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Team Makes First 1-2 Finish in the Under 10-litre Class of the Year on 284km SS January 3, Stage2 Resistencia (Argentina) - San Miguel de Tucuman Liaison: 431km, SS: 284km, Liaison: 98km Total: 813km The itinerary for Jan. 3 took contestants from Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucuman, both in Argentina. They drove to the western part of Argentina in the first liaison segment which was followed by an SS in the foothills of the Andes near Tucuman. The SS was 275km for motorbikes and cars, and 284km for the trucks category. These foothills were situated at an elevation of 200 to 250 meters, and the segment consisted of a high-speed course on hard gravel piste. Risks were also quite high with intense dust and pot holes. HINO TEAM SUGAWARA's HINO500 Series trucks―with their A09C-TI engines (8866cc) now producing 650ps, and their upgraded suspension systems―had a great run in this SS. With speed that seriously challenged its larger rivals, Car 2 piloted by Teruhito Sugawara and Hiroyuki Sugiura finished 20th in the overall trucks category and at top position in the Under 10-litre Class. The Yoshimasa Sugawara and Mitsugu Takahashi duo on Car 1 finished the SS 42nd overall and in 2nd place in its Class, gifting the team with a 1-2 finish in the Under 10-litre Class. After the SS, contestants headed for Tucuman on a 98km liaison. Both of the team's trucks started the SS relatively late in the day―Car 2 at 42 minutes after 2 pm and Car 1 at 50 minutes and 30 seconds after 2pm. As a result, it was past 8 pm when Car 2 arrived at the bivouac which was set up on a horse racing track, with Car 2 arriving at around 9:30 pm. The mechanics who had been on stand-by wasted no time to inspect and service the trucks. Tomorrow, on day-4, contestants will race their last Argentine segment for the first half of the rally and head for San Salvador de Jujuy. The SS for the day is set to be 199km long, and racers will pass through points in the Andes intermountain areas at an elevation of 4960m, the highest elevation of this years event. Yoshimasa Sugawara: The intense dust made this a risky SS so we maintained a moderate pace. We saw the aftermath of a rear-ender in which low visibility may have been a factor, so we stayed extra alert. Mitsugu Takahashi: After a lapse of a year, I'm physically getting used to navigating again. I stayed cautiously attentive in areas with speed restrictions, but in areas where we could drive at top speed, I got a real feel that the rally had begun. Teruhito Sugawara: We were able to keep up a good pace again today. That said, there were parts where we exceeded the speed limit by 1-3km/h due to our speed limiter setup, and the organizers pointed this out to us at the finish line. We may be penalized for this, so that is a bit of a concern. Hiroyuki Sugiura: Navigation wasn't very hectic, but it was unfortunate that we couldn't control our top speed as well as we wanted to. The truck is doing just fine. .

Transport Engineer / January 4, 2017 Irish logistics business Virginia Transport has taken delivery of three 44-tonne Renault Range T tractors, citing fuel efficiency and driver comfort as key factors in the vehicles’ selection. Supplied by dealer Joe Curran Commercials, the new additions are Range T480 4x2 high cab tractors and join 22 other Renault vehicles on the operator’s 90-strong fleet. The vehicles are left-hand drive versions, designed for Virginia Transport’s long-distance work across Europe delivering refrigerated goods, as well as hazardous goods and pharmaceuticals. The trucks have been in operation for a few months and, says managing director Ray Cole, are exceeding expectations for fuel performance. “Our business is long-haul, so fuel efficiency is critical,” he says. “The new Range T High Cabs are already delivering excellent fuel returns and are running consistently at 28 litres per 100km, so we are delighted.” Driver appeal was also a priority, he adds: the cab’s high roof and flat floor make it very spacious and the vehicles feature twin bunks, including luxury bunk, night heater, air conditioning and a large volume fridge. “Putting the comfort of our drivers at the heart of what we do is crucial; if they are happy then we know that they can provide a first-class service to our customers,” comments Cole. “These new trucks have been designed to offer a really comfortable on-board environment for our drivers and the feedback we have received from them is excellent – they love them.” .

Rick Perry (James Richard Perry) Post: Secretary of Energy* * The Department of Energy (DOE) also plays the leading role in designing nuclear weapons, thwarting their proliferation, and ensuring the safety and reliability of the nation’s aging nuclear arsenal through a constellation of laboratories considered the crown jewels of government science. Previous experience: None Current position: Board member of Energy Transfer Partners, the parent company of Dakota Access LLC. The company owns 62,500 miles of oil and natural gas pipelines and is currently in the process of constructing the 1,172 mile long Dakota Access Pipeline. Age: 66 (Born March 4, 1950) Schooling: After graduating from Paint Creek High School in 1968, Perry earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M in 1972. Note: The last two energy secretaries, Ernest J. Moniz of M.I.T. and Steven Chu of Stanford, brought to the office their doctorates in physics, academic credentials and, in Dr. Chu’s case, a Nobel Prize. Background: Perry was born in Haskell, Texas and raised in Paint Creek (Haskell County). Perry was in the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. 12/21/2000 – 1/20/2015 Governor of Texas 1/19/1999 – 12/21/2000 Lieutenant Governor of Texas 1/15/1991 – 1/19/1999 Agriculture Commissioner of Texas 1/8/1985 – 1/8/1991 Texas House of Representatives, 64th District 1972 – 1977 United States Air Force, Captain, 772th Tactical Airlift, Squadron (C-130s) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ July 18, 2015 Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Saturday said businessman Donald Trump should apologize to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for disparaging remarks he made about the 2008 Republican presidential nominee's military record. "As an individual who has worn the uniform of this country, I was highly offended by what Donald Trump said about John McCain," said Perry. "Donald Trump owes every American, and in particular John McCain, an apology," he continued. "He [McCain] was a war hero because he was captured,” said Trump. “I like people who weren’t captured.” Perry said Trump's comments were "as disturbing to me as anything I’ve heard." "There was an individual who doesn't understood, or doesn't care to, people who serve the United States of America," Perry said of Trump, adding that the comments about McCain should disqualify the brash mogul as a presidential candidate "and as a commander-in-chief of this country." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ July 22, 2015 “He [Trump] is without substance when one scratches below the surface. He offers a barking carnival act that can be best described as Trumpism: A toxic mix of demagoguery and mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued.” “Let no one be mistaken — Donald Trump’s candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded.” Rick Perry

Associated Press / January 5, 2016 With the fight over health care in Congress brewing, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon to argue against the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare. Sanders brought with him a a poster-size print of a tweet from President-elect Donald Trump. In the May 7, 2015, tweet, Trump said he was the first potential GOP candidate to pledge no cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — and that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had “copied” him. I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2015 "Every Republican wants to do a big number on Social Security, they want to do it on Medicare, they want to do it on Medicaid. And we can’t do that.” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2015 Either Donald Trump lied to the American people or he's got to say that he will veto any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 4, 2017 "The United States of America today is the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all people as a right. I believe that health care for all is a human right" — Bernie Sanders - January 4, 2017 Earlier Wednesday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said that the first priority of the Trump administration would be to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and that the process will begin with a series of executive orders by Trump on their first day in the White House. “Obamacare has failed,” Pence said after a meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday. “Now is the time to keep our promises. Step one will be to repeal Obamacare.” “Trump didn’t just say this in passing,” Sanders said. “He didn’t say it in the middle of the night. He didn’t say it in an interview. This was a cornerstone of his campaign. He said it over and over and over again.” Trump, Sanders added, “has got to come forward and say clearly that [he] will veto any legislation that cuts Medicare, that cuts Medicaid or that cuts Social Security.” .

The Washington Post / January 4, 2017 Some of America's biggest cable companies are asking the government to roll back a landmark set of privacy regulations it approved last fall – kicking off an effort by the industry and its allies to dismantle key Internet policies of the Obama years. In a petition filed to federal regulators Monday, a top Washington trade group whose members include Comcast, Charter and Cox Communications argued that the rules should be thrown out. "They are unnecessary, unjustified, unmoored from a cost-benefit assessment, and unlikely to advance the Commission's stated goal of enhancing consumer privacy," wrote NCTA - The Internet and Television Association. The rules, which passed by a 3-2 partisan vote favoring Democrats at the Federal Communications Commission in October, are meant to keep Internet providers such as Comcast, Verizon and others from abusing the behavioral data they collect on customers as they regularly use the Internet. [You pay for an entity for internet service, and they in turn spy on you.] Information such as your Web browsing history, your geolocation logs and even the content of your emails offer service providers a rich source of potential advertising revenue. That data, along with your health and financial information, can also be sold to marketers and data brokers interested in building a profile of you as a consumer. The FCC's rules restricted Internet providers' ability to use and share this information, in what privacy advocates hailed as a historic victory. [After paying your cable company for service, which any ordinarily prudent person would assume includes customer activity confidentiality, they sell your recorded activity for profit, making money both coming and going]. But now the fate of those regulations lies in question as Republicans prepare to take control of the nation's top telecom watchdog. Consumer advocacy groups vowed Wednesday to oppose the cable industry's petition. "Nothing in this election changed Americans' fundamental rights, or their need for privacy," said Matt Wood, policy director for Free Press, an advocacy organization. "The election only gave more power to the party that would seemingly rather side with Comcast and other cable lobbyists than with their own constituents." Opponents of the rules point out that the FCC's regulation created an imbalance in the law: While Internet providers must (for now) obey the restrictions, nothing forces Web companies such as Google and Facebook to do the same. For the past three years, the FCC under Democratic leadership has repeatedly vowed not to regulate Web companies, giving rise to complaints by telecom and cable lobbyists that the FCC was biased in their favor. At the same time, defenders of the FCC's privacy rules argue that Internet providers are uniquely positioned to see everything a customer does with his or her connection – unlike services such as Facebook, whose understanding of user behavior is generally limited to the boundaries of its own platform. Politically, the industry petition comes at a significant time. It was filed days after the departure of one Democratic commissioner, Jessica Rosenworcel, and just weeks before the agency's most senior Democrat, Tom Wheeler, is due to step down. Both moves will leave the FCC with a two-Republican majority and a one-Democrat minority, allowing the GOP to begin repealing regulations almost as soon as President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into the Oval Office. Republicans at the FCC were already anticipating the opportunity last month. "We need to fire up the weed whacker and remove those rules that are holding back investment, innovation and job creation," said Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai in a December speech to a conservative think tank. The FCC now has 90 days to respond to NCTA's petition.

Scania Group Press Release / January 4, 2017 Transport company Autotrasporti Pigliacelli has taken delivery of 104 new Scania trucks, including the first new generation Scania S500 in Italy as well as an LNG-powered unit. “We extensively tested the Scania vehicles before placing the order and were impressed by the high levels of reliability,” says Autotrasporti Pigliacelli Chairman Elio Pigliacelli. “This determining factor provides us with maximum profitability while fully considering the environment.” Veroli, Italy-based Autotrasporti Pigliacelli, located 100 kilometres southeast of Rome, has a fleet of 600 trucks. It is now in the process of renewing its fleet with the order of 102 Scania R490 tractor units. Autotrasporti Pigliacelli dates back to the early 20th century when Sisto Pigliacelli started transporting grain and livestock produce from his parents’ farm to the market. Following the Second World War, his son Romano and his brother Elio also became involved in the transport business. With the sole truck they owned, Romano and Elio proved to be excellent drivers on the poor roads back then. Business was good and they could soon afford a second truck. Romano and his uncle each drove 250,000 kilometres annually and learned all aspects of truck haulage. This helped them expand the business and by the end of the 1960s, they had established one of the largest fleets in the area. The company continues to grow with the third generation Pigliacelli: Romano’s sons Ezio and Marcello and Elio’s son Danilo. In addition to company centre in Veroli, it now has depots outside Rome, Turin and L’Aquila. .

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MAN Truck & Bus Press / January 2, 2016 .

Dakar 2017: IVECO places two trucks in top 10 in very fast second stage Iveco Trucks Press Release / January 4, 2017 The Dakar caravan arrived at the Bivouac in Tucumán, north of Argentina, after a long day and an 800- kilometre drive. The four IVECO crews remain in close contention for the race, with the two Powerstars in the Top 10. The trucks arrived at the finish line covered in mud and dust, and the drivers told the press about the particularly tough conditions in several parts of the route due to flying dust in the early part of the race while later they had to contend with a lot of surface water on the roads. The mud and high speeds –over 100 km/h - were the main hazards in this special. With two fifth places in the first two days of racing, Gerard de Rooy's IVECO is now fourth in the overall classification, with more than three hours in the bag. He finished the second stage 3m03s behind Martin van der Brink, winner of the day and first in the overall classification. Today De Rooy was only 11 seconds away from the podium. The Iveco Trakkers remained a bit behind in the second stage. Ton van Genugten, the Dutchman who won IVECO its first stage podium in this 2017 Dakar Rally in yesterday's race, suffered a puncture and finished 13m01s behind the winner, falling from 2nd place to 16th in the classification. Wuf van Ginkel climbed several positions today, recovering from the 42nd position of his first day to finish 26th, which puts him in 28th in the overall classification. Federico Villagra, the argentine driver who finished third in the last Dakar, arrived sixth, two seconds behind De Rooy. Villagra moved up two places, from 9th to 7th, in the overall classification. Both Powerstars are looking to be consistent in the stages, which will take them to climb positions towards the pódium. The Dakar Rally will continue on its way to the north of Argentina and for the first time this year it will climb over the 4,000 metres above sea level. The Truck category will have a special stage 146 kilometres long and another 416 kilometres of liasion to arrive in San Salvador de Jujuy. Stage 2 Results – Dakar 2017 1. Martin van den Brink (Renault) 2h37m08s 2. Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz) + 2m03s 3. Peter Versluis (MAN) + 2m52s 4. Siarhei Viazovich (Maz) + 2m55s 5. Gerard de Rooy (IVECO) + 3m03s ----------- 6. Federico Villagra (IVECO) + 3m06s 16. Ton van Genugten (IVECO) + 13m01s 26. Wuf van Ginkel (IVECO) + 26m02s Overall Classification – Dakar 2017 1. Martin van den Brink (Renault) 3h07m33s 2. Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz) + 3m09s 3. Martin Kolomy (Tatra) + 3m11s 4. Gerard de Rooy (IVECO) + 3m20s 5. Peter Versluis (MAN) + 3m29s ----------- 7. Federico Villagra (IVECO) + 4m06s 16. Ton van Genugten (IVECO) + 12m49s 28. Wuf van Ginkel (IVECO) + 45m39s Follow all the news at www.iveco.com/dakar

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Note how the dashboard is a reverse R-model design, unlike the North American F-model dash. Tim, when I think of a fiberglass F-model cab, I always recall the Leader brand trucks produced by Cyril Anderson. My understanding is he ran Mack Trucks Australia Pty Ltd, from 1963 to 1979, and produced Leader trucks at Toowoomba from 1972 to 1984. Additional info on the optional fiberglass cab F-models..............http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/3834-f-model-pics/?page=2

Donald Trump Plans Revamp of Top U.S. Spy Agency The Wall Street Journal / January 4, 2017 President-elect works with advisers on restructuring Office of the Director of National Intelligence President-elect Donald Trump, a harsh critic of U.S. intelligence agencies, is working with top advisers on a plan that would restructure and pare back the nation’s top spy agency, prompted by a belief that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has become bloated and politicized. The planning comes as Trump has leveled a series of social media attacks in recent months and the past few days against U.S. intelligence agencies, dismissing and mocking their assessment that the Russian government hacked emails of Democratic groups and individuals and then leaked them last year to WikiLeaks and others in an effort to help Mr. Trump win the White House. Trump’s advisers also are working on a plan to restructure the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), cutting back on staffing at its Virginia headquarters and pushing more people out into field posts around the world. “The view from the Trump team is the intelligence world [is] becoming completely politicized. They all need to be slimmed down. The focus will be on restructuring the agencies and how they interact.” On Wednesday, Trump referenced an interview that WikiLeaks editor in chief Julian Assange gave to Fox News in which he denied Russia had been his source for the thousands of emails stolen from Democrats and Hillary Clinton advisers, including campaign manager John Podesta, that Mr. Assange published. Trump tweeted: “Julian Assange said ‘a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta’—why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!” Trump has drawn criticism from Democratic and Republican lawmakers and from intelligence and law-enforcement officials for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, for attacking American intelligence agencies, and for embracing Assange, long viewed with disdain by government officials and lawmakers. “We have two choices: some guy living in an embassy on the run from the law…who has a history of undermining American democracy and releasing classified information to put our troops at risk, or the 17 intelligence agencies sworn to defend us,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). “I’m going with them.” But for Trump and some of his supporters, the accusations of Russian hacking and the criticism of WikiLeaks are seen as an effort to delegitimize the president-elect’s victory. Since his November election, Trump has either has flattered Russian President Vladimir Putin—last month calling him “very smart”— or disparaged the investigation into the hacks. This stands in contrast to his posts on other issues and countries, such as North Korea or China, where his views on national security risks line up more squarely with U.S. spy agencies. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was established in 2004 in large part to boost coordination between intelligence agencies following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. Many Republicans have proposed cutting the ODNI before, but this has proven hard to do in part because its mission centers are focused on core national security issues, such as counterterrorism, nuclear proliferation, and counterintelligence. “The management and integration that DNI focuses on allows agencies like the CIA to better hone in on its own important work,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who believes dismantling the ODNI could lead to national security problems. Trump’s advisers say he has long been skeptical of the CIA’s accuracy, and the president-elect often mentions faulty intelligence in 2002 and 2003 concerning Iraq’s weapons programs. But he has focused his skepticism of the agencies squarely on their Russia assessments, which has jarred analysts who are accustomed to more cohesion with the White House. Top officials at U.S. intelligence agencies, as well as Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress, have alleged Russia orchestrated the computer attacks that hacked and leaked Democratic Party emails last year. President Barack Obama ordered the intelligence agencies to produce a report on the hacking operation, and he is expected to presented with the findings on Thursday. Russia has long denied any involvement in the hacking operation, though Putin has said releasing the stolen emails served a public service. The heads of the CIA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper are scheduled to brief Trump on the findings on Friday. Trump tweeted late Tuesday that this meeting had been delayed and suggested that the agencies still needed time to “build a case” against Russia. White House officials said Trump will be briefed on the hacking report as soon as it is ready. White House officials have been increasingly frustrated by Trump’s confrontations with intelligence officials. “It’s appalling,” the official said. “No president has ever taken on the CIA and come out looking good.” Among those helping lead Trump’s plan to restructure the intelligence agencies is his national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who had served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency until he was pushed out by DNI James Clapper and others in 2013. Also involved in the planning is Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), who Mr. Trump selected to be his CIA director. Trump shares the view of Lt. Gen. Flynn and Mr. Pompeo that the intelligence community’s position that Russians tried to help his campaign is an attempt to undermine his victory or say he didn’t win. Flynn will lead the White House’s National Security Council, giving him broad influence in military and intelligence decisions throughout the government. He is also a believer in rotating senior intelligence agencies into the field and reducing headquarters staff.

Virginia man charged with trying to support ISIS wanted shootout with FBI Associated Press / January 4, 2017 A self-proclaimed supporter of ISIS living in Suffolk, Virginia told FBI agents last month after his arrest they were lucky they picked him up outside his home, according to a federal prosecutor. Lionel Nelson Williams, who had a loaded AK-47 and 9 mm handgun inside the house, said he would have been happy to shoot it out with the agents. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph DePadilla revealed more of the government's case Wednesday during a detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Norfolk. Williams confessed to the FBI after his Dec. 21 arrest that he supported the Islamic State terror group and that he told an undercover federal agent during a nine-month investigation he wanted to martyr himself in Hampton Roads. "It's the only way," Williams told the undercover agent. Assistant Federal Public Defender Keith Kimball argued that the FBI entrapped his client. He said the First Amendment allows Williams to express support for ISIS, and he questioned whether his client started talking about martyrdom only because the FBI led him that way. "Entrapment is flowing throughout this case," Kimball said. [Why are your tax dollars paying to defend a confessed supporter of ISIS?] In light of the defendant's interest in martyring himself, Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard ordered Williams – also known as Harun Ash-Shababi – to stay incarcerated pending his trial. Williams, 26, was arrested last month and indicted Wednesday on one charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years. According to court documents, a former associate of Williams contacted the FBI in March to report that Williams had been posting statements on Facebook that indicated his support for ISIS. The associate said Williams had recently acquired an AK-47 rifle. The report prompted the FBI to check Williams’ publicly viewable Facebook page. The agency then secretly reached out to him in April, posing online as someone connected to ISIS. Following several online conversations and at least one in-person meeting, Williams contacted a man he believed was an ISIS financier. He provided that person, who was actually with the FBI, account information for a $200 prepaid cash card. Williams later provided the agent another $50. Before accepting the money, the undercover FBI agent went so far as tell Williams the money was "going to kill people.” In November, Williams told the FBI he feared he was not “pure” enough to carry out an attack in the United States. In December, however, he said he felt he was ready to "go forth.” Williams told the FBI he was working to acquire "tools." Williams said he would soon see his fiancee – a Muslim woman from Brazil he'd met online – in heaven. Two days later, the FBI moved in – securing a search warrant for Williams’ home and arresting him outside. Williams' uncle, who lives on the same property as Williams, works at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and has a security clearance. Leonard said he could not release Williams. He argued Williams didn't need a gun to carry out an attack on U.S. soil, noting recent terrorist incidents in France and Germany that involved trucks. The risk, he said, was too great. "This is more than speech," the judge said.

My friend, you typically bring some very interesting views to the table, However, in the interest of healthy discussions among friends, i.e. your fellow BMT members, and also in the interest of having an atmosphere where people aren't afraid to share their thoughts, which diminishes the growth of the BMT website, may I humbly and respectfully suggest we all refrain from calling others............"idiots".

Ford Motor Company Press Release / January 4, 2017 Ford, America’s truck leader, is celebrating a major milestone as F-Series now reigns as the top-selling truck in the country for 40 consecutive years and best-selling vehicle for 35 years. Ford has now sold more than 26 million F-Series trucks since January 1977. Think of it like this: That many trucks could circle the globe more than three times, or, lined up bumper-to-bumper, would span 90,000-plus miles. Ford truck leadership was established with the sixth-generation of F-Series for the 1977 model year, a time when 8-track tapes, disco and bell bottoms were the rage. The company was riding a sales wave – based on an all-new F-150 light-duty pickup featuring an improved 351-series V8 engine, standard front disc brakes, and an extended SuperCab offering. Yet continuous innovation is at the very core of F-Series’ success and even with the momentum in 1977, Ford engineers were already at work on a clean-sheet design for an all-new lineup. That seventh-generation F-Series not only set sales records for trucks, but also by 1982 it had become the overall best-selling vehicle in America. “The 1980 model was a breakthrough generation for Ford,” said historian and author James Wagner. “It was all new – probably the greatest change in 40 years. It was fresh and had a strong emotional appeal with the twin I-beam front suspension. It seems from that point on, things really went Ford’s way as far as trucks were concerned.” 1997 marked the beginning of a split for F-Series into two distinct platforms – the 10th-generation F-150 was geared toward light-duty truck customers, while new F-250 and F-350 Super Duty brand trucks debuted in 1999 targeting heavy-duty commercial vehicle buyers. Ford anticipated widening consumer needs, expanded its truck lineup Early on, Ford identified changing consumer preferences among truck customers who were increasingly using their vehicle to do more than haul livestock and equipment; customers were also using their trucks for their family and lifestyle needs. Beginning with the King Ranch in 2001, Ford was now offering luxury edition pickups that provided a combination of capability, style and comfort. Furthermore, models like the Platinum and Limited series went further, featuring leather seating, rich wood trim, full power accessories and premium sound systems. Ford also pioneered performance and specialty truck segments with the special-edition Harley-Davidson F-150 and SVT F-150 Lightning in 1993. By 2002, Ford was marking 25yearsas best-selling truck in America and 20 years as best-selling vehicle overall. “What’s made the F-Series so successful is the Ford truck team’s ability to anticipate the needs of our customers better than anyone else – how those needs change, what’s most important, and what they need to move forward,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Their insights help us design, engineer and build America’s best-selling trucks.” For the 2004 model year, the 11th-generation F-150 received a top-down redesign. 2009 saw Ford charging ahead with some of the strongest visual cues ever for the 12th-generation F-Series. For the 2011 model year, the company was poised to combat skyrocketing energy costs with introduction of the all-new fuel-efficient 3.5-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine for F-150. Toughest, smartest, most capable F-Series ever On rare occasions, innovative companies forever change the game with the introduction of a revolutionary product. Ford’s all-new high-strength, military-grade aluminum-alloy body for the light-duty F-150 in 2015 was that breakthrough product. Then Ford applied the same lightweight material to make the all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty even more capable than ever. When paired with advanced powertrains, like Ford EcoBoost V6 engines, the F-150 lineup offers the most hauling capability* and best-in-class gas mileage**. Customers and critics alike appreciate the continued innovation of Ford F-Series trucks, with the 2017 Super Duty winning the Motor Trend Truck of the Year award – the seventh time in 30 years Ford has taken home the honors. F-Series innovations and milestones, 1977 to present 1977: Ford begins F-Series truck leadership, selling 818,580 trucks for the model year 1979: Ford introduces the Built Ford Tough brand promise 1980: All-new seventh-generation F-Series features efficient gas and diesel V8 engines, new angular design, improved interior features; twin-traction-beam four-wheel-drive front suspension introduced 1984: F-150 replaces F-100 as base F-Series truck, adding improved safety features and new center console; optional CD player comes a year later 1987: Eighth-generation F-Series features a more aerodynamic design, available electronic fuel injection, redesigned interior including instrument panel, and rear antilock brakes 1998: Super Duty brand of medium-duty trucks debuts for commercial customers and aligns the popular F-150 line for light-duty customers 2001: Luxury King Ranch is an unprecedented success 2002: Ford, celebrating 25 years as best-selling truck in America and 20 years as best-selling vehicle overall, introduces Ford-engineered, Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® turbo diesel engine 2008: Ford introduces all-new Class 3-leading F-450 pickup, once again raising the bar for maximum towing capacity 2011: Powerful, efficient EcoBoost engine technology introduced for F-150 2015: Ford shifts production away from steel to high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body for F-150; introduces all-new technology, including 360-degree camera 2016: New Pro Trailer Backup Assist helps make backing up a trailer as easy as turning a knob; plus F-150 is only full-size pickup to earn a five-star rating from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a Top Safety Pick from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2017: Ford celebrates F-Series leadership, marking 40 years with the best-selling truck in America and the best-selling vehicle overall for 35 years # # # (*) When properly configured. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR based on Ford segmentation. (**) EPA-estimated rating of 19 city/26 hwy/22 combined mpg. 2.7L EcoBoost, 4x2. Actual mileage will vary. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR based on Ford segmentation. . .

KrAZ Trucks / December 19, 2016 Heavy snow and icy roads this winter in different regions of Ukraine demonstrated the need for modern new trucks to overcome the weather challeneges. In Vinnitsa region, a Renault tractor-trailer carrying a 35 metric ton load could not climb hill of road Kodyma-Peschanka near the village Studenaya, Peschanka region (the road connecting Kodyma and Peschanka is in a bad state, this causeway is not maintained by regional road maintenance service). The driver had little choice but to call up to Rescue Service for help. Rescuers of special rescue team of SRES in Vinnitsa region came to the scene. The rescuers used the KrAZ-255B off road vehicles to tow the semi-trailer truck to safe section of road. In Poltava region, SRES workers used a KrAZ truck to render assistance to 8 trucks in the same situation. Near the village of Gorodishche in the Lubny area, on the road Lubny-Chernukhi eight trucks with 12 occupants could not climb hill due to slippery road. Rescuers towed the vehicles on the hill using rope and winch of a KrAZ-255, allowing the drivers to continue on their way. Every year, specially equipped KrAZ trucks help in providing road maintenance services with required multipurpose special vehicles such as road maintenance vehicles with snow clearing, gritting and snow blowing equipment and SRES units with rescue vehicles. .

"Dakar 2017": the first stage KamAZ Trucks / January 3, 2017 Victory of "KAMAZ-master" team crew Andrew Karginova the first stage of the 2017 Dakar race, KAMAZ‘s Sergey Kupriyanov at the finish in the standings was the sixth truck. The first stage of "Nador - Domain Mule", the length of 610 km and 86 km special stage. According to Andrei Karginova, despite the fact that the length of the special stage was only 85 kilometers, the track was full of treacherous surprises that could cost precious minutes. "In the beginning, the organizers never give challenging special stages. On the contrary, they allow the trucks “to roll." But the legend for the different competitions write different people: for the "Dakar" in South America - one for the "Silk Road" - the other, for the Dakar race - third, so it remains to get used to right now. Whatever it was, today, you could run into adventures, if the result of the rush, so we were in no hurry and calm "run in", "- said Karginov. Sergei Kupriyanov crew finished sixth, and yet the pilot of the "gas" KAMAZ remains optimistic. "In general, the stage we are satisfied, because after all, reached the finish line, - said Sergey Kupriyanov. "We very quickly overtook two trucks, but somewhere in the 22-kilometer struck the wheel. I had to change. While I - we have surpassed. As a result, in the short special stage to make up a serious backlog failed. But this is only the first stage. Especially interesting will be the race ", - he assured the pilot. Today, Tuesday, crews will go through the second phase of the Domain Mulet to Tagunov. The length of the stage - 393 km, of which 370 falls on the special stage. Andrew Karginov try to preserve and increase the advantage, Sergei Kupriyanov a great opportunity to catch up. After the first night in the Domain Mule, which in this time of year is very cold, the participants of the rally have to quickly adapt to the soft sand and dune passing conquer that awaits them is 1 km from the start. After 75 km the crews will meet on your way dunes of Merzouga, this will be the first real "sand cake" Rally Africa Eco Race 2017. Dune Erg well known to the participants, since all the rallies organized in Morocco, pass through it. Continue the race to the authentic Moroccan "runway": this high-speed track will alternate with gravel and sand. This track will lead crews to the palm grove Tagunov. Then on the way opponents stand just three dunes and the Draa river channel. Athletes will finish in the city Tagunov. The results of the first stage in the general classification T4 A place participants A country Truck Result 1 Andrew Karginov Andrew Mokeev Dmitri Nikitin Russia Kamaz 1:06:17 2 Jaroslav Valtr Czech Republic TATRA 00: 03: 52 3 Elishabet Jacinto Jose Marques Mark Kokin Portugal MAN 00: 08: 33 4 Tomas Tomeček Ladislav Lala Czech Republic TATRA 00: 09: 02 5 Miklos Kovacs Peter Chegledi He Tamas Hungary Scania 00: 09: 09 6 Sergei Kupriyanov, Alexander Kupriyanov Anatoly Tanin Russia Kamaz 00: 15: 50 .

Stage 1 Results MAZ Trucks Press Release / January 3, 2017 Crew no. 511 under Siarhei Viazovich piloting is on the 12th position. In the very beginning of the special area, the windshield was damaged. As a result, visibility was almost zero. The crew had to push out the windshield and continue the race without it. Nevertheless, they finished with a good result. The time lag was only 1 minute 33 seconds . 522 crew under Alexander Vasilevski piloting is at the 21st position with a time lag in 4 minutes 12 seconds. Alexey Vishneuski crew no.533 took 23 position with a time lag in 5 minutes 22 seconds. The first place at this stage was taken by M.Kolomy (Tatra). The route of the second stage from Resistencia to Tukuman will be along quite bad roads. Heavy rains have left deep puddles and mud. There also will be quite narrow areas. If there is no changes in weather, the special will be quite speedy. But the organizers warn competitors about fesh-fesh. It is also necessary to take in consideration a 40 Celsius degrees heat that is being forecasted for this day. The starting time of our crews at the second stage: 511 (S.Viazovich/P. Haranin/A.Zhyhulin) - 14:35:00 (local time GMT-3) 522 (A.Vasilevski/D.Vikhrenka/A. Zaparoshchanka) - 14:43:30 (local time GMT-3) 533 (А.Vishneuski/М. Novikau/А.Neviarovich) - 14:44:30 (local time GMT-3). The distance of the second stage is more than 800 km including about 280 km special in the region of Chaco. .

GAZ Group Press Release / December 29, 2016 January 1, 2017 marks the 85th anniversary of the GAZ Group’s historic Gorky vehicle plant. The factory, constructed in just 18 months, is associated with the large-scale transition of the country to automotive transport. On January 29, 1932, the first Ford AA-based one-and-half metric ton GAZ AA truck rolled off the assembly line. Since then, the Gorky automobile plant has been a key supplier of light and medium trucks. Over 985,000 GAZ AAs were built in USSR from 1932 to 1950. The GAZ version had a cargo capacity of 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). A model with stronger 50 HP engine and wartime simplifications is often named GAZ–MM, after the engine. Since its founding, GAZ has produced over 18 million cars and trucks. Today, GAZ Group’s Gorky plant today utilizes the latest technologies of the global automotive industry to develop and manufacture motor vehicles. The plant produces a wide range of light and medium-duty commercial trucks. .

Team finishes the short stage on day-1 without incident. Asuncion (Paraguay) - Resistencia (Argentina) Liaison: 70km, SS: 39km, Liaison: 345km Total: 454km On Jan. 2, contestants of Dakar Rally 2017 raced a 39km timed segment on their way from Asuncion, Paraguay to Resistencia, Argentina. The SS was set on flat gravel terrain to the east of Asuncion. This was the first SS to be set in Paraguay, and while it was short, teams had to be on their toes as they faced winding forest roads, extensive dust, and river crossings. HINO TEAM SUGAWARA crews piloting their HINO500 Series trucks in this SS maintained their cool to the finish line. Car 2 crewed by Teruhito Sugawara and Hiroyuki Sugiura finished 19th overall and first in the Under 10-litre Class. The Car 1 crew, Yoshimasa Sugawara and Mitsugu Takahashi, finished 40th overall and 3rd in the Class. After the SS, contestants crossed the border into Argentina on a liaison segment, and headed for their first bivouac at Resistencia. The bivouac was set up on a local racing circuit where Car 2 arrived at around 7:30pm, and Car 1 at around 8:00pm. The mechanics who had been on stand-by wasted no time to inspect the trucks. No problems were found with the trucks, and the mechanics just had some minor servicing to do including fine adjustments to Car 1's suspensions. On Jan. 3, contestants will be traveling westward within the borders of Argentina and race a 275km SS on their way from Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucuman. Yoshimasa Sugawara: I couldn't wait to start. There was a river crossing along the way, probably due to the rain, and we saw a truck that was stuck there. We will be facing a longer SS tomorrow so we will stay alert. Mitsugu Takahashi: I wasn't going to cut myself any slack for making mistakes like I did last year, my first time in this rally, so I'm approaching this with renewed focus and concentration. The course today was on a one track road, but there were a lot of pot holes and we saw many cautionary instructions. Teruhito Sugawara: We've been making great advances on our truck, and I'm happy that this rally that we've been looking so much forward to have finally started. We finished three minutes behind the top finisher on the 39km SS today, so that was a pretty solid performance. We might even be able to shorten this time difference in the longer stages that are upcoming. Hiroyuki Sugiura: Perhaps due to the fact that the truck is faster, it was hectic reading out the instruction sheet to the point that I fell behind a couple of times. I was also pleasantly surprised at the truck's improved riding comfort. ※These standings are all preliminary at the time of this writing as organizers had not yet set up their clocking HQ at the bivouac in Resistencia. No definite standing figures are available for the Under 10-litre Class either as these have not been shown on the results chart. .

Deutsche Welle / January 3, 2017 Germany's transport minister has riled government colleagues by greenlighting "mega-trucks" for regular use. The Environment Ministry says it was not consulted and that the trucks will be a disaster. Alexander Dobrindt believes Germany's highways are ready for longer trucks - what Germans have dubbed "gigaliners" - and may be driven on highways as of now. In a statement released in December, the conservative Transport Minister announced that the results of a five-year test phase were in, and that the "long-truck" was "practical." "It is safe, saves fuel and will lead neither to the shifting of traffic to the road, nor to a heavier burden on our infrastructure," Dobrindt said in a statement. "Two long-trucks replace three conventional trucks. And fewer vehicles mean fewer emissions." But others in the German government begged to differ, and, unusually for inter-ministry rows, were prepared to go public with their rancor. "The effects of the long-truck, its environmental impact, as well as effects on rail transport have not yet been sufficiently examined," Jochen Flasbarth, state secretary at the Environment Ministry, told the DPA news agency. "The Transport Ministry is creating precedents that aren't compatible with EU law." Longer, but more efficient Dobrindt's decision means that trucks of 25.25 meters (82.84 feet) - 6.5 meters longer than conventional trucks - can travel on Germany's major road network with immediate effect. Regulations have been lifted for three of the five types of gigaliner, while the test phases for the other two have been extended. The Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), which ran the tests, came to the conclusion that allowing mega-trucks would mean up to 25-percent fuel savings, and yet would not encourage logistics companies to favor road over rail. "Of course the CO2 emissions would go down if you only needed three trips instead of two," said Jens Hilgenberg, transport specialist at the environmental campaign group BUND. "But because of the cost advantage that this creates, then a lot of goods will be shifted from the rail back onto the roads." Hilgenberg also said long-trucks were bound to cause infrastructure headaches. "You'd certainly need to extend one or two highway on-ramps," he told DW. "Also no one seems to have considered that highways are sometimes closed. And knowing the logistics industry, they're not going to wait - of course they're going to go off and drive through villages, even if they're not allowed to. It will be unavoidable." The Pro-Rail Alliance, a collection of NGOs and companies aimed at promoting railway transport, rejected the ministry's plan outright, claiming that the introduction of long-trucks would lead to "7,000 more truck trips per day" across the country. The Pro-Rail Alliance argued that the example of Sweden, where long-trucks are already allowed, showed that railway companies would suffer, and the organization has now threatened to take legal action against Dobrindt for his "unilateral" decision. 'Nonsense' In an emailed statement to DW, the Transport Ministry responded to Flasbarth's accusations by underlining that there had been five years of tests, which had been "scientifically documented and transparently published," and that the Environment Ministry had been "included" in the decision to allow them onto the roads. "The Environment Ministry basically agreed with the special directive," said the ministry, before adding that the only objection it had voiced was over the length of time that one specific type of gigaliner could be licensed. Kirsten Lühmann, transport policy spokeswoman for the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), described the objections to gigaliners listed by BUND and the Pro-Rail Alliance as "nonsense." Not only was she convinced that they would reduce overall CO2 emissions, all the BASt field tests showed that they would not put railway operators out of business. "They are totally different cargos," she told DW. "You need a long-truck when you want to transport large-volume, lightweight goods in small quantities - for example washing machines. The railway companies say: 'Listen, we can only transport goods economically if we can fill a whole train - 50 cars stuffed full of washing machines.' These then have to be transported to distribution centers, where they would still have to be loaded onto trucks. And the businesses say: that's just not worth it." But Lühmann acknowledged that the Transport Ministry had not been fully open about the problems that long-trucks did cause in the tests. The BASt report "clearly showed there were problems on traffic circles and merging," she said. "If you want to merge a 25.25-meter vehicle into a road, you need a gap in both directions - now imagine it's a main road and it's rush hour in the morning. You'll be standing there 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and everyone will be backing up behind you as well." She added that there were also infrastructure problems still to settle - especially with traffic circles and the lack of rest stops with large enough parking spaces. But fundamentally she was satisfied that long-trucks were ready to roll on Germany's roads. .