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Wabash Reaches Agreement to Acquire Supreme Industries Transport Topics / August 9, 2017 Trailer maker Wabash National Corp. has reached an agreement to acquire truck-body manufacturer Supreme Industries, a move that would catapult Wabash to the second-largest U.S. truck-body manufacturer as it expands its focus on e-commerce equipment. Wabash announced Aug. 8 a cash tender offer for $21 per share, which represents an equity value of $364 million and an enterprise value of $342 million for Supreme. Founded in 1974, Supreme is the second-largest U.S. manufacturer of truck bodies, with 2016 sales of $299 million, according to Lafayette, Ind.-based Wabash. Supreme, based in Goshen, Ind., primarily manufactures light- and medium-duty truck bodies at seven factories across the United States. One analyst, responding to the news, was supportive. “Our initial thoughts are mildly positive on the deal as it 1) further diversifies Wabash away from the 53-foot dry-van trailer industry, 2) will be accretive to earnings and 3) should not be viewed as a ‘bet-the-farm transaction,’ ” analyst Brad Delco with Stephens Inc. wrote in a note to investors. With the acquisition completed, Wabash would trail only Morgan Corp. in the truck body manufacturing industry, Delco told Transport Topics. “Supreme has about 17% share of the market, whereas Morgan has about 40%. No other trailer manufacturer will have as much exposure to the truck body, final-mile e-commerce market as WNC, though, to say it differently.” “Wabash National has been closely monitoring the transportation landscape as the growth of e-commerce has continued to change the logistics model,” Wabash CEO Dick Giromini said in a statement. “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. This acquisition supports these efforts and accelerates our objective to transform our business into a more diversified industrial manufacturer.” Once the transaction is complete, Wabash would see its revenue from dry van semi-trailer manufacturing fall to “an expected” 50% in 2018, compared with 64% in 2016,” Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. analyst Michael Baudendistel wrote in a note to investors. Wabash expects to deliver at least $20 million in annual run-rate cost synergies by 2021, primarily driven by corporate and procurement expenditures, and operational improvement savings, according to the company. Over time, Wabash expects to achieve significant incremental revenue opportunities that neither company could obtain on a stand-alone basis, but it did not elaborate in its statement. “This is a great opportunity for both companies to combine our strengths to provide an enhanced customer experience within the growing final-mile delivery space,” Giromini added. “With Supreme, not only can Wabash National accelerate organic growth with our innovative DuraPlate, honeycomb panel and molded structural composite truck bodies, we can also provide a broader conventional product offering to our existing customer base.” The merger, when approved, will enhance Supreme’s ability to “innovate more quickly and create more value for customers,” Supreme Industries CEO Mark Weber said in a statement. “We found a cultural fit with Wabash National. Because of their commitment to safety, innovation and customer relationships, I’m confident joining the Wabash National family will benefit our employees, customers and distributors.” Trailer maker Great Dane also owns Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, which makes bodies for medium-duty trucks carrying temperature-sensitive products, including for home delivery, Great Dane said on its website, and the equipment is available through authorized Great Dane branches and select dealerships. .

Jason Cannon, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / August 8, 2017 Wabash National Corporation is acquiring truck body builder Supreme Industries, Inc. Under the terms of the deal, Wabash National will acquire all outstanding shares of Supreme in a cash tender offer for $21 per share – a value of $364 million. Both companies are based in Indiana but Supreme – the second largest U.S. manufacturer of truck bodies – primarily manufactures light- and medium-duty bodies at seven U.S. facilities. Wabash National Chief Executive Officer Dick Giromini says the semi trailer maker was drawn to the deal as his company seeks to further expand its final-mile business, which Wabash entered in 2015 with the debut of dry and refrigerated truck bodies. “Wabash National has been closely monitoring the transportation landscape as the growth of e-commerce has continued to change the logistics model,” he says. Supreme’s medium- and light-duty commercial vehicle portfolio, distribution network, and regional manufacturing locations will combine with Wabash National’s advanced composite technologies, expertise in lean manufacturing and optimization, engineering and design proficiency and supplier relationships. .

New Ford F-150: Most Advanced F-150 Powertrain Lineup Ever Enables Best-in-Class Payload, Towing and Gas Mileage With more engine choices, the 2018 F-150 is even more fuel-efficient; its second-generation 2.7-liter EcoBoost has an EPA estimated rating of 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined which is best-in-class. New F-150 debuts with new, best-in-class 13,200-pound tow rating – thanks to more powerful, efficient engine offerings featuring standard Auto Start-Stop and expanded availability of segment-first 10-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission New truck sports a tougher design with bolder Built Ford Tough styling and its high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body and box Using available class-exclusive Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, the 2018 F-150 can assist drivers in congested traffic – even applying brakes to help prevent a collision; available Wi-Fi hotspot helps occupants stay connected on the go DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 9, 2017 – Ford’s new F-150 debuts for 2018 even tougher, even smarter, and even more capable than ever – with the most advanced F-150 powertrain lineup ever that delivers best-in-class towing, payload and efficiency for America’s pickup drivers. The new F-150 has an EPA estimated rating of 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined which is best-in-class from the second-generation 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, plus best-in-class towing (13,200 lbs.) and payload capacity (3,270 lbs.) from the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and enhanced 5.0-liter V8, respectively. “The Ford F-150 lineup again delivers on its promise to give full-size truck customers even more value, functionality and smart technology innovations, with engines with best-in-class towing, payload and fuel economy,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Our new F-150 highlights Ford’s commitment to its hardworking truck customers and how we listen to their demands for their new F-150 to be even tougher, even smarter and even more capable for work and play.” Three years after introducing a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy-bodied F-150, a new truck arrives with bold new styling, advanced technologies, a segment-first 10-speed automatic transmission and F-150’s most advanced engine lineup yet, which includes the first available diesel ever for F-150. F-150 is part of Ford’s F-Series truck lineup – America’s best-selling truck for 40 consecutive years and its best-selling vehicle for 35 years. New powertrain lineup for available best-in-class payload, towing and gas mileage The new F-150 offers the F-150’s most advanced engine offerings ever – all to offer the right engine for every hardworking truck customer. An second-generation 2.7-liter EcoBoost® V6 with segment-exclusive SelectShift® 10-speed automatic transmission has an EPA-estimated rating of 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined which is best-in-class. With advanced dual port and direct-injection technology, the second-generation 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine delivers a 25 lb.-ft. increase in torque – and at lower engine speeds compared to a traditional V8. Like the second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost, this 2.7-liter EcoBoost will be paired with Ford’s segment-exclusive 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. An enhanced 5.0-liter V8 boasts a best-in-class payload capacity of 3,270 pounds. This normally aspirated engine features significant upgrades for 2018 including advanced dual port and direct-injection technology for 10 more horsepower and an additional 13 lb.-ft. of torque. Spray-on bore liner technology also featured in the Shelby GT350® Mustang has been added to squeeze out even more weight from the aluminum block. For the first time, the V8 is paired with the 10-speed SelectShift automatic. For best-in-class towing, the second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 delivers 13,200 pounds of towing capacity, thanks to its 470 lb.-ft. of torque that beats all diesel- and gasoline-powered competitors, including V8 engines with nearly twice its displacement. With dual port and direct-injection technology, the 375-horsepower twin-turbo engine provides ideal low-end and peak engine performance for hauling heavy payloads and towing heavy trailers. Even the all-new 3.3-liter V6 engine is more efficient, more powerful and delivers more torque to get the job done, compared to the previously standard 3.5-liter V6. Plus, the now standard 3.3-liter provides a 5 percent power-to-weight ratio improvement versus the 2014 F-150 featuring steel body and 3.7-liter V6 – with better fuel economy and performance based on EPA-estimated ratings. Designed, engineered and tested in-house, an all-new 3.0-liter Power Stroke® turbo diesel V6 paired with 10-speed SelectShift automatic joins the F-150 engine lineup for 2018. The first diesel engine offered for F-150 will be available next spring. F-150’s new powertrain lineup New F-150 offers the most advanced engine offerings ever, including standard Auto Start-Stop. Specifically: 3.3-liter PFDI V6 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 5.0-liter PFDI V8 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 3.5-liter high-output EcoBoost V6 Horsepower 290 @ 6,500 rpm 325 @ 5,000 rpm 395 @ 5,750 rpm 375 @ 5,000 rpm 450 @ 5,000 rpm Versus 2017 +8 No change +10 Torque (lb.-ft.) 265 @ 4,000 rpm 400 @ 2,750 rpm 400 @ 4,500 rpm 470 @ 3,500 rpm 510 @ 3,500 rpm Versus 2017 +12 +25 +13 EPA fuel economy 4x2 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 22 mpg combined 4x4 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, 20 mpg combined 4x2 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, 22 mpg combined 4x4 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, 21 mpg combined 4x2 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, 19 mpg combined 4x4 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, 18 mpg combined 4x2 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 21 mpg combined 4x4 17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, 19 mpg combined 4x4 15 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, 16 mpg combined Versus 2017 4x2 +1 mpg city, +1 mpg highway, +2 mpg combined 4x4 +1 mpg city, +1 mpg combined 4x2 +1 mpg city 4x4 +1 mpg city, +1 mpg highway, +1 mpg combined 4x2 +2 mpg city, +1 mpg highway, +1 mpg combined 4x4 +1 mpg city, +1 mpg highway, +1 mpg combined Raising the bar through segment-exclusive materials and technologies More than just styling that creates visually bolder and more planted stance, the new F-150 continues to offer a segment-exclusive combination of advanced materials that have proven durability through extensive real-world performance and inhibit corrosion. A high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy body and box that saves weight and adds capability coupled with a high-strength steel fully boxed ladder frame. The new Ford F-150 further advances the light-duty pickup truck market with segment-first and class-exclusive technologies that improve productivity, efficiency and driver confidence, while keeping occupants connected to the world around them. Technologies include: New segment-first enhanced adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality is available to allow drivers to set a cruising speed. The system then uses radar and camera technology to monitor traffic ahead to maintain a set distance between vehicles – even following a vehicle down to a complete stop New segment-first Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection is available to help drivers avoid or mitigate collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians An available new embedded 4G LTE modem with Wi-Fi hotspot enables customers to connect up to 10 mobile devices at one time, virtually anywhere New B&O PLAY audio system is available, offering high-end speakers, sound and tuning for a richer, more engaging listening experience Existing segment-exclusive driver-assist and convenience features include: Available Pro Trailer Backup Assist allows F-150 drivers of various skill levels to steer a trailer instinctively using a center console-mounted dial to back-up a boat launch or park in a driveway Available Blind Spot Information System with trailer coverage technology is optimized for F-150 to include up to 33 feet of trailer length; BLIS® uses radar sensors in the taillamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver around the truck and trailer Available 360-degree camera technology helps improve driver confidence when parking and can help reduce stress when connecting a trailer – allowing customers to see more so they can focus on specific tasks such as lining up a hitch Available lane-keeping system is designed to help reduce drifting of the truck outside its intended lane The new 2018 Ford F-150 goes on sale this fall. It will be built at Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, and Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri. Photo gallery - https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2017/08/09/new-ford-f150-most-advanced-powertrain-lineup-ever.html

Green Car Congress / August 9, 2017 Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Corporation have concluded a basic agreement for studies on energy conservation and CO2 emissions reduction in convenience store distribution and operation. The two companies aim to contribute to the realization of a low-carbon and hydrogen-based society in the future, by way of introducing vehicles and power generators to be newly developed by Toyota that use hydrogen. Fuel cell trucks, in which the refrigeration/freezer unit, and the truck itself, are powered by fuel cells, will be introduced as refrigerator/freezer trucks for stores with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. For the stores, an energy management system, combining already-installed solar power generators hydrogen systems will be introduced to enable greater energy conservation and CO2 emissions reduction. · Under consideration is the utilization of a fuel cell power generator as a power source at stores with hydrogen stations. The stationary hydrogen generator would utilize an automotive fuel cell unit. · A stationary rechargeable battery system which uses rechargeable automobile batteries will be introduced to stores and may be used as an emergency power source during disasters, in addition to possible applications for energy conservation and CO2 emissions reduction. .

Former FCA analyst Durden pleads guilty to conspiracy Automotive News / August 8, 2017 ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- One of two Fiat Chrysler officials so far charged in a conspiracy to embezzle millions from a joint FCA-UAW training fund pleaded guilty this morning in U.S. District Court. Jerome Durden, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, a felony, and one misdemeanor charge of failing to file a tax return for the approximately $4,000 he received in 2013 under the conspiracy. Durden, who was a financial analyst at FCA, is expected to cooperate with prosecutors as they build their case against other conspirators, including Alfons Iacobelli, FCA's former head of labor relations, and Monica Morgan, the wife of the late General Holiefield, former head of the UAW's Chrysler department. Iacobelli and Holiefield are alleged by the government to have embezzled millions from the FCA-UAW Joint Training Center in 2009-14. Durden faces a maximum of 37 months in federal prison when he is sentenced at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 12 in U.S. District Court here. He remains free on bond pending sentencing and completion of a pre-sentence report by the court's probation department. Durden entered his guilty plea on Tuesday morning before U.S. District Judge John Corbett O'Meara.

Toyota's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Kenworth Can Revolutionize Heavy Transport Forbes / August 9, 2017 “We took two Mirai vehicles, tore them apart and integrated components into the Kenworth. This was a fast development program. The tanks are larger. Battery is larger. Motors are completely different from Mirai. But the two fuel-cell stacks are Mirai production units. The main purpose is to prove scalability of the Mirai system with little change to the rest of the truck. Our system can pull an 80,000-lb. combined load up a hill,” says Chris Rovik, engineering manager of Toyota Motor North America’s “Portal Project,” an effort to develop a fleet of zero-emission semi tractor-trailers to haul freight from the world’s two busiest container ports, Long Beach and Los Angeles, to a railhead well beyond the densely populated Southern California coastline. The I-710 freeway corridor in and out of these twin ports is nicknamed “cancer alley” because diesel emissions have blanketed the area for decades. The ports are not allowed to expand because of their current high levels of pollution. Rovik and Giorgio Zoia, who works in Toyota’s fuel-cell development program, are my hosts for a crawl-around and drive session of their fuel cell Kenworth T680 “Glider” at Toyota’s Arizona proving grounds. Two electric motors mounted under the cabin generate 1325 lb-ft of torque and the electric equivalent of 670 horsepower, comparable to the conventional 10.8-liter diesel that would normally sit in the Kenworth’s nose. For our run around the proving grounds, there’s no trailer with 45,000 pounds of cargo—we’re in street racing trim. Pedal down, the big blue Kenworth hits 60 mph in about seven seconds, producing no emissions beyond a stream of water. Working our way back to the garage through a series of control gates, I wonder if Toyota might consider entering a fuel-cell prototype racecar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the “Garage 56” experimental class. That might generate much more press than winning the race. “We are trying to keep the battery as small as possible. We want to demonstrate scalability of the fuel cell itself,” says Rovik. “The motors are in series, attached to each other. The back of the vehicle is exactly like a Kenworth PACCAR [diesel-powered] vehicle. People with commercial truck experience are impressed with how quick it is, especially under heavy load,” Rovik says. “These are semi-custom tanks bought from a supplier. It is a translation of the tanks for CNG. Each is almost double the size of a Mirai tank,” Zoia says of the two tanks mounted in the space that would comprise a sleeper cabin in a conventional Kenworth. Hydrogen is delivered to the tanks with the same milled aerospace-quality nozzles I used during a two-week Mirai test drive. Refueling takes 30 minutes because a hydrogen chilling system was deemed an unnecessary expense. “If you have a chiller in the station, you can shorten the fueling time,” says Zoia. Considering Toyota’s commitment to this technology, it’s feasible that within the 2 or 3 years a fuel cell powerplant might be built to generate hydrogen through electrolysis, and power all proving ground operations. “Fuel cells are already very efficient. Fuel cells are getting cheaper. They were expensive because of the platinum and to get hydrogen to go through the membrane. Now quantity of expensive materials is getting lower,” says Zoia. Joan Ogden, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy and Director of the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathway Program at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, says, “We talked to people in the platinum business, and it turns out that almost all of them foresee going from 50 percent recycling to essentially 100 percent in the future. Platinum is going to be in demand for a lot of things. Not only for fuel cells, but for other kinds of clean processes. You won’t be mining so much virgin platinum as reprocessing it.” Conventional catalytic converters in gasoline-powered road cars use perhaps 2 to 4 grams of platinum. Currently, fuel-cell vehicles use about twice that, so the amounts of platinum are not radically greater. “Hydrogen is an energy carrier. How you make hydrogen is the environmental impact,” says Zoia, who chooses the least attractive source of hydrogen to illustrate. “If you make hydrogen from coal, it produces a lot of CO2. You can do it in a centralized facility, capture the CO2 and sequester it. It takes away completely the issue of distributed pollution from smaller sources.” No matter if the source of hydrogen is coal or natural gas, carbon emissions can be sequestered at the energy plant, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles themselves produce no emissions. “If you make hydrogen with electrolysis from wind power, there is zero effect on the environment. The main production source now is natural gas, a relatively clean way of making hydrogen. You have one carbon with four hydrogens in a long chain. “The final goal if you want to be CO2 emission-free is to produce hydrogen from sources that do not produce CO2,” says Zoia. “It could be from renewable natural gas, from landfills. It could be electricity from solar, from hydro, and frankly, it could be from nuclear power. These are completely CO2-free ways of making electricity. You split water in electrolysis. Right now, the process has room for improvement in its efficiency so it is relatively more expensive than producing hydrogen from natural gas. “Say you create electricity from solar or wind, but how do you store it? Hydrogen is the perfect way to store energy,” says Zoia, “because it can be reversed into electricity very efficiently through fuel cells, or it can be transported through a pipeline.” California solar farms have produced so much electricity during daylight hours that in 2017 utility companies in neighboring states have been paid to accept electricity to avoid overloading the California grid. If excess solar power is instead used to power electrolysis and the resulting hydrogen is piped to Los Angeles to power vehicles, a hydrogen-based industrial infrastructure begins to emerge. FuelCell Energy of Danbury, Connecticut, markets fuel-cell powerplants that can generate from 1.4MW to 3.7MW, using natural gas or biogas. For measureables, 1MW can power about 1000 homes. FuelCell Energy’s main clients are hospitals, universities, and wastewater treatment plants. They are currently developing a multi-unit powerplant in the heart of Long Island. “Our core commercial line of fuel-cell powerplants runs on natural gas or methane-based biogas,” says Tony Leo, VP of Application Engineering and New Technology Development at FuelCell Energy. “They cannot run on pure hydrogen. We are introducing a version that produces hydrogen. The fuel cells convert natural gas to hydrogen inside the fuel cell and make electricity from that, but they can also produce extra hydrogen. “We are developing, though it is not yet commercial, a solid-oxide fuel cell that can run on pure hydrogen,” says Leo. “We are looking at using it for electrolysis as well as pure hydrogen consumption. This is a very efficient platform for electrolysis. You can take intermittent renewable power [solar and wind] and send it into a solid-oxide cell and turn water into hydrogen and oxygen. And then store that hydrogen for reconversion into power later, sending it to the same stack. Or you can dispense it to fuel-cell vehicles. We are in the process of testing our first 200KW prototype solid-oxide fuel cell, a prototype of what will be a commercial platform, extending into electrolysis and storage. We have internal support, but also funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. It’s about two or three years till commercialization.” “We are also developing a modification of the system that will allow the fuel cells to support CO2 capture,” says Leo. “You can take exhaust from a coal or natural gas powerplant, send it into our fuel cell and it will separate the CO2 so that it can either be used or sequestered. That is our carbon capture application.” Fuel-cell powerplants are quiet and emit no objectionable emissions that might raise not-in-my-backyard objections. FuelCell Energy’s stacks last about five years, but the rest has a much longer lifespan. Because they are clean, they can place power generation right where it is needed, not miles away feeding an inefficient grid. “Hydrogen pipelines are not more expensive than natural gas pipelines,” says Zoia. “There is one under the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. There are few pipelines because hydrogen is not used widely, only in refineries.” Hydrogen generated through fuel cell electrolysis can be stored at a powerplant and reused to generate electricity at night, or on rainy days. Regarding concerns about the nature of hydrogen, Zoia is succinct: “How long would it take our truck’s hydrogen tanks to empty if we left them? One kilogram of hydrogen has about the same energy as one gallon of gasoline. These tanks in the truck have about 40 kilos of hydrogen. It would take 1500 years for the hydrogen in our tanks to permeate into the atmosphere. The tanks have been shot in test facilities with a .50-caliber bullet and nothing happens. The only way to have a leak from those tanks is at the valve. Worst case if the valve completely failed, it would take just a few minutes for the hydrogen to completely disperse.” It’s important to note that the Department of Energy is researching means of storing hydrogen in caverns in quantities large enough to fuel a powerplant for five or six days. “Hydrogen has safety issues different from gasoline, but when used properly it is as safe as other fuels. Hydrogen has a pretty wide flammability region, but it disperses quickly. It is lighter than air. You design infrastructure to adapt to that,” says Zoia. In short, architecture of parking structures, home garages, tunnels, and other closed storage for vehicles needs to be vented, though the steps needed are not far beyond those for gasoline-powered cars. Having been in Toyota’s fuel cell Kenworth, I’ve reached a variation on the same conclusion for the Mirai fuel-cell passenger car: it’s a truck. There’s no Buck Rogers to it, no George Jetson, no Star Wars. It simply works, and works quite well, a fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) powered with hydrogen. Again, the only element standing in its way is production and distribution infrastructure for hydrogen, which can potentially be addressed in a few years, at least here in my native Los Angeles. Combined with Toyota’s recently announced breakthroughs in solid-state batteries that can potentially transform the electric vehicle market, fuel cell work vehicles offer a completely new approach to heavy transport in an industrialized society. The drive system Rovik and Zoia have put together can just as easily power John Deere harvesting combines in the wheat fields of South Dakota, buses in Los Angeles, heavy cranes for unloading ships in ports, and UPS trucks. At the other end of the scale, fuel cells can power forklifts at a port. Though it has only been mentioned once or twice in public, Toyota has a fuel-cell system scaled to power a Tundra work pickup, proving that most if not all vehicles and equipment at a port can be powered by hydrogen, which becomes especially easy if fuel cell powerplants capable of electrolysis are sited at or near the port. This topic is far removed from the high-performance and luxury cars I normally cover, but I am hoping Toyota invites me on a delivery run in this Kenworth out of the port to the railhead. .

Reuters / August 9, 2017 SAN FRANCISCO -- Tesla Inc is developing a long-haul, electric semi-truck that can drive itself and move in "platoons" that automatically follow a lead vehicle, and is getting closer to testing a prototype, according to an email discussion of potential road tests between the car company and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, seen by Reuters. Meanwhile, California officials are meeting with Tesla on Wednesday "to talk about Tesla's efforts with autonomous trucks," state DMV spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez told Reuters. The correspondence and meeting show that Tesla is putting self-driving technology into the electric truck it has said it plans to unveil in September, and is advancing towards real-life tests, potentially moving it forward in a highly competitive area of commercial transport also being pursued by Uber Technologies Inc and Google affiliate Waymo. After announcing intentions a year ago to produce a heavy-duty electric truck, Musk tweeted in April that the semi-truck would be revealed in September, and repeated that commitment at the company's annual shareholder meeting in June, but has never mentioned any autonomous-driving capabilities. Tesla has been a leader in developing autonomous driving capability for its luxury cars, including the lower-priced Model 3, which it is beginning to manufacture. Long-haul potential Several Silicon Valley companies developing autonomous driving technology are working on long-haul trucks. They see the industry as a prime early market for the technology, citing the relatively consistent speeds and little cross traffic trucks face on interstate highways and the benefits of allowing drivers to rest while trucks travel. Some companies also are working on technology for "platooning," a driving formation where trucks follow one another closely. If trucks at the back of the formation were able to automatically follow a lead vehicle, that could cut the need for drivers. An email exchange in May and June between Tesla and Nevada DMV representatives included an agenda for a June 16 meeting, along with the Nevada Department of Transportation, to discuss testing of two prototype trucks in Nevada, according to the exchange seen by Reuters. "To insure we are on the same page, our primary goal is the ability to operate our prototype test trucks in a continuous manner across the state line and within the States of Nevada and California in a platooning and/or Autonomous mode without having a person in the vehicle," Tesla regulatory official Nasser Zamani wrote to Nevada DMV official April Sanborn. No companies yet have tested self-driving trucks in Nevada without a person in the cab. On July 10, Zamani inquired further to the Nevada DMV about terms for a testing license, an email seen by Reuters shows. California DMV spokeswoman Gonzalez said that Tesla had requested a meeting on Wednesday to introduce new staff and talk about Tesla’s efforts with autonomous trucks. She said that the DMV was not aware of the level of autonomy in the trucks. Tesla declined to comment on the matter, referring Reuters to the previous statements by Musk, who has discussed the truck in tweets and at the annual shareholder meeting. Nevada officials confirmed the meeting with Tesla had occurred and said that Tesla had not applied for a license so far. They declined to comment further. Skeptics Musk has said that potential customers are eager to get a Tesla electric long-haul truck, but he faces doubt that the company can deliver. While established trucking companies and truck manufacturing startups have poured resources into electrifying local package delivery fleets, battery range limitations have largely kept the industry from making electric trucks that travel across swaths of the country. Lithium ion battery researcher Venkat Viswanathan of Carnegie Mellon University said electric long-haul trucking is not economically feasible yet. “Your cargo essentially becomes the battery,” Viswanathan said of the massive batteries that would be needed to make range competitive with diesel. Diesel trucks used for cross-country hauls by United Parcel Service Inc. can travel up to 500 miles on a single tank, according to UPS's director of maintenance and engineering, international operations, Scott Phillippi. By comparison, the company's electric local package delivery trucks travel up to 80 miles on a full charge.

Class 7 or 8, depending on how it's spec'd. It remains a mystery to Mack brand dealers why Volvo doesn't offer the 220 to 330 horsepower Volvo D8 (rebadged UD GH8E) in the Granite MHD so they might attempt to be competitive once more in the municipal segment.

I don't care for this at all, the round single letter icons and all the rest.

It's been ages, but is that not the RH door window and (sleeper models) bunk vent rubber gasket? (Then again, that might be 570AMM1M)

What axles do you have ?

You didn't mention which of the two possible gears you had, nor your axle size. But this info should suffice. TRW - HFB64 Service Manual https://www.trwaftermarket.com/globalassets/na/trucksteering---literature/steeringgears-lit/steeringgears-sm/hfb-64/hfb64.pdf Sheppard - 92 Series Service Manual http://www.rhsheppard.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/92_Series_Service_Manual.pdf

Fishersville, Virginia-based Wilson Trucking (near the I-81/I-64 intersection) was Volvo's single largest US F6/F7 operator for years and years. Volvo decided to give them deep pricing to gain market visibility when they had.......none. This year, Texas-based Central Freight Lines purchased Wilson........... https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/48845-wilson-trucking-to-be-sold/#comment-362337 .

Heavy Duty Trucking / August 8, 2017 A full 20% of Chinese carriers plan to upgrade their trucks and purchase a European-built model with their next vehicle purchase. That’s good news for European truck OEMs, which have spent the better part of the past two decades slowly building their reputations and customer base in the world’s most populous nation. According to a report compiled by Bain Insights and published on the Forbes website last month, most Chinese carriers still intend to purchase domestic- or European-Chinese-joint venture trucks the next time they upgrade their fleets. But this does little to dampen the good news for European OEMs, which the study found enjoy significantly higher customer loyalty rankings than Chinese and joint venture (JV) trucks. Moreover, the findings indicate a substantial number of Chinese fleets are prosperous enough now to pay more for better quality trucks, stay with those brands longer, and generate positive word of mouth about the vehicles. Even better: The majority of respondents who indicated a preference for European-built trucks also indicated they plan to purchase new vehicles in the next three years. According to the Bain analysts, the study also points to a Chinese trucking industry that is maturing rapidly, as more truck buyers there are increasingly focused on total cost of vehicle ownership, including fuel economy. This dovetails with additional shifts in the Chinese trucking industry identified in the report, which notes that early Chinese fleet operations were focused in construction applications as the country launched a massive infrastructure modernization program. But now they appear to be moving toward more logistics-style long- and short-haul applications. European OEMs still have work to do, the Bain report noted, including localizing production to further reduce acquisition costs and develop deeper sales and service networks. .

ELD makers frustrated with Congress, urge truckers not to wait until December deadline Neil Abt, Fleet Owner / August 8, 2017 Makers of electronic logs are frustrated with the uncertainty surrounding the mandate created by recent congressional actions, and are cautioning truckers against waiting until last moment to select a device. They said costs for electronic logging devices (ELDs) have fallen sharply in recent years, and warned of a supply crunch for electronic components later this year. The ELD mandate, scheduled for to take effect Dec. 18, requires most commercial drivers to use an electronic device to monitor hours of service. In June, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge from the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). Last month, a House committee attached a measure to a 2018 appropriations bill calling for additional review of “one of the most expensive of all transportation rulemakings.” The companion bill in the Senate does not contain any language on ELDs. Also in July, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) introduced a bill (H.R. 3282) that would delay the mandate two years. With the House and Senate both in recess until Sept. 5, “we are not sure it is even possible by the time the mandate is supposed to take effect that they could get something done,” said Eric Witty, PeopleNet’s vice president of product management. “It is business as usual for us,” said Tom Neppl, vice president of hardware solutions at Omnitracs. “We are proceeding as the Dec. 18 date will occur. Right now we don’t anticipate any change.” Norm Ellis, president of ERoad, said fleets with between 10-50 trucks are the most likely to hesitate on ELD implementation. “They can’t wait too much longer,” said Ellis, who recommends a four-to-six week transition period to allow the back office staff to undergo the “cultural change” that comes with ELD. In an e-mail to Fleet Owner, OOIDA spokeswoman Norita Taylor noted Babin’s bill has 38 co-sponsors. She also shared a letter of support sent to Babin signed by OOIDA and 13 other associations. “This is a massive unfunded mandate that provides no safety, economic, or productivity benefits,” the letter stated. Ellis said he has successfully tried to open a dialogue with ELD opponents including OOIDA. “They will stick to their guns until the last day I’m sure,” he suggested. Ellis hopes that attitude will change next year, and OOIDA would consider endorsing devices to secure discounts and other assistance for its membership. With no delay imminent, the ELD executives expect a surge in demand, a situation Omnitracs’ Neppl warned could be complicated by a shortage of electronic components. “These aren’t parts that sit on the shelf somewhere,” he said of the components needed for electronic logging devices. “I think it behooves the industry … to take into consideration the macroeconomics going on that could potentially drive some constraints on ELD solutions.” The result, PeopleNet’s Witty said, is that “fleets could end up being forced to adopt anything to be compliant. It could be whoever has something available, versus the preferred vendors they want to work with.” Truckers should consider it “too risky to wait and see if something changes,” said Bernie Kavanagh, general manager for North American Large Fleet at WEX Inc., which offers fuel cards, payment processing, and partners with telematics firms on ELDs. ERoad’s Ellis was forceful in his belief that overall costs have been inflated. The former Qualcomm and Omnitracs executive noted a steep price decline for technology and air time, allowing many low-cost options to enter the market. As further evidence, Ellis pointed to the 60 percent of ERoad customers who are purchasing “value-added services” beyond just e-logs. PeopleNet’s Witty agreed cost estimates are based on data from years ago “and isn’t looking at the market today.” There are options with no upfront fees, and could be run with few additional costs beyond a trucker’s existing data plan, he said. ELD costs are more than recouped when factoring in safety benefits and efficiencies gained from less paperwork, WEX’s Kavanagh argued. ELD smartphone apps are cheaper options than products offered by the companies interviewed for this story. In ERoad’s case, an ELD-only option starts in the range of about 35 dollars a month. It is one of the few tethered options on the market, and the only one that has been publicly certified by the non-profit PIT Group. Yves Provencher, PIT’s director of business and market development, said the company is working with other manufacturers that have asked not to be named. The certification process, similar to an accounting firm verifying financial statements, generally takes eight weeks and costs $32,000. It offers fleet owners confidence the device is working as intended, and will not become a liability in an accident, Provencher said. He added while there are costs associated with the mandate, “if you are against it, it is probably because you are cheating.” There was agreement that compliance and enforcement challenges will remain after Dec. 18, and the executives said tweaks to the mandate are likely during 2018 and beyond.

Transport Topics / August 8, 2017 Sales of used heavy-duty trucks rose 17% in June as the average previously owned Class 8 truck was newer, had fewer miles and cost less than a year earlier, but concerns over excessive inventory levels remain, market analyts said. Sales climbed to 3,495, compared with 2,990 a year earlier according to one market research firm, based on its sample of dealers, wholesalers and auctioneers as well as a few large fleets who consistently report. “I would say it’s probably still a buyer’s market because prices are somewhat suppressed as opposed to depressed. And at the same time, the available equipment out there is very good equipment,” the analyst said. The company uses its sample to determine average prices, age and mileage, and it encompasses about 13% of the total market, which is statistically enough to project market conditions. By that measure, total sales in June were 26,884 compared with 23,000 a year earlier. Year-to-date sales jumped to 163,515 compared with 136,753 in the 2016 period. Regarding inventories, they are falling from previous highs, one fleet executive said. The used truck market has turned 180 degrees “because there was an oversupply of tractors — probably 150,000. We know that’s gone down because we’ve seen our rental business in Penske Truck Leasing go up, because [when] guys need more equipment, they go to rental,” Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Automotive Group, said on a July 27 earnings call. “So we see that as a good news from a used truck perspective.” Also, the average price of a used truck dropped 7% to $39,070, compared with $42,190 in June 2016. Prices during the last nine months have been between $39,000 and $41,000 Others pointed to price stability, as well. On a year-over-year basis, late-model trucks sold in the first six months of 2017 are averaging 5.8% lower than in the same period of 2016, according to Chris Visser, senior analyst, commercial trucks, J.D. Power Valuation Services. “Multi-month trending shows the retail market leveling out, with depreciation quite minimal,” Visser wrote in a report. “Compared with June 2016, this average sleeper was 3 months older, had 31,123, or 6.6%, fewer miles, and brought $2,763, or 5.5%, less money,” he said. Overall, average prices were 9.1% lower in the first half of 2017 compared with a year earlier, he said. “The decline [in prices] certainly year-over-year has subsided some. So, there’s some talk out there that maybe the prices are bottoming out right now. There’s still a lot of inventory in the market, so we’re still focused on moving those units out,” Robert Sanchez, chairman and CEO of Ryder System Inc., said on an earnings call July 26. “I wouldn’t say it’s really changed our outlook much yet,” he added. “Obviously, we’d have to see several quarters of stabilization of pricing and then continued volumes moving out, so our inventories come down before we change our view.” Used truck prices are not expected to “surge” in the next two years, analyst Michael Baudendistel with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. wrote in a note to investors. He cited a steady supply of vehicles entering the market, “in particular a large supply of 4-year-old used trucks that should come into the marketplace in 2018 and 2019.” At the same time, mileage fell to 453,000, compared with 465,000 a year earlier, according to ACT. The age of the average used Class 8 truck was seven years, down slightly from seven years and one month a year earlier. Meanwhile, one truck maker announced it has made it easier to find and buy used trucks online. Paccar Financial Corp. redesigned its used truck website with the ability to search by make, model, truck components and mileage, plus a payment calculation tool and product walk-around videos, it said Aug. 2. The company is a unit of Paccar Inc., which manufactures the Kenworth Truck Co. and Peterbilt Motors Co. truck brands. When additional truck inventory is received, the trucks will immediately appear in the users’ saved searches, Paccar Financial said. .

Class 8 Orders Steamroll Year-Over-Year, Up 81% to Surpass 18,000 Transport Topics / August 8, 2017 North American Class 8 orders blasted through normal expectations in July, climbing 81% year-over-year in what is typically the slowest order month of the year. Orders hit 18,700, according to preliminary data. A year earlier, orders only reached 10,358. July 2016 recorded the weakest monthly order intake since February 2010. “The year-over-year story is not so much about what happened this year as it is about what didn’t happen last year,” one analyst said. July 2016 also was the bottom of the cycle in this market, he said. “Since then, you can chalk [the gains] up to pre- and post-election sentiment.” But as far as the industry having a consensus of where the market is right now, he’s not sure. “I think there is quite a bit of opacity, given the lack of concrete drivers, basically. And I think that is true even among the truck makers.” July’s Class 8 North American preliminary net orders of 18,700 equates to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 263,700; replacement for the same market is 225,000. The research firm FTR pegged preliminary Class 8 orders at 18,300. “This is a great sign to see orders rising, even slightly [month-over-month, up from 17,600 in June], in mid-summer. This is the beginning of a positive trend that we expect to continue the rest of this year, right into 2018. The Class 8 market is starting to move upward and orders are forecasted to accelerate in the fall,” Don Ake, Vice President of Commercial Vehicles at FTR, commented in a statement. “Freight is on the upswing and industry capacity is tightening,” he said. Orders for the past 12 months total 224,000 units, according to FTR. As with the several previous months, “the strength was largely broad-based across [truck makers] with orders being propelled by small and medium fleets and it appears that some incentivization is taking place in the marketplace,” analyst Jamie Cook of Credit Suisse wrote in a note to investors. Tam mentioned the experience of the owner of a 200-truck fleet in Indiana who told him she is being offered big-fleet pricing discounts and couldn’t walk away from such a good deal, even if it was ahead of her normal trade cycle. “The concern from an outside industry observer’s perspective,” Tam said, “is that if you are pulling forward demand, at what point do you have to start paying back?” He wondered if the Indiana fleet made a permanent change to its acquisition cycle, or if it did not get the same discounts next time, would it hold off? “Now you are stretched out on the back end,” Tam said. One truck maker said incentives are the rule. “Every single deal is competitive. Every truck maker is on every deal, it appears,” Jeff Sass, Senior Vice President, North America Truck Sales and Marketing at Navistar International Corp., told TT. “It’s not as if anyone has decided they are going to go off and make a lot of margin on the trucks. They are all really skinny deals out there.” Navistar is the parent company of the International Truck brand. Lead times at International are out to eight weeks, Sass said, and its dealers are trying to make sure they get their orders submitted in time to get into the fiscal year, which for Navistar ends Oct. 31, since a lot of them follow the same fiscal calendar. At the same time, most of the mega fleets are done for 2017, Sass said. “Their trucks are on order, or have already been placed. We are starting the conversation for the 2018 buys right now.” Another analyst noted orders will be increasingly important going forward to fill up still-open production slots this year. Based on truck makers’ build plans in July to produce 22,000 units — or a 270,000 annual build rate — “that would imply backlog-to-build levels of 4.4 months, reaching a three-year low and suggesting that monthly orders will be increasingly important in determining quarterly production beyond the third quarter, particularly given the fourth quarter schedule is 61% open as of last month, versus normal of 54%,” David Leiker an analyst with Robert W. Baird & Co., wrote in a note to investors Aug. 3. Tam agreed, saying all truck makers were likely already into the fourth quarter with their respective production schedules, “but to varying degrees.” .

The veil lifted for a moment. Russia (Putin) is accused of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries......Syria, U.S. elections, Afghanistan, ect. But when leading western powers interfere in the internal affairs of another country (Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, ect.), well, that’s altogether different and okay. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Britain pressed US to join Iran coup against Mosaddegh The Financial Times / August 8, 2017 US State Department records confirm 1952 efforts to topple prime minister The British government in 1952 repeatedly asked the US to join in a coup aimed at toppling Mohammad Mosaddegh, Iran’s prime minister, according to newly declassified State Department documents. The files offer “the first officially-released confirmation of Britain’s expressed aim in late 1952 to persuade Washington to help oust Mosaddegh,” according to two scholars affiliated with the National Security Archive, the private non-partisan research organisation that obtained the documents. The “Top Secret” State Department memoranda — including one entitled “British proposal to organise a coup d’état in Iran” — also offer fresh insights into London’s assessment of Iranian politics and the threat to British interests that eventually led to the August 1953 coup. That anti-government uprising, backed by Britain and the US, toppled Mosaddegh, ushered in more than two decades of authoritarian rule by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and embittered relations between Tehran and the west. In 1952, Winston Churchill’s British government was desperate to regain control of Iran’s oil industry, which Mosaddegh had nationalised the year before, “by virtually any available means, including military action [steal a sovereign country’s oil industry],” write Malcolm Byrne of the National Security Archive and Tulane University’s Mark Gasiorowski. Beginning in October, British and US officials met at least three times to discuss prospects for toppling the Mosaddegh government. Sir Christopher Steel, the No 2 official in the British embassy in Washington, pitched the idea to reluctant US officials. In recent years, the British government has repeatedly pressed US officials to shield from public view any official confirmation of London’s efforts to oust the Iranian government. The documents made public on Tuesday were left out of a recent 1,007-page State Department volume released as part of its continuing “Foreign Relations of the United States” series. Mr Byrne and Mr Gasiorowski appealed against the government’s decision to keep the documents classified. Before receiving an official reply, Mr Gasiorowski discovered the records at a government archive in College Park, Maryland. A November 26, 1952 coup memo had been declassified on May 17, one month before the new State Deparment volume was published. A related December 3, 1952 memo bore markings indicating that it would not be declassified until the British government approved, or 2025. The scholars complained that the British government was controlling what the US public could learn about its own government’s involvement. The Truman administration had balked at Britain’s initial calls to act against Mosaddegh, who had expelled British diplomats and intelligence officials several months after nationalising the oilfields. By late 1952, the British had modified their sales pitch, stressing the need to take out Mosaddegh to combat “Communism in Iran,” the documents show. President Harry Truman and Dean Acheson, secretary of state, still refused to back a coup, preferring to work with Mosaddegh. But Paul Nitze, who headed State’s powerful policy planning staff, suggested that the Iranian coup plotters first mount a “campaign” against Ayatollah Abolqasem Kashani, a leading opponent of British involvement in Iran’s oil industry, and the communist Tudeh Party. British officials politely rejected that proposal and, while recognising that the Truman administration was in its final weeks, pressed the US for a decision. “The best time for a coup would be in the spring,” Sir Christopher said, according to the December 3 memo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the summer of 1953, a US and UK-backed coup d'état deposed Mosaddegh and successfully put the foreign (US and UK) oil companies back in control of Iran’s oil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d'état

But the bill is not 100 percent on you. The bill is zero percent on you. The bill is 100 percent on the dealer with failed workmanship. The dealer, and Volvo, have allocations within their budgets to cover the costs of such.......mistakes.

Bill Ford Thinks His Company Lacks Vision -- and That He Can Fix It The Wall Street Journal / August 8, 2017 Two decades ago, when Bill Ford took the helm of his family's auto company, he was ready to talk about the coming shift to electric vehicles and the eventual demise of car ownership. His ideas were dismissed. At one point, when he wanted Ford Motor Co. to invest in developing alternative transportation, "the board kind of looked at me like once again I was over my ski tips," Mr. Ford said in an interview. As years went by, other auto makers and tech companies got on board with his way of thinking. They overtook Ford in electric and self-driving technologies, and in April, Tesla Inc., which sells stylish electric cars, passed Ford in investor value, a dashboard warning signaling Wall Street's skepticism about the growth prospects of traditional car makers. Ford was being left behind, and the man with his name on the door, who for years had largely deferred to management, decided to intervene. In the past, the family heir let CEOs take the center stage. But what was leading the industry forward -- new concepts in fuel efficiency and transportation -- had been his focus for years. Plus, he was changing, spurred by the death in 2014 of his father, William Clay Ford Sr., who was a presence at the company for more than 50 years. His passing "made me realize it is me now," Mr. Ford said, about securing the family's leadership. "I've got to do this." A month after the Tesla milestone, Mr. Ford led a rare management shake-up, people familiar with the decision said. Chief Executive Mark Fields, a 28-year veteran, was out, and Jim Hackett, the executive brought aboard in 2016 by Mr. Ford to run the car maker's innovation unit, was elevated to the chief's job. "The role we're in now requires us to stick our necks out," said Mr. Ford, the company's executive chairman, who has taken a more commanding role over the past year. "We've got to place bets. We've got to have a point of view about the future." Mr. Ford believed the company was losing direction and that Mr. Fields didn't have a clear long-term strategy, the people said. Executives were bitterly divided about how to make progress, they said. Analysts, though, are still awaiting to hear from Mr. Hackett on his broader strategic plan -- details are expected out later this year -- and point out that Ford still faces a laundry list of near-term challenges. Shares haven't budged since the CEO change, and Ford said it expects pretax operating profit to fall between 16% and 25% this year. Mr. Ford's leadership has had ups and downs. He had operational control as CEO in the early 2000s, and worked to untangle the complex and splintered organizational model that he inherited from predecessors. But high labor costs and excess capacity hurt finances, and he turned to an outsider to accelerate the turnaround. Ford and much of the car industry remains dependent on sales of cars and trucks powered by internal-combustion engines and designed to be sold for private use. That model is being upended by Tesla and other Silicon Valley tech companies, including Uber Technologies Inc. and Alphabet Inc. They are leading the shift to electric vehicles, autonomous-driving cars and ride-sharing services, which auto makers fear will reduce the need for individuals to own cars. A third of all cars produced in 2025 are expected to be electric and hybrid cars, up from about 4% in 2016, according to IHS Markit, a market analysis firm. Meanwhile, U.S. auto sales fell 3% in the year through July; at Ford, pretax operating profit slipped 4% last year. Ford is now undergoing a 100-day review of all its operations, with the goal of becoming leaner and more agile. In his first weeks as CEO, Mr. Hackett rolled out a "shot clock" policy to enforce deadlines to help implement plans faster. Mr. Ford, 60 years old, has spent more than half his life trying to push the Dearborn, Mich., based auto maker founded by his great-grandfather to think about the environment and new forms of transportation. He conceded his timing wasn't always right -- including during his own stint as CEO from 2001 to 2006. In 2008, in the throes of the auto industry's collapse, the board didn't take up his proposal that Ford invest in nontraditional transportation businesses. He said he realized the struggling company at that time was thinking about "the next week, not the next 30 years." He had lined up billions in financing two years earlier that helped keep the company afloat. Ford came through that crisis on much firmer financial footing, due to a restructuring led by former CEO Alan Mulally that eliminated brands, streamlined the company's global operations and refocused attention on the core Ford and Lincoln lineups. When Mr. Fields took over in mid-2014, Ford was solidly profitable but needed to switch gears to better prepare for its future. The company pivoted from Mr. Mulally's laser focus on core business efforts, turning its attention to "mobility," a term Mr. Ford started using nearly 20 years ago that describes new forms of transportation. Mr. Fields, who had been groomed for the top job for years, struggled. Projects appeared disjointed, without a clear path to profitability, and shares tumbled 40% during his tenure. Mr. Fields didn't respond to requests for comment. Mr. Ford turned to Mr. Hackett, a longtime office furniture executive and member of the Ford board whom Mr. Ford had helped tap to lead Ford's Smart Mobility alternative transportation unit a year earlier. Ford started the group after the company's talks to build self-driving cars with Alphabet fizzled. "Jim always made me think," demonstrating depth he rarely encountered in the car business, Mr. Ford said. "So many people I meet in this job I hear the same thing over and over again." The mobility unit is working with a bike-sharing firm in San Francisco and is crunching data on how people in various settings get from Point A to Point B. It purchased Chariot, an app-based shuttle service that plots out routes based on user demand, which has a growing presence in San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Austin. In the interview at the Dearborn headquarters, Mr. Ford described Mr. Hackett, who helped transform office spaces away from cubicles into flexible, open plans during nearly 20 years as CEO at Steelcase Inc., as a like-minded ally in the quest to reinvent the car business. "We're just very much in sync," Mr. Ford said. "I never have to wonder, and he doesn't have to wonder, what the other guy is up to." Ford's sales of hybrid and electric vehicles grew 17% last year -- the genre made up 3% of company sales -- and Ford plans to roll out 13 more electrified vehicles in the next five years, including hybrid versions of its Mustang sports car and top-selling F-150 truck. The auto maker said earlier this year it will invest $1 billion in artificial-intelligence startup Argo AI to develop autonomous-driving technologies. Ford said it plans to put a fully autonomous car on the road by 2021 for commercial use. Mr. Ford said that when he took over as chairman in 1999, 20 years after joining the company as a product planning analyst, the culture was "hierarchical, almost militaristic." The rigid style once made Ford a leader in an industry dictated by long development cycles and intense capital needs, but eventually made it too insular and slow to compete with fast-moving technology companies. In June, Mr. Hackett took Mr. Ford and the senior management team to Steelcase to learn about how the retailer grew from an old-line seller of office furniture into a service-oriented business that helped clients rethink office spaces around technology and modern work habits. "He just wanted us to get out of our mind-set here, to ask a lot of what-if questions away from Ford," Mr. Ford said. As part of the management shuffle, Mr. Ford has become a more visible steward of the company. He attends and weighs in at meetings to discuss strategy. He has direct responsibility for communications and government relations -- he worked to defuse President Donald Trump's criticism of the company's plans to move production of the Ford Focus to Mexico. Ford now plans to move the car's production for the U.S. market to China. Last fall, Mr. Ford met with a small group of dealers at a restaurant in Dearborn, to talk about Ford's push into new ventures, such as ride-sharing and autonomous cars. Dealers were nervous the company was shifting too much attention away from its core business. Some were alarmed when Ford introduced only one new model at the Detroit auto show in 2016 -- an annual event typically dominated by unveilings of the SUVs and pickup trucks that deliver the bulk of Ford's profits -- and instead focused on mobility ventures. Ford didn't unveil new models at the 2017 show. Mr. Ford, standing in the middle of the group, reassured them this wasn't the case. "It was a very frank discussion to let the dealers know where all this is going," said Jim Seavitt, whose Ford dealership is located a few miles down the road from Ford's headquarters. Mr. Ford assured the dealers that new models were coming and that Ford was still focused on producing vehicles they could sell, said Mr. Seavitt, who has sold Mr. Ford Mustang sports cars over the years and recently delivered to him a new GT supercar. In his younger days, Mr. Ford would often shy away from the spotlight, viewing himself as good soldier for the company, on acquaintance said. As he gained management experience, he spoke with more authority, and came across as particularly passionate "when he's talking about something of importance to him like the environment and mobility," the person said. "Bill may be quiet, he may be modest, but he will step up without fear of consequence or risk when he feels it is important to do so," said Irv Hockaday, a former Hallmark Cards Inc. CEO who served on Ford's board from 1987 to 2013.

You have 245,000 miles on the heads? Then they're not new anymore by any stretch. Who is "we"? Why do you have an "obligation" to save the heads. The Mack brand dealer's workmanship failed. They have to stand behind it. The best way, as the Mack dealer effecting the second repair said, is to replace the head (and I myself like to replace heads in pairs).

Replacing the head is the right way to go, for several obvious reasons. Under the circumstances, you're in a position to get a reman Mack head for free. I myself would pay out-of-pocket to replace the second head at the same time, if you plan to run the truck long-term. How could you possibly not get 100% of the costs covered ?

I'm not altogether clear on your question. Volvo entered the US market in 1974 with the F86US......and went nowhere. There was no alliance with White.....Volvo bought them in 1981. Volvo bought the majority of GM's heavy truck division in 1987, and rest in 1997. In 1988, Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation was formed as a joint venture between Volvo and General Motors Corporation. General Motors held 35% interest in the new venture, with the majority (65%) belonging to Volvo. Volvo GM’s nameplates were WHITEGMC and Autocar. In 1994, A.B. Volvo’s interest was 87% and General Motors was 13%. The WHITEGMC nameplate was discontinued in 1995 and Volvo GM’s trucks were sold under the Volvo and Autocar nameplates. In 1997, Volvo purchased all of General Motors interests in Volvo GM, and changed the name to Volvo Trucks North America https://history.gmheritagecenter.com/wiki/index.php/Volvo_GM_Heavy_Trucks_History

Nothing meaningful for emissions controls in the 1980s. Euro-1 didn't take effect until 1992.