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Keeping brakes compatible Steve Skinner, Australasian Transport News (ATN) / October 18, 2016 There will soon be plenty of guidance for getting the best out of not only foundation brakes, but the much more complicated electronic systems as well Chris Loose reckons English is a second language for a lot of engineers. And that’s why Loose and numerous other technical experts who have been working on a guide to braking and stability performance for heavy combinations, are trying to keep it simple. "We don’t want to overcomplicate it," says Loose, senior engineering advisor with the Australian Trucking Association (ATA). "Every operator who tries to read an engineering book won’t go past the title. "We made it is as easy to understand as possible. An operator will focus on three key tables, and that’s probably all he’s going to have time for" Those three tables are in the draft document which still needs real-world testing by operators. The tables involve ratings across four classes of brake systems and three types of braking conditions. The first class of brake system is what are called "dumb" brake systems, which are air only. The second type is load sensing valve brake systems, which are mechanical and air. The third is anti-lock brake system (ABS); and the fourth – and smartest – is electronic stability control. These systems are rated against light or "normal" braking; heavy or "harsh" braking; and cornering or roll stability. Smart truck and dumb trailers The truck might have stability control, and the trailer might have TEBS (trailer electronic braking system) with roll stability, which would give the combination the top rating for both braking and roll stability. But if the operator doesn’t plug in the power, it’s a dumb trailer. Loose adds that with longer combinations you have to make sure the power goes right down to the back end -- at least 9 or 10 volts at the last control unit. "Without electrical grunt it’s (also) a dumb trailer." And don’t try to stick a 24 volt lead into a 12 volt ABS system: "That will blow it up." The tables apply equally to trailers attached by both fifth wheels or drawbars. However truck and dogs are inherently more unstable than semitrailers or B doubles. Semis are connected by the fifth wheel, and are therefore roll-coupled. "A truck and trailer will tend to roll together," says Loose. "There is a link, so stability system on one of those units will help understand what’s going on with the other unit. "With drawbar units though, between a dog trailer and a rigid or another trailer, they’re not roll-coupled, so one can roll independently of the other." Loose adds that there are lots of different warning signs that there’s a brake compatibility problem, for example uneven brake wear; different brake temperatures; and wear on the kingpin. Solid foundations Chris Loose says fleets should try and standardise their brake technologies, because they are often mixing and matching trucks and trailers. That advice applies both to the electronic overlay systems as well as the foundation brake systems themselves. Re foundation brakes: "If you have got disc brakes on the truck, put disc brakes on the trailer. Get the foundations to match. It just makes life easier." While on the subject of foundation brakes, the ATA has just released a 15-page technical advisory procedure on slack adjuster setup and compliance to the new National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual. Meanwhile in May the ATA released the second edition of its 24-page technical advisory on ESC and the similar RSC (roll stability control). .

Prime Mover Magazine / October 18, 2016 The 24th annual Newcastle Road Transport Awareness Day will be held this Saturday 22 October under the new name of Newcastle Hunter Truck Show. The newly rebranded truck show will also move from its former home in Newcastle to the Maitland Showgrounds to allow a 'much larger truck show', including a parade that is expected to attract more than 100 prime movers. Road Transport Awareness Group Chairman, Pete Black, said that the event would be much bigger than previous years due to the support of the truck and transport industry. "A new committee has continued to reinvigorated the event to accommodate increased interest from the industry and the community with lots more entertainment, food and importantly one of the country’s most extensive collection of trucks on show," Black said. The event was established in 1992 as a way for the local road transport sector to raise awareness of its work while encouraging safer driving on our roads. The event supports the work of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and has raised more than $1.3 million dollars in the past 24 years.

Kraz Trucks Press Release / October 10, 2016 A new non-standard 4x4 model has been added to the KrAZ range of heavy armored off-road militaryvehicles. Utilizing an all-new design architecture, the “Hulk” joins our existing line-up of mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles including the Hurricane, Shrek and Fiona. The Hulk is based on the KrAZ-5233 off-road platform utilized by the Shrek. The difference between Hulk and Shrek is the absence of a conventional frame. All the components are attached directly to the monocoque construction body. As a result, the truck’s GVW has been reduced to 16 tonnes (from the Shrek’s 18 tonnes). Also, the truck’s overall height and access heights have been reduced too, which improves ergonomics and performance. The body’s V-shaped “hull” helps to deflect upward directed blast. Ballistic protection meets STANAG 4569 level 2. Armor plates stops penetration of bullet emitted from any shooting angle. Moreover, bullet penetration after ricochet has been minimized. Mine protection meets STANAG 4569 level 2а and 2b: landmine explosion (6 kg of TNT) under any wheel or bottom. All glass is laminated and bulletproof, and the inner layer is made of double polycarbonate. A powerful 310 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine can propel the Hulk at speeds up to 90 km/h, and ensures high performance at extreme temperatures ranging from - 45 to + 450C. A manual 9-speed transmission easily adapts the vehicle to specific operating conditions. The Hulk can accommodate up to 12 fully equipped soldiers. The Hulk is multi-role armored off-road MRАP vehicle used for carrying personnel, various cargoes and equipment over all kinds of terrain. It can provide fire support with advanced weaponry, and features both active and passive protective countermeasures. .

The dealer body was so upset over the end of RS-RL Value-Liner production that we introduced an all-new variant of the new RD called the "Western Contractor" which initially had a Value-Liner like grille. .

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Dagens Industri / October 17, 2016 Late on Friday, Volvo Group's Board of Directors announced a decision to make a large 435 million kronor investment in the cab factory in Umeå. The money will go towards upgrades in paint processes, including a new surface treatment line involving pre-treatment and electrostatic drop. But despite the large investment, no new jobs will be created at Volvo's Umeå cab plant as a result of the investment. Volvo’s Umeå cab plant employs 1,450 people. An existing building, which houses offices and locker rooms, will be demolished and replaces with a new 3,000 square meter structure. At the press conference, Volvo representatives said the investment will focus on environmentally friendly and advanced technology. The process will be carbon neutral, and the use of renewable fuels instead of fossil. .

Driving the International LT Truck News / October 17, 2016 Navistar’s DriverFirst philosophy shines through with design of the new International LT International recently offered the first driving opportunities of its new LT-series Class 8 highway tractor, which will supplant the popular ProStar. Drivers played a big role in the design of the new truck. International sought the opinions of hundreds of professional drivers and evidence of their feedback can be seen throughout the cab. The air horn lanyard has been restored and put back where it belongs in the upper left corner and the air brake releases have been moved further from the driver so they don’t encumber movement into the sleeper. “The only time you touch those is when the truck is stopped, so there is no reason to occupy the primary real estate on the panel with those releases,” explained Jeff Sass, senior vice-president of sales and marketing with Navistar. “Everything we are doing today is based around the driver.” The instrument panel is cleaner and better designed. Virtual gauges are shown on a vibrant driver display. Improvements to functionality are found throughout the cab. Ample USB and 12-volt outlets keep drivers connected. A deep ledge along the dash provides useful storage for phones, pens and other small items. The HVAC system – a source of complaints on the ProStar – has been completely redesigned and its reliability improved. “We have dramatically improved the efficiency of the HVAC system,” said Joe Werth, vice-president, new product development. “It is 40% more efficient in terms of speed to defrost the window.” Sightlines have also been improved. The vent window has been eliminated to offer greater visibility out the sides. Werth said the LT boasts 15% better visibility out the passenger side window and a 5% improvement out the left. Forward visibility is better as well thanks to a new, one-piece curved windshield and a redesigned hood. Better door seals reduce interior noise. I drove an LT 625 with the new Cummins X15 engine rated at 450 hp. Drives were limited to a few laps around Navistar’s three-mile test track but the truck drove nicely, was quiet and comfortable. The shifter and engine brake have been integrated on the right side of the steering column for easy access. The most frequently used buttons and switches have been moved closer to the driver. “The focus was to bring closer to the driver the things that were important to them,” said Werth. The redesign did not extend to the sleeper, which is a direct carryover from the ProStar. Serviceability, however, was improved thanks to new routing and clipping and easier access to the fuse panel inside the cab. While the LT was designed with drivers in mind, its owners will be equally happy with the upgrades. International is touting a 7% fuel economy improvement over its most efficient ProStar ES model. This comes from a combination of improved aero, 3%, and powertrain enhancements which count for 4%. Aerodynamic improvements include a reshaped hood and bumper and more slippery mirrors as well as the redesigned windshield. “We looked at how the bumper was structured, how air flowed under and over the hood area and improved the shape of that to accommodate aerodynamics,” Werth explained. Engine improvements came in the form of calibration activities and the reduction of parasitic losses. Werth said both Cummins and Navistar N-series engines will deliver the same fuel economy gains over previous models. The Diamond level interior with black cherry panels in the truck I drove was handsome. But Navistar officials were quick to point out drivers didn’t want a truck that felt like a car, despite the trend towards more automotive-inspired interiors. “We have introduced features to make this vehicle easier to drive and more capable of supporting a less experienced driver to be able to come in and operate this vehicle effectively,” Werth explained. “It brings in more automotive familiarity, however the robustness of the design allows for operations with gloves, that kind of thing. It’s a balance. The issue of driver retention was probably one of the primary drivers for us in how we brought the design in. You do get some of those automotive features as a result, but where we tried to make the difference was in the robustness of the dials, how the driver interacts with them, – can you grab them with gloves on in the winter? – the size of the toggle switches. Those were all designed to accommodate a truck driver.” Sass said feedback from fleets emphasized the truck had to be a vehicle drivers were happy with. “Driver retention equals cost of ownership,” Sass said. Denny Mooney, chief engineer, added “We have fleets, big fleets, whose CEOs tell us that if drivers don’t want to drive your truck, we’re not buying your truck. These are fleets that have multiple brands and are having a tough time attracting drivers. It sounds simple but if your truck is sitting there and drivers don’t want to drive your truck, they’re not buying your truck.” To win the hearts of drivers, Navistar realized uptime was critical. “We are trying to get our truck to be every bit as reliable as any automobile is today,” Mooney said. The LT series is supported by OnCommand Connection, Navistar’s open architecture remote diagnostics platform. It provides vehicle health reports and advises customers on the most appropriate action when fault codes appear. Navistar is also offering over-the-air engine updates, allowing customers to keep their software updated without taking the truck off the road. “When I think about uptime, it’s about reliability and durability, making sure the truck never has to come in unless it’s for scheduled maintenance,” Mooney said. So far, the LT has been well received. Sass said more than 3,000 orders have been received. Navistar is in the process of revitalizing its entire product line. The first of these new models to be unveiled, the LT, is a comprehensive upgrade over the ProStar. Drivers will find it quieter, more ergonomic and comfortable to operate and will enjoy better visibility. Less reaching and straining will be required. The ProStar served International well but drivers won’t be asking for their ProStars back once they’ve driven the new LT. .

If you purchase a 13ME2120P1, that one is exactly like the original......it's the original part number.

I'm confident that you and I share a lot of thoughts. My observation is that the costs of living, the costs of doing business, have risen faster than our incomes have risen. We've actually been in this trend for decades, and shrugged it off for years. But now, we're reaching the break-even point. And, upon reaching this point after working so hard for decades, we're quite frankly bitter about it, and rightly so! Many people still coming here from overseas are doing so because of an information lag. They're unaware that things here are not as rosy as they used to be, as you pointed out. The rest, well, any western developed country is still better than where they're from. I posted the Mahrer interview because he presented some valid points. Everyone is going to have some thoughts you agree with, and some you don't. From day one, I've disagreed with the notion of having a president beginning office at age 70 (Trump is 70, Hillary 69 next Wednesday). The job is literally 24/7, and consider the mental and physical demands of the job (And nobody should be in Congress beyond age 70). Based on what information we are told, perhaps 15% of it being complete and accurate, neither nominee is a high caliber individual with integrity who is capable of uniting the vast majority of the American people behind a well crafted plan for resolving our domestic issues, regaining respect, trust and thus stature around the world so as to restore global stability, and take us successfully into the future. We can't have half of the American people sitting out the game. Only when 90+ percent are in, can we achieve success. A true presidential individual brings the people of America together, rather than dividing them (e.g. Teddy Roosevelt, FDR). We're in a real mess, there's no beating around the bush. Even in a best case scenario, it would take a superb individual and an element of luck to get us back on the right track. I completely agree that we need a massive course change. But we need a president. I personally don't feel that either one of these colorful individuals are presidential material.

Driving the new Cascadia Truck News / October 17, 2016 New Freightliner Cascadia is a technology-loaded luxury truck It takes some courage to take the industry’s best-selling truck and to completely reinvent it, but that’s exactly what Freightliner has done with its new Cascadia. The new Cascadia has been in development since late 2011, an unusually long production cycle, giving the company the opportunity to conduct extensive field testing and to ensure a smooth rollout. I recently had the opportunity to drive two new Cascadias and they performed exceptionally well on a nearly three-hour drive from Las Vegas into California and back. Both trucks, despite being pre-production units, were dialed in and provided a superb driving experience. This is a completely new truck, not just a product update. It has been redesigned top to bottom, inside and out. Let’s start with the exterior. Freightliner is promising an 8% fuel economy improvement over its Cascadia Evolution, and about half of that is due to aerodynamic enhancements. The AeroX package features a low clearance air dam, drive wheel fairings and long flex extenders along the rear of the cab. Both the Aero and AeroX packages feature more aerodynamic mirrors and door seals. The remaining fuel economy gain comes from the integrated Detroit powertrain; the DD15 engine, DT12 automated manual transmission and Detroit rear axles all received improvements. The new Cascadia is more modern and distinctive looking than its predecessor. It seems to have borrowed some design cues from Freightliner’s autonomous Inspiration Truck, but in reality, it was the other way around. The new Cascadia was already in development and so, unbeknownst to us at the time, the Inspiration Truck actually offered a hint of what was to come in the new Cascadia. “There are definitely a lot of things we were developing for the new Cascadia that went into the making of the Inspiration Truck,” confirmed Toby Faulkner, director, new Cascadia development. “They were really built off each other. The styling you see on the new Cascadia inspired the Inspiration Truck but the technology we were developing for the Inspiration Truck we were able to put into the new Cascadia.” The new Cascadia will improve a driver’s life. The sleeper has been completely redesigned to make better use of space. With the trucking industry’s focus on health and wellness, Freightliner designers added a larger fridge with a surface area that can be used for food prep or cooking equipment. In consultations with drivers, it was discovered that the upper bunk isn’t often used for sleeping – it’s normally used for storage. So designers built into the new sleeper proper storage around the perimeter of the ceiling with tie-downs that can be used to secure duffel bags or storage bins. This opens up headroom and gives an open, loft-type space, not to mention loads of extra storage. “We really focused on driver comfort and smart storage; rethinking how we do everything,” explained Faulkner. “How can we make it like a small studio apartment?” With the lower bunk folded up, two seats and a table provide a comfortable and functional dining area. “The other feedback we got, was this feeling that the truck was like a cave and when you turned the lights on they were too bright,” Faulkner explained. Freightliner’s answer to this was to install dimmable LED lighting in the ceiling, which provides a more natural, indirect glow. Brighter dome lights are also available when more light is needed. This attention to detail carries to the front of the truck. The instrument panel is cleaner and more logically laid out. Electrical switches are along the upper row and air switches below. “It’s very intuitive about what you need to find and easy to find them when you need them,” Faulkner reasoned. Above those is an area that can be used to install whatever telematics device the customer is using. “We’ve allowed for the easy integration of the display without having to go through a lot of rework or tearing up of the dash,” Faulkner explained. One of the biggest upgrades is the driver display, which through the use of vibrant colors makes it easy to find at a glance the information you are looking for. There’s a ton of information packed into this display, including everything that pertains to the Detroit Assurance 4.0 suite of active safety systems. No longer is a separate monitor required on the B-panel to display details such as following distance. Visibility out of the new Cascadia has gotten better. The mirrors were moved slightly to accomplish this and a one-piece windshield and side windows allow a better view of the space around the truck. Out on the highway, the truck performed spectacularly on a route that took us south on US Route 95 to Searchlight, Nevada, west along 164 – some good grades along this section – and then back to Vegas on I-15. The 400-hp, 1,750 lb.-ft. rated DD15 pulled the grades better than you’d think possible from just 400 horses. More fleets are spec’ing their engines this way, Faulkner explained. “We found it gets you up the grade fuel efficiently and in a good amount of time and when you’re not climbing a grade, it’s the right amount of power,” he said. “It’s the sweet mix between horsepower and torque. This is our fleet rating.” I spent the majority of the time in cruise control and was pleasantly surprised at how intelligent the adaptive cruise system was. When a car would pull in front of me the truck wouldn’t back off if the car was travelling faster than I was, even if my following distance was momentarily compromised. This made for smooth cruising, even in traffic. Keeping the truck in cruise control is good for fuel efficiency. “Great drivers can get great fuel mileage, if they’re focused and paying attention and have fuel mileage on their mind at that point in time,” Faulkner said. “But the computer does it all the time. As long as you’re in cruise control it’s going to choose the right torque curve, it’s going to back off when it needs to and speed up when it needs to.” The adaptive cruise system also has the ability to look ahead at changes in terrain and to adjust speed to maximize efficiency when approaching and descending hills. Because it comes pre-loaded with all this data, it can save fuel on the very first trip, unlike some other systems in the market that must first encounter a grade before committing it to memory. Detroit Assurance 4.0 offers additional active safety features including lane departure warnings and even pedestrian detection. The entire system has been smartly integrated into the vehicle so as to eliminate distraction. You don’t know it’s there until you need it or go looking for it on the driver display. The ride was exceptionally smooth and quiet and the new Cascadia responded well during lane changing and cornering. The DT12 never missed a beat and the engine brake is integrated into the shifter stalk for easy access while driving. This engine brake has a growl to it and produced ample power to hold me back on the longest and steepest downhill sections I encountered. The steering column-mounted engine brake is even available on trucks with manual transmissions. This is a fantastic truck to drive. It would be wrong to think of it as a fleet truck. Fleets will buy plenty of them, because of the 8% fuel economy improvement versus the Cascadia Evolution and the fact drivers will love to drive it. But the term fleet truck can have a negative connotation to it. It implies bare bones. Boring. This is a technology-packed luxury truck that’s a real treat to drive. And because it will be produced in such high volumes, there’s the potential here to bring affordability to the premium truck segment. .

Digging into the new diesel engine oils: Part one Fleet Owner / October 17, 2016 It took five years to craft CK-4 and FA-4, the new diesel engine oils due to be introduced Dec. 1. Here’s part one of a look at what makes these new oils different from previous formulations. Dan Arcy, global OEM technical manager for the Americas for Shell Lubricants, will tell you that the new CK-4 and FA-4 diesel engine oil blends due for release December 1 – the end result of five years’ worth of work – weren’t just designed to help 2017-model engines comply with stringent Phase 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) fuel economy mandates. Also driving the need for these new formulations is the recognition that truck engine designs as a whole are now vastly different compared to previous decades, he explained to Fleet Owner, offering an opportunity to bring thinner viscosities and new protective “additive packages” to the market. “We knew some of the [engine] tests we’ve been using to validate out oil formulations had to go away as well,” Arcy pointed out. “There simply weren’t parts available for 20 year-old tests. So we really had a chance here to update everything.” He said work began on Proposed Category 11 or “PC-11” oils back in June 2011 in three distinct “phases,” with the recognition that regulations – specifically the new GHG rules – would be the driving force behind new formulations. Yet the industry representatives from engine manufacturers, chemical companies, and oil marketers who gathered to form a nine-member “evaluation team” for the new PC-11 oils also saw it as an opportunity to do other things as well, such as add requirements necessary to meet so-called “renewable fuel” standards. The key difference between PC-11 and all the other categories preceding it revolves around the creation of “two sub-categories” within the standard: one that created oils with viscosities equivalent to current formulations, which became CK-4, and another for thinner viscosities aimed at helping improve fuel economy in newer engines, which became FA-4. Dr. Jason Brown, global technology manager for heavy duty diesel engine oil (HDDEO) at Shell, said that PC-11 is "not the first time" a so-called "split category" for engine oils has been developed, but it is the first time two "sub-categories" have been launched at the same time: the two subcategories, again, being CK-4 and FA-4. Shawn Whitacre, senior staff engineer primarily responsible for product formulation of Delo heavy duty engine oils for Chevron Product Co., served as the chairman of the American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM] heavy-duty engine oil classification panel that developed the PC-11 oil requirements. Shell’s Arcy added that the “first phase” of the evaluation panel’s job centered on establishing what criteria both of the new oils needed to address and whether enough “supporting data” existed to go forward with formulation requirements meeting those requirements. “We add to ask ‘what is the rationale?’ for meeting a new requirement,” Arcy said. “Better oxidation control, for example, was an easy one because we knew the new [2017] engines would run hotter than previous models by about 10 degrees Celsius,” which is roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit hotter. The reason for tighter shear stability requirements, however, revolved around a smaller yet critical factor. “In this case, the rational is that we found some 15W-40 oils were ending up as 15W-30 over time in the crankcase,” Arcy pointed out. “That wasn’t an engine wear concern but an oil analysis concern; it would be harder to spot fuel dilution. So we had to tighten up the pass/fail criteria for shear stability.” Another new twist: the need for new tests regarding the impact of biodiesel fuels. Arcy said when biodiesel began to be introduced widely in trucking back in 2006, it acted as a “solvent” of sorts, “cleaning out” fuel tanks of deposits which led to the plugging up of injectors and fuel filters. He noted that the team’s examination found that there are today fewer problems related to “plugging” but that a test to ensure oils would be “biodiesel compatible” would be a good thing. All in all, Arcy emphasized that the “first phase” of the PC-11 development process – establishing the requirements and tests the new oils needed to meet – took six months to complete, with “strong support” to develop two separate “sub categories” of engine oils. “These were all open meetings, so it wasn’t just the nine members in a room; we had routinely 50 to 100 others in attendance,” he explained. “We also made all of our decisions through a ‘consensus process,’ as we all had different experiences to share,” Arcy stressed. “Remember too this was a technical committee, making decisions based on technical data – not commercial needs. Take oxidation, for example; we had to define a minimum standard for product reference. That also gave us a chance to take a ‘fresh look’ at those standards to make sure they made sense.”

GM's redesigned Duramax diesel Fleet Owner / October 17, 2016 The new redesigned 6.6-liter Duramax V-8 turbocharged diesel engine from General Motors offers 19% more torque than its predecessor along with 38% less noise at idle as well. The engine is also lighter and quieter due to the wider use of aluminum in its construction. Slide show - http://fleetowner.com/equipment/gms-redesigned-duramax-diesel#slide-0-field_images-203531

The Fire Museum of Maryland http://www.firemuseummd.org/ The Baltimore Streetcar Museum http://www.baltimorestreetcar.org/

Missouri sues Volkswagen over diesel emissions Reuters / October 17, 2016 The state of Missouri sued Volkswagen AG on Monday, becoming the 17th U.S. state to take legal action against the German automaker over its cheating on diesel emissions. Separately, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on Tuesday in San Francisco is set to hold a hearing on whether to grant final approval to a $10.033 billion settlement with 475,000 owners of 2.0-liter Volkswagen vehicles. The proposed settlement would allow owners to sell back their polluting vehicles or get a fix if regulators approve. Late on Monday, Breyer made public hundreds of pages of objections from owners. Many of them argued that Volkswagen is not offering a high enough buyback price for polluting vehicles or repaying them for some out of pocket costs, such as extended warranties. Most owners will get additional compensation of $5,100 to $10,000 for selling vehicles back or getting them fixed. Missouri's lawsuit adds to the financial risks for Volkswagen from suits filed by state regulators who are seeking financial penalties in addition to any federal or civil claims the automaker will pay. The 16 other states that have sued Volkswagen include California, New York, Texas and New Jersey. The state of Washington in July lodged an administrative proceeding against the German automaker seeking $176 million. "Volkswagen’s actions demonstrate a flagrant disregard for Missouri’s environmental laws, as well as the health and welfare of Missourians," Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said in a statement on Monday. In August, Volkswagen agreed to hold settlement talks with at least four U.S. states and Washington state starting no later than November 1. VW spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said on Monday the company "is committed to reaching a fair and efficient resolution of remaining federal and state diesel claims in the United States." She said the automaker "will review Missouri’s complaint and respond appropriately." Volkswagen has already agreed to pay a total of $16.7 billion in settlements related to its use of illegal software to defeat U.S. emissions testing. The company has set aside 17.8 billion euros ($19.94 billion) cover legal costs stemming from the scandal. VW still faces potentially billions of dollars in additional U.S. costs if it is forced to buy back 85,000 3.0-liter Audi, Porsche and VW cars and SUVs sold since 2009.

"Candy Apple Red" @1978 by the Robbin Thompson Band I grew up in a space age scene along with surfboards and the american dream I never went steady with the homecoming queen 'course I never was the captain of the football team I wish those days were back again Oh do you remember when ..... Those days of Candy Apple Red, and Metal Flake Cruisin' with your baby in your old man's '88 Lookin' for a home run gettin' thrown out at the plate OOOhhh give me back those days. I'd skip school when the waves were good Had me a chrome scoop on my hood I'd be lyin' like a fool sayin' I went all the way I'd do anything to relive those days I wish those days were back again Oh do you remember when Those days of Candy Apple Red, and Metal Flake Cruisin' with your baby in your old mans '88 Lookin' for a home run Gettin' thrown out at the plate OOOhhh give me back those days ( guitar solo... :035: ) I wish those days were back again Oh do you remember when Candy Apple Red, and Metal flake Cruisin' with your baby in your old man's '88 Lookin for a home run... I'm just lookin' for a date OOOOhhh give me back those days Those days of Candy Apple Red, and Metal Flake Cruisin' with your baby in your old man's '88 Wished he had a Rambler, the front seat went back all the way OOOOhhhh give me back those days OOOhhhhh give me back those daaaaaayyyyyys .

Ford to Idle Four Factories as Slowing Sales Bloat Inventory Bloomberg / October 18, 2016 Ford Motor Co. is temporarily halting one of two plants that builds the top-selling F-150 pickup as it idles four factories this month amid slowing U.S. auto sales. This week, Ford is shutting its Louisville, Kentucky, factory building the Escape and Lincoln MKC sport utility vehicles, as well as two plants in Mexico that make the Fusion sedan and Fiesta subcompact, according to an e-mailed statement. Next week, the second-largest U.S. automaker said, it will close the F-150 factory near Kansas City for seven days. And starting Oct. 31, the Louisville plant will be idled for another week, Ford said. The plant closings follow last week’s shutdown of Ford’s Mustang factory in Michigan after sales of the sports car plunged 32 percent in September. U.S. auto sales are slowing as many analysts predict the industry won’t match last year’s record of 17.5 million cars and light trucks. Ford Chief Executive Officer Mark Fields has said the U.S. auto market has plateaued and that showroom sales are weakening. “We said we expected the overall retail industry to decline in the second half of the year,” Kelli Felker, a Ford spokeswoman, said in the statement. “We also said to expect to see some production adjustments in the second half -- this is one of them.” F-series sales fell 2.6 percent last month as a pickup price war heated up. Escape sales dropped 12 percent in September as Ford faced competitive pressure from the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Fusion sales plunged 18 percent and Fiesta was off 40 percent as car sales continue to languish with low fuel prices pushing buyers into trucks and SUVs. Felker said Ford is trying to match production with demand. Inventories have been swelling on the models the automaker is idling. The company had 93 days supply of F-series pickups, which includes the F-150, at the end of September, up from 83 days a year earlier. Escape inventory grew to 64 days, from 50 a year earlier, while Lincoln MKC climbed to 96 days from 91 last year, according to Autodata. A 60-day supply is considered optimal. Ford had 72 days supply of Fusion sedans at the end of last month, up from 51 a year earlier, and it had enough inventory of the Fiesta to last 77 days, up from 56 in September of 2015.

Things to do in Washington, D.C. https://washington.org/things-do-washington-dc . . . . U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 301 14th Street Southwest

I'm curious, when you called Watt's Mack (provider of the BMT website) at 1-888-304-6225 and asked about the availability of a B-model muffler shield (Mack part-no. 13ME2120P1), what did they say ?

Caterpillar CEO to Step Down at Year’s End The Wall Street Journal / October 17, 2016 Doug Oberhelman to remain chairman until March; Jim Umpleby to be new CEO Caterpillar Inc. said Chairman and Chief Executive Doug Oberhelman is slated to retire next year after leading the equipment maker to its highest annual sales ever before overseeing the longest sales decline in the company’s history. The board selected Caterpillar executive Jim Umpleby, a company veteran and current head of the company’s energy and transportation business, to succeed Mr. Oberhelman in the CEO role, effective Jan. 1. Caterpillar’s board appointed Mr. Umpleby as CEO on Thursday, according to a filing Monday with regulators. Mr. Oberhelman will remain as executive chairman of Caterpillar until March 31, when he will retire from the company. After that, board member Dave Calhoun will assume the role of nonexecutive chairman. Mr. Calhoun is senior managing director and head of private equity portfolio operations of Blackstone Group L.P. It wasn’t immediately clear why Caterpillar decided to split Mr. Oberhelman’s roles, and a company representative was unavailable to explain. In recent history, the company has tended to have one person serve as chairman and CEO. Mr. Oberhelman has led Caterpillar since 2010. He spent his first years as CEO putting billions of dollars into factories to build more of its familiar yellow machines and move the company deeper into mining equipment, which would prove to be a risky bet, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. The year 2012 turned out to be a peak for Caterpillar, but soon after, miners began shelving equipment-buying plans as commodity prices fell, China’s growth slowed and then oil prices fell, along with demand for related equipment. Caterpillar now faces its fourth straight year of falling sales, the longest decline in its history. The Journal reported Sunday that the 63-year-old Mr. Oberhelman may not be at the helm when Caterpillar’s fortunes turn, as the company’s chiefs by tradition haven’t stayed beyond age 65. Of the members on Caterpillar’s 12-member board, Mr. Oberhelman received the fewest number of “For” votes to be elected to the board at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, according to a June filing with regulators. Caterpillar shares fell 22 cents to $87.45 in morning trading in New York. Before Monday, the stock was up 29% this year—the best-performing in the Dow Jones Industrial Average—but was trading 25% below its 2012 peak.

UK security agencies unlawfully collected data for decade The Guardian / October 17, 2016 Investigatory powers tribunal says agencies operated secret regimes to collect vast amounts of communications data for 10 years The UK’s security agencies have secretly and unlawfully collected massive volumes of confidential personal data, including financial information, on British citizens for more than a decade, top judges have ruled. The investigatory powers tribunal, which is the only court that hears complaints against MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, has ruled that the security services operated secret regimes to collect vast amounts of personal communications data tracking individual phone and web use and large datasets of confidential personal information without adequate safeguards or supervision for more than 10 years. The IPT ruling includes the disclosure from an unpublished 2010 MI5 policy statement that the “bulk personal datasets” include material on the nation’s personal financial activities. “The fact that the service holds bulk financial, albeit anonymised, data is assessed to be a high corporate risk, since there is no public expectation that the service will hold or have access to this data in bulk. Were it to become widely known that the service held this data, the media response would most likely be unfavourable and probably inaccurate,” it says. The ruling comes as the House of Lords debates the final stages of the investigatory powers bill – the snooper’s charter – which will put mass digital surveillance activities on a clear legal footing for the first time since the disclosure by Edward Snowden of the extent of state surveillance in 2013. The tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Burton, also reveals internal warnings to the staff of security agencies not to use the databases created to house these vast collections of data to search for or access information “about other members of staff, neighbours, friends, acquaintances, family members and public figures”. It also reveal concerns within the security agencies themselves about the secretive nature of their bulk data collection activities. The campaign group Privacy International said despite this warning the ruling showed that internal oversight failed to prevent these highly sensitive databases being treated like Facebook to check on birthdays, and “very worryingly” on family members for “personal reasons”. In February 2010, a Mr Hannigan, then of the Cabinet Office, wrote of the agencies’ handling of these massive volumes of personal data: “It is difficult to assess the extent to which the public is aware of agencies’ holding and exploiting in-house personal bulk datasets, including data on individuals of no intelligence interest ... Although existing legislation allows companies and UK government departments to share personal data with the agencies if necessary in the interests of national security, the extent to which this sharing takes place may not be evident to the public.” The ruling says that the regime governing the collection of bulk communications data – the who, where, when and what of personal phone and web communications – failed to comply with article 8 protecting the right to privacy of the European convention of human rights (ECHR) between 1998, when it started, and 4 November 2015, when it was finally made public. The ruling says that the holding of bulk personal datasets (BPD) – which might include medical records, tax records, individual biographical details, commercial and financial activities, communications and travel also failed to comply with article 8 for the decade it was in operation until its public avowal in March 2015. In the words of the ruling: “The BPD regime failed to comply with the ECHR principles which we have above set out throughout the period prior to its avowal in March 2015. The BCD regime failed to comply with such principles in the period prior to its avowal in November 2015, and the institution of a more adequate system of supervision as at the same date,” it concludes. The legal challenge centred on the acquisition, use, retention, and disclosure by the security services of bulk communications data under section 94 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 and the use of bulk personal datasets under a variety of legal powers. The tribunal noted the highly secretive nature of the communications data regime, saying “it seems difficult to conclude that the use of BCD was foreseeable by the public when it was not explained to parliament”. Mark Scott of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, instructed by Privacy International in the legal challenge, said: “This judgment confirms that for over a decade UK security services unlawfully concealed both the extent of their surveillance capabilities and that innocent people across the country have been spied upon.” Millie Graham Wood, legal officer at Privacy International, added: “Today’s judgment is a long overdue indictment of UK surveillance agencies riding roughshod over our democracy and secretly spying on a massive scale. “There are huge risks associated with the use of bulk communications data. It facilitates the almost instantaneous cataloguing of entire populations’ personal data. It is unacceptable that it is only through litigation by a charity that we have learnt the extent of these powers and how they are used. “The public and parliament deserve an explanation as to why everyone’s data was collected for over a decade without oversight in place and confirmation that unlawfully obtained personal data will be destroyed.” Privacy International added that the judgment did not specify whether the unlawfully obtained, sensitive personal data would now be deleted. A government spokesperson responded to the ruling, saying:” The powers available to the security and intelligence agencies play a vital role in protecting the UK and its citizens. We are therefore pleased the tribunal has confirmed the current lawfulness of the existing bulk communications data and bulk personal dataset regimes. “Through the investigatory powers bill, the government is committed to providing greater transparency and stronger safeguards for all of the bulk powers available to the agencies.” A further hearing in the case is scheduled for December to consider a number of outstanding issues. Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson said the ruling showed: “Mass spying on the British people should be replaced with targeted surveillance of specific individuals suspected of wrongdoing.” “Allowing the state to collect endless amounts of personal data is not just a gross invasion of a privacy, it is a waste of precious resources. Every pound the government spends monitoring people’s emails, text messages and calls is a pound taken away from community policing,” he added.

Yahoo was hacked in 2014. Either they're very incompetent and really didn’t notice, or they’re incredibly dishonest and purposely withheld news of the event for two years until September 22, 2016.

The Financial Times / September 23, 2016 Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer has known since July that Yahoo was investigating allegations of a serious data breach, raising questions about whether the internet chief withheld information from investors, regulators and its acquirer Verizon until this week. The initial investigation found no evidence for the claim in July by a hacker known as “Peace” that details of more than 200 million accounts had been accessed, but concern about the allegation triggered a deeper probe. That investigation uncovered what Yahoo on Thursday called a state-sponsored hack affecting more than 500 million accounts. Yahoo has refused to say exactly when it discovered the theft, which took place in 2014, of account details including phone numbers, birth dates and certain security details, which ranks as the largest known data breach in history. Verizon, which agreed a $4.8bn bid for Yahoo’s core business in July, said it had been informed as recently as this Tuesday, 10 days after a September 9 regulatory filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in which Yahoo said it had no knowledge of “any incidents” of “security breaches, unauthorised access or unauthorised use” of its IT systems. “Marissa was aware absolutely — she was aware and involved when Peace surfaced this allegation in July,” a person briefed on Yahoo’s discussions said. “[She] was part of the investigation and conversation from the very beginning and along with the team every step of the evidentiary gathering and analysis process. In fact, the key executive team has been engaged from the very beginning.” Ms Mayer’s knowledge of events suggests that the SEC could intervene, lawyers and former officials said. In its SEC filing earlier this month, Yahoo also confirmed that to its knowledge, the company had not received any notice of any claims or investigations relating to personal data that could “reasonably be expected to have a Business Material Adverse Effect”. A Yahoo spokesperson said: “We believe we’ve been truthful in our representations.” Ms Mayer’s judgment in holding back information about the investigation is already being challenged. “This is unprecedented in its timing, in that the deal is still between signing and closing,” he said. “This will affect the reputation of the business, it will cost money to fix and it will take a long time — the consequences of this will go on for many months, if not years.” .

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