kscarbel2

Jim Park, Today's Trucking / February 2, 2018 TORONTO, ON — Canada has always been big-bore territory: big trucks, big loads, big hills, big engines. Right? If you’re one of those with feet firmly planted in the big bore camp, it might be time to re-think that position. Some of today’s smaller engines are surprisingly capable. They are lighter and more fuel-efficient, and deliver performance that’s nearly equal to their larger brothers. Don’t think for a minute that we’d try to convince anyone pulling Super-Bs around British Columbia that an 11-liter power plant is going to do the job. It won’t. But in less-demanding applications, there just might be more wiggle room than you’d think. We know of many fleets — really big, successful fleets — that are happily using 13-liter engines to pull B-trains, though most of them are based somewhere east of Banff, Alberta. In Canada, 13- and 15-litre engines are the mainstay. With the exception of the aforementioned B-trains, you can almost split the group down the middle, with fleets hauling tridems, quads, and larger loads opting for the bigger blocks, and those hauling U.S. weights siding with the mid-size engines. All of the 13-liter engines, by our research, now hit or exceed 500 horsepower (Paccar’s MX-13 is advertised at 505), with torque has high as 1,850 lb-ft (Mack’s MP8 tops the list at 1,860). That was 15-liter territory not that long ago. Cummins’ X15 tops the 15-liter group at 605 horsepower and 2,050 lb-ft. The extra couple of liters get you an additional 100 horsepower and 150 additional pound-feet of torque. Looking at the 11-liter group, 425 horsepower is typical, with the MX-11 juiced to 430. Torque-wise, these engines are doing 1,550 to 1,650, which is pretty respectable. And then there’s the soon-to-be-released 12-liter X12 engine from Cummins. It sits nicely between the 11- and 13-liter models, but blows the 11-liter models out of the water with a 500-horsepower vocational offering, and 455 horsepower for on-highway applications. It offers torque of 1,700 lb-ft. “We have targeted the X12 for weight-sensitive applications,” says Cummins’ on-highway marketing communications manager, Russ Poling. “We’re introducing a new platform with a unique displacement that offers customers the best of both worlds: light weight and high performance.” While most engine makers won’t share their market breakdowns by displacement, Brian Daniels, Detroit powertrain and component product manager, offered that 15-liter engines, such as the Detroit DD15, make up approximately 65% of his Class 8 business, while 13-liter engines such as the DD13, account for the remaining 35% of that segment. “The DD13s are targeted to more weight-sensitive applications and shorter BBC applications,” he says, “The DD15 has the advantage of longer maintenance intervals, a greater B50 design life, along with a resale value premium compared to smaller-displacement engines. The majority of our truckload customers prefer 15-liter engines. Regional and vocational applications often prefer 13-liter.” Navistar’s heavy duty product segment marketing director, Jim Nachtman, told Today’s Trucking that the vast majority of his LT-model on-highway tractors sold in the U.S. are shipped with 450-horsepower engines. “The sweet-spot rating seems to be 450-horsepower for our on-highway customer,” he says. “That gives them the power and performance they are looking for.” Since none of the current 11-liter offerings quite get to 450 horsepower, that would seem to leave them standing at the door, but Volvo Trucks powertrain marketing manager John Moore begs to differ. “Our typical on-highway customer is still buying the D13, but we are making inroads with the D11,” he says. “It’s easier to convince a weight-sensitive customer that the D11 is a good engine on the highway, but we’re selling more of them now to truckload carriers that don’t historically run heavy, say 65,000 to 70,000 pounds gross weight.” At 425/1,550, it can certainly do the job. In fact, Moore says the D11 is good for up to 110,000 pounds gross weight, and up to 125,000 with engineering approval (depending on the application). The difference between 11 and 13 All the producers of 11-litre engines claim there’s a slight improvement in fuel efficiency with the smaller engines, owing mostly to friction reductions with the physically smaller moving parts, and some improvement in air and fluid handling. “It’s a pretty small difference,” says Paccar vice president and Peterbilt chief engineer Landon Sproull. “We see up to a 2% difference in fuel consumption between the 13- and 11-litre engines. Most of that comes from reduced friction from the relatively smaller moving parts — the pistons, the crank bearings, the generally lighter physical mass.” Volvo’s Moore also claims combustion is more efficient in the smaller engine. “Smaller displacement engines will create more load in the cylinder for the same output than a comparable bigger block engine will,” he says. “The more a cylinder is loaded [pressure], the more efficient it is. There are also reductions in internal pumping losses.” The transmission sees no difference between the two — 400 horsepower is 400 horsepower regardless of the engine size. It’s the same with torque. What the rest of the truck does with that torque and horsepower can also make a difference. Take downspeeding for example. “In comparing 13-liter and 15-liter engines, size does not in itself dictate efficiency,” says Daniels. “This is why our downspeeding approach is so important when it comes to operating at peak efficiency. As we have seen in the market since the introduction of Automated Manual Transmissions, we are moving engines down in speed to where they are most efficient.” There are opportunities for downspeeding in Canada, especially with lighter loads, but heavier loads require additional horsepower. That pushes the sweet-spot engine cruising speed higher and out of the range most would call “downsped”. Cruising at 1,400 rpm, for example, rather than 1,600 (where terrain allows), is still a couple of hundred fewer rpms than we once needed to maintain 100 kilometers per hour with a tridem load. “The amount of fuel it takes to move a specific vehicle over a given route will be determined by the engine’s efficiency, which is a matter of the engine design,” says Daniels. “Another factor will be the powertrain specification that allows the engine to operate at its best efficiency point.” The powertrain spec’ could be an on-highway downspeeding spec’ with really tall rear ends, or a city pickup and delivery spec’ where the rear ends are optimized for start/stop operation and climbing out of below-grade loading docks. Either way, fleets can get into trouble when trying to improve utilization by running the truck in something like a pickup and delivery operation during the day and a linehaul application at night. Depending on the spec’, one application or the other is going to suffer. Don’t spec’ for the 5% On the other hand, fleets with the breadth of equipment can spec’ engines and powertrains optimized for certain applications, such as 11-litre engines for pickup and delivery, 13-liter engines for U.S. loads and tridem-weight linehaul service, or a 15-liter engine for the heavier hauls and mountainous terrain. “Where you can spec’ the truck for specific applications, you have the opportunity to really drill down to what works the best,” says Moore. “Where you can get into trouble is expanding the range of the operation to where it’s outside the truck’s design envelope. “That said, if you’re only going to spend about 5% of your time outside that design envelope, don’t worry about it,” Moore adds. There is always some overlap when it comes to determining the best engine choice for different applications and duty cycles. Weight, performance, and fuel economy all matter now, and customers certainly have a lot to choose from. While it would be easy to pigeon-hole the 11-liter blocks to local or vocational work, they are quite capable in linehaul applications up to 80,000-pound Gross Vehicle Weights. “In addition to improved fuel efficiency strictly from the displacement, these smaller engines have lower reciprocating mass and reduced parasitic losses, which add to the efficiency gains,” says Scott Barraclough, Mack Trucks’ technology product manager. “Canada is unique with many applications with higher [Gross Combination Weights] than we see in the U.S. With that said, our MP7 – which is available with up to 425 horsepower – fits well in applications where that power level is sufficient, especially those which are weight-sensitive.” There is at least one engine in this class claiming a B10 life of 1.6 million kilometers, and two engines claiming a B50 life of 1.9 million kilometers, which should inspire some confidence in their durability. Some of the 13-litre engines are performing well in B-train service, and International told us of a customer in upstate New York that is hauling Long Combination Vehicles across the Thruway at 140,000-pound Gross Combination Weights with its new 12.4-litre A26 engine. “The customer is happy with the performance of the engine in that application and they have more on order,” says Nachtman. “I think when you start talking about lines in the sand, where you need this engine or that one for a specific application, it comes down to the customers’ requirements. Then it becomes a conversation between the customer and our engineering department.” As a final note, Canadian fleets may have to get used to using smaller engines if Canada’s version of Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas reduction regulations copy the U.S. version verbatim, as is currently expected. “Canada will see those regulations sometime in the spring, and the consumer base may have to change what they are buying,” says Sproull. “The currently proposed GEM [Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model] favors the 13-liter engine, and OEMs have to maintain a neutral credit balance. The 15-liter performance engines are really detrimental to that credit balance. I can see where OEMs will be promoting smaller engines for the benefits they will get from the GEM model.” Small block pros and cons In the most general terms, here are some of the factors working for and against small block engines. smaller engines with lower ratings will work harder, increasing exhaust temperatures and possibly minimizing aftertreatment maintenance bigger-block engines tend to have better resale value due to the perception that they are more durable physically smaller engines have some packaging advantages that allow for easier underhood maintenance and more aerodynamic frontal profiles smaller engines are lighter and often less expensive upfront than a engine with a similar rating but larger displacement a scan of current product offerings reveals that maintenance intervals for the 11-, 13- and 15-liter engines are very similar within specific brands

Detroit's New DD8 Diesel Engine Completes Medium-Duty Power Offerings Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / February 6, 2018 WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The long-awaited Detroit DD8 diesel engine this week entered into serial production in Redford, Michigan, and also was unveiled to Daimler Trucks North America customers and journalists at a race track outside of West Palm Beach, Florida. The new engine is designed to be a low-maintenance, higher torque and higher horsepower option for fleets such as construction, dump, mixer, plow, fire and rescue and other tough duty applications. The engine joins Detroit’s previously released DD5 diesel engine, which is designed for urban applications such as last mile and P&D. According to Kelly Gerdert, director of product marketing, Freightliner and Detroit Components, the engine marks the end of a $375 million investment made by Daimler to round out its medium-duty diesel portfolio in North America. The engine isn’t technically new, however. Gerdert noted Daimler leveraged all of its global engineering design assets in developing the engine, including input from the company’s European and Asian business units. The DD8 first debuted in Europe in 2015, which means it has five years’ of real-world driving miles behind it, Gerdert added. Other than a few tweaks to meet certain North American regulatory standards or customer preferences, the engine is largely the same as the ones running in Europe today. Beginning this week, the Detroit DD8 can be spec’d for Freightliner M2 106, 108SD and 114SD truck models. The DD8 is an inline, 6-cylinder 7.7L diesel offered in two basic configurations: a single-stage turbocharged version designed for maximum fuel economy, and a dual-stage turbo version that delivers higher horsepower and torque. Power ratings from the engine range from 260 to 375 hp, with engine torque ranging from 660 to 1,050 lb-ft of torque. And, according to Brian Daniels, manager, Detroit Powertrain and Component Product Marketing, it has a B10 life of 400,000 miles, which means engineers predict that 90% of the engines sold will make it to that mileage point before failure. He noted that the DD8’s 3 year/250,000 mile warranty reflects the engine’s robust design and longevity in tough trucking applications. “The DD8 is built for performance with features that meet the needs of those specialized segments,” Daniels said. “Additionally, a big differentiator for the Detroit brand is the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system, which is available as standard on both the DD5 and DD8 engines. Virtual Technician helps fleets make informed service decisions within minutes of an engine or aftertreatment fault event, increasing uptime.” Around Town with Detroit’s New DD8 I was given the opportunity to drive several medium-duty Freightliner trucks equipped with the new DD8 engine, both on a closed course and in heavy city traffic, to see for myself how the new design handles itself on the road. Popping the hood on a Freightliner M2, a quick once-over confirmed several points from our technical briefing earlier in the day. As with its little brother DD5 engine, the DD8 is extremely easy to access for both daily checks and more in-depth maintenance work. The fuel and oil filters feature a cartridge design for fast, clean change-outs. And all routine service points have been grouped together logically and placed as low as possible on the engine to facilitate fast and easy maintenance. Walking toward the back of the truck, I was able to check out the new aftertreatment system. Freightliner has actually designed two different aftertreatment systems, a horizontal/inline configuration that hugs the rear frame rail, and a horizontal/understep design that can be placed underneath the steps leading to the cab. The goal here, Daniels explained, was to give more options to body upfit companies and make installations easier. Turning the key, the DD8 dutifully shuddered to life and came up to idle quickly and smoothly. One of the DD8 features designed with the vocational market in mind is variable exhaust cam phasing, used at low engine speeds to increase exhaust temperatures and increase uptime by reducing the need for manual regenerations. Daniels warned me that this feature gives off a bit of a low-end, throaty grumble at idle. But I found the rumble barely noticeable and in fact forgot about it until my passenger pointed it out while we were waiting for a traffic light to change. What is noticeable, however, is the low volume of engine noise that does find its way up from the engine compartment into the cab. The DD8 is a remarkably quiet design at both ideal and cruise speeds. I drove both the single- and dual-stage turbocharged versions of the engines. Both were impressive in terms of low-end power and torque. But the higher-horsepower, dual-stage turbo version is very impressive with how fast it digs in and accelerates from a dead stop. Even loaded its 30,000 pounds, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a truck fitted with one hit 50 mph on a quarter mile run. Throttle responses are crisp, with no noticeable lag time between inputs and engine response. And the engine’s exhaust brake is equally impressive, delivering steady, forceful braking power once you take your foot off the throttle. In fact, I liked the exhaust brake quite a bit, as it started out with smooth, measured braking force that gradually increased as the truck’s forward motion slowed, without any harsh jerking or jarring that you sometimes get with aggressive engine brakes. Daimler says customer interest in the new engine is high, and it’s easy to understand why. The new DD8 will be a welcome addition to Freightliner medium-duty fleets that need a bit more power to get their work done quickly and efficiently.

DTNA Unveils DD8 Engine for Medium-Duty Lineup Transport Topics / February 6, 2018 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Daimler Trucks North America announced the addition of the Detroit DD8 diesel engine to its medium-duty lineup. The 7.7-liter engine, which has been available in Europe for five years but is just now arriving in North America, features technology designed to reduce diesel particulate filter maintenance. It will initially be available in Freightliner M2 106, 108 SD and 114 SD models, DTNA product manager Brian Daniels told reporters here Feb. 6. The North American introduction of the engine comes after a $375 million investment DTNA made specifically to tailor the DD8 to the NAFTA region, said Kelly Gedert, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks and Detroit Components. “We have a really strong commitment to ensuring this product will be a success here, and meet our customer’s needs,” she said. “Dealers and customers have been asking for a medium-duty solution for years.” She noted, however, that Freightliner will continue to offer Cummins’ medium-duty B67 and L9 engines. A key feature of the DD8 is the engine’s variable exhaust cam phasing, which increases exhaust temperatures to reduce manual DPF regenerations, the company said. The DD8 also will offer power takeoff capability. In addition, every DD8 for North America will come equipped standard with Daimler’s Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system; every new engine will get the service included for three years or 250,000 miles, which matches the engine’s standard warranty period. Daimler also will offer Wabco collision mitigation and Bendix lane-departure warning systems on DD8-equipped trucks. To provide flexibility for upfits, two exhaust aftertreatment systems will be offered in DD8-equipped trucks: a horizontal n-line system, or an understep setup. The five years that the DD8 has been available in Europe has given Daimler time to identify and address maintenance issues, Gedert noted. “This is a proven product for us,” she said. For the NAFTA market, the engine has undergone 31,000 hours of bench testing and has logged 1.9 million miles in 15 test vehicles, the company said. Power ratings will range from 260 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque with a single-stage turbo to 375 hp/1,050 lb-ft with a dual-stage turbo. All North American DD8 engines will be manufactured at Detroit’s Redford, Mich.-based manufacturing facility, the same plant that produces the medium-duty DD5 engine and Detroit’s 13-liter DD13, 15-liter DD15 and 16-liter DD16 engines, as well as the DT12 automated manual transmission and Detroit-brand axles. The DD8 has been in production there since fall, and installations in trucks began on Feb. 4, Gedert said. She said in the fourth quarter of this year Daimler will relaunch the DD5 to broaden its applications. .

Amy WIlson, Automotive News / February 6, 2018 Mercedes-Benz will add a battery-electric variant of the Sprinter as it updates the commercial van line for its third generation. But it's not yet clear when, or even if, the new eSprinter will be sold in the U.S. The redesigned combustion-engine Sprinter will go on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2018, and Mercedes will begin producing most U.S. versions at a new plant about to open in Charleston, S.C. The plant will ramp up production in the second half of this year. Mercedes touts new connectivity services and improvements that will make the Sprinter's cab a better workplace as key advances for the redesigned van. It also will have comfort and safety features similar to a car, the company said. Comprehensive Internet connectivity in the redesigned Sprinter will make fleet management significantly easier, Mercedes said. Through the new Mercedes PRO connect feature, a manager can be linked to all vehicles and drivers in a fleet to manage assignments online and retrieve vehicle information such as location or fuel level in near real time. The Sprinter also will get the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience natural language interface in its high-end dashboard option. That is one of four dashboards available for the van. The redesigned Sprinter line is more variable than before, with a potential total of more than 1,700 different configurations worldwide. The number of configurations possible in the U.S. market will be announced later, Mercedes said. Safety and assistance systems available for the redesigned Sprinter include a self-cleaning rearview camera that displays an image in the rearview mirror, a 360-degree view parking camera system and a rain sensor that helps improve visibility during the window-wiping process. A new front-wheel-drive option is being added, but it won't be available in North America due to local market needs and requirements, Mercedes said. Rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive variants will continue to be available in the U.S. Mercedes will share more information on pricing, trim levels, packaging, specifications and powertrains closer to the redesigned Sprinter's launch later this year. Mercedes sold 27,415 Sprinters in the U.S. in 2017, down 3.2 percent from the year before. Daimler AG sells the Sprinter under both the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands in the U.S. The Sprinter's U.S. retail network consists of 289 dealerships, including 247 Mercedes-Benz Vans dealerships. .

GM posts record Q4 operating profit, $4.9B loss on tax charge Michael Wayland, Automotive News / February 6, 2018 DETROIT -- U.S. tax reform caused General Motors to report a loss of $4.9 billion for the fourth quarter, while the company achieved record operating profit for the period. Despite a $7.3 billion noncash charge, GM narrowed its fourth-quarter losses by $1.9 billion compared with the same period in 2016. Without the charge, GM would have earned $2.4 million for the quarter. Wall Street liked the results. GM shares rose 5.8 percent to close at $41.86 during a volatile day of trading. The results are based on continuing operations, which do not include those such as its former Opel/Vauxhall business, sold by GM to PSA Group in 2017. Overall, the net loss was $5.15 billion, with a larger tax-related charge of $7.9 billion. "The important aspect is to look at the operating results," GM CFO Chuck Stevens said on Tuesday with the release of the quarterly and full-year reports In the fourth quarter, GM's adjusted earnings, before interest and taxes, increased 19 percent to $3.09 billion, and its global margin increased 1.7 percentage points to 8.2 percent. Revenue declined 5.5 percent to $37.7 billion due to lower volumes in North America. For the year, the automaker's adjusted earnings, before interest and taxes, equaled its $12.8 billion record from 2016, while income plummeted 96 percent to $300 million largely due to the tax changes and a largely noncash charge of $6.2 billion from the sale of its European operations. “We couldn’t’ be more pleased about our results and the execution, the disciplined execution, across all of our business units in 2017,” Stevens said. GM last month advised its financial results in 2018 to be in line with earnings in 2017, followed by an "even better" performance in 2019. Regions: North American earnings increased 7.3 percent to $2.9 billion in the fourth quarter. GM on Feb. 23 expects to pay up to $11,750 in profit sharing payments to UAW members. The company's international operations earned $416 million, up from $223 million in 2016. Finance: GM Financial reported earnings of $301 million, up 85 percent from $163 million a year earlier. Forty percent of GM’s sales in the U.S. last year were financed through GM Financial, according to Stevens. Operating profit margin: The North American margin for the year was 10.7 percent -- the third straight year above 10 percent. Risk factors: Stevens said GM is "not overly concerned at this point" about the prospect of hyperinflation and the economy overheating, which has sent stocks tumbling in recent days. Expectations: GM's results beat Wall Street estimates, as it reported a record earnings per share of $6.62 for the year, including $1.65 in the fourth quarter -- a key metric for how Wall Street judges the company.

Indianapolis Colts' Edwin Jackson 'killed by illegal immigrant' BBC / February 5, 2018 An NFL star's death by an alleged drunk-driver has sparked a political row after it emerged the suspect was in the US illegally. Indiana police say the driver who killed NFL player Edwin Jackson was a Guatemalan who had been deported twice. Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, was drunk when he crashed his vehicle into Jackson, 26, and an Uber driver standing by the roadside, killing both. According to Indiana State Police, Mr Orrego-Savala is a Guatemalan citizen who was deported from the US in 2007 and 2009. The pickup truck driver fled the scene of the crash on foot, and gave an alias when arrested. Police Sgt John Perrine said in a statement: "Orrego-Savala is in the United States illegally and has previously been deported on two occasions, in 2007 and again in 2009. "State police investigators are working with US Federal Immigration Officials and they have placed a hold on Orrego-Savala." "These horrific events only further underscore the need for immigration reform and stronger border security measures that can further prevent these tragedies from happening in the future," said Michael Joyce, a spokesman for Indiana's Republican National Committee, on Monday. Police say Jackson was a passenger in an SUV when he fell ill, and had gotten out of the car before he was hit by the Ford F-150 pickup truck. His Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, was standing beside him and was also killed in the collision early on Sunday morning, say police. Jackson was a third-year professional, who was out with an injury for the entire 2017 season. He had previously played for the Arizona Cardinals.

Due to excessively lean manufacturing, and the high margins demanded by a financially struggling Volvo Group on trucks, spare parts......across the board.

Cummins Press Release / January 31, 2018 Cummins Inc. today announced the acquisition of Johnson Matthey’s UK automotive battery systems business, a subsidiary of Johnson Matthey that specializes in high-voltage automotive grade battery systems for electric and hybrid vehicles. As part of the acquisition, Cummins and Johnson Matthey also agreed to collaborate on the development of high energy battery materials for commercial heavy duty applications. The acquisition and collaboration agreement are an important step for Cummins and Johnson Matthey. The acquisition of the automotive battery systems business allows Cummins to expand its electrification and energy storage capabilities in its efforts to be a global leader in electrified power. Johnson Matthey is able to focus on developing high energy battery materials, including its class-leading enhanced lithium nickel oxide (eLNO) product, for transport applications within its overall technology portfolio. The parties intend to collaborate on the development of new products with enhanced performance characteristics for commercial applications relying on the unique and deep expertise of each company. “The addition of Johnson Matthey Battery Systems’ technical expertise and customer base in markets that are more rapidly adopting electrification further positions us as a global energy storage supplier,” said Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc. “By combining our electrification capabilities, portfolio of diverse power solutions, and global network, Cummins is uniquely positioned to lead in electrification. What differentiates us is our ability to help customers succeed with high quality products across the spectrum of power solutions they use, whether it’s electric, diesel, natural gas or other energy solutions.” “This collaboration with Cummins is an important step for us”, said Robert MacLeod, Chief Executive, Johnson Matthey. “It will enable us to grow our position in high energy battery materials, particularly for heavy duty applications, and apply our chemistry expertise to develop new products that will give our customers, and ultimately consumers, the performance they demand from electrically powered vehicles. In divesting our automotive battery systems business to Cummins we can focus on our strategy of expanding our eLNO platform and developing commercial battery materials for the full range of transport applications.” As one of Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery system suppliers, this business has 50 employees and is based in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. In October 2017, Cummins announced the acquisition of Brammo, which is known for designing and developing low-voltage battery packs for mobile and stationary applications. With the addition of Johnson Matthey Battery Systems high-voltage battery expertise, Cummins now has capability across the entire range of energy storage options. The acquisition was signed and closed on January 31. Cummins will continue to explore other opportunities to add electrification capabilities as it prepares for delivery of electrified powertrains to customers in 2019.

Jon Harris, The Morning Call / February 5, 2018 Mack Defense LLC of Upper Macungie Township on Monday announced it has stripped the interim tag from David Hartzell’s title. Hartzell is now president and CEO of Mack Defense, an appointment that was effective Jan. 1. Hartzell had filled the position on an interim basis since September, replacing Ryan Werling, who now works at AblePay Health in Bethlehem. Hartzell joined Mack Defense, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mack Trucks Inc., as director of engineering in 2015 and became senior director of product development, purchasing and projects in 2017. That came after a long run at Mack Trucks, where the Penn State University product started as a staff engineer in 1988. From there, Hartzell became chief engineer for electrical and electronic engineering in 1998, later advancing to director of product planning in 2003 and then director of product development in 2005. Mack Defense, headquartered in a suite at 7310 W. Tilghman St. in Upper Macungie, is part of Volvo Group’s governmental sales business area, a division the Swedish company said in October it was no longer trying to sell. The governmental sales segment accounts for 1.5 percent of Volvo’s total sales and employs about 1,300 people, most of whom are in France. Volvo’s governmental sales business manufactures and sells specially designed vehicles to governments, the defense industry, peacekeeping forces and aid organizations. Mack has typically declined to disclose the number of Mack Defense employees for competitive reasons. Mack Defense’s headquarters, however, is known to manage defense engineering, contracting, purchasing, project management and finance activities. One of the biggest wins for Mack Defense came in mid-2015 when it won a pair of contracts — with a value of about $560 million — to provide trucks and equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces, though delivery of those vehicles has been delayed, the Ottawa Citizen has reported. Mack Defense, created in 2012, is just one part of Mack Trucks’ presence in the Lehigh Valley, a footprint that includes a 1-million-square-foot assembly plant in Lower Macungie Township that employs about 2,400 people.

Today's Trucking / February 5, 2018 JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, Que. — CH Express drivers were not alone in worries that a U.S. mandate for Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) might affect how much they could make. But ­managers at the flatbed fleet have responded in a bold way – by paying the long-haul drivers by the hour rather than distances. “The goal was to make sure the drivers did not pay the price of the new regulations,” says Marc-André Hubert, the fleet’s operations manager. “We wanted to reassure them that the amount would be the same – or even more – with the electronic log.” “The decision is kind of our statement that we were not afraid of the new regulation,” said president Serge Hubert. If anyone was to shoulder the burden of added costs, it would be CH Express. The fleet’s approach to Hours of Service doesn’t actually change. “We are not afraid of the new rules of the game because we already impose them,” Marc-André says. “But we understand that our drivers can have some apprehensions.” A couple of drivers were skeptical at first, wondering where the scam was. “There is none,” he stresses. The hourly compensation is based on the Electronic Logging Device, calculating actual hours of work and driving down to the second rather than using PC Miler. “The calculation was simple,” says Marc-André. “Our drivers were paid 42 cents per mile. Based on a speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a distance of 1,100 kilometer per day, it is $25 an hour for a senior driver [more than two years of experience]. A junior driver [less than two years of experience] earns $21 an hour. The hourly wage ceiling is set at $28 per hour for drivers who have five years or more of seniority in the company.” On-duty activities other than driving earn a rate of $18 per hour. There are still other bonuses to consider. Each pick-up or delivery is paid $ 25, in addition to the hourly rate. An hour of this work, for example, would earn a driver $43 an hour, Serge says. “When we do [Less Than Truckload], we want the driver to be encouraged to put the most partial loads on his trailer. We have established our system so that it is very beneficial for the driver to make these stops. These are bonuses to efficiency.” Another $75 per day is paid for oversize loads, while every stop that registers a clean roadside inspection earns another $50. “We like our carrier rating to be good, and this initiative helps us do that. The drivers receive a bonus upon presentation of the inspection documentation, which is included in our files. We know who went to the inspection and how much time was spent,” Serge says. Drivers can legally work 70 hours a week, of course, and that is typically divided into 55 hours of driving and 15 hours on duty. CH Express pays time and a half after 60 hours of work Strictly from an accounting point of view, the executives expect salary costs to rise 10-20% with the change. But recruiting, security, and service costs are expected to drop. “By opting for a pay per hour, we bet we do not have to worry about recruitment and retention. We are willing to pay the price for good, professional, courteous, and safe drivers, and I am comfortable selling the professional service at the price it is worth. But I’m not comfortable paying for a driver who wants to drive in an unsafe and non-legal way,” says the CH Express president. It’s about more than financial figures, however. They claim to have approached the pay issue first and foremost from the human side of the equation. “For a long time, the pressure has been absorbed by the drivers. The whole industry says, ‘Traffic is your problem. Waiting time is your problem.’ Now, [these] are no longer the problems of the ­drivers. Whether a truck driver is traveling at 10 kilometers per hour because of congestion, at 70 kilometers per hour because of the weather, or at 100 kilometers per hour, it’s the same thing. The meter runs and it is paid. This takes away frustration and ensures that the driver can provide better service and be safer,” Serge says. The word of the new pay structure spread quickly. “It’s not very difficult for us to recruit now. It was … ­madness when we announced our pay per hour. Drivers were applying everywhere, even from the United States,” he adds. “Recruitment is no longer a priority topic in the company right now. And this allows us to focus on our strength, which is to sell transportation services.”

Mack brand dealers are not participating in the upswing, because it continues to take six months for distributors to order/receive a truck, and similarly spec'd competitor trucks continue to be as much as $10,000 cheaper.

Transport Topics / February 5, 2018 North American Class 8 orders in January surged to the second-highest total ever, analysts reported, pointing to new tax breaks and high freight rates as the reason. The orders were 48,700, according to one analyst, which cited a preliminary total that it would revise once the truck makers issued the final data in mid-February. Another research company, FTR, pegged the January volume at 47,200. In either case, both figures surpassed all other months except March 2006, when the total was 52,194. That period was when fleets rushed to order trucks ahead of more costly models coming in 2007 that reduced tailpipe emissions but were also less fuel efficient. One analyst cited recent tax reform as the most likely reason for the unexpected increase in orders by fleets of all sizes. “There is just nothing else that makes sense,” he said. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law in December allows full expensing of most types of equipment placed into service between Sept. 27, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2022, according to the American Trucking Associations. Meanwhile, capacity has tightened but spot rates have begun to edge down, suggesting the market is finding an equilibrium, he said. But capacity continues to remain historically tight, FTR Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Starks said in a company release. “And truckers are taking advantage of the opportunity with spot rates on the Truckstop.com load board up 30% year-over-year in January,” Starks said. “Near-record levels can’t last for long, but orders could stay quite elevated throughout the spring.” North American Class 8 orders for the past 12 months have now totaled 316,000 units, according to FTR.

Yes, I knew that was a 483GB465. It's red because it is a primary filter. Secondary filters are green (or at least they were). Source a Donaldson P551030 or Baldwin BF1219.

Reuters / February 5, 2018 Zhejiang Geely Holding Group [the largest shareholder of Mack brand parent Volvo Group] plans to take a major stake in Daimler, German weekly paper Bild am Sonntag reported, citing sources. Geely could become Daimler's biggest shareholder, the paper said. Sources had said in November that Daimler turned down an offer from Geely to take a stake of up to 5 percent via a discounted share placement. Daimler said Geely was welcome to buy shares in the open market. Geely, which owns Swedish automaker Volvo, is keen to access Daimler's electric car battery technology and wants to establish an electric car joint venture in Wuhan, China, sources with knowledge of Geely’s thinking said at the time. Daimler’s truck brands include Freightliner, Western Star, Mercedes-Benz, FUSO and BharatBenz. Currently, Daimler’s largest shareholder is the Kuwait Investment Authority with a 6.8 percent stake, followed by BlackRock with 6 percent.

Wall Street sours on Hackett's Ford Michael Martinez, Automotive News / February 5, 2018 DETROIT — To hear Wall Street tell it, Ford Motor Co. is in dire straits. Ford shares last week fell under $11, lower than when Jim Hackett became CEO last May, despite big gains for the broader market in those eight months. Ford's earnings outlook for the year dimmed in light of lower-than-expected 2017 results. And the company has been put on notice that, unless it can point to clear progress soon, its credit rating could slip to just one level above junk status, a threshold with both symbolic and financial consequences. It's a mind-boggling turn of fortunes for the nation's second-largest automaker, which had emerged from the industry's downturn with significant momentum and posted record earnings in 2015 and 2016. Ford still is making billions of dollars and posting healthy sales figures, but the drumbeat of negative news has seemingly wiped away any of the shine that remained from being the only Detroit automaker to avoid bankruptcy. Ford, since Hackett took over, has readily admitted its faults — a lack of "competitive fitness," as Hackett puts it — and said it has a plan to pump up profit margins by the end of the decade. But analysts and investors say Ford has been too stingy with the details needed to generate enthusiasm about its prospects. As a result, the market is punishing Ford while viewing rivals — particularly General Motors, whose shares hit a record high late last year — more favorably. "When a CEO comes out and says it's going to be a bad year, that's not going to instill confidence in investors," David Kudla, CEO of Mainstay Capital Management in Grand Blanc, Mich., told Automotive News. "There hasn't been the data or the narrative to instill confidence. It's created uncertainty around what success at Ford can be." 'An erosion' Moody's Investors Service, which downgraded Ford's credit outlook to negative from stable last week, said the automaker had "allowed an erosion in many of the operating disciplines that it established following the 2009 restructuring of the North American auto sector." Hackett admitted as much in October, saying Ford hasn't "grown revenue and volume to the degree that we had planned coming out of that recession. Good news is revenue did grow, but so did our costs." Moody's said Ford's challenge is to allocate capital in the right way across what it calls a growing number of "potential investment opportunities," including certain geographic markets, vehicle categories, joint ventures or partnerships and mobility business models. It said there is little potential to upgrade Ford's rating before 2021. Ford countered those concerns with an emailed statement saying the company "has delivered year after year of solid financial results" since the recession. "We continue our intense focus on improving the operational fitness of the business to deliver stronger results while building toward our vision of the future," the statement said. "We're confident that as these fitness actions take hold, the market will recognize our progress." 'Get moving' Stephanie Brinley, a senior analyst with IHS Markit, said some of how the market views Ford stems from how it has communicated — or failed to communicate — its plans. "Part of it comes down to messaging," she said in an interview. "Their forward strategy for mobility came out slow compared to some other automakers." Hackett has called for a sweeping restructuring of the business, including $14 billion in cost cuts and a major shift in investment from cars to light trucks. But those initiatives won't pay off for a few years, and Hackett has declined to elaborate on some aspects of the plan. "We may need to wait 18-24 months before the Ford story is exciting again," Barclays analyst Brian Johnson wrote Jan. 25, after Ford posted a $2.4 billion fourth-quarter profit but lowered its earnings projections for 2018. Hackett, on a conference call to discuss the earnings, declined to elaborate on six recently implemented fitness initiatives, which irked Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas. "You're clearly not wanting to talk about them," Jonas said. "That's a problem, Jim. How long do we have to wait?" Hackett promised Ford would reveal more details this year, but not before communicating them to Ford employees. "He's been there for eight months now," Kudla said. "Maybe the jury's still out, but he's got to get moving." Helping Ford's cause will be the introduction this year of 23 new or freshened vehicles globally, more than twice as many as in 2017. Those include 11 vehicles in North America. It's important to note, Brinley said, that Ford — which in 2012 reclaimed its Blue Oval logo and other assets it had mortgaged to obtain a lifesaving credit line in 2006 — is still in a good position relative to its last round of trouble. Ford's per-share guidance for 2018 translates to earnings of $8 billion to $9.2 billion, according to Barclays, down from an initial forecast of $9.9 billion. "You're not looking at a company that's about to start losing money," Brinley said. "It's just a question of what those profit margins are."

Glenn Garvin, Miami Herald / February 2, 2018 A couple of years ago, the only Americans who were familiar with the term Deep State were a handful of against-the-current political scientists and the readers of an obscure comic book about a wing of the FBI dedicated to covering up the fact that Russia beat America to the moon. But since then, Deep State has entered the public lexicon with a vengeance. Congressmen promise to bust it to pieces. Trump says it’s taken control of the FBI. Right-wing podcasts warn it’s going to kill us all. Left-wing commentators grumble that their concept has been stolen and turned into a cartoon. “You’ve got this strange meeting of the crazy left and the crazy right and they’re all onto this Deep State thing, and it’s entered into public parlance,” says journalist-historian Max Holland, author of books on Watergate and the Kennedy assassination. “It used to be that crazy conspiracy thinking was mostly kept in one little box labeled JFK ASSASSINATION, but now it’s everywhere.” If that’s an exaggeration, it’s not by much. An ABC News/Washington Post poll last year showed that nearly half the people in America believe a Deep State — defined as “military, intelligence and government officials who try to secretly manipulate government policy” — is working behind the facade of the constitutional U.S. government. The definition used by the poll does not necessarily match those used in public debate. What, exactly, the Deep State is depends on whom you talk to, from judicious political scientists who talk wonkily of the competing interests of government bureaucracies to wing-nuts like the guest on the uber-conservative Alex Jones radio show who wailed, “Trump will be killed. … They’re going to kill us, they’re going to kill him, they’re going to kill everybody!” Though Trump and his allies have popularized the term, referring to what they believe is a covert coalition of government officials and institutions and their allies in big media organizations who are trying to thwart his policies, the concept of the Deep State precedes them by many years. It originated in the 1920s to describe the iron-fisted clique of security officials and gangsters who pulled the strings — bloodily, if necessary — of Turkey’s puppet civilian government. The first to apply it to the United States was Peter Dale Scott, a leftist University of California scholar, in his 2007 book “The Road to 9/11,” which wove a dark tapestry of covert conspiracy from events as diverse as the Kennedy assassination, Watergate and the Iran-contra scandal. “There’s nothing crazy about the idea of the Deep State, of the idea that elites inside and outside the government wield power not assigned to them by the Constitution, irrespective of the will of voters,” Scott told the Miami Herald. “The way the Trump people are using it may be cartoonish, but the idea isn’t.” He has plenty of respectable company in thinking so, including at least one former U.S. president. In 1961, more than four decades before Scott’s book, President Eisenhower warned the nation that “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex.” “Eisenhower didn’t use the phrase, but he’s definitely talking about a Deep State there,” says Joseph Uscinski, a University of Miami political scientist. “This is an idea that has been around for a long time.” That doesn’t necessarily make it correct, though, Uscinski adds, particularly in the somewhat casual way Trump and his supporters use the term. “If you say the president faces bureaucratic resistance to his programs, that’s reasonably true,” says Uscinski. “If you say government bureaucracies have their own agendas, that’s reasonably true. If you say a secret cabal in the FBI is trying to take down the president — well, that could be true. But you can’t just say it, you’ve got to provide evidence.” Not so long ago, the idea of the Deep State would have been dismissed out of hand by most Americans. In fact, it was. In 1956, sociologist C. Wright Mills published a study called “The Power Elite,” which began: “The powers of ordinary men are circumscribed by the everyday worlds in which they live, yet even in these rounds of job, family and neighborhood they often seem driven by forces they can neither understand nor govern.” Mills’ Deep State-ish argument — that the country was actually ruled by an interlocking web of individuals from elite families who went to the same prep schools and universities, joined the same secret societies or eating clubs, sat on the same corporate boards and often intermarried — was initially dismissed as pure crackpot by respectable academia and journalism. The New York Times Book Review called it “an angry cartoon,” Time magazine labeled it “sociological mumbo jumbo.” But within a decade, most college political science departments were assigning their students reading from Mills’ book. Its influence extended well beyond U.S. borders: Fidel Castro was an enthusiastic reader, and his speeches cadged from it, though without giving credit. Revelations over the past 50 years about the dark underbelly of the U.S. government have undoubtedly opened American minds to more conspiratorial interpretations of the way Washington works. Does it sound crazy to compare the United States government to that of a lawless, coup-happy country like Turkey? Maybe. But is that any less crazy than the fact — emphasis on fact — that the Pentagon planted a spy in the Nixon White House to steal secrets from the wastebaskets? Or that the CIA was dosing unsuspecting civilians with LSD to see if it would make them receptive to mind control? Or that the government was spying on people through their Xbox video games? (Edward Snowden, the rogue National Security Agency subcontractor who spilled the secrets about the Xbox, told The Nation magazine: “There’s definitely a Deep State. Trust me, I’ve been there.”) Even observers who are dubious about Trump’s claims that he’s the victim of a massive Washington cabal believe he may be facing a much milder version of the Deep State: stiff resistance from the government’s gargantuan bureaucracy, which, with its civil-service protections, stays in place as presidential administrations come and go. Long-lived bureaucracies start to resemble living organisms that fight to protect their own turf, from each other and even more from elected officials, which the bureaucrats tend to regard as temporary pests who will be moving on soon. “The problem gets worse when there are big ideological contrasts from one administration to the next,” says Adam J. White, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and director of the Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University. “For eight years, we had President Obama, possibly the most liberal president in history, and most of the people he hired probably shared his political vision. And now he’s been replaced by a guy who came promising to ‘drain the swamp’ of Washington. Even before President Trump took office, you had people announcing they would form ‘the resistance.’ I’m sure there are problems. “Practically every president has, to some extent, quarreled with the bureaucracy. I was reading a biography of Henry Kissinger and it had this story about him — before he joined the government himself — going to visit his friend Arthur Schlesinger, who was a member of President John F. Kennedy’s staff. Kissinger says, ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ and Schlesinger answers, ‘It’s just awful, we can’t get any of our programs through the bureaucracy, we’re practically dead in the water.’ So much for the New Frontier!” .

VW seeks US emissions trial delay after ‘prejudicial’ documentary The Financial Times / February 2, 2018 Carmaker claims linking of monkey experiment to Nazis renders fair hearing impossible Volkswagen is arguing that an “inflammatory comparison” between a caged monkey experiment it sponsored and the Nazis has robbed it of the chance of a fair hearing in US trials related to its use of emissions-cheating software. Last week, a Netflix documentary called Dirty Money depicted a diesel emissions experiment in 2014 in which trapped monkeys sucked in exhaust fumes from a Volkswagen Beetle while watching cartoons. The images are followed by video footage of Hitler to make an explicit comparison with the Holocaust. In a court filing in the US on Friday, Volkswagen said the documentary misrepresented the experiment as “animal torture” and failed to mention that it had received approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, an independent US review board to protect animals. Michael Melkersen, a lawyer leading more than 300 cases against VW, uncovered the experiment and was quoted extensively in the documentary. His first case is set for trial on February 26. In its filing, VW called for a six-month “cooling off” period before the trial to allow the “prejudicial publicity” to subside. Mr Melkersen’s case against VW Group of America in Virginia, home of the German carmaker’s US base, is the first of about 2,000 suits representing those who opted out of a multibillion-dollar collective settlement in 2016 for reparation in the emissions scandal. He argues for citing the monkey experiment at trial on the basis that the Beetle in the study was rigged with emissions-cheating software, showing that Volkswagen “engaged in a pattern of concealment and nondisclosure”. VW pleaded guilty last year to installing cheat software in more than 500,000 US cars. Damages from the scandal in North America have amounted to more than $25bn in fines, penalties and car buybacks. Car owners were given the option of selling their cars back to VW and were compensated by at least $5,100 each. Mr Melkersen is seeking $725,000 for his first client. VW on Friday asked for the trial to be delayed by six months, arguing that a delay was needed because of “the widespread and prejudicial publicity”, arising from the Netflix documentary. “VW America cannot now, consistent with due process, litigate these cases in an atmosphere in which pretrial publicity has connected it directly with Hitler and the Holocaust and other horrors counsel has alleged through the media that have no relevance to these consumer fraud claims.” The revelation of the experiment caused uproar in Germany. The three carmakers that financed the lobbying group that sponsored the study — BMW, Daimler and VW — have all distanced themselves from it. Each suspended an executive involved. VW apologised this week with Matthias Müller, chief executive, calling the test “unethical and repulsive”. VW’s lawyers do not defend the monkey experiment as benign but argue that it is irrelevant to a consumer fraud case regarding the use of software to understate emissions in laboratory tests. The monkey experiment results were never published, so it could not have contributed to alleged false advertising, VW claims. The carmaker adds that Mr Melkersen had previously agreed “in advance of trial that he would not raise anything about inflammatory aspects of German history, which have no relevance to a consumer fraud case”. In the documentary, Mr Melkersen alludes to Hitler and the founding of VW in 1937: “One cannot help to think back throughout history of another series of events involving individuals being gassed by a person who was actually at the opening of the very first Volkswagen factory.” Mr Melkersen has previously argued that Volkswagen’s attempts to publish results of the monkey study in 2016 — after the emissions fraud was exposed — “directly contradicts [Volkswagen’s] claims of innocence and remorse for its ‘unknowing’ misconduct”. . . .

U.S. Seeks Major Fines, Recalls in Fiat Diesel Settlement Ryan Beene, Bloomberg / February 2, 2018 The U.S. Justice Department has offered to settle its emissions-cheating lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV if the automaker recalls 104,000 vehicles and pays a substantial but unspecified civil penalty. The proposed framework of an offer was extended to the Italian-American car company last week and included steps it would have to take to mitigate its past pollution and make internal changes to prevent future violations of environmental rules, according to a copy of the settlement offer obtained by Bloomberg News. The settlement “must include very substantial civil penalties” large enough to deter future violations and that “adequately reflect the seriousness of the conduct that led to these violations,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in a Jan. 27 letter to Fiat Chrysler attorneys. Spokesmen for the company didn’t respond to a request for comment. Fiat Chrysler’s U.S.-listed shares fell as much as 14 percent on the news and closed down 7.2 percent in New York trading Friday, the biggest drop since January 2017. Reaching a final settlement would resolve civil violations of clean-air regulations laid out in a complaint filed May 23. The Justice Department said Fiat Chrysler had used illegal software to pass laboratory emissions tests while permitting its diesel vehicles to exceed pollution standards on the road. The proposed settlement doesn’t include an end to a criminal investigation of the automaker by the Justice Department related to diesel emissions. The civil complaint was filed in federal court on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board and alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. “We are engaging in conversations but I’m not involved in the settlement talks,” Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, said Friday at Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s The Future of Mobility Summit. “It’s interesting that Fiat Chrysler has the same team of lawyers representing them that worked with VW.” The sides have been in talks for months under the direction of court-appointed settlement master Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg declined to comment. Fiat Chrysler has acknowledged in a term sheet the company earlier submitted to the government lawyers the need for a settlement to include civil penalties, an emissions fix for the diesel vehicles and environmental mitigation efforts, the letter said. The automaker proposed committing to projects to promote low- or zero-emissions “mobility projects” in the December term sheet, which the Justice Department said regulators would be willing to consider. But, the letter cautioned, such projects are not the same as penalties and the government believes a “very substantial civil penalty payment is an essential element” of any deal to resolve the case. The parties have not yet discussed the value of any fines, according to a person familiar with the talks. A recall would have to bring all of Fiat Chrysler’s vehicles into full compliance with emissions standards, the letter said. The case involves diesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and Ram 1500 pickups from model years 2014-2016 that regulators allege were sold with emission software that violated U.S. clean-air rules. The case followed one filed in late 2015 against Volkswagen AG. That case touched off the biggest scandal in modern automotive history when VW admitted that about 11 million diesel cars worldwide were outfitted with so-called defeat devices -- embedded algorithms used to game emissions tests. VW’s costs from the scandal has reached about $31 billion in fines and related elements. Fiat Chrysler would likely pay less because Clean Air Act violations are assessed on the number vehicles affected. VW admitted to rigging more than 500,000 cars in the U.S. -- about five times the number Fiat Chrysler is alleged to have cheated with -- and did so over a longer period of time. And unlike in the VW settlement, the terms under discussion between Fiat Chrysler and the U.S. don’t include a requirement to buy back any vehicles. The diesel issue could cost Fiat Chrysler between $460 million and more than $1 billion, according to estimates made last year by Barclays Plc, Mediobanca SpA and Evercore ISI. In December, Sergio Marchionne, the company’s chief executive officer, said he anticipated “manageable costs” from the diesel issue. Unlike VW, Fiat Chrysler has denied intentional wrongdoing. Marchionne said he was outraged when the EPA brought its initial notice of violation against the automaker last year, calling the allegations “unadulterated hogwash.” The settlement letter cites “compelling evidence” that Fiat Chrysler knew or had reason to know that the vehicles did not comply with clean-air rules and that the company misled regulators, calling the conduct “egregious.”

DAF Trucks Press Release / February 2, 2018 DAF Trucks presents the limited 90th Anniversary Edition of the New XF. This truck commemorates the fact that 90 years ago Hub van Doorne laid the foundation of DAF: now one of Europe’s most successful truck manufacturers. The anniversary edition features a premium option package, exclusive striping and subtle exterior design elements. To stress the exclusivity of this special truck it comes with the class leading Super Space Cab and PACCAR’s most powerful 530 HP/390 kW MX-13 engine. The 90th Anniversary Edition is limited to only 250 vehicles. It is available as a 4x2 tractor (FT) for the markets on the European continent and as a 6x2 tractor (FTG) for the UK and Ireland. Each vehicle features a unique number, which is visible in both the decorative finish inside the cab as well as in the specially illuminated DAF logo panel that can be seen when the door is opened. Unique striking exterior The unique limited edition of DAF’s ‘International Truck of the Year 2018’ is available in three attractive metallic colours: Anniversary Black, Rouge Flamme and Jamaica Blue. Coloured strips in blue or red on the grille express the exclusivity of the XF 90th Anniversary Edition. A hand crafted version of DAF’s famous historic logo is proudly displayed on the front of the truck, as well as on the sides and back of the cab. Top of the line options DAF’s unique 90th Anniversary Edition has a very rich specification. It features – among other things – an air suspended Super Space Cab with all exterior parts in cab colour, LED headlights, Skylights, fog and cornering lights, a roof air deflector with side collars, side skirts (4x2) and Alcoa aluminium wheels. Air horns are mounted on the cab roof. Unique interior The ultra-comfortable interior – in Exclusive trim – has unique features like the embossed historical DAF logo in the head rest of the Xtra Leather air seats. DAF’s classic logo is also applied to the deco strips on the doors, on the Driver Information Panel and the high-end radio-navigation system. Furthermore, the interior trim is equipped with full leather seats, leather armrests and door panels and a leather finish on the steering wheel. Climate control, a roof mounted parking cooler, TruckPhone, a microwave, DAF’s renowned refrigerator under the lower bunk and the DAF Night Lock are all included. Luxury gift set Each 90th Anniversary Edition of the XF comes with a numbered, luxury gift set. The set includes a full leather travel bag, a stylish jacket with leather details, a DAF Waterman pen in customized leather box, a leather credit card wallet and a 90th Anniversary Edition sketch signed by DAF’s chief designer Bart van Lotringen. Hub van Doorne “When developing his trucks, Hub van Doorne focused on technology, functionality and driver comfort”, stated Preston Feight, President of DAF Trucks. “The elite 90th Anniversary Edition pays respect to the founder of our great company.” .

Renault Trucks Press Release / February 2, 2018 To meet the specific requirements of worksite supply, Renault Trucks has launched the T X-Road 460. This recent used vehicle is reconditioned in the specialised “Used Trucks Factory” that forms an integral part of the Renault Trucks manufacturing site in Bourg-en-Bresse. Renault Trucks is launching the T X-Road 460, a new used vehicle dedicated to worksite supply. The T X-Road belongs to the manufacturer’s new range of customised used vehicles. Trucks are rigourously selected, subject to 200 inspection points and prepared in the specialised “Used Trucks Factory” that forms an integral part of the manufacturing site in Bourg-en-Bresse. Le Renault Trucks T X-Road is fitted with an 11 L 460 hp Euro 6 engine and is available in a 4x2 configuration. It features reinforced bodywork, including steel bumper bars, an ultra-strong stepwell and protective headlight grills. 315/80 mixed profile tyres have been fitted and ground clearance has been raised by 60 mm. Performance of the robotised Optidriver gearbox has been boosted by the addition of an off-road mode and manual accelerator. The T X-Road 460 used truck comes with a 1-year or 120,000 km warranty. This manufacturer’s warranty, which covers all incidents related to the engine, gearbox and axles, is valid throughout all Renault Trucks service and sales outlets in Europe. Renault Trucks Europe-wide 24/7 assistance is also included, together with towing insurance. The T X-Road is available in Renault Trucks sales outlets in France, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Germany and Belgium. .

Western Star Trucks Press Release / February 2, 2018 When it comes to logging in the UP, Anthony Bellmore of A.P. Bellmore Trucking, Inc. chooses Western Star for the job. In his opinion, Western Stars lean towards the owner-operator and they try to build a truck around whatever your vocation is. .