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Cummins Press Release / April 13, 2017 The distinctive red and black locomotive powered by a Cummins’ QSK95 engine put up some impressive numbers over its first year of operation on the Indiana Rail Road, beyond just the weight it pulled. The Cummins locomotive recorded a 16 percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the engine it replaced, an 89 percent reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and a 98 percent cut in particulate matter (PM). What some call the company’s “mobile locomotive testing lab,” also demonstrated over 12 months that it has plenty of muscle, too. “It pulls better than anything else we have here in terms of an engine 4,300 to 4,400 (horsepower),” said Bob Babcock, Senior Vice President of Operations and Business Development for the Indiana Rail Road. “When you want to throttle up on the engine, it gets rolling in a hurry,” he added. The locomotive, which is owned by Cummins, completed its first full year of operation in March 2017, logging about 3,800 hours as it pulled coal and mixed freight over the Indiana Rail Road’s 500 miles of track south and southwest of Indianapolis, Indiana (U.S.A). The 95-liter, 16-cylinder engine is one of the most powerful high-speed diesels to be installed in a locomotive. Cummins purchased and re-powered a 40-year-old locomotive to demonstrate that the QSK95 could pull freight efficiently. The engine is already proving popular with passenger rail systems, powering Siemens’ new low-emission, diesel-electric Charger locomotive. The Charger locomotive will be delivered to passenger rail systems across the United States beginning in 2017. The QSK95 was the first single, prime-power engine certified by the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) to meet its Tier 4 standards. The system used in the Cummins’ freight locomotive also meets Tier 4 certification, replacing a larger, medium speed diesel engine without the aftertreatment equipment to meet Tier 4. One of the first things the Cummins’ locomotive demonstrated is that a QSK95 with Cummins’ SCR exhaust aftertreatment could comfortably fit in an older locomotive. The SCR system removes NOx emissions while the engine combustion removes PM, two critical air pollutants. Over the past year, the Cummins locomotive has gone through extensive study by company engineers, enabling such things as development of the best combustion formula to optimize fuel efficiency. Melina Kennedy, Executive Director of Rail & Defense for Cummins Engine Business, said the past year has demonstrated how well the SCR system works in a freight configuration. “We’ve learned a tremendous amount over the past year,” Kennedy said. “We’re really grateful for the relationship we’ve had with Indiana Rail Road and our other partners.” Outside the United States, the trend toward replacing older medium-speed diesel engines with cleaner, more efficient high-speed diesels is well established. Inside the U.S., however, most freight trains are still powered by medium diesel engines. “There’s not just an advantage from an environmental perspective to high-speed diesel,” Kennedy said. “We’ve seen a significant decrease in the cost of ownership due to the increase in fuel efficiency.” Indiana Rail Road’s Babcock says the engine has been an all-around performer for his company. “We’re able to use this engine on multiple types of service, from fast unit trains of inter-modal to hard pulling, big coal trains, to merchandise trains to local switching,” he said. “We think we have been the right fit to really run this engine through its paces.” .

Dodge Trucks Press Release / April 13, 2017 . . . . .

Tesla Gets Set to Run with the Big Rigs with Electric Truck Heavy Duty Trucking / April 13, 2017 Tesla CEO Elon Musk Thursday sent shockwaves through the North American trucking and business communities with a single, mid-day tweet: “Tesla Semi truck unveil set for September. Team has done an amazing job. Seriously next level,” the Musk tweeted, setting off a firestorm of speculation as to what, exactly, the Palo Alto, California, automaker has up its sleeve.

Heavy Duty Trucking / April 13, 2017 Navistar announced the 30th anniversary of its Fleet Charge program — Navistar’s private label purchasing card program that provides customers with guaranteed pricing, consolidated billing, and a dedicated credit line and is accepted at more than 650 International and IC Bus dealer locations in the U.S. and Canada. Fleet Charge started in 1987 as a way for large, national accounts to experience greater continuity across the dealer network. It helped to centralize parts Requests for Proposal, better analyze a customer’s full retail potential when negotiating pricing and then systematically manage compliance with pricing agreements across the entire dealer network. “Fleet Charge demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with unmatched options for managing their fleet maintenance and repairs,” said Carlos Junquera, vice president, North America Sales, Parts. “Furthermore, it allows our dealers to provide customers with highly customizable programs to meet their enterprise needs and help them grow their business.” Fleet Charge was the first program of its kind, setting a new benchmark for customer expectations in the trucking industry. This VIP customer experience has since become an industry standard when doing business with large fleets. In the meantime, Navistar continues to lead the way, adding new programs like Fleet Charge Select and Fleet Charge Advantage, which provide similar benefits to mid- and small-size fleets. The program has more than doubled in size since the 20th anniversary in 2007 and has more than 2,000 fleets benefitting from the International Truck and IC Bus dealer network. With current market trends, the company is looking to double the program again by its 35th anniversary. The program has more than doubled in size since the 20th anniversary in 2007 and has more than 2,000 fleets benefitting from the International Truck and IC Bus dealer network. With current market trends, the company is looking to double the program again by its 35th anniversary. This year, the program is implementing a number of initiatives designed to drive return business into International dealerships. As of April 1, new customers can apply for their Fleet Charge accounts online, using an electronic submission tool on the program website. Soon, Fleet Charge customers will have the opportunity to view their cumulative savings and receive guaranteed discounts on retail promotions, with additional updates coming. To learn more about Fleet Charge or to open an account, visit http://www.fleetcharge.com.

OOIDA to Supreme Court: ELD mandate violates 4th amendment Fleet Owner / April 13, 2017 E-log requirement "equivalent of warrantless surveillance" of truckers The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. is taking its opposition to the electronic logging device mandate to the highest court in the land. The small business trucking group this week filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the United States, arguing that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit was wrong when it ruled that the e-log requirement does not violate Fourth Amendment protections against illegal search and seizure. The deadline for compliance with the ELD rule is Dec. 18. “We believe that the Seventh Circuit erred in allowing warrantless searches of 3.5 million drivers, designed specifically to uncover evidence of criminal activity,” said Jim Johnston, president and CEO of OOIDA. “In doing so, the Seventh Circuit decision splits directly with rulings by both the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts. This is also the first time that the pervasively regulated industry exception has been applied directly to the search of an individual to serve the ordinary needs of criminal law enforcement.” OOIDA contends that the “pervasively regulated industry exception” to the warrant requirement, the basis of the Seventh Circuit’s denial, does not extend beyond the search of “business premises.” Additionally, for such an exception and warrantless search, the Supreme Court imposed strict guidelines—guidelines which the ELD rule does not specifically address. In short, according to OOIDA, an ELD requirement is the equivalent of warrantless surveillance of truckers. “The ELD Rule does far more than authorize administrative inspections of business premises. HOS regulations are directed toward the personal conduct of drivers,” the petition states. “ELDs monitor and record driver conduct, including driver activity and location, twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, more expansively and invasively than paper logbooks currently do.” The association will also continue to pursue the issue on the congressional side as part of its “Knock Out Bad Regs” campaign and will continue to communicate with the Trump administration about this and other regulations, Johnson said. “We were very disappointed and surprised by the ruling against us by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals,” Johnston said. “That same court had ruled in our favor on a previous lawsuit of ours on this same issue.” said Johnston.

OOIDA Takes ELD Rule to Supreme Court Heavy Duty Trucking / April 13, 2017 The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has flung a Hail Mary pass in its quest to overturn the electronic logging device mandate, petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on whether the regulation violates the Fourth Amendment. The April 12 filing came three months to the day after OOIDA was denied a rehearing by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit of an October ruling by a panel of that court. The panel had found against the association, determining that the ELD rule would not violate drivers’ rights to privacy under the Fourth Amendment. But along with the issue of protecting driver privacy, in its petition to the Supreme Court, OOIDA is also seeking a ruling on whether the ELD rule violates the Fourth Amendment by failing to establish a regulatory structure at the state and federal levels that serves as a substitute for a warrant. “We believe that the Seventh Circuit erred in allowing warrantless searches of 3.5 million drivers, designed specifically to uncover evidence of criminal activity,” Jim Johnston, president and CEO of OOIDA said. “In doing so, the Seventh Circuit decision splits directly with rulings by both the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts. “This is also the first time that the pervasively regulated industry exception has been applied directly to the search of an individual to serve the ordinary needs of criminal law enforcement,” he added. Johnston also said that OOIDA was “very disappointed and surprised by the ruling against us by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals [in January]. “That same court had ruled in our favor on a previous lawsuit of ours on this same issue.” He added that OOIDA will also continue “to pursue the [ELD] issue on the congressional side” as part of its “Knock Out Bad Regs” campaign and it will “continue to communicate with the Trump administration about this and other regulations.” According to OOIDA, requiring electronic monitoring devices on commercial vehicles “does not advance safety since they are no more reliable than paper logbooks for recording compliance with hours-of-service regulations.” As it stands now, the ELD regulation is a final federal rule. Compliance will start to kick in this December.

Reuters / April 13, 2017 The Trump administration on Thursday issued a final rule that will shorten the Obamacare enrollment period and give insurers more of what they say they need in the individual insurance market, likely making it harder for some consumers to purchase insurance. It could also raise out-of-pocket medical expenses because it gives insurers more flexibility in determining the value of their coverage. The rule, which takes effect later this year, comes as President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have renewed efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act after an effort to pass a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives failed last month. Issued by a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and first proposed in February, the rule aims to aid insurers, who have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the individual insurance markets set up by Obamacare. Several major insurers, including Humana Inc and Aetna Inc, have announced plans to exit some state exchanges in 2018. Insurers welcomed the rule but said there is still too much uncertainty in the market. On Wednesday, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he may withhold Obamacare payments to insurers that amount to about $7 billion a year to force Democrats back to the negotiating table. Marilyn Tavenner, president and chief executive of America's Health Insurance Plans, said that funding for the payments must continue uninterrupted. Otherwise, she said premiums will rise 20 percent across the market and more insurers would drop out of the exchanges. The changes under Thursday's final rule include a shortened open enrollment period for Obamacare plans. They also make it harder for people to enroll outside that period, which is allowed under certain circumstances such as a pregnancy or a move. The rule could also allow insurers to collect unpaid premium payments and make it tougher for people to move in and out of insurance plans. Insurers say "gaming the system" has created an unprofitable mix of healthy and sick customers. The rule also gives states broader authority by removing the federal government's role in overseeing doctor and hospital networks included in insurance plans. Republicans have said any healthcare reform or overhaul must give states more flexibility. The Affordable Care Act enabled 20 million Americans to gain insurance, mostly through the individual insurance markets set up by the law or through an expansion of Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled.

The plot thickens......................... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- British spies were first to spot Trump team's links with Russia The Guardian / April 13, 2017 GCHQ alerted US agencies after becoming aware of contacts in 2015 Britain’s spy agencies played a crucial role in alerting their counterparts in Washington to contacts between members of Donald Trump’s campaign team and Russian intelligence operatives. GCHQ first became aware in late 2015 of suspicious “interactions” between figures connected to Trump and known or suspected Russian agents. This intelligence was passed to the US as part of a routine exchange of information. Over the next six months, until summer 2016, a number of western agencies shared further information on contacts between Trump’s inner circle and Russians. The European countries that passed on electronic intelligence – known as sigint – included Germany, Estonia and Poland. Australia, a member of the “Five Eyes” spying alliance that also includes the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, also relayed material. The Dutch and the French spy agency, the General Directorate for External Security or DGSE, were contributors. GCHQ was at no point carrying out a targeted operation against Trump or his team or proactively seeking information. The conversations were picked up by chance as part of routine surveillance of Russian intelligence assets. Over several months, different agencies targeting the same people began to see a pattern of connections that were flagged to intelligence officials in the US. The issue of GCHQ’s role in the FBI’s ongoing investigation into possible cooperation between the Trump campaign and Moscow is highly sensitive. In March Trump tweeted that Barack Obama had illegally “wiretapped” him in Trump Tower. The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, claimed the “British spying agency” GCHQ had carried out the bugging. The claims prompted an extremely unusual rebuke from GCHQ, which generally refrains from commenting on all intelligence matters. The agency described the allegations as “nonsense”. “They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored,” a GCHQ spokesperson said. Instead, both US and UK intelligence sources acknowledge that GCHQ played an early, prominent role in kickstarting the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation, which began in late July 2016, with the British eavesdropping agency the “principal whistleblower”. The FBI and the CIA were slow to appreciate the extensive nature of contacts between Trump’s team and Moscow ahead of the US election. This was in part due to US law that prohibits US agencies from examining the private communications of American citizens without warrants. “They are trained not to do this,” a source stressed. “It looks like the [US] agencies were asleep,” the source added. “They [the European agencies] were saying: ‘There are contacts going on between people close to Mr Trump and people we believe are Russian intelligence agents. You should be wary of this.’ “The message was: ‘Watch out. There’s something not right here.’” GCHQ’s then head, Robert Hannigan, passed material in summer 2016 to the CIA chief, John Brennan. The matter was deemed so sensitive it was handled at “director level”. After an initially slow start, Brennan used GCHQ information and intelligence from other partners to launch a major inter-agency investigation. In late August and September, Brennan gave a series of classified briefings to the “Gang of Eight”, the top-ranking Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate. He told them the agency had evidence the Kremlin might be trying to help Trump to win the presidency, the New York Times reported. Brennan did not reveal sources but made reference to the fact that America’s intelligence allies had provided information. Trump subsequently learned of GCHQ’s role. US intelligence was “very late to the game”. The FBI’s director, James Comey, altered his position after the election and Trump’s victory, becoming “more affirmative” and with a “higher level of concern”. Comey’s apparent shift may have followed a mid-October decision by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) court to approve a secret surveillance order. The order gave permission for the Department of Justice to investigate two banks suspected of being part of the Kremlin’s undercover influence operation. According to the BBC, the justice department’s request came after a tipoff from an intelligence agency in one of the Baltic states. This is believed to be Estonia. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the same order covered Carter Page, one of Trump’s associates. It allowed the FBI and the justice department to monitor Page’s communications. Page, a former foreign policy aide, was suspected of being an agent of influence working for Russia according to US officials. The application covered contacts Page allegedly had in 2013 with a Russian foreign intelligence agent, and other undisclosed meetings with Russian operatives, the Post said. Page denies wrongdoing and complained of “unjustified, politically motivated government surveillance”. Late last year, Comey threw more FBI resources into what became a far-reaching counter-intelligence investigation. In March he confirmed before the House intelligence committee that the agency was examining possible cooperation between Moscow and members of the Trump campaign to sway the US election. Comey and the NSA director, Admiral Michael Rogers, said there was no basis for the president’s claim that he was a victim of Obama “wiretapping”. Trump had likened the unproved allegation to “McCarthyism”. Britain’s MI6 spy agency played a part in intelligence sharing with the US. Its former chief Sir Richard Dearlove described Trump’s wiretapping claim on Thursday as “simply deeply embarrassing for Trump and the administration”. “The only possible explanation is that Trump started tweeting without understanding how the NSA-GCHQ relationship actually works,” Dearlove told Prospect magazine. In a report last month the New York Times, citing three US intelligence officials, said warning signs had been building throughout last summer but were far from clear. As WikiLeaks published emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, US agencies began picking up conversations in which Russians were discussing contacts with Trump associates. European allies were supplying information about people close to Trump meeting with Russians in Britain, the Netherlands and in other countries. There are now multiple investigations going on in Washington into Trump campaign officials and Russia. They include the FBI-led counter-espionage investigation and probes by both the House and Senate intelligence committees. Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House committee, has expressed an interest in hearing from Christopher Steele, the former MI6 officer whose dossier accuses the president of long-term cooperation with Vladimir Putin’s Moscow. Trump and Putin have both dismissed the dossier as fake. One source suggested the official investigation was making progress. “They now have specific concrete and corroborative evidence of collusion,” the source said. “This is between people in the Trump campaign and agents of [Russian] influence relating to the use of hacked material.”

In the Middle East, truth has always been an elusive commodity. We hear guesses and theories. Probably, few know the truth here, but certainly there are many groups in play who would produce/use chemical weapons, including the U.S.-supported rebels who cut the heads off of children. .

Law enforcement, including those blue jeans-fitted thugs, has no authority to remove a paying American passenger from his assigned seat who has committed no crime, at the request of United Airlines. The whims of United Airlines do not stand ahead of U.S. law.

What? Curtains? Why should the doctor get off the aircraft? United offered him a ticket. He accepted and presented payment. United accepted his payment and gave him an assigned seat - an agreement was thus consummated. He was asked to board the plane and take his assigned, purchased seat......and did so. Then, solely because of the poor management practices at United and/or its privately owned United Express partner, Republic Airlines, it needed to rush a flight crew to another city and desired, incorrectly, to remove the doctor and 3 other paying customers from the aircraft post-boarding. To say the least, any effort to reduce the customer head count by four to accommodate the 4-person flight crew should have taken place BEFORE boarding. This gentleman, in my opinion, did nothing wrong. For the record, customers (passengers) have told the media that Dr. Dao was never "belligerent" at any time.

Billy, most global airlines treat you 500 percent better than US airlines. They're among the world's worst. From Finnair to Lufthansa, from Turkish to South African, they all treat you better. And for some time now, Emirates has been the global benchmark. Unlike flying with US airlines, they treat you like a paying customer rather than cattle.

Paul, I don't believe that China has the sway over North Korea that some want to believe. They are neighbors, but China's motivation for North Korea's continued existence has, since the 1953 Korean War's cease fire agreement, has always been to have the DPRK as a "buffer zone" between it and US-controlled South Korea. China very much likes this arrangement. Particularly over the last 10-15 years, North Korea has been increasingly viewed by Beijing and its people as a pain in the behind. Beijing has failed, though not for a lack of trying, to get North Korea to set aside the military agenda and focus on its infrastructure and people (because the bad DPRK economy results in an unwelcome migration of people into China). North Korea only pays Beijing lip service, ignoring most of Beijing's advise. Anyway, I sense that China has little to no sway at this point over the DPRK, and hasn't since the founder passed away in 1994 (China did have a bond with him). China can arrange a meeting, but that's about all.

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Big Rigs / April 13, 2017 This month, more than 40 logging trucks and their drivers rallied alongside the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in a fight for the survival of the Heyfield Mill in Victoria. A strong visual reminder of the role trucking plays in any industry, it's clear the potential closure of the Heyfield Mill in a town that's home to 2000 people goes far deeper than just the end of a single company. As the current situation stands, access to areas of Central Highlands timber has been restricted due to the presence of the leadbeater's possum, listed under threatened species status. Mill owner Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, (ASH) which processes 150,000 cubic metres of timber per annum, has rejected the government's counter-offer of a three-year contract consisting of close to half the amount of timber and a $4.7million operational subsidy. As new agreements are debated and possums are surveyed, workers and trucking contractors count down to the end of the existing supply agreement, which expires on June 30, 2017. But that's all politics. For 62-year-old Gerald Conway of G&S Conway, the closure of the Heyfield Mill could mean the end of his working career and family business. Driving from the age of 18 using a special license from the police department, the local contractor started moving wood chips in 1978. "We keep busy on the chip and employ a few people - it's good work,” he said. "They keep saying there is going to be 250 people out of a job, but with all those connected there will be thousands out of work.” Like many of the contractors in town, 100% of his work comes from the mill. Both his brother and nephew are involved in logging and one of Gerald's sons, also dependent on the mill, runs three logging trucks that each come with a specialist set-up worth more than $500,000. "My son just added a Kenworth to his business. It's going to be a struggle to pay that off if the mill goes down,” he said. "We have been doing it all our lives and there are some blokes in the bush with a couple of million worth of gear they won't be able to sell.” Mr Conway, who was part of the Melbourne protest, said he wasn't too keen on one of the proposed solutions, which offered to train workers to switch to the tourism industry. "How many people are they going to take on tours to see this possum?” he sighed. When asked if he could see himself as a guide, Gerald just laughed. "I employ four blokes. I figure if they shut the mill, the rest may fold and Heyfield could pull the pin,” he said. "We've done everything all right - our trucks are geared up for carting chips, I have a specific set-up on trailer so we couldn't resell them. "May as well take 'em out and put them in the tip.” Mr Conway said he felt for others he knew who had bank debts they may be unable to pay off. "It's just a bit hard at the moment. You can't spend any money doing anything because you don't know what is next,” he said. "I know blokes who may lose their house and don't know how to do anything else, some who can't get another job at that age.” Australian Sustainable Hardwoods chief executive Vince Hurley said there were dozens of trucks involved and reliant on the day-to-day running of the Heyfield Mill. "We have many trucks that will be impacted - log trucks carting into us, which is around 42,000 B-double loads per annum,” he said. "There is also a lot of truck movement directly. We need to move stock between the green mill and processing plant, which is about 38,000 normal semi loads a year. "All of them are private subbies and contractors.” Chip trucks like Gerald's do about 1200 loads of chips for the mill per year, alongside 450 loads of sawdust. Final products like wood goods and timber also call for 15,000 outgoing loads a year. "The fact is, currently this is a good, profitable mill which makes money and employs people,” Mr Hurley said. "It is extremely frustrating for everyone. Right now we are waiting for the government to give us some answers. "Every day in this business we spend money on improvements, so if we are going to continue to operate we need to have some longevity.” For those involved, it's this uncertainty causing the most pain. "This is not a good thing - The sooner we know, the better. People are filled with anxiety. We want to resolve this for our people, suppliers and transporters,” he said. The amount of viable timber supplies remains in question, the answer dependent on which side of government is asked. But the impact of the closure - if it happens - is clear: the flow-on effects will be felt by the trucking industry. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester has stated he is working at a federal level to determine the future of the mill. "There is no doubt the flow-on effects of the Australian Sustainable Hardwoods sawmill closing would be felt heavily by the heavy vehicle industry,” Minister Chester said. .

TCA urges Congress to forgo any increases to 80,000-pound limit James Jaillet, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / April 12, 2017 The Truckload Carriers Association has issued a letter to lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate asking them to retain the current 80,000-pound weight limit for tractor-trailers operating on U.S. roadways. Responding to an apparent interest by legislators eyeing an increase to a 91,000-pound, six-axle limit, TCA told lawmakers in the letter that an 11,000-pound increase in the country’s truck weight limit would “only benefit a minority of carriers, while forcing the rest of the industry either to divert critical resources into these new configurations or risk becoming obsolete.” Those in favor of the legislation, such as Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), say increasing maximum weight limits in the U.S. would boost highway safety, reduce congestion and increase trucking’s efficiency. Ribble introduced a bill in 2015 to bump the maximum weight limit to 91,000 pounds nationally. The issue has cropped up several times in recent years in both the House and the Senate as either add-ons to larger bills or standalone legislation. It doesn’t appear any new legislation has been introduced yet regarding a weight-limit increase this Congressional term. TCA seemingly is getting ahead of the looming legislative session, during which such legislation could be in play. TCA argues an increase in allowable weight limits and a sixth axle would become a de facto mandate for all carriers, as they would be pressed by market conditions to retrofit their equipment with a sixth axle and other necessary equipment to haul 91,000-pound loads, TCA says, to keep up with competitors. Such equipment updates range from $3,000 to $4,800 a trailer, TCA argues, which would cost even mid-size carriers potentially millions. Upfitting would also come with higher ongoing operating costs, the trade group argues, such as on brakes, tires and more. “Carriers are unlikely to see rate increases that fully offset the cost of moving the additional weight,” TCA argues in its letter. “Certainly no one will pay for the increased cost of fuel associated with a sixth axle, especially if it was not required for the shipment. The cost burden will fall squarely on the carrier.”