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Kenworth Truck Co. Press Release / April 7, 2017 .

Transport Topics / April 7, 2017 A few months ago, the letters “O-N-D” – each maybe a foot high or so – hung high up on the front wall of a warehouse building at Richmond Marine Terminal. Maybe there was a freight company operating at the site with that name – OND Inc.? Nah. A closer look showed the stubby remains of 11 letters, apparently lost over time, that once preceded the three left standing. Any “Wheel of Fortune” watcher could put it together: “PORT OF RICHMOND.” The Richmond Deepwater Terminal, as it was known before being dubbed the Port of Richmond, has seen its share of hard times, perhaps reflected in those 11 missing letters in the signage. Within the past year or so, though, there’s a fresh breeze of sorts blowing through the place. After signing a five-year lease of the facility in late 2010, the Virginia Port Authority signed another one early last year, enabling it to invest in and operate the facility – rebranded as Richmond Marine Terminal – for 40 years, through 2056. The signing of the longer lease was also marked by the unveiling of a big new piece of equipment – a $4.2 million, 350-ton crane, bought with money from a federal grant, that will speed up container handling. Also, a dozen ocean carriers now offer bills of lading directly to Richmond, maybe the maritime freight equivalent of having an airline boarding pass right through to one’s destination. Pieces are slowly beginning to drop into place. “We know the Richmond Marine Terminal has not had any capital expenditures for a long, long time,” John Reinhart, the port authority’s executive director and CEO, said in the first State of the Port address held in Richmond last year, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report. “It was getting by, but it wasn’t thriving,” The Times-Dispatch quoted him as saying. “The men and women that worked there were doing the best they could with what they had. What we’re trying to do is energize the facility.” A lifeline connecting the Port of Virginia and the Richmond operation, however, had actually been thrown in 2008, with the startup of the James River Barge Line’s 64 Express, a service linking the Port of Virginia’s container terminals to the facility, recently enhanced with the addition of a new barge that can carry 125 of those 40-foot-long containers hauled by trucks and trains in and out of the port. Custom-built to make three round trips a week, the vessel is helping position the Richmond operation as a kind of safety valve for the port, which is preparing to expand its two largest terminals. The port’s investment in the Richmond terminal is a way for it “to extend itself westward as far as deep water will allow,” said Ed Whitmore, owner and president of Norfolk Tug Co., which owns the James River Barge Line. “The timing of this is critical,” said Joe Harris, a port spokesman. “This is a very important piece of the puzzle, keeping cargo moving during our expansion.” The facility has the capacity to handle 50,000 to 60,000 TEUs – containers measured in 20-foot units – which may seem like a drop in the bucket compared with the port’s total volume of 2.6 million TEUs last year. Add that to the 78,000-TEU capacity of the VirginiaInlandPort in Front Royal and there’s the promise of at least a little relief. “This allows us to push our operation in, 100 miles,” Harris said about the barge link. Last year, the Richmond terminal moved more than 34,000 TEUs, a 32.8 percent increase from 2015. While the operation is preparing to move more cargo, there’s one thing it already has in abundance: history. Owned by the city of Richmond, the terminal opened in 1940 as a general marine-cargo facility on the west bank of the James River, roughly 5 miles from downtown Richmond. It was built on land that once had been part of the unincorporated town and port of Warwick, burned by British troops in 1781, according to city records. Because of the rapids that block any ship traffic west of Richmond as well as a sandbar in the river, Warwick was about as far up the James as many vessels could get. In its heyday, the facility moved a lot of sugar, tobacco and newsprint . As markets, logistics and supply chains evolved, the Richmond terminal began to show its age. As the recession surged about 10 years ago, the facility’s business dried up and waterborne cargo moving through the complex fell by 78 percent, according to the city. It was at about that point that the Virginia Port Authority came to the rescue, though more than a century earlier, Richmond seemed to have a future as a port on its own. The now-defunct Chesapeake & Ohio Railway once envisioned Richmond as a coal-export center, so much so that it built a tunnel through the Church Hill section of the city, with the hope of linking the city’s docks to the railroad’s main lines, said Walter Griggs Jr., a retired VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity professor who has written several books about Richmond history. The tunnel opened in 1873; the last train passed through it in 1902. It collapsed in 1925 while it was being restored to service, killing several people. After that, the tunnel was sealed. Richmond’s port-city status lasted about eight years, Griggs wrote in “The Collapse of Richmond’s Church Hill Tunnel.” “Excellent docks and the Church Hill Tunnel could not make the James River deeper or straighter to accommodate the large oceangoing vessels being built at that time.” After a promised dredging project on the James River failed to materialize, railroad tycoon Collis Huntington decided to extend the C&O tracks 74 miles to Newport News and its deep-water harbor. “Now trains rolled through Richmond to the new terminal without stopping,” Griggs wrote. The city, though, got excited in the winter of 1942, when news broke that the Navy had plans to build a shipyard in Richmond. A site had been purchased at the end of 4th Street in South Richmond and there were plans to lease a site close to what’s now the Richmond Marine Terminal, according to another of Griggs’ books, “World War II: Richmond Virginia.” It didn’t take long for the plans to unspool, though: U.S. Sen. Harry Byrd of Virginia announced on April 30, 1942, that the shipyard was canceled. “Richmonders took the demise of the shipyard in stride but regretted all of the federal government funds that were used for no purpose,” Griggs wrote. With the size of oceangoing vessels today challenging ports all over the country and the world, the idea of a container ship making its way up the snaky James River seems a little ridiculous. Yet the big barge that threads its way up and down the river from the port, in water depths that range up to about 24 feet near the Richmond terminal, offers some promise of a gradual transformation. To walk the 121-acre site today is, in some ways, a journey back in time, offering a glimpse of what port facilities everywhere were like before cargo containers revolutionized the maritime industry. Like a Hollywood set for a film about life on the docks back in the day, the cavernous warehouses are a mix of empty space and breakbulk cargo – noncontainerized goods packed in or on bales, drums, crates and the like. Here are pallets of tile bound for Kentucky; there, giant bags of plastic pellets bound for Pakistan and India. What appear to be connecting rail tracks lie just outside the doors of the warehouses, though they haven’t been used in decades. There is, though, an active CSX line on the property, which runs parallel to Interstate 95, adjacent to the terminal grounds. The operations aren’t restricted to the riverside warehouses. In another area of the site, trucks wait to dump their loads of soybeans and other grains from around the region onto a conveyor belt system that whisks them into waiting containers already on the backs of trucks. It’s a work in progress and port officials say they’re in it for the long haul. Years ago, the terminal was a bustling regional hub. “Our plan is to make it that again,” Harris said. “It’s going to take some time.”

California Strikes Deal with Truckers to Hike Fuel Tax Heavy Duty Trucking / April 7, 2017 A bill to raise fuel taxes that could bring in $5.2 billion a year has advanced through the California legislature and needs only to be signed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) before going into effect. The base excise tax will jump 12 cents per gallon for regular gasoline and 20 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. In addition, the sales tax on diesel fuel will increase by four percentage points, according to the Los Angeles Times. The money will be used to support California’s aging transportation infrastructure. To pass the bill, the governor tried to garner support from the trucking industry because the diesel tax will mostly impact transportation companies. The diesel tax alone will generate at least $10 billion in revenue over the next ten years. Gov. Brown was able to strike a deal with lawmakers that will restrict the state from requiring owners to retire or retrofit trucks to meet new greenhouse gas regulations before they're 13 years old or reach 800,000 miles. Truck owners could keep vehicles as long as 18 years in some cases, according to the U.S. News and World Report. That move that was predictably unpopular with environmental groups, which contend the provision will delay the impact of clean air regulations and harm California residents, particularly around busy ports and in areas with heavy truck traffic. The bill also includes an increase in license and registration fees based on the value of the vehicle. The taxes and fees will increase over time with inflation. The fuel tax hikes will take effect on Nov. 1 and the vehicle fee increases will start on Jan. 1, 2018. The bill was contentious, with Republican lawmakers arguing against the increase in a state that already pays the highest fuel prices in the nation. This is the first gas tax increase in 23 years for California. It comes on the heels of a recent New Jersey bill that increased fuel taxes in that state for the first time in 28 years. Aging infrastructure is a hot topic both nationally and locally, with multiple states voting in favor of infrastructure reform during the election season late last year. President Trump has indicated that one of his priorities is to increase infrastructure funding by as much as $1 trillion through public and private investment.

NAPA offers EZ Oil Drain Valves Fleet Owner / April 7, 2017 The EZ Oil Drain Valve is now available at all participating NAPA Stores nationwide. With more than 6,000 stores across the country, NAPA noted it is one of the largest outlets for automotive replacement parts and accessories. The EZ Oil Drain Valve replaces the stock oil drain plug on any engine, making oil changes easier, cleaner, and faster. Turn the lever to drain oil, and the lever securely locks when closed.

“We cannot be the policemen of the world. We cannot protect countries all over the world" Donald Trump (Sept 26, 2016) I couldn’t agree more. Based on what we’re told, we simply can no longer afford to be. In 1941, with the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) well on their way to taking over the world, the U.S. was the last major nation capable of mounting a decisive offensive. We fell into a major global role that the United States until that time never had. The same metrics however do not apply today. Tomahawk missiles allegedly cost $832,000 each. (Do you really trust them to tell you the true cost?) Trump ordered the launch of 59 missiles, meaning the U.S. taxpayer just spent US$49 million. Note: A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said only 23 of the 59 missiles hit their target. There’s probably some truth to that, as British observers saw aircraft take off from Shayrat Airbase just hours after the strike. Now remember, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on March 2 that we must unleash private investment to fund U.S. infrastructure upgrades, because "our country can no longer take decades to build a new bridge or a new road, a new highway or airport" due to a lack of funding. If the President of the United States wants to give Israel US$38 billion in military assistance, if the Pentagon wants to reorder $49 million plus worth of replacement missiles (price increase), or if the state department wants to build maternity wards, water wells and school bathrooms in Cambodia, taxpayer funding is “always” available. However, if we need new bridges, roads, highway or airports…………..right here in the United States, we’re always told that there is an inadequate amount of funding (taxpayer money) available for said projects. What’s the truth? One side says that Assad launched an attack with chemical weapons. On the other hand, Russia might be more likely to know the truth, whatever it may be, due to its on-the-ground support of the Syrian government. Russia said Wednesday that the toxic gas that killed 83 people [including 27 children per UNICEF] and wounded 150 in northern Syria the day before was released accidentally when a Syrian air strike hit a "terrorist warehouse" containing "toxic substances." "According to the objective data of the Russian airspace control, Syrian aviation struck a large terrorist warehouse near Khan Shaykhun that housed a warehouse making bombs, with toxic substances," the Russian defense ministry said. "The arsenal of chemical weapons" was destined for fighters in Iraq, the Russian defense ministry added. Certainly, truth has long been an illusive commodity in the Middle East. In fact, the region thrives on disinformation. Note that you didn’t hear a peep in condemnation of the toxic gas attack from the Middle East’s United Nations-like body, the Arab League, nor from the powerful and wealthy members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). The Middle East is their “neighborhood”. It’s their problem. But you never see their words, if any at all, supported by actions. As Trump said, the United States cannot be the policemen of the world. We cannot protect countries all over the world. It’s a hard sell to the U.S. taxpayer in year 2017 why we need to do what other neighboring countries on the other side of the world should be doing. The event as told to us, by whoever’s hands, was a disgusting and barbaric act. But if we keep stepping in around the world, we’ll be expected to the next time……and the next time……and the next time. Pro-Bexit leader Nigel Farage said: ‘I am very surprised by this [the U.S. attack]. I think a lot of Trump voters will be waking up this morning and scratching their heads and saying “where will it all end?” ‘As a firm Trump supporter, I say, yes, the pictures were horrible, but I’m surprised. Whatever Assad’s sins, he is secular [not subject to or bound by religious rule].’ ‘Previous interventions in the Middle East have made things worse rather than better,’ said Farage. Many western countries congratulated the U.S. on its attack, including the UK, France and Germany. Given their ongoing nightmare with Syrian refugees and close proximity to Syria (versus the United States), why didn’t they one or all man up and orchestrate the attack, rather than the distant United States? Why didn’t NATO collectively attack? It’s mandate has been distorted to justify doing almost anything else. Because the UK’s military is a mere shell of its former self? (https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/46404-what-the-us-should-learn-from-britain’s-dying-navy/#comment-341940) Because Germany refuses to fulfill its NATO obligation of spending 2 percent of its GDP on military spending? Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on March 1 said: “While Germany accepts it must increase its defense spending from today's 1.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), 2 percent is too much (no appreciation for the U.S. letting Germany Inc.'s Volkswagen off the hook for billions). Gabriel said it is "completely unrealistic to raise expectations in Germany or among our partners that we will add 30 billion euros to our defense spending over the next eight years." Speaking on the strike, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK would not be involved in any military action without parliamentary approval. Where is it written that the U.S. is always obligated to ride in and right the world’s problems?

Trailer/Body Builder / April 6, 2017 Volvo Trucks North America won a summary judgment on March 31 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia over the disputed sale of truck dealerships in Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. In an unusual case that focused on the extent and interpretation of Volvo’s right of first refusal, U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth Dillon ruled that Truck Enterprises, Inc. (TEI), owner of dealerships selling several truck brands, must apprise Volvo of the value of its assets before moving forward with its proposed sale to Transport Equipment Company, Inc. In addition to Volvo, some of the TEI dealers also sell Kenworth and Isuzu vehicles. TEI argued that right of refusal didn’t require it to separate Volvo from the rest of the anticipated sale, and instead obliged Volvo to stand in the shoes of Transport Equipment Company and acquire all of TEI at the negotiated price. Volvo filed suit in 2016. TEI responded by seeking summary judgment plus damages for Volvo’s delaying the sale to Transport Equipment Company. Judge Dillon’s summary judgment ruling completely vindicated BakerHostetler’s trial team’s argument on behalf of Volvo. She wrote, “A right of first refusal does not function for the benefit of manufacturers—the holders of the right—if dealers can freely bundle encumbered property with unencumbered property and force a manufacturer to buy the whole package or waive its right.” In addition to denying TEI’s motion for summary judgment, the judge ruled that the sale proposal between TEI and Transport Equipment Company must include the price for Volvo’s assets, at which time Volvo’s period for deciding whether to exercise its right of first refusal will commence. BakerHostetler lawyers team on behalf of Volvo Trucks included David Jarrett, Elizabeth Scully, and William Geise.

Don Rickles, lightning-fast launcher of comic insults, dies at 90 The Washington Post / April 6, 2017 Don Rickles, the irrepressible master of the comic insult whose humor was a fast-paced, high-volume litany of mockery in which members of his audience were the (usually) willing victims of his verbal assaults, died April 6 at his home Los Angeles. He was 90. The cause was kidney failure, said his publicist, Paul Shefrin. When Mr. Rickles developed his stand-up act in the 1950s, his humor was considered shocking, with a raw, abrasive, deeply personal edge. If he wasn’t the first “insult comic,” he was by far the most successful and most widely imitated, becoming a fixture on television and in nightclubs for decades. Trained as a dramatic actor, Mr. Rickles appeared in films and television series and was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the popular “Toy Story” series of animated features that debuted in 1995. But for more than 50 years, he practiced a distinctive brand of improvisational, sarcastic humor that made him one of the most original and influential comedians of his time. His brash, snappish style became a major influence on many younger performers, including comedians Louis CK, Lewis Black and Zach Galifianakis, radio shock jock Howard Stern and even the writers of the mouthy cartoon character Howard the Duck. People vied for front-row seats at nightclubs, practically begging to be skewered by Mr. Rickles, who was variously known as the Merchant of Venom, the Sultan of Insult or, as “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson dubbed him in ironic endearment, Mr. Warmth. “Don is saying the things that other people are thinking,” comedian Bob Newhart, Mr. Rickles’s best friend, told The Washington Post last year. “There’s an expectation of risk when you go and see a Rickles show.” No one was spared from his hectoring, whether celebrities, royalty, presidents or, especially, Mr. Rickles himself. His reputation was established in 1957, when he noticed the often-combative Frank Sinatra in the audience at a nightclub in Miami Beach. Mr. Rickles poked fun at a recent movie Sinatra had made, then said, “Hey, Frank, make yourself at home. Hit somebody!” Sinatra burst out laughing, became one of Mr. Rickles’s biggest supporters, and a career was launched. Mr. Rickles did not tell jokes with traditional punchlines, did not make topical comments about the news and did not use crude profanity. Every show was spontaneous, built largely around his caustic observations about members of the audience. “There’s something truly artful about his delivery,” director Martin Scorsese — who hired Mr. Rickles to play a Las Vegas casino manager in the 1995 film “Casino” — once told the New York Times. “Many other comedians who practice insult humor are either way too broad or they hide behind a character,” Scorsese added, “but Rickles keeps this balance between levity and relentlessness. And it’s all improvised, which is really the hardest thing to do, and he makes it look like the easiest, most graceful thing in the world.” Short, bald and stocky, Mr. Rickles walked on the stage “looking like a snapping turtle surfacing in a pond,” as a New Yorker profile put it in 2004. He glanced around the room at his prey. Overweight people, men accompanied by younger women, racial and ethnic minorities — all were subject to his relentless barrage of smart-aleck buckshot. [Don Rickles was politically incorrect before it was incorrect. And at 90, he’s still going.] Mr. Rickles’s chief comedic weapons were exaggeration and ridicule, deployed in a rapid, sharp-tongued style that stacked one quip on top of another until audiences were helpless with laughter. He especially delighted in tweaking the rich and mighty and became renowned for his biting performances at celebrity roasts. “The bigger a person is,” Mr. Rickles told the Newark Star-Ledger in 1993, “the more pleasure I take in knocking them down a notch.” At a tribute to Clint Eastwood, Mr. Rickles said, “Clint, I’m sorry, but I just gotta say what’s on everybody’s mind here tonight: You’re a terrible actor.” While filming “Casino,” Mr. Rickles decided to needle the film’s star, Robert De Niro, who had twice won Academy Awards. “They warned me what a serious guy De Niro is,” Mr. Rickles told the New York Daily News. “They warned me not to make jokes. So the third day of shooting, I looked him straight in the face and told him: ‘I can’t work with you. You can’t act.’ The guy fell on the floor. He didn’t stop laughing for 18 weeks. Scorsese fell on the floor too, but he’s so small we couldn’t find him.” Mr. Rickles developed a persona that was a carefully crafted combination of cocksure wiseguy, playground bully and naughty, insecure child who just pulled the dog’s tail. In the 1950s, he was working in Washington at a cramped strip club called the Wayne Room when he hit on a formula that became his stock-in-trade: He became a heckler from the stage. “The place was like a hallway,” he recalled in a 1977 Post interview. “The customers were right on top of you, always heckling, and I began giving it right back to them.” The secret of his comedy was in his delivery, which was a blizzard of mockery, raillery and mayhem. His all-purpose put-down for dolts was to call them “hockey pucks.” He often mentioned his Jewish background, his mother and his wife, Barbara, for comic effect, as one sharp-edged observation collided with another in madcap verbal detonations. During a live 1968 performance at the Sahara in Las Vegas, every element in Mr. Rickles’s comic arsenal was on display when he discovered that an audience member was Lebanese: “God put us on this earth to laugh. Am I right? He made you a Lebanese? He made me a Jew. So what? “What’s your first name? Mohammed? Habib? “I’ve met you before, haven’t I? That’s right, you hung my uncle. . . . Where’d I meet you, Habib? Lake Tahoe, that’s — Barbara was pregnant. Are you the guy that made my wife pregnant? “How do you like that? My kid’s an Arab.” Mr. Rickles seldom used language that would have to be censored on television, but many people considered his humor brazen and in poor taste, especially early in his career. As time went on, his style seemed caught in a sometimes uncomfortable time warp. Long after it was considered insensitive or worse, Mr. Rickles used outmoded stereotypes to mock women and practically every conceivable ethnic group. He continued to appear on late-night talk shows and in nightclubs into his late 80s. In 1998, Washington Post television critic Tom Shales spent a weekend attending Mr. Rickles’s performances at a nightclub in Atlantic City. “On a giant stage,” Shales wrote, he was “much more complex and poignant than the loudmouthed guy who guests on the talk shows. . . . Rickles seemed mythic, timeless, fearless — endowed by the gods with some absurd miraculous gift.” Although he disliked the term “insult comedy,” Mr. Rickles knew that insults were what his audiences came to expect. “I have this gift for saying things with a certain attitude, walking a very fine line with that attitude and staying on the right side of it,” he told the Star-Ledger in 1993. “But it’s always a gamble. Sometimes it’s tough to judge whether you’re about to cross that line.” He often turned nervously away from the butt of his jokes to address the rest of his audience in mock fear: “Is he laughing? Take a look, is he laughing?” Donald Jay Rickles was born May 8, 1926, in Queens. His father, who sold insurance, had an acerbic sense of humor, but it was his mother who encouraged him to stand up at family gatherings and poke fun at his uncles. During World War II, Mr. Rickles served with the Navy in the Philippines, which he often referred to in his comedy act. After the war, he studied for two years at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where his classmates included Anne Bancroft, Grace Kelly and Jason Robards. “Most of these people were dedicated actors,” he told The Post in 1977. “You had to do all these improvisations. The teacher would say, ‘We are two moths on a curtain.’ I was always in trouble because I was always doing the jokes. I said, ‘What do I have to do, eat the drapes?’ ” While looking for work as an actor, he sold used cars, life insurance and pots and pans. Almost out of desperation, he turned to comedy, billed in the early 1950s as Don “Glass Head” Rickles. By the late 1950s, he was appearing in Las Vegas, while still finding occasional work as a dramatic and comic actor. He was in the 1958 submarine movie “Run Silent, Run Deep” with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. He played a nightclub bouncer in “The Rat Race” (1960), alongside Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds. He was in two Annette Funicello-Frankie Avalon beach movies in the mid-1960s, and in 1970 played a supply sergeant-con artist in “Kelly’s Heroes,” starring Eastwood. Mr. Rickles appeared in dozens of sitcom episodes, from “The Dick Van Dyke Show” to “Gilligan’s Island,” and starred in several short-lived comedy shows of his own, the best-known of which was probably “C.P.O. Sharkey,” in which he played a Navy noncommissioned officer for two seasons on NBC in the 1970s. Despite his many forays into acting, Mr. Rickles was always at his best alone on stage, armed only with a microphone and his wit. For years, until he got married at 38, Mr. Rickles lived with his mother. She then moved into the adjoining apartment. Survivors include his wife of 52 years, the former Barbara Sklar, of Los Angeles; a daughter, Mindy Mann; and two grandchildren. A son, Larry Rickles, a TV comedy writer and producer, died in 2011. Mr. Rickles’s closest friend in show business was comedian Bob Newhart, whose mild, cerebral style of humor could not have been more different. “There’s a part of all comedians that remains a child, while other people get civility pounded into them,” Newhart told The Post in 2007. “But somehow comedians don’t. This is particularly evident in Don. Whatever he sees, he says. And it’s what we all think, but we’re too civilized to say.” . .

The New York Times / April 6, 2017 Don Rickles, the acidic stand-up comic who became world-famous not by telling jokes but by insulting his audience, died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 90. The cause was kidney failure, said a spokesman, Paul Shefrin. For more than half a century, on nightclub stages, in concert halls and on television, Mr. Rickles made outrageously derisive comments about people’s looks, their ethnicity, their spouses, their sexual orientation, their jobs or anything else he could think of. He didn’t discriminate: His incendiary unpleasantries were aimed at the biggest stars in show business (Frank Sinatra was a favorite target) and at ordinary paying customers. His rise to national prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s roughly coincided with the success of “All in the Family,” the groundbreaking situation comedy whose protagonist, Archie Bunker, was an outspoken bigot. Mr. Rickles’s humor was similarly transgressive. But he went further than Archie Bunker, and while Carroll O’Connor, who played Archie, was speaking words someone else had written — and was invariably the butt of the joke — Mr. Rickles, whose targets included his fellow Jews, never needed a script and was always in charge. One night, on learning that some members of his audience were German, he said, “Forty million Jews in this country, and I got four Nazis sitting here in front waiting for the rally to start.” He said that America needed Italians “to keep the cops busy” and blacks “so we can have cotton in the drugstore,” and that “Asians are nice people, but they burn a lot of shirts.” He might ask a man in the audience, “Is that your wife?” and, when the man answered yes, respond: “Oh, well. Keep your chin up.” Continue reading the main story As brutal as his remarks could be, they rarely left a mark. (“I’m not really a mean, vicious guy,” he told an interviewer in 2000.) Sidney Poitier was said to have once been offended by Mr. Rickles’s racial jokes. But in “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” a 2007 documentary directed by John Landis, Mr. Poitier sang Mr. Rickles’s praises. Recalling the first time he saw Mr. Rickles perform, Mr. Poitier said: “He was explosive. He was impactful. He was funny. I mean, outrageously funny.” Mr. Rickles got his first break, the story goes, when Sinatra and some of his friends came to see him perform in 1957 — in Hollywood, according to most sources, although Mr. Rickles said it was in Miami. “Make yourself at home, Frank,” Mr. Rickles said to Sinatra, whom he had never met. “Hit somebody.” Sinatra laughed so hard, he fell out of his seat. Mr. Rickles was soon being championed by Sinatra, Dean Martin and the other members of the show business circle known as the Rat Pack. Steady work in Las Vegas followed. But he was hardly an overnight success: He spent a decade in the comedy trenches before he broke through to a national audience. In 1965, he made the first of numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show,” treating Johnny Carson with his trademark disdain to the audience’s (and Carson’s) delight. He also became a regular on Dean Martin’s televised roasts, where no celebrity was safe from his onslaughts. (“What’s Bob Hope doing here? Is the war over?”) Mr. Rickles’s wife, who he said “likes to lie in bed, signaling ships with her jewelry,” was not immune to his attacks. Neither was his mother, Etta, whom he referred to as “the Jewish Patton.” But off the stage, he didn’t hesitate to express his gratitude to his mother for unflaggingly believing in his talent, even when he himself wasn’t so sure. “She had a tremendous drive,” he recalled in “Mr. Warmth.” “Drove me crazy. But she was like the driving force for me.” He shared an apartment with his mother and did not marry until he was almost 40. After marrying Barbara Sklar in 1965, he saw to it that his mother had the apartment next door. His wife survives him, as do a daughter, Mindy Mann, and two grandchildren. Mr. Rickles’s son, Lawrence, died in 2011. Donald Jay Rickles was born in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens on May 8, 1926, to Max Rickles, an insurance salesman, and the former Etta Feldman. During World War II, he honed his comedic skills while serving in the Navy. (“On the ship that I went over to the Philippines,” he told The New York Times in 2015, “out of 300 men I was the class comedian.”) After being discharged, he followed his father into the insurance business, but when he had trouble getting his customers to sign on the dotted line, decided to try acting. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, an experience that he later said gave him a greater sense of himself. But he found it difficult to get acting jobs and turned to stand-up comedy. For a while, he pursued acting and comedy simultaneously. He did his stand-up act at Catskills resorts and in strip clubs, and his movie career got off to an auspicious start with a small part in the 1958 submarine drama “Run Silent, Run Deep,” starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. But the bulk of his film work in the 1960s was in low-budget beach movies: “Bikini Beach,” “Muscle Beach Party” and “Pajama Party,” all in 1964, and “Beach Blanket Bingo” in 1965. By that time, his comedy career had begun gathering momentum. Focusing less on prepared material and more on interaction with his audience, he had found his voice. He was not the first insult comedian — and in fact an earlier master of the comic insult, Jack E. Leonard, was known to complain that Mr. Rickles’s act was too similar to his — but he soon became far and away the most successful. Bookings in the late 1950s at the Slate Brothers nightclub in Hollywood and the lounge of the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas spread the word. During his Slate Brothers engagement, Carl Reiner recalled in “Mr. Warmth,” the biggest names in show business felt that “if they hadn’t been insulted by Rickles, they weren’t with it.” His appearances insulting celebrities on the Dean Martin roasts and his sparring matches with Carson cemented Mr. Rickles’s reputation, but his unscripted brand of humor proved an uneasy fit for weekly television. A variety show in 1968 and a situation comedy in 1972, both called “The Don Rickles Show,” were short-lived, as was “Daddy Dearest,” a 1993 sitcom in which he and the comedian Richard Lewis played father and son. The closest thing to a hit show he had was “CPO Sharkey,” a Navy comedy, which aired from 1976 to 1978. Critics were often not sure what to make of Mr. Rickles. John J. O’Connor of The Times wrote in 1972 that for some his humor “will always remain tasteless,” while for others “it has its delicious moments of madness.” Tom Shales of The Washington Post, 26 years later, was more enthusiastic, praising him as “mythic, timeless, fearless — endowed by the gods with some absurd miraculous gift.” No critic, however thoughtful, could quite explain Mr. Rickles’s durability in show business, given that until the end of his career he was peppering his act with slurs and stereotypes long out of favor. And yet he not only got away with it, but he also flourished. His own theory was that he was being rewarded for saying things others wanted to say but couldn’t. “I’m the guy at the Christmas party,” he said more than once, “who makes fun of the boss on Friday night and still has his job on Monday morning.” Although Mr. Rickles sometimes expressed regret that he did not have more of a career as an actor, he did enjoy unexpected cinematic success late in life. In 1995, Martin Scorsese cast him in “Casino,” with Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone, and that same year he found a new audience as the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the hugely successful animated feature “Toy Story,” a role he reprised in its sequels. “Toy Story 4” is scheduled for release in 2019, but it is not known whether Mr. Rickles had done any recording for it before his death. In 2011, he was the voice of a frog in the movie “Zookeeper” and played the long-lost husband of Betty White’s character on the sitcom “Hot in Cleveland.” In 2007, Mr. Rickles published a loosely structured memoir, “Rickles’ Book,” and was the subject of Mr. Landis’s documentary, shown on HBO, which was built around a performance at the Stardust Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas shortly before it was torn down. In 2014, he was the subject of an all-star tribute (inevitably, it turned out to be more like a roast) broadcast on the Spike cable channel. That show included appearances by David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart and Bob Newhart, whose soft-spoken style of comedy could not be further removed from Mr. Rickles’s, but who he often said was his closest friend in show business. Health problems inevitably slowed Mr. Rickles down, but even after a leg infection in 2014 affected his ability to walk, he continued performing, making occasional concert and television appearances. In May 2015, he was one of the last guests on “Late Show With David Letterman.” As recently as 2007, the year he turned 81, Mr. Rickles had been working, by his count, about 75 nights a year. “The only way I would stop is if my health goes, God forbid, or the audience isn’t with me anymore,” he told The Times that year. “Besides, I got to keep going. My manager told me he has to put his kid through college. His kid is 10 years old.” . . .

By 1985, with the 4 valve head, it had become the EM6-250L.

Why Ford returned to Le Mans with GT and not Mustang Automotive News / April 5, 2017 Ford Motor Co. originally proposed making its racing return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Mustang, not a GT. Prior to the company's decision to secretly build the Ford GT supercar to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Blue Oval’s victory in the famed French race over Ferrari, Raj Nair, head of global product development at Ford, said company officials first conducted studies to develop a Mustang to compete in the race. Nair, who also is Ford's chief technology officer, said the Mustang racer -- code-named “Project Silver,” after the Lone Ranger’s horse -- was rejected by company executives because of the price tag -- $250,000 or more in modifications for each racer, as well as aerodynamics and concerns Le Mans did not align with Mustang’s values and heritage, among other things. “It was all good learning, but it turns out not to be the right fit. Ultimately, Mustang does not need Le Mans to be a global car,” Nair told hundreds of engineers and others in attendance at the SAE International's WCX conference on Wednesday in Detroit. “To be candid, I still wanted to do it. I was actually a little bit mad … in fact, I was really mad.” Nair said he felt the company was “underestimating the importance of the 50th anniversary” of when Henry Ford II and Carroll Shelby created a team that beat vaunted rival Ferrari and finished 1-2-3. After the Mustang proposal was rejected, Nair eventually began leading a group of fewer than 12 people in late 2013 to research and design an all-new Ford GT without the blessing of top executives in the Glass House, including current CEO Mark Fields, Executive Chairman Bill Ford and then-CEO Alan Mulally. “I was just determined that we were going to have to do it but we were going to have to do it differently,” Nair said, adding he believed the team could potentially do a “low-investment, full vehicle program” with lessons learned from the failed Mustang project, including new advancements in tooling that “could really keep investment costs low and the quality ... exceptional.” The small group, as previously reported, assigned the code name “Project Phoenix” to the GT program because the vehicle was “rising from the ashes.” However, prior to adopting the "Project Phoenix" name, Nair on Wednesday disclosed that one employee suggested the code name “Groundhog” -- after the 1993 film Groundhog Day because he and others had tried several times to resurrect the GT without any success. Nair said the GT, which was developed simultaneously as a racer and street-legal vehicle, was most importantly “singularly focused on becoming an endurance racer.” “Our plan was clear: This was going to be a test bed for our technologies for engine development that had to push the boundaries of material usage such as the lightweight carbon fiber that eventually ended up in the car, and had to stretch our understanding of what was possible with aerodynamics,” he said. Nair eventually took each of the executives who had rejected the Mustang project down to the secret room, in the corner of Ford's Dearborn product development center, where the car was being developed and convinced them that the company could not only build a new GT but create a racer that would win Le Mans. Ford unveiled the GT during the 2015 Detroit auto show, followed by its return to racing for the Rolex 24 at the Daytona International Speedway a year later. The GT, following some early trials and tribulations during its return to racing, finished first, third and fourth at its first return to Le Mans in June 2016 -- beating Ferrari.

Owner/Driver / April 5, 2017 Queensland-based owner-operator Phil Riseley can’t see the point in forking out for a new truck, as long as he keeps up the maintenance on his 2004 Freightliner Columbia. Phill Riseley's first ever truck was a Scania T113H, operating it in a truck-and dog configuration. He later traded it in on the Freightliner Columbia. Now he’s the proud owner of a 13 year-old Freightliner which has clocked up more than 1.7 million kilometres on the clock. The Columbia pulls a new Barker trailer. "It has been an unreal truck for me; it’s very comfortable and rides like a car," Phill says. "It’s ideal for me as an owner-driver. Phill says the super single tyres on the trailer are a cost effective way to operate. "All my mates have super singles on their steer and when they get worn out, they give me a call. "I take them and run them out on my trailer." "I had the old trailer for seven years and I think I paid for one or two tyres," he smiles. As well as the savings on tyres, Phill says he gets better fuel economy. And he needs every advantage to stay competitive against the big fleets. Phill sought help from CPF Detroit Specialists in Brisbane. It’s paid off as, from the early days with the Freightliner and up until now, his average fuel bill is around $3,500 a month or less. "I’ve spent a lot on the truck to get it to be as fuel efficient as possible," he explains. "I’m competing against companies that have a fleet of trucks, each making 2 percent profit. I can’t survive on that amount." In addition, Phill had Caloundra-based Torquegass (http://www.torquegas.com/) fit a gas system to the Freightliner, which he says uses between 7 and 11 litres per 100km, depending on the load. "It’s been trialled and 100 percent safe," he adds. "It gives you a slight increase in power and sizeable increase in torque. "But what it does do is burn all the residual diesel, so I’m getting almost 100 percent burn. I’m burning everything I put in my tanks." While his previous trailer tared in at 21 tonne, Phill says the new one comes in at 18.5 tonne, which is another saving. Although he regularly runs Melbourne to Adelaide, Phill calls Queensland’s Sunshine Coast home nowadays, although he says he makes it back there only once or twice a month. He has no plans to replace the Columbia any time soon, believing it’s better to maintain and rebuild than pay out another $300,000 for something newer. "The new trucks are meant to be better for the environment but they actually use more fossil fuel in order to be cleaner. "You can’t get the same fuel economy and I would go backwards and lose my profit margin. "The cab itself is alright, I’ll touch it up every couple of years." Phill believes that if he looks after the rig, it will look after him. "That’s what my dad instilled into me," he adds. "Grease and oil are cheap whereas repairs are expensive." .

Australia's top trucks on display in Brisbane Steve Brooks, Trade Trucks AU / April 4, 2017 It is the biggest, brightest and best attended truck show in the southern hemisphere and 2017 will continue the tradition as Australia’s top truck, trailer and ancillary suppliers showcase their latest and greatest equipment. Here are just a few highlights of the bold new products on show, all dressed to impress There’s no doubt 2016 was a bumper year for new truck releases, particularly in the second half when several of the biggest names in the business launched some of the most exciting new models seen in the Australian trucking industry for decades. All the big players will all be on show during the Brisbane Truck Show next month and sure to be inundated by show-goers will be heavy-duty market leader Kenworth with its all-new T610 and T610 SAR models. KENWORTH The new Kenworths are the most dramatic developments to come out of Paccar’s Bayswater facility in 30 years. In fact, there has been nothing as radically different as these new trucks since the release in 1986 of the inspiring T600 Anteater which influenced the design of conventional trucks for decades to come. Kenworth openly states that the $20 million and more it invested in the design, engineering and testing of the new models is by far the largest amount the company has ever spent on development of trucks specifically for the Australian market. The key to the new model is unquestionably the new cab and Kenworth makes no secret of the fact that there is nothing in the brand’s Australian history to even remotely match the investment made in the T610 with a cab that is 2.1 metres wide and provides major gains in operational and driver appeal. While the T610 evolved from the conceptual possibilities provided by current Kenworth and Peterbilt models in the US, senior Kenworth executives emphasise that the end result is an entirely new conventional truck engineered and built to the specific requirements of Australia and surrounding regions. "This is our truck," says Paccar Australia director of sales and marketing, Brad May. "We basically took what we could from Paccar’s global platform, but no one should be in any doubt, none whatsoever, that the engineering and design of the finished product are all ours, all done in Bayswater. "We certainly utilised Paccar’s facilities in the US in the durability validation process, but the engineering design is totally ours. "This is a truck engineered in Australia, for Australia. Absolutely!" Under the T610 hood is the 15-litre Cummins X15 engine which also has its own updates, specifically a new software package to enhance performance and fuel efficiency when coupled to Eaton’s Ultrashift-Plus automated transmission. DAF Yet while the T610 will be unquestionably the big attraction, stablemate DAF has news of its own with a beefed-up version of the versatile CF85 model. Previously topping out at 460hp and 1700lbft, the CF85 is now available with a higher rated version of Paccar’s 12.9-litre MX engine, pushing out peak power of 510hp (375kW) from 1500 to 1900rpm and a much healthier torque peak of 1850lbft (2500Nm) between 1000 and 1410rpm. Coupled to the engine is the 16-speed version of ZF’s AS-Tronic automated transmission; while on the options list is Eaton’s RTLO-20918 18-speed overdrive manual. MERCEDES-BENZ Just across the aisle from Kenworth is staunch competitor Daimler Trucks which, among a swathe of models bearing Freightliner and Fuso badges, will showcase the exceptional new range of Mercedes-Benz trucks. The Brisbane Truck Show will also have the first public appearance of an entirely new range of Mercedes-Benz rigid models based on the same design platform as the hugely impressive prime mover range. The new Benz models have won rave reviews and have every potential to reignite the German giant’s reputation with Australian truck buyers and deliver serious competition to cab-over brands of all nationalities. There is a lot to like about these new trucks, not least the extent of testing that went into their development for the Australian market, and a model range which seemingly covers every base in the cab-over prime mover market. Confidence inside the Mercedes-Benz team is justifiably high and a quick look at the model line-up tells why, kicking off with a group of single-drive models powered by engines from 354hp to 455hp, through to 6x2 and 6x4 prime movers for single trailer work with power ratings from 428 to 510hp. Moving up the scale, dedicated B-double units range from 530hp up to a potent 625hp, while at the top of the tree are specialist road-train and heavy-duty models with outputs of 578 or 625hp to cope with gross combination mass ratings from 106 to 160 tonnes. Powering the range are four new six-cylinder engines, from the 7.7-litre OM936, the sprightly 10.7-litre OM470, the hugely versatile OM471 at 12.8 litres, and the gutsy OM473 at 15.6 litres. Even at a casual glance, Mercedes-Benz appears to have covered all bases with a broad power offering ideally suited to a wide cross-section of applications and configurations. There is, it seems, something for everyone and in all cases the engines drive through super-smooth PowerShift automated transmissions in eight, 12 and 16-speed versions, depending on the model of course. There are four cabs in the range, each designed to suit the various roles of the different models. The tallest and widest of them all is what Mercedes-Benz calls the L-cab StreamSpace measuring 2.5 metres wide and almost four metres high with a roof-mounted air deflector. We’ve actually slept in this, the biggest of the Benz bunks, and can vouch for Mercedes-Benz’s claim that it has the best sleeper of all the European cab-overs currently on the market. Still, not all jobs require such a big cab and again as we found on a recent road test of a short-haul specialist called the 2643, the narrower 2.3-metre wide structure still provides ample space for a multitude of roles requiring either a slimline or sleeper cab. Mercedes-Benz executives know there’s a lot at stake with these new trucks and more importantly, know this new line-up has the distinct potential to put the famous three-pointed star squarely back on the map with Australia’s heavy-duty truck buyers. Daimler Trucks will no doubt have plenty to show in Brisbane, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if pride of place goes to this new Benz breed. UD Still in the cab-over class, Volvo Group’s UD will be making its presence felt in no uncertain terms with its new Condor PW24 280 6x4 model. Launched late last year, UD insiders describe the PW as the pointy end of a ‘wave of expansion’ into the heavy-duty sectors on which UD was founded in this country. Joining its 4x2 and 6x2 siblings, the PW is a dedicated tandem-drive rigid model capable of satisfying a wide range of niche applications and in the process, achieving higher sales volumes in the lighter end of the heavy-duty class. Vitally, UD’s local leaders are quick to point out that Japan’s production processes are now far more attuned to the needs of markets such as Australia. Meantime, even a quick glance at the spec sheet suggests the PW is both a smart and surprisingly simple design, backed by the brand’s solid reputation for durability. It all starts with two wheelbase lengths – 5.3 and 6.71 metres – built on a reinforced chassis to support a gross vehicle mass of 23.5 tonnes and gross combination mass of 28 tonnes. And it won’t be too much of a surprise if UD uses the Brisbane show to reveal a version with a 32-tonne gross combination rating for relatively light-duty truck and trailer combinations. Providing the power is UD’s well-proven, turbocharged and intercooled GH 7.7-litre engine, using high-pressure common-rail fuel injection to dispense peak outputs of 206kW (280hp) at 2500rpm and 883Nm (651lb ft) of torque at 1400rpm. In a wise move given the model’s target markets in metro areas, the only transmission offering is Allison’s exceptional 3500 series six-speed automatic. The Allison feeds into a Meritor drive tandem equipped with power divider and diff lock operating on the forward drive axle. One of few variations in an otherwise straightforward driveline specification is the rear suspension where the shorter of the two wheelbase spreads uses UD’s well-mannered six-rod mechanical suspension while the longer version has Hendrickson’s HAS460 airbag layout. Our tests have shown that UD’s new PW is thrifty on fuel and is an uncomplicated, comfortable and extremely smooth model in metro roles. Still, the PW 24 280 may not be UD’s only new model on show in Brisbane. There’s the distinct possibility of a significantly updated version of UD’s flagship Quon also appearing at Australia’s premier truck show. The current 420hp Quon is widely acknowledged as the best Japanese prime mover in the market for single trailer work but if rumours are right, Brisbane will see the model’s Volvo-derived GH11 engine boosted to a new peak of 460hp. HINO Also from the land of the Rising Sun comes a bold new line-up of models from Japanese powerhouse Hino. It’s only a few months since the covers came off this vastly rejuvenated range of Hino 500-series wide cab models and executives at Hino Motor Sales Australia make no secret of the company’s competitive need for trucks of this calibre. Needless to say, the new models will be front and centre on the Hino stand in Brisbane. Hino admits it’s been a long time coming but the wait has brought a brace of new and highly functional features which include enhanced eight- and nine-litre engines, expanded manual and automatic transmission options, numerous drivetrain developments, and safety advances headed by the standard fitment of a Wabco vehicle stability control (VSC) system in all models. In fact, the standard inclusion of VSC across the new range is an "Australian-first" for trucks in this class, according to Hino product strategy manager, Daniel Petrovski. Available in two- and three-axle configurations, the new trucks offer gross vehicle mass (GVM) ranging from 16 to 18 and 26 tonnes, and gross combination mass (GCM) ratings from 32 to 45 tonnes. "These trucks are a game-changer for us," says Steve Lotter, Hino Motor Sales Australia chairman and chief executive officer. The new trucks are easily distinguished from the previous wide cab models with the most notable external change being a bold, dark grille. However, it’s underneath where the greatest changes have been made, led by further development of Hino’s 7.7-litre J08E engine and its 8.9-litre stablemate, the A09C. In the case of the six-cylinder J08E, maximum governed engine speed and compression ratio have been raised to deliver peak outputs of 206kW (280hp) at 2500rpm and top torque of 883Nm (651lbft) at 1500rpm. Depending on the model, transmission choices are an Allison six-speed auto, Hino six-speed manual or an Eaton nine-speed direct-drive manual. As for the A09C, also a six-cylinder layout, Hino says there’s a new turbocharger, revised water pump and cooling fan, and a swap from Bosch to Denso common-rail fuel injection. This engine offers two performance ratings starting with 235kW (320hp) and 1275Nm (940lbft) coupled to an Allison automatic transmission, and a lively 257kW (350hp) unit supported by a potent 1422Nm (1049lbft) of torque stirring through a Hino nine-speed overdrive synchromesh transmission. Critically, says Hino, both engines greatly benefit from the adoption of an SCR emissions system instead of the previous EGR and diesel particulate filter combination to achieve Euro 5 emissions compliance. INTERNATIONAL Then there’s International, the iconic brand that stirred so much excitement and interest at the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show, even picking up the Truck of the Show Award with the sleek ProStar. The excitement, of course, was all about the pending return of International to the Australian market and after a protracted process, Iveco has now gained distribution rights for the brand in Australia and will again be a prominent part of the Brisbane show. The obvious spearhead of International’s return is the versatile ProStar, a truck with considerable potential for a wide range of roles in both sleeper and slimline configurations. ProStar is powered by the market-leading Cummins ISXe5 engine with ratings from 475 to 550hp and up to 1850lbft of torque, feeding into an industry-standard Eaton 18-speed overdrive transmission available in manual or automated UltraShift-Plus form. The foundation of ProStar is a strong yet light-weight chassis frame with Meritor axles fitted front and rear. At the rear is the popular RT46-160GP drive tandem rated at 20,900kg (46,000lb) and equipped with power divider, cross diff locks on front and rear drive axles, and the choice of alloy or steel hubs. Ride quality is virtually assured with a front axle riding on taper-leaf parabolic spring packs and a drive tandem mounted on Hendrickson’s durable Primaax-EX air suspension. With a standard gross combination mass (GCM) rating of 90 tonnes, ProStar will be aimed at everything from truck-and-dog combinations to local and regional distribution in single trailer or B-double configurations, as well as line-haul duties in single, B-double and road-train doubles roles. Critically, the bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) dimension is just 2845mm, or 112 inches, in non-sleeper day cab form. There are, however, also two sleeper cab variants; an integrated extended cab and a plush 40-inch (1016 mm) high-rise sleeper. Roof and side fairings are optionally available on all models. Stopping power comes from a dual circuit S-cam braking system featuring ABS anti-lock, automatic traction control and air dryer as standard equipment. Twin polished aluminium fuel tanks in capacities of 680 and 980 litres are accompanied by a 90-litre AdBlue tank sited behind the left-hand side fuel tank. Mounted on a three-point suspension layout, ProStar’s cab comes with an established reputation for aerodynamic efficiency due to a patented roof design, curved single-piece windscreen matched to a rounded sloping hood, and a sealed seam between the lower front edge of the hood and bumper. Vitally, in the two years since its appearance at the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show, ProStar has undergone significant testing and from all appearances will provide a solid start to this latest chapter in the annals of International trucks in this country. Specifications: KENWORTH Model: T610 Engine: Cummins X15 Euro V (standard) with Advanced Dynamic Efficient Powertrain Technology (ADEPT) Performance: 485hp (363kW), 1650 lb-ft (2237Nm) Transmission: Eaton RTLO16918B (manual); Ultrashift (automatic option) Suspension: Airglide 400 Brakes and safety: Drums (discs optional), electronic brake safety systems, antilock braking system, automatic traction control, drag torque control DAF Model: CF85 Engine: Paccar 12.9-litre MX Performance: 510hp (375kW), 1850lbft (2500Nm) Transmission: 16-speed ZF AS-Tronic automated transmission (standard); Eaton RTLO-20918 18-speed overdrive manual (optional) MERCEDES-BENZ Model: 2658 Engine: 15.6-litre Mercedes-Benz OM473 Performance: 578hp (425 kW), 2065 lb-ft (2800 Nm) Transmission: 12-speed Mercedes-Benz G281 PowerShift automated Rear axles: Hypoid drive tandem Brakes: Disc brakes on all wheels. ABS anti-lock and ASR skid control. Fuel capacity: 1050 litres diesel, 110 litres AdBlue GCM: 90 tonnes UD Model: PW 24 280 6x4 Engine: GH7 7.0-litre overhead cam in-line 6-cylinder Performance: 280hp (206Kw); 651lb-ft (883Nm) Transmission: Allison fully automatic 3500 series 6-speed Rear Axle: Meritor MT 44-144GP tandem drive Suspension: Front – Three-leaf taper leaf; Rear – P wheelbase: UD multi-leaf six-rod. W wheelbase: Hendrickson HAS 460 airbag Wheelbase: 5300mm P version; 6710mm W version. Weights: Gross vehicle mass 23,500kg; gross combination mass 28,000kg HINO FG 1628 4x2: 280hp; six-speed manual or six-speed Allison auto; GVM 16 tonnes; GCM 32 tonnes FL 2628 6x2: 280hp; six-speed Allison auto; GVM 26 tonnes; GCM 38 tonnes FM 2628 6x4: 280hp; Eaton nine-speed manual or six-speed Allison auto; GVM 26 tonnes; GCM 33 tonnes (auto), 38 tonnes (manual) FM 2632 6x4: 320hp; six-speed Allison auto; GVM 26 tonnes; GCM 36.5 tonnes FM 2635 6x4: 350hp; Hino nine-speed manual; GVM 26 tonnes; GCM 45 tonnes GH 1828 4x2: 280hp; Eaton nine-speed manual or six-speed Allison auto; GVM 16 tonnes (std), 18 tonnes (opt); GCM 38 tonnes. GH 1832 4x2: 320hp; six-speed Allison auto; GVM 16 tonnes (std), 18 tonnes (opt); GCM 38 tonnes GH 1835 4x2: 350hp; Hino nine-speed manual; GVM 16 tonnes (std), 18 tonnes (opt); GCM 38 tonnes. Click here to find out more about the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show. Photo gallery - https://www.tradetrucks.com.au/product-news/1704/australias-top-trucks-on-display-in-brisbane

Steve Brooks, Trade Trucks AU / April 6, 2017 DAF displayed the smooth, quiet manners you’d expect for a European truck and showed ample determination on the couple of pinches around the Mt Cotton circuit With European trucks it’s quite often the next rung down the ladder from the flagship where you’ll find the sweetest spot in the model line-up. Less sheet metal and big horsepower makes for a nimble around town and regional hauler that makes ergonomic sense in multi-drop roles. And B-double capability is also a plus. The DAF CF85 is one of these vehicles, away from the towering XF105 cab at the top of the range. The CF represents performance and versatility in a number of roles. It stood out like a cowboy in clogs but Paccar Australia had good reason to take a DAF CF85 model to Mt Cotton recently for test-drives alongside its new Kenworth T610. The CF85 is justifiably regarded by some Paccar people as the most appealing model in the DAF range and more to the point perhaps, the model with the greatest potential to deliver the company’s long-held hope of the Dutch truck climbing to a higher rung on Australia’s heavy-duty sales ladder. DAF is, after all, a major player on the European truck scene and widely acknowledged as one of the most fuel-efficient trucks in the business. Still, the Australian market is proving a hard nut to crack with DAF recording 2.9 percent of the heavy-duty sector in 2016 on the delivery of 285 units. In the medium-duty class it notched 34 sales. Yet there is a new emphasis and effort to do better and adding significantly more sting to the CF85’s appeal is the recent introduction of a 510hp version of the 12.9-litre MX engine. It is, of course, much the same engine used in Kenworth’s T409 range but until now peak outputs in the CF85 were limited to 460hp and 1700lb-ft of torque. However, the engine known as the MX 375 delivers 510hp (375kW) from 1500 to 1900rpm and a much healthier torque peak of 1850lb-ft (2500 Nm) between 1000 and 1410rpm. Coupled to the engine is the 16-speed version of ZF’s AS-Tronic automated transmission; while on the options list is Eaton’s RTLO-20918 18-speed overdrive manual. On the test track, towing a flat-top trailer loaded with concrete blocks, the DAF displayed the smooth, quiet manners you’d expect for a European truck and showed ample determination on the couple of pinches around the Mt Cotton circuit. But for a more ‘real world’ assessment, we’ve just taken the 510hp CF85 on a 600-kilometre run through Victoria’s Yarra Valley and north through the foothills of the Victorian Alps. The DAF brand is high on the shopping list of European operators, especially in the UK where it’s a perennial sales leader. We wanted to know what the attraction was. As a regional hauler amongst the vineyards and produce crops we wanted to see just how well this revitalised Dutchman coped with the ups and downs of country work. The CF85-510 may just be the ticket for those wanting a versatile prime mover that hides a horsepower bite under its conservative continental cab. .

Hino to unveil new model at Brisbane Truck Show Prime Mover Magazine / April 5, 2017 Hino Motor Sales Australia will showcase a larger stand and a brand new truck model at the 2017 edition of the Brisbane Truck Show. “The Brisbane Truck Show is the perfect place for Hino to reveal this new vehicle – it is one that our customers have been demanding for a long time,” said Hino National Marketing Manager, Sarah Rosales. “Last month, we launched the 500 Series Wide Cab to excellent reviews from the trucking media and strong feedback from customers– the Brisbane Truck Show will be the first public display of the range.” The Japanese truck manufacturer will also be showcasing its Hino Advantage customer care program. “The Hino Advantage suite of business solutions includes the Hino Traq telematics system, which provides real-time vehicle tracking and operational information for drivers and business owners through an online portal,” Rosales added. .

New Scania heavy-duty model to feature at Brisbane Truck Show Prime Mover Magazine / April 5, 2017 In a surprise announcement, Scania has confirmed it will showcase the company’s all-new S 500 model at the Brisbane Truck Show next month. According to Scania Australia, it will be the first time an example of the brand’s new heavy-duty range will be seen in the Southern Hemisphere following the global reveal in Paris last August. Scania also explained that the show vehicle – a UK-spec right-hand drive example in 6x2/2 configuration with a pusher axle with single wheels and rear drive axle with dual wheels – would be “indicative” of the truck that famously won the 1,000-point test in Europe (see video), organised by a number of cooperating European truck publications last November. “We are bringing out for the Brisbane Truck Show an example of the New Truck Generation Scania prime mover that won the 1,000-point test undertaken by a number of highly respected heavy vehicle publications in Europe last year,” said Roger McCarthy, Managing Director of Scania Australia, also hinting at Scania's win of the prestigious International Truck of the Year award at last year's IAA Show in Hanover, Germany. “The Scania S 500 won the recent 1,000-point test beating off three rival Europeans, underlining its strength across many categories under scrutiny, such as high performance, economy, excellent driving characteristics, ease of operation, safety and driver comfort.” He added, “As a result of this impressive vote of confidence in the new all-new Scania, we took the decision to fast-track the delivery of an example of the S 500 to Australia, even though the commercial launch of the New Truck Generation Scania range is still some considerable way off.” According to McCarthy, the Brisbane Truck Show Scania S 500 display vehicle will be brought out specifically for the show and will return to Europe immediately after it concludes. “The truck on display is representative of a specification that could be offered to the Australian market once the New Truck Generation Scania is launched here. “The Brisbane Truck Show will be the only place this vehicle can be inspected … prior to its return to Europe.” .

Big Rigs / April 6, 2017 For more than half a century Hino, albeit a Japanese company whose history stretches as far back as 1942, has been gracing Australian highways. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in Australia at the Brisbane Truck Show two years ago, the company is reaching out to find relics of its presence in the Australian market. As a testament to time and a celebration of its anniversary on Australian shores, the brand has begun a search Australia's oldest Hino. Whether, like the ship of Thesus your vehicle has been replaced bit by bit, or you've kept your girl good as new, Hino would like to hear about it. Rummaging through back sheds and yards nationwide, the company hopes to locate the nation's most elderly heritage Hino within the next few months. Like a hunt for a missing piece of family history, we want to showcase how this piece of machinery has been part of yours and most likely another generations life. "The 500 Series has a long and proud history in Australia, as does Hino which celebrated 50 years of vehicles sales in Australia in 2015,” national marketing manager Sarah Rosales said. "Durability is one of the key brand attributes we build our trucks with, with this in mind, we'd love to hear stories about the oldest and most durable 500 Series still on the road today to celebrate the recent launch of the all-new 500 Series Wide Cab.” As part of their reach out to long standing customers the company is asking owners who think they may be in possession of the oldest to share their story online. One entrant, Nathan Wright said his 1978, four speed manual Hino truck with an exhaust break is still an easy and enjoyable drive, even after racking up more than 400,000km on the clock. "She has been in the family since new,” Nathan said. "It's been used for everything with its long tray (24ft), carting grain with a side delivery bin, grouper truck at sowing time, firefighter in the summer and also carting stock and moving hay bales. "I've grown up with her, plenty of years left in the old Hino yet.” You don't just have the chance to show off your family's pride and joy, and the vehicle you, like many country kids, may have grown up with. Those that enter also have the chance to win a $100 fuel voucher. And we know there are some old Hinos out there, still carting hay to the shed, perhaps hauling that little old Fergy from one farm to another. Perhaps there are some veterans still with a stock crate taking weaners or pigs to the sale yard. One is being given away each month for three months, running from April, May and June. If you have an old model you'd love to show off, we would love to hear from you. .

Power Torque Magazine / April 2017 Long before Mack trucks sounded like Volvo’s, and black exhaust stacks were more common than Euro 5 badges, the Mack Super-Liner, among others, epitomised the era of “Super Trucks”. Australia was under the leadership of a beer-swilling prime minister in the form of Bob Hawke, and diesel prices were low enough to ignore the cost, and black smoke belching out of the exhaust, in preference for more spritely performance. The year was 1985, and the unmistakeable sound of the air start, waking neighbours for miles, heralded the dawn of a new working day for the Mack Super-Liner. Introduced in 1977 to replace the R-model, the Super-Liner was a development of the “Brockway Superliner”, Brockway being a subsidiary of Mack until its closure in 1977. The Super-Liner production run lasted for fifteen years until it was discontinued in 1989. The Series-11 ran from 1985 to 1989. The current custodians of this fine-looking Mack Super-Liner are Jeffsann Plant Hire operating out of their Agnes Banks yard west of Sydney. Jeffsann Plant Hire was started by Charlie Refalo and his eldest son, Joe. Charlie emigrated from Malta as a young boy and tried his hand at a few different jobs before initiating the beginnings of Jeffsann Plant Hire. Joe’s younger brothers, Laurie and Luke, joined the enterprise in 1988, officially marking the beginnings of Jeffsann Plant Hire. Currently operating a fleet of trucks dominated by the Mack brand, and a wide array of earthmoving equipment, Jeffsann specialises in excavation and demolition work as well as site remediation, asbestos removal, and plant and tipper hire. This is very much a family business and it became very clear upon speaking with Luke and Joe during this photo shoot they are fiercely Mack truck devotees. Sadly, Charlie passed away after a battle with Cancer in 2009 and was posthumously inducted into the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2010. A keen eye will notice the words “Jeff’s Dream” painted on the side of the bonnet. This is a tribute Jeffrey Refalo, another of Charlie’s sons, who, as a kid, dreamed of owning a fleet of Mack trucks. A tragic turn of events in 1978 meant that he never got to realise his dream, a fatal accident whilst riding his bike saw his life cut short at the age of 12. As a fitting tribute, young Jeff’s ambition is proudly reflected on the bonnet of all the Jeffsann Macks. Purchased in 2011, this 1985 Series-1 Mack Super-Liner was originally configured as a body tipper and was operated that way by Jeffsann for approximately four years before being taken off the road for a six-month restoration in 2015. The burble emanating from under the bonnet is unmistakably from a 500 hp E9 Mack V8, although Luke said, “I think it may have originally been a 440 hp, however the 500 hp version is how we purchased it”. Either way, 500 hp was a BIG deal back in 1985. An 18-speed Maxitorque triple countershaft transmission sits behind the engine and the rear end is the bulletproof 44,000 lb camelback set- up. The restoration project was carried out by Ben, Dave, Will and Brad, the mechanics employed in the Jeffsann workshop. With the bin removed, a sleeper added and all the mechanicals refurbished, the paintwork was then completed under the spray gun of Josh Bonichi. In August 2015, after a six-month labour of love, the big Mack lurched into her second life with a trip to Alice Springs for the Road Transport Hall of Fame re-union. As you read this article, I can almost hear you saying, “Ahhh, the good old days,” and “They don’t make them like that anymore.” Maybe that’s just as well, as I think it’s easy to look back at things with rose-coloured glasses and reminisce. While these old rigs certainly have a great deal of character and a ruggedness born of simplicity, modern trucks, from a work space point of view are more efficient and comfortable. And, regardless of how hard I looked, I couldn’t find an acronym anywhere on this truck – no, ABS, EBS, ECU, SCR ATC, ACC or any of the other fancy systems of today. It’s great to see our historical machines being so well preserved by the loyal supporters out there, however camelback springs, solid-mounted cabs, and sliding into a sleeper through an opening the size of a large letterbox, don’t make for a comfortable day. At the time, we didn’t know any better and this was the best of its kind for the day. We didn’t know we were missing out on anything, but one thing is for certain, the driver’s working environment has certainly moved forward in leaps and bounds since 1985. Luke Refalo said, “Old 500 is still working within our operations. Sometimes she works every day, sometimes only a couple of days a week”. The Super-Liner is also a frequent attendee to local truck shows. While her semi-retirement lifestyle is suiting her well, I believe there will be a stall in the Jeffsann stable for this “Old 500” for many years to come. Photo gallery - http://www.powertorque.com.au/classic-custom-old-500/

Iveco Australia Press Release / March 30, 2017 Good things come to those who wait, and in the case of the local truck market those ‘good things’ are the new INTERNATIONAL® ProStar® models specifically developed for Australian buyers. Shortly landing on our shores, the new ProStar® – to be distributed exclusively by Iveco Australia – will be available in day cab, extended cab with a fully ADR-compliant bunk, and integrated full size sleeper cab variants, and in a choice of five wheelbases. The extended cab is ideal for operators who spend occasional time away from home base, while the integrated sleeper cab has been optimised for B-Double operators with full stand-up height as well as an optional roof fairing for superior aerodynamics when used with full height trailers. The ProStar® models benefit from a short bumper to back of cab configuration, making them suitable for a variety of combinations – the day cab will fit in front of virtually any Australian trailer set. The ProStar® is also well suited for truck and dog work, for use as a 34 pallet B-double, 36 pallet B-double and even B-triple and two trailer road train work. To ensure longevity and durability in demanding Australian conditions, the cab is constructed from high strength steel panels, zinc coated on both sides then fully dipped in e-coat primer, while the models also benefit from a high tensile steel chassis with 9.5mm thick side members and Huck-bolted cross members. Cabin and chassis are integrated via a three-point cab suspension system providing for a comfortable ride with reduced noise, vibration and harshness. All vehicles will be powered by the latest E5 Cummins X15 SCR engine producing 550 horsepower (410 kW) and 1850 lb. ft. (2,508 Nm) of torque. The engine, an evolution of the X15e5, is well proven in the local market and has been extensively tested here by INTERNATIONAL® in conjunction with Cummins. This power plant has a number of innovative features to help reduce fuel consumption and also features high pressure injection and Cummins’ unique CES (Cummins Emissions Solutions) system to comfortably meet Euro5 emissions requirements. Cooling for the models is taken care of via a high quality ‘Over and Under’ system with CAC above radiator and Horton Drivemaster air operated two-speed fan drive, ensuring optimum performance in hot Australian conditions. Coupled to the engine is a choice of either an Eaton 18-speed manual which features an effort-reducing air over hydraulic clutch providing excellent feel while reducing fatigue. A clever Eaton ‘UltraShift Plus’ 18-speed automated manual option is also available, providing drivers with an even more relaxed driving experience. Power to the rear Meritor tandem axles is via a Dana SPL driveshaft and traction is aided by power divider lock and cross locks on both rear drive axles. Up front, the models use Meritor MFS axles with aluminium alloy hubs for reduced tare weight while suspension is 3-leaf parabolic taperleaf with 6,500 kg capacity. Rear suspension comes courtesy of a Hendrickson Primaax-EX Air Tandem set-up with 20,900 kg capacity. On the safety front, The ProStar® features ABS brakes with Automatic Traction Control; trucks specified with the UltraShift Plus transmission are also equipped with Hill Start Aid. All models come standard with a park brake warning alarm that sounds if the key is off and the driver’s door is opened without the park brake being applied. The trucks are equipped with dual, polished aluminium fuel tanks with 720L total volume – alternative fuel tanks options are available to meet specific applications. The AdBlue tank is 90 litres. The models of course feature front under-run protection and the cabins’ short swooping hood and wrap around windscreen greatly assists visibility. The vehicles also feature superior L.E.D headlamps with integrated daytime running lamps for added visibility during day or night. Access to the ProStar® cabin is easy, the door openings are deliberately limited to 60°, this allows worry-free ingress and egress from the cabin in tight loading bays or at truck stops. The doors are also designed to take the full weight of the driver and passenger and can be leaned on during ingress and egress. Inside the cabin, INTERNATIONAL® engineers have concentrated on delivering a working environment that delivers high functionality and ergonomic design. The cabin provides an optimum balance of size (width of 82” / 2085 mm) with a roomy interior while still feeling manoeuvrable behind the wheel. Both driver and passenger receive leather, air-suspended seats while the curved dashboard with wing panel and instrument cluster feature an ‘automotive-look’ – most switches and controls are located within easy reach for the driver. Overhead there is a console with storage space while day and extended cabs also boast extensive under-bunk storage with both internal and external access. For tech-savvy operators, the ProStar’s standard audio system can be upgraded with an optional 6.1” touch screen multimedia system with navigation. Iveco Australia and INTERNATIONAL® believe that there has been a niche in the Australian truck market for a vehicle such as the ProStar® for some time, paving the way for collaboration between the two brands. INTERNATIONAL® Engineering Manager, Adrian Wright, says the ProStar® will hit the mark. “The ProStar® offers a tried and proven formula that has been missing here for several years,” Mr Wright said. “It’s an innovative and efficient truck in many ways but also has very solid and proven fundamentals that will appeal to local operators. “The trucks have a proven drivetrain package and strong underpinnings to handle Australia’s tough geographic and climatic conditions. The commonality and widespread availability of its drivetrain componentry allows for easy serviceability and maintenance leading to reduced operating costs. “When combined with the latest engine technology from Cummins and class-leading aerodynamics, you get the best of both worlds. “Australians remain passionate about the INTERNATIONAL® brand at what it stands for: an efficient, tough, no-nonsense brand that gets the job done without fanfare – the new ProStar® will not let them down.” The distribution arrangement between Iveco and INTERNATIONAL® also sees a return of the brand to its spiritual Australian home. The base for Iveco’s Australian operations since 1992 including its locally-assembled and manufactured models, the Dandenong, Melbourne facility was used by then International Harvester and later INTERNATIONAL® Trucks since the early 1950s with tens of thousands of INTERNATIONAL® trucks rolling off the production lines there over the decades. .

Kenworth T610 Test Drive TruckTVAustralia / March 30, 2017

FYI, here's a link back to the coolant story.....................https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/47464-ford-market-news/#comment-365920

Compared with the same quantity of peanut butter, the team found that Marmite had around 116 times more vitamin B12, three times more vitamin B6, and nearly twice as much glutamate as peanut butter. No matter whether you go with Australian (ex-Kraft) Vegemite, New Zealand Sanitarium brand Marmite or UK market Unilever brand Marmite, you're living a healthy (and tasty) life.

Fleet Magazine UK / March 16, 2017 The Volvo FH and Volvo FH16 are now available in an exclusive new version inspired by the Volvo Ocean Race, which gets under way this autumn. The Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition 2017–2018 combines an exceptionally high equipment and comfort level with a unique design and will only be sold in very limited numbers. Customers who wish to enhance safety and performance still further can choose between various optional packages. “Adventure, competitive instinct and progressiveness … the Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition 2017-2018 is characterised by all the values that embody the race itself. We’ve created a truck with an expression all of its own, for drivers who are proud of their profession and their vehicles and who want the best of the very best,” says Helene Fredäng, Surface Material Expert at Volvo Trucks. Volvo’s designers based the truck’s design language on the Volvo Ocean Race route, expressed through maritime maps and patterns. The start and finish ports – Alicante and The Hague – have provided the inspiration for the colour schemes both inside and out. Powerful Exterior On the outside the truck’s connection to the Volvo Ocean Race is emphasised through the use of an expressive décor in which a red zig-zag pattern contrasts with eye-catching highlights in chrome and black. The Volvo Ocean Race name is clearly displayed both in the Globetrotter sign and on an emblem on the cab sides. As a complement to the other cab colours in the Volvo range, two exclusive metallic liveries are offered – a warm sand-coloured Shimmering Gold and an ice-blue Cool Breeze Metallic. Warm Interior The cohesive colour and design cues are echoed in the cosy driver environment, which combines premium comfort with high-quality materials and immense attention to detail. The entry step, grab-handles, door panels, carpets, steering wheel, storage compartments and textiles have all been designed to link to the sea and sailing. For instance, the ventilated driver’s seat is upholstered in sand-coloured natural leather with blue accents and discreet red zig-zag stitching. The seat backrest features a map showing the start and finish ports for this year’s Volvo Ocean Race. The same stylised map pattern is repeated on the close-weave drapes, and the curtain straps echo the zig-zag stitched seam. The Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition 2017-2018 is available with a choice of two optional packages. The Performance package allows Volvo FH customers the opportunity to specify a more powerful 13-litre engine producing 500 hp or 540 hp, Volvo I-Shift with Dual Clutch and retarder. The Safety package, which is available for both the Volvo FH and the Volvo FH16, includes features such as burglar alarm, lockable safety box, Lane Change Support, Driver Alert Support and Adaptive Cruise Control. “The Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition 2017-2018 is a premium offer through and through, not least as regards safety. With our comprehensive safety package we make it attractive and simple to maximise security and road safety for drivers, cargo and other road users,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic & Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks. The Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition 2017-2018 will be built in small numbers for a limited period. Sales will begin in mid-March (week 11). The Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition 2017-2018 is available for the: Volvo FH with Globetrotter or Globetrotter XL cab and is offered with a wide range of engine power outputs. Volvo FH16 with Globetrotter or Globetrotter XL cab and a wide range of engine power outputs. Options Safety package: Driver’s airbag, Lane Change Support, Driver Alert Support, Adaptive Cruise Control with automatic braking, burglar alarm, safety box, laminated side windows, remote-controlled main power switch, red safety belts. Performance package (Volvo FH only): Volvo D13 engine producing 500 hp or 540hp, Volvo I-Shift with Dual Clutch and retarder. More information about the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018 sailing competition is available from volvooceanrace.com Brochure - http://www.volvotrucks.com/trucks/norway-market/no-no/Documents/Trucks/VTC_VOR_A4_Folder_6pp_web.pdf .

Keith Goble, Land Line (OOIDA) / April 5, 2017 A long-awaited deal to fund transportation work in California is nearing reality. Gov. Jerry Brown and leading Democrats have unveiled a transportation funding plan to raise $5.2 billion annually over the next decade for state and local roads, trade corridors, and public transit. Professional drivers are eyed as major contributors for the funding plan. “California has a massive backlog of broken infrastructure that has been neglected far too long,” Brown said in prepared remarks. “Fixing the roads will not get cheaper by waiting – or ignoring the problem.” Sen Jim Beall, D-San Jose, said his bill would split $30 billion equally between state and local needs. The funding package includes a mix of higher taxes and fees is described as a “first step” toward making roadways safer and providing a boost to the state’s economy. SB1 awaits a final Senate floor vote before it advances to the Assembly. Changes called for by the governor and Democrats in both chambers would raise nearly $3.8 billion annually mostly via increases in the gas and diesel tax rates. The Democratic governor’s administration says the plan is guided by the principles set forth by Ronald Reagan. The Republican president increased the federal fuel tax in 1982. The state’s current tax rates are about 38 cents per gallon, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The excise components making up the tax rates are 27.8 cents for gas and 16 cents for diesel. Beall’s bill would increase the excise rate on gas by 12 cents to raise $24.4 billion. The increase would be phased-in over three years. The tax would be raised by 6 cents the first year, and another 3 cents each of the next two years. Not to be outdone, the excise rate on diesel would be increased by 20 cents to raise $7.3 billion. The money would be designated for freight, trade corridors and goods movement. In exchange for collecting more in excise taxes, California’s current collection method for fuel taxes would be abandoned. No longer would the state Board of Equalization annually adjust the fuel tax rates. Instead, price-based tax rates would be restored. In addition, the 1.75 percent sales tax applied to diesel purchases would be increased by 4 percent to 5.75 percent. The increase is estimated to raise $3.5 billion. Revenue from the diesel sales tax increase, however, would not directly benefit trucking. The money would be deposited into an account for transit and intercity rail projects. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports efforts to raise revenue for transportation work in the state. However, the group opposes any plan that calls for truckers to foot more of the responsibility to help bail the state out of its funding hole. Additional components in the funding plan would increase annual vehicle registration fees up to $175 and apply an annual $100 fee for zero-emission vehicles. The fees would raise $1.3 billion. All tax and fee rates would be indexed to inflation to allow for increases in future years. Beall says all new revenues will provide a significant benefit for business in the state. “Businesses will benefit from improved transportation corridors that will cut down their shipping costs and bring more Pacific Rim tonnage through California ports, making them indispensable in a highly competitive race with Pacific Northwest ports.” Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, said legislators cannot afford to keep kicking the can down the road. “Californians are tired of the constant traffic jams and crumbling roads, and they expect us to find solutions,” de Leon stated. Another provision in the bill would exempt certain trucks from the recent Air Resources Board decision to strengthen rules on indirect emission sources. Critics say that exempting trucks from clean air rules has no place in a package to fix roads and improve transit. Also included in the bill is reference to SCA2 – a constitutional amendment to be included on the 2018 ballot for voters to ensure all revenue is spent for transportation purposes. SB1 is expected to be approved at the statehouse by Thursday, April 6 – when the Legislature’s spring break begins. To view other legislative activities of interest for California, click here.

Top U.S. general: ‘no defense’ against Russian cruise missiles Defense News / April 5, 2017 U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, told lawmakers that the U.S. and its allies have “no defense” against recently deployed Russian cruise missiles, according to AFP. During a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hyten raised concerns over ground-launched cruise missiles positioned by Moscow. The missiles have been deployed in the Volgograd region as well as a second, unidentified site, according to the New York Times. "We have no defense for it, especially in defense of our European allies," said Hyten. "That system can range and threaten most of the continent of Europe depending on where it is deployed. ... It is a concern and we're going to have to figure out how to deal with it as a nation," he added. The ground-launch missiles deployed were considered a violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by the Obama administration when the missiles were tested in 2014. The 1987 treaty bans land-based intermediate-range missiles. Russian officials have claimed they are not in violation of the treaty, blaming instead the United States for non-compliance. Hyten did highlight that Russia is cooperating with another treaty known as New START. That pact requires Russia and America to reduce the number of deployed warheads to 1,550 by February 2018. Hyten also raised concerns over Russia's overall modernization efforts of its nuclear arsenal. He additionally warned of growing threats to American military and intelligence satellites, citing Russian and Chinese efforts to target U.S. spacecraft in the event of armed conflict.

Fleet Owner / April 5, 2017 Truckers took advantage of a wide-ranging Senate hearing Tuesday to push for sustainable, user-fee based highway funding, federal support of advanced truck safety systems, free trade, and tax relief—topics that found a sympathetic audience in the Republican-led Commerce subcommittee on surface transportation. Some members, however, did express safety and modal competitiveness concerns regarding a renewed call for twin 33-ft. trailers and the development of autonomous truck technology. In his opening remarks for the hearing on multimodal freight policy, Werner Enterprises Chairman Derek Leathers called for federal support for “a safe, uncongested, and reliable highway system,” with an investment focus on freight bottlenecks, as he emphasized the importance of trucking to the nation’s continued economic growth. “The additional freight demand, combined with increased congestion, insufficient parking, and a patchwork of state regulations only add needless stress to our driver workforce and distract from the focus on safely and efficiently delivering our nation’s goods,” Leathers said. While trucking supports “a variety of revenue sources to avoid over-reliance on a single option,” Leathers cautioned that higher user fees must be dedicated to programs that benefit freight movement on the highways. He said that increasing and indexing the federal fuel tax is the most efficient revenue source. He also asked for help in solving a driver shortage for an industry that will need to hire 890,000 new drivers over the next decade. “The industry and Congress need to collaborate to find workable solutions,” he said. His formal testimony offered specific recommendations: decrease significant CDL skills testing delays and wait times provide additional federal funds for driver training programs and removing barriers to students seeking federal aid to attend truck driving schools direct the Department of Labor to establish truck driving as a national in-demand occupation, which would free up resources devoted to filling vacant truck driving jobs implement the Entry-Level Driver Training rule; and require DOT to conduct a comprehensive study of efforts to streamline the licensing requirements between DOT and the Department of Defense. He also credited the regulatory reforms included in the FAST Act—a push led by Subcommittee Chairman Deb Fischer (R.-NE)—for “improving coordination” between government and business. FedEx Freight President and CEO Michael L. Ducker likewise emphasized the importance of funding an improved highway system, with sources to include an increased fuel tax, a vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) fee, and congestion pricing. He also pointed to the importance of innovation, citing emerging technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications and autonomous vehicles, and said FedEx supports national uniformity in “reasonable and flexible guidelines.” In terms of modernization, he called on Congress to review trucking equipment standards that haven’t been changed in more than 25 years. Specifically, FedEx “strongly supports” increasing twin trailer limits from 28 feet to 33 feet “with no, repeat, no change in the federal weight limit.” “The highway networks are being overwhelmed with e-commerce,” Ducker said. “Twin-33 ft. trailers will make more efficient use of our existing infrastructure because it takes fewer trucks to haul the same amount of freight. Twin-33s are currently allowed in 20 states, and we have been operating them for many years without a single accident. They are safer than the current twin-28s. When widely adopted, twin-33s will improve safety, reduce congestion, reduce wear and tear on highways and bridges, increase productivity, save millions of gallons of fuel, and reduce billions of pounds of carbon emissions. That solution will result in near-instant infrastructure benefits with zero federal funding required. It’s a common sense policy solution.” Railroads take exception But Sen. Roger Wicker (R.-MS) noted that he’s “taken a strong position” against “forcing” twin-33s on the remaining 30 states, citing the “huge safety concerns” brought to him by various interest groups. And he asked Union Pacific Chairman, President and CEO Lance Fritz if the adoption of the longer standard would “tilt the playing field” and negatively impact the railroads. “Our historic position has been one where we’ve not taken a position,” Fritz said, but he added that the rail industry is currently evaluating the issue. Wicker then pointed out that “a number of entities” have reevaluated their positions on twin-33s, including the American Trucking Assns., which has backed away from its previous lobbying effort in support. Modal competition also came up with regard to autonomous vehicle technology, as Fritz explained that the Federal Railroad Administration is developing a rule to require two people in the cab of a locomotive as the trucking representatives on the panel are calling for support of autonomous technology. “It strikes me as extremely ironic that our federal safety regulator would mandate staying frozen in time for the railroads versus actively supporting our competitive mode in pursuing autonomous vehicles,” Fritz said. “Let technology take us where technology is going to take us.” Asked specifically by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D.-CT)—who expressed “severe apprehension” about the idea—for a timeline on driverless trucks, both the Werner and the FedEx representatives estimated that the time will be later rather than sooner. “Obviously, the technology is evolving very rapidly. What we like about it is we get the safety benefits in the short term,” Leathers said. “But I think we are a long, long way away from true driverless trucks going down America’s roadways and hauling 80,000 pounds without a driver in the cab. Planes have been able to take off and land for a long time, but none of us got here today in a pilotless plane. These professional men and women [truck drivers] do many other tasks other than just driving. The anticipation and professionalism they bring to the job can’t be underestimated.” Leathers went on to say that even estimates of 5-10 years for exit-to-exit self-driving trucks “may prove to be optimistic.” Ducker agreed with Leathers on the need to embrace the technology, and noted that FedEx planes still have pilots. “Total autonomy is years and years away,” he said. Union Pacific’s Fritz added that self-driving highway technology requires “well defined lanes and lots of communications infrastructure,” and that much of the highway system today is not up to the standards required by autonomous vehicles. Asked by Sen. Maggie Hassen (D.-NH) if innovative technologies could help with the driver shortage, Leathers emphasized that the aim is not to replace drivers but to make the job more appealing. “We’re not one that’s proposing that autonomous trucks are going to solve [the driver shortage] problem,” Leathers said. “I do believe that autonomous truck technology solves a different problem, which is it allows the driver to have a better way of life. If we can take the technologies that we’re gaining today—integrated collision mitigation, forward braking, forward cameras, lane departure—we can eliminate or greatly reduce accidents on our nation’s roadways. We want to see a focus on that type of investment, and for that type of investment to be better rewarded.” He added that Werner had invested $980 million in safety technology over the last two years, “because to get the new technology, you need a new truck to go with it—and we’re buying those trucks in great volume to try to ensure a better lifestyle for our drivers.”