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Electronic stability control and collision mitigation are also now offered as “standard options” as well. Fleet Owner / December 14, 2017 Peterbilt Motors Co. recently made air disc brakes standard on the rear axles of its Peterbilt Model 579 tractor -- completing the “transition” of its flagship highway model to air disc brakes on every wheel end. In 2012 Peterbilt added front axle air disc brakes as a standard feature on the Model 579 to increase driver safety and reduce stopping distance. With the addition of rear disc brakes, the OEM has been able to further reduce stopping distances, noted Robert Woodall, Peterbilt’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “Safety is one of the driving forces in our industry and we are continually evaluating how we can improve the driver experience,” he said in a statement. “Combining front and rear disc brakes is a testament to our commitment to providing the safest trucks on the road.” The OEM said air disc brakes offer more “precise” adjustment of the brakes, better force distribution, help even out pad wear, and reduce brake fade. The manufacturer added that they are also “ideal” for fleets focused on obtaining lighter weight specs. In addition to air disc brake standardization, Peterbilt noted it has added as electronic stability control (ESC) and the Bendix Wingman collision mitigation system as “standard options” to its specification packages. .

Another all-electric Class 8 prepares for production Fleet Owner / December 13, 2017 Thor Trucks, a transportation lab based in Los Angeles, plans to start building its ET-One tractor in 2019 and sell it for $150,000 a pop. Hot on the heels of Tesla’s rock concert-style unveiling of its Semi all-electric Class 8 daycab back in November comes a different all-electric tractor dubbed the ET-One – a truck being built by Thor Trucks, a self-styled “transportation laboratory” based in Los Angeles. Co-founded by Dakota Semler and Giordano Sordoni, Thor Trucks said it will be demonstrating a pre-production version of the ET-One through 2018 and plans to go into full production by 2019. Thor Trucks said the final version of the ET-One will start at $150,000 per unit and feature a 300-mile range when fully loaded to 40 tons. Features of the ET-One include: A reusable modular lithium-ion cylindrical battery pack that will offer from 400 to 800 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy. Maximum speed of 70 miles per hour. A torque range of approximately 5,000 lbs. with two-speed gearing. .

That is very bizarre, a 9QT Mack windshield part number replaced by an SX number.

The US market product range, as we all know, is but a fraction of what it used to be. For example, the lack of an MR replacement, the lack of a Super-Liner product, the lack of a COE so as to be a player in the global market, the lack of a big bore powerplant, the lack of a proprietary Mack brand powerplant (e.g. a signature Mack brand V8) to set it apart from the Volvo brand. With limited offerings, total sales potential is inherently reduced.

https://www.liebherr.com/external/products/products-assets/311402/NTB_T284_enGB-US.pdf

Poland: Stuck in the mud! US Army convoy grinds to a halt in roadside ditch AVA360 / December 9, 2017 The United States Army found itself in a spot of bother on a road near the western Polish town of Lubin on Saturday morning, when a small convoy got stuck in the mud. Drone footage from the accident site shows two US Army Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks being towed to safety by a local recovery vehicle. It has been reported that one of the trucks careered into a ditch after experiencing a brake failure. The other truck tried to tow its partner out of the ditch. The result was even further calamity as the tow vehicle only succeeded in flipping itself into the opposite ditch. In the end, the unfortunate unit of soldiers had to call on the help of Truck Serwis, a local recovery vehicle company. The US Army in Europe has declined to comment on the incident.

Now you can begin to smell the secret back room deal. No convicted criminal in the US serves his/her time in a foreign prison. This is a done deal, and he will be released early….in Germany. Remember, Germany refused to turn over the other guilty individuals to US authorities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VW executive convicted in U.S. may seek transfer to Germany Reuters / December 10, 2017 BERLIN -- Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt, convicted in the U.S. for his role in the automaker's emissions scandal, may ask to serve his prison sentence in Germany, Welt am Sonntag reported. Such a request would have to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice as well as a German court. Schmidt was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison and fined $400,000, the maximum possible under a plea deal the German national made with prosecutors in August after admitting to charges of conspiring to mislead U.S regulators and violate clean-air laws. Schmidt read a written statement in court acknowledging his guilt. Welt am Sonntag quoted Schmidt's lawyer Alexander Saettele as saying that he was looking into a possible appeal. The verdict "was not a surprise, but it was still disappointing to him that he was not able to get through to the judge," Saettele said. "There are a number of matters that remain to be done and so the matter is still active and therefore I cannot comment," said David DuMouchel, a Detroit-based lawyer for Schmidt from law firm Butzel Long. Schmidt also still faces possible disciplinary action at Volkswagen, including damages claims and termination of his contract, according to a company spokesman [the pot calling the kettle black]. "That is an integral part of the compliance guidelines of any company," the spokesman told Reuters on Friday. In March, Volkswagen pleaded guilty to three felony counts under a plea agreement to resolve U.S. charges that it installed secret software in vehicles in order to elude emissions tests. Schmidt was in charge of the company's environmental and engineering office near Detroit in Auburn Hills, Mich., until February 2015, where he oversaw emissions issues. U.S. prosecutors have charged eight current and former Volkswagen executives. VW is preparing to terminate Schmidt's employment on the legal basis that he has committed a criminal offense, Bild newspaper reported last week.

Even with automatic transmissions...... Appears to be an M984A4...........https://oshkoshdefense.com/variants/m984a4-recovery-truck-wrecker/ Scania to the rescue. .

In general, I agree with you 200 percent. Car and truckmaking CEOs must be competent, and held accountable. The incompetent management at the old GM was inexcusable. Now we all know how cyclical the truck industry is. It challenges the best of CEOs. And yet our nation's economy depends on trucks. Other countries protect their truck industries. As a result of the US government not doing the same, foreign aggressors have taken over our domestic truck industry. That is not a good thing.

Globally, Volvo has the volume and Renault Truck is the bright star. In the US market, the Volvo brand continues to grow while the Mack brand remains stagnant with a very small line-up that inherently can't grow by much. Remember, in the old days when Mack sold volume, we had a broad product range (as the Volvo brand does today). If Mack and UD went away tomorrow, Volvo wouldn't lose a minute's sleep.

How GM can gain from carbon fiber in trucks Richard Truett, Automotive News / December 8, 2017 We've known for a long time that General Motors was going to respond in a big way to Ford Motor Co.'s lightweight aluminum F-150, and now some details of the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are starting to ooze out ahead of next year's introduction. Automotive News, citing two sources, reported that the trucks will be available with a bed made of carbon fiber. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, first reported the plans on Wednesday. Such a move -- if the publications' sources are correct -- would likely shave hundreds of pounds from the trucks' curb weight. It would also probably add significant cost to the truck, which would mean higher sticker prices or lower margins or some combination of the two. Combine the lightweight bed with GM's mixed-materials strategy of using high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium and cast parts in the body in white, and GM -- on paper -- looks to be able to deliver a truck that will weigh significantly less than competitors such as the Ford F-150. GM has been giving its mixed-materials manufacturing system a dry run on the low-volume Cadillac CT6 sedan, which when launched in 2016 was the lightest car in its class and the class below. By using different metals for the body structure, GM can save money on materials while producing a stronger, stiffer body. But using different metals greatly complicates manufacturing. Not only do the right parts have to be delivered to the right place at the right time, but the number and type of fasteners also varies. Last May, GM let reporters peek behind its manufacturing r&d curtain, showing us how it was taking weight out of its vehicles. GM took issue with Ford's approach of using aluminum for the F-150's entire body in white. "No single material is the right answer for every part of the body," Charlie Klein, executive director of GM's global CO2 strategy and energy center engineering, told me at the time. "Each material has its own properties. We use the best material for each component, the right material in the right place and the right amount of material." Lowering weight, of course, brings many benefits, such as improved fuel economy, better performance and shorter stopping distances. So, let's assume GM's new trucks -- it's possible they will debut next month at the Detroit auto show -- will be the lightest on the market. The next question is: How is GM going to leverage that advantage? The F-150's fuel economy didn't improve much initially when the truck switched from steel to aluminum. Instead, Ford decided to increase the amount of work the truck could do by raising the vehicle's towing and hauling ratings. That was a smart move. If there is one thing that gets the attention of truck buyers, it's how hard a truck can work. Since Ford launched the aluminum F-150 in 2015, it has rolled out powertrain upgrades -- such as a new 2.7-liter V-6, and a 10-speed automatic transmission -- that have boosted fuel economy to a class-leading 20 mpg city, 26 highway and 22 combined. (Ram's 2018 1500 diesel is not yet listed in the EPA fuel economy guide.) GM could mimic Ford and translate the weight savings into a bigger workload. It could also go for outright fuel economy leadership -- or a combination of the two. Even though gasoline is relatively cheap, fuel economy really matters to truck drivers. They don't like stopping at filling stations. The stakes are high Ford has consistently outfoxed GM for decades with the F-150, continually adding industry-first safety, convenience and luxury features and introducing the company's newest powertrains. Most importantly, Ford really gets into truck customers' heads by figuring out what buyers want. The new Silverado and Sierra will be the biggest test for GM's product development chief Mark Reuss. With such vehicles as the Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Volt and Bolt, and the Cadillac V-series high-performance cars, Reuss has engineered a remarkable turnaround at GM. But the work of his team has been undermined in my view by ineffective marketing -- when was the last time you saw an ad for the Bolt EV, the Colorado diesel, the first truck to get an EPA 30 mpg highway rating, or the Cruze diesel, which has a 52 mpg highway rating? There isn't a weak vehicle in any of GM's four surviving brands. What to expect For GM's new trucks, here's what I expect: Outright fuel economy leadership in city, highway and combined ratings. Outright fuel economy leadership while a truck is towing and hauling -- perhaps the F-150's only weak point. Lowest curb weight, all models. A robust repair program at launch that removes doubt about dealers and body shops being able to quickly and correctly repair accident damage. Industry best stopping distances. At least one new, exclusive technology, such as Dynamic Skip Fire, the next-generation digital cylinder cut-off system GM and Delphi Technologies is developing with Tula Technology Inc., a Silicon Valley startup. An optional V-6 diesel to compete with the one coming in the F-150 and with the Ram 1500 diesel. GM's full-size pickups have to make a big statement. These are GM's cash cows. They must be successful for GM to pay the bills to develop autonomous cars and to pay for the next generation of its electric vehicles and fuel cell technology. Getting it right And this time, all of GM's cylinders -- engineering, manufacturing, marketing, etc. -- have to get it right. Ford, under the same pressure, is not going to ease off the throttle on F-series upgrades. Competition is getting stronger, too. Ram outsold Silverado three times this year in monthly sales, and the big pickups from Toyota and Nissan have seen major upgrades resulting stronger sales, especially for the Nissan Titan. With the new Silverado and Sierra, we're about to see what GM is really made of. .

Making money in the trucking industry is even harder than the auto industry (they have volume). It requires conscious government support. Government should recognize that a strong US-owned truck industry is essential to our nation's economy and security. Like foreign governments, the US has over the years bent over backwards to support our auto industry. Unlike foreign governments, the US has all but ignored its commercial truckmakers. And as a result, over half of the heavy trucks on America's roads today are produced by foreign aggressors.

The Newport News Liebherr plant was erected new in 1970. Liebherr interestingly does produce aircraft components in Germany. During WW2, Hans Liebherr was in the German engineering corps building bridges in Russia (which the IL-2 Sturmovik would blow up again). Hampton Roads, being an ideal port, was a massive staging area for troops and supplies heading to Europe and North Africa. (http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-ww2-port-of-embarkation-hampton-roads-20170616-story.html) Horses and mules....something I didn't know (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/4/newport-news-became-a-springboard-for-wwii-war-hor/). In researching, I discovered that one of the Dodge brothers was a boating enthusiast and established a boating company on the Newport News waterfront at the former US Army base Camp Stuart (http://www.nnapprentice.com/alumni/letter/Dodge_Watercars.pdf). I'm a bit of a history buff.....thank you. Maybe you're speaking of this....in 1913, the city bought 75 acres at Newport News Creek and created a small boat harbor. In 2014, the Curtis Flying School opened there training pilots to fly Curtis flying boats. Schoo

With Scania, I can tell you that China today has strict environmental regulations Billy. The government is "now" spending massive amounts of money on clean energy. That truck above will be in the last generation of diesel trucks. The next will be electric or other. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/51557-norfolk-southern-sues-over-millions-of-rail-ties-it-calls-defective/?tab=comments#comment-384148

One carmaker copied the A-class. Another copied the old BMW X5. The latest, one copied the Evoque. But none of these are mainstream big sellers. Look at the SUVs, for example, from Great Wall, Changan, BYD and Guangqi. None are copies, and all are superb. Korea's SSangyong had one, the "Chairman", but it was built under license from M-B. They also built M-B SK series trucks under license as the SY range.

Billy, I assumed you were speaking of the last generation Argosy (old front fascia, ect.), because the New Argosy has never been sold in the US market to my knowledge (though we know Argosy glider kits are available in Canada). The shift lever is cable actuated, like most COEs nowadays. I myself would pass on the optional swing-out staircase.. .

Mark, finance guys are typically pretty confident about themselves but they generally know little to nothing about the product (they believe their product understanding is adequate). Like Denny, he came from construction and knows how to survive in Volvo's corporate world. Unlike Denny, he was in financial, not hands-on with the product. How does a background in construction relate to heavy trucks? Answer: It doesn't. Paul Vikner and Kevin Flaherty were the last men from the real Mack Trucks to serve as president (they were mere puppets under the new Volvo regime though, like China's last emperor Puyi under Japanese control in Manchukuo). Denny Slagle is a fine human being. However as Mack president, he has never gotten the brand airborne. I'm confident in saying that Weissburg won't either, and he'll be gone or reassigned within two years. Volvo will pull the plug on the Mack brand within fifteen years.

China has a great new F-16 like aircraft. They didn't copy. They bought the technology......from Israel. Background: General Dynamics developed a next generation F-16 II. The U.S. Air Force declined to buy it. Our employees in Washington agreed to allow Israel to produce it for themselves. It was called the Lavi program, and the U.S. taxpayer funded it (why we'll never know). The clincher: Israel didn’t build it, but secretly sold the design information to...........China. And today, the Chengdu (Jian) J-10 fighter is our adversary over the South China Sea (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:J-10a_zhas.png), flying American technology.

The Germans (Karl Benz) invented the automobile, and the rest of the world copied them. The Chinese didn't invent the copying thing. Enamored with Scania's much admired modular design concept, all the world's truckmakers are continually trying to copy us. Foreign companies, in the auto-truck industry, are required to joint venture, and the foreign company is not allowed to own more than 50 percent of the JV, all so that the country benefits mutually with the foreign aggressor. I call that smart. In the US, foreign aggressors have taken over numerous industries. Without policies adequately protective of US industry, we are a far cry from the solid and powerful position we were once in, and a frail economy is the result.

Actually just the opposite is true in many cases. Hongyan has not leaped ahead with the Iveco joint venture. Foton is in gridlock with Daimler. Dongfeng is in gridlock with Volvo. FAW's commercial truck unit is leaping ahead on their own without any foreign partner. Sinotruk (aka. CNHTC - China National Heavy Truck Corp.) has developed well under their second JV with MAN. (Howo is just one of their brands, not the company name). Shacman (better known as Shaanxi Auto Group) has seen mixed results since the end of their MAN JV. They are no longer practicing "basic copy technology" as you put it. Assuming so would disconnect you from the reality. They are self-designing, and using Italian design studios (like European truckmakers), as well as global contract engineering firms (e.g. AVL and Ricardo) like the global car and truckmakers do. My market research photographs are corporate confidential. This one (below) of the upcoming FAW "J7" is from the internet. The J7 is not a copy of anything. .

This truck was produced at the Liebherr plant in Newport News, Virginia. .

Renault Trucks Press Release / December 6, 2017 See in less than two minutes how to use OptiTrack, the traction system which features hydraulic motors and gives the vehicle temporary extra pulling power. .

Martin Weissburg appointed President of Mack Trucks Volvo Group Press Release / December 8, 2017 Martin Weissburg, currently President of Volvo Construction Equipment, will become President of Mack Trucks effective June 1, 2018, in which capacity he will continue to be a member of the Executive Board for the Volvo Group. Martin Weissburg was born in 1962, and has served as President of Volvo Construction Equipment since 2014. He joined the Volvo Group in 2005 as President of Volvo Financial Services Americas, and in 2010 became global President of Volvo Financial Services. He will be headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. Martin Weissburg will succeed Dennis Slagle, who has led the company since 2008. Effective June 1, 2018, Dennis Slagle will remain with the Volvo Group as a special projects leader reporting to Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO. “Thanks to Denny Slagle’s leadership, the Volvo Group’s North American truck business has substantially improved its profitability and competitiveness, and is strongly positioned for the future,” comments Martin Lundstedt. “In Marty Weissburg, Mack Trucks will have another proven leader who is passionate about realizing the full potential of this great truck brand.” Journalists who would like further information, please contact: Joakim Kenndal, Volvo Group, Media Relations tel +46 31 323 72 29 or John Mies, Vice President Communications, Volvo Group North America+1 (336) 543-9094 . http://news.cision.com/volvo/r/martin-weissburg-appointed-president-of-mack-trucks,c2410048 .

Fleet Owner / December 8, 2017 Longtime Cummins leader, and brother of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, steps down after 36 years with the company. Cummins Inc. today announced that Ed Pence, the company vice president of strategic initiatives, is retiring after 36 years with the company, which included a variety of leadership roles. “Throughout Ed’s tenure, he was committed to excellence and success in all arenas – for our customers, our employees and our communities,” Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger and President and COO Rich Freeland said in a joint email to Cummins’ more than 55,000 employees. “He consistently, and over many years, invested time, energy and care into developing and maintaining customer relationships,” Freeland and Linebarger said. “As a result of those relationships, we were able to navigate difficult times much better than some of our competitors.” Pence, a native of Columbus and brother of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, said he was grateful for the chance to work at Cummins. He still remembers how excited he was to get a job offer from the company after graduating from IndianaUniversity in 1981. “Sharing experiences and working with people who represent both our past and our future has been personally enriching as I have moved through the twilight of my career,” Pence said. “I am grateful for the friendships and life experiences. Thank you, Cummins, for more than 36 great years!” Pence began his career at Cummins in purchasing, which he credits for helping him learn about the company’s products and operations. He then worked as an account manager before becoming the industrial sales manager for Cummins Diesel Australia. He next served as an account executive working with heavy duty truck customers, overcoming stiff competition and industry trends such as vertical integration, before becoming the leader of the High Horsepower Engine Business in 2012. Global markets began to decline after unprecedented growth the preceding five years. Nevertheless, the company continued investing in products like Cummins QSK95, the largest high-speed diesel engine on the market. That investment is paying off today across a number of key markets. “I am proud of the teamwork demonstrated by people collaborating across functions and borders while focusing on the most demanding marketplace applications and winning significant new business in the process,” Pence said. Most recently, Pence played a key role in restructuring at Cummins that led to High Horsepower’s merging with Cummins Power Generation to become Cummins Power Systems. He then joined Linebarger’s executive team and played a key role in laying the groundwork for the Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Joint Venture announced earlier this year, according to the company. While he enjoyed his role in the company’s evolution into a global power leader, Pence says he also took tremendous satisfaction from serving as a mentor to other employees. He was known for carrying a small copy of the company’s Mission, Vision and Values in his shirt pocket. “He sincerely views people as the company’s primary assets and his commitment to developing others can be seen in the careers of so many that have benefitted from his mentoring,” Linebarger and Freeland said. .