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Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / September 25, 2017 “Dependability” and “innovation” are becoming the engine maker’s watchwords as it prepares to launch a new 15-liter heavy-duty engine in 2022. ATLANTA. There are three main “disruptions” occurring within the trucking industry today, according to a presentation by Srikanth Padmanabhan, president of the engine business at Cummins Inc., here at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show: energy diversity, connectivity, and automation. And he believes Cummins must deliver “diversified, dependable technology solutions to our customers at the right time” in all three of those areas – even if they are not directly engine-related. That’s one reason why Padmanabhan said Cummins forged a transmission development and production joint venture with Eaton Corp. back in April – a joint venture now beginning to bear fruit. “The opportunities for this joint venture are huge – especially in the medium-duty segment,” he said. Padmanabhan added that Cummins is planning to roll out a new 15-liter heavy-duty diesel engine in 2022 because, in his words, diesel engines will be “the best solution for decades to come,” noting that Cummins-branded diesels currently power 33% of the heavy-duty truck market and nearly 80% of the medium-duty truck market. Yet he stressed that “energy diversity” means that customers will be looking for alternative and cheaper ways to power their vehicles. “Cummins is prepared to help them be successful now and in the future by offering them powertrain choices that maximize efficiency and reduce costs,” Padmanabhan noted, adding that the company plans to display ultra-low emission natural gas engine technology from Cummins Westport and its AEOS all-electric heavy-duty truck at the show. Connectivity will also be key going forward and is one reason why he said Cummins formed a new internal organization led by Sherry Aaholm, the company’s chief information officer, back in May called the Digital Accelerator – an internal working group that seeks to streamline innovation, quickly bringing the best concepts from the idea stage to commercialization. “It’s about giving the customer what they need, when they need it, instead of telling them what they will need to do,” Padmanabhan said. .

Saving fuel with Run on Less Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / September 24, 2017 A 17-day fuel economy test involving seven different tractor-trailers operated across the country overseen by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) delivered an average of 10.1 miles per gallon (mpg) using what Mike Roeth, NACFE's executive director, called "real trucks hauling real freight over real routes." That 10.1 mpg average also occurred despite higher winds and heavier traffic flows caused in part by hurricanes Harvey and Irma as well, the group said. The seven tractor-trailers, their drivers, plus fleet executives, sponsors and NACFE personnel were on hand during a press event at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show here in Atlanta to offer more details about the road test's results. Photo gallery - http://fleetowner.com/fuel/saving-fuel-run-less#slide-0-field_images-227001

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / September 25, 2017 Building a business case for all-electric trucks will continue as well, he says. ATLANTA. Roger Nielsen, president and CEO at Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), explained in an interview here at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show that there is a growing move to more daycab orders in the Class 8 market as more fleets look at shorter lengths of haul and more last mile logistics business. “We’ve seen a lot of larger fleets move towards the last mile logistics business; that’s being driven by e-commerce activity,” he explained in a sit-down interview with Fleet Owner. “We’ve seen a trend towards higher mix of daycabs as a result.” Yet he added those are also increasingly “premium” daycabs that incorporate more driver comforts, safety technologies, and aerodynamic packages. “In terms of e-commerce deliveries, the fewer ‘hand-offs’ you have, the faster and cheaper the service can be,” Nielsen noted. “So those trucks are going to operate on the highways and thus need the aerodynamics for fuel efficiency.” In terms of overall commercial truck production rates for 2017, Nielsen said DTNA is sticking to its forecast of 365,000 Class 6-8 units for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) market, with a possible 5% to 10% increase next year. “There’s optimism among fleet owners” in regards to freight activity, he explained. Another big trend Nielsen is seeing centers of the importance of safety technology to the bottom line of motor carriers across a number of areas, from driver retention to reduction in insurance costs. He added, too, that “safety technology” is now encompasses a far broader span of systems – including the transmission and cruise control. “Look at AMTs [automated manual transmissions]; we’re up to 95% now in [Freightliner] Cascadia orders. That’s because it not only expands the driver recruitment pool but it’s safer for driver’s to operate,” he noted. “The same goes with adaptive cruise control; in stop-and-go traffic it can reduce fatigue. That makes the driver safer” Nielsen stressed that according to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, 94% of accidents result from some type of human error. “So anything that helps reduce that error – active lane keeping, blind spot detection, or AMTs – is going to lower accident rates, lower fleet liability exposure, and lower insurance costs” he said. “Driver’s see it as a form of job security, too, for an accident can lead to a loss of employment.” Nielsen touched on several other topics during his wide-ranging interview with Fleet Owner: Alternative fuels still have a big role to play in trucking because the trucking industry “has a long memory” and remembers what it was like to pay $5 per gallon for diesel in the summer of 2008. “We are only one or two world events away from seeing process like that again,” he explained. Natural gas still has viability in trucking although the price differential between natural gas and diesel fuel “is not what it used to be” and “makes it harder to justify” investment in it, Nielsen noted. Still, DTNA plans to roll our more natural gas truck configurations in 2018, he said. There is “definitely a place” for battery-electric commercial trucks based on specific business use cases, such as in short haul operates, drayage, and in non-attainment areas where metropolitan air quality is an issue. Key to making battery-electric trucks work is the power-density of the battery package. That would cure the “range anxiety” that Nielsen believes is one of the biggest holdups to deploying all-electric truck. That’s also one reason why he said Daimler helped lead a $60 million investment push in Israeli start-up StoreDot earlier this month; a company whose battery technology can supposedly charge electric vehicles in a matter of minutes. One way around that logjam, however, would be to sacrifice more vehicle payload to add in more battery storage – a scenario Nielsen said can work in situations where trucks are not operated at full weight capacity. “In a lot of light-loaded applications, adding in 2,000 to 3,000 lbs. of energy storage would work,” he pointed out. .

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / September 24, 2017 New 12-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) goes into production October 16 and will be initially mated to the new 2017 Cummins X15 family of heavy-duty engines. ATLANTA. The Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies joint venture, formed between Eaton Corp. and engine maker Cummins just last April, introduced its first product here at the inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show: a 12-speed AMT dubbed the “Endurant.” Scott Davis, general manager of the joint venture, noted that the Endurant is “a purpose-built, clean sheet design” linehaul AMT and incorporates over 400 hours of direct customer input. “That customer input was deliberate; we wanted to get it into the process before we even began designing the product,” he explained to Fleet Owner. “We wanted to translate the needs of the fleet manager, truck driver, and technician into its architecture; we literally did not have a design ready when we sought this customer input.” Davis added that development of the Endurant was already well underway long before the joint venture formation with Cummins, but by adding in Cummins engine knowledge, the Endurant’s integration within a complete powertrain went much smoother. “Mechanical efficiencies only get you to a certain level; its shift maps and the fuel maps that represent the next level,” he said. “That and making sure there are no contradictions in fault codes between the transmission and engine.” Features of the new Endurant AMT include: A “wet weight” of 675 lbs., making it one of the lightest AMTs on the market; The ability to handle loads of 110,000 lbs. and engine power up to 510 hp and 1,850 ft.-lbs. of torque An internal electrical system routing that minimizes exposure and corrosion to wires and connectors for improved reliability; A new smart prognostics feature provides clutch replacement notification to better plan maintenance scheduling; A transmission fluid pressure sensor notifies drivers of low oil levels to provide “burn-up” warranty coverage; A “B10” life of 1.2 million miles; Predictive shifting using look-ahead technology to execute shift decisions that improve fuel efficiency and provide additional driver comfort; A standard 8-bolt PTO opening that Eaton Cummins said helps “enhance resales value” the company said; A 750,000-mile lube change interval for linehaul applications, which helps reduce downtime and maintenance costs; A maintenance-free 430mm self-adjust clutch that requires no grease; Only 16 pints of oil are needed for the Endurant, or about half the amount of competitive models, the company noted; A replaceable input shaft sleeve allows for affordable and quick repair without a full teardown; The standard Endurant transmission warranty is five years/750,000 miles for linehaul commercial vehicles, and three years/350,000 miles for the clutch. One-year and two-year extended protection plans are also available, the company said. Gerard DeVito, chief technology officer for the joint venture and vice president-technology for the Eaton Vehicle Group, added that the clutch actuator on the Endurant AMT can be replaced without “dropping” the transmission out the chassis to do so; a potential savings of $5,000 in terms of maintenance cost and vehicle downtime, he said. “It is important to note that Endurant is not an automated variant that has been adapted from a manual transmission,” he stressed. “Endurant was designed, engineered and created from a clean sheet to be an automated transmission, not simply an update to an AMT, allowing us to optimize the transmission’s weight, dimensions and features.” He added that the Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt Model 579 will be the first truck units that can be equipped with the Endurant once it is in full production this October. Eaton Cummins’ Davis added that AMTs are now becoming the transmission of choice in the heavy-duty truck market, at least according to truck order data. “Six years ago only 10% to 15% of trucks we’re spec’d with an AMT; today that is 70% and we expect that to go higher,” he said. .

Trailer-Body Builders / September 25, 2017 Freightliner Trucks has added six new severe duty product options: the Allison 4700 Rugged Duty Series (RDS) automatic transmission, LifeGuard RollTek seats, improved routing and clipping, LED headlights in the M2 106 and M2 112, Bendix Tire Pressure Monitoring and the 122SD auto hauler package. In addition, all three vocational trucks featured in the Freightliner Trucks booth at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show are equipped with Detroit engines. Freightliner launched its severe duty product line in 2011, and has since released several product enhancements and options to meet customer demands. This continual advancement has positioned Freightliner as the leading truck manufacturer in four out of five vocational segments. New options include: ·Allison 4700 RDS Automatic Transmission: Now available for the Freightliner 114SD, the Allison 4700 RDS provides heavy vocational operators with improved start ability, two reverse gears, enhanced PTO options and the durability required for severe applications. The Freightliner 122SD is also available with the Allison 4700 RDS. ·LifeGuard RollTek Seats: In the unlikely event of a rollover, the LifeGuard RollTek side-impact airbags inflate, the seat belt tightens and the air-suspension seats compress to the lowest position to provide additional protection to the driver. ·Improved Routing and Clipping: Freightliner’s entire vocational product line has been updated with new standoff brackets and optimized routing and clipping of chassis electrical and plumbing harnesses to provide a cleaner installation and greater long-term durability. The body and equipment mounting is also simplified with more consistent routing paths. ·M2 LED Headlights: Freightliner M2 106 and M2 112 trucks can be spec’d with modular LED headlights to improve night visibility and reduce maintenance costs. ·Bendix Tire Pressure Monitoring System: Bendix Tire Pressure Monitoring System is now available for Freightliner’s entire vocational product line offering the potential for improved tire wear, fuel economy and overall vehicle performance. ·122SD Auto Hauler Package: The Freightliner 122SD is now available with a low profile auto hauler package. The package, made possible in collaboration with Fontaine Modification, Inc., lowers the laden roof height to approximately 100”, making it ideal for auto hauler applications that require a sleeper berth.

Run On Less Drivers Average 10.1 mpg, Surpassing Goals Heavy Duty Trucking (HTD) / September 24, 2017 ATLANTA – Despite the challenges of two hurricanes, on top of the normal trucking challenges of high elevations, heavy loads, and crosswinds, seven drivers over 17 days and 50,000 miles managed to average 10.1 mpg overall in the Run on Less fuel-economy road show that concluded this weekend in Atlanta at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show. Run on Less, put on by the Carbon War Room and the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, proved that 10 mpg is possible using efficiency technologies that are available on the market today. The results exceeded the original 9 mpg goal set by CWR and NACFE. Using a variety of commercially available technologies, including 6x2 axles, trailer and tractor aerodynamics, engine accessories, tire pressure systems, automated transmissions, low viscosity oils and others, they demonstrated that it is possible to save fuel in real world operations. If the 1.7 million trucks on North American highways today achieved the same level of efficiency as the trucks in the Run, they would save 9.7 billion gallons of diesel fuel, $24.3 billion and 98 million tons of CO2 each year. The 17-day event kicked off on Sept. 6. The trucks—from fleets Albert Transport, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay Division, Hirschbach, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nussbaum Transportation, Ploger Transportation, and U.S. Xpress— saved 2,877 gallons of fuel and $7,193 compared to the national average of 6.4 mpg. The highest mpg achieved in a single day was 12.8, and three different trucks had days over 12.5 mpg. The lowest mpg from a truck was 7.1 on one of the days, and the average for all lowest mpgs throughout the Run was 8.8. The average gross combination weight over the Run was 55,498 pounds, with 31 of the 99 days over 65,000 pounds. The trucks were monitored over the three-week period with telematics devices from GeoTab. Wind was monitored along each truck’s route using OpenWeatherMap.org, and it varied from a 6.8 mph average headwind to a 7.6 tailwind. All truckers dealt with hurricanes Harvey or Irma. Average vehicle speed was 54 mph and elevation gain was tracked for each route. One day, a truck travelled 3,270 ft. of elevation gain with 72,960 gross combination weight and experienced an average 2.7 mph headwind – and still achieved 9.7 mpg. The seven trucks have some similar specifications, but all have differences, demonstrating there are many different combinations of technologies that can achieve high levels of mpg. The seven trucks—three Freightliners, two Internationals, and two Volvos, were piloted by experienced drivers—Henry Albert, Bradley Long, Tommy Revell, Roberto Sandoval, Joel Morrow, Clark Reed, and Mark Risien. Shell and PepsiCo were the title sponsors; sustainability are core values for both of these companies. For instance, Shell’s Eco-marathon challenges students to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient cars. And Shell is sponsoring a Starship concept truck that will demonstrate freight efficiency. Annie Peter, fleet sector marketing manager for Shell Lubricants, noted, “It will take collaboration among energy suppliers, lubricants producers and fuel retailers like Shell, vehicle manufacturers, fleet owners, businesses and other organizations to work together to consistently achieve the impressive fuel economy and CO2 reduction results these seven drivers accomplished during the Run. We are continually striving for more advanced technology, such as our low viscosity lubricants, to help reduce the loss of energy through friction, improve overall engine efficiency, and actively reduce emissions from combustion.” Nearly a year ago, PepsiCo announced an ambitious global sustainability agenda, including reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions across the company's value chain by at least 20% by 2030. “We are so proud of Tommy Revell who drove on behalf of Frito-Lay, and all of the participating fleets and drivers for their contributions to this effort,” said Mike O’Connell, senior director, supply chain, PepsiCo, a former HDT Truck Fleet Innovator. “Run on Less demonstrated what can be accomplished when our industry comes together and combines readily available technologies with experienced drivers who leverage smart driving skills regardless of road and weather conditions. Now more than ever, it's so critical that we improve the fuel economy of our fleets as a way to meet sustainability goals and ultimately improve the bottom line for our respective organizations.” .

Hurting for cash, Volvo is selling its military business which goes under the low key name Government Sales. The business unit includes Acmat, Mack Defense, Panhard, Renault Trucks Defense and Volvo Defense . https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/47595-volvo-gets-rid-of-the-arms-merchants/

The Mack brand's involvement in manufacturing now only includes Macungie, and that facility has no involvement with this matter. The Renault Kerax 8x8s are sent over in KD (knocked down) form from Renault in France, and assembled at Volvo's Prevost coach plant in Canada.......with a Mack emblem. Mack Defense was set up as a shell company to sell to the US military, as foreign truckmakers have little chance of getting orders. Renault Trucks Defense builds a great truck, but the US and Canada should buy North American trucks. Oshkosh units are every bit as good.

Owner-Driver / September 14, 2017 The inaugural Western Star Trucks Show n Shine on September 9 brought out the best representatives of the North American brand in south-east Queensland and beyond. Penske Commercial Vehicles hosted its first ever Western Star Trucks’ Show n Shine on September 9 at the Mt Cotton Training Centre near Brisbane. The event coincided with celebrations centring around the 50th anniversary of the Western Star Trucks brand. As well as trucks, the Show n Shine also featured a range of fun family activities including appearances by Shell V-Power Racing drivers Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin, a Shell V-Power Racing car and MC Neil Crompton. The trucks on display were judged and over $50,000 worth of prizes was awarded across a range of categories, including KS Easter’s customised 200th truck which took out both the Truck of the Show and the Best Western Star under 5 years awards. Kevin Dennis, managing director of Penske Commercial Vehicles, says it was a fantastic day seeing all the Western Star and White trucks on display and looking their best. "We know how passionate Western Star owners are, so it was a pleasure to host the Show n Shine and have such a great turnout of owners and drivers and their families and friends. "In keeping with Penske’s customers first philosophy, our aim is to meet directly with customers through our events and through our dealers," Dennis says. "Direct customer events, such as Show n Shine, not only allow customers to provide their feedback on the product range and how we can work with them to maximise support, but also provide a great opportunity for fleet operators and owner-drivers to network with each other. "We also had fantastic support from our suppliers and sponsors who helped to make it the great day it was," Dennis adds. As well as the aforementioned awards, K S Easter took home the trophy for Best Western Star Fleet. Other winners included trophies for Corbet’s Group for Best Western Star under 10 years (5-10 years) with its 4900 model, North Qld Truck & Machinery Movements’s ‘PhatCat’ 4800FXC for Best Western Star over 10 years, and Vince Humphreys Transport’s Best Tipper award for its 4800 model. TRN Haulage took home the award for Best Heritage White Truck with itsWhite Road Commander. Dennis says Penske Commercial Vehicles is already working to make the 2018 Show n Shine even better. Photo gallery - https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/events-news/1709/western-stars-shine-at-mt-cotton

National Post / September 24, 2017 Last year the Canadian International Trade Tribunal ruled that the process, which awarded the truck contact to Mack Defense of the U.S., was flawed The Canadian government has gone to court to overturn a trade tribunal ruling that it bungled the $830-million purchase of new trucks for the military. Last year the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) ruled that the process, which awarded the truck contact to Mack Defense of the U.S., was flawed. The CITT found in favor of Mack’s rival, Oshkosh, and called on Public Services and Procurement Canada to conduct a new evaluation of the trucks to be bought for the Canadian Forces. The ruling was yet another blow to the program, which had been trying new trucks since 2006. But instead of complying, the federal government has decided to challenge the CITT decision. Public Services and Procurement Canada declined comment as the matter is before the Federal Court of Appeal. “The contracts with Mack Defense LLC have not been cancelled and the project is moving forward as planned,” department spokesman Nicolas Boucher stated in an email. Department of National Defence spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande said the first delivery of the trucks is expected sometime in late fall. The final delivery is expected in mid-2019, she added. The Conservative government announced in 2015 that [shell company] Mack Defense had won the $834-million contract to provide 1,500 trucks [re-badged Renault Kerax 8x8 trucks]. Oshkosh then challenged the award before the CITT, arguing that there were significant errors in the evaluation of the vehicles. The CITT, which reports to Parliament, provides Canadian and international firms with a process to investigate complaints against federal government procurement. At the time of the CITT ruling, Oshkosh issued a statement that while it was “disappointed in the significant errors found in the conduct of the evaluation process, we look forward to a fair and timely implementation of the Tribunal’s recommendations.” The company has declined to comment on the federal government’s appeal of the CITT findings. But industry representatives point out that if the federal government loses its court case, it will likely have to pay significant penalties to Oshkosh since the trucks being provided by Mack will have already been delivered. Mack Defense, of Allentown, Pa., has been awarded two contracts to provide standard military pattern trucks and related equipment for the Canadian Forces. Assembly will take place in a Sainte-Claire, Que., plant operated by [Volvo Group bus subsidiary] Prevost, one of the firms partnered with Mack. The project to replace 1980s-era military transport trucks was originally announced in 2006 by then Conservative defence minister Gordon O’Connor. It was considered a priority because the vehicles they were to replace had become a safety hazard, with faulty brakes and excessive rust. But the truck program has been plagued by problems and missteps by the DND. At one point the Conservative government stopped the procurement process entirely after DND tried to spend hundreds of millions of dollars without permission. The department had received government approval to move forward with a $430-million purchase of 1,500 trucks. But in subsequent years, department and military officials began adding more capabilities to what they wanted in the vehicles, bumping the estimated cost to more than $800 million. And in an unprecedented move, DND officials continued on with the acquisition without getting government approval to cover the extra hundreds of millions of dollars. When Treasury Board and Conservative government officials discovered in 2012 what was happening, they intervened, shutting down the project, just minutes before bidding was to close. It was restarted in 2013. In addition, the Ottawa Citizen reported that in 2008 and 2009, infighting between army and DND officials over the requirements for the trucks led to further delays. At the time, the DND issued an email statement: “The project is not in trouble.” Related reading - https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40960-volvo-group’s-mack-defense-unit-to-supply-1500-re-badged-renault-kerax-8x8-trucks-to-canadian-armed-forces/?tab=comments#comment-296894 http://www.renault-trucks-defense.eu/Defense/KERAX/KERAX-8x8

Related viewing: .

Drydene Oil, founded in 1893 in Baltimore, sold out to foreign aggressor Castrol (UK) in 1991. This is a pre-Castrol can of Dieselall.

In viewing this video, on the history of Scania in the construction industry, you'll note that at once time (many years ago....when BC Mack was a young man), most Scania trucks were "conventionals" (trucks with a hood/bonnet). But in pursuit of more efficient transport, Scania transitioned to cab-over-engine design. The last Scania conventional was the "T Series", utilizing the COE cab. It's still available via special order through a third party. . . Alnwick, Northumberland, UK-based K.W. Purvis. (Thompson "Loadmaster" double-wall body)

Lifetime costs mean everything Scania Group Press Release / September 18, 2017 Paul Smart Transport is operating at the ­forefront of the fast-changing construction industry. That’s why the UK haulage contractor has been testing Scania’s new construction vehicles for more than a year. Fierce competition and changing legislation have made Paul Smart Transport an innovative and demanding haulier. The company is based in Bristol, in the UK, and operates a fleet of 35 trucks. “In 2008, 100 percent of our fleet was from another truck brand,” says owner Paul Smart. “Today, we are 100 percent Scania. “We get a very low vehicle downtime” “This change is due to the total operating economy,” he explains. “For sure, the upfront cost of a Scania vehicle may not be the cheapest, but with its reliability, fuel economy and the support we get from the dealerships, we get a very low vehicle downtime. “And together with the services we get, this is the most cost-efficient solution for a construction haulier today,” he says. Paul Smart has the ‘2+2’ on all new Scania trucks, which means a two-year warranty and two years service, including the yearly Ministry of Transport test. This, he says, gives him peace of mind and enables him to plan all maintenance ahead at a fixed cost. “In the past few years we have constantly checked and compared Scania with other brands, but we have stayed with Scania because no one beats their lifetime cost,” he says. Smart started his own company in 1993, and since beginning with just one second-hand truck Paul Smart Transport has become a sizeable and innovative modern construction haulier. Today the company delivers asphalt, aggregates, sand, animal feed, glass and agricultural crops all over the UK. “Improving efficiency is more important than ever” “With constantly shrinking margins in the construction transport industry, improving efficiency is more important than ever for operators like us,” Smart says. “We need really reliable vehicles. That’s why we only work with Scania.” Over the years Paul Smart has seen many changes in the construction transport business – and he has constantly adapted his company’s strategies and vehicle fleet in response. “The most important changes have been the much longer distances and heavier loads in our business,” Smart explains. “Like most contractors, we used to work locally. Now we often deliver heavy loads of gravel or asphalt for road construction work that is more than 100 kilometres from Bristol. And that of course puts new demands on the vehicles we need. They must be robust and fit enough for tough operations in gravel pits and on dirt roads. At the same time they need to be fast and adaptable to the traffic on our highways.” When asked to participate in Scania’s field tests of the new construction vehicles, Paul Smart immediately came up with some ideas to reduce the weight of the vehicles, to allow for a higher payload. “Weight is crucial for us, especially in these longer transport missions,” says Smart. “If we are to earn some money in this business we need to load as much as possible as efficiently as possible, under the existing legislation.” Smart adds that reliability of the vehicles is also of the utmost importance. “We are delivering products to customers working with highway maintenance. That means there are people there who are waiting for us and who are completely dependent on our deliveries.” If the vehicle doesn’t get there in time, there will be penalties and charges. “But never for us,” says Smart, proudly. “The uptime we find with this new Scania is absolutely brilliant. Downtime doesn’t exist. The support we get from the local dealerships to keep us moving is outstanding.” The construction industry in south-west England is booming, and demand for road surface material is higher than ever. “So we need to increase our capacity and be more efficient,” says Smart. “Then we need lighter vehicles that can take heavier loads.” The field-test tipper that Paul Smart Transport is using in its operations is an eight-wheeler Scania G 370. Jason Townsend is extremely proud that he was chosen as a field-test driver for this future construction vehicle. Five days a week he transports gravel from a basalt quarry to an asphalt plant at Avonmouth, near Bristol. From there he delivers hot asphalt to road-building sites in the region. “The road surface varies a lot” Townsend explains that operations can vary from one day to another. “Some days it’s just short transports, with lots of starts and stops,” he says. “Other days it’s long distances with just a few stops and drops. The road surface varies a lot too. It can be very rough roads at low speed in the morning and hard surfaces at high speed in the afternoon.” Townsend comes from a haulage family and grew up around trucks. He sees his mission as a once-in-a-lifetime experience and he only has praise for the new truck. “From where the product was before,” he says, measuring with his hand above his head, “it has now gone up through the roof! That goes for the steering, the gearshifting, the braking system, the vision from the cab – everything relating to safety has been vastly improved. “The thing I like most is the improved braking system,” he says, “especially in combination with the retarder. As a driver you really feel you are in full control with this vehicle.” .

Scania Group Press Release / September 23, 2017 With 2.7 million cars, 210,000 trucks and 208,000 buses and coaches registered in the Greater London area, providing deliveries to construction sites in the British capital is a daily challenge. Quattro’s fleet of mixer trucks service building sites all over the city from its two batching plants in West London. Mastering London traffic is an art fine-tuned through experience and Quattro has loads of experience. The mixer trucks have a time window of just two hours from mixing water to the cement and aggregates at the depot to discharging concrete at sites. A single road accident can cause serious disruption and although this may render the concrete unusable for the customer, additives can retard the stiffening process in the drum. Streamlined filling process At its West London batching plant in Park Royal, Quattro has a streamlined process for filling up mixer trucks as quickly as possible. Before they are allowed back in traffic, they must be thoroughly hosed down to avoid loose gravel from soiling public roads. “Approximately 75 percent of our fleet is Scania,” says General Manager Robert Duddy. “In this industry, it is all about availability of the vehicles, they need to be available 100 percent of the time. For that reason, we choose Scania.” Quattro carries out most maintenance and repairs in-house as well as making use of Scania workshops. “Having our in-house facilities, we are able to carry out work during nights to make sure that the trucks are available the following morning.” There is no lack of demand for Quattro’s products in London. Europe’s largest construction project, Crossrail, is nearing completion while around 70 high-rise buildings are under construction with another 200 more planned. High volume, low margin “However, this is a very competitive high volume, low margin, industry. It’s difficult to increase volumes so it’s all about service. Again, this means that the availability of the trucks and having an efficient fleet is very important.” Ultimately, London is London and the biggest daily obstacle is traffic, Duddy notes. “London is a large city, it’s a busy city and there is always something that could happen. We have satellite tracking on all our vehicles and can, if need be, re-route them.” However, traffic is not the only jeopardy. “We work in an industry where things do go wrong. We can have four-five trucks waiting on a site because they’ve had a breakdown and are unable to use the material.” Driving construction vehicles in London is another challenge. London has recently announced a five-star safety rating system whereby trucks with the lowest rating will be banned from city roads. Quattro’s trucks are therefore CLOCS, Construction Logistics and Community Safety, compliant and equipped not only with close-proximity mirrors but also with side-view cameras. “The biggest improvement in our truck would be driver’s visibility,” says Duddy. “We operate in a congested environment with vulnerable road users. The driver therefore needs as much visibility as possible but also comfort to be relaxed and in the best frame of mind to drive.” .

Scania Group Press Release / September 12, 2017 By carefully monitoring levels of vehicle-use and adjusting service intervals to match, Scania’s Maintenance Flexible plans ensure every truck receives exactly the right level of care. .

ForConstructionPros / September 22, 2017 Doosan loader specialist Mike Stark talks about the some key advantages of hydrostatic wheel loaders and the applications where they shine. .

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / September 22, 2017 The U.S. Internal Revenue Code, Section 179 (commonly referred to as IRC-179) allows businesses to expense up to $500,000 in the tax year 2017 for certain capital expenditures, including commercial work trucks. Normally, capital expenditures must be handled as depreciable assets. However, provisions of IRC-179 allow a taxpayer to elect to treat the cost of qualifying Section 179 property as an expense in the tax year in which the equipment is placed in service, rather than as a depreciable asset charged to a capital account. For qualifying equipment placed in service in a business’s tax year beginning in 2017, the limit is $500,000. Specific provisions and restrictions do apply, and every business’s tax situation is unique, so business owners should consult their own tax accountants or attorneys to determine how much tax saving, if any, IRC-179 could provide.

Shell’s Starship Truck Focuses on Freight Efficiency First Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / September 22, 2017 Shell Rotella’s next-generation concept truck, nicknamed the Starship, is set to debut early in 2018 and the company says it will focus on freight efficiency rather than raw miles per gallon. The truck, which the company has been teasing since 2015, is a collaborative effort between Shell and the Airflow Truck Company, which builds custom Class 8 trucks and trailers designed to push aerodynamic, fuel-efficient design. For this project, the cab of the truck and the trailer are being custom made to reduce weight and rolling resistance while streamlining aerodynamics. While not designed to be put into production, the concept vehicle is also not supposed to represent a far-flung future. Bob Mainwaring, Shell Lubricants technology manager for innovation, explained to reporters at a California briefing this week that it is Shell’s vision for 5-15 years in the future. A lot of emphasis was placed on freight ton efficiency as the primary metric for the Starship vehicle, eschewing fuel economy as the be-all and end-all of fuel efficiency. Mainwaring described freight ton efficiency as maximizing the usefulness of fuel mileage. When tuning a vehicle for fuel economy, the best way to achieve it is to run lightweight and slow, he said. However, using gallons per ton-mile instead of miles per gallon incentivizes carrying as much weight as possible as efficiently as possible. “Go Slow, Go Heavy” is the mantra for thinking about how to improve freight efficiency. An example Shell gave was that a car with one passenger might achieve 30 mpg and be considered fuel efficient. But that same car carrying three people and only hitting 28 mpg is actually being far more efficient overall. In other words, the more goods you carry, the more efficient your fuel usage actually is. To improve freight efficiency, the Starship project has emphasized aerodynamics, lightweighting, reducing rolling resistance, and use of low-viscosity oils. When the Starship is finally unveiled next year, Shell plans to take the vehicle coast to coast to test it, from California to Florida on a drive designed to maximize efficiency and generally avoiding congestion when possible. The company says it isn’t aiming for specific number goals and is treating the Starship as “thought leadership on wheels.” .

Driver Sustains Over 11 MPG for 5,600 Miles Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / September 22, 2017 Driver David Gooch was able to sustain 11.21 miles per gallon over 5,599 miles during the #Raceto10mpg challenge put on by Cumberland International and Sharp Transport. To achieve the high mileage figure, Gooch made extensive use of cruise control in order to stay in top gear as often as possible. He managed to keep cruise control on 83% of the time, allowing the truck to stay in top gear 89% of the time. During the time the vehicle was in top gear, it averaged 12.34 mpg. Gooch stayed in communication with personnel at Sharp Transport throughout his run for day-to-day telematics reports. These reports helped him tweak his driving habits and routines to maximize his overall fuel economy during the nearly 6,000-mile run which took him through 10 states. Gooch was one of two Sharp Transport drivers given Cumberland International’s C10 LT demo truck. The C10 is a truck spec’ed by the Tennessee dealership with the best fuel-saving options it has to offer. Cumberland allows fleets to try out C10 trucks for free to see how the spec works in their operations. .

Run on Less: We're averaging 10.1 mpg in Class 8 trucks Aaron March, Fleet Owner / September 22, 2017 With fuel-saving technologies, trucks capable of even more — but real-world conditions take their toll Midway through their cross-country exhibition run converging on Atlanta this weekend, the Run on Less truck efficiency roadshow vehicles are seeing some impressive double-digit mpg results. But real-world conditions have factored in, demonstrating the challenges fleets face in getting optimal fuel efficiency from their trucks. Run on Less is sponsored by Shell and PepsiCo and hosted by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and Carbon War Room (CWR). Seven fleets committed trucks to participate in the roadshow, including Albert Transport, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, Hirschbach, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nussbaum Transportation, Ploger Transportation and U.S. Xpress. "This is real drivers on real routes hauling real freight," said Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE and operations lead for Trucking Efficiency, a joint NACFE-CWR effort that studies and reports on various heavy truck fuel efficiency technologies. The Run on Less trucks are on their normal routes and are equipped with Geotab telematics devices to stream data to the team monitoring results like vehicle speed, elevation, gallons of diesel burned and miles traveled. "It's consistent across all seven trucks, and we're using that to populate RunOnLess.com. These are not test vehicles that have been designed specially for fuel [economy]; these are not on special tracks or anything like that," Roeth noted. Early results The roadshow is holding a press conference this Sunday at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show to provide results and observations from the trucks in more detail. Before then, however, Roeth said the Run on Less trucks so far have averaged 10.1 mpg, nearly 4 mpg higher than the 6.4 mpg average of all Class 8 trucks operating across the U.S. and Canada. Over the 31,000 collective miles they'd traveled, that means the Run on Less trucks saved some 1,800 gal. of diesel fuel and about $4,500 compared with that Class 8 average. If all those 1.7 million U.S. and Canadian trucks were as efficient as the seven in the Run on Less roadshow, "we would save 9.7 billion gal. of diesel fuel, $24 billion and 98 million tons of CO2" every year, Roeth pointed out. Challenges Among the Run on Less trucks, the highest daily fuel efficiency observed at this point was 12.8 mpg and the lowest was 7.4 mpg. The differences were driven by factors like the weight of the payload in the trailer, wind direction and speed, elevation and speed at which the trucks were driven. "The last few weeks have been really challenging for moving freight around our country," Roeth noted. "With Hurricanes Harvey in the Gulf and in Texas and Irma in the Caribbean and Florida, our dependency on oil in this country has become obvious." The hurricanes affected the Run on Less trucks, he added, with some having to alter routes, encountering problems getting fuel and experiencing high winds that affected their fuel efficiency. On that latter point, wind can be a benefit if it's coming from behind, but any other direction is a detractor. Meanwhile, Frito Lay's snack manufacturing operations in Georgia and Florida were disrupted for many days, "challenging that particular Run on Less truck to catch up," Roeth said. Another observation the Run on Less exhibition has noted is that the trucking industry's common "drop-and-hook" operations can have a big effect on fuel economy. A driver takes a load to its destination, drops it off and takes on another load, and the trailer that's picked up might not have the same aerodynamic and other fuel-saving technologies. Drivers in the Run on Less lineup pointed that out. They cited trailer tails as a big loss if they switched from a trailer with one to another without; handling also isn't as good in that case, with more wind drag forming in that boxed-off, standard end of a trailer. One driver said the lack of a good trailer tail could shave off half a mpg in fuel effiency. Trailer wheel aerodynamic fairings and dual wheels vs. "super single" wide-base tires are a few more efficiency technologies that drivers may find themselves suddenly with or without. "From a fuel efficiency standpoint, the difference between the same tractor hauling a highly efficient trailer — one with these technologies we've talked about vs. one that doesn't — can be 10% to 15%," Roeth said. That can make a big difference for fleets. With just that 10-15% difference, hauling a less-efficient trailer can add up to about $4,000 per year for a single truck. What's more, older trailers may also be poorly maintained. "Maybe it has poor alignment, poor tire pressure or other things that could negatively affect fuel economy," Roeth noted. Thus even fleets equipping their trucks with the latest fuel-efficiency technologies may find reaching that optimal mpg in the real world elusive. .

Automotive News / September 22, 2017 WASHINGTON -- Consumers Union is lobbying Congress to require public disclosure of fuel economy estimates for heavy-duty pickups so buyers can make more informed choices, after its tests found diesel-powered trucks underperformed gasoline-powered trucks. Automakers are required to post window stickers on new light-duty vehicles showing estimated fuel economy, but there is no such mandate for trucks with gross vehicle weights exceeding 8,500 pounds. The latest issue of the public interest group's magazine, Consumer Reports, includes a report about tests it conducted on four popular heavy-duty pickups: the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, Ford F-250, Ram 2500 and Nissan Titan XD. The tests found that the greater efficiency of their diesel engines does not make up for the extra weight they carry. The heavy-duty trucks achieved 14 to 15 mpg, or about 1 to 2 mpg less than their gasoline-powered light-duty counterparts. Different tests But it is challenging to evaluate the claims in a comparative way because Consumer Reports' test protocols differ from those of the EPA, including types of gasoline and driving methods. Plus, there are no government fuel-economy standards for heavy-duty pickups to meet as there are for light vehicles. Most diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks are sold to consumers who use them for towing and hauling heavy loads. Under those conditions, diesel engines are generally more fuel efficient than gasoline-powered trucks. The EPA enforces emissions standards for heavy-duty pickups, but compensates for the difference in usage from passenger vehicles by including a work factor for the payload. And the work factor varies for each model. Letter to leaders Consumers Union sent a letter to Senate and House committee leaders on Sept. 20 requesting that they authorize and appropriate funds to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the EPA to make information on fuel economy, emissions and the expected average fuel costs available to the public. "Based on new data from testing at Consumer Reports, these heavy-duty diesel pickups cost about $35,000 to fuel over the first 15 years of the vehicles' lives. Further, they can cost $7,000 to $10,000 more to fuel than their light-duty gasoline counterparts over that same time," said David Friedman, director of cars and product policy and analysis at Consumers Union. "Without information like this, consumers are powerless to make informed decisions when shopping for these vehicles for their businesses or family." Friedman, who resigned as NHTSA's deputy administrator in July 2015 after two years at the agency, said the EPA has the raw fuel economy data on heavy-duty pickups in the form of gallons per ton mile -- one ton of cargo transported one mile -- as provided to the agency by automakers, so making the data available to the public would require a minimum of extra effort. The group said the fuel economy data should be published on the government website fueleconomy.gov and eventually publicized via a window label on new vehicles. But the EPA's fuel-economy data on heavy-duty trucks is less comprehensive than the more robust tests required of light-duty vehicles. "Everyone knows that the certification tests are pretty gentle and there's a gap between real-world use," Friedman said in an interview. "So, if, and when, they put out certification numbers, they will probably overestimate fuel economy. But we believe consumers are better off with some data than no data." Consumers Union said funding is needed because NHTSA and the EPA lack the resources and staff needed to get the project off the ground. Rules review The group's request comes as the Trump administration considers whether to loosen fuel economy mandates -- known as the corporate average fuel economy rules -- for cars and light-duty trucks in the 2022-25 model years.

In my eyes, Western Star's most attractive product is distributed in Australia (and Roger Penske is the national distributor). Note the trailer is a Freighter......Australian engineering impresses! https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45626-tested-freighter’s-latest-eziliner-curtain-sider/?tab=comments#comment-336298 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/46381-freighter-launches-new-t-liner-ii-trailer/?tab=comments#comment-341783

Years ago (seems like only yesterday), Lindsay Drydene (Drydene Oil) himself told me, speaking of their 15W40 "Dieselall" product aimed at companies who wanted one product for all their diesel and gasoline machinery/vehicles, that the additives used in a diesel engine-applicable oil are far harsher than those of a gasoline engine-specific oil. Consequently, those extra cleansing additives in 15W40 for the diesel requirement will reduce the life of a gasoline engine. He recommended I use his gasoline engine-purpose intended oils in my cars.