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Transport Topics / October 30, 2017 ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern Railway has filed a federal lawsuit against an Alabama company, claiming the company failed to use proper protective coating on more than 4.7 million wooden railroad ties. Norfolk Southern says it is being forced to replace millions of defective railroad ties because they’re degrading faster than expected, the company said in a lawsuit filed this month in U.S. District Court in Alabama. Instead of using materials that preserve the wood, officials with Boatright Railroad Products Inc. ordered workers to “make them black by whatever means necessary” so they appeared to be properly treated but were not, Norfolk Southern maintains in the suit. “So long as the railroad ties had the same physical appearance as a tie that had been properly treated, it did not matter to defendants if the substance used to ‘make it black’ was actually a wood preservative at all.” Motor oil, anti-freeze, paint and other substances that would not effectively preserve the wood were used on the ties instead of creosote — the chemical which should have been used, the company alleges. Boatright also provided misleading samples to a consultant for the railroad who was checking on the quality of its work, the lawsuit alleges. The Alabama firm’s employees were instructed to take the consultant out hunting at the same time he was to be inspecting railroad ties being treated at the facility, the lawsuit states. A lawyer who represented Boatright in previous legal matters didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Oct. 30. Properly treated rail ties are “crucial” to the railroad’s operations, as untreated ones can “degrade and deteriorate prematurely, thereby jeopardizing the safety and integrity of Norfolk Southern’s rail network and the interstate rail network as a whole,” the company’s complaint states. Safety is a top priority, and Norfolk Southern “continues to inspect and closely monitor the condition of all cross ties across its rail network in accordance with the highest industry standards,” the railroad said in a statement Oct. 30 to The Associated Press. “Any tie found to be experiencing premature degradation will be replaced before it can pose a risk to safety,” the statement said. Several Amtrak routes use Norfolk Southern’s tracks for passenger trains. It’s possible that passengers could face some delays as ties are replaced, said Sean Jeans-Gail, vice president of government affairs and policy at the National Association of Railroad Passengers. The state of the nation’s railroad tracks has come under scrutiny in recent months amid concerns about derailments of lengthy trains hauling oil or ethanol in the Midwest and the South. The National Academies of Sciences recently called for more thorough inspections of freight railroad tracks. More frequent inspections are needed to prevent potentially catastrophic derailments of trains hauling oil and ethanol in which ruptured tank cars can produce giant fireballs, the scientific organization said in a report this month. Virginia-based Norfolk Southern operates freight trains in more than 20 states in the southern and eastern United States. From 2009 to 2014, Boatright provided Norfolk Southern with nearly 5 million railroad ties, and virtually all of them were installed in the railroad’s network, the lawsuit said. About 4.5 million of them are described as cross ties; and 193,000 are switch ties. Also included in the total are about 72,000 inferior bridge ties, according to the suit. .

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/43765-ford-preparing-diesel-powered-f-150/

I really appreciate a good truck parts metal fabricator. As they mentioned, Northside builds the utility box.........http://www.northsideind.ca/ And Carco installs it.............http://www.carcoindustries.com/ Western Star does little more than cut two checks.

Scania Group Press Release / October 30, 2017 Scania’s net sales in the first nine months of 2017 rose to a record high SEK 86.4 billion, an increase of 15 percent compared to the previous year. Demand for the new truck range was good and the service trend remains positive. Summary of the first nine months of 2017 Operating income, excluding items affecting comparability, amounted to SEK 9,080 m. (7,492) Operating income rose to SEK 9,080 m. (3,692) Net sales increased by 15 percent to SEK 86,403 m. (75,209) Cash flow amounted to SEK 3,007 m. (-192) in Vehicles and Services Comments by Henrik Henriksson, President and CEO “Scania’s net sales in the first nine months of 2017 rose to a record high SEK 86.4 billion, an increase of 15 percent compared to the previous year. Demand for the new truck range was good and the service trend remains positive. The period was affected by a high investment level, higher production costs for running double product ranges and a less favourable market mix. In spite of this, the company managed to present strong earnings for the first nine months of 2017 of SEK 9,080 m., giving an operating margin of 10.5 percent. In the third quarter, in addition to continued high cost levels, currency started to impact negatively on earnings. Order bookings for trucks rose by 27 percent in the first nine months compared to the year-earlier period. The strong demand for trucks continued in Europe. The trend in Latin America is positive and we see increased demand in Brazil from very low levels. In Eurasia, the trend in demand is positive, mainly due to Russia’s continued recovery. In Asia, demand increased thanks to strong sales efforts, particularly in China and Iran. Order bookings in Buses and Coaches were strong overall and increased by 2 percent compared to the same period in 2016. In the business area Engines, the demand trend is positive in all segments. Service revenue amounted to a record high SEK 17.5 billion, an increase of 11 percent. Financial Services reported operating income of SEK 862 million and credit losses remain at low levels. In September the second stage in Scania’s introduction of the new generation trucks was launched – the Scania XT range with trucks tailor-made for the construction and forestry industries. In October Scania received the decision from the European Commission concerning alleged inappropriate exchange of information. Scania contests its findings and will appeal against it. Scania also emphasises that it has co-operated fully with the European Commission during the investigation period.” .

Scania Group Press Release / October 28, 2017 Scania in Brazil has launched the V8-powered Super Road Train R620 6x4. The truck-trailer combination meets local weight regulations with 11 axles for a load capacity of up to 91 metric tones (200,621 pounds). It meets the needs of the Brazilian agricultural industry for sugar cane and grain transports. One of Brazil’s largest sugar cane producers, Usina São Martinho, has already purchased 12 truck and trailer units. The Super Road Train can be operated from fields where the cane is loaded via dirt roads onto motorways all the way to the processing plants. New Brazilian legislation permits transport of up to 100 km for vehicle combinations with a total combined gross weight under 91 tonnes, a maximum height of 4,40 m and a length of 28–30 metres. V8 engine ideal for this new application Responding to industry demands, Scania came to the conclusion the V8 engine would be ideal for this new application. The 620 horsepower 16.4 litre V8 engine develops 3,000 Nm of torque ranging from 1,000 to 1,400 rpm and gives Scania the highest power and torque rating among competitors in Brazil. The Super Road Train has been adapted for optimal performance, including an off-road engine air filtration system installed in the rear of the cab. Another adaption is that the brake system has been complemented with a third compressed air supply for simultaneous braking throughout the combination of the truck, semi-trailer and trailer when the parking brake is engaged. .

The United States is the only country in the world that taxes the “foreign-earned” income of its citizens. If you’re a UK citizen working in France, you naturally pay taxes on your salary to the French government. However you pay nothing to the UK. Why would you? Based on what we’re being told, Manafort received payments overseas working as a consultant. That’s not a crime. Manafort apparently didn’t like the idea of paying taxes twice on his foreign-earned income, once to the foreign country where the money was earned, and again to the US. I can appreciate that. He put his foreign-earned income in tax havens such as Cyprus, St Vincent and the Grenadines. He has no right to place his foreign-earned income where he wants? For the record, generally speaking, I dislike consultants and politicians (because it means they’re a cheat and a liar. And when they’re not kissing babies, they’re stealing their lollipops).

Paul Manafort: how decades of serving dictators led to role as Trump's go-to guy The Guardian / October 30, 2017 A multimillion-dollar spending spree, allegedly using funds from the former Soviet bloc, appears to have caught up with Trump’s one-time campaign chief A home improvement company in the Hamptons, New York, is on the list for more than $5m. An antique rug store in Alexandria, Virginia, is down for almost $1m. A men’s clothing store in New York: $849,215. A clothing store in Beverly Hills, California: $520,440. A contractor in Florida: $432,487. An indictment unsealed on Monday morning lists dozens of alleged payments by Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, to stores and businesses since 2008. In nearly all the transactions, cash flowed from accounts in tax havens such as Cyprus and St Vincent and the Grenadines. For years, the transglobal torrent of money drenched luxury retail outlets and real estate offices from New York to California and back again, the indictment says. Art galleries, landscapers, car dealerships – none of the retailers seem to have checked very carefully where the cash came from. Amid the shopping sprees, Manafort himself returned frequently to the alleged sources of his fortune in the former Soviet bloc. The consultant-for-hire had set up shop at 4 Sophia Street in Kiev back in 2005, as Ukraine struggled through waves of election, revolution and reverses. There, Manafort found high demand for his skills as a former Washington lobbyist for some of the world’s most notorious despots – Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko, the Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos and Angolan rebel Jonas Savimbi among them. Soon, his sphere of operation came to include members of the Russian oligarchy. But none of those clients was as significant as the one waiting in his future: Donald Trump. For five months in the spring of 2016, as Trump scrambled to lock down a resistant Republican party, Manafort stepped in as campaign chairman, offering all the street smarts that 40 years of selling advice out of a briefcase had taught him. Manafort’s partnership with Trump appears to have ended for good on Monday, when Manafort surrendered at FBI headquarters, without a word from the president in his defense. Along with a former business partner, Rick Gates, Manafort faces federal charges including conspiracy, money laundering and tax evasion. None of the cash that helped Manafort “enjoy a lavish lifestyle” had made a stop at the Internal Revenue Service, prosecutors claim. It seems a dazzling fall for a man who just one year ago was on the verge of celebrating one of the greatest political upsets of all time, the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Manafort might have hoped the victory would deliver him from legal peril – and it could yet, given the president’s powers to grant pardon. But the conversion of a campaign chairman to potential felon represents a criminal crisis of historic dimensions for US politics, and the culmination of a presidential campaign story that seems out of place for American democracy – even as it seems of a perfect piece with the nominee. Manafort, 68, began his career in politics in 1976, working as a field lieutenant on the floor of the Republican national convention to stave off an attack on the incumbent president, Gerald Ford, by an upstart called Ronald Reagan. Four years later, Manafort was working for Reagan, and directly after his 1980 victory, Manafort opened a lobbying firm with the future Trump adviser Roger Stone, Charles Black and, later, Peter Kelly. The firm came to specialize in cultivating favors in Washington on behalf of foreign clients with difficult images. “Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly lined up most of the dictators in the world that we could find,” Stone said in a podcast last year. “Pro-western dictators, of course. Dictators are in the eye of the beholder.” A 1992 Center for Public Integrity report placed the firm atop its rankings of a group it called “the Torturer’s Lobby”. Manafort, who has denied all wrongdoing, has said that his consulting work helped to achieve victories for democracy in otherwise out-of-reach places. Trump liked Manafort’s sales pitch. In February 2016, the real estate tycoon had already won three stunning victories in state primary contests, but the campaign feared the Republican party would find a way to rob Trump of victory at the last minute, at the national party convention. Given the comparative placidity of recent presidential contests, almost no one had relevant experience of herding delegates in a convention setting, with one notable exception: Manafort. Manafort’s CV was a perfect fit for Trump. But for a candidate who prized personal loyalty above all else, even more important was Manafort’s status as a downstairs neighbor. In 2006, Manafort had spent $3.7m on an apartment in Trump Tower in Manhattan. Trump hired Manafort, who quickly rose to the level of campaign chairman. Trump secured the presidential nomination. And then, with a reality TV showman palpably close to the presidency, everything came under a microscope as it never had before. Manafort did not last long under the scrutiny. It emerged that a handwritten ledger recovered from the home of the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych listed $12.7m in payments to Manafort’s company. As questions mounted about Manafort’s undisclosed work for Kremlin-linked political interests, he was forced to step down from the campaign, just one month after the convention euphoria. Under pressure from investigators, Manafort registered as a foreign agent in June 2017 – but by then it was too late. Reports had emerged that special counsel Robert Mueller was scrutinizing Manafort on suspicion of money laundering. A month later, FBI agents stormed Manafort’s home in a pre-dawn raid, seizing computers and documents. At the time, Trump spoke in Manafort’s defense. “I’ve always found Paul Manafort to be a very decent man,” Trump said at the time. “He’s like a lot of other people, probably makes consultant fees from all over the place, who knows, I don’t know. “But I thought it was pretty tough stuff.”

Driving the International HV James Menzies, Truck News / October 30, 2017 NEW CARLISLE, Ind. – International Truck has brought to market the new HV model, an updated WorkStar truck for vocational applications. The exterior went unchanged, but the HV now features the new interior that’s being adopted across most of International’s product line, including the LT and RH models. The key advantages of the new interior are a modern design, with more vibrant color driver display, and repositioned mirrors that offer better visibility. The company says its mirrors were moved forward to require less head movement – 15% to the left and 5% to the right. I drove an HV Series dump truck on the off-road course at Navistar’s New Carlisle, Ind., proving grounds in early October. The visibility was improved, thanks also to the removal of the vent windows and the lowering of the window beltline, resulting in more glass and fewer obstructions. New doors reduce exterior noise and will keep the cab more comfortable in extreme temperatures. They offer twice the stiffness as the previous door design, and feature a reinforced door pocket that doubles as a grab handle to support even the heaviest drivers when climbing in and out of the truck. The truck I drove had the standard International A-26 engine, producing 475 hp and 1,700 lb.-ft. of torque. The transmission was a six-speed Allison automatic, featuring the new steering column-mounted stalk shifter, which freed up some room in the driver environment. The new stalk shifter also controls the engine brake. The dash is better laid out, with a highly customizable center panel. It can house up to 30 switches to accommodate complex body types. The HV also gets an improved HVAC system, including a max defrost setting that can clear a window of ice much faster than the previous design. A new vent has been added in the center of the console to provide greater comfort to the middle passenger in bench seat configurations. Larger switches are easier to access while wearing work gloves. A power distribution center is mounted on the top of the passenger side dash. The circuit breakers are protected from spilled beverages, thanks to a cleverly designed trough that directs any liquids – even spills as large as a Big Gulp – away from the sensitive electronics. The Bluetooth speaker has been relocated to a better home on the door post for improved audio. The HV is intended for lighter-duty vocational applications than its bigger brother, the HX Series. The HX comes in an aluminum cab and maintains its own distinct styling and interior, with some features carried over from the now defunct truck making partnership with Caterpillar. The HV interior is a straight carry-over from the LT and RH and the truck features a steel cab. It’s a less expensive option that’s still capable of some heavy-duty vocational applications, but the 12.4-liter A-26 engine is the largest available engine offering. It can also be spec’d with all-wheel drive, which the HX cannot. The HV offers much improved visibility over the WorkStar, and a quieter ride thanks to the more robust, better-sealed doors. The 50-degree inside wheel cut afforded excellent maneuverability and the entire dash and driver display bring a more modern look and feel to the interior of the HV. The previous interior hadn’t changed significantly in 16 years, so WorkStar drivers will appreciate the update. LoneStar gets new cab, too The same cab that was carried over to the HV was also given to the International LoneStar. “The entire driver environment has been redesigned, and we did that with feedback from driver clinics,” said Tom Harting, during a drive around Navistar’s three-mile oval track. The International LoneStar highway tractor retains its unique, bold exterior design, but now incorporates the interior improvements being rolled out across International’s product line. Harting said image-conscious fleets and owner-operators are the main LoneStar buyers, with some larger fleets buying a few as reward trucks. It’s available exclusively with the Cummins X15 engine. .

Phase 2 trailer efficiency regs shelved Jason Cannon, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / October 27, 2017 A federal appeals court on Friday paused implementing portions of tightened greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards that were set to take effect in January for trailers. The Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association (TTMA) last month requested that the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals in D.C. suspend planned enforcement of EPA Greenhouse Gas Phase 2 (GHG2) with regard to trailers, citing the EPA’s prior agreement that further rule making was needed. Friday, that stay was granted by a three-judge panel. Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) panned the decision. Michelle Robinson, director of the Clean Vehicles Program for the USC, says GHG2 was set to reduce oil consumption in the U.S. by more than a million barrels every two days, and cut 1.1 billion metric tons of pollution over the lifetime of the trucks covered by the rule. “Making trailers more efficient delivered at least 10 percent of these benefits,” she added through a statement issued by the organization. “Now, the court has sided with trailer manufacturers who don’t want to comply with the rule, and the Trump administration has already signaled its intent to let them off the hook completely by revising the regulations.” In April, TTMA requested the trailer initiative be paused, and questioned the EPA’s authority to regulate trailers under the Clean Air Act sine the act only covers “self-propelled vehicles.” Friday’s decision to grant TTMA’s request for a stay doesn’t permanently scrap Phase 2 with regard to trailer efficiency. The EPA says it plans to reevaluate its trailer provisions through public comment and rule-making, which is likely to carry over into next year.

Kevin Jones, Trailer-Body Builders / October 27, 2017 WINDSOR, ON. Recognizing that vocational truck users need crew cab space, but not necessarily more space for crew, Western Star will soon introduce a cab extension package that allows customers multiple options on the amount of room behind the front seats and, more importantly, the freedom to configure that extra room as they see fit. John Tomlinson, XD and vocational sales manager for Western Star, provided Trailer/Body Builders with an exclusive preview of the IronFeather 24” Back Pack Cab Extension System this week at the Canadian Transportation Equipment Association Technology Conference here. Essentially, the back pack system is a variation of the Western Star extended cab crew cab, introduced earlier this year. “The more I talked to customers, the more I found that many of them actually don’t use the crew and extended cabs for a crew seating, they use it for storage—but it’s the only thing they could get,” Tomlinson said. “So we took that and went back to the drawing table: Why don’t we just design something for storage?” Indeed, Tomlinson tells of simply walking outside his home where utility workers had parked a truck equipped with a crew cab. He asked if he could look inside, and found the seating area covered with gear—tools, jackets, notebooks. And he also tells of vocational customers who have fabricated their own work-arounds—though these perhaps were not up to OEM engineering standards. So, in keeping with Western Star’s recent innovation push to leverage its unique market position as a small, premium brand backed by Daimler, the world’s largest truck manufacturer, the company worked with Northside Industries (NSI) on a factory-built solution. The system will be presented formally at the NTEA Work Truck Show next March. “It was pretty easy for Western Star. We have an open-back cab, so all of our sleepers use a socket,” Tomlinson said. “We worked with the people that developed our crew cab, NSI, to develop this Back Pack system that uses our socket mounting. It snaps on right at the factory; we get CARCO to do the install.” While a 12-in. storage extension and the full crew cab have been announced, the new Back Pack will be available in 12-in. and 24-in. configurations, or with a 36-in. extension that can be equipped as a rest cab sleeper, with a 3-person certified bench seat, or even with a work table. Among the marketing bullet points: • The extremely light weight storage units are fully customizable • Clean design allows users to fabricate custom interiors; and • The extension can be set up for light loads or heavy loads using rear chassis mounting. The absence of a crew cab had kept Western Star “out of a lot markets,” Tomlinson noted, but customers have insisted the brand would be “in” with the option. And now Western Star has upped the ante: The IronFeather Crew Cab and the Back Pack extension are available with all Models including the big bore Detroit DD16 and Cummins ISX engine offerings. More to come in the spring.

Car & Driver / October 27, 2017 Ford has confirmed that it’s bringing back the Bronco as a four-door SUV for 2020, but one customizer of vintage trucks thought, “Why wait?” The result is this first-generation Bronco made into a four-door and dubbed the Four Horseman. The build is by Maxlider Brothers Customs, a Chicago-area shop that specializes in Broncos. Starting with a ’66 truck, the team, led by brothers Erik and Kris Barnlund, lengthened the chassis by 26 inches. A supercharged 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 from Roush Performance supplies the power—600 horses’ worth; four-wheel disc brakes by Wilwood keep a leash on the big brute. Naturally, the Bronco is four-wheel drive; the axles are from Currie Industries, with Yukon Gear & Axle supplying the driveshafts, differentials, and locking hubs. MJR Industries created the custom suspension, which includes Fox Racing shocks. BFGoodrich 37 x 12.5/20 tires wrap 20-by-12.5-inch gloss-black wheels. Power-deploying assist steps help passengers climb aboard. The custom-fabricated interior includes three rows of seats, upholstered in marine performance vinyl, while Wetsounds Bluetooth sound bars and subwoofers help supply the tunes. The four-door Bronco is headed to this year’s SEMA show and will compete in that event’s Battle of the Builders. Will Four Horseman bring doomsday to its rivals? We’ll have to wait and see. .

Double shot of Ram in '18 could strike Silverado Larry Vellequette, Automotive News / October 30, 2017 FCA will crank out older 1500s in a bid to bump Chevy Heads-up, Chevy. Ram has a plan, it seems, to knock the Silverado out of the No. 2 spot in the full-size pickup segment in 2018 and cut into sales of the midsize Colorado at the same time. How? By continuing to build the current-generation Ram 1500 — likely backed by attractive discounts — while ramping up production of the redesigned Ram 1500. The new Ram, code-named DT, debuts in January at the Detroit auto show. Production will begin the same month at the retooled Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit. FCA said last week the move to Sterling Heights will expand Ram 1500 capacity by 60,000 trucks annually over current levels. In addition, CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed that FCA will keep the current Ram 1500, code-named DS, on a single shift at the nearby Warren Truck Assembly Plant through 2018. That means even more trucks on dealership lots next year. "I think this is a brilliant plan," said Ralph Mahalak Jr., who owns six FCA dealerships in Michigan, Ohio and Florida. "We can certainly use more trucks." Costs amortized Warren Truck builds up to 100 DS Ram 1500s per shift, which could push another 25,000 half-ton trucks onto the market in 2018 — with their development and tooling costs fully amortized. "The Ram realignment was always designed to allow for parallel production in Sterling Heights and in Warren," Marchionne told analysts last week as FCA reported third- quarter earnings. "Effectively, when we get the new truck up and running at full scale in Sterling we will bring down capacity to one full shift" in Warren, he said. "That will continue indefinitely as long as we see market needs not being satisfied by the overall production capacity. It's going to be an interesting exercise in 2018 as we run it out." The ramp-up to full production in Sterling Heights should take less than six months. But if dealers and consumers keep buying the DS pickup, Marchionne said FCA will keep making it. "My expectation is that we'll run the old installation — and at least for the whole of 2018," he said. "Production capacity is confirmed, so it's up to us to decide how long we run it." Through September, full-size pickup sales are up 5.2 percent, according to the AutomotiveNewsDataCenter. Ram has closed the gap with the Silverado by about 21,000 trucks compared with last year, and has beaten its crosstown rival in three months in 2017. Ram has never finished ahead of the Silverado for a full year. Lean stocks FCA's inventory of unsold Ram pickups is running lean, as are those of the Ford F series and Silverado. While a 60-day supply is considered ideal for car stocks, automakers have typically considered a 100-day supply appropriate for pickups. That's because of the vast number of models, variants and trims dealers must keep in stock. On Oct. 1, FCA reported 152,000 unsold Ram pickups in inventory, an 84-day supply. Ford reported 240,000 F series trucks in stock, a 76-day supply, and Chevy had 180,000 unsold Silverados, an 85-day supply. An FCA spokesman refused to comment further on the company's 2018 strategy for the Ram pickup lineup and whether the Silverado is being targeted. Dave Sullivan, an analyst with AutoPacific, said FCA's motivation likely has more to do with meeting its aggressive 2018 financial targets than bragging rights. "This is about flexing the profit machine as FCA shows what they are really capable of generating for potential suitors," Sullivan said. "Ram will probably ramp up some lower cost/higher incentivized trucks based on the outgoing model to take on compact pickup prices," Sullivan said, adding that Ram is likely to argue to consumers that they "can get more truck from Ram for the same price as a Colorado," Sullivan said. "Because this [current-generation] truck's tooling is amortized, they can offer discounts on it while reducing incentives for the new model. When production stops in Warren and inventory decreases, the hope will be that Ram can hit the reset button for the new Ram and not have it rely as heavily on discounts." For dealers, anything that brings more Ram 1500s to their lots while pickup sales are hot is welcome news, especially amid a booming construction industry. Mahalak said: "Most dealers, will order the new truck as a high-line vehicle, and the old truck as more of a base offering. "It will increase the number of trucks we're able to offer and the price points as well." .

The truck that built Ford Michael Martinez & Richard Truett, Automotive News / October 29, 2017 A century ago, Model TT paved the way for an automotive juggernaut DETROIT — On July 27, 1917, Henry Ford responded to customer demands by introducing a model that fastened an open bed behind the cab of his popular Model T car. He called it the Model TT, and it sold for $600. It may have been his most important business decision since founding the company that bears his name. Today, the success or failure of Ford Motor Co. rests in the bed of its F-series pickups. The F series is Ford's most profitable vehicle — five years ago, Morgan Stanley estimated that it single-handedly generated 90 percent of Ford's global profits — and it has managed to outsell its rivals for four consecutive decades. Over the last 100 years, Ford became such a dominant seller of pickups because of the myriad choices it offered consumers, said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. "It's the fact that they so early on recognized a market for trucks and were one of the first ones to support a wide range of truck styles," Brauer told Automotive News. "It's that breadth of configurations that has continued to prove one of its major advantages." The Model TT, which logged 209 sales in its first calendar year, was made with a chassis that could accommodate third-party beds, allowing for a wide range of uses. It quickly became popular with farmers and other workers in rural areas. Henry Ford was no stranger to trucks. Before he founded his company, he worked at Detroit Automobile Co., where one of his first ventures was production of a delivery truck, although it did not sell well, and the company eventually folded. The Model TT was a different story. Ford says it had sold 1.3 million pickups by 1928. That year, it replaced the TT with the Model AA, a pickup with a 1.5-ton chassis. It came in two lengths and with new powertrain and axle options for greater capacity. Five years later, Ford replaced it with the Model BB. Two years after that, in 1935, Ford introduced the Model 50 pickup, which came with a flathead V-8 engine. "That really gave it some extra power," said Bob Kreipke, corporate historian for Ford. "Now it was able to carry even heavier loads, and you could build bigger boxes on the back." F series arrives Things changed with the onset of World War II, when Ford switched to wartime production of bomber planes and military vehicles, including Jeeps. Following the war, Ford benefited from a booming economy, and its president, Henry Ford II, vowed to make Ford the pickup sales leader. Sensing an opportunity as rural families moved to cities to find work, and soldiers returned home, Ford in 1948 launched its F-series Bonus Built trucks, which ranged from the half-ton F-1 to the Class 7, 3-ton-rated F-8. "They helped rebuild America," Kreipke said. Ford ads promoted the trucks by citing statistics showing that buyers could expect them to last 10 years. No one at Ford is sure who is responsible for the original F-series styling. More than likely it was Bob Gregorie, Ford's first design chief, says retired Ford engineer Jim Wagner, of Plymouth, Mich., author of the book Ford Trucks Since 1905. Gregorie left Ford in 1946, but Wagner says the 1948 F series was well underway by that time. The styling of the 1948 model was a complete break from the past. More importantly, Ford recognized that consumers wanted more comfort. Ford designers paid extra attention to the seats — which had more padding and a separate, adjustable backrest — the ventilation system and wide-opening doors. "The truck became kind of accepted and suddenly became things you didn't mind going to church on Sunday in, either," Kreipke said. The second-generation F series arrived in 1953 with power improvements and a new naming convention. The F-1 became the F-100, while F-2 and F-3 trucks were integrated into the new F-250 line. The F-4 became the F-350. Class 8 trucks were spun off into a new C-series commercial truck unit that produced C-, H-, L-, N-, T- and W-series Ford trucks. That year, Ford began offering more special features, including armrests, dome lights and sun visors. The trucks came with two-tone paint, automatic transmissions and an improved heater and radio. During that time, Kreipke said, Ford expanded its pickup marketing to younger buyers who could use the vehicles for a day at the beach or a romantic picnic with their sweethearts. In the 1960s, it offered the Falcon Ranchero — a car-based pickup billed as "More Than a Car! More Than a Truck!" Kreipke said it helped pave the way for the smaller Ranger pickup in 1982. While Ford outsold its rivals in pickups in the early 1970s, Chevrolet was the leader from 1973 to 1976. Ford replaced the F-100 with the F-150 nameplate in 1975, and the name has stuck to present day. Keep on truckin' Pickups have been driving Ford's success for 100 years Becoming No. 1 Ford reclaimed the sales title in 1977 — and hasn't given it up since. That year, a copywriter for a Ford trucks magazine is said to have coined the phrase "Built Ford Tough." "The success of our truck line has been that we've constantly tried to see what the customer wants in that vehicle and then keep raising the bar," Kreipke said. "To sustain sales, you have to constantly upgrade your product." Not every change went over well with customers. Rounded "jelly-bean" styling introduced in the 1997 model year was abandoned during the next redesign after sales began to slide. In 1998, Ford introduced the Super Duty name for the F-250 through the F-750, which mainly were used for commercial businesses. In the following years, it added more expensive trim levels with fancier interiors and more technology. In 2011, Ford pickups first came with an EcoBoost V-6 engine that increased fuel efficiency without sacrificing power. The most important recent update happened in 2014, when Ford gutted its massive F-150 plants in Dearborn, Mich., and Kansas City, Mo., to retool them for building pickups with a body made of aluminum instead of steel to slash weight. It was a costly and risky decision, and though rivals such as General Motors have attempted to portray the aluminum body as weak, the changeover happened relatively smoothly, and sales continued to rise. More recently, the automaker has added a 10-speed transmission and a host of driver-assist features. It has a diesel version of the F-150 on the way soon. Ford is reintroducing the Ranger midsize pickup to the U.S. in 2019 and, at the end of the decade, it will add a hybrid variant of the F-150. "They're certainly positioning themselves to maintain a pure tech advantage over their competitors, and they also have a strong brand loyalty," Brauer said. "They have everything in place to maintain their dominance, but they do have to do what they've been doing, which is aggressive innovation. It'd be easier than ever for a competitor with a superior product to sway buyers away from Ford." Challenges ahead Pickup buyers are known to be extremely brand loyal, Brauer said. But that loyalty does have its limits. "It's harder to maintain than ever before," he said. "We've found that customers have a willingness to simply find the best deal versus always sticking with the same brands. Even the truck market is subjected to that reality." More challenges could be on the horizon. As Ford and other automakers work to develop autonomous-vehicle technology, the trucking industry is widely regarded as a prime candidate to adopt self-driving systems. Ford has said its first autonomous vehicles could be used for commercial uses such as package delivery, although it hasn't specified what kind of vehicles those would be. Brauer cautioned that Ford could fall behind if another company introduces a self-driving pickup that fleet businesses and other customers would want. "If they can't keep pace with the autonomous technology," he said, "it could threaten their dominance." Photo gallery - http://www.autonews.com/article/20171029/RETAIL01/171039996/the-truck-that-built-ford .

Christ Church in Virginia votes to remove George Washington and Robert E. Lee memorial plaques The Miami Herald / October 28, 2017 For two decades, George Washington attended ChristChurch in Alexandria, Virginia. Now, the episcopalian place of worship is saying it will take down plaques in honor of Washington and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who also attended the church, because they make some “feel unsafe or unwelcome.” [???] “The Vestry has unanimously decided that the plaques create a distraction [???] in our worship space and may create an obstacle to our identity as a welcoming church, and an impediment to our growth and to full community with our neighbors,” the church wrote in an Oct. 26 statement that was signed by 13 members of its governing council. “Accordingly, the plaques will be relocated no later than the summer of 2018.” In its letter, ChristChurch wrote that “some choose not to return” because of the twin plaques [???], which were constructed in 1870, just two months after the death of Lee. The plaques are made of stone and emblazoned with the words “In memory of George Washington” and “In memory of Robert E. Lee” in gold letters. They are placed on both sides of the altar. “We understand that both Washington and Lee lived in times much different than our own*, and that each man, in addition to his public persona, was a complicated human being, and like all of us, a child of God,” the church wrote. “Today, the legacy of slavery and of the Confederacy is understood differently than it was in 1870. For some, Lee symbolizes the attempt to overthrow the Union and to preserve slavery.” “Today our country is trying once again to come to grips with the history of slavery and the subsequent disenfranchisement of people of color. The Vestry believes that the memorial plaques to George Washington and Robert E. Lee should be considered together.” George Washington bought pew No. 5 at ChristChurch when its doors first opened in 1773 and would attend it frequently for another 20 years. It’s still unknown what new home the plaques will have by next summer, the church wrote, but a committee will look at different options and make a recommendation in April. Inspired by conversation on the topic, ChristChurch also wrote that it plans to organize a group of parishioners that will play a role in “developing a narrative for ChristChurch that spotlights many of the parishioners and experiences that give us our identity.” “This decision is a beginning,” the church wrote, “not an end.” In August, Baltimore quietly removed four Confederate statues in the middle of the night, according to The New York Times. That happened shortly after clashes between white supremacists and anti-racist protestors rocked the town of Charlottesville, Virginia, which decided to remove a statue of Lee. And on the Tuesday following the tension in Charlottesville, which left one dead and 19 more injured when a car hit a crowd of protestors — activists in Durham, North Carolina, tore down a Confederate statue there. Shortly after the violence in Charlottesville, President Trump himself questioned where activists would draw the line. “They were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee,” Trump said. “This week it's Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson is coming down. I wonder is it George Washington next week and is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?” * As Paul would say, nearly 150 years ago was another time and place, with different attitudes. I feel, it is absurd to attempt to apply today’s standards to people who lived 150 years ago. And, many of today’s new so-called standards are themselves not accepted by a majority. Based on the history we’re taught, these men were exceptional…..in their time period. I resent their honor being tarnished today. Based on history as I know it, the church should feel honored to have had these two distinguished gentlemen (in their time period) as parishioners.

If Mack was still Mack, it's Service Engineering department would tell the distributor network via Service Bulletins what the ECM update software entailed. That's the only right way to do it.

Volvo Group feels that D-shape fuel tanks hold larger volume capacity than traditional round and rectangular tanks (true when compared to round tanks). Volvo states that, owing to their D-shape, their tanks hold more fuel than a round or rectangular tank with the same length and ground clearance. Volvo claims the actual usable volume increase is about 2.4 % compared with a rectangular tank. Anyway, it all begs the question, if you are enamored with Volvo fuel tanks and chassis design, why not buy the truck with the Volvo nameplate? Or, why not call a spade a spade and put a Volvo nameplate on the Anthem?

Bob, another point is that if USPS was going for maximum value for the buck (lowest bidder), they would have chosen the Class 7 Ford F-750. Having said that, while they indicate the 220 is Class 7, they fail to clarify if the 337 is spec'd as Class 6 or 7. If Class 6, we all know that Ford has the lowest price Class 6 on the market.

Yes, the 337 is assembled in Denton, Texas, while the 220 is assembled at Paccar Mexico in Mexicali. Denton is maxed out. The 320 is also produced at Mexicali for that reason. In my opinion, there's a very real need to expand Denton.

To me, the Model 337 looks like something from 25 years ago, standing next to the modern DAF "LF" -based Model 220. COE design lends to far more efficient weight distribution and overall packaging, not to mention servicing. If USPS was my business, and I'm focused purely on functionality, performance and operating costs, the Model 220 is the winner by a landslide. Why 80% of the order is Model 337 conventionals demonstrates purchasing issues at the USPS.

Mack offers engine, seating, video upgrades to vocational models Fleet Owner / October 26, 2017 Mack Trucks is serving up a host of new offerings for its LR and TerraPro vocational model trucks, including new natural gas engine options and new seats, along with the prospect of eventually providing factory-installed Lytx in-cab video systems via a new “memorandum of understanding.” Announced during the 2017 Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, LR and TerraPro models are now available with the Cummins Westport L9N spark-ignited natural gas engine that can operate on compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or renewable natural gas (RNG). Certified to the EPA’s GHG2017 emission requirements, the L9N cranks out 320 hp and 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque and produces oxides of nitrogen (NOx) exhaust emissions that are 90% lower than the current EPA limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr, noted Curtis Dorwart, Mack’s refuse product manager, in a statement. “Natural gas continues to be a viable alternative fuel, providing a secure fuel supply and a steady price,” he explained. “With the L9N, customers can take advantage of natural gas’ benefits and further reduce their environmental footprint.” Next, Mack is now introducing a new multi-position seat for the LR model for operators in right-hand stand-up/sit down drive configuration. Developed with Sears Seating, the seat back and seat base offer adjustments that allow drivers of varying “statures” to comfortably operate the truck and joystick controls. It will be available in the first quarter of 2018, the OEM said. Finally, Mack and in-cab video provider Lytx are entering into a memorandum of understanding or “MOU,” and while details regarding the offerings under this agreement have not yet been established, the OEM is planning to incorporate the systems into its LR and TerraPro refuse models, noted David Pardue, Mack’s vice president of connected vehicles and uptime services. “Lytx DriveCam technology can help improve the safety of those on the roadway, as well as inform fleets of drivers that may need some coaching,” Pardue said. “Lytx Video Services Technology also can help with theft prevention, job site monitoring and driver safety.”

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / October 26, 2017 Mack Trucks announced updates to its LR and TerraPro models for the waste and recycling industries, offering a natural gas engine option and more ergonomic seating, and signing a deal with Lytx to explore the DriveCam in-cab camera system. Both the Mack LR and TerraPro models are now available with the Cummins Westport L9N natural gas engine, offering near zero NOx emissions option for refuse fleets. The spark-ignited L9N is capable of running on compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or renewable natural gas. It produces 320 hp and 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque. The L9N is among the lowest certified NOx emissions engines available in North America, according to Cummins Westport, producing NOx emissions that are 90% lower than the current EPA limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr. The L9N is also certified to the EPA’s GHG2017 emission requirements. “Natural gas continues to be a viable alternative fuel, providing a secure fuel supply and a steady price,” said Curtis Dorwart, Mack refuse product manager. “With the L9N, customers can take advantage of natural gas’ benefits and further reduce their environmental footprint.” Mack also introduced a new multi-position seat for the Mack LR model, aimed at boosting comfort and ergonomics for operators in the right-hand stand-up/sit down drive configuration. The seat was developed with Sears Seating and was designed and engineered specifically for the Mack LR. “Working with Sears Seating to offer a Mack LR model-specific seat will improve the driving experience for the LR model,” said Dorwart. “The new seat is more ergonomic, more comfortable and can help improve driver productivity.” The company has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Lytx, a provider of video-based safety systems, to explore the DriveCam in-cab camera system. DriveCam records internal and external events when an abrupt lane change or hard braking occurs. The Lytx Video Services Technology can also continuously record external events regardless of a trigger situation. Details regarding the offerings under this agreement have not yet been established, but Mack is planning to incorporate the systems into its Mack LR and TerraPro refuse models.

Spartan receives $214 million contract from USPS Fleet Owner / October 26, 2017 Multi-year contract calls for more than 2,000 cargo body fleet vehicles. Spartan Motors Inc. announced that its Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services (FVS) business unit — which encompasses the Utilimaster go-to-market brand — has been awarded a $214 million contract from the United States Postal Service (USPS) for more than 2,000 cargo body fleet vehicles. The contract represents the largest revenue contract in the history of Spartan Motors. “Utilimaster has been engineering and building the very best purpose-built parcel delivery vehicles for more than 40 years,” said Daryl Adams, president and CEO, Spartan Motors. “We’ve worked hard to make our products stand-out in the industry and we’re committed to manufacturing excellence.” The order from the USPS includes a combination of cab-over-engine (COE) and cab-behind-engine (CBE) Utilimaster truck bodies in a variety of 18- and 24-ft. configurations. The USPS order will be built and delivered over the span of two years, with an option for additional quantities delivered over a third contract year. Production will begin in the second quarter of 2018. “Our ability to design, custom engineer, and build commercial trucks across classes 1-6, in addition to providing custom vocation-specific upfits uniquely positions us to serve the growing ‘last mile’ delivery fleet that is in demand by today’s ecommerce retailers,” concluded Tom Ninneman, president of Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services.