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Big Rigs / October 25, 2016 When it comes to vintage trucking enthusiasts, it is interesting to note that a lot of the guys who own vintage trucks also have a tendency to run modern trucks in today's trucking industry. Fleets like Wickhams, Ray Marshall Transport, Kerden Bulk Haulage, all currently involved in the industry, and all having older trucks parked up in the shed. It's not just the big firms though, with many owner drivers having a vintage registration in their name as well as their own working truck. Hell, for some their vintage truck is their working truck. And the 2016 Clarendon Classic was a chance for these vintage mechanophiles to get together and share their machinery with like-minded folk. And what a lot of machinery there was. Run by the Sydney Antique Machinery Club, the Clarendon Classic attracted 4500 show-goers, with over 500 vehicles on display to the public over three days. This year saw the addition of the Kenworth Klassic, a one-make homage to the Kenworth brand, with KW fans from all over converging on the showground west of Sydney, to show their love of the brand. The Klos brothers, truck customisers extraordinaire, brought a fleet of 11 trucks and Big Rigs caught up Justin Klos to get his view on the show. Justin told us about one their latest builds, a completely rebuilt W900, with brand new parts used throughout. According to Justin; "it's this sort of truck that we used to see at shows as kids, and now we are working on them”. When asked about the Klos penchant for the brand, Justin told us "it's the quality in these trucks, it's what makes Kenworth, Kenworth”. An interesting truck at the show (and a personal favourite), was the 1981 cabover brought to the show by Rob Woolley. The truck is a tribute to trucking in the days leading up to the Razorback Blockade, with Rob going the extra mile in getting stickers made, with one printed up with Wransacked. Another nice touch are the radar springs fitted to the bullbar, a vain attempt from back in the day to stop the police being able to pick up a truck's speed on a radar gun. Well positioned in the Haulin' the Hume trailer set up to register Kenworth trucks as they pulled in, author and photographer Alice Mabin was busy over the course of the weekend selling copies of her book, The Driver. A photographic journey across Australia, the book contains over a thousand images and stories of everyday truckers, with Alice telling Big Rigs "it's a chance to show truck drivers from a different perspective, to show the public the good that truck drivers do”. Big Rigs caught up with one of the driving forces behind the event, Bruce Gunter, to discuss the Kenworth Klassic, and to get his thoughts on the success of the event. Bruce was quick to tell Big Rigs, "I'm absolutely pumped with the amount of attention this show is getting, from social media and people just being so positive about the whole endeavour.” "We do it because we are passionate about the brand; this is a show with no judging and awards, cutting down on the issues that might stop owners from wanting to enter their trucks in a show like this. "Although we have no awards, we have handed out some wood-carved KW badge mementoes, to those who promote the brand, who support an event like this. "This year, our first year, we have attracted 273 Kenworth trucks and put a smile on countless people's faces. We will be back next year, expect it to be massive.” Away from the Kenworth Klassic, the mix of machinery on show was amazing, with everything from Paul Dove's 1924 Sentinel steam-powered truck, to a V8 powered bulldozer, which was amazing to watch, even more amazing to hear at full noise. There was a chance for a ride on a trailer hooked up the back of a Porsche. Well, a Porsche tractor. Acres of stationary engines huffing and puffing, a Pratt and Whitney radial engine putting on regular shows, the most impressive sight (and sound) was that of the steam train running punters between Richmond and Mulgrave, it can definitely be said that the Sydney Antique Machinery Club definitely knows how to put on a rally. One entrant, Paul Gauci, had his International C2150 on display. Powered by a Cat 3208 motor, the truck is a testament to the passion that is shown by these enthusiasts, that this truck which rolled out of the factory 45 years ago has been driven here under its own power. We asked Paul about his favourite part of the show, and he replied, "it's great to be able to catch up, to be able to talk with so many like-minded people”. And he is right. At a show like this, you can walk up to an owner and chat with them about what machinery they have brought, everyone is happy to be amongst like-minded people who share a common passion. Photo gallery - http://www.bigrigs.com.au/news/kenworth-klassic-brings-in-the-good-at-clarendon/3104150/#/0

Scania Group Press Release / October 24, 2016 Better service intervals, training programs, and connected services are all factors that professionals consider will contribute to increased profitability for companies investing in Scania’s New Truck Generation. From September to the end of November, more than 9,100 drivers, transport company owners, and fleet managers from across Europe are invited to test Scania’s New Truck Generation. Invited guests test drive trucks in the new R- and S-series at the Scania DemoCentre. They will also learn more about how connected services can help transport companies achieve better profitability. An early sample of guests showed a real appreciation of the new driver environment and the advantages that connected services can bring to transport businesses. Judging by these early reactions, Scania’s New Truck Generation is already on the road to success. .

Mack Trucks workers approve three-year contract The Morning Call / October 24, 2016 Union workers at Mack Trucks have ratified a new, three-year labor agreement. United Auto Workers Local 677 posted Sunday night on its website that all local contracts passed ratification, with the master contract being approved "by 77 percent." Ed Balukas, Local 677 president, and company spokespeople did not return messages Monday seeking comment. Local workers voted Sunday at Willow Lane Elementary School in Lower Macungie Township, according to the union website. On Oct. 2, workers had reached a tentative agreement which covers 2,601 employees in three states, including Local 677 members in Allentown, Lower Macungie and Middletown, Dauphin County, in addition to other UAW local members in Hagerstown, Md., Baltimore and Jacksonville, Fla. Mack's 1-million-square-foot plant in Lower Macungie is where all Mack trucks built for the North American market and export are assembled. The company's Lehigh Valley Operations employ about 1,500 people. The new contract comes amid a decline in deliveries for the heavy-duty truck maker. On Friday, Mack Trucks reported its weakest third quarter for delivered trucks in six years. Mack said it fulfilled 3,963 trucks in the quarter, down 40 percent from the 6,623 it sent out during same quarter in 2015. That was the weakest output for Mack since 2010, when it delivered 3,144 trucks during the period. To meet the lower demand, Mack in July said it scheduled four down weeks in Lower Macungie. Two of those shutdowns, or temporary layoff weeks, occurred during the third quarter. In addition, Mack workers were idled last week and are scheduled for another shutdown the week of Dec. 12. Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner said Friday the company has added the week of Jan. 2 as another down week. In its report Friday, Volvo Group — Mack's Sweden-based corporate parent— said production in its North America manufacturing network will be "further reduced in the fourth quarter to allow for further inventory reduction at dealers." The decline in demand was expected, considering Mack realized 2015 would be the peak of the current buying cycle in the heavy-duty truck market, Heffner said. Mack delivered 27,411 vehicles in 2015, its strongest year since 2006. The local plant also has a new manager. Rickard Lundberg, a longtime executive within Volvo Group, started Oct. 1 as vice president and general manager of Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO).

Phase 2 truck emissions regulations officially slated for publication Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / October 24, 2016 A final rule to establish new emissions and fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, yielding huge fuel economy benefits, is expected to be published in the Federal Register Oct. 25 and take effect at the end of December. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration developed the Phase 2 greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency standards to immediately follow the Phase 1 standards, which will be fully implemented in 2017. Phase 2 standards will build on the Phase 1, according to the 2,762-page joint rulemaking. They are projected to boost fuel savings as much as 25 percent over the next decade, depending on the vehicle. The agencies admit the costs of Phase 2 are higher than that of Phase 1, but say the benefits of the standards “greatly exceed costs” and provide short payback periods that will result in “substantial net savings over the vehicle lifetime.” The agencies estimate payback time on tractors and trailers to be just two years. The payback period is estimated to be four years for vocational vehicles and approximately three years for heavy-duty pickups and vans. The rule calls for specific percentage reductions in carbon dioxide emissions for tractors, engines and trailers. Tractor standards for model year 2027 require at least 25 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption than a 2017 model year Phase 1 tractor. This can be achieved, the agencies say, through improvements in the engine, transmission, driveline, aerodynamic design, tire rolling resistance, idle performance or other aspects of the tractor. By 2027, the rule requires engines to achieve reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption that are 5.1 percent better than the 2017 baseline. The rule also requires engines to reduce emissions by 1.8 percent by 2021 and 4.2 percent by 2024. The rule also requires 2021 model year combination tractors and engines to achieve up to 14 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption from a model year 2017 truck, and 20 percent in model year 2024 before meeting the 25 percent reduction by 2027. The Phase 2 rulemaking introduces for the first time standards on trailers, which begins with model year 2018 trailers. The rule states these standards can be achieved through tire and aerodynamic technologies that are already on the market. EPA also proposed a number of changes and clarifications for rules respecting glider kits and glider vehicles. A glider kit is considered a vehicle when “it includes a passenger compartment attached to a frame with one or more axles.” The rule contains standards for glider vehicles, but no separate standards for glider kits. Under the final rule, gliders will generally be considered new trucks, and the engines installed in them must be compliant with the model year in which the truck is assembled.

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / October 24, 2016 The “low hanging fruit” in terms of making relatively easy safety improvements is largely picked. Rob Abbott will tell you that if you look at long-term motor carrier safety trends over the last 30 years, you’ll note that there’s been a steep decline in the crash rate for large trucks. But if you narrow that focus to the last decade or so, you’ll note that the decline hasn’t been as steep. He told Fleet Owner the reason for this “leveling off” is simple: much of the “low hanging fruit” in terms of safety improvements, especially when it comes to vehicle technology, has already been picked. “We’ve already gone after the low-hanging fruit such as better braking systems, limiting speed, better stability control, and advanced driver screening,” explained Abbott, who now heads up the commercial trucking team at Lytx after serving as vice president for safety policy for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) trade group. “Fleets now have to work even harder to find the next safety revolution tool,” he noted. As an illustration of this “safety leveling” trend can be found in the Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2014 report issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) back in April. Take just fatal crashes involving large truck and buses by themselves: from 1979 to 2009, total fatal crashes dropped from 6,007 to 3,193 – a decline of 46% or some 2,814 fatal crashes. But from 2009 to 2014 – not quite a decade – fatal crashes increased from 3,193 to 3,649; an increase of 456 crashes or 12%. If you look at the large crash rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) a similar “leveling off” occurs as well. From 1979 to 2009, the rate dropped from 5.6 all the way down to 1.1, FMCSA reported, but between 2009 and 2014, the rate inched up from 1.1 to 1.3. Abbott believes that the “next step” needed in order to produce further improvements in crash rates will revolve around video systems, especially in terms of how they can improve the coaching of drivers. “Video is important for two reasons: one is that it provides evidence to vindicate a truck driver’s story. And, two, it will help the industry coach drivers to do more of the right things,” he said. “Because driver behavior is the main factor in 87% of [truck] crash events. And we’re not talking just the truck driver here; we’re talking about other motorists, too. Truck drivers are frustrated by other motorist [behavior] and video can help vindicate their [truck driver] stories about [motorist] lane departures and sudden braking. Truck drivers are eager for that evidence.” Such video evidence may also be the key to gaining what Abbott called a “truer picture” of the trucking industry’s safety performance as well. “At ATA we used videos at Congressional hearings to show irresponsible motorists cutting off trucks and causing crashes – yet how those crashes still counted against a [motor] carrier’s CSA score,” he pointed out. “So as more video data becomes publicly available, that could become possible leverage for re-examining the industry’s safety picture.”

Two-truck platooning is not self-driving trucks Michael Roeth, Fleet Owner / October 24, 2016 There are fuel efficiency gains, but it requires training for drivers and technicians Our recent Confidence Report on platooning showed that there is a real-world average mpg gain of 4% for the pair of vehicles in a two-truck platoon, with most of the savings going to the follower vehicle. In doing our research for the Confidence Report one thing became clear for platooning to be a success there is a need for training. First the drivers will need to know how the system will react to a variety of road situations. They also will need to learn to know when to trust the system and when it’s time for them to take total control of the vehicle. Technicians will also need to be trained to maintain these more complex vehicles and trouble shoot a range of newer technologies, electronics and sensors. Remember we are still in the early stages of these systems and much will be learned by field testing and early production use. Engineers are not omniscient and highways have a lot of variables that the trucks and drivers must deal with. So, while we have made good progress we still have a long way to go. Speaking of drivers, one of the most interesting findings from the report concerns the perception that two-truck platooning requires driverless trucks. In other words, two-truck platooning is not fully autonomous/driverless trucking and it is being improperly grouped with that concept. This is unfortunate because the benefits are large for this use of currently available safety technologies and for this misconception to be a barrier surprised out project team. In the study package, NACFE offers a payback calculator and we think fleets big and small should put platooning on their list of emerging technologies to explore. Who knows if self-driving trucks will come sooner or later, but I think that an excellent bridge to those days is two-truck platooning utilizing our professional drivers to take most advantage of all the benefits it offers. Whatever your job in the trucking industry, have a look at the autonomous evolution, not revolution that we are making. Drivers are critical as they were when we moved to cruise control, automated transmissions and all the other automation we’ve already implemented.

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner / October 24, 2016 Here’s an unpleasant thought: all the workplace technology that’s been deployed in recent years by the U.S. business community to make administrative work easier and more efficient is doing basically diddly squat. In fact, if a new global study from The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and Coleman Parkes Research is correct, U.S. businesses waste $687 billion per year on unnecessary administrative work, significantly more than any other country. That equates to an estimated cost of $4,554 per employee per organization on “burdensome tasks” that are not directly related to employees’ core job roles this study, entitled The $687 Billion Question, determined. How much of that $687 billion is coming out of trucking’s pocket? I shudder to think about it. “It’s clear that a small thing, such as a single hour wasted, can make a huge difference when multiplied across hundreds or thousands of employees,” noted Joyce Maroney, director of the Workforce Institute at Kronos, in the report. “At the same time, this research shows that the average day is also becoming increasingly complicated for employees, with a large proportion of time being spent managing complexity instead of adding value,” she said. “This is not how employees want to spend their days. As a society, we’ve reached an important junction where workforce demographics, working patterns, and employee expectations are changing,” Maroney added. “Treating people as an asset rather than a commodity is essential to achieving true workforce engagement, which will only further support efforts to attract and retain top talent.” This study also found that the U.S. workforce is “hindered” by complexity, low productivity, and poor-performing technology. Here are a few of its findings that explain why: By reducing the burden of admin work by one hour per week, U.S. organizations would save $1,518 per employee, for a total of $229 billion annually. According to the study, respondents average 3.1 hours per week on administrative tasks unrelated to their core job roles. Just 15% of all respondents say employee productivity is very strong within their organization. Manual processes are burdensome, with 78% of respondents citing this as a cause of lost productivity. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of operations/line of business managers report that outdated systems/technology are the biggest workforce management challenge. Up-to-date technology would improve employee engagement, according to 72% of all respondents. Only 12% of all respondents surveyed rate employee engagement as very strong within their organization. Communication continues to be a barrier, as nearly three out of every four respondents (73%) said better communication with management will help them feel more engaged. Some organizations may feel as though there is a leadership void, as nearly three out of five respondents (59%) believe that the CEO is focused on finances rather than employees. Only 31% of human resource (HR) professionals surveyed rated their people among the top three assets of their organization, despite national discussion about the importance of employee engagement. Some 65% percent of respondents find it difficult to complete all of their tasks in a typical work day (which mirrors a 2016 Workforce Institute survey on overtime.) In fact, 48% of operations/line of business managers, 47% of HR professionals, and 38% of employees say their working life is too complicated. Management demands, internal politics, unrealistic workloads, lack of staff availability, plus poor technology support create a “perfect storm” of complexity that detracts from providing high levels of customer service, according to respondents. Respondents believe reducing administration and paperwork, providing the right technology to automate tasks, and improving structure/support within and among departments would allow them to more time to think and plan, address high priority tasks, and focus on customers. Here’s another tidbit from this survey that trucking should pay close attention to: Monetary rewards are no longer the sole motivator for employees, noted Ian Parkes, director of Coleman Parkes Research, which is why organizations should focus on communication, collaboration, and culture to keep employees engaged. “Employees need to feel valued to go the extra mile and provide discretionary input, and managers must lead by example to create a culture of communication and collaboration,” he said in the report. “However, this just isn’t possible in many organizations as both employees and managers are faced with increasingly complicated workdays.” Parkes added that, when it comes to reasons to leave their job, compensation is seventh on the list, with respondents stating they are more likely to resign due to lack of direction, lack of focus, not seeing their future role in the company, not feeling valued, not feeling understood, and not getting along with their manager. [Note this, though: 58% of the workers polled in this study admitted that rewards and incentives would likely increase productivity.] Parkes also stressed that while technology remains “essential,” but if it is outdated, poorly implemented, or lacks a purpose, it will only add to the complexity. Instead, organizations should focus on technology investments that help everyone focus on, and streamline their core job duties and add value to the company – and that includes managers, too. “By reducing the unnecessary administrative burden that managers are also facing, managers will be able to dedicate more time to communicating the organization’s vision, collaborating more closely with team members, and fostering a high-performing work environment,” Parkes pointed out. And if it helps trucking win back some of that $687 billion pie to its bottom line, all the better.

None of us knows either candidate personally. We only know what we hear/read on the news. Few of us have great faith in the news being impartial, accurate and complete. I'd wager we are only privy to 15 per cent of important "news", accurately reported in full, domestically and around the world. "Based on what we hear and read", knowing that there usually is fire where there is smoke, neither candidate is appropriate to assume the position of president. The exact details of their past actions, we'll surely never know. I can imagine a back-room agreement in which they have drawn an agreed to line in the sand, a demarcation line, an act of self-preservation.

Not my number, David. Like you, I don't trust the news to be complete and fully accurate. But short of personally being there, it's all we have. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL_PREMIUMS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-10-24-19-50-10

The Wall Street Journal / October 24, 2016 Detroit’s truck wars are heating up with auto makers pledging billions of dollars for pickup truck and sport-utility vehicle production over the next three years despite fears that the U.S. auto market is peaking. General Motors Co. , Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV plan to invest heavily to boost output of existing models and make room for new ones. While Ford said this month it is trimming some pickup production, it still plans to add new SUVs to its lineup and reintroduce a midsize pickup by 2019. The auto industry’s annual full-size pickup capacity is expected to grow 5%, or by 206,000 vehicles, by 2019. Large SUV capacity could increase about 16%. Detroit auto makers have been reluctant to add capacity following years of costly plant closings, and analysts are concerned the market will cool by the time the new output hits dealer lots. Popular when fuel is cheap and the economy is good, heavier vehicles suffer when gasoline prices spike or the housing and jobs markets soften. Being overly cautious, however, can limit profits. Pickups and large SUVs deliver much of the profit at domestic auto makers. Citigroup estimates the vehicles contribute as much as 67% of North American operating profits at Ford and GM, equivalent to nearly $9 billion in the first half of 2016. Full-size pickups and large SUVs accounted for about 16% of total U.S. vehicle sales during the first nine months of 2016. GM last month agreed to boost pickup production in Canada as part of a labor deal, people familiar with its plans said. Ford will begin building a new version of the Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup in Michigan starting in 2018, replacing the Focus small car it is moving to Mexico. And Chrysler is phasing out small- and medium-size sedans to make room for more pickup trucks and new versions of its popular Jeep SUV. There are already signs light-truck production is outstripping demand. In addition to Ford’s production trims, Fiat Chrysler’s Ram pickup division in September began a two-month promotion it called the “strongest truck program EVER.” The discounts were as much as an $11,600 price cut on certain models. One customer at Rentschler Chrysler Jeep Dodge near Allentown, Pennsylvania, this month landed a $56,000 Ram for $41,000, taking advantage of various promotions. Those deals “really drive our Ram traffic,” dealer Greg Rentschler said. GM responded this month with an $11,000 discount on a popular version of the Chevrolet Silverado. “When you start taking 11 grand off a truck, I can’t sell a used one for what I’m selling some of the new ones,” said Steve Rayman, owner of a large Chevrolet dealership in Marietta, Ga. Ford recently said it would idle a Kansas City, Mo., F-150 plant to better match production with supply. Its F-series pickup sales for the first three quarters were up 6% from a year earlier. Detroit has a lock on the U.S. markets for full-size pickups and large SUVs with 94% and 62% market share, respectively, despite efforts by Toyota Motor Corp. , Nissan Motor Co. and others to gain in these lucrative segments. The average price for full-size pickups has climbed 33% since 2010 to about $46,700 this year, nearly triple the growth rate for the entire market. Inventories, however, are rising after six years of steady sales gains. The U.S. supply of large pickups in September was 11% higher than a year earlier. In part, Toyota and Nissan have relatively new versions of their trucks and are beefing up supply in a bid to take market share. Analysts say filling dealer lots with more Rams, Chevy Tahoes or Ford F-150s could upset the oligopolistic pricing power enjoyed by the Detroit Three if demand doesn’t rise with the greater supply. Full-size truck demand also may be threatened by the success of smaller trucks like GM’s Chevrolet Colorado, a brisk seller since its introduction two years ago. Ford and Fiat Chrysler are developing midsize trucks for near-term introduction. GM has suffered from tighter dealer inventories, so the company’s immediate plan is to recapture lost sales. “We could sell more if we had more,” GM North America President Alan Batey said recently. “I’d be happy to have 10 to 15 more days’ supply.” GM typically carries 80 days of sales of full-size trucks at dealers. Mr. Batey said GM is confident its products can compete. “If we don’t have the best truck, more capacity is not going to help me,” he said.

Obama administration confirms double-digit premium hikes Associated Press / October 24, 2016 Premiums will go up sharply next year under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer, the administration confirmed Monday. That's sure to stoke another "Obamacare" controversy days before a presidential election. Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less. Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will only have plans from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles. "Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period," said Larry Levitt, who tracks the health care law for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Republicans pounced on the numbers as a warning that insurance markets created by the 2010 health overhaul are teetering toward a "death spiral." Sign-up season starts Nov. 1, about a week before national elections in which the GOP remains committed to a full repeal. "It's over for Obamacare," Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said at a campaign rally Monday evening in Tampa, Florida. Trump said his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, "wants to double down and make it more expensive and it's not gonna work. ... Our country can't afford it, you can't afford it." He promised his own plan would deliver "great health care at a fraction of the cost." The new numbers aren't too surprising, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who chairs a committee that oversees the law. It "does little to dispel the notion we are seeing the law implode at the expense of middle-class families." HHS essentially confirmed state-by-state reports that have been coming in for months. Window shopping for plans and premiums is already available through HealthCare.gov. Administration officials are stressing that subsidies provided under the law, which are designed to rise alongside premiums, will insulate most customers from sticker shock. They add that consumers who are willing to switch to cheaper plans will still be able to find bargains. "Headline rates are generally rising faster than in previous years," acknowledged HHS spokesman Kevin Griffis. But he added that for most consumers, "headline rates are not what they pay." The vast majority of the more than 10 million customers who purchase through HealthCare.gov and its state-run counterparts do receive generous financial assistance. "Enrollment is concentrated among very low-income individuals who receive significant government subsidies to reduce premiums and cost-sharing," said Caroline Pearson of the consulting firm Avalere Health But an estimated 5 million to 7 million people are either not eligible for the income-based assistance, or they buy individual policies outside of the health law's markets, where the subsidies are not available. The administration is urging the latter group to check out HealthCare.gov. The spike in premiums generally does not affect the employer-provided plans that cover most workers and their families. In some states, the premium increases are striking. In Arizona, unsubsidized premiums for a hypothetical 27-year-old buying a benchmark "second-lowest cost silver plan" will jump by 116 percent, from $196 to $422, according to the administration report. But HHS said if that hypothetical consumer has a fairly modest income, making $25,000 a year, the subsidies would cover $280 of the new premium, and the consumer would pay $142. Caveat: if the consumer is making $30,000 or $40,000 his or her subsidy would be significantly lower. Dwindling choice is another issue. The total number of HealthCare.gov insurers will drop from 232 this year to 167 in 2017, a loss of 28 percent. (Insurers are counted multiple times if they offer coverage in more than one state. So Aetna, for example, would count once in each state that it participated in.) Switching insurers may not be simple for patients with chronic conditions. While many carriers are offering a choice of plan designs, most use a single prescription formulary and physician network across all their products, explained Pearson. "So, enrollees may need to change doctors or drugs when they switch insurers," she said. Overall, it's shaping up to be the most difficult sign-up season since HealthCare.gov launched in 2013 and the computer system froze up. Enrollment has been lower than initially projected, and insurers say patients turned out to be sicker than expected. Moreover, a complex internal system to help stabilize premiums has not worked as hoped for. Nonetheless, Obama says the underlying structure of the law is sound, and current problems are only "growing pains." The president has called for a government-sponsored "public option" insurance plan to compete with private companies. Republicans, including Trump, are united in calling for complete repeal, but they have not spelled out how they would address the problems of the uninsured. Clinton has proposed an array of fixes, including sweetening the law's subsidies and allowing more people to qualify for financial assistance. The law makes carrying health insurance a legal obligation for most people, and prohibits insurers for turning away the sick. It offers subsidized private plans to people who don't have coverage through their jobs, along with a state option to expand Medicaid for low-income people. Largely as a result, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped below 9 percent, a historically low level. More than 21 million people have gained coverage since the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010.

When you contacted Watt's Mack (provider of the BMT website) at 1-888-304-6225 with your truck's model and serial number off the vehicle identification plate on the driver's door, what did they say? I'm sure they can supply you with a new fuel tank strap (rectangular or round tank) and the 12AX128P150 rubber insulator (150 inch length - cut to fit).

The Washington Post / October 24, 2016 The Pentagon is reviewing how to resolve the cases of thousands of Army National Guard members who received enlistment bonuses of at least $15,000, only to be told later that the money wasn’t really theirs and must be repaid. About 10,500 members of the California Army National Guard could be affected, said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. The military offered similar bonuses to Guard members in other parts of the country but hasn’t disclosed how many. Davis said Monday that senior Pentagon leaders are “looking very closely at this matter.” Officials deemed the bonuses in California improper and have established a process for service members to argue that they should not repay the money. “We continue to encourage service members who have been impacted by this situation to pursue those reviews and any relief they may be entitled to receive,” Davis said. “In the meantime, [the Defense Department] will work with the Army, the National Guard Bureau and the California Army National Guard and others to strengthen efforts to respond to this situation.” At least some of the California cases, first reported by the Los Angeles Times on Saturday, tie to a criminal investigation in which thousands of soldiers received improper bonuses and at least one soldier, Master Sgt. Toni Jaffe, pleaded guilty in 2011 to filing false claims while serving as incentive manager for the California Army National Guard. But the Pentagon also acknowledges that similar cases exist elsewhere. The National Guard Bureau on Monday referred [dodged] all questions to the Pentagon. Davis said the Defense Department has the authority to waive individual cases after a review by an organization known as the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA). The office, however, does not have the authority to waive all cases of a similar nature at one time, and it can take months for a service member to schedule a hearing. Davis said that in some cases, service members will be able to seek waivers through the appeal system that presently exists. In others, the Defense Department may need to work with Congress to change existing laws that define how repayments are required and reviewed, he said. “I think we always know the importance of keeping faith with our people,” Davis said. “People who volunteer to serve in the armed forces do so at great sacrifice to their own personal lives and to their families, and we want to keep faith with them. This has our attention, and we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can within the boundaries of the law to help our people.” The California National Guard refused to comment on Monday, but released a statement Sunday saying that it does not have the authority to waive repayments that the National Guard Bureau and the Army Department oversees. “The California National Guard welcomes any law passed by Congress to waive these debts,” the statement said. “Until that time, our priority is to advocate for our Soldiers through this ‘difficult process’.” The California cases have attracted the attention of Congress. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R.-Calif.) said in a statement Monday that it is “disgraceful” that service members face the prospect of repaying money they were offered. “Our military heroes should not shoulder the burden of military recruiters’ faults from over a decade ago,” McCarthy said. “They should not owe for what was promised during a difficult time in our country. Rather, we are the ones who owe a debt for the great sacrifices our heroes have made — some of whom unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice.” Rep. Duncan Hunter (R.-Calif.) said in a letter sent to Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter on Sunday that the Pentagon asking for the money back was “disgraceful and insulting,” and requested that Carter intervene directly. “I find it difficult to believe that either you or your leadership team was aware that such a boneheaded decision was made to demand repayment — and I ask that you utilize your authority to influence a solution, including a possible legislative fix if deemed necessary, that’s in the best interests of the individuals and families impacted,” Hunter wrote. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) added that she was “shocked by the actions of the Pentagon and the California National Guard,” and that she considers it unacceptable to “hold these brave men and women accountable for the mistakes of their superiors.” Davis said there are parallels between the California cases and others that were resolved in June in which members of the Pentagon’s civilian bomb squad could have been required to pay back up to $173,000 each that the Defense Department determined they were erroneously paid since 2008. The decision was announced shortly after a Washington Post article detailed the hardships that members of the unit faced. In those cases, bomb squad members were recruited with the promise of receiving a 25 percent salary boost in hazardous-duty pay. A Pentagon agency later determined that the members were not eligible for the incentive, after all. The unit still exists, but now includes just a handful of members and has been unable to fill existing holes in its staff as employees leave for other jobs.

America’s grip on the Pacific is loosening Gideon Rachman, The Financial Times / October 24, 2016 There is more than bluster involved in the Philippines’ pivot towards China Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are criss-crossing America in the last frantic weeks of the presidential election campaign. But events will not stand still, while “America decides”. On the other side of the world, the US has just suffered a significant strategic reverse. That setback is the apparent decision by the Philippines to switch sides in the emerging power struggle between the US and China. On a visit to Beijing last week, Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, announced a “separation” from the US and a new special relationship between his country and China. In one of the odder diplomatic pronouncements of an odd year, Mr Duterte proclaimed in the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital: “There are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way.” This statement was greeted by warm applause from his audience. Mr Duterte has a tendency to shoot his mouth off. In an appearance soon after taking office, he made headlines by calling US president Barack Obama the “son of a whore”. But there is more than mere bluster involved in the Duterte pivot. The Filipino leader has also said that he intends to end military co-operation with the US. Joint naval patrols in the Pacific will apparently come to a stop, as will joint counter-­terrorism operations on the southern island of Mindanao. Some American strategists are worried that the Philippines might even now become a base for the swiftly expanding Chinese navy. Mrs Clinton, in particular, will understand the significance of all this. A central theme of her period at the state department was an effort to bolster America’s position in Asia and the Pacific. It was Mrs Clinton who proclaimed in 2010 that the US has a “national interest” in freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. This statement outraged the Chinese, whose famous “nine-dash line” on oceanic maps appears to claim that almost all of the South China Sea lies within Beijing’s territorial waters. As Mrs Clinton told Goldman Sachs, in a speech given in 2013 and recently leaked, she is worried that China’s maritime claims will give it a “chokehold on sea lanes and also on the countries that border the South China Sea”. Those concerns have since been further stoked by China’s programme of “island” building in the disputed waters. The Philippines was at the centre of America’s strategic and legal efforts to loosen China’s potential chokehold over the South China Sea. Some of the tensest disputes in the sea — such as arguments over the ownership of Scarborough Shoal — involve a face-off between China and the Philippines. It was Manila that brought a legal challenge against Beijing’s claims over the South China Sea, winning a ruling at an international tribunal in July. This ruling is crucial to Washington’s argument that its dispute with China is not a crude power struggle but rather an effort, by the US, to protect the international legal order in the interests of all. On a purely strategic level, the Philippines is (or was) also vital to America’s efforts to counter the military facilities that China seems to be building on its artificial islands. Earlier this year, Manila and Washington agreed to increase America’s military presence in five bases on Filipino territory, including an air base on the island of Palawan, very close to the disputed Spratly Islands. Those US-Philippine agreements now look likely to be revoked. More broadly, America’s moral case for “standing up to China” looks much weaker if China’s own neighbours no longer seem so worried by its territorial claims. Some American strategists take comfort from Mr Duterte’s obvious eccentricity. They argue that, in the long run, the Philippines will rediscover its strategic interest in seeking the protection of Uncle Sam. But it is also possible that Mr Duterte, for all his wild man antics, is actually part of a larger trend in Southeast Asia. Next year, the Philippines will lead the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. And this will happen just as two other important US allies in the region — Thailand and Malaysia — have begun to tilt towards China. The military coup in Thailand in 2014 led to a downturn in relations between Bangkok and Washington, as the Americans called for a swift return to democracy and the Thai generals resisted. In 2015, Thailand announced the purchase of Chinese submarines. Najib Razak, the prime minister of Malaysia, has also looked to Beijing for succour as he has attempted to fend off corruption investigations in the west. Faced with all these setbacks in Southeast Asia, the US will be on the lookout for some new diplomatic and strategic opportunities. One country that seems certain to continue to push back against Chinese dominance of the region is Vietnam. This month, the USS Frank Cable and the USS John S McCain became the first two American warships to visit the Vietnamese naval base of Cam Ranh Bay since the end of the Vietnam war in 1975. At the height of that war, Cam Ranh Bay served as a crucial base for both the US Navy and Air Force in the fight against North Vietnam. It is a historic irony, and a sign of how the rise of China is changing Asia, that Vietnam could yet invite the US military back to Cam Ranh Bay — this time as an ally, not an enemy.

Trump took $17 million in insurance for damage few remember Associated Press / October 25, 2016 Donald Trump said he received a $17 million insurance payment in 2005 for hurricane damage to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, but The Associated Press found little evidence of such large-scale damage. Two years after a series of storms, the real estate tycoon said he didn't know how much had been spent on repairs but acknowledged he pocketed some of the money. Trump transferred funds into his personal accounts, saying that under the terms of his policy, "you didn't have to reinvest it." In a deposition in an unrelated civil lawsuit, Trump said he got the cash from a "very good insurance policy" and cited ongoing work to the historic home. "Landscaping, roofing, walls, painting, leaks, artwork in the — you know, the great tapestries, tiles, Spanish tiles, the beach, the erosion," he said of the storm damage. "It's still not what it was." Trump's description of extensive damage does not match those of Mar-a-Lago members and even Trump loyalists. In an interview about the estate's history, Trump's longtime former butler, Anthony Senecal, recalled no catastrophic damage. He said Hurricane Wilma, the last of a string of storms that barreled through in 2004 and 2005, flattened trees behind Mar-a-Lago, but the house itself only lost some roof tiles. [$17 million......a few roof tiles] "That house has never been seriously damaged," said Senecal, discussing Mar-a-Lago's luck with hurricanes. "I was there for all of them." Just over two weeks after Wilma, Trump hosted 370 guests at Mar-a-Lago for the wedding of his son Donald Jr. While part of that celebration did have to be moved away from the front lawn due to hurricane damage, wedding photographs by Getty Images showed the house, pools, cabanas and landscaping in good repair. Valuations for Mar-a-Lago are subjective, but Forbes estimated the 110,000-square-foot property's value at $150 million in its most recent appraisal of Trump's net worth. The estate's historic nature would add to any repair costs, but Tim Frank, Palm Beach's planning administrator at the time of the hurricanes, said $17 million in work would have required "dozens, maybe scores of workers." In 2004, Trump built a 20,000-square-foot ballroom from scratch for less than $6 million, according to building permits. Palm Beach building department records show no permits for construction on that scale after the storms. Permits reflected smaller projects, including installation of new grease traps in the kitchen and tree trimming along the road. The only permits that appeared hurricane-related were for $3,000 in repairs to storm-damaged outdoor lighting and the vacuuming of sand from the property's beachfront pool. Likewise, records of the city's Landmarks and Preservation Commission reflected no repair work conducted following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. The $17 million Mar-a-Lago insurance payment surfaced during a 2007 deposition in Trump's unsuccessful libel lawsuit against journalist Tim O'Brien, whom Trump accused of underestimating his wealth. As part of the case, O'Brien's attorneys were permitted to review Trump's financial records, including some from the Mar-a-Lago Club. They asked Trump to quantify the damage and explain why he had pocketed money instead of spending it on repairs. Trump said repairs were ongoing, but acknowledged he could not remember which hurricane had damaged Mar-a-Lago or when it hit. "We continue to spend the money because we continue to suffer the ravages of that hurricane," Trump said. "We're continuously spending money. It really beat up Mar-a-Lago very badly." The insurance adjustor who assessed the insurance claim, Hank Stein of VeriClaim Inc., said there had been damage to Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach and damage to Mar-a-Lago's roof and landscaping, but he could not remember details. Trump declined to provide the AP with records about the insurance claim or answer specific questions about damage at Mar-a-Lago. Stein, who has since left VeriClaim for another firm, said he remembered water damage from rain after windows to an observation deck atop the mansion blew open. "I wish I could give you some more information on the breakdown," he said. Under local rules, major repairs would have required Trump to request a permit and pay permit fees. If such work were performed without permits, that could have avoided as much as $450,000 in fees but would have likely been illegal. The city's former planning administrator said getting away with such extensive, unpermitted work would have been unlikely. Frank cited both his own agency's vigilance and wealthy Palm Beach residents' habit of calling out each other's code violations. Once, Trump's neighbors hired lawyers to report suspicions that he improperly let guests sleep in poolside cabanas during a wedding. "If there were $17 million dollars of damage, we sure as hell would have known about that," said Frank. "I would have known if there was anything in the magnitude of $100,000." The Republican mayor of Palm Beach at the time — and Mar-a-Lago member — Jack McDonald, agreed: "I am unable to comprehend $17 million in reimbursable damage." Jane Day, the city's former historical preservation consultant, who helped oversee Mar-a-Lago's conversion to a private club and who has visited in the years since as a guest, also was mystified. "This is the first I'm hearing of it." Frank said the commission would have granted immediate approval to simple repairs, but Trump or his contractors would still have needed to file for permits. "If they changed the door knobs I was supposed to review it," Frank said. Much of Trump's property insurance business has long been handled by Pamela Newman, a leading insurance broker for Aon Risk Services Inc. Neither Newman nor AON would discuss the case with AP. Two former Aon employees familiar with the company's work for Trump said Trump's company was routinely late on insurance premium payments and regularly threatened to take its business elsewhere. [How many of us know this type of wealthy individual?] They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential business matters and because they feared retribution since they continue to work in the insurance industry. Representing Trump allowed Newman to bring up her work on behalf of Trump in sales pitches to wealthy clients, sometimes offering him as a reference, the employees said. Newman's ties to Trump have endured. He and she both sit on the board of New York's Police Athletic League. She has attended galas at Mar-a-Lago and donated the legal maximum of $2,700 to his presidential exploratory committee before he announced his run. She followed up last July with $25,000 in donations to the Make America Great Again PAC, according to Federal Election Commission records. According to the Trump deposition, Newman led the effort to obtain a payout on the Mar-a-Lago insurance policy. Trump did not identify which insurer actually footed the bill and the AP was unable to identify who paid the claim. Documenting an insurance claim as large as the one that Trump made on Mar-a-Lago typically involves extensive verification of the damage. Stein said the process went smoothly and that he worked closely with both Newman and a senior Trump executive, Matt Calamari. "It would have been myself along with an adjustment team," he said. "It was a thorough investigation." In the depositions, Trump said he knew little about that process that produced his $17 million payday, but praised the policy and said Newman took care of it. "We had a very good insurance policy, actually," he said.

Evan McMullin: Why I'm Running For President The National Interest / October 24, 2016 I am running for president [independent candidate] because I believe that settling for the lesser of two evils is still evil. Just a few months ago, I was still one of millions of voters who refused to accept the depressing choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, neither of whom is fit to serve as commander-and-chief. Like all those others, I was waiting for a true leader to stand up and give Americans a better choice. No one did. As the deadlines for ballot access approached, I said that I would stand up, even if I had no national reputation, no personal fortune, and no party behind me. Now voters in 43 states can cast their votes on my behalf. My name is on the ballot in eleven states and I am eligible as a write-in in the others. Now, in what little time remains before Election Day, I have to let voters know who I am and what I stand for. The answer to those questions begins with my family, which came to America in search of greater freedom and economic opportunity My family came to America in search of greater freedom and economic opportunity. On my father’s side, the McMullins left Ireland in the 1600s to settle in what would become Massachusetts. Later they would cross the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains to seek a better life and the freedom to worship. The story of my family’s search for liberty is the prism through which I see America’s role in the world. Of course, my family’s story is hardly unique. The same values of liberty and equality that brought my ancestors to America inspire billions—and not just those who immigrate here, but all those around the world who look toward to the United States as an example. Although far from perfect, we are a unique force for good in the world. That is why so many other countries welcome our protection rather than fearing our power. I know many Americans may question why they should care about events in far-flung corners of the globe. After all, the wars of today are messy and less clear-cut than many conflicts of the past. While I understand this sentiment, I believe America cannot afford to give in to the siren song of isolation. After all, our world today is effectively smaller than it has ever been. Just as the Ebola virus in West Africa made its way to our shores, so too have Islamic radicalism and cyberattacks from states like Russia and China. The reality is that whether or not we ignore the rest of the world, what happens beyond our shores ultimately shapes us here at home. At the same time, we must exercise leadership in a prudent way. One of the most important mistakes to avoid is the premature use of force. That is why I opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003. As an intelligence officer who saw it firsthand, I believe the war was a tragic and expensive mistake. I say this even though I remain proud of my service in Iraq as an officer with the CIA. The valor, courage, and integrity displayed by American forces in Iraq were extraordinary. We overthrew a brutal tyrant and then fought a long war to defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq. These were noble objectives but not sufficient justification for the cost of fighting. The great challenge we face today is how to reconcile the imperative of global leadership with the necessity of reining in its costs. Whereas the war in Iraq illustrates the dangers of doing too much, the myriad failures of the Obama administration demonstrate the costs of retreating into passivity and compromising our principles. If we had struck the Islamic State much earlier, before it spread across Syria and Iraq and before it beheaded American citizens, we could’ve crushed it at a much lower cost. Instead, we now have 5 thousand troops in Iraq while ISIS is launching attacks across Europe and inspiring massacres in the United States. Given the importance of strength, it is especially regrettable that the Obama administration has begun to implement about $900 billion in defense cuts, leaving our military too old, too small, and not sufficiently ready to meet the demands of a chaotic world. As a first step toward restoring American leadership, I would reverse those cuts so that our troops have the training and equipment they deserve. To lead, America must restore its reputation as a trusted ally and a feared enemy. The purpose of rebuilding our military is not to fight wars, but to prevent them. George Washington made this point very effectively in his first State of the Union address in 1790. As he said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” Over the past fifteen years, our troops and their families have borne a tremendous burden, for which the entire country is grateful. I am the only candidate who has experienced war firsthand. I have seen the horror and destruction up close, which is why I hate it so much. As President, there are eight principles I would follow in order to reconcile the demands of leadership with the limits of our power and resources: 1. The president’s personal conduct should exemplify our democratic ideals. The president must demonstrate the honesty and integrity we expect of our leaders while rejecting all forms of bigotry and prejudice. 2. Violating fundamental human rights weakens our country and subverts our leadership. Torture is un-American and so is taking revenge on our enemies’ wives and children. 3. The cost of preparing for war is much less than the cost of fighting one. Our next president must rebuild and modernize the U.S. military; the men and women who risk their lives on our behalf deserve the most advanced technologies and rigorous training available. 4. Strong alliances and partnerships generate security and stability. They deter conflict and reduce the need for the United States to assume the costs and risks of acting alone. 5. Deal with problems before they become full blown crises. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 6. Invest in intelligence and diplomacy. These are the early warning systems that help us to understand which problems have the potential to become a crisis. 7. Through peaceful means, promote democracy and human rights. Countries that respect their own citizens are far more likely to become our partners rather than our adversaries. 8. No other country is willing or able to lead decisively on a global scale. We are still the indispensable nation. These principles embody my solemn pledge to all Americans—but especially our men and women in uniform—that while I will do everything in my power to prevent war, I will also never pretend that inaction is a guarantee of security and peace. I’m under no illusions at the scale of the challenges before us. My campaign launched on August 8th, giving us just three months until Election Day. I began this campaign with zero name recognition, no fundraising list, and no national party upon which I could call for support. In the weeks since then, my running mate Mindy Finn and I have connected with voters across the country. According to the latest polling, I am now in a dead heat with or beating Donald Trump for the lead in Utah. The enthusiasm there is spilling into the neighboring states of Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Can I win? If the race narrows, winning just a few states like Utah could prove enough to prevent both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton from reaching a majority of 270 votes in the Electoral College. From there, the election would go to the House of Representatives. In the House, the delegation from each of the 50 states would get one vote, which it may cast for one of the three top finishers in the Electoral College. In this scenario, both parties would have an incentive to avoid their worst possible outcome—a victory for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. A coalition of pragmatists may decide that supporting a principled independent candidate is wiser than going down to defeat. Regardless of whether I win, I am running a campaign that is designed to change the political landscape. We have energized a new generation of conservatives who are now standing up for their principles while rejecting racism, sexism, and all other forms of bigotry. We are reaching out across the political spectrum to Americans who refuse to tolerate leaders who act as if they are above the law and above the truth. We are reminding Americans of the importance of enduring alliances and friendships that help us to spread prosperity and freedom. Our movement has suddenly achieved national prominence, but this is only the beginning. Please join us as we forge a new generation of American leadership. .

So...........you all universally agree that both nominees, appearing to be dishonest, corrupt and con-artists, are not worthy of assuming the position of president. What as Americans can you do to dissolve their nominations and replace them with properly qualified individuals with the necessary integrity ?

Northern roads $300 million upgrade package Big Rigs / October 24, 2016 NORTHERN roads will be given some much needed attention with the government today announcing $300 worth of investment. Announcing the funding in Rockhampton today Federal Minister for Infastructure and Transport Darren Chester said it was a fitting location. "In particular, we've got $100 million for the Beef Roads Programme-it's great to be here obviously in the beef capital of Australia to make this announcement-but another $200 million for the Northern Australia Roads Programme which is going to see a massive improvement in productivity for the north of Australia,” he said. "We recognise as a Government that when you invest in good infrastructure, you can change people's lives, and you can save people's lives. "This is going to change lives by improving productivity, allowing for product into market more readily, but also save lives by reducing the number of accidents on our regional roads. "We know across Australia over the past 12 months there have been 1200 deaths on our roads, and one of the worst areas for deaths on roads is regional Australia. "So this investment of $300 million is going to change lives and save lives across Northern Australia, particularly here on Capricornia.” Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said $20 million was going towards upgrades from Gracemere to the abattoirs in Rocky. "This certainly has been very, very difficult for our cattle producers. They've had to unhitch the vehicles here at Gracemere and the trip takes about three hours, whereas now they can just keep going on the highway,” she said. "It's also a major safety issue as well. We've had lives lost out here with the unhitching of the vehicles, and also with the fact that the cattle are sitting here for hours on end while the vehicles are taking the trailers to the abattoir, having to come back and re-hitch and unhitch and all the rest of it. "So very, very pleased that we can work in with the State Government. They've put $10 million on the table, we've got $20 million on the table. "So I think this is extremely important for Rockhampton and our cattle sector, and particularly with the high prices that we're getting in the cattle sector at the moment. The graziers are very happy about this, and particularly the truck drivers, so this is going to save them time, money, but most importantly it is a huge safety issue that is going to be fixed up with this.” Senator for Queensland Matthew Canavan said there had been a lot of consultation about the upgrades. "The road upgrades include and partner with our upgrades to the Capricorn Hwy that we announced during the election,” he said. "So that's a related project to this, and also the upgrades to the Rockhampton Yeppoon Road, which will allow that access through to the meatworks through Rockhampton. So as Michelle said, a major change. "But what I'm also very proud of is the fact that this is part of a broader agenda for Northern Australia. This was all about bringing Northern Australia closer to Asia. "We've got enormous opportunities in Asia, enormous opportunities now thanks to the Government signing three new free trade agreements. "That will help our beef producers, help our beef sector, but we of course need to make it easier for us to get that beef from properties to the dinner plates in Asia and these investments and these roads will help us do that and that means more money for places like Rockhampton, which benefits so much from a strong beef industry. "So it's fantastic to be announcing these projects in Central Queensland but it's also just as important the roads we're doing in the Barkly Tablelands in Western Australia as well because we're all connected in this industry and so often even cattle that are raised or born in the Northern Territory and Western Australia end up here in Queensland and about 30% of the cost of the final product can often be in transport costs. "So this project, these programs are so important to our sector to make it strong and, by implication, making Rockhampton strong as well. "It's the first time the Federal Government's put money aside to beef roads, to roads that are specifically to do with the agricultural sector since the Menzies Government in the 50s and 60s. "A lot of these roads-the Burke Developmental Road, the Gregory Developmental Road-were built at that time, built in the sixties and seventies so it's the money that's put aside by the Menzies Government and, once again, we as a Federal Government are taking nation building seriously, we are taking our responsibility to grow our nation. "A lot of these roads are not federal roads of course, they are not necessarily our usual focus but we believe they're important for the country because they grow a sector like our beef sector that's so important and that's why we've got the funds available to do that. Member for Gregory Lachlan Millar said it was fantastic news for central Queensland and the grazing industry. "It's something I've been following for a long time. "It is a major wealth artery for our beef industry. We need these roads to be able to be capable of taking the type of decks, you know, six decks and more to be able to get our cattle here to Gracemere or get our cattle towards Mackay or Townsville. "I've always said that these roads are wealth arteries and if you don't have these roads in good condition, open and driven on properly, it affects our beef industry, it affects our grain industry, it affects all industries in Western Queensland so I welcome this announcement and it's about time we got on with the job and started sealing this road.” The Queensland projects to be funded are: Bowen Developmental Road: progressive sealing; Landsborough Highway (Longreach-Winton): Pavement widening and strengthening of around 24 kilometres; Peak Downs Highway (Clermont-Nebo): Logan Creek to Nine Mile Creek-Pavement widening and strengthening; and Bajool-Port Alma Road: upgrades to the port access road. Western Australian projects: The Australian Government is committing an extra $89.29 million towards upgrades to the Bow River Bridge on the Great Northern Highway and reconstruction of the Broome to Cape Leveque Road, under the Australian Government's Northern Australia Roads Programme (NARP). Bow River Bridge will involve replacing the existing single-lane bridge with a new two-lane bridge. Northern Territory projects: Buntine Hwy gets $32 million to strengthen and widen priority sections building on the $130 million previously committed under the NARP. The investment will also deliver flood immunity towards improvement and sealing. Sealing of Outback Way along Tjukaruru Rd and the Plenty Hwy, supporting the development of Ord Stage 3 through the upgrade to Keep River Rd, and upgrades to the Arnhem Hwy.

Queensland beef roads boosted Owner/Driver / October 24, 2016 Federal and state authorities highlight 15 priority projects The Beef Roads programme in Queensland will see a $56 million investment courtesy of the federal government following months of consultation with relevant stakeholders. The commitment includes targeted upgrades on roads that are used by cattle transporters, with 15 priority projects already highlighted, including: Rockhampton Road Network - Road Train Access Burke Developmental Road - Chillagoe to Almaden Clermont - Alpha Road Ootann Rd - Almaden to Kennedy Hwy (Gunnawarra) Gregory Developmental Road (South of Charter Towers) Richmond-Croydon Road Cloncurry - Dajarra Road Diamantina Developmental Road (Boulia - Dajarra) Richmond - Winton Road. "The Australian Government has committed over $56 million toward targeted road upgrades and improvements, providing a welcome boost to the Queensland cattle industry," infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester says. "This commitment will enable 15 projects to be delivered including $20 million towards the upgrade of the road between Gracemere saleyards and the Rockhampton abattoirs. "Other projects range from sealing and road widening works that will help boost industry productivity, to increasing road reliability and safety on key routes in the cattle supply chain. "The Beef Roads Programme recognises moving cattle from the farm gate to market involves some of the longest and most challenging land transport distances of any industry, anywhere in the world." Chester acknowledged the efforts of Australian Agricultural Company director David Crombie and Consolidated Pastoral Company CEO Troy Setter for helping identify the projects for the priority list. "These proposals have also been modelled by the CSIRO’s TraNSIT model to help identify which proposals delivered the greatest benefits to the northern Australian beef industry." The programme constitutes federal government investment of up to $100 million and $19.19 million spending by the Queensland government. Resources and northern Australia minister Matthew Canavan says the upgraded roads will also provide benefits to all road users, including other agricultural industries and the freight sector.

Prime Mover Magazine / October 24, 2016 The Federal and Queensland Government have announced major upgrades on roads essential to the transportation of cattle in the Sunshine State. “The Australian Government has committed over $56 million toward targeted road upgrades and improvements, providing a welcome boost to the Queensland cattle industry,” said Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester. “This commitment will enable 15 projects to be delivered including $20 million towards the upgrade of the road between Gracemere saleyards and the Rockhampton abattoirs. “Other projects range from sealing and road widening works that will help boost industry productivity, to increasing road reliability and safety on key routes in the cattle supply chain. “The Beef Roads Programme recognises moving cattle from the farm gate to market involves some of the longest and most challenging land transport distances of any industry, anywhere in the world. Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matthew Canavan said the Australian Government was committed to realising the potential of northern Australia. “The beef industry is the big winner from these investments. With beef prices at record levels, a bigger beef industry is a big part of developing Northern Australia,” Senator Canavan said. “The upgraded roads will also provide benefits to all road users, including other agricultural industries and the freight sector more broadly.” The Australian Government is investing up to $100 million in northern Australia under the Beef Roads Programme. The Queensland government is investing $19.19 million.

Owner/Driver / October 24, 2016 Winterfields Float Hire was so impressed with its new Scania R730 that Matt Winterfield has ordered another Matt Winterfield has climbed in and out of second-hand Kenworths more times than most people have had hot dinners. So the Kenworth lover raised a few eyebrows when he traded in a 2004 Kenworth K104 for a new Scania R730. His driver, Peter O’Dea, has been driving the Scania since July, and Winterfield spent a month in the truck recently while O’Dea was on annual leave. They love the comfort, easy access, visibility, power, 12-speed Opticruise, safety features and retarder. "The first one was going so well that the second one was just an automatic decision, really," says Winterfield who expects his second Scania R730 to arrive soon. Winterfields Float Hire is based at Mount Gambier, South Australia. The company’s two trucks use Drake steering widener low loaders with self-tracking rear axles to cart logging, earthmoving and farm machinery. Most of the work is within a 300km radius of home but the trucks also travel as far as Adelaide, Melbourne and occasionally Queensland. The business previously ran second-hand Kenworths. Increasing maintenance costs prompted the decision to buy a new truck. "We looked at every single truck that was on the market and we test drove everything," Winterfield says. "We had our little track picked out down here that we used to take every single truck on, so it was [comparing] apples to apples." He says the Scania was "by far and away the best". "We’ve gone for the full maintenance and repairs package, because that was the main reason why we’ve done what we’ve done." Winterfield is a qualified diesel mechanic but now spends less time in the workshop thanks to Scania’s Maintenance and Repair Plan. "All we’ve got to do is put fuel and tyres on the truck and put some grease in it," Winterfield says. "We know exactly what our repairs and maintenance [costs] are going to be every 12 months." .

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / October 21, 2016 .

Scania Group Press Release / October 21, 2016 Improved aerodynamics, driver training and follow-up, and a better working environment for drivers will all contribute to reduced fuel consumption according to the transport professionals test driving Scania’s New Truck Generation. .