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Dodge boosts 2018 model 3500 HD pickup Trailer-Body Builders / August 11, 2017 With the start of 2018 model year production, Dodge Truck is boosting the capability of its 3500 HD pickup model; increasing available torque for its optional diesel engine package and adding an optional fifth wheel designed by Ram Engineering that can tow up to 30,000 lbs. Working closely Cummins, Dodge said the 3500 model for 2018 will feature higher boost limits through a variable geometry turbo and flow rate increases through the fuel delivery system for its optional Cummins 6.7-liter I-6 diesel engine. Those improvements produce an additional 30 lb.-ft. of torque for 930 total lb.-ft. of torque. Dodge noted that its 30,000-lb. fifth-wheel towing uprating will allow customers to move away from Class 4 and 5 trucks to haul trailers that would have otherwise been limited to 24,000 lbs. Dodge 3500 Heavy Duty maximum gooseneck and conventional hitch maximum trailer weight ratings for the 2018 model year are 31,210 lbs. and 20,000 lbs., respectively.

The switch with the snowflake initiates the truck's magnetoplasmadynamic drive system, in effect releasing plasma from the deuterium fusion reactor to power the magnetic coil. The switch with the circle-shaped arrow with an X releases inertia from the propellant to prevent time dilation, a possibility in the event of an abrupt system shutdown. Check your Mack manual under "Drive Systems - Operation" for more details.

What you received might have been tagged wrong at the PDC (parts distribution center). Have your Mack brand dealer request the blueprint to confirm the part. Also, the part number supercession sounds fishy to me, 570AM5M replaced by 570AM6M. Have your Mack dealer dealer call Mack specifications to review the blueprints and confirm the supercession.

Watching Paul and his adventure, and it feels as though he's just down the street (BMT Lane), is like stopping by your best friend's or brother-in-law's garage at the end of the day to see how he's coming along. The BMT family, good people.......second to none.

Tesla Semi 'has truckmaker disruption potential' Trade Trucks AU / August 11, 2017 Expert sees creativity and innovation making battery truck a commercial proposition With Tesla’s prototype battery-drive long-haul prime mover due to be unveiled next month, there has been plenty of debate in the US on whether founder Elon Musk has bitten off more than he can chew. On the affirmative side are those who believe the physics, competitive propulsion sources and existing manufacturers, particularly Toyota, and new ones, such as Nikola, will spoil Musk’s trucking party. On the other are those, such as engineering expert Randy Carlson, who speculate that the Tesla Semi will be of a radical design and come with innovative battery replacement services to help boost its range and reduce costs. After undertaking careful analysis of the possible options, Carlson believes the use of induction motors, innovative cooling solutions and planetary reduction gearing, along with a hollow box-beam frame, amongst other developments, will help Tesla’s cause. He calculates that, after 30,000 miles per month, the cost per mile could be around 20 per cent lower than a comparably sized diesel-powered Freightliner Cascadia. If this was borne out, the challenge would be for existing manufacturers to avoid deep disruption. Despite that, he acknowledges Tesla has formidable manufacturing challenges ahead. "The difficulty for established truck makers should Tesla's truck be a success will be similar to the problem legacy ICE car makers are facing with the advent of practical, good performing electric cars," Carlson says. "In the case of heavy trucks, however, the shift in market demand - driven largely by economic considerations - could be much more abrupt. This could leave legacy truck makers scrambling for three things: High speed, compact, liquid cooled induction motor drivelines, sufficient cell supply to build lots of trucks with huge batteries, and charging or battery swapping infrastructure to support their electric truck models in service. "All of the things legacy truck makers need to compete in electric line-haul heavy trucks are things Tesla is good at, things where Tesla holds a lead in technology, manufacturing or capacity. And, when it comes to cell supply and electric driveline engineers, carmakers scrambling to enter the electric car arena will be competing for those assets, too. "Tesla building say 10,000 heavy trucks of the kind described would require the equivalent of 60,000 Model 3 motors, inverters and drivelines - something significant but manageable. A much more significant impact would be on the battery side. "If the 10,000 Tesla heavy trucks each use the 2MWh battery, and swapping stations average one inventory turn per day, then 4MWh of truck batteries will be needed for each truck (one battery in the truck + one battery in inventory at a swap station). "Ten thousand trucks a year on this basis would require 40GWh of additional cell supply. This is more than the entire design capacity of the fully built out Nevada GigaFactory. It is also more cells than Tesla will need to make 500,000 Model 3 cars. "No wonder Elon Musk is talking about building a lot more GigaFactories."

Big Rigs / August 10, 2017 The second half of the 1980s was a time of change. It could be called the era of the Super-Liner, the time when Mack's flagship reached its peak and many older drivers still think of the period as the age of the real truck. The Super-Liner Mk II was seen to be the epitome of truck engineering, back in the days when the glory trucks, the trucks on the posters, the dream trucks, were seen to be the bulldogs. Oh yeah, the Kenworth was popular but the bulldog was the truck. The Bicentennial Macks encapsulated what the Mk II Super-Liner was completely - here was a truck built to work in the roughest conditions yet as far as comfort goes, broke new ground entirely: the cab was air-conditioned, drivers had television, a video player and a whole suite of home comforts. Today, of course, the Mk II Super-Liner is a collector's item and the Bicentennial version is probably the hottest ticket on a collector's shopping list. I did a run in one of the new Bicentennials that had been bought by Dick David for Road Trains of Australia. I travelled with the driver, Jack "the Admiral” Taylor, one of the old Buntine drivers, many of whom - like Jack himself - were legendary in the Northern Territory. At the time, the country in north Queensland was in the grip of drought. Jack Taylor sat high in his Super-Liner searching for the turnoff to Lavera Station in Queensland's Gulf Country. Ned Kelly was the name of the big Bicentennial Mack, pulling two trailers, four empty decks, across the dead plains. The wet season had not come, the graziers were in trouble. We passed Dalgonelly Station and the road train began following a narrow bush track. "You got a copy, Jack?” The long-distance radio chortled into life and Jack shouted point-blank into the microphone that yes, he did have a copy. "When you cross the second rocky causeway, swing hard to the left. You can't go wrong.” So Jack swung her hard at the second rocky causeway and 5km later we pulled into Lavera's trucking yards. Two RTA trucks were parked and already loaded. Jack pulled Ned Kelly up to the loading ramp. The clanking of iron gates and the first draft of calves rattled and blurted up the ramp onto the top deck of the lead trailer. Then came a draft of mother cows, still strong, just starting to show the ravages of drought. The cattle rushed up the loading ramp, up the trailer ramp and onto the top deck, cows bellowing to calves, a maternal bellowing they would continue for the next 24 hours until the animals were hoarse. Once loaded, the convoy consisted of 12 decks of cows and calves. After a quick cup of tea, the string of road trains headed out across the wide sea of gulf country plains, the dust clouds billowing into the sky. The haul back south was slow over the rough narrow station tracks. At the roadhouse at Julia Creek, 15 road trains from all over Queensland and the Territory mustered in the dusty parking area, in our group all were Macks except one RTA Kenworth. The trucks travelled eastward from Julia Creek, following the ribbon of black bitumen across the blackened plains. A head wind played havoc with the road speeds. Bill was in the lead driving an RTA 500hp Super-Liner and it was pumping out all of those horses and more. We brought up the rear in Ned Kelly, as Jack was boss drover and it was his responsibility to make sure all was going well. In the middle was Brad in the "little” 400hp Kenworth, where he copped the worst from the wind, the double-decker stock rates having the aerodynamic qualities of a brick wall. There was a whooshing explosion and a tyre went and Jack pulled the road train off the highway at the first opportunity. Of course it was an inside dual on the dolly and in a matter of minutes Jack had it changed, with the rhythm of a job done a thousand times. We travelled into the night, stock trucks were everywhere, road trains to horse floats, the activity was frantic, the urgency of too much stock to shift and too few trucks, the needs of drought. We fuelled up, had a feed and cleaned up at a roadhouse just outside Charters Towers and headed south along the Developmental Rd, driving through the dark and the dust clouds of road trains ahead. With daylight came a different world, filled with green grass, shining cattle and waterholes brimming. Fences and bridges told the story of recent floods, we were in the country but Cyclone Charlie had speared, plunging deep into central Queensland bringing heavy rains and floods ... and green fresh feed. Jack had a spell in the bunk, lying back in the lavish upholstery of the big air-conditioned sleeper. The television was on, a boomerang of an antenna picking up national ABC and he watched with intense interest the kids' program Play School. For a man who had spent most of his life driving the hot, rugged B-model Macks, the fact he could sit back in comfort and watch television was more of a revelation than the program he was watching. But the fun was not yet over. There was a twisting dirt track on the way into the yards where we were to unload and a steep creek crossing with a tight corner on the other side. Bill made it across with his four decks, Brad in the Kenworth made a run, hugged the corner a little too tightly and the second trailer sagged into the soft bank. He was stuck. Bill, on the other side of the crossing, dropped his second trailer and backed onto the Kenworth, we stiffed barred the two trucks together and the Mack and Kenworth pulled clear. Then it was Jack's turn. Ned Kelly bellowed as the master spurred the 500 horses down the creek bank. A twin jet stream of black smoke fumed from the stacks and Jack swung wide, pulling his trailers around and safely up onto the opposite bank. Delivery point was made and it was time to unload. .

Land Line (OOIDA) / August 10, 2017 Paccar is recalling certain Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks after an issue with the electrical system was discovered, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. Nearly 6,000 trucks are affected by the recall. More specifically, certain Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks model 2013-2017 are affected. The vehicles have a spotlight that may short-circuit internally, according to a NHTSA recall acknowledgment. The short circuit may increase the risk of a fire at the cab fuse block. Among the affected trucks: 2013-2017 Kenworth T680 2013-2017 Kenworth T880 2013-2016 Peterbilt 567 2013-2016 Peterbilt 579 Owners of affected trucks will be notified by Paccar. Dealers will change the polyfuse switch in the spotlight circuit to a standard fuse for free. Recalls will start on Aug. 31. For more information, call Paccar customer service at 940-591-4220. Paccar’s number for this recall is 17KWC and 717-B.

Commercial Motor / August 10, 2017 Exclusive spy shots of the next MAN cab show that six years on from its acquisition by the Volkswagen (VW) Group, there is still little evidence of its intention to develop synergies with sister brand Scania. Both brands appear to be pursuing separate driveline programmes, with the adoption of the Scania 12+2 Opticruise transmission only in a limited number of MAN variants. There had been expectations that MAN’s much-needed replacement cab would be based on Scania’s new range, currently part way through its launch programme. This has been backed up by rumours from VW Group suggesting a new cab for MAN’s heavy truck range is imminent. However, as these scoop pictures taken during hot climate testing in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountains show, the next MAN cab to arrive seems to be a makeover of the current unit. But they do give some hints as to the likely styling changes. If this disguised vehicle includes the new cab, the front panel appears remarkably similar, with only minor changes to the air intakes. However, the side styling is different. Most prominent on the doors is a smooth curve at the bottom of the window aperture, replacing the sharp dog leg, with a reshaped door handle. The previously plain wheelarch is echoed by a distinct crease, and the pronounced signature five-line fluting appears to have changed to three less-pronounced strips. .

Commercial Motor / August 10, 2017 Volvo's new FM 8x4 takes to the roads of London to test its new safety technology and try a new approach to operating tippers. .

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / August 10, 2017 Mesilla Valley Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 75) has purchased 1,000 eNow solar energy systems for its tractors, saying it will help fuel economy and battery life and power auxiliary power units. Headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the fleet has about 1,600 drivers. MVT and eNow will show off the system at the NACFE “Run on Less” program Sept. 5-25. MVT is not the first fleet to turn to solar panels as a way to cut costs and improve efficiency. Groupe Robert, headquartered in Montreal, installed solar panel systems on its trucks as a way to extend battery life. The fleet’s solar panels generate up to four additional hours of battery life and fully recharge in eight to 10 hours of normal daylight. Related reading: https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/42361-thermo-king-develops-truck-solar-panel/?tab=comments#comment-308908 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/26172-trucking-news-mesilla-valley-retrofits-4000-tractor-trailers-with-trailertails/?tab=comments#comment-128208 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/42167-international-prostar-to-feature-allison-tc10-automatic-transmission-with-cummins-isx15/?tab=comments#comment-307407

Transport Topics / August 10, 2017 OEM Posts 2.6% Increase in First Six Months of Year Cummins Inc., the last independent engine maker, clawed back some market share from truck makers’ integrated powertrains to reclaim first place in North American engine sales during the first half of 2017. Cummins was the only manufacturer to install more engines in North American Class 8 trucks during the first six months of this year, with an increase of 2.6% to 42,062 for the period, compared with 40,999 engines from January through June 2016. “Cummins is pleased with our gains in North American market share and with our overall second-quarter sales increases in all four business segments,” company Vice President of Sales Amy Boerger said. Overall, the North American engine market contracted 10.5% to 112,511 heavy trucks from 125,715 year-over-year. The figures come from a WardsAuto.com report on North American factory sales of heavy-duty trucks, including their engines, released July 31. Daimler Trucks North America dropped to second place this year with 36,566 engines, down 12.9% from last year’s first-half level of 41,966. In the first half of 2016, DTNA owned first place as Freightliner and Western Star customers specified in-house Detroit brand and Mercedes-Benz engines. Despite the decline, DTNA is pleased with the progress of its integrated equipment lineup, said Kary Schaefer, DTNA general manager for marketing and strategy. “Penetration of Detroit engines and Detroit integrated powertrain components has never reached higher penetration levels in DTNA products,” Schaefer said. “Our Detroit components are viewed by our customers as critical in achieving incredible reliability, fuel efficiency, and an integral component of the new Cascadia and our complete Freightliner product line.” The Ward’s report breaks Class 8 engines into two segments, with 10 liters as the dividing line. DTNA kept first place among large engines, which includes 11- to 16-liter models, topping Cummins. However, Cummins’ lead among the smaller heavy-duty engines, typically installed in trucks often called “Baby Eights,” allowed the Columbus, Ind.-based manufacturer to take the lead among all Class 8 engines. North American truck makers sold 98,702 of the larger Class 8s during the first six months and 13,809 Baby Eights. Of the smaller heavy-duty models sold, 73.5% had a Cummins engine. The 9-liter ISL is Cummins’ main product in this market. Cummins also dominated the Class 7 market, placing its engines in 54.6% of those trucks during the first half of the year. All heavy-duty truck makers have been trying to get their customers to select engines made in-house rather than by an independent supplier. The truck OEMs argue that when a truck, its engine and transmission are designed by a single engineering team, it maximizes the opportunity for improving fuel economy. Sometimes the truck makers even add tractor drive axles as part of the design process, which is known broadly as vertical integration. Among all North American Class 8 trucks, 37.4% had a Cummins engine during the first half of this year, up from 32.6% during the same time in 2016. DTNA had 32.5% of the engine market, down from 33.4% year-over-year. Volvo Group’s two North American companies, Mack and Volvo Trucks, combined for third place with 15.6% of engines, down from 17.3%. Paccar Inc., the parent of Kenworth Trucks and Peterbilt Motors, placed 12.1% of engines, a dip from 12.4% a year ago. Navistar International Corp. declined to 2.4% of North American engines from 4.2%. “The reduction in Mack’s engine market share reflects the smaller overall Class 8 market we’re anticipating for 2017,” said Scott Barraclough, Mack technology product manager. “As pioneers of integration, Mack strongly believes in the benefits it enables, and we continue to refine and optimize our integrated powertrain,” including Mack brand engines, automated manual transmissions and drive axles, he said. John Moore, Volvo’s product marketing manager for powertrain, offered similar comments. While Kenworth and Peterbilt buy a lot of Cummins X15 engines, especially for customers that do oil field work, the two OEMs also use many 11- and 13-liter engines made by Paccar, said Landon Sproull, Paccar powertrain vice president. “For on-highway customers, they look at fuel economy and weight, so the MX-13 is attractive,” Sproull said. “Big liters [15 or 16] are not as important as they used to be. Look at Europe, it’s all 13 liters over there,” Sproull said. The MX-11 has a maximum of 430 horsepower and the MX-13 goes to 510 hp, Sproull said, providing much more power in less space than 10 to 15 years ago. He said Kenworth and Peterbilt will continue to offer X15s to fleets and drivers that want them, but the 11- and 13-liter market probably will continue to grow and Paccar wants to dominate there. The timing of the Ward’s report did not include Navistar’s latest effort, the 12.4-liter A26 engine. The Lisle, Ill., OEM announced its first shipments of A26s on June 30. Navistar said Aug. 3 it is phasing out its 9- and 10-liter engines, currently made in Melrose Park, Ill. The N9 and N10 power plants often are used in Baby Eight and Class 7 International trucks, but lately customers have switched to Cummins engines. .

As batteries become lighter, smaller, higher capacity and faster charging, changes already taking place at record speed, it will make electric power a viable reality. As for how to keep the batteries charged, it will depend on the application. I still like the micro turbine concept over fuel cell, either of which can endlessly recharge the batteries as required. We'll see over the next ten years how it all turns out.

I'm deeply troubled with what I'm seeing here. If you "like" a comment, you see the message "xxxxx reacted to this". "reacted to this"..............sounds almost like "politically correct" terminology. The bizarre and silly facial icons, I feel, are demeaning to the website. Until now, BMT has had a professional feel, something we've all been proud of. Born out of that pride, I'm extremely concerned about the new "tone" coming about here. With all due respect, I don't care for the heart icon either. I'm sure it would be ideal for a dating website, but for BMT? Good change can be........good. However, not all ideas for change are.......good.

DAF Trucks UK / July 7, 2017 DAF Trucks has delivered a fleet of New CF and XF demonstration tractor units to the DAF UK Dealer network. Following the global launch of the new trucks at the CV Show earlier this year, the new, upgraded models are about to hit UK roads. 35 UK tractor units are part of a much larger European fleet of over 200 new CF and XF demonstrators, painted in metallic Jamaica Blue and sporting their distinctive demonstrator livery, manufactured at DAF’s two European production plants in Eindhoven and Leyland. Since the CV Show in April, DAF Trucks has received over 600 UK orders for its new CF and XF models. The first customer vehicles will also start to appear on the roads over the next few weeks. The demonstrators include a variety of New CF and XF models including FTG 6x2 twin-steer and FTP pusher-axle tractor configurations, in both Space and Super Space cab variants. DAF Dealers are reporting significant interest from operators keen to evaluate the New CF and XF models, with many planning local events where customers can appraise vehicles first-hand. The new DAF model line-up arrives as DAF Trucks further strengthens its position in the UK truck market above 6.0-tonnes GVW. Latest market share figures confirm DAF Trucks’ dominant 33% share – more than twice that of its nearest competitor – meaning one-in-three new trucks in the UK is a DAF. The New-model DAF CF and XF rigid and tractor line-up boasts up to 7% lower fuel consumption thanks to innovations and higher ratings to the PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 engines, a new ZF TraXon gearbox, new high-efficiency rear axles with faster gear ratios, advanced powertrain software and new cab aerodynamic aids. Further new developments include an enhanced MX Engine Brake and a new compact Exhaust After-treatment System (EAS) – all combining to reduce kerb-weight by a significant 130kg on the FTG 6x2 tractor model. The EAS is 40% smaller allowing extra chassis space to accommodate ancillary blowing and or tipping equipment. Maximum service intervals are also increased to 200,000km. For the driver, new trim, a new dashboard layout and new temperature / climate controls further enhance already high levels of comfort, while an Exclusive Line specification provides the ultimate in luxury. .

Trade Trucks AU / August 3, 2017 Nearly 1,000 fewer units sold than in June but still at record total for the month Whether it’s the start of the calendar year or financial year, the story is invariably the same – the first month sees commercial vehicle sales fall off a metaphorical cliff. And why should 2017 be any different? June’s 3,879 total gave way to July’s 2,936, a fall of 943 units that has only been exceeded by last year’s 959 and 2010’s 1,493, according to the Truck Industry Council's (TIC's) T-Mark statistics. But this July’s total is still about 10 per cent higher than any other July this decade. So, month-on-month is a much less crucial measure on how the sales resurgence is tracking. The battle-royal in the heavy brigade is where the action is, specifically as Volvo and Kenworth slug it out. Having drawn July last year at 158 apiece, Volvo has put a nose hair in from with 154 to Kenworth’s 153, though it is still 123 units behind for the year to date. As Isuzu lost ground for the month year-on-year, down 49 units, Scania bounced be into form not seen for three years at 72 and has Mercedes-Benz breathing down its neck – at 66, its best July this decade and 16 above the previous best July, in 2011. The salient contrast is with Western Star, which seems to be missing out on the construction boom and much other bulk business – at 30 for the second July in a row and a far cry from the 80s seen in 2012 and 2013. Last month was also a bumper one for the medium-duty segment and a decade record at a total of 653, though year to date, at 3,975 was under 2010’s 4,135. While Isuzu still leads it seems range-bound year on year around the 250 mark while Hino (up eight to 182) and Fuso (up 25 to 107, its first July in three figures since 2011) and now especially MAN are pushing on. MAN has done some good business lately, reaching into the 50s per month. Meanwhile, the light-duty sure refuses to be sapped and, at 924 for the month, is looking for four figures. The year to date of 6,375 is a decade record, up from last year’s previous record of 5,875. Isuzu rules this land and has lifted its market share above 40 per cent for the first time this decade. Second-placed Hino has borne the brunt, down to 179 after being in the 200s in 2014 and 2015. .

Additional INTERNATIONAL Dealerships appointed IVECO Australia Press Release / August 10, 2017 IVECO Australia has appointed a further five Dealerships to oversee the sales, service and parts support for the INTERNATIONAL ProStar truck range in Australia. The latest appointments include Black Truck Sales and Honeycombes Sales & Service in Queensland, Sydney Truck & Machinery Centre in New South Wales, Bendigo Truck Centre in Victoria and Purcher International in Western Australia. These new Dealerships join an initial group of 11 outlets, further increasing coverage for prospective ProStar owners, and as with the original appointments, the new Dealerships are all current IVECO Dealers as well as authorised Cummins service outlets. IVECO Australia is currently finalising further prospective INTERNATIONAL Dealership appointments, the details of which will be announced in the coming weeks. IVECO Australia Dealer Channel Director, Geoff Buswell, said he was pleased with the progress of the INTERNATIONAL Dealer roll-out. “We’re extremely happy with the number of high quality INTERNATIONAL Dealerships that are being appointed,” Mr Buswell said. “From a strategic positioning perspective, we’re getting close to our objective of providing strong and convenient representation for customers in all Australian states – this will be achieved in the coming weeks as the remaining Dealerships come on line. “There is a real excitement and passion for the ProStar within the Dealer group, with some outlets already taking delivery of stock.” Full INTERNATIONAL Dealer listing: NEW INTERNATIONAL DEALERSHIPS Dealer name Location State Black Truck Sales Toowoomba QLD Honeycombes Sales & Service Townsville QLD Sydney Truck & Machinery Centre Narellan NSW Bendigo Truck Centre Bendigo VIC Purcher International Geraldton WA EXISTING INTERNATIONAL DEALERSHIPS Dealer name Location State Sydney IVECO Arndell Park NSW Thomas Brothers Wagga wagga NSW Blacklocks Albury Wodonga NSW Brisbane IVECO Rocklea QLD Widelands Sunshine Coast QLD Widelands Maryborough QLD Widelands Rockhampton QLD Smith Trucks Ballarat VIC Adelaide IVECO Burton SA Adelaide IVECO Port Augusta SA AV Truck Services Redcliffe WA

Commercial Motor / August 9, 2017 Derbyshire haulier David G Davies & Sons has taken delivery of two of the UK’s first Iveco New Stralis XP tractor units. Supplied by Manchester-based Northern Commercials, the two 6x2 mid-lift tractors are the operator’s first ever Iveco trucks. They are equipped with 570hp Cursor 13 engines and 12-speed Hi-Tronix automated transmission, which Iveco has introduced for its XP models. Based at David G Davies & Sons’ Glossop site, they are expected to cover 140,000 miles annually and will be used to transport polystyrene packaging across the UK. They have been acquired on three-year Iveco Elements repair and maintenance contracts and join a 16-strong fleet previously dominated by a rival marque. Chris Davies, director at David G Davies & Sons, says: “From our initial enquiry, Paul Rankine at Northern Commercials has really looked after us. Paul ran simulations to demonstrate just how fuel-efficient the New Stralis XP would be, and when the time came to expand the fleet, Iveco was top of our shopping list. “On paper, New Stralis XP is a fantastic spec truck, but the full package Iveco is putting behind it – including the uptime guarantee – takes the aftersales support to a new level.” The uptime guarantee was launched alongside Iveco’s New Stralis XP and NP models and guarantees that the manufacturer’s dealer network will have the vehicle back on the road within 24 hours in the event of a breakdown. .

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Jerry Hirsch, August 9, 2017 / Trucks.com Traditional trucking industry manufacturers could become obsolete if they don’t start moving more quickly into electric drive trains. That’s the assessment of analyst Alexander Potter from Piper Jaffray in a report released Tuesday for industry investors. “Many stocks in our truck coverage are exposed to disruption. Other than Wabco and Tesla we don't recommend buying any of them,” Potter said. Venerable industry suppliers such as Navistar International Corp., Paccar Inc., Cummins Inc. and Allison Transmission Holdings are among the most “susceptible,” Potter wrote. Potter is looking at the increasing adoption of electric buses demonstrates as the pathway to electric trucking, primarily through the development of drivetrain and battery technology. “Although California remains an early adopter of electric vehicles, the merits of electric drivetrains are now being acknowledged in regions far away from ‘friendly’ coastal enclaves,” Potter said. “Red states and blue states alike are embracing electric buses, and we see no reason why this trend should abate. Indeed, we expect it to accelerate,” Burlingame, Calif., electric bus maker Proterra opened a new factory in the City of Industry, just east of Los Angeles last month that is capable of building 400 electric buses annually in its 100,000-square-foot space. Elsewhere China-based BYD Co., has built a factory in Lancaster, Calif., to produce electric buses and trucks. The plant employs 600 workers and has already built 113 buses. Earlier this week, BYD said it inked a deal to supply 17 single-deck buses for service in Haifa, Israel’s third largest city. The buses will be operated by Egged, which with almost 3,000 buses is the country’s largest bus operator. Potter readily acknowledges the higher cost of electric vehicle technology, but he said that’s a passing issue and can be offset by operating savings. “It's important to note that electric bus volume is rising despite a sizable premium vs. internal combustion buses,” he said. An electric bus can cost about $700,000 while is diesel counterpart is $500,000. “But since regular maintenance costs for an EV bus are negligible – and since the energy savings are so substantial – the return on investment is still attractive,” Potter said. This is where the trucking industry needs take note, Potter said. “Naturally the economics are different in other vocations, but as volume rises and prices fall toward parity, other segments should steadily embrace EV drivetrains, including school buses, refuse trucks, and urban delivery fleets, more-or-less in that order,” he said. To be sure, there are plenty of hurdles. For example, there’s no national charging network to power long-haul trucks like there is for diesel vehicles, said Antti Lindstrӧm, an IHS Markit analyst. Another issue is charging time. Truckers won’t want to sit around waiting hours for their batteries to charge when they can refuel a diesel truck in minutes. That’s why both analysts expect to see electric trucks deployed first on routes where they head back to a central depot for charging. The key to driver of electric truck technology is the battery pack, where the “core” intellectual property resides, Potter said. “The pieces of metal in the drivetrain (motors, inverters, transmissions, axles) are simple, cheap, and in some cases not needed at all,” he said. “Consider the Tesla drivetrain: we think the bill-of-materials for the drivetrain itself is $1,500 or less, whereas the battery pack is probably at least 10x more costly.” The cost ratio becomes even more skewed in a heavy vehicle such as a truck or a bus because they require battery sizes of 400-600kWh, about five times larger than the battery Tesla uses in its biggest models. Some manufacturers are moving into the electric truck market. Tesla plans to reveal its design for a heavy-duty truck in September. Daimler Trucks just started production of an all-electric medium-duty truck this year called the eCanter under the Mitsubishi Fuso brand. It will be sold in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Both Daimler and Volkswagen, through its MAN Truck & Bus division, plan to introduce heavy-duty electric trucks around 2020. Toyota and others are working on hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The fuel cells create power to run electric drive trains in the trucks.

Heavy Duty Trucking / August 9, 2017 Hino Motors Manufacturing facility in Williamstown, W. Va., celebrated 10 years of medium-duty truck production. This 245,000 square-foot location produces Hino’s Class 6 & 7 conventional body style trucks. The West Virginia plant has seen exponential growth over its decade of production, facilitating the country’s fastest growing medium-duty truck, according to the manufacturer. “I want to thank all of the team members at the West Virginia facility. They are the heart and soul of our company. Without their commitment to quality, Hino Trucks would not be the premium brand name it is today. I would also like to thank the State of West Virginia, Wood County and the city of Williamstown for their tremendous partnership over the past 10 years.” said Yoshinori Noguchi, chairman of Hino Motors Manufacturing and President & CEO of Hino Motor Sales. This anniversary is a substantial milestone when considering the growth that Hino has experienced since 2007. Production per year has increased by more than 500% and the production facility has been expanded and capacities enhanced. “Our success has allowed us to invest in our capabilities to better service our customers as well as support the local job market. Since opening in 2007, the employment at our Williamstown facility has increased by over 400%," said Steve Stalnaker, vice president & plant manager Williamstown for Hino. As part of the 10-year celebration, Hino held an onsite ceremony to honor this achievement. The ceremony included statements from state and local government officials as well as Hino leadership. . . .

Wabash to buy Supreme Industries Fleet Owner / August 9, 2017 The acquisition and subsequent merger of the two manufacturers is expected to occur no later than the fourth quarter of 2017. Trailer maker Wabash National Corp. aims to acquire fellow Indiana-based manufacturer Supreme Industries, which makes truck bodies, in a $21 per share stock offer worth between $342 million and $364 million. Founded in 1974, Supreme is the second largest U.S. manufacturer of truck bodies, with 2016 sales of $299 million, according to Wabash -- primarily building light- and medium-duty truck bodies at seven facilities throughout the U.S. Dick Giromini, Wabash’s CEO, said in a statement that the deal would merge the two companies and beef up Wabash’s own truck body manufacturing operations, positioning it to capitalize on the $2 billion “final mile” logistics market that’s rapidly increasing due to e-commerce activity. “We formally entered the final mile space in 2015 with the launch of our dry and refrigerated truck bodies, and we have been aggressively growing our presence and product offering over the past two years,” he explained. “This acquisition supports these efforts and accelerates our objective to transform our business into a more diversified industrial manufacturer.” Giromini noted that acquiring Supreme provides Wabash with “significant growth and diversification benefits” in line with the company’s long-term strategic plan, including reduced dependence on dry van trailer demand, "reduced cyclicality" and new segments for growth. Under the terms of the agreement and merger plan, Wabash formed an acquisition subsidiary – Redhawk Acquisition Corp. – that will commence a tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Supreme for $21 per share. The deal is expected to be wrapped up no later than the fourth quarter of this year. Following the completion of the tender offer, Wabash expects to consummate a merger of Redhawk Acquisition Corp. and Supreme in which shares of Supreme that have not been purchased in the tender offer will be converted into the right to receive the same cash price per share as paid in the tender offer. In all, Wabash expects the deal to deliver at least $20 million in annual “run-rate” cost synergies by 2021, with expected cost synergies primarily driven by corporate and procurement expenditures plus operational improvement savings. Over time, Wabash said it expects to achieve “significant incremental revenue opportunities” via its acquisition and merger with Supreme that neither company could obtain on a standalone basis. The Supreme acquisition is part of a larger “diversification” strategy on the part of Wabash that Giromini touched on in the company’s second quarter earnings call – a strategy aimed at “insulating” the company from the cyclical ups and downs in trailer demand. “Certainly, there is increased focus [on acquisitions]; we've stated that in recent quarters that with the health of the company, the strength of the balance sheet really provides us an opportunity to increase the focus and effort in that arena,” he explained during the company’s earnings call in late July. “We're taking more targeted approach; not simply waiting for opportunities to come across the transom,” Giromini added. “We're extremely excited about … the final-mile space. It's an area that we have invested in and continue to invest in organically here. And we continue to look at opportunities in that space to grow through strategic acquisition.” And the money is apparently there to do it. On a consolidated basis, Wabash booked revenue of $436 million in the second quarter this year, which is a decrease of $36 million or 8% compared to the second quarter of 2016, with new trailer shipments reaching 14,150 units. In terms of operating results, Wabash reported consolidated gross profit in the second quarter of $57.7 million or 15.5% of sales. Gross profit was down $23.4 million year-over-year and up $8.3 million sequentially, the company added, while it generated operating income and margin of $38.7 million and 8.9%, respectively. .

ELDs Must Be Registered at FMCSA, Official Reminds Safety Inspectors Transport Topics / August 9, 2017 ORLANDO, Fla. — Electronic logging devices need to be registered with the federal trucking regulatory agency in order to be valid, an agency official reminded law enforcement officials on Aug. 9. “It’s not an ELD unless it’s listed on our website. That’s going to be part of what you do during an inspection; you’re going to verify that it is a registered ELD,” said Danielle Smith, a transportation specialist with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s passenger carrier division. Smith was addressing road safety inspectors at the North American Inspectors Championship, hosted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. During her half-hour lecture, Smith reminded inspectors about ELDs’ data transfer procedures via wireless applications, email, Bluetooth devices or USB ports. She also noted carriers have to repair or replace malfunctioning ELDs within eight days of learning about problems with the devices. The agency’s ELD rule takes effect Dec. 18. Its aim is to establish performance and design standards, as well as improve compliance with hours-of-service rules. Marc Moncion, global director of safety, compliance and regulatory affairs with Fleet Complete, urged drivers to embrace ELDs. His firm’s ELDs are powered by BigRoad. “Don’t fear the technology because the technology is not Big Brother,” Moncion told Transport Topics. “It’s geared to leverage efficiencies.”