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360 Truck / February 21, 2017 Isuzu Motors and its Chongqing (Chungking)-based China partner Qingling Motors have launched the new model VC61 6x4 heavy tractor equipped with a 16-litre (15.681L) powerplant rated at 420 and 460 horsepower. Engine model Horsepower 6WG1-TCN2 420 6WG1-TCG51 460 Note that, like the model VC46, Isuzu is adapting its N-Series light truck cab for this model rather than using the "Giga" cab, presumably to obtain a lower cost point. A 10-liter (9.839L) 4x2 tractor is also now available equipped with the 380 horsepower model 6UZ1-TCG50 engine. .

Many of us are familiar with both the civilian and military Dodge trucks of the past. However one model that is often forgotten is the military issue model T-234. During World War II, the 2-1/2 ton rated Dodge T-234 was used in the India Theatre for the construction of the Ledo Road* (1942-1944), a critical supply route after the Burma Road was cut off by the Japanese. The project was led by U.S. Army General Joeseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell**. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledo_Road ** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stilwell Although built with the standard civilian Dodge cab and hood, the front fenders, grille and axle were different from U.S. models. The T-234 was equipped with large 10.00-20 tires, and had a 170-inch wheelbase. Dodge's 228 cubic inch L-head model T-203 engine, rated at 99 horsepower and 188 lb/ft (255 N.m) of torque, powered early models. Later, the 128 horsepower 331 cubic inch engine was fitted. The T-234 was right-hand drive, as the British were responsible for India and Burma. Related reading - http://imageevent.com/vc40wc41/burmadogetrucks;jsessionid=cywsk4orn1.camel_s?n=0&z=2&c=2&x=1&m=14&w=0&p=0 .

“The government has the ability to repeat and control the commercial airwaves. In a sense, they repeat every so often: terrorism – fear – terrorism – fear. Repeat, repeat, repeat, that works – propaganda.” “What Washington seems to want to do is lock up and only give the leaks they want, the leaks that favor the U.S., like the Panama Papers. They control those leaks, but not the ones that are critical of the government. We're living in a closed news environment. It's an information war in a bad way." Oliver Stone .

Like him or not, Snowden verified that we were not being told anywhere near the truth. Oliver Stone hits the nail on the head at 4:40 .

What did Watt's Mack (provider of the BMT website) say when you called them at 1-888-304-6225 ?

I'd argue this goes back far longer. During the Civil War, WW1, WW2 and Korea, for example, any bad news was suppressed or distorted. If deemed desirable and possible, it was squelched altogether,

Matt Wood, Owner/Driver / February 20, 2017 A little known and quite rare truck in Australia, Matt Wood catches up with an International DCO and an owner with a story to tell. There was a time when 200hp was something to brag about in a truck. It was also a time when sleeper cabs were a luxury in long haul trucking, let alone a prime mover that only had one gear stick. As the old saying went, "if it’s got headlights you don’t need a bunk." Light Heavy Weight The International DCO isn’t exactly an iconic model. It doesn’t feature highly in the soot stained annals of Aussie highway myth and folklore. For a start the fully imported cab-over was only on the market for a couple of short years before the arrival of the more popular cab-over Transtar that replaced it. Yet for a brief time it was regarded as a big highway banger, an All-American lightweight that packed a heavy weight punch. Its moment in the sun earned the Emeryville USA built Inter a few loyal adherents over the years as a new chapter of Australian long haul trucking dawned. That new chapter of big bore trucking was to see a Kenworth factory open locally and European brands like Volvo start to take root. Older readers of now departed Truck and Bus magazine may recall the face of Don McGlinchie. He was often photographed driving the latest and greatest that the industry had to offer as a road test driver for truck reviews. One memorable cover photo from the early 1980’s shows a stern faced Don steering a then brand new International T-Line up Mount Victoria. The same pic also shows our very own mustachioed and rather hirsute Steve Brooks driving the XD Falcon camera car just in front of it. Even today, Brooks still describes Don as arguably the finest driver of a truck he has ever come across and makes no secret of his admiration for the man who was, in so many ways, a greatly respected and trusted mentor. Don has been a loyal proponent of the International brand for most of his career as an owner-driver. And the immaculate International DCO you see gracing these pages was originally bought by Don back in the late 1960s. Mechanical Beginnings Starting out as a mechanic in Sydney’s outer West back in the 1950’s Don was lured into the world of trucking by the promise of big money even if it meant hard graft. A mate by the name of Ken Archer had just bought a truck for brewery work and young Don was earning a little extra on the side helping Ken out with it. Finally Don decided to take the plunge into being an owner-driver, "I thought I could make a dollar, " he recalls. So in 1959 he bought a second hand Ford F600 prime mover. "That truck nearly broke me on the first trip!" Don muses, "I took on a load for Antill Ranger, a load of wool from Lake Station out West of Cunnamulla." The poor old Ford Y block V8 threw a leg out of bed on the trip back to Sydney, the stricken truck was towed to the top of Mount Victoria as Don tried in vain to get an advance on his pay to repair the stricken Ford. The answer was a resounding no, so Don had to handball the load of wool onto a mate’s truck to get it in and to collect his payment. V8 Woes The Ford continued to prove troublesome so, Don bought a new F600 thinking it would be more reliable. It wasn’t. "Why Ford thought that a small block V8 used in a family car would be any good in a truck is beyond me," says Don. A repo Commer Knocker then came Don’s way for the right price, "That was the truck that started to make me some money." The Commer ran mainly Sydney/Perth with a pan full of refrigerators with Don at the wheel. At this stage Don was still using the train from Port Augusta, however once he started making a dollar he upgraded to a 6V53 Detroit powered International R190 before again upgrading to a single drive Mack B61-673T. He then decided to tackle the Nullarbor dirt on a regular basis rather than sit around on the train. The selling point of the International DCO back in the day was it’s relatively big power and light tare weight. All DCO models arrived on the boat from the US as slim line day cabs and most were single drive. Power came via Cummins NT initially at 250 and 280hp, but later turbo engines copped improved piston cooling and could pump out 335hp. The right hand drive configuration for Oz meant that the American front mounted turbocharger had to go so it was relocated to the rear of the engine. Behind the Cummins sat a 12-speed Spicer transmission putting power into Inter diffs. The DCO you see here came Don’s way in 1969, it had been sitting in a Sydney transport yard owned by Phil Murray and it caught Don’s eye. Many Aussie DCOs had been converted to sleeper cabs, usually just a ¾ style add on. This truck however had the full Ansair sleeper treatment. Alterations and Modifications Never one to make do with what he was being presented with, Don set about making the Inter a little more bomb proof to cope with the somewhat optimistic loads that were being slung onto it’s back. The International diffs got the flick in favour of 44,000lb Rockwell SSHDs. And while the Spicer has its fans, Don flicked this in favour of a 15-speed overdrive Roady. "The Spicer just didn’t stand up in the dirt and dust". He also fitted a Ross power steering set up and the Cummins copped a Jake brake for extra braking bite. The hard-working DCO didn’t just run Sydney to Perth either. Don and the Inter also took loads of mining equipment to the Northern Territory and even to Mt Isa in QLD. But time and toil took its toll and by 1974 Don was looking to have a break and the DCO went up for sale. The tough cab-over was then sold to Retriever Towing and subsequently became a regular sight on Sydney’s road network for nearly four decades. Back In The Driver’s Seat After a year off doing odd jobs and moving trucks around, life on the road beckoned to Don again, and in 1976 a new Detroit 892T powered Atkinson soon appeared in the driveway, not long after Don also scored the Truck and Bus test driver gig. The placcy Atki hauled steel out of Clyde Rail and spent years pouring tonnes of steel into Newcastle out of Sydney. Don finally parted with the Atkinson in 1990. He then scored a job as an employee driver hauling a fuel tanker subbied to BP. Over the last 20 years Don has spent his time delivering new trucks all over the country for dealers. Now aged 80 Don still finds time to turn a wheel moving a V8 Supercar display trailer around the countryside. With all that experience behind the wheel under his belt, I just had to ask what his favourite truck was out of the dozens he’s driven over the years. He only thinks for a split-second before replying, "The Transtar 4700 I drove on the fuel job," "It had a Detroit Series 60 in it and would have to be the nicest truck I’ve driven." But in 2012 Don had the chance to be reunited with his old DCO. The International tow truck had been working hard for it’s money but the time had come for it to be retired, "It was working up until the day I bought it," says Don. Mammoth Task The whole rig was backed into Don’s workshop and the mammoth task of returning it to its former glory commenced. Unfortunately like most restos things didn’t go according to plan. Don pulled the cab off and started repairing the numerous cracks and dings in the chassis rails. But it was only after investing hours in the front end that he pulled the wrecker body off the back, "the chassis rails were like swiss cheese, full of cracks, holes and patch up jobs," Don says wearily. Adding to these woes the DCO was on its 3rd or 4th engine as well so a repower was also in order. The rivet counters out there may be a little irked but the DCO scored a new chassis courtesy of a shabby old Kenworth W900. A 14 litre Cummins was also slotted between the rails. This will no doubt annoy the KW fans out there as well! The KW theme continues underneath with Kenworth Airglide suspension ironing out the bumps out back. But clearly Don has always done things his own way and the end result, regardless of rolling component heritage is stunning. I climbed awkwardly into the passenger seat as Don fired up the Cummins BC3 residing under the cab. The big red donk coughed into life and idled away smoothly as we rolled out of the shed. Bobtail Drive In the driver’s seat Don looks as if he’s a part of the DCO, his work hardened hands deftly pluck the gears as we bobtailed through the outer-suburban streets. The interior too has had the McGlinchie treatment. As another former DCO driver from back in the day attests, "There wasn’t much in the cab of those things, they were pretty much just a shed inside." Don has crafted his own wrap around dash that echoes the lines of those found in a 1980’s T-Line or Atkinson. A padded overhead console also provides a place to store knickknacks. The sleeper with it’s upholstered panels also looks cosier than one would expect from a truck that dates back to the mid-1960s. Then it’s my turn to climb behind the wheel. Cab entry and egress must not have been a high priority back in 1965! It’s clear very quickly though, that Don’s resurrection of the International hasn’t just renewed it, the truck has been transformed. With a sweet Holset whistle floating over the Cummins rumble I let the DCO unwind a little. It’s an evocative sound that recalls the 1980’s more than the 1960s. A time of festoon lights, bad hair and chattering AM CB radios. Modern Nostalgia The 15 overdrive is a smooth shifter and the whole truck feels like you could hitch it to a loaded trailer and hit the highway. It feels that solid. The nostalgia trip comes from peering through the split windscreen as the top mounted wipers judder across your field of vision. As the tacho climbs the Cummins let rip with a satisfying bellow, but with no load on there’s no need to push it. Bobtail it’s a relaxed drive. The ride itself is also smoother than anticipated, no doubt this is partly due to the Airglide rear end as well as the G88 Volvo cab suspension that Don has fitted to the back of that smooth American cab. Like so many classic car and hot rod builds this truck reflects the dedication, innovation and workmanship of its owner. Don didn’t build this truck to satisfy historians and purists, he built a truck that reflects him and the long history that he has had with Australian trucking. This International DCO is both an understated worker and a gleaming tribute to the sort of smarts and dedication that can only come from years of hard work and experience. Sidebar-Knights Of The Road Victorian based tanker company Knight’s of Kilmore operated arguably the best-known and certainly largest International DCO fleet in Australia in the late 1960s. Jack and Allen Knight remained loyal International customers for decades. The first DCOs to join the Knights fleet used naturally aspirated 250hp Cummins power and retained the 12-speed Spicer ‘box, later trucks got the turboed 335. These trucks were initially single drive but Knights fitted some with air operated pusher axles to bump up carrying capacity. As one former Knights driver recalls, "They were a very quick truck in their day, but the inside of the cab was all metal, they were bloody cold!" The company fitted two DCOs used for interstate with Recar sleeper cab conversions. These trucks hauled chemicals between Melbourne and Sydney and even marine crude to Whyalla. During the Blowering Dam project near Tumut in NSW, Knight’s trucks were tasked with keeping diesel up to the machinery. "We had to negotiate a dodgy bridge across the river to make the delivery," the former driver recalls, "In winter we’d be towed through the mud up to the tank farm by dozer!" Knight’s stuck with the Spicer transmission in the International, "A couple of us used to carry a bottle of olive oil with us," the driver says, "If we lost our range change we’d pull over and pour a couple of drops of oil into the air cylinder on the top of the gearbox, that’d get you going again!" Photo gallery – https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/industry-news/1702/dons-party-a-dco-to-go

Transport Engineer / February 20, 2017 UK Container Maintenance (UKCM) has taken delivery of another five Volvo FH-460 6x2 tractor units as part of a programme, started in 2014, that will see the company update its entire fleet 100% Volvo fleet. “We invited several manufacturers to show us what they had to offer with regards fuel economy, cost and overall value for money,” says Liz Wolstenholme, operations director at the Northwich-based firm. “Not only did Volvo Trucks tick all the right boxes, but our drivers expressed their preference for Volvo too, telling us that Volvo trucks are the best to drive, the I-Shift transmission is second-to-none, all-round visibility is excellent and that the trucks offer the best overall comfort,” she continues. “Now the programme’s underway we’re extremely happy with our decision.” The new Volvo FH-460 6x2 tractor units were all acquired through Thomas Hardie Commercials, in Middlewich, and were specified with Globetrotter cabs equipped with leather upholstery, double bunks and fridges. “We try to give our drivers their own trucks as they’re on the road for most of the week,” states Wolstenholme. “Spending so many nights away, we specified the trucks to be as comfortable and homely as possible.” The company has also started working five new Lawrence David trailers – three double-deck triaxle curtainsiders with tail lifts, and the other two, single deck curtainsiders with Moffett truck-mounted fork-lifts supplied by Hiab. “We also have three further FH 6x2 tractor units on order for delivery by the summer,” states Wolstenholme. All the new trucks have been supplied on Volvo Gold R&M contracts with Thomas Hardie Commercials. .

Commercial Motor / February 20, 2017 The UK was Scania’s biggest market worldwide in 2016, the first time this country has topped the Swedish truck builder’s sales charts, according to Mathias Carlbaum, Scania’s executive vice president for commercial operations. Briefing journalists ahead of the release of Scania’s 2016 results, Carlbaum said Scania’s sales across Europe were 14% up last year, outperforming the company’s overall sales growth of 6%. The Next Generation R-series and S-series tractor units, launched in August last year, have been well received and are said to be 5% more fuel efficient than the previous generation. Carlbaum said Scania had reduced fuel consumption by 1% every year for the past 20 years, and predicted “it will continue to do so for the next 20 years”. Scania (GB) MD Claes Jacobsson said the company had a “fabulous year” in the UK in 2016 and he was looking forward to an “exciting” 2017. “We will continue the transition towards the Next Generation Scania although we will continue marketing our current range throughout the year,” he said. Andrew Jamieson, Scania (GB) new trucks sales director, said the UK market for trucks over 16-tonnes in 2016 was the second biggest ever behind 2013, pushing 2015 into third place in terms of sales volumes. According to SMMT data, sales of rigid trucks over 16-tonnes were up 14.5% last year while sales of tractor units fell 7.5%. This means a total of 36,358 trucks over 16-tonnes were registered in 2016. “That was way better than we expected,” said Jamieson. “Scania took 20% of the market in 2016, registering a record 7,283 vehicles, and is market leader in 3-axle tractors and the construction sector. "We are still seeing a very strong market - our December order intake was exceptional and January too has been beyond expectations.” This was achieved largely with the current generation of vehicles, as availability of Next Generation trucks is still low and although over 500 have been ordered, only 26 are on the road with UK fleets. “We have a long way to go with further new products to be added to the range, and it will be an interesting period for us,” Jamieson said. “There will be plenty of new opportunities too as our philosophy of working closer with the customer to tailor solutions creates benefits in total operating economy.” .

AM General To Serve Up Trucks A La Carte Defense News / February 20, 2017 AM General premiered a truck concept at a Middle Eastern defense exhibition this week that it never plans to sell. But that’s because the company wants to sell trucks to countries around the world based on individual requirements, essentially trucks that have yet to be dreamt up, Nguyen Trinh told Defense News at Abu Dhabi’s International Defense Exhibition. The company doesn’t just want to build it, sell it and walk away, but to establish manufacturing, supply chains and life-cycle logistics in country. The Multi-Purpose Truck (MPT) concept starts with a military-grade rolling chassis taken from technology used in 300,000 AM General Humvees sold to 60 countries around the world. And because it's a commercial chassis, the company can circumvent the arduous and lengthy foreign military sales process normally used to sell U.S. military equipment to the rest of the world. Then a country can design an entire truck around the chassis. The company’s slogan for the new concept is “Your Country. Your Truck,” which speaks to the idea that AM General wants to move away from being a truck manufacturer to “a global vehicle solutions provider,” Trinh said. Less than two years ago, when AM General lost its bid in the U.S. Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle competition to Oshkosh, it didn’t protest the decision like Lockheed Martin. Instead, AM General said such a protest would be a distraction from its current growth business areas, “including meeting the significant and future needs of our customers in the United States and around the world.” Turning straight back to the global market with JLTV lessons-learned in tow, AM General said it developed the concept by talking to customers abroad. “A couple of things that resonated with the majority of the customers,” Trinh said, “number one, everyone wants to buy U.S. made products,” which poses export challenges. So AM General decided it could sell its commercially available light tactical vehicle chassis and design and build from there. And “number two, industrialization and local content is really becoming more important, especially here in the Middle East,” Trinh said. On Monday at IDEX, U.S. commercial sales officers working in various Middle Eastern countries stressed the importance of building their own domestic manufacturing and technology development, not just performing final assembly work for equipment purchased abroad. AM General found countries desired “cutting edge technology and building up their industrial base,” Trinh said. The strategy is for AM General to sell the chassis and then help countries design a new vehicle around it, then guide them through establishing proper manufacturing, as well as long-term logistics trails, which is made possible because the company owns the technology data packages to proceed in such a way. “We own all the tooling, we own all the TDP, from a value proposition AM General brings that,” Trinh said. And it also solves the issues many encounter after buying equipment, which is unpredictably losing second and third tier manufactured parts -- a sore spot for foreign buyers. “It’s a long-term plan,” he said. “Not a ‘hey, we will sell you 1,000 of these and do a few things and then we are gone.'” Trinh said AM General is blanketing all regions -- Latin America, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, Europe and parts of Africa -- in its effort to show countries what is in the realm of the possible for multi-purpose military trucks. The MPT on display at IDEX was specifically showcasing a possible configuration for a Middle East country, featuring high mobility, armor protection against mine and missile threats and the ability to operate unhindered by heat and soft, sandy soil.

AM General Press Release / February 20, 2017 South Bend, Indiana-based AM General is showcasing its new Multi-Purpose Truck Concept at the 2017 International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) tradeshow held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Feb. 19 – 23, 2017, Booth 01-C20 in the U.S. Pavilion. “IDEX 2017 is an excellent venue for AM General to display its diverse range of innovative products and services,” said AM General Executive Vice President, International Defense, Larry Platt. “As the Company continues to expand and strengthen its partnerships in the region and around the globe, we will use this opportunity to engage current and potential customers, listen to their unique needs and offer them the most innovative, affordable mobility solutions available today to meet their demands.” Multi-Purpose Truck/MPT Making its world premiere at IDEX 2017, the Multi-Purpose Truck (MPT) is a commercial base 4×4 platform chassis truck (cab and chassis) with 8,391 kg (18,500 lb) GVW and 2,359 kg (5,200 lb) payload capacity engineered to serve the extreme-environment needs of energy, mining, industrial, and government customers around the world. The MPT is engineered and designed based on existing and test-proven AM General components, Off-the-Shelf (OTS) AM General items, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) items from other commercial vehicles and Military Commercial Off-the-Shelf (M-COTS) items. The MPT was designed to allow customers to configure payload modules based on their needs. The Cab & Chassis Base Platform is the base vehicle configuration. MPT modules can be developed by the purchasing country’s engineering experts or, if needed, by AM General engineers. Modules can include several applicable configurations utilizing a 2-man cab. Other variants include the 2-man w/ Flat Bed, 2 + 6 Personnel Carrier, 4-man Base w/ Cargo box, and 9 Crew Capacity Vehicle. .

Transport Engineer / February 20, 2017 Krone will be showcasing a container chassis from its Box Liner eLTU5 Plus series at next month’s Transportation Complete event in Hardenberg (21-23 March). The chassis is equipped with Genset, a Carrier unit from the UG151 series, for constant temperature control of the container. The Box Liner eLTU5 Plus offers various load configurations: one 40ft with tunnel, one 20ft load centrally or flush to the rear, as well as a 45ft ISO container and 45ft container with refrigeration unit and its own fuel tank at the front wall. The container chassis has an electronic brake system and integrated stability features as standard. It also has steel ram profiles at the rear, across the full vehicle width, large rubber buffers centrally at the rear, two stop wedges as well as LED rear lights. There’s also a steel platform at the rear between the longitudinal beams for loading and unloading centrally carried containers. The eLTU5 Plus container chassis is equipped with two positions for kingpins as a standard, making it is suitable for both two-axle and three-axle semi-trailer tractors. .

Thailand Press / February 20, 2017 UD Trucks Thailand and Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt recently delivered 80 UD Quester heavy tractors to Tipco Asphalt, a leading asphalt supplier in Thailand. With the addition of the new trucks, Tipco is now operating over 100 UD trucks in its fleet. .

Ford Trucks Press Release / February 18, 2017 With 4.5G (LTE-Advanced Pro) wireless technology, Ford Cargo offers the best internet access in the industry. Ford Trucks and You – "Sharing the Load" At Ford Trucks, we’re serious about trucking. It's why we designed the new 2016 Cargo heavy truck range from the ground up to meet your needs and expectations. See your authorized Ford heavy truck dealer for details, or visit the global Ford heavy truck website at https://www.fordtrucks.com.tr/ .

Scania Group Press Release / February 20, 2017 Taking responsibility for people and the environment is a cornerstone in the operations of Swedish coffee roaster Löfbergs. Its efforts extend over the entire value chain – from coffee bean to coffee cup; from the farm to the end-consumer. A fourth-generation, family-run business, Löfbergs produces more than ten million cups of coffee a day. In 2016, the company inaugurated a new warehouse on the outskirts of Karlstad, a city in central Sweden with a population of 90,000. However, the coffee roastery is still located in the city centre, which necessitates transports in and out of town. That’s why, in keeping with its commitment to sustainability, Löfbergs has now put the first Scania hybrid tractor unit into operation. The Scania P 320 tractor has been supplemented with a hybrid driveline that allows the truck to drive on electric power for nearly two kilometres on just a ten-minute charge of the vehicle’s battery. This can lower fuel costs by 18 percent, but, even more importantly, the truck can drive silently – below 72 dBA – and make its deliveries without disturbing Karlstad’s residents. In parallel with the electric battery, the truck runs on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). The combination of battery power and HVO reduces carbon emissions by more than 90 percent in comparison with conventional diesel. Thus, when the truck reaches the city limits, Löfbergs’ driver pushes a button, so the truck switches from running on HVO to the battery for the journey to the city centre roastery. The hybrid truck can make a total of 15 round trips a day between the roastery plant and the warehouse in the suburb of Välsviken every day. Quietly. Very quietly. “At first I thought there was something that was wrong,” says Ann-Christin Lundman, the driver of the freight service. “It is unusual; it is completely silent.” Löfbergs’ Managing Director Lars Appelqvist is happy to be first, but hopes this is only the start of its sustainable transport initiatives. “Even if our transports only account for three percent of the climate impact from coffee, we try to do everything in our power to minimise the environmental effects,” he says. .

Renault Trucks Press Release / February 20, 2017 Comfortable, fuel efficient and reliable. We know how well the Renault Trucks T performs on the road. But it performs equally well “off-road”, on the challenging surfaces and rugged relief of the Scottish Highlands. .

House Dem's NAFTA redo would drop cross-border trucking provision Fleet Owner / February 17, 2017 DeFazio 'blueprint' calls for trade renegotiation to begin by June 1 If President Trump wants to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement, a group of House Democrats is ready and willing to provide the blueprint. Led by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D.-OR), the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the resolution introduced Thursday includes a provision that would remove the cross-border trucking requirement—a long-problematic clause in the current trade deal. “For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, we have an opportunity to replace NAFTA and build a fair trade policy that works for all Americans,” said DeFazio. “After working with labor stakeholders and fair trade advocates, we have come up with principles that will serve as the foundation of a sustainable trade policy that will bring jobs back to the U.S. while protecting America’s environment, workers, consumers, and sovereignty.” The resolution has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, Teamsters, United Steelworkers (USW), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Public Citizen, and Citizens Trade Campaign. Both the Teamsters and Public Citizen were vocal opponents of implementing the cross-border trucking provision with Mexico, seeking in Congress and the courts to block the requirement included in the 1994 treaty. Indeed, it took 20+ years, several partial programs and some $2 billion in annual retaliatory tariffs by Mexico before the trucking program was fully implemented in in January 2015—yet the lawsuits kept coming. Under DeFazio’s replacement plan, specifically, such an agreement “should not require access to United States roads for commercial vehicles domiciled in other countries” and should require all such vehicles and drivers entering the country to meet all U.S. highway safety and environmental standards before being granted access. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn., which has fought the program with Mexico, supports the new plan, “particularly with regard to the provision about commercial trucking,” says Executive Vice President Todd Spencer. “Trucking companies from Mexico have had little interest in operating throughout the U.S. and absolutely no ability to comply with our rigorous safety regulations.” Indeed, due to congestion at U.S./Mexico points of entry, carrier management on both sides have been slow to embrace long-haul capability, and only 25 Mexico-based carriers have received long-haul authority. But, according to FY 2016 inspection data, these fleets are meeting U.S. safety standards: Both the driver out-of-service rate (0.53%) and the vehicle rate (15.89%) were lower than the U.S. averages (4.9% for drivers, 20.05% for vehicles). The U.S. DOT has not responded to a request for comment, but the American Trucking Assns. points to the 168% increase in the value of goods traded between the U.S. and Canada (and the “thousands of jobs in the trucking industry”) as a result of a more functional cross-border trucking program. Likewise, trucks move 83% of the trade between the U.S. and Mexico. “Our support for the DOT’s cross-border trucking program is unchanged. Trade and trucking are synonymous, and the increased movement of freight yields more good paying jobs and growth in American companies,” said ATA Vice President of Public Affairs Sean McNally. “We want to help the Administration and Congress build a trade framework that helps grow our economy, including the trucking industry. We will work to support any trade policies that help grow good paying American jobs and the trucking industry.” Other principles laid out in Rep. DeFazio’s resolution, called the Blueprint for America’s Future Trade Policy, direct that any NAFTA replacement deal negotiated by President Trump must: Require Strong Labor & Environmental Standards—and Ensure They are Enforced Add Strict, Enforceable Disciplines to Fight Against Currency Manipulation Eliminate Procurement Provisions that Undermine Buy America Require Imports and Foreign Companies Operating in the U.S. to Adhere to U.S. Laws Lower the Cost of Prescription Drugs End Tribunals that Undermine U.S. Trade Enforcement Laws, Such as NAFTA’s Chapter 19 Require Strong Rules of Origin on Cars, Auto Parts, and Other Manufactured Goods Eliminate the Dangerous ISDS Provision that Undermines U.S. Sovereignty Protect U.S. Energy Policy The resolution directs President Trump to initiate the renegotiation of NAFTA no later than June 1. All of the provisions included in the resolution must be agreed to by Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. before the agreement can be approved. If negotiations are not completed and all the provisions outlined in the resolution agreed to within one year of beginning talks, the resolution directs the President to consider withdrawing the U.S. from NAFTA.

I understand what you mean. But I suspect the major press has been controlled, so as to be utilized as a tool, for well over a century. There are few better ways with which to influence and manipulate the masses.

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Defense Industry Daily / February 20, 2017 Navistar Defense has been contracted $35 million by the US Department of Defense to provide 40 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected MaxxPro Dash DXM vehicles. The deal supports foreign military sales for the government of Pakistan and work is expected to be complete by the end of October 2018. MaxxPro Dash DXM vehicles feature a V-shaped hull to deflect IED explosions away from the vehicle and are built to withstand ballistic arms fire and mine blasts. Pakistan will use the vehicles to protect troops against attacks from jihadist militants and other insurgents operating between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

How Chevy coaxed Cruze diesel to 52 mpg Automotive News / February 20, 2017 To earn the EPA's rare 50-plus highway fuel economy rating for the 2018 Cruze diesel sedan, Chevrolet engineers didn't just drop a fuel-efficient engine and transmission into the Cruze and call it done. "There is no one silver bullet," says Craig Weddle, Cruze chief engineer. "There were a lot of little things we had to do to make it all add up." It was a significant technical feat. Last week when the EPA confirmed the Cruze diesel's 52-mpg highway fuel economy rating through its own testing at the agency's Ann Arbor, Mich., labs, the Cruze became one of only four non-hybrid cars to punch through the 50 mpg highway barrier since 1990. And after the EPA revised its fuel economy test procedures in 2008 to better reflect real-world fuel economy, only one non-hybrid car since 1990 -- the Geo Metro XFi, also sold by Chevrolet -- has retained a 50-plus mpg rating. (The EPA has revoked certification and mileage ratings for all VW diesels affected by the emissions cheating scandal). "Fuel economy is the reason for purchase, and we were looking for a wow factor," said Dan Nicholson, GM's vice president of Global Propulsion Systems. The Cruze's results took a total General Motors team effort that drew in aerodynamicists, electricians, powertrain engineers, lightweighting specialists, friction gurus, calibration engineers and others. The Cruze diesel, on the way to dealers now, even has a chief energy engineer, Eric VanDommelen, whose goal was to make sure every pound-foot of torque sent to the wheels delivered maximum efficiency and that few, if any, electrons were wasted. Much of the technology used to boost the car's fuel economy, such as the smooth underbody, low-drag brakes and active grille shutters, came straight from hybrid cars. GM will have its challenges marketing the fuel-sipping diesel. The car is part of a big push at GM to attract Volkswagen buyers leaving the brand in the wake of the diesel emissions cheating scandal there. That won't be easy. Gasoline is cheap and consumers are deserting cars for SUVs, crossovers and trucks. Diesel engines, thanks to VW's controversy, now have image issues. It's also not a given that VW buyers will consider switching to Chevrolet. Nicholson said in August that GM would be going after VW's diesel faithful, who once accounted for about 20 percent of the German brand's U.S. sales. A diesel version of the Equinox crossover is also on the way, and by the end of 2018, GM will offer 10 diesel models in North America. Nicholson said last week diesel vehicles represent a growth opportunity for Chevrolet. But none of that mattered to the engineers who tuned and tweaked and prodded the Cruze diesel until it rolled over the 50-mpg goal line. Not the '90s Unlike the cramped, stripped-down '90s-era cars that got 50 mpg or close to it, the Cruze diesel sedan is smooth, quiet, comfortable and fully equipped with safety features and electronic gear. "Certainly having a number that started with 5 was enticing, but we didn't sacrifice the rest of the car to get that," Weddle says. He added there was no pressure from upper management to hit 50 mpg. "It was really about producing a great car with fuel economy that we thought would excite our expected diesel customer base," he said. AutoPacific analyst Dave Sullivan calls the 52-mpg highway fuel economy rating for the Cruze diesel impressive. He notes engineers struggle for every 10th of a mile fuel economy gain and that the new Cruze diesel not only beats the old model by 6 mpg, but it bests the highway rating of the 2015 Cruze Eco, a gasoline-powered model built for high fuel economy, by a full 10 mpg. "Other cars need two powertrains to hit anything in the 50 mpg range -- I'm talking about hybrids," says Sullivan. "Now you can get hybridlike fuel economy without the stigma of being seen in an oddly styled hybrid." The biggest parts of the Cruze's 52-mpg highway rating came from three areas: weight reduction, aerodynamics and the powertrain. To start with, the current-generation Cruze, introduced last year, weighs about 250 pounds less than the 2015 version, mostly because of increased use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body, and aluminum in the suspension components. "We put the mass where it matters to get the stiffness in the structure, but thinned it out anywhere where it is not absolutely needed," Weddle says. Engineers also booked a 33-pound weight reduction under the hood. The old car's 2.0-liter diesel engine had a cast-iron block and weighed 368 pounds installed. The 2018 diesel's 1.6-liter engine has an aluminum block with cast iron liners and weighs 335 pounds. Another key piece of the Cruze's fuel economy puzzle is its manual transmission, which requires less energy from the engine to power the wheels than the available nine-speed automatic. The six-speed manual also weighs less than the automatic. Slippery shape Improved aerodynamics were another important part of the equation. Many of the aerodynamic tweaks GM engineers made to the car carry over from the gasoline version. In front of each tire, for example, a black plastic deflector pushes air away from the wheels. The Cruze also has active grille shutters, which adjust to the engine's cooling needs. When the shutters are closed, the aerodynamic efficiency is improved as air is routed over, under or around the car. Headlights, taillights, door handles and exterior mirrors saw plenty of wind tunnel time. The 2018 Cruze diesel's aerodynamic drag coefficient -- a measurement that quantifies aerodynamic efficiency -- is 0.28, down from the 0.30 of the 2015 Cruze diesel. The lower the number, the less energy it takes to push the car through the air. VanDommelen, Cruze's chief energy engineer, said other tweaks, including using low-friction bearings in the drivetrain and wheels, tires that have lower rolling resistance than those used on the first generation Volt, and managing energy usage also helped attain the 52-mpg rating. Even though GM's internal testing showed the Cruze well over 50 mpg on the highway, the champagne corks stayed in the bottles, VanDommelen said, until the EPA confirmed it. "We had some hopes, and we're looking forward to hitting that goal. But I didn't want to really believe it until I saw it from the EPA. Once they confirmed it, we felt pretty good," he said. Nicholson, GM's powertrain boss, said engineers weren't sure the Cruze would attain the 50-plus rating until late last year, near the end of the car's development cycle. "We were careful not to put pressure on the team," he said, "We wanted them to focus only on delivering the best car for the customer." VW diesel owners had routinely beaten the EPA label numbers in their actual driving. And Sullivan thinks Cruze diesel drivers can get even higher than the 52 mpg highway rating. "Most consumers have been able to beat the EPA numbers with small displacement diesels," Sullivan says. "If Cruze owners can beat the EPA number, it might make GM the new diesel leader in a market that has been leveled to nothing."

Today's Trucking / February 16, 2017 .

Peeved by VW’s Diesel Malfeasance? Chevy’s New Diesel Engine May Be Your Salvation Car & Driver / February 17, 2017 An old proverb states that what the Hindenburg did to hydrogen, Oldsmobile did to diesels. Fortunately, humans are a forgiving, forgetful lot. Both hydrogen and diesel fuel are likely to play important roles in our transportation future—as the new Chevrolet Cruze diesel is about to show us—no matter what rash moves you expect of our new government administration. Of course, Volkswagen’s diesel misdeeds picked open that old(smobile) scab. Some industry wizards, such as FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, believe that the diesel engine’s reputation is so tainted that its future prosperity could be limited to pickups and large SUVs. Predatory law firms now hound diesels, filing class-action suits with little or no provocation. Dan Nicholson, General Motors’ vice president of global propulsion systems, is more sanguine. He is convinced that diesel enthusiasm born of trucks and VW cars is pent up, waiting for the arrival of new models capable of fulfilling the compression-ignition crowd’s dreams. Aiming to prove that theory, Chevrolet has just reintroduced a modern turbo-diesel engine for the U.S. market. Note our use of the word “reintroduce.” GM sold 12,298 cars powered by a 2.0 turbo-diesel engine in the 2014 and 2015 Cruze compact cars, taking a break when Chevy freshened this small sedan for 2016. The Ecotec 1.6-liter turbo-diesel inline-four already at Chevy dealers in 2017 Cruze sedans and arriving shortly for Cruze hatchbacks and the 2018 Equinox and 2018 GMC Terrain was born and bred in Europe, where diesels have a much stronger foothold (mainly because of favorable fuel and diesel-car sales taxes). What GM calls its Medium Diesel Engine, Opel markets as a “whisper diesel,” touting its exemplary noise, vibration, and harshness manners. A GM plant in Szentgotthárd, Hungary, manufactures this engine. Designers gave this diesel every advanced feature in the book. The block and head are aluminum to save weight, and crankshaft support is reinforced with a sturdy bedplate. Tough iron cylinder liners are cast in place, and the crankshaft and connecting rods are forged steel. Oil is sprayed onto the bottoms of the pistons to cool them. Two intake runners feed air to each cylinder; hinged flaps in half of the runners induce swirl motion within the cylinders. A 16.0:1 compression ratio provides the heat needed for auto ignition. An electronically controlled throttle regulates intake-manifold vacuum to manage exhaust gas recirculation and to expedite engine shutdown. Both the cam cover and the intake manifold are molded fiberglass for noise absorption and to trim weight. The entire intake manifold is swaddled in acoustic padding and covered with a plastic noise barrier. Another noise-canceling measure was driving the camshafts from the tail end of the crankshaft so the gears and chains could be masked by the flywheel and the transaxle bell housing. Ferrari has nothing on this diesel’s valvetrain. Two hollow overhead cams open four valves per cylinder through roller finger followers with hydraulic lash control. There’s variable timing for both intake and exhaust valves. Ceramic glow plugs accelerate cold starting, and an optional oil heater is available for cold climates. The BorgWarner turbocharger is a variable-vane design for improved response at low engine rpm. Maximum boost is 27 psi. Solenoid injectors fed by a common fuel rail deliver up to nine squirts per combustion cycle. Oxidation and reduction catalysts plus a particulate trap cleanse the exhaust; diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) helps diminish NOx emissions. Compared with larger-displacement predecessors, this Ecotec 1.6-liter engine is lighter, smaller, and significantly quieter. It delivers 137 horsepower at 3750 rpm, and the torque curve peaks with 240 lb-ft at 2000 rpm. That’s a bit less power but 36 percent more maximum torque than the Cruze’s turbocharged 1.4-liter gasoline engine puts out. Two attributes necessary to draw diesel fans to Chevy’s diesel are exemplary mileage and affordability. The six-speed-manual version earned a 52-mpg highway rating from the EPA, topping every other car on the market except for hybrids and electrics. The diesel-manual powertrain in the Cruze sedan achieved 30 mpg in the city test for a combined EPA rating of 37 mpg. Most buyers will lean toward the optional nine-speed automatic transmission, which also scored an EPA combined mileage of 37 mpg. That Cruze powertrain earned 31 mpg on the city cycle and 47 mpg in the highway test. While the new car market is rife with sub-$20,000 bottom feeders that offer decent mileage, Chevy’s Cruze diesel won’t play that game. A Cruze LT powered by the Ecotec turbo-diesel will start at $24,670, including a convenience package as standard equipment. That’s approximately $2100 over the price of a Cruze sedan with the 153-hp 1.4-liter Ecotec gasoline inline-four. The Cruze diesel four-door hatchback and the Equinox will follow later this year as 2018 models. GM’s Nicholson stated that this new diesel’s primary mission is to offer Chevrolet customers an attractive alternative to gasoline engines and significantly higher fuel efficiency. Achieving 10 percent penetration in those car lines where it’s offered would also help GM meet future fuel-economy and greenhouse-gas obligations. .