kscarbel2

As always, your Kubota somehow gets into the picture to steal the limelight. Never fails. It probably has its own BMT membership too.

The part number for a B-81 radiator cap is 16MF24P2. The part number for the rubber gasket (not included with the cap) is 104AX63.

He influenced the Beatles and Rolling Stones, who I did/do listen to.

Freight Waves / May 8, 2020 Board keeps Troy Clarke in the driver’s seat as coronavirus pandemic plays out Navistar International Corp. CEO Troy Clarke will lead the company until at least July 1 as the coronavirus pandemic delays action on a $2.9 billion buyout offer by Volkswagen AG’s trucking subsidiary TRATON Group. Clarke’s contract was extended on April 11 beyond its scheduled expiration on April 22, according to a Navistar filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is the third time his contract has been pushed out following extensions in 2018 and 2019. The global health crisis is spurring truck manufacturers to conserve cash as they try to figure out how deeply they will be impacted by the inability to build new trucks and generate revenue. Navistar plans to restart production at its Springfield, Ohio, plant on Monday. Operations at its plant in Escobedo, Mexico, have been running day to day based on parts availability. Navistar, which makes International-branded heavy- and medium-duty trucks and buses, has cut capital spending by 30%, deferred 10% to 30% of pay for salaried employees depending on job level, and deferred $162 million in pension contributions to save $300 million. The company also borrowed $600 million in a private placement of senior debt. Likewise, TRATON, which purchased 16.6% of Navistar for $256 million in September 2016, “is reconsidering investment priorities and research and development projects,” Christian Schulz, TRATON chief financial officer, said earlier this week. TRATON did not specifically mention its Jan. 30 offer of $35 a share in cash for the 83% of Navistar it did not already own. Traders bid up Navistar shares as high as $38.27 in mid-February before the coronavirus hammered the shares, which fell to a low of $14.68 on March 23. Shares had recovered to $24.39 in NYSE trading on Friday, close to the $23.89 where they traded on the day of TRATON’s unsolicited offer. Publicly, Navistar has said only that it is reviewing the proposal. TRATON is the holding company for the MAN and Scania brands and Brazilian truck and bus maker Caminhões e Ônibus. With most of its sales in Europe and South America, TRATON eyes Navistar and its dealer network as a way to compete with global truck makers Daimler AG and Volvo AB, both of which are well established in the United States. In 2019 Navistar opened the door for Traton with a limited opportunity for the sale of Scania off-highway mining equipment in Canada. Navistar and TRATON also collaborate on engines and purchasing. Traton has significant input into a new plant Navistar is planning in San Antonio. Clarke’s $1,050,000 annual salary remains the same during his contract extension. As part of Navistar’s cost cutting, 35% of his salary beginning April 20 was deferred and will be repaid in a lump sum with 6% interest no later than March 15, 2021. His 2020 fiscal year bonus target is $5.5 million. Clarke, 64, has agreed to remain Navistar’s non-executive chairman for two years after his CEO term ends July 1.

CNN / May 9, 2020 Little Richard, the screaming, preening, scene-stealing wild man of early rock 'n' roll with hits like "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally," died Saturday at 87, Dick Alen, his former agent says. Alen said Little Richard died in Nashville with his brother and son by his side, and the cause of death is related to bone cancer. He called the star "one of the legends, the originators" and said Little Richard had "been ill for a good while." The pioneer would have stood out in any era. But in the 1950s, when Little Richard came to prominence, he was like no other: a flamboyant, makeup-wearing, piano-playing black man who personified the "devil's music" to establishment guardians. Elvis Presley was one thing, but for all his pelvic thrusts and slicked-back, juvenile-delinquent hair, he was at heart a polite Southern boy who loved his daddy. Little Richard, though ... well, he may have come from a big Southern family himself, but he represented something else. "Richard opened the door. He brought the races together," said arranger H.B. Barnum in Charles White's 1984 biography "The Life and Times of Little Richard." "When I first went on the road, there were many segregated audiences. With Richard, although they still had the audiences segregated in the building, they were there TOGETHER. And most times before the end of the night, they would all be mixed together." Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, no onstage slouch, was an admirer as well. "There's no single phrase to describe his hold on the audience. I couldn't believe the power of Little Richard on stage. He was amazing," Jagger said, according to White's book. Little Richard knew his power. "They saw me as something like a deliverer, a way out," he once said. "My means of expression, my music, was a way in which a lot of people wished they could express themselves and couldn't." He also made no bones about his status. LIttle Richard bristled when he was overlooked in favor of other early rock figures, telling SFGate.com in 2003, "I created rock 'n' roll! I'm the innovator! I'm the emancipator! I'm the architect! I am the originator! I'm the one that started it!" He had made those boasts 15 years earlier, going off script while giving out the best new artist award at the 1988 Grammys. Five years later the Grammys finally recognized him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. It's hard to argue with Little Richard's stance. "Rock 'n' roll" was originally a euphemism for sex, and in his energy, his falsetto "woohs!" and pounding piano, Little Richard personified the life force. A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom, OK? His songs were about many things -- ripping it up, ready teddies, girls who couldn't help it -- but above all, they were about "rocking and rolling" in its original, unexpurgated form. "Long Tall Sally, she's built for speed / She got everything that Uncle John need," he belted in "Long Tall Sally," a song rife with such obvious innuendo there was barely a need to read between the lines. "Good golly, Miss Molly / Sure like to ball," went "Good Golly, Miss Molly," leaving even less to the imagination. "Spinnin', spinnin', spinnin', spinnin' like a spinnin' top / Crazy little partner, you ought to see us reel and rock," he sang in "Jenny, Jenny." The songs -- thanks to Little Richard's raucous performances -- created fearsome visions of teenage abandon in the minds of parents and censors. "With Little Richard, the rock 'n' roll audience got the aggressive extrovert to enact their wilder fantasies, and his stage performances set precedents for anyone who followed him," Charlie Gillett wrote in his classic, "The Sound of the City." Sometimes that wildness kept Little Richard one step removed from the mainstream: "Tutti Frutti," his breakthrough hit, was originally supposed to feature such lines as "Tutti Frutti, good booty," but producer Bumps Blackwell suggested changes. Even the refined version didn't make it on many pop radio stations, which looked past Little Richard's R&B hit in favor of pop singer Pat Boone's more tepid rendition. But other times, even the bluenoses had to throw up their hands at the sheer audacity of it all. In 1956, an NBC censor let "Long Tall Sally" pass because he couldn't understand the words and therefore couldn't judge their propriety, according to Brian Ward's rhythm-and-blues history, "Just My Soul Responding." The kids, of course, loved it. Many grew up to be rock 'n' rollers themselves, and they never forgot the man who helped plant the seed. "Thank you all very much, especially the rock 'n' rollers," George Harrison said at The Beatles' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He pointed to Little Richard in the audience. "And Little Richard there -- it was all his fault, really." Richard Wayne Penniman was born on December 5, 1932, in Macon, Georgia. The third of 12 children, he clashed with his moonshine-selling father and was ordered out of the family home as a teenager. A white family named Johnson took him in, and Penniman -- who had honed his musical ability in church -- started performing in their club. Depending on the story, he was called "Little Richard" either as a childhood nickname or because he was underage. Either way, the name stuck. A link with an Atlanta DJ led to a signing by RCA, but Little Richard's recordings -- in a Louis Jordan jump-blues style -- failed to catch fire. For a time, Little Richard was a dishwasher at a Greyhound bus station. He kept playing music, however, and in 1955 sent a demo recording to Specialty Records. Specialty's founder, Art Rupe, liked what he heard and asked Little Richard to go to New Orleans to record with members of Fats Domino's backing band. Producer Blackwell recalled him in a memoir as "this cat in a loud shirt, with hair waved up six inches above his head." During a break in what had been a lackluster session, Little Richard let loose with "Tutti Frutti." The rest -- with a polish from Blackwell -- is, as they say, history: "Tutti Frutti" hit No. 2 on the R&B charts and the Top 20 on Billboard's pop charts, selling a million copies. Little Richard was off and running. More hits followed: "Long Tall Sally," "Slippin' and Slidin'," "Rip It Up," "Lucille," "Keep a-Knockin' " -- 17 songs through 1958, including three R&B No. 1s. His live shows were electrifying, and even Hollywood noticed, with director Frank Tashlin featuring him in 1956's Jayne Mansfield vehicle "The Girl Can't Help It." Tashlin, for one, knew exactly how to exploit Little Richard's energy, accompanying a sashaying Mansfield with Little Richard's "Girl Can't Help It" song. As she walks and Little Richard wails on the soundtrack, an iceman's cargo melts, a milkman's bottle erupts, and a lobby voyeur's glasses crack. But he wasn't as wild as his fainting-couch critics claimed. As Dave Marsh observed in "The Heart of Rock & Soul," Little Richard's records "featured an intensely swinging rhythm band and the music was anything but an amateurish hash, no matter what critics committed to the noble savage theory believe." In 1957, however, Little Richard lost faith in rock 'n' roll -- and gained it on a different plane. The plane, in this case, was not just heavenly; it was also the form of transportation he took after a tour of Australia. Believing the engines to be on fire, Little Richard struck a deal with God: If the plane landed safely, he would abandon the devil's music. It did, and he upheld his agreement, enrolling in an Alabama college and becoming a Seventh-day Adventist minister. A 1965 album title says it all: It was called "King of Gospel Songs." In the interim, though, Little Richard had become a hero to a new generation of rock 'n' rollers. The Beatles' Paul McCartney was a huge fan; the band covered "Long Tall Sally" and "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey," and the Lennon/McCartney song "I'm Down" was an obvious homage. The group also toured with Little Richard when he came back to rock 'n' roll in the early '60s. Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty and Bob Seger were also deeply influenced by the singer, often reflected in their singing styles. Jimi Hendrix served as his guitarist for a time. Recognizing new fans to be converted, Little Richard resumed touring and recording in the '60s and '70s. He added "actor" to his resume with his performance in the 1985 film "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" as well as a variety of TV guest appearances. But he didn't leave preaching behind. He used his pulpit to attack drug use -- he'd been an admitted addict, telling British GQ, "I had powder on me all the time, and I wasn't putting it on my face"-- and sometimes (once again) he would condemn rock 'n' roll. He was a man of angels and fire. "When I had all these orgies going on," he said (yes, there were orgies, too), "I would get up and go and pick up my Bible. Sometimes I had my Bible right by me." Aside from music, Little Richard's most noted ambivalence was in his attitude toward his sexuality. In the early days, he covered by "exaggerating his freakishness," writes Jim Miller in the rock history "Flowers in the Dustbin." He later called homosexuality "unnatural." He told Charles White he was "omnisexual." A decade later, he told Penthouse magazine he always knew he was gay. "I've been gay all my life and I know God is a God of love, not of hate," he told the magazine in 1995. "How can I (put) down the fisherman when I've been fishing all my life?" There were honors, of course. He was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His hometown of Macon named a street after him. He received a passel of honorary degrees, including one from Macon's Mercer University. He even kept on ministering, conducting a wedding ceremony for 20 couples in Vinton, Louisiana, in 2006. Little Richard was married to Ernestine Campbell from 1959 to 1961. He is survived by an adopted son, Danny Jones. To the end, he was always outrageous. He used makeup liberally, dressed colorfully, could be obstinate and vain, giving and shy. Being Little Richard must have been exhausting and joyful. There was only one. A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom! . . .

KrAZ Trucks Press Release / March 19, 2020 Azneftemash JSC (Azerbaijan) is a long-term partner of KrAZ Trucks, which uses KrAZ vehicles as a carrier for heavy hoisting drilling units. This company is a manufacturer of various oil and gas equipment, hoisting units, special equipment and tools for the oil and gas industry. The KrAZ model 7140H6 vehicle chassis with 8x6 wheel arrangement is intended for industrial and special equipment to be installed on it and operation on all kinds of roads and off-road. The chassis is equipped with a 375 horsepower Euro-5 diesel engine; 9-speed gearbox, two-range transfer case; single-disc clutch and ABS. An integral type power steering gear and the conventional three-seat cab. The KrAZ 7140H6 has the increased load carrying capacity (more than 30 tons), which became the decisive factor in the oilmen’ choice to get it as a base chassis for the UP-100/125 drilling rig, intended for gas and oil wells servicing. The test of the first supplied batch of KrAZ 7140H6 vehicle chassis was successful and showed positive results. Therefore, it was decided by Azneftemash to continue cooperation and order another batch of the unique eight-wheeled KrAZ vehicles. KrAZ trucks are valued by Azerbaijani partners for their high carrying capacity, reliable design, easy servicing and maintainability. .

FCA files to trademark Dakota Greg Layson, Automotive News / May 7, 2020 FCA US appears to be moving forward with plans to introduce a new mid-size pickup truck to complement the Jeep Gladiator. And there is an early, familiar contender for the name of the truck. The company on April 29 filed a trademark application for the name "Dakota," related to "parts for vehicles, namely, automotive exterior decorative trim," according to a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office posting. Ram dropped the mid-size Dakota pickup in 2011 after a 25-year run. For years, the Dakota was a mainstay of the Dodge lineup. General Motors and Ford have resurrected mid-size trucks in recent years, in part to offer consumers a lower-priced alternative to full-size pickups, which are among the industry's most profitable light vehicles. U.S. sales of mid-size pickups rose 22 percent to nearly 640,000 in 2019. First-quarter demand slipped 0.9 percent. FCA CEO Mike Manley said a year ago that Ram product planners and engineers are "focused on solving a metric ton midsize truck solution for us because it's a big part of the portfolio and growth we want to achieve." At that time, it sounded as if the decision was coming down to how best to execute a platform for a mid-size Ram pickup. "Being able to find a cost-effective platform in a region where we can build it with low cost and it still being applicable in the market is what they're struggling with at the moment," Manley said. "I want that problem solved, frankly, because it's a clear hole in our portfolio. It will not be filled by Gladiator because Gladiator is a very, very different mission. Trust me, they're focused on it. We need to get it fixed soon." Suppliers told Automotive News last year that the mid-size Ram pickup would be built in Toledo, Ohio, at the same plant where the all-new Gladiator is produced. A release timeline is still uncertain. Automotive News previously forecasted the vehicle would be “new in 2022” while Motor Trend, in a story this week, said a new Dakota could arrive as early as the 2021 model year. FCA, citing the coronavirus outbreak, has been forced to delay the introduction of several key models, such as a redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee and an all-new Jeep Grand Wagoneer. In Canada, the Dakota trademark application prompted Unifor is begin lobbying FCA to build the truck in Windsor, Ontario, where the company builds mini-vans. In an early-morning Facebook post Thursday, Unifor Local 444, which represents about 5,000 workers at FCA’s mini-van plant, called on the automaker to build a mid-size pickup at the factory. “To be clear, Ram has *not officially announced its intention to launch a new Dakota just yet. However, while FCA *may have applied for a Dakota trademark to protect itself from others using the name, it does signal that the company may actually use the name in the coming years,” Unifor Local 444 posted on its Facebook page Thursday at about 1 a.m. ET. “If you want it built right, build it Windsor! It’s what we do!!” The Unifor post comes just months before the union and automaker are scheduled to engage in contract talks, beginning in the fall. FCA intends to cut one of three shifts at the Windsor plant, which builds the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Pacifica and Chrysler Voyager, another badge resurrected by Chrysler. Unifor has made it clear that new product is priority No. 1 during the next round of bargaining.

Transport Engineer / May 7, 2020 The Volvo FH500 GT 8x2 unit incorporates a Hiab 1058 crane featuring ten hydraulic extensions, giving the vehicle a lifting capability of 2.5 [metric] tonnes at a reach of almost 24 meters. Built at MV Commercial’s Airdrie site, the new truck will support JA Mackenzie Haulage’s specialist transport operations for works of art and public sculptures. Jimmy Mackenzie, managing director of the company, says: “Our work often includes very unusual lifts such as loading priceless paintings through gallery windows, where precision and control are essential. We required something very special – and MV Commercial’s design team stepped up to the challenge, and were able to deliver a truck that matched our precise specifications.” The new vehicle replaces an older asset and includes a range of tailored features designed to make lifting irreplaceable artwork quick, easy and safe. The detailed specification of the cab includes NATO-spec legs for increased stability, and food cooking and storage facilities for overnight travel. Meeting the requirements of FORS Gold, the truck also incorporates a 50mm air-operated drawbar coupling and remote control of the rear extender, while the hydraulic tank has been moved on to the crane itself to create more space on the chassis. .

Transport Engineer / May 4, 2020 Colchester, Essex-based EWD Recycling has bought an order for four new Volvo FMX 8x4 rigids from Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia for its waste disposal and waste recycling services for industrial and domestic users across the east of England. It operates a predominantly Volvo fleet of 30 HGVs in a demanding on/off-road application. The order includes two FMXs with Boweld steel tipping bodies and a second pair with Hyva hookloader bodywork and drawbar couplings. All four 32-tonners use the Volvo D11K Euro 6, Step D, diesel engine which produces up to 424bhp and 2,050 Nm of torque over a wide maximum torque range from 1,000 to 1,400 rpm. EWD Recycling has specified each vehicle’s day cab with a programmable night heater, enabling its drivers to arrive at work and step into a pre-warmed cab when their shifts begin at 6am. This also allows them to stay warm on colder days when waiting to load or unload, without needing to keep the engine running – saving fuel and reducing emissions. Purchased outright, the trucks have been supplied with a three-year Volvo Silver Contract which covers all preventive maintenance and driveline repairs within the Volvo Trucks dealer network for a fixed monthly amount. This helps to protect the firm’s operator’s licence and minimises the risk of unscheduled downtime. All routine maintenance will take place at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia’s Ipswich site, which offers late night and Saturday opening. Danny Cook, manager at EWD Recycling, says: “Our drivers absolutely love the Volvos. We need vehicles which can cope being worked hard in this kind of environment and we get very good uptime from our FMXs. “On the rare occasion something needs looking at, we can drop a vehicle off at our local dealership at the end of the day, and know it will be sorted by morning. We can’t afford a truck off the road; and it’s this level of service which keeps us coming back.” .

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Navistar, City Of Tulsa Dispute Over Rent News On 6 / April 6, 2020 One of Tulsa’s largest employers accuses the City of trying to evict them from their building. Navistar leases part of the Air Force Plant #3 at the airport, but a 20-year lease expired in January, and the two sides can’t agree on terms for a renewal. The negotiations started two years ago, according to the City, and both sides agree the dispute centers on maintenance needs for the building. The City requires Navistar to maintain the property as part of the lease, but the City claims Navistar has put it off. Plant Manager Randy Tharp said the company spend $1 million each year on maintenance and the building is suitable as is for their needs. The company launched a website with claims the City wants to evict Navistar and in response the City released documents detailing their efforts to extend the lease and reach an agreement on the maintenance. Navistar employs 1,600 people at the bus plant, which turns out 74 buses each day. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said, “The main financial requirement of that lease is that they maintain the building, and then they don't it?” in arguing it wouldn’t be good stewardship of City assets to let the maintenance needs lapse. The City claims an independent inspector found millions of dollars in overdue maintenance, and that Navistar’s own inspectors found similar issues. Tharp, the Plant Manager, said the City’s termination letter for the original lease, raised alarms for the employees. “When we get a letter that says we're terminating your lease, that hits home, to 1,600 people.And we want to be heard” said Tharp. Bynum said the City won’t agree to a long-term lease without a written plan for repairs. The current extension runs through the end of May. Bynum said the notion the City wanted to evict Navistar was not true. “Why they would say that to their employees, and their employees’ families in the middle of this economic crisis? For the life of me, I can't understand it, except that it's a hard ball negotiation tactic,” said Bynum.

Steve Berg, KRMG / May 6, 2020 Major maintenance problems have been found at the Navistar school bus assembly factory in north Tulsa. That's the word from Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, who says the city found millions of dollars in repair needs during inspections, as part of their process to work out a new lease with the company. Navistar leased the giant building 20 years ago for just one dollar, but with the understanding they would pay for the upkeep. Mayor Bynum says they haven't maintained the building sufficiently, but he stresses he wants Navistar to stay in Tulsa. “But we recognize we can't keep them here for the long haul, if the building gets run into the ground,” Bynum said. Mayor Bynum points out these are not minor cosmetic issues. He says there are problems with the roofing and electrical systems that affect the building's structural integrity. .

Cummins Press Release / May 5, 2020 What do sand bags, mountains, a drone and a film crew all have in common? Well, not much, except that they were all an important part of GILLIG and Cummins’ effort to illustrate the extent of the testing and validation process for the Cummins-powered GILLIG battery electric bus. .

For both doors, you need 4 pieces of Mack part number 440SX30A. The 440SX30A is for the tracks on the removeable door panel, and the upper section of the door (you'll need to cut/shorten that upper piece). You only use the included brass retaining clips on the removeable door panel tracks. The vent window post felt is different, and is (was) sold under a vendor number 2795-170014005 (1 per vent window). The roll-up window "wipers" are Mack part numbers 35RU223 and 35RU224 (2 each).

The chrome base is 14MF45P1. A P2 variant existed (14MF45P2) but I can't confirm if it is gold. Of course the 27RU217B(P1) is a chrome dog, and a 27RU217BP2 is a gold dog.

GM stays profitable in Q1 despite shutdowns Hannah Lutz, Automotive News / May 6, 2020 DETROIT — General Motors' first-quarter net income plunged 87 percent, but earnings in North America rose even as the coronavirus pandemic drove production to a standstill. The $294 million profit made GM the only one of the Detroit 3 to avoid a first-quarter loss after the companies closed all of their U.S. plants in mid-March. GM said the crisis reduced its adjusted earnings by $1.4 billion before interest and taxes. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles posted a first-quarter net loss of $1.8 billion, and Ford Motor Co. lost $2 billion. Ford warned that its operating loss would exceed $5 billion in the second quarter. GM said it aims to reopen most plants in the U.S. and Canada on May 18, mirroring a plan announced Tuesday by FCA. Despite the plants being closed for the last two weeks of the quarter, strong sales of pickups and big SUVs pushed North American profits to $2.2 billion, a 16 percent increase from the first quarter of 2019. Global revenue fell 6.2 percent to $32.7 billion, and the company's profit margin decreased 2.8 points to 3.8 percent. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes decreased 46 percent to $1.25 billion. GM shares surged 7 percent to $22.75 in morning trading in New York. Struggles ahead CFO Dhivya Suryadevara said GM would be hit harder in the second quarter but declined to provide any projections for that period or the full year. "We are not providing formal guidance at this time," she said on a conference call. "It's too early to tell until the economy opens up." In a statement, GM said it intends to resume "the majority of manufacturing operations on May 18 in the U.S. and Canada under extensive safety measures." That plan, which is being developed in coordination with the UAW and government officials, would mean the company missed out on about two months' worth of production. UAW President Rory Gamble, in a statement Wednesday, did not object to GM's May 18 restart date after calling earlier plans to reopen plants as of May 4 "too risky." "The companies contractually make that decision and we all knew this day would come at some point," the statement said, echoing what the union said Tuesday about FCA's restart plans. "Our UAW focus and role is and will continue to be, on health and safety protocols to protect our members." GM's international regions lost $551 million in the first quarter, vs. a gain of $31 million a year earlier, and China equity income fell $543 million, primarily because of coronavirus shutdowns in that country. Earnings from GM Financial decreased 36 percent to $230 million. Suryadevara said the pandemic has resulted in minor product changes, such as deferred freshenings, but has not interrupted GM’s work on electric and autonomous vehicles. In March, GM invested $20 billion in EV and AV development, and the automaker has said it plans to launch 20 EVs globally by 2023. 'Continue as planned' “Our key product programs … whether it’s our full-size SUV franchise or EV and AV… they will continue as planned,” she said. GM is in a unique position in its product cycle, she added. The automaker had already launched all-new architectures for a variety of platforms before the pandemic. “If you look at the product cadence that we are on, we happen to be in the sweet spot where we have made a lot of the investment already from an ICE perspective,” Suryadevara said. When plants reopen, GM will prioritize profitable products that dealers are running low on, such as pickups, she said. “Obviously truck is our strong suit and that's something we are we're going to capitalize on,” she said. Visits to GM’s Shop-Click-Drive online car-shopping tool have increased 40 percent during the pandemic, she said. About 3,500 GM dealerships have access to the tool, an increase of about 800 since the crisis started and many dealers converted to virtual sales. GM is on track with the restructuring plan it launched in 2018, Suryadevara said. It expects to contribute $6 billion in cash savings by the end of this year, and in the first quarter, GM put another $300 million toward that goal, she said. Liquidity measures GM ended the quarter with $33.4 billion in automotive liquidity, including $16 billion recently drawn from revolving credit lines. The automaker bolstered its cash reserves by reducing paychecks for all salaried employees globally by 20 percent, promising to make up for the lost income within a year. It also extended $3.6 billion under its three-year revolving credit agreement, and GM and GM Financial renewed their 364-day $2 billion revolver. The automaker has been stoking demand during the crisis with no-interest, 84-month loans and deferred payments of up to 120 days to customers in top credit tiers. GM last week created a health and safety manual to instruct team leaders on the company's new safety protocol. "In these uncertain times, we must focus on controlling what we can, and we will continue to take the appropriate actions. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we are ready to adapt and make any changes to policy in accordance with relevant health and safety protocols issued by authorities," CEO Mary Barra and Jim Glynn, vice president of global workplace safety, said in the 48-page guide. GM's manual outlines requirements for physical distancing, wearing face masks and safety glasses, and participating in health questionnaires and temperature screenings. GM's housekeeping team will clean high-traffic areas three to four times per shift, as well as between shifts. Doors will be propped open when possible to increase airflow and eliminate the need for workers to touch them.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Friday that Coronavirus arrived in his state from Europe and that 2.2 million people flew in from European countries in January and February, while the world was oblivious to the threat and assumed it could only come from China. Cuomo says that between January and March, 2.2 million people arrived in New York on flights from Europe. At the time, Europe was mistakenly not being considered a hotspot. “Last November, December... we knew China had an outbreak. Researchers now say the virus was spreading wildly in Italy in February. Researchers now say there were likely 28,000 cases in the US in February including 10,000 in the state of New York. It came from Europe. When you look at the number of flights that came from Europe to New York in January and February, up until the close down in March... 13,000 flights bringing 2.2 million people. We acted two months after the China outbreak. When you look back, does anyone think the virus was still in China, waiting for us to act? Two months later? We all talk about the global economy and how fast people move and how mobile we are. How can you expect that when you act two months after the outbreak. The horse had already left the barn by the time we moved. Those are the flights coming from Italy and Europe in January and February. We closed the front door with the China travel ban, which was right, but we left the backdoor open because the virus had left China by the time we did the China travel ban. That's what the researchers are now saying. What is the lesson? An outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere. When you see November and December in China, just assume the next day that it's in the US. When they say it's in China, assume that the virus got on a plane that night and flew to New York or Newark and it's now in New York. That has to be the operating mentality because you don't know the virus didn't get on a plane. All you need is one person to get on that plane in China and come to New York. You can't assume two months after the virus is going to be sitting on a park bench in China waiting for you to get there. It will happen again. Bank on it. Let's not put our head in the sand and say this is the only global pandemic we'll ever have to deal with.” Coronavirus was spreading silently through US cities including New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle in February when the world was worried only about China. Researchers from Northwestern University have estimated that based on lockdown orders, confirmed cases and people's traveling and moving habits, the true number of people infected across those five cities by March 1 was 28,000, even though only 23 cases had been confirmed at the time via testing.

Ford Trucks International Press Release / May 5, 2020 Bill Ford and the entire Ford Trucks team would like to extend our deepest thanks to all those working in the logistics sector who have shown us once again what "Sharing The Load" means. #FordTrucks #SharingTheLoad .

Ford Bronco, Bronco Sport to feature multiple grilles Michael Martinez, Automotive News / May 5, 2020 Customers in the market for Ford Motor Co.'s upcoming offroaders will have at least a couple grille options. The automaker plans to offer three front-end designs for both the Bronco SUV and Bronco Sport crossover, according to Ford Authority. They'll reportedly be called "Modern," "Classic" and "Custom." Spy photos recently posted on broncosportforum.com appear to show two of the three designs for the smaller crossover. Both the Bronco and Bronco Sport were scheduled to be revealed by now but have been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis. Uncamouflaged photos of both vehicles have already leaked. The photos show the word BRONCO stamped in the middle of each grille, flanked by the vehicle's classic round headlights. Ford told suppliers this week it now plans to begin mass output of the Bronco Sport at a plant in Mexico on Aug. 31. Output was first planned to start on July 13 then pushed to Sept. 7 because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Bronco will be built on a body-on-frame architecture shared by the Ranger midsize pickup, while the Bronco Sport will sit on the same unibody platform as the recently redesigned Escape and Lincoln Corsair. Ford executives have vowed to make the Bronco highly customizable, with plans for hundreds of parts and accessories to boost dealers' bottom lines.

Quest for UD Croner an international affair Steve Brooks, Australasian Transport News (ATN) / May 2, 2020 The new medium-duty offering comes at a time of flux in Japan, Sweden and Australia The upcoming launch of UD’s Thai-built Croner marks the culmination of a remarkable development program driven as much by commercial necessity as engineering initiative. More to the point though, it graphically illustrates Volvo Group’s inherent ability and acute willingness to draw on diverse global platforms to satisfy the demands of a particular market. In this case, a particularly demanding market. Ours! Masami (Mat) Ozono is a proud Japanese man who for more than 40 years has inched his way up the ladder of executive engineering appointments at UD. Fortunately for me, his English is good and more fortunately for UD and its leagues of customers, his experience and passion for the brand are profound. Even better, and somewhat outside the square of standard Japanese response, he doesn’t appear at all shy about delivering a sharp answer to a blunt question. Anyway, as senior manager of product management and planning, Ozono-san has been at the pointy end of UD’s Croner development program since the decision was taken in 2013 to design and build a replacement for the brand’s long-serving Condor medium-duty range. In a surprising development, however, it eventually became apparent that Croner would not replace Condor in every market. In fact, the new model would be built in Volvo Group’s Thailand factory and specifically designed for what are broadly termed ‘emerging markets’ in Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa. But, it would not supersede Condor in UD’s heartland – Japan! Instead, UD executive heavyweights did an unusual deal with arch-rival Isuzu to replace Condor in the Japanese market with a largely badge-engineered medium-duty model from its opponent’s stable, much as it had already done with Mitsubishi Fuso in Japan’s light-duty market. Largely responsible for ensuring the durability and design quality of the entirely new Croner, Mat Ozono admits he was surprised and disappointed when first learning the outgoing Condor would be replaced in Japan by something other than a true UD product. After all, and as he insists with absolute confidence, Croner upholds all the traditions of Japanese reliability and quality, fully endowed with the fundamental strength to be adapted for success in any market, ‘emerging’ or otherwise. Yet Ozono-san certainly wasn’t alone in his reaction to the Isuzu choice. Indeed, the ramifications of replacing Condor with an Isuzu equivalent stretched far beyond Japan. The suggestion, for instance, of a badge-engineered Isuzu replacing the tried and trusted Condor was quietly abhorrent to insiders at Volvo Group Australia (VGA) and notably, its UD devotees. ‘Ridiculous’ as one UD loyalist confessed a few years back. Furthermore, and as a few well-placed phone calls were quick to confirm, neither were the heads at Isuzu Australia pleased at the prospect of UD competing for medium-duty sales with a truck from their own stable. "It won’t happen," one high-ranking Isuzu Australia official pronounced with total conviction. "We’ll fight it every inch of the way." Given the obvious displeasure, even animosity, on several fronts, a few critical questions quickly emerged. Like, if not a badge-engineered Isuzu, what will UD do to replace Condor in the Australian medium-duty market? Or, given that UD makes no secret of its intention to focus squarely on its historical prowess as a heavy-duty specialist, will it simply withdraw from the Australian medium-duty market, just as it had already done years earlier in the light-duty sector? Answers weren’t easy to come by, especially given Volvo Group’s confounding corporate mantra of never discussing future product plans. Within UD Trucks Australia, however, there was certainly quiet mutter that one way or another, the brand would continue to compete in the Australian medium-duty truck market. And for good reason, because just as Condor had competed in the 4x2 medium-duty category, it had also successfully contested the light end of the heavy-duty sector with three-axle rigid versions. Consequently, and whatever Condor’s eventual replacement proved to be, it became blatantly apparent that it would need to be a generously-specified truck capable of straddling both the medium-duty market and the lighter end of the heavy-duty business. Aussie ‘Special’ Finally, in late 2017 during a quick visit to UD’s Ageo headquarters in Japan as some of the last Condors ran down the production line, clues about a possible Condor replacement for the Australian market started to seep out. Sure, unspoken and unsubstantiated, but clues nonetheless, obvious enough to anyone with an eye for detail and a proclivity for possibilities. While the essence of the Japan trip was to witness UD’s increasing prominence within the Volvo Group and its push into highly advanced autonomous driving technology, it was also an occasion for the brand to showcase its entire model range. Entire, except for one! Missing was the newly developed Croner which, like its Quester big brother, was essentially created for emerging markets rather than more technically advanced countries such as Japan and ultimately, Australia! Put simply, the new model’s absence in front of a group of Australian truck writers begged the question: Could the Thai-built Croner, officially launched in Thailand in March 2017, actually be Condor’s secret replacement for our neck of the woods? It seemed entirely possible but typically, extracting a response from UD’s local leaders was like pulling teeth with tweezers. But then came the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show when UD surprised everyone – well, almost everyone – with a pre-production version of the new Croner (one of two in the country at that time), and in the process announcing its intention to launch the model here in the first quarter of 2020 after what senior managers said was a prolonged development program for Australian conditions. As we would soon learn, it was a program that had already gathered plenty of essential support from UD in Japan and Thailand. Indeed, as Mat Ozono would later confirm, just as Croner was never intended for the Japanese market, nor did the original design objective take account of Australian requirements. In short, a great deal of international input was required to make it happen. Fortunately, in both design strength and production quality, Croner had the foundations to create a model capable of achieving well beyond its original objectives. Still, as a succinct Mat Ozono remarked, "Croner for Australia was a difficult project" largely because VGA’s UD operatives pushed for equipment and features not on the standard component inventory, starting with the mandatory front under-run protection (FUPS) bar. Predictably, a higher level of standard safety features was especially high on the Australian agenda, including a driver’s airbag (Bosch), seatbelt pre-tensioners, daytime running lights and in the not-too-distant future, electronic stability control and adaptive cruise control. It also meant cab crash testing went back under the microscope to reaffirm the structure’s strength and compliance with Japanese and European standards. To further satisfy modern-day market requirements, high levels of diagnostics and a wide range of display options on a dash-mounted 150 mm touch screen were deemed essential. In effect, the combined resources of engineering teams in Australia, Japan and Thailand set about producing a Croner adapted to the needs and wants of the crowded and highly competitive Australian market. At the head of the local engineering effort was product manager Neil Carey who, with UD Trucks Australia vice-president Mark Strambi, admits to thinking long and hard about what they wanted for Croner. The foundations were undeniably strong, with the fundamental design and structural integrity of the truck providing what Carey described as, "A very good platform to build on … everything about the truck is built to a Volvo Group standard." In fact, both Mark Strambi and Neil Carey were keen to emphasise that in many areas, Croner is a significantly more advanced truck than its predecessor. "Particularly in electrical architecture," added a resolute Carey. Critically, however, their opinion of the truck’s inherent durability was well-founded. In the lead-up to its Thailand launch where Croner is built alongside UD’s heavy-duty Quester and Volvo models in the Thai-Swedish Assembly facility on Bangkok’s eastern outskirts, the model is said to have undergone one of the most gruelling test regimes in UD’s long history. In addition to 1.7 million engineering hours and 90 test rigs, a fleet of 100 field test trucks accrued around 1.4 million kilometres over 18 months, working in actual customer operations in markets as distant as Peru, South Africa, India, United Arab Emirates, and obviously, Thailand. According to a convincing Mat Ozono, the severity and duration of the test program left no doubt of Croner’s ability to endure harsh work in some of the world’s most diverse conditions. Similarly, and despite the desire to implement a number of advanced features, Neil Carey emphasised that "keeping it simple" was equally high on the local agenda. That meant, he explained, a cab, chassis and powertrain capable of serving a wide range of operations and body types, from flat-tops to tippers, vans, crates and specialist configurations such as hook-lifts, garbage compactors and the like. Smart Spec For Croner’s initial crack at the Australian market, ‘keeping it simple’ means just two models – 4x2 and 6x2 – with identical powertrains led by a Euro 5 version of the lively G8HE 7.7 litre, six cylinder common-rail engine offered by UD as part of Volvo’s group engine family. Actually, it is largely the same engine now powering an expanded line-up of UD’s flagship Quon range which in Euro 6 configuration recently made big news as the truck of choice for a large Linfox contract. Croner’s two Australian models are the 4x2 PK 18 280 and the 6x2 PD 25 280, each version dispensing 280hp and 1050Nm (774ft-lb) of torque through Allison’s stunningly smooth and highly intuitive Allison 3000-series six-speed automatic transmission. While there is no manual or automated transmission option, it took only a few hours behind the wheel of a pair of pre-production 4x2 units in and around Brisbane to easily agree with Neil Carey’s assessment that it would be an odd instance when anything other than the super-slick Allison better suited shorthaul suburban work. Mat Ozono agrees, citing increasing interest in the auto box from Croner markets in several parts of the globe, and in the process reinforcing the wisdom of specifying the Allison auto for a model that will almost certainly spend the bulk of its life battling through the ’burbs. Importantly, Croner is available with an optional engine-driven power take-off (PTO) or a locally-sourced transmission PTO with the choice of side or upper mounting points. It’s also worth pointing out that Croner’s maximum torque is notably higher than the 900Nm (664ft-lb) peak on the superseded Condor, allowing UD to specify a faster and potentially more fuel efficient standard diff ratio: 5.57:1 compared to Condor’s 6.17. At this stage there is no limited slip diff option but as with most things, market demand will ultimately determine future availability. Predictably, anti-lock drum brakes and an effective exhaust retarder provide the stopping power. Moving on, gross vehicle weight ratings are 17.5 tonnes on the 4x2 PK and 24.5 tonnes on the 6x2 PD, while both models have a gross combination mass (GCM) rating of 32 tonnes. Typifying the wide range of intended workloads, there’s an equally wide range of wheelbase options. In fact, no less than eight lengths stretching from 3.75 to 6.5 metres on the two-axle model while its three-axle brother comes in 5.05, 5.7 and 6.7 metre versions. Underneath are parabolic front springs with a stabiliser bar and at the back, the choice of airbag or multi-leaf suspension, with air suspension on the rear ‘tag’ axle of the 6x2. However, for its initial foray into the market, an electronically controlled lifting tag axle will only be available on the shorter 5.05 metre wheelbase of the 6x2. As for the cab, it’s largely typical of the medium-duty class in that it’s 2.3 metres wide, offers easy entry and exit on two well-placed steps, provides excellent forward vision, ample mirrors, reasonable storage space, an air-suspended and suitably adjustable driver’s seat, and convenient switchgear and control layout. By any measure though, it’s a stretch to call the space behind the seats a ‘sleeper’ in the Australian sense. At best, it’s a marginally acceptable bunk area which, while well short of generous for anything other than a few hours snooze or an occasional overnight stay, at least provides a modicum of ‘wriggle room’ on a mattress more than half a metre wide. What’s more, it’s at least available with dealer-fitted curtains, so overall it’s potentially a better bunk than its Japanese counterparts. Meantime, the standard equipment list sports a number of worthwhile features including cruise control and what UD calls a ‘selective speed limiter’, allowing lower top speeds than the standard factory-set limit of 100km/h to be programmed by the truck owner through a password-protected function on the instrument panel. Obviously enough, the aims of the variable speed limiting function are to potentially enhance safety and fuel efficiency. But so, too, does an in-built ‘fuel coach’ strive to maximise efficiency through a digital display in the centre of the instrument cluster which highlights in real time how the driver’s performance is affecting fuel consumption. Whether the driver takes note or not is something else altogether, but the ‘fuel coach’ function at least allows him or her to gain some insight of the right foot’s influence. In a similar vein, ‘big brother’ is watching with UD citing the ability to download fuel and performance reports through Croner’s integral telematics functions. And finally on the cab, and indeed Croner in general, the overall build quality of both the pre-production units in Brisbane and those seen in Thailand appears absolutely first-rate. As Mat Ozono commented in a press statement, ‘Japanese reliability and robustness is in the DNA of UD trucks (and) Croner upholds that tradition.’ In fact, looking at the quality of Australia’s first Croners emerging from the Volvo and UD production plant in Thailand, the tradition is thriving. .

Steve Brooks, Trade Trucks AU / April 22, 2020 With its medium-duty 500-series range having already undergone a thorough and highly successful upgrade, the light-duty 300-series is probably next in line for a major modernisation program, with the possibility of an official launch later this year providing the world doesn’t fall further into Covid-19 contraction. After that, it’s a fair bet there will be a dramatic revitalisation of the flagship 700-series family when many of the safety and operational enhancements delivered in the reborn 500-series are likely to be carried over to its bigger brother. Hino isn’t giving any clues about when a rejuvenated heavy-duty line-up might make an appearance, but our guess is the first half of 2021. Vitally, it remains to be seen if this generational update of its heavy-duty range will include a significant performance boost to Hino’s current 12.9 litre E13C six cylinder engine, but it would certainly be surprising if bigger grunt wasn’t part of a substantially upgraded package. After all, European competitors are now comfortably pulling substantially bigger performance peaks from similar displacements. DAF’s latest MX-13 engine, for instance, now pulls up to 530 hp and more than 1900 lb ft of torque from its 12.9 litre displacement while Volvo extracts 540 hp and a touch over 1900 lb ft from its evergreen D13C engine. Not to be outdone, Mercedes-Benz and Scania boast similar outputs from similarly sized engines. Yet perhaps the biggest influence for Hino to jump to higher levels of power and torque than currently available in its 700-series will be the fact that no other Japanese heavy truck brand currently offers a 13 litre displacement. Not Fuso, not UD and critically, not market leader Isuzu. Sure, with its flagship GigaMax model, Isuzu is the only Japanese maker to currently offer a 500-something rating but it comes from a lumpy and largely outdated 15.7 litre engine limited to a relatively tame torque peak of 1663 lb ft. In the modern world, engines of this displacement are dispensing at least 550 to 600 hp and a minimum 1850 lb ft of torque. To offer less in this day and age is a distinct case of too much metal and not enough muscle. Or, simply inefficient. It’s no secret, however, that Isuzu is in close contact with Cummins for a high performance engine in the 12 to 13 litre class but so far, and much to Isuzu Australia’s frustration, there’s nothing on the horizon to suggest a tangible example from this relationship will appear anytime soon. (We are, however, now starting to hear reports – very quiet reports – that a prominent Brisbane fleet operator is heavily involved in development and trials of a heavy-duty Isuzu model powered by a Cummins ISG 12 litre engine. Stay tuned, but right now that remains another story for another day.) As for Fuso and UD, there’s no sign of their corporate master – Daimler and Volvo respectively – approving the use of ‘family’ engines in the 13 litre class for fear the Japanese brands would impact on sales of their European brethren. All this points to a rare opportunity for Hino. After all, with no corporate commercial clash deriving from its place as an offshoot of global car giant Toyota, Hino appears to have the potential to not only take a significant performance leap over its Japanese competitors in the heavy-duty class, but also become more of a challenger to the Europeans than ever before. Right now, the door is wide open for Hino but only time will tell if a new range of heavies will go far enough to turn what appears to be obvious potential into commercial reality.

Trade Trucks AU / April 28, 2020 In keeping with present Covid-19 pandemic strictures, UD Trucks and parent Volvo have conducted a virtual walkaround of a new UD Croner PD. Hosted by recently elevated Volvo Group Australia strategic projects and communication ns manager Matt Wood, the facebook initiative took a closer look at the 6x2 PD model with a 14 pallet curtainsider body. Though the 4x2 PK gets a mention or two, it is very much in a supporting role for this exercise. "The big news for Croner is under the skin, the things you can’t necessarily see at first glance," Woods avers. "For a start, the Croner offers more grunt than its medium-duty predecessor. "While it still puts out 280 horsepower, the 8-litre GH8E makes 1,050 Newton metres of torque, up from 883 Newton metres from the original Condor 7-litre. "But importantly, it makes this torque from just 1,100 rpm, which, from behind the wheel, adds quite a bit more flexibility to the engine. "Of course, this also contributes to fuel efficiency, as well." Woods, a former ATN/OwnerDriver technical journalist and something of a video pioneer, then switches on the vaudeville when addressing gears. "As far as gearboxes go, you can have any transmission you like, as long as it’s a 6-speed 3000 Series Alison automatic," he says, adding that it is PDO-capable. More seriously, Woods notes improved GVM and GCM, with the former at 24.5-tonne and the latter 32-tonne. The PK comes in at 17.5-tonne and 32-tonne. Both models come either in multileaf or air suspension, the latter at four bags for the PD and two for the PK. Woods is a fan of the trucks having a ride-control set-up, an addition to Japanese vehicles more commonly seen on European counterparts. He also keen to highlight the 18 wheel-base options, allowing for a range of work applications. Before getting to the in-cab safety programs, daylight running lights to enhance on-road visibility are noted. Meanwhile, the cab meets ECE 29 strength requirements, and electronic brake force distribution and self-adjusting S-cam brakes are standard. The steering wheel houses an SRS airbag, while the driver’s knees are looked after by an impact-absorbing area beneath the dash – a carry-over from the Condor predecessor. The media unit has for five cameras along with the standard sat-nav. The otherwise simple instruments have the capability to alert the drivers that they are "driving like a wally". Wireless mobile phone charging is optional. A soft touch on information technology, Woods, pointing to a slot next to the door marked ‘For Driver ID" happily explains how connected the vehicle can be. "This truck can talk to the rest of the Volvo Group family," he says. "So, if you are an operator with a Mack or a Volvo, and you’re hooked up to our telematics system, which is Mack Telematics or Volvo’s Dynafleet or in this case UD Telematics, this truck can talk to the rest of the group product. "And this little driver ID fob means we can load a driver profile on to a USB and that driver profile can log into the telematics system regardless of which one of our branded trucks he’s driving. "It also means the customer gets all his trucks in the one telematics portal, which is a first for us." While Croner is available locally and is suited for presently hot-button duties, such as last-mile and parcel/ecommerce delivery, Woods notes it is in limited supply so early in the piece. .

The U.S. Navy also operated tandem axle MB611s, moving food from their warehouses to the base commissaries.

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