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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. .

Reuters / February 19, 2017 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has prepared new guidance for immigration agents aimed at speeding up deportations by denying asylum claims earlier in the process. The new guidelines, contained in a draft memo dated February 17, directs agents to only pass applicants who have a good chance of ultimately getting asylum, but does not give specific criteria for establishing credible fear of persecution if sent home. The guidance instructs asylum officers to "elicit all relevant information" in determining whether an applicant has "credible fear" of persecution if returned home, the first obstacle faced by migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border requesting asylum. (Graphic: tmsnrt.rs/2m4aPAs) The goal of the new instructions is to raise the bar on initial screening in order to ease strain on the courts and reduce the number of immigrants allowed to stay in the United States, often for years, while they await a hearing. The administration's plan is to leave wide discretion to asylum officers by allowing them to determine which applications have a "significant possibility" of being approved by an immigration court. In 2015, just 18 percent of asylum applicants whose cases were ruled on by immigration judges were granted asylum, according to the Justice Department. Applicants from countries with a high rate of political persecution have a higher chance of winning their asylum cases. The guidelines are contained in two draft memos signed by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and currently under review by the White House. The memos also outlined plans for greatly expanding the categories of people that immigration agents target for deportation, and gives them wide discretion in deciding who to deport. Previously, recent arrivals and convicted criminals were the prime targets. The new plan would include migrants who have been charged but not convicted of crimes, and would also apply to illegal immigrants who have been in the country for many years [sounds great]. The memos call for quickly hiring 10,000 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as well as 5,000 more border patrol agents. WHAT IS "CREDIBLE FEAR"? Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, an applicant must generally demonstrate "a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." Immigration lawyers say any applicants who appear to meet that criteria in their initial interviews should be allowed to make their cases in court. They oppose encouraging asylum officers to take a stricter stance on questioning claims and rejecting applications. Interviews to assess credible fear are conducted almost immediately after an asylum request is made, often at the border or in detention facilities by immigration agents or asylum officers, and most applicants easily clear that hurdle. Between July and September of 2016, U.S. asylum officers accepted nearly 88 percent of the claims of credible fear, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data. Asylum seekers who fail the credible fear test can be quickly deported unless they file an appeal. Currently, those who pass the test are eventually released and allowed to remain in the United States awaiting hearings, which are often scheduled years into the future because of a backlog of more than 500,000 cases in immigration courts. Between October 2015 and April 2016, nearly 50,000 migrants claimed credible fear, 78 percent of whom were from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala or Mexico, according to statistics from USCIS. The number of migrants from those three countries who passed credible fear and went to court to make their case for asylum rose sharply between 2011 and 2015, from 13,970 claims to 34,125, according to data from the Justice Department. Former border patrol chief Mike Fisher credits that trend to advice from immigration lawyers who know "asylum officers are going to err on the side of caution and refer most cases to a judge."

"deep state" - a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy. . .

It's all about "packaging", efficiently utilizing available chassis space. Locating air reservoirs under battery boxes is a global norm.

You all need to remember we're talking 1977. At that time, Mack's volume COE was the F-model, which was obsolete in many ways versus the CL-7000. And we built the F-model thru 1981. Great truck (but heavy), made Overnite's accountants smile daily, but its designing began in the late 1950s (launched in 1962). Back then, an all-new truck required about 5 years of development. The CL-7000 was designed just after the Transcontinental (which was refined and perfected by the time of the Mk.2). The CL-7000 did initially have a cab air suspension stabilization shortcoming, but that was quickly resolved. Meanwhile, the 1st gen Cruise-Liner had more recalls than any other model in the history of Mack. Until it's last day of production at Hayward, it was a continuing nightmare. We went from one extreme to the other when we terminated Cruise-Liner production at Macungie and launched the MH. Production parts procurement for the first MHs, in 1984, was messy, due to design changes. But we were strolling strong in 1985.

Ron, Many of the F-model's cab parts were produced (stamped) by York Corrugating, in York, Pennsylvania.

(Model P-12W3)

Produced by Fort Eustis Television for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps. .

Power Torque Magazine / February 2017 From Garbage to Grain – Dave Whyte profiles Fellows Bulk Logistics With the recent harvest being one of the best in a long time, those involved in the transport and storage of the bumper crop are hard at work looking after the product our farmers have worked so hard to provide. While most of us take for granted the ability to just go down the shops and grab a loaf of bread or a slab of our favourite beer, many people have spent a great deal of time ensuring the base ingredients would be both available and of suitable quality to maintain supply of these vital products (Yes, beer is vital!). While the harvest is a very busy time for grain handlers, with a need to harvest and store the grain before it spoils, I was fortunate enough to catch up with Paul Fellows of Fellows Bulk Logistics from Deniliquin to learn a little more about the business of moving and storing grain. Fellows Bulk Logistics grew from Paul’s love of trucks, and growing up around the industry. “I’ve always loved trucks”, Paul said. It may sound strange, but Paul’s Dad was a highway policeman who drove trucks on the weekends, eventually leaving the police force to drive Greyhound Buses. “Mum and Dad said I couldn’t be a truck driver, because it wasn’t a good occupation. So, I went to ag-college and graduated from Dookie in 1981. By then, my dad had a couple of garbage trucks, so I came home and started driving them, doing the garbage,” Paul said. “We built that up to about 30 trucks and sold it to Cleanaway, then I went farming for about ten years”. After struggling to make money from the farm, Paul turned back to trucks. “I got a contract carting out to a piggery, about a hundred Ks off the main road,” he said. Using a custom-built trailer, Paul was able to do a job that no-one else could, delivering rice hulls into the pig sheds. This contract also included the removal of the waste and manure, which Paul sold on to garden supplies companies. “That’s what got me started. We were running a double shift, six days a week,” he said. Paul saw another opportunity in carting local red gum wood chips to landscaping suppliers in Melbourne, and when Landmark set up their fertiliser business in Deniliquin, Paul also picked up their work. “So all of a sudden, I was in tippers,” Paul said. The drought led to a lack of rice hulls needing to be moved, and a quiet year for Fellows. “A bloke rang me and asked if I wanted to subcontract, carting sugar cane bagasse out of Ayr. So, I went up there for three months, took a driver up, and we worked flat out for three months”. That three months of work led to Paul getting the prime contract to cart the bagasse a few years later. “I had to go and tender against everyone else, but we’d been doing it for a long time, and we do a good job,” Paul said. “We weren’t the cheapest, but we got it”. Bagasse is the fibrous pulp left over after the liquid is removed from the sugar cane. While it was once considered a waste product, it is now used in generating power for the sugar refinery all year round, and for half of Mackay from January to April. This provides a reliable power source along with environmental benefits and virtually no waste from the refining process. “We’ll cart 130,000 tonnes of that in (to storage) this year, and 130,000 tonnes out,” Paul said proudly. The addition of a grain storage facility in Blighty to the business portfolio not only added to the services on offer, but also provided some extra stability for the tippers in the fleet, with year-round freight to be moved down south. “That sort of underpins a bit of the work,” Paul said. “I have a lot of work coming north, but not so much going south”. That site now handles 5000 tonnes of grain, with a second site in Hay having the capacity for a further 10,000 tonnes. Given the bumper harvest, both of these sites are full this year, with a third site – also in Hay – being leased to handle the demand. “We’ll probably do 20,000 tonnes this year,” Paul said. The Fellows fleet is made up mainly of Kenworth trucks, which are bought through Darren Nichols at Twin City Truck Centre in Wodonga. “I use all SARs for the contract work in Queensland, and 909s for the tipper work. Two years ago, I thought I want to be more subjective in what we’re doing, so I bought a Volvo and a Western Star,” Paul said. “I also bought an SAR with the MX engine, and I’ve compared the two (the Volvo and the SAR). They’re nearly identical on fuel, maintenance was identical, but there was about $30k difference in the purchase price. But, at the other end (resale), I don’t know what’s going to happen with the Volvo”. “We use Matilda Walking Floors, and Lusty and Pumpa trailers out of Swan Hill for the tippers. I’ve had Lusty EMS trailers out of Brisbane, and I’ve never touched them. They’ve been six or seven years old, and we’ve never put a weld on them,” Paul added. The latest equipment purchase is a set of Graham Lusty tippers, which will offer the flexibility to operate as an A-double (double road train) within Victoria at weights up to 68.5-tonne GCM. “We’ll tackle that in the New Year,” Paul said. Trailers are also replaced after five or six years, with regular buyers keen to snap up Fellows’ secondhand equipment. As far as servicing goes, the Queensland-based trucks are serviced by a company-employed mechanic, while the Deniliquin-based trucks are serviced by a local mechanic, in Fellows’ depot. “Our trucks only do about 15,000 km a month, so we’re only servicing them every couple of months,” Paul said. Paul updates his trucks every five years, and he says, “Because they’re under five years old, we have no issues with gearboxes, diffs, universals or any of that sort of stuff”. Paul is a strong believer in running clean skin tyres all round, including some Chinese brands on the trailers. “We run a lot of Chinese tyres in Mackay, because it’s all short hauland we’ll scrub a tyre before we really wear it out,” Paul said. “They’ve been running Chinese tyres up there for a few years now, with a lot of success. There’s good and bad in them as well, but the Triangles have been good tyres”. Another big aspect of the Fellows operation is its involvement in the TruckSafe programme. Paul is passionate about the benefits of the programme, not only for his employee’s safety, but also in obtaining work. “Policy and procedure is the biggest thing in your business,” Paul said. “It’s two things – you’re protecting your staff, and you’re protecting yourself. If I can do everything I possibly can to protect my drivers…”. This commitment to safety has been rewarded, with Fellows Bulk Logistics winning the John Kelly Memorial Award for Transport Safety in 2016. “I care about my guys, they’re all good fellas. A lot of them have been with me a long time. Some of them are coming up for their long service, which is pretty much unheard of in road transport. “I give them really good equipment and pay them by the hour. They get paid when they’re washing their truck, checking the oil, when they’re waiting to load, etc.,” he said. “They’re always home Friday night, and they don’t often go away on Sundays. I need my weekends off, and I’m no different to my staff”. A willingness to take on the jobs no-one else would do, along with a commendable attitude towards staff and equipment, has seen Fellows Bulk Logistics grow from a one-man operation to a fleet of twelve trucks, with operations in Queensland and southern New South Wales. It’s interesting to see how a small business can take on some of the big business ideals, such as involvement in TruckSafe and regular equipment updates, and make them work to their benefit. While Fellows Bulk Logistics may be a fairly small player in the big scheme of things, it is a good example of how smaller operators can control quality in all aspects of their business, including equipment, employees and service. In the long term, this is what guarantees the efficient and reliable supply of life’s essentials. So next time you’re lucky enough to kick back with a sausage in bread and a beer (as we quite often do at this time of year), spare a thought for those Fellows that make it possible. .

Owner/Driver / February 17, 2017 Freightliner has something new to show off...and it hauls a pretty exciting load! Freightliner Racing has revealed a new-look Commodore Supercar, coupled with a Coronado prime mover to get it to each race. The Albury-based team has switched from black and red to a white and silver livery topped off with a striking new shade of red for the car driven by two-time race winner Tim Slade. It has also replaced its Freightliner Argosy cabover prime mover with a bold Freightliner Coronado 114, a model with a set-forward front axle that can haul a 34-pallet B-double trailer set. The team transporter, nicknamed Stax, is driven by Paul Eddy, who clocks up around 45,000km a year behind the wheel towing a B-double trailer loaded with two cars and mass of spares and equipment. It’s not a heavy combination (around five tonnes shy of its 62.5 tonne maximum weight), offering no challenge for the 15-litre Detroit six-cylinder turbo diesel under the bonnet that generates a healthy 560hp and 1850lb-ft Nm of torque. Eddie has only done few short stints in his new home away from home, but is looking forward to the 16 rounds he will drive it to this season. "It looks great going down the road," Eddy says. "It always looks cool if you have a couple of stacks sitting behind the doors doesn’t it?" Eddy had driven an Argosy with a cavernous 110-inch sleeper cab for the last few seasons, but will trade off some of that space for a bonnet with the new Coronado, which has a more modest 34-inch sleeper. "The sleeper in the Argosy was so big, it had a double bed and it would take me half an hour to get out," Eddy says with a smile. "With this, you lose a bit of cabin space but you get a bonnet." Eddy praised the way the Coronado 114 drives. "Geez, it is nice to drive. Just the way it sits on the road; it’s great." he says. While the Coronado is available with a fully automated Eaton Ultrashift transmission, Eddy opted for the 18-speed Eaton RoadRanger in order to keep up his shifting skills. Driving the team transporter is just one part of Eddie’s job description; he also looks after the Freightliner Racing car’s tyres and works the hydraulic jack ‘spike’ in pitlane during stops. The team’s other driver, Tim Slade, showed plenty of skills last season with back to back wins and a top 10 championship finish. Slade says he is glad his new number 14 Commodore has a cool paint scheme. "The Freightliner Racing Commodore looks awesome," he says. "It’s so different to what the car has been over the past few years, we’ve had the design locked down for a while now and I’m excited to finally show it off to our Freightliner Racing fans." The Brad Jones Racing team used PPG Paints and Roland DG printers for the wraps to bring the design to life. Slade is looking forward to hitting the track in the new-look car after showing so much promise in 2016. "We didn’t put too much pressure on ourselves last year, we always wanted to do well and aim for the top ten," he says. "We achieved some great results, and this year we’ll be looking to build on that and be more consistent with our speed and good results." Freightliner Australia Director, Stephen Downes is looking forward to the start of the season. "We are really thrilled to see the fantastic new look Freightliner Racing Commodore and introduce the tough Freightliner Coronado to the Supercars paddock," he says. "We think Freightliner customers will get a real buzz when they see the 2017 car fighting for more wins and podiums this year." The Brad Jones Racing outfit, which runs Freightliner Racing, also uses two Freightliner Argosys for the rest of its Supercars and Dunlop Series racing fleet. Freightliner Racing’s first test day will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 21, before the opening round of the season, the Clipsal 500 on March 2-5 in Adelaide. . .

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / February 16, 2017 .

Transport Topics / February 15, 2017 A coalition of at least 16 House Democrats, led by Oregon’s Peter DeFazio, said Feb. 16 they will file a “Blueprint for America’s New Trade Policy,” urging President Trump to fulfill his campaign promises and negotiate a thorough overhaul of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), or withdraw from the 1994 agreement. DeFazio, the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, included in the resolution a provision on Mexican trucks saying that a new NAFTA should return to a limited free trade zone on both sides of the border, where southbound trucks would hand off trailers to Mexican carriers and northbound commercial vehicles would drop trailers for U.S. companies. “We had a system that worked well,” says DeFazio. Backed by representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Sierra Club, the House Democrats said NAFTA has been “devastating” to U.S. workers and North America’s environment and created “a race to the bottom” on wages and environmental protection. Although Trump has relied heavily on Republican votes — especially in the Senate — during the early days of his administration, DeFazio said his coalition can offer needed support to the administration. Defazio said House Speaker Paul Ryan, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are all supporters of free trade who will fight Trump “tooth and nail” on the issue. DeFazio said Mexican trucks and their drivers do not have to follow U.S. safety standards during the Mexican segments of their trips, so their access to U.S. roads should be limited. Democratic House members Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, Rick Nolan of Minnesota, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Robert Scott of Virginia joined DeFazio in a House T&I subcommittee room and said NAFTA has led to U.S. job losses, business failures and trade deficits. They criticized Trump for more moderate statements on the issue since he took office.

Heavy Duty Trucking / February 15, 2017 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) has unveiled its first plug-in hybrid-electric Class 6 truck. The vehicle, developed by Efficient Drivetrains Incorporated (EDI), combines up to 50 miles of all-electric driving with 300 miles of driving range in hybrid mode. The plug-in hybrid-electric drivetrain reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80% compared to a conventional Class 6 truck. It also features exportable power capacity up to 160 kW. By harnessing the power of the on-board batteries, the vehicle can power up to 125 homes, potentially eliminating planned outages and shortening unplanned outages. Featuring a flatbed design, the truck will be used to haul materials such as transformers to job sites. PG&E has accepted delivery of two of the units. PG&E has worked with EDI in the past, implementing two different Class 5 PHEV truck models in 2014. .

360 Truck / February 17, 2017 Following China’s ongoing truck trend into the 500+ horsepower engine era, truckmaker CAMC has announced that Sinotruk’s 13-litre MC13 litre engine will become an available option in its flagship H08 heavy tractor with a 540 horsepower rating. Yesterday, competing truckmaker JAC announced that the Sinotruk-produced Euro-5 emissions MC13 engine would become an option its flagship K7 tractor. Sinotruk (aka. CNHTC) is a competing Chinese truckmaker that has a truck and engine producing joint venture with MAN. The MC13.54-50, like Navistar’s N13 in the global market, is a license-built version of the MAN D26 engine. CAMC’s H08 heavy tractor is also available with the company's own 9.8-litre CM6D18 and 11.8-litre CM6D28 series engines rated from 270 to 480 horsepower. They were introduced in 2013 and developed in cooperation with long time technology partner Mitsubishi. .

Bob, roof-mounted air horns are not common in China. They're typically only seen on show trucks. Typically, air horns are mounted out of sight behind the bumper. Electric and air horns are controlled by the same steering wheel horn button (The air horn valve is electrically actuated). There's a switch on the dash allowing you to choose one or the other. .

I think the JMC-Ford version does look better. That said, the understanding is Ford Otosan will be introducing a larger new cab soon.

360 Truck / February 15, 2017 At its 2017 annual meeting, truckmaker JAC announced that its flagship K7 tractor will now be available with the Sinotruk-produced Euro-5 emissions 13-litre MC13 engine. Sinotruk (aka. CNHTC) is a competing Chinese truckmaker that has a truck and engine producing joint venture with MAN. JAC, which produces light and medium truck engines under license with Navistar’s Brazilian subsidiary MWM, does not produce heavy truck engines The MC13, like Navistar’s N13 in the global market, is a license-built version of the MAN D26 engine. Previously, JAC’s all-new K7 tractor was announced with engine maker Yuchai’s Euro-5 emissions 480 horsepower 12.2 litre and 540 horsepower 12.9-litre engines, YC6K12 48-50 and YC6K1354-50 respectively. The architecture of these engines is based on the Detroit Diesel 60 Series. .