big deal and trailers had a fraction of the payload they do today, an engineer by the name of Colin Drake set out to change the game. After starting a trailer repair business in Brisbane it didn’t take long for Colin to realise there was a need in the market for well-built Australian trailers, particularly low loaders. "He very quickly began manufacturing flat tops and drop decks," explains Drake Group business development manager Sam Drake, who is also Colin’s grandson representing the third generation of the family in the company. "At the time, there weren’t very many Australian manufacturers producing low loaders, so he started producing different models to address a gap in the market and that’s where it all started." For Colin, it wasn’t just about making the same old trailers already available down under, he wanted to innovate and build the best. "Some manufacturers were making lighter-duty low loaders, but we took it to the next level," Sam says. This led Colin to developing the Swingwing widening low loader which was launched in 1969 and has continued to evolve since its debut 50 years ago. "When the company started producing the Swingwing and full widener trailers, it was clear that my grandfather had created some models that were revolutionising the way equipment was moved in Australia," Sam says. "The Swingwing was the biggest game changer for the industry. There wasn’t anything like it available at that time. No one was building a trailer like it." Over the past 60 years, the Drake Group has continued to grow within the Australian trailer space, acquiring O’Phee Trailers in 2015 and constantly expanding its range, something Sam attributes to the quality and innovative design of the products. "The key to our success has been through maintaining quality in our products, but also innovating with design," he says. "We’ve always prided ourselves on quality and innovation and as a result that’s what our reputation has become out in industry." A strong customer focus has always given Drake an edge which is something Sam says allows them to introduce the right products that operators need and want. "Listening to our customers is a massive part of what we do, and then translating that into creating better models and transport solutions," he says. As a third generation member of the business, Sam proudly tells Owner//Driver the feeling of seeing a trailer roll off the production line never gets old. "I’m third generation family member here, as well as my sister Maggie, and it’s a fantastic thing to be a part of," he says. "Every single drake trailer that rolls out the gate is a proud moment for me because every single one is out there on the roads putting drake on the map." Although trailers have come a long way since Colin Drake’s early work building them, Sam believes the vision his grandfather had back in 1958 is still alive and well within the company. "There is a lot of the original DNA still there," he says. "The fundamentals of what my grandfather set out to achieve were really about building top shelf equipment and providing the best transport solutions for our customers. "Being the best in the business is what we want to do and it’s in every detail; whether it’s the paint, the steel, the design, every little detail is so important and that’s what makes our product what it is today." To celebrate the Drake 60th Anniversary the Group is hosting an open day at the Wacol facility on Saturday September 15 from 9am-1pm, with factory tours, truck and trailer displays, competitions and food and drinks! .

Ford Trucks Press Release / July 27, 2018 Our "heavy" trademark, Ford Trucks, held a ceremony at our global commercial truck R&D center in Istanbul, Turkey, where we developed an all-new tractor specifically designed to be the new leader in international long-haul transport. Over a five-year period, some 1,200 Ford Otosan engineers went to work creating a cutting edge new heavy truck capable of meeting and exceeding the demands and expectations of both Turkish and global market customers. Ford Trucks' new heavy truck delivers high performance with a 13-litre 500 horsepower engine, while the 2.5-meter wide cabin width and advanced technologies focused on providing the comfort of home to long-haul operators, features that will redefine the standards in the premium heavy truck segment. The official launch of the new truck will take place at the international IAA commercial vehicle show in Hanover, Germany in September. "Our engineering and production capability is our strength to stand out in the global competition", said Ford Otosan General Manager Heydar Yenigün. "In 2010, Ford Trucks took its first step in returning to the world stage with a true global market heavy truck platform", said Yenigün. "In Turkey, the Ford Truck brand completed the establishment of a world class dealer network. At the same time, we began establishing and strengthening the Ford Trucks brand in international markets. In addition to the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, we continued our growth with the opening of dealers in Eastern Europe. Today, Ford Trucks is operating in 40 countries around the world, with that number rising to 50 countries by the end of 2020." Ford Trucks' global growth strategy and competitiveness, our willingness to continuously invest in cutting edge R&D and production capabilities enables us to stand out from the competition. Proprietary design is one of our strengths. With the new Ford Cargo, Ford component content has reached 89 percent. Ford Otosan's proprietary 13-litre "Ecotorq" powertrain, developed in 2016 at a cost of US$100 million, reflects Ford Trucks competence to move to the next level. Our new "big block" Ecotorq engine is already gaining the appreciation of customers in Europe with its impressive performance and low fuel consumption. The truck's drive axle, which entered production in 2015, was developed by Ford Trucks engineers. This year at a cost of $57.8 million, Ford Trucks began development of a proprietary automated manual transmission (AMT). Development is scheduled for completion in 2019, allowing us to use our own transmissions from 2020. With our own proprietary transmission, our Ford Trucks content rate will rise even further. We have not only invested in new product, but also in our testing and production facilities. Ford Trucks opened a European level heavy truck test center adjacent to our Inönü, Turkey plant. Now, most testing previously done in Europe can now be carried out in our own facilities. We have also upgraded our paint shop with the latest technologies, at a cost of US$17.5 million. In addition, we improved production efficiency with a new cab production line utilizing the latest global manufacturing processes. "In the long haul segment, Ford Trucks has been a proven leader for decades", said Yenigün, saying: "Our continuous product and plant investments have rewarded us with a leadership position. With the launch of the 2016 model year, our redesigned series of vocational trucks became indispensable in Turkey's rising construction sector. From the largest projects to the toughest construction site conditions, we have become the truck of choice throughout Turkey with a 39 percent market share" In the Turkish domestic truck market, our overall market share has reached an all-time high of 17 percent, and that number continues to rise. Ford Trucks goal is to become a global leader in both the long-haul and vocational segments. In September, we will introduce our new heavy truck range to the world at the Hanover international IAA commercial vehicle show in Germany, which reflects the depth of our international growth strategy. We have launched more than 60 dealers and service points in Russia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe in preparation for our new heavy truck launch. Our slogan, “Ford Trucks and You – Sharing the Load", sends a clear message to our customers that we understand their needs and work demands. Ford Cargo launched in Turkey among seven European brands. Today, Ford Trucks aims to become a so-called European brand with an all-new world class product. Ford Trucks Deputy general manager Serhan Turfan said the new Ford Cargo is all about comfort, efficiency and technology. "We have reimagined every detail. Our new truck is a success with the strength and performance of tests in very demanding climatic and terrain conditions. The modern design language, based on prestige and power of our new tractor, offers a combination of professionalism and innovation. Comfort, efficiency and technology are the most important features of our product. Our new cabin, reaching 2.5 meters wide, promises users the comfort and freshness they need on a long road. With its 500 horsepower engine, our new heavy truck brings new levels of efficiency to the transport industry. The appeal of Ford Trucks, our ability to deliver improved fuel economy, and lower maintenance costs and operating expenses, will greatly reduce the cost of ownership. And importantly, we focused on future technologies. With "ConnecTruck", we enable customers to integrate their tools, customers and the entire outside world. With map-assisted speed control, multimedia system, and new technologies supporting both driver convenience and fleet managers, Ford Trucks will be viewed as an optimized product for maximum profitability." .

When you think of family-owned Liebherr, you probably visualize their huge off-highway mining trucks or line of construction machinery. In my case, I also think of their concrete mixer bodies and refrigerators. But Liebherr is also a leading aircraft component supplier. .

Davey Johnson, Car & Driver / July 27, 2018 When Blake Greenfield took a green, 70,000-mile, 2014 Silverado in trade at his small Chevrolet dealership in Wells, Minnesota, his salesmen razzed him that the truck would be tough to move. The color wasn’t particularly desirable in the area surrounding the town of fewer than 2500 residents, and Greenfield figured they were right. Then he thought of two things: his own surname, and a 1973 Chevy truck that his father had owned when Blake was a kid growing up in Iowa. The first part was simple. “In all of our advertising,” explains Greenfield, “we try to use the color green.” The second part, inspired by his dad’s old red-and-white pickup, took a little more know-how and imagination. His cousin Ray owns a vinyl shop and wound up spending hours looking at trucks, taking measurements from photos of old two-tone “Squarebody” C/K Chevy pickups of the ’70s and ’80s, and figuring out how the classic scheme might apply to a modern Silverado. To go along with Ray’s design handiwork, Greenfield and his crew added a lift kit, sourced some wagon-style wheels that’d evoke the period in question, tacked on Cheyenne Super 10 and Big 10 labels like those worn by the Big 10 special-edition Chevy pickup of the late 1970s, and added chrome door handles and mirror caps. But they still weren’t entirely sure what the finished product was going to look like until the truck rolled out of Ray’s workshop back in December of last year with the vinyl applied to the truck’s flanks. Everyone at Blake Greenfield Chevrolet Buick loved the truck, and Greenfield figured it’d make him stand out around town and perhaps attract some business into his store. It turned out to be a little more than that. When photos taken by a local found their way onto the internet, Greenfield’s phone began ringing. The friendly Midwesterner still seems taken aback by the reaction. “It seemed like it went viral almost overnight. We had calls from all over the U.S.” Since then, trucks—done both with vinyl applique and actual two-tone paint jobs—have gone out to far-flung locations such as Texas (naturally), New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Arkansas. Two Silverados currently undergoing the conversion are both destined to stay home in Minnesota, though. Greenfield is pretty sure they’re the twelfth and thirteenth examples to be built since the calls began. And just in case you’d care to purchase the very pickup that started the minor furor, Greenfield notes that his 2014 is up for sale, although he admits he isn’t sure he should part with it. If you’d like to commission your own, both his Wells location and his other dealership, Spring Valley Chevrolet Buick, not far from Rochester, Minnesota, are both happy to take your order. We’ll have ours in Colt Seavers–spec brown and gold, thank you very much. .

Why did Ford allow their trademark hold on the name "Courier" to lapse in the first place?

Is Ford Looking to Bring a Car-Based Pickup Truck to the U.S.? Greg Fink, Car & Driver / July 28, 2018 Ford is rumored to be working on a small subcompact pickup truck that may also make its way to the North American market. The new truck is expected to serve as the informal replacement to the Ford Courier—a small pickup that was sold in countries such as Brazil and Mexico. Whereas the previous Courier was based on old Ford Fiesta components, Automobile Magazine reported the new model will share its underpinnings with the latest global Ford Focus compact car. Supporting the model’s North American prospects: Ford has applied to trademark the Courier name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The nameplate was previously applied to a Mazda-based compact pickup truck Ford sold in the United States throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, Ford has used the name on the Transit Courier small van that is sold overseas, and it’s possible that Ford’s trademark application is in reference to that vehicle. Although Ford spokesperson Dawn McKenzie declined comment on the Courier, she said in an emailed statement that the company is “significantly expanding our North America lineup with all-new vehicles and entering new segments with fresh designs and white-space silhouettes that will position us for even more growth.” Beyond the Range: The Visual History of Ford’s Compact Pickups Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 Ford Ranger Put to Bed: These Are the Forgotten Pickup Trucks, Volume I Where that leaves the sub-Ranger-sized pickup remains to be seen. Should it materialize, the Courier can expect to compete directly with the production Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickup, which is expected to go on sale in the next few years. .

The new alloy was borne out of a project that used [the U.S. taxpayer's] federal Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Titan supercomputer and included [foreign aggressor's] Fiat Chrysler engineers and casting experts from Nemak North America, the giant Mexico-based supplier of engine blocks and cylinder heads. Italy and Mexico score. U.S. taxpayers lose again.

Bringing Uncle Sam into the supply chain Richard Truett, Automotive News / July 28, 2018 A new engine program at Fiat Chrysler reveals an innovative way to solve the task of creating an advanced new material to improve engine efficiency and reduce vehicle weight. The automaker enlisted the help of engineers at the federal Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Material development is usually the stuff of advanced research — the sort of work that r&d departments might spend years toiling away at with little profit-making result. For FCA's project, engineers have been able to bring a new grade of heat-tolerant aluminum alloy to market faster by taking advantage of research already being done by government scientists at Oak Ridge. It's rare when a government-funded initiative makes its way into a commercial engine. The new alloy was borne out of a project that used Oak Ridge's Titan supercomputer and included Fiat Chrysler engineers and casting experts from Nemak North America, the giant Mexico-based supplier of engine blocks and cylinder heads. Engine designers have always known that improving an engine's thermal efficiency — the amount of energy contained in fuel that is converted to work — is one major key to extracting more power and fewer emissions from a motor. Most of today's mass-produced aluminum cylinder heads are made of what are referred to as 319 and 356 grade alloys, which start to weaken and distort at combustion temperatures up to around 390 degrees Fahrenheit. There are grades of alloy that can withstand higher combustion temperatures without damage, but they are expensive and can be difficult to cast. The collaboration of Oak Ridge, FCA and Nemak engineers started in 2014 under a $3.5 million Department of Energy Cooperative Research and Development grant. It resulted in a new aluminum alloy that will allow engines to run about 180 degrees Fahrenheit hotter and can be cast on existing production machinery. The implications are significant. 572 degrees The new alloy, called 16HT, raises the operating threshold to 572 degrees Fahrenheit. FCA estimates the new alloy will cost only about 7 percent more than 319 and 356 alloys. There is no estimate yet of how much fuel efficiency will be improved. In fact, FCA has not even announced which of its engines will first use the new alloy. But the first application likely be a hard-working downsized turbo four-cylinder that would replace a larger engine in a heavy vehicle. Fiat Chrysler has a 2.0-liter turbo launching now in the redesigned Jeep Wrangler. In a blog posted recently on FCA's media site, the company says the new alloy is at least a few years away from production. But about 100 prototype cylinder heads cast by Nemak are now undergoing testing at FCA. Amit Shyam, Oak Ridge's lead researcher on the project, says the new alloy could be used elsewhere on engines, perhaps replacing heavy cast iron exhaust manifolds or in turbocharger housings. But cylinder heads are likely the first use because the benefits are largest. "Cylinder head alloys are the most demanding application in an engine if you consider the fact that the casting is smaller than the cylinder block, but more complex because other parts are attached to it," he says. "It's more demanding from a thermal-mechanical aspect as well. The head sees many thermal cycles. If that was solved, it would be a very major advancement for better engine materials. So, that's why we focused on cylinder head alloys for initially lighter-duty automotive engines." The big brain FCA engineers credit Oak Ridge's Titan supercomputer with playing a big role in the breakthrough. Titan, the third most powerful supercomputer in the United States, used a predictive development process known as an "ICME" — short for integrated computational material engineering. It virtually created about 50 alloy blends. The computer was then programmed to "test" the heating and cooling characteristics of the virtual metals. The seven blends with the highest potential were then subjected to more stringent testing. "The Titan and ICME let the team focus only on truly promising candidates instead of spending time on trial and error," Gregg Black, a senior manager in FCA's advanced powertrain engineering said in the blog post. "It's like Star Wars stuff for us, creating new alloys in the computer without having to pour it." That's where supplier Nemak comes in. The company, ranked No. 52 on Automotive News' list of the top global parts suppliers with annual sales of $4.5 billion, is a major supplier of cast engine parts to nearly all of the world's major automakers. Nemak also makes expensive low-volume castings from an alloy known as R350 for several manufacturers of high-end vehicles. Nemak engineers brought a sample of R350, which Oak Ridge examined down to the molecular level to understand how the metal could withstand high heat without cracking, tearing or deforming. "We spent a lot of money in the first 18 months trying to understand what makes R350 work, and what we found out is that we could make R350 do what it does without the expensive elements," says Shyam. "It was not the nickel and cobalt in it that everyone thought made it much more temperature resistant. It was some of the other elements that were there in smaller amounts." Shyam said researchers using powerful electron microscopes studied the atomic resolution of the alloy in cross sections of areas known as precipitates, or the strengthening elements. From that, Oak Ridge was able to develop the 16HT alloy so that it was able to be cast. Jose Talamantes-Silva, Nemak's research and development manager, said one of the major requirements of the project is that 16HT had to be castable on existing production machinery, a requirement that would save millions of dollars in tooling costs. But the new alloy yielded another bonus: It proved to be a drop-in replacement for today's alloy. "The same components can be used," Talamantes said. "In the current testing we are doing with FCA, there is no need to change any of the components. "That means existing gaskets, valve seats and guides, camshafts and seals used on today's heads can be transferred to heads cast in the new alloy." It also saves millions in product development costs. Talamantes says Nemak is meeting with FCA almost weekly to share data on how the heads are performing, and he expects engine testing to be complete by December. Tightening global emission regulations could see the new alloy replacing the existing blends, and once volume rises, Talamantes says, cost will come down. Material revolution Executives at other suppliers say thermal efficiency gains in innnovations such as the new alloy shows there are still improvements left to be wrung out of the internal combustion engine before it gives way to the electric motor. "If you look in broad terms, our engines, the ones we've recently developed, have about 38 percent thermal efficiency, some of the highest in the industry," says Hal Reisiger, CEO of Cosworth Group Holdings. "If you can get to 40 percent — which we will — you are as efficient as a fossil fuel-fired power generating station which is used to charge an electric vehicle," he added. Cos-worth, the British firm best known for building high-performance engines, recently opened a new North American headquarters in suburban Detroit. At Tenneco, a supplier of exhaust system components, such as catalytic converters and mufflers, Chief Technology Officer Ben Patel says the industry is in the midst of a "material science revolution that could change every part of the car in the years ahead." "When you are dealing with emissions, heat is your friend. Whether it is a catalytic converter or an SCR diesel catalyst, the chemical transformation you are trying to enable all happens faster the hotter it gets," he says. "Twenty years from now, maybe even less than that, there will be a whole new range of materials on vehicles that do not exist today." New alloy The new Oak Ridge alloy is one of those materials. Today's alloy cylinder heads rely on silicon as the strengthening component. But the lab researchers discovered that copper can take the heat without deforming. "When we focused on copper, other people in the industry almost laughed us off, saying we'd never be able to cast that," FCA's Black says. "We knew there was competition, including other teams working at Oak Ridge National Lab, but we outperformed everyone on this." The project yielded four patent applications, that when approved, will be owned by Nemak, FCA and Oak Ridge National Lab. Shyam says about 35 people from all three organizations worked on the project, each bringing their own expertise. "It was a highly collaborative effort. Nemak is very good at foundry-related issues and castings, what can and cannot be done in the foundry production process. FCA is very knowledgeable about what happens when you are running an engine, what can happen and what is needed from the alloy. The criteria that will make it successful. We were able to bring a lot of our fundamental ally design expertise. We were able to bring some of the best characterization tools available to bear on this problem." Shyam acknowledges that it was a bit of a long shot developing the new alloy. "We took a somewhat risky approach to understanding mechanistic approach, not confident when we started," he said. "We do think there will be a lot of internal combustion engines that will be made in the coming years, and if we are able to contribute to the efficiency of those engines, that's what you dream of doing as an applied researcher in the national labs." .

EPA Reverses Course, Will Enforce Rule Limiting Production of Glider Trucks Transport Topics / July 27, 2018 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler has reversed a controversial decision made earlier this month that would have allowed the proliferation of glider kit trucks until the end of 2019. In a July 26 memo to the agency’s enforcement chief, Susan Bodine, Wheeler said a “no-action assurance” order blocking enforcement of the glider kit trucks provision in the 2016 Obama administration’s Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Heavy Truck Rule is “not in the public interest.” “The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has a general guidance limiting the circumstances under which the agency will consider issuing no-action assurances,” Wheeler wrote. “The 1995 restatement of that policy states that the principles against the issuance of a no-action assurance are at ‘their most compelling in the context of rulemakings.’ OECA guidance is clear that a no-action assurance should be issued only in an ‘extremely unusual’ case when the no-action assurance is necessary to serve the public interest, and only when no other mechanism can adequately address that interest.” Bodine’s “no-action assurance” memo was dated only a day after then EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned amid a dozen ethics investigations. In November, the agency issued a proposed rule to repeal the Obama-era regulation, questioning the notion that the gliders were big polluters and whether EPA even had the authority to regulate the gliders. Wheeler’s action came July 26, only days after an environmental coalition and 16 state attorneys general filed separate requests for review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, claiming that not enforcing the glider provision in the 2016 Phase 2 Heavy Truck Greenhouse Gas rule would allow thousands of the “super polluting” glider trucks on U.S. roadways. The court quickly issued a temporary stay of the EPA nonenforcement plan while it considers whether to approve or deny the emergency motions filed by environmentalists and the states, which said allowing the production and sale of more than 300 per-manufacturer gliders — “new heavy-duty trucks manufactured with highly polluting, refurbished engines that do not comply with modern emissions standards” — is unlawful. “This is a huge win for all Americans who care about clean air and human health,” Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, one of the lawsuit plaintiffs, said in a statement. “These super-polluting diesel freight trucks fill our lungs with a toxic stew of pollution. EPA’s effort to create a loophole allowing more of them onto our roads was irresponsible and dangerous. We hope their decision to withdraw that loophole puts a firm and final end to this serious threat to our families’ health.” Glen Kedzie, energy and environmental counsel for American Trucking Associations, told Transport Topics, “EPA’s reversal of its prior decision to not enforce glider vehicle provision under the final Phase 2 rule was a welcome announcement, which reaffirms the agency’s legal authority and responsibility to the public to close the dangerous emissions loophole created by a small special interest group of manufacturers. We will await EPA’s next steps as this issue continues to evolve.” In their emergency motion, the environmentalists said the trucks are “poised to spend their lifetimes emitting many times more smog-forming nitrogen oxides, lung-damaging particulate matter and cancer-causing toxics than lawfully built heavy-duty trucks. Relief is urgently needed from EPA’s unlawful action in order to avert substantial and irreparable public-health consequences.” The attorneys general in their court brief said, “Testing of glider vehicles conducted by EPA in 2017 showed even greater emissions impacts: NOx emissions were as much as 43 times higher than emissions from compliant vehicles, and PM emissions as much as 450 times higher. NOx and PM are linked to serious adverse health effects, including increased incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and premature death.”

16 States Join Request for Court Review of EPA’s Glider Decision Transport Topics / July 24, 2018 Attorneys general from 16 states have joined a request that an appeals court review a decision by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials to not enforce an Obama-era regulation limiting the production of glider kit trucks to 300 units per manufacturer. The legal action, filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, has been consolidated with a similar action filed by three environmental groups also attempting to block EPA’s decision. The appeals court on July 18 issued a temporary stay blocking the EPA from failing to enforce the regulation, saying it will make a decision sometime after hearing arguments from all of the parties by the end of the month. “EPA’s action concerns regulatory restrictions on the production and sale of ‘gliders’ — new heavy-duty trucks manufactured with highly polluting, refurbished engines that do not comply with modern emissions standards,” said the attorneys general court filing. “In both substance and process, EPA’s action is unlawful.” The states challenging the EPA decision are California, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. EPA’s decision circumvents Congress’ established limits on the agency’s authority to suspend or stay a rule, as well as limits on its authority to exempt new motor vehicles or engines from regulation, the attorneys general said. The decision “also constitutes a complete reversal of EPA’s position, reflected in the 2016 [Obama-era] rule, that it is mandated to regulate glider emissions — a reversal made without adequate explanation or good reason,” the attorneys general argued in court documents. “Had EPA engaged in the public notice and comment process required to stay or amend a regulation, these faults would have been exposed prior to consummation. But EPA’s action provided no opportunity for public input.” An emergency motion also was filed on July 17 by the Environmental Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club, in response to a July 6 agency memo from EPA enforcement chief Susan Bodine suspending for a year enforcement of the cap on the production and sale of glider kits. Bodine’s “no-action assurance” memo was dated only a day after then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned amid a dozen ethical investigations into some of his official actions. In November, the agency issued a proposed rule to repeal the Obama-era regulation, questioning the notion that the gliders were big polluters and whether EPA even had the authority to regulate the gliders. EPA’s proposed repeal of the glider truck rule drew more than 3,500 written comments, and was overwhelmingly opposed by nearly all of the speakers at a public hearing by the agency. However, in her memo, Bodine said suspension of the Obama regulation for one year was needed to allow the agency time to consider “several matters” before it could take a final action on the proposed repeal. But in their emergency motion, the environmentalists said the trucks are “poised to spend their lifetimes emitting many times more smog-forming nitrogen oxides, lung-damaging particulate matter and cancer-causing toxics than lawfully built heavy-duty trucks. Relief is urgently needed from EPA’s unlawful action in order to avert substantial and irreparable public-health consequences.” Glen Kedzie, energy and environmental counsel for American Trucking Associations, said the court’s action to temporarily suspend the enforcement directive reaffirms his group’s position. “EPA has both the legal authority and responsibility to the public to close this dangerous emissions loophole created by a small special interest group of manufacturers,” Kedzie told Transport Topics on July 18. “As the court next moves to consider a permanent suspension, I am confident that the science and the law will fall squarely on our side.” The attorneys general filing said that even by EPA’s own estimates, the model year 1998-2001 engines that typically are used in glider vehicles emit 20 to 40 times more particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen than engines that conform to current emissions standards. “Testing of glider vehicles conducted by EPA in 2017 showed even greater emissions impacts: NOx emissions were as much as 43 times higher than emissions from compliant vehicles, and PM emissions as much as 450 times higher,” the attorneys general said in their court briefs. “NOx and PM are linked to serious adverse health effects, including increased incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and premature death.”

Ford adds formerly Raptor-exclusive engine to 2019 F-150 Limited Michael Martinez, Automotive News / July 27, 2018 DETROIT -- The most expensive version of the F-150 pickup is adding a Raptor roar in Ford's latest thrust in Detroit's hypercompetitive truck sector. Ford Motor Co. said this week it will offer a high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine -- which has been available only on the F-150 Raptor performance pickup -- on its 2019 F-150 Limited trim. The engine is the most powerful in the F-150's lineup, producing 450 hp and 510 pound-feet of torque. It will be paired with the automaker's 10-speed transmission. Ford did not disclose pricing, but the 2018 Limited trim starts at more than $60,000. The 2019 model will include a suede headliner, leather-topped instrument and door panels, ash swirl wood trim and special graphics. The interior also will feature leather-wrapped massaging seats, a heated steering wheel and heated-or-cooled front seats. Technology will include standard adaptive cruise control, standard precollision assist with automatic emergency braking, active park assist and a lane-keeping system. It will come with the Sync 3 infotainment system and 4G LTE Wi-Fi, among other features. The 2019 F-150 Limited will go on sale this year. Ford's F series is on pace to break a sales record set in 2004, although it will face increased competition the rest of the year as crosstown rivals introduce redesigned versions of the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. In addition to the new engine coming on the Limited trim, Ford this year offered an F-150 diesel engine option for the first time. .

Hackett does not inspire confidence, particularly at a time when Ford is making so many questionable decisions. If Ford gets down to $8, I still would invest elsewhere.