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Scania Group Press Release / April 3, 2020 Alfons Mayolani is a driver for Mayolani AG Transporte in Zernez, Switzerland. He spends his days driving a Scania R 650 V8 in the Swiss Alps, where the weather can be a bit unpredictable. .

Scania Group Press Release / April 3, 2020 Upholding transport services during the Coronavirus crisis is essential for society to ensure deliveries of necessary goods, not least food and medical supplies. Keeping Scania’s workshops open is therefore crucial in this situation. Throughout the world, these workshops are taking measures to protect workshop personnel from being infected as well as ensuring the safety of drivers. Generally, workshops are practicing social distancing, maintaining a distance between colleagues. Drivers have similarly been encouraged to maintain a distance from workshop staff when arriving with their vehicles. Keys are dropped in plastic bags, that are disinfected prior to being handled by service technicians. When entering cabs, seats, dashboard, steering wheels and other points of contact are covered with plastic sheeting to avoid infection. While this is being carried out, service technicians wear gloves and facemasks. “We try to avoid direct contacts with customers as well as wear gloves and masks. It goes without saying that we wash our hands more often and carefully than usual,” says Reinaldo Descalço, parts supervisor at a Scania workshop in Lisbon. “While taking these precautions, we continue to maintain excellent customer relations.” Equally important is ensuring the continued health of drivers as they pick up vehicles from workshops. Scania in Denmark, for example, disinfects steering wheel, gearshift, handbrake, dashboard, seat belts, door handles and keys before returning vehicles to drivers. Information about the precautionary measures is provided to drivers as reassurance. “Our customers know that they can always rely on their partners and friends at Scania. We are in these awful times together, just as we’ve been in so many good times,” summarises Stjepan Hasanović, Scania’s Service Manager in Croatia. .

Scania Group Press Release / March 30, 2020 About 20 experts from Scania’s purchasing and logistics organisation are now helping Karolinska University Hospital and Region Stockholm to acquire protective equipment for healthcare workers working to save those suffering from COVID-19. At the same time, trailers from Scania are being converted to mobile testing stations. Just a week ago, Scania contacted Karolinska University Hospital and offered its expertise in purchasing and logistics. The theory was that Karolinska University Hospital, as one of the best in the world at healthcare, alongside Scania, as one of the best in the world in transport, logistics and purchasing, could together coordinate to manage the difficult situation Stockholm is in right now. Two days later, some 20 of Scania’s experts were already on site with employees from Karolinska and the Stockholm region, to build a command centre. Scania’s Transport Lab Today, some 60 people are working to find, purchase and deliver protective equipment, working from evacuated training rooms on the seventh floor of the new Karolinska University Hospital. Masks, visors, protective clothing, hand spray and surface disinfectant acquired from European suppliers are rolling in on vehicles from Scania’s Transport Lab, while material from further afield is being flown in. A wall with screens in the command centre describes both forecasts for and outcomes of the number of infected persons in need of intensive care in the Stockholm region. Twice a day, the group has pulse meetings, when the various “cells” report on developments from the last few hours. High tempo The pace is high and the updates come with precision: “New mouthguards from China”, “results from quality assurance checks”, “100,000 new visors from Denmark”, “we have found 9,000 liters of hand sanitiser and 6,000 litres of other solution for delivery to Scania, where the liquid will be repackaged before direct distribution into healthcare”, “500,000 basic aprons and 100,000 aprons with sleeves to be decided and probably 82,000 protective aprons tomorrow”, “eight transports on the way right now, including a flight from China”, “possible deviations”, ” 3D-printed masks”, ” respirators”, “door openers”… “We do this together with the help of Scania’s fantastic global logistics and purchasing organisation and all its expertise,” says Sara Lindholm, Director of Operations for Perioperative Medicine and Intensive Care at Karolinska University Hospital. In addition to Scania’s help, the hospitals in Region Stockholm also have their experts on the team. “We just started” Together, the experts from Scania, Karolinska and Region Stockholm have in a short time set up efficient working methods with fast decision paths. With all the necessary skills in the same room, the work becomes efficient. One of the groups is constantly receiving tips on where to find face masks, visors, hand sanitiser and other necessary equipment. The tips they receive are forwarded to different “purchasing cells” that decide whether to take action. Another group arranges the transport and retrieves the material, regardless of whether it is in Sweden, continental Europe or China. “Overall, we have created a lot in just a few days. And we have only just begun,” concludes Sara Lindholm. “Great pride” Tobias Rydin, normally Head of Supply Chain Networks, is one of the Scania experts who has led the work to set up the command centre at Karolinska. “Two things stand out in this unique collaboration, I think. It’s interesting to see that the working methods and processes that we have at Scania are fully applicable in this type of environment.” “But the most amazing thing, which I as a Scania employee feel immense pride in, is the total commitment and support in our organisation. There are so many who want to help. It really warms my Scania heart!” Testing Scania trailers Scania is also supporting the extremely strained healthcare system in the Stockholm region by lending truck trailers. One possible area of use is as mobile sampling stations for patients who may need hospital care. Sampling outside hospitals reduces the risk of spread to other patients and healthcare professionals. .

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / April 2, 2020 In response to the ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, auto- and truckmakers are announcing extended production and factory closures. Navistar International Corp.'s truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, temporarily ceased production on Monday, March 23. With the supply chain still interrupted, this stoppage is being extended. Production is planned to resume Monday, April 27. Additionally, Navistar is broadening its temporary suspension in manufacturing operations to its engine assembly plant in Huntsville, Ala. and truck assembly plant in Escobedo, Mexico. Production will resume at both locations Monday, April 13. The IC Bus Manufacturing Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma and all Navistar service facilities and parts distribution centers are currently continuing regular operations. Nissan manufacturing facilities in the U.S. will remain closed through late April as a measure to help protect employees and reduce the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus. Some business-essential work that must be done on site will continue with enhanced safety measures. Paccar will extend the suspension of truck and engine production at its factories worldwide until April 20, 2020. The company will review future actions on a regular basis. Paccar will continue to provide aftermarket support to its customers who deliver medical supplies, food and essential infrastructure services to our communities.

Today, the CDC is finally suggesting that Americans wear face masks when out around other people.

Transport Topics / April 3, 2020 Independent engine maker Cummins Inc. announced it slashed CEO pay by 50%, cut compensation for directors by 25% and lowered salaries for all other employees in the United States by 10% and 25% — and reduced working hours in response to the impact of COVID-19. The changes are expected, initially, to last through June. “The impact from the pandemic on the global economy has been sudden and is growing, and it is imperative for us to respond quickly to maintain our strong financial position,” Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger said. The Columbus, Ind.-based company will take similar actions outside the United States based on local regulations and collective bargaining obligations. These reductions in pay are intended to be a temporary measure. The company will continue to monitor business conditions and reassess the program at the end of the second quarter. “These are difficult but necessary actions, and I know they will have a real impact on the lives of our employees and their families,” Linebarger said. “I appreciate their understanding and support as we work through these challenging times together. I want to thank our employees for their continued commitment to ensuring our customers receive the products and service they need to provide essential support to the global economy.”

Market bottom or ‘very tough times ahead’? MarketWatch / April 3, 2020 Kimble Charting Solutions technical analyst Chris Kimble suggested Friday that an important tell could be offered by a commodity index that is testing a support level that has held for the past 40 years. Kimble pointed to the chart above for the Thomson Reuters Equally Weighted Commodities Index, which he said “will go miles and miles towards telling us if we are headed towards very tough times or if the huge declines of late are actually in a bottoming process.” The chart tracks the index on a monthly basis back to 1954. The index tracks a basket of 17 commodities, including cocoa, coffee, copper, corn, soybeans, cotton, crude oil, gold, heating oil, lean hogs, live cattle, natural gas, platinum, silver, soybean oil, sugar and wheat. The index has been headed south over the last nine years, reflecting general weakness in commodities. In 2009, a then-29-year-old support level held, indicating that the worst of the financial crisis was priced in. It’s testing that level again now. “If the index holds at 2009 support, it would suggest that lows are in play and the worst has already been priced into the markets,” says Kimble. “If the index breaks this 40-year support/resistance line, it would suggest that some really tough times are ahead.” Few investors have ruled out a retest of the stock market’s March 23 lows, but bulls contend that despite what promises to be a tide of negative news on public health and the economy in coming weeks, investors are primed for a quick economic rebound once the outbreak is contained, limiting further downside. Bears contend that the sheer uncertainty around the pandemic make it unlikely a deeper selloff can be averted. .

Ford CEO Jim Hackett's compensation falls to $17.36 million in 2019 The Detroit News / April 3, 2020 Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Hackett in 2019 received $17.36 million in total compensation, the Dearborn automaker reported in a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Hackett's income last year, his second full year as CEO, fell 2.2% from the $17.75 million the chief executive was paid in 2018. While Hackett's base salary was steady at $1.8 million and his stock awards were up 3.5% at $13.19 million, incentive bonuses fell 32% to $1.75 million. Ford's $6.379 billion in earnings before interest and taxes in 2019 missed the lowered guidance the automaker set of between $6.5 billion and $7 billion. The start of production of the company's redesigned Explorer SUV faced manufacturing problems, resulting in delays and fallen sales. Hackett's compensation was 157 times more than the median employee compensation of $110,706, which was up from $64,316 in 2018 because of increased pension contributions. The annual report filed Friday with the SEC details the pay for Ford's top executives. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. made $16.76 million in 2019. That's more than the $13.83 million total compensation he received in 2018 mostly from a $2.65 million change in pension value and deferred compensation earnings. Ford's base salary in 2019 was $1.7 million, the same as in 2018. Jim Farley, Ford's former president of new businesses, technology and strategy who became chief operating officer last month, made a total of $8.36 million in 2019, down from $5.86 million in 2018. Farley's base salary in 2019 was $1.1 million, up from $1.07 million in 2018. Farley received a discretionary bonus that valued $185,600. In his new role, Farley's compensation includes a $1.4 million base salary, a performance-based incentive bonus target of $1.89 million and an annual stock grant of $5 million, the automaker recently disclosed. Joe Hinrichs, Ford's former president of automotive, received $11.02 million in total compensation in 2019. That was more than the $5.81 million he made in 2018 when he received a $97,920 bonus. Although Hinrichs did not receive a bonus in 2019, he received more in stock awards valued at $6.09 million and $2.65 million from a chance in pension value and deferred compensation earnings. Hinrichs' base salary last year was $1.3 million, up slightly from $1.1 million in 2018. Hinrichs retired last month after Ford reported its disappointing 2019 earnings results. Tim Stone, Ford's chief financial officer, received $8.32 million for the first year the automaker publicly reported his compensation. That included a $783,338 base salary, a $1.48 million discretionary bonus, $4.3 million in stock awards and $742,500 in incentives. Bob Shanks, Ford's former chief financial officer, was paid $8.32 million in total compensation in 2019, down from $8.42 million in 2018. His base salary was $1 million, up from $971,250 in 2018. All of Ford's top executives had to meet performance goals in quality; automotive-segment operating cash flow and operating margin; Ford Credit pre-tax profit; and automotive revenue to receive the bonuses included in their total pay. These incentive bonuses ranged from $1.75 million for Hackett to $486,000 for Bill Ford. Farley's was $742,5000, Hinrichs' was $850,500, Stone's bonus was $742,500 and Shanks' was $675,000. Ford also paid $419,275 for Bill Ford's personal use of company aircraft and $899,219 for security. The company paid $91,523 for Hackett's use of the aircraft. Stone received $692,652 to relocate from California. Hackett's compensation in 2019 tops that of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV CEO Mike Manley, who received $12.46 million. GM has not yet reported 2019 salaries. The Detroit automaker typically releases its annual report in April. GM CEO Mary Barra was the highest-paid executive of Detroit's three automakers in 2018, earning $21.87 million.

No, we never sold any MS300T Mid-Liner tractors to the U.S. Postal Service. Terrific tractors, particularly when equipped with the BDSL2052R fully synchronized 10-speed splitter-type transmission.

GM to co-develop EVs for Honda Hannah Lutz, Automotive News / April 2, 2020 General Motors will help develop two new electric vehicles (EV) for Honda that will be powered by GM's upcoming Ultium batteries. Honda will design the interior and exterior of the vehicles. They will ride on GM's global EV platform, which "will be engineered to support Honda's driving character," the companies said in a joint statement. GM will build the EVs at its North American plants, and sales are expected to begin in the 2024 model year in Honda's U.S. and Canadian markets. The vehicles will offer GM's hands-free advanced driver-assist technology. The technology mirrors GM's Super Cruise system but will have Honda-specific branding. "This collaboration will put together the strength of both companies, while combined scale and manufacturing efficiencies will ultimately provide greater value to customers," said Rick Schostek, executive vice president of American Honda. "This expanded partnership will unlock economies of scale to accelerate our electrification road map and advance our industry-leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." GM and Honda's electrification partnership goes back to 2013, when the automakers jointly developed hydrogen fuel cell technology. The companies also worked together on the Cruise Origin, a self-driving, shared electric van unveiled in January. Honda invested $2.75 billion into GM's Cruise subsidiary last year and became involved in GM's battery module development efforts starting in 2018. The companies continue to evaluate the possibility of extending the partnership further, Schostek said. As part of the agreement, Honda will incorporate GM's OnStar safety and security services into the vehicles, integrating them with HondaLink. The agreement "further validates the technical advancements and capabilities of our Ultium batteries and our all-new EV platform," said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of global product development. "It is another step on our journey to an all-electric future and delivering a profitable EV business through increased scale and capacity utilization. We have a terrific history of working closely with Honda, and this new collaboration builds on our relationship and like-minded objectives." Honda has long resisted jumping on the EV bandwagon, insisting that hybrids are more appropriate for the North American market. At the same time, the company has stressed its partnerships with GM on hydrogen fuel cell development and autonomous driving. Honda debuted its Honda e small EV in Europe in January but said there were no plans for the city car with limited EV range to come to the U.S. Honda also recently discontinued its Clarity EV in the U.S. The Clarity had only 89 miles of range and was considered a "compliance car" to meet zero-emissions vehicle regulations in California and other states. GM, meanwhile, has pledged $20 billion toward electric and autonomous vehicle programs through 2025. It plans to build 20 EVs globally by 2023 and is converting its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant into an EV manufacturing hub with a $3 billion investment. GM's proprietary Ultium battery, which it will manufacture through a $2.3 billion joint venture with South Korea’s LG Chem in Ohio, will allow for a range of up to 400 miles on a full charge — about 50 percent more than the 259-mile range for the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt. The batteries have large-format, stackable pouch-style cells for more flexibility and optimal battery energy storage. They are made of a traditional nickel-cobalt-manganese combination, but GM also added aluminum to reduce the amount of costly cobalt by 70 percent. GM last month said the Ultium technology would allow its battery costs to drop below $100 per kilowatt-hour, the threshold widely seen as making EVs competitive with internal-combustion vehicles. The company projects its EV sales in North America and China combined will reach 1 million a year by the middle of the decade. .

GM rolls out safety protocols for ventilator-making workers Nick Carey, Reuters / March 2, 2020 General Motors on Thursday rolled out a series of safety measures for workers in Indiana who will make ventilators. More than 1,000 GM workers will make the ventilators at GM’s Kokomo, Indiana, plant. The automaker aims to begin mass production by mid-April and to make 10,000 ventilators a month by summer. The measures include checking workers’ temperature as they arrive for work, and each work station will be placed at least 6 feet (1.83 m) apart. There will be a 30-minute interval between shifts so workers can clean their work stations when they arrive and before they leave. Cleaning crews will sanitize common areas and “touch areas” such as door handles, at least three times per shift. GM said the measures may form a blueprint for safety protocols at the rest of GM’s plants once the automaker decides to restart production when the pandemic crisis recedes. Earlier this week, Ford said it will produce 50,000 ventilators over the next 100 days at a plant in Michigan in cooperation with General Electric’s healthcare unit. It said it can then build 30,000 per month as needed to treat patients afflicted with the coronavirus. Ford plans to deploy “a whole host of techs to keep workers safe,” developed in cooperation with the United Auto Workers union. Ford will organize production lines so workers are a safe distance apart and use technology to check their health. GM has been working with ventilator firm Ventec Life Systems, numerous auto suppliers and other ventilator firms as officials warn the United States may need tens of thousands of additional ventilators to treat seriously ill patients.

I speak from first-hand personal family experience. No hype added. I have never spoken "false information" on BMT, and am offended by the accusation. I hope that all members of the BMT family stay well. I won't be posting further on this thread.

"there are at least ten times as many cases out there as the testing reveals and the number of cases doubles every 3 to 6 days" Bingo. Now, imagine having a 104-105 degree F fever (40-41 C), being unable to keep any food down for 5-7 days because you have both vomiting and diarrhea, only being able to breath if you remain lying on a bed.......it's impossible for you to stand much less walk around, and you feel like your heart is going to rip out of your chest.

Reuters / April 2, 2020 President Trump said on Thursday he had brokered a deal with top crude producers Russia and Saudi Arabia to cut output and arrest an oil price rout. Trump said Russia and Saudi Arabia could cut output by 10 to 15 million barrels per day (bpd) - an unprecedented amount representing 10% to 15% of global supply, and one that would require the participation of nations outside of OPEC and its allies [meaning US, Canadian and Brazilian producers must agree to production limits for the first time]. Trump will not "formally" ask U.S. oil companies to contribute to the production cuts, because such an act is forbidden by U.S. antitrust legislation. Russia and Saudi Arabia have been at odds since early March, when the two nations failed to agree on a deal curbing output. The coronavirus pandemic has worsened since, freezing economic activity and sending oil prices into a tailspin as producers confronted the prospect of a dramatic fall in demand with a flood of unwanted oil supply. Saudi Arabia, the de facto head of OPEC, called on Thursday for an emergency meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers, known as OPEC+, saying it aimed to reach a fair agreement to stabilize oil markets. Trump is separately set to meet with U.S. oil industry executives on Friday. Trump said he spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday. “I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels, and maybe substantially more which, if it happens, will be GREAT for the oil & gas industry!” Trump wrote. “Trump’s call to Putin has changed everything,” one OPEC+ source said, adding that initial talk among the group was about how other large producers such as Canada and Brazil would need to join in any coordinated output cuts. Global oil demand is expected to fall by about 30 million bpd in April, or about one-third of daily consumption. The immense decline in demand sent oil prices to their lowest levels since 2002, close to $20 per barrel, hitting budgets of oil producing nations and dealing a huge blow to the U.S. shale oil industry, which cannot compete at low prices. The downward pressure has been exacerbated by the battle for market share between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Russia rejected the Saudi proposal to take supply off the market in part because it has cut its own output for years while U.S. production grew to a record 13 million bpd, gobbling up more market share. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday that Moscow was no longer planning to raise output and was ready to cooperate with OPEC and other [US, Canadian and Brazilian] producers to stabilize the market. A meeting could represent a thaw in Saudi-Russia tensions. Russia’s opposition to Saudi Arabia's proposal to deepen output cuts was the cause of market turmoil. At the time of the deal’s collapse, OPEC and its allies were collectively cutting output by about 1.7 million bpd - making a 10-to-15 million-bpd cut a big hurdle unless it brought in other major worldwide producers. The swift and aggressive Saudi response to the collapse of the OPEC+ deal shocked the oil industry. The kingdom slashed export prices, opened the taps to pump at maximum production and tried to sell cheaper oil to refiners that buy Russian crude. Major global oil producers including Chevron, Brazil’s Petrobras and BP Plc have already scaled back production estimates as fuel demand has dropped precipitously and storage is rapidly filling. Storage is expected to be full by May, which would force oil producers to cut output anyway. The free-fall in prices has spurred regulators in Texas to consider regulating output for the first time in nearly 50 years. Ryan Sitton, one of three elected oil-and-gas regulators in Texas, has spoken with Russia’s Novak about a cut of 10 million bpd in global supply. “While we normally compete, we agreed that #COVID19 requires unprecedented level of int’l cooperation,” Sitton said. Brent oil prices today rose 21% to $29.94 per barrel, with a daytime high of $36.29. U.S. benchmark WTI crude settled up 25% to $25.32 a barrel. Even with Thursday’s surge, Brent is still less than half its $66 closing level at the end of 2019.

The Washington Post / March 26, 2020 Almost 1.5 million N95 respirator masks were found in a U.S. government warehouse in Indiana. The government plans to issue them to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rather than hospitals or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There were initial concerns that the masks, which are a part of the Customs and Border Protection’s emergency supplies, were expired and therefore unusable. However, it was determined that the N95 masks were still suitable for use and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials decided to give them to the TSA.

Bob Daumer in Northampton, Pennsylvania has a nice C-607 4x2 tractor (not a V-8). https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/34267-macks-v8-powered-c-series-comin-on-strong/

Ford Expects Talks With U.S. on Cash for Clunkers-Like Stimulus Bloomberg / April 2, 2020 Ford would like the U.S. government to sponsor an automotive stimulus program to help the industry get back on its feet after the coronavirus crisis abates. “We think some level of stimulus somewhere on the other side of this would help not only the auto industry and our dealers, which are a huge part of our overall economy, but will help the customers as well,” says Mark LaNeve, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service. “We’re in discussions about what would be the most appropriate.” Those discussions are internal at Ford for now, but are eventually expected to involve the government, LaNeve said. One model being considered is the government’s “cash for clunkers” program of more than a decade ago, which helped stimulate auto sales following the global financial crisis by encouraging drivers to turn in older cars in exchange for money toward buying new ones. “Cash for clunkers was very effective at that time,” LaNeve said. “It would be nice to think we could have something equally as effective for 2020 when we get out of this because it was a great program.” Ford reported a 12% drop in first quarter U.S. sales on Thursday. Automakers sold cars and light trucks in March at the slowest pace since 2010, and analysts expect calamitous results for April.

European truckmakers use reusable pallets and shipping containers for stock orders, as they have a system for getting this "packaging" returned. The concept of the disposable pallet has long been abandoned, being environmentally unsustainable. In this case, it was likely deemed most practical to floor load the aircraft. The US still floor loads cases of cauliflower in refrigerated trailers.

Brace for the ‘deepest recession on record,’ says BofA analysts, as jobless claims surge to 6.6 million BofA economists forecast that the unemployment rate will soon hit 15.6% There are no parallels for the pandemic fueled slowdown that the U.S. economy is currently contending with, and that is forcing economists like those of Bank of America Global Research to forecast a decidedly grimmer outlook for the American economy than they offered just two weeks ago. The BofA researchers on Thursday said the coming recession “appears to be deeper and more prolonged than we were led to believe just 14 days ago when we last updated our forecasts, not just in the US but globally as well.” The April 2 research report, which includes star economist Michelle Meyer, comes as the number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits last week soared by a record 6.6 million, bringing the increase in new jobless claims in the last two weeks of March to 10 million. BofA sees between 16 and 20 million job losses, which could send the unemployment rate surging within a few months to 15.6%, which would by far outstrip the unemployment rate during the 2007-09 recession. The BofA team forecast three consecutive quarters of contraction in gross domestic product, “with the US economy shrinking 7% (annualized) in 1Q, 30% in 2Q and 1% in 3Q.” On the bright side, the economists estimate that the fourth quarter of 2020 will see a sizable pop in business activity as the measures put in place to slow the deadly contagion are slowly unwound. That said, the cumulative decline in economic expansion will be severe: “We forecast the cumulative decline in GDP to be 10.4% and this will be the deepest recession on record, nearly five times more severe than the post-war average,” the analysts wrote.

https://www.gm.com/masthead-story/manufacturing-ventilator-ventec-covid.html

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has 1.2 million N95 face masks coming from Shenzhen, China, being transported on the New England Patriots’ Boeing 767. .

Russian humanitarian aid arrives in New York City Thank you Vlad ! . .