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Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / September 8, 2016 .

"No smoke without fire" Karin Olander, Dagens Industri / September 9, 2016 China bus maker in talks to acquire Volvo’s bus business. Rumors about the Volvo buses have been circulating for some time and got new impetus yesterday when several international news agencies quoted the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore on reports that a Chinese player would have made a bid. The newspaper also said Volvo’s advisors and banks are evaluating different options for its bus division, including an IPO. Last month, there were media reports of Chinese interest, especially for Volvo's hybrid and electric buses. One name mentioned is China's largest bus manufacturer Zhengzhou Yutong Bus. Volvo has remained completely silent. "We never comment on any rumors. When we have something to say, we will talk about it, "said Volvo media relations spokesperson Joakim Kenndal. Volvo's bus division is a small part of the group, about 7 percent, but is well integrated. This suggests the possibility of a sub-division, says Hampus Engellau, an automotive analyst at Handelsbanken. "I do not think that Volvo intends to sell the entire bus operation, because a big part of Volvo's strategy has been to build economies of scale in terms of engines, transmissions and chassis," he says. There is a history of persistent rumors that has since resulted in actual sales. This applied both to the sale of Volvo Aero to GKN in 2012 and last year's deal in which the external parts of the Volvo IT was sold to Indian HCL Technologies. Recently, it has also been speculated that the company will sell its Volvo Construction Equipment unit. "There usually is never smoke without fire," says Hampus Engellau. Both he and John Hernander emphasize that there are parts of Volvo Bus suitable for disposal, especially body manufacturing which is difficult for Volvo to do profitably as it is time consuming to build custom coaches. "Scania has a history of focusing on bus chassis production. If there is substance to reports of an impending Volvo bus sale, I believe that it is about doing away with bus body production to boost profitability, "says Hampus Engellau. Volvo Bus’s numbers have improved considerably since a big loss in 2013, but margins are still lower than for trucks and construction equipment.

Anders Hägerstrand, Dagens Industri / September 9, 2016 Volvo Buses' profitability over the past decade is an almost tragic story, the operating margin has often fluctuated around zero percent. With these conditions, Volvo CEO Martin Lundstedt would be derelict in his duties not to plan for significant changes in the bus business. But, Volvo selling or separately listing its bus business is not realistic, although there certainly are Asian players who are prepared to pay good money for access to Volvo's hybrid technology and electromobility. The synergies with the truck business are so great that holding on to the bus unit is justified. Moreover, it would be hardly sensible of Volvo to sell the entire bus unit, thus forcing the company to share the Volvo marque with yet another foreign player in addition to the Chinese car manufacturer Geely. What we can expect, however, is for Volvo to sell the parts of its bus business that are performing worst, so as to lift the operating margin for the remaining portion. In good times, Volvo’s bus business has had significantly higher profitability of around 10 percent. This all points to two reasons for Scania's bus business being far more profitable than Volvo. One is that Scania has been better at staying away from business which does not provide benefits of scale. The second and probably most important reason is that Scania manufactures fewer body variations for their bus chassis than the Volvo. According to the companies, Scania manufactured bus bodies for about 10 percent of its bus chassis in 2015, relying mostly on body builder partners. Volvo on the other hand internally manufactured 62 percent of its bus bodies. Bus body production requires a significant amount of manual labor and it is challenging to employ assembly automation. Therefore, it appears obvious that Martin Lundstedt will soon be either selling Volvo’s bus body manufacturing unit, or at least subcontracting out the majority of the manufacturing.

U.S. lawmakers to press AOL for Powell's State Department emails Reuters / September 9, 2016 U.S. lawmakers said Thursday they will seek to recover the missing emails of Colin Powell from his time as U.S. secretary of state by going directly to AOL Inc, whose email service he used for his work. The decision came a few minutes after U.S. State Department officials testified in a hearing that the department never contacted AOL to recover the missing records, despite repeated requests by the National Archives and Records Administration over the last year. The hearing, by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, was the latest in the fallout from Hillary Clinton's decision to use an unauthorized private email system for official email while secretary of state. Clinton, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, has said her decision was wrong, but it has continued to dog her effort to defeat Republican rival Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. Her defenders have pointed to some similarities in Powell's earlier use of private email, which drew fresh scrutiny at Thursday's hearing. "I don't get this, it's ridiculous," said Democrat Stephen Lynch, a committee member. "This is the National Archives asking you to contact AOL, but you didn't do that." Patrick Kennedy, the State Department's most senior management official, said that Powell, a Republican, never replied to the department's request to ask AOL to attempt to recover his work emails, which were not properly archived at the agency. He said the department's lawyers decided to decline the National Archives' requests that the department go to AOL directly. "We cannot make a request for someone else's records from their provider," Kennedy said in his testimony. "That request has to be made by them." Jason Chaffetz, the Republican who chairs the committee, then agreed to a request by the committee's most senior Democrat, Elijah Cummings, to try to recover the emails from AOL, using a subpoena if necessary. AOL is owned by telecommunications provider Verizon Communications Inc. A spokeswoman for Powell did not respond to a request for comment. AOL did not immediately respond to questions, and has previously said the its privacy policy precludes it from discussing a customer's emails. The State Department did not have a fully functioning email system when Powell joined it in 2001, according to agency officials. Powell has said he told technology officials to set up a computer with his AOL account in order to become the first secretary of state to use email. In contrast, Clinton eschewed the official state.gov email system when she took office in 2009. Department officials have said she would not have received permission for this had she asked.

You're right, the CH/Vison/Pinnacle hasn't changed much. Volvo has spent next to nothing over the last 16 years. And that's why the Mack brand ranks 6th, behind Freightliner, Navistar, Kenworth, Peterbilt and Volvo. If one wants to maintain and grow market share...............you have to impress and lead. With the Scania, all controls including windshield wiper and lighting at your fingertips. Always with the driver in mind, proper ergonomics are at the core of Scania design. This video reflects the new R-Series of 2009. The just introduced "next generation" takes form and function to a new level. . .

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The MaxxPro DXM upgrade kits are designed and built by Hendrickson, and combine Hendrickson’s engineered sub-frames, sway-bars, coil springs and shocks with GD AxleTech International’s 5000 Series Independent Suspension Axle System. http://www.axletech.com/d/press-release/pr-571.pdf http://www.axletech.com/na_en/products/product1.php?id=5000ISAS

Navistar Defense to Upgrade 2,300 MRAPs to Defend Against Evolving Threats Navistar Defense Press Release / September 19, 2012 Navistar Defense, LLC received a delivery order today for up to $282 million to provide more than 2,300 survivability upgrade retrofit kits for International® MaxxPro® Dash Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The order from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command will upgrade MaxxPro Dash vehicles in theater with additional protection in response to evolving threats in Afghanistan. The order also includes parts and service. "Anticipating the needs of our Armed Forces continues to be a top priority for Navistar and we are proud to offer the vehicle of choice to help them complete their missions safely," said Archie Massicotte, president, Navistar Defense. "Threats continue to change and it is our responsibility to stay out ahead of those threats with the best technology available." The MaxxPro family of vehicles was originally designed to accommodate rapid vehicle enhancements as threats evolved in theater. Since 2007, the company has provided enhancements to both survivability and mobility through its work on its rolling chassis body swap, DXM independent suspension retrofit kits, armor kits and more. "We also understand the balance of keeping our service men and women well equipped at a reasonable cost to taxpayers," said Massicotte. "We will keep offering integrated solutions as well as alternatives to buying new vehicles so that we can keep our Armed Forces modern and ready for future operations." Navistar has delivered nearly 9,000 MaxxPro units in nine major variants to the United States and its allies. This order follows the company's MaxxPro rolling chassis body swap, which upgrades more than 2,700 MaxxPro vehicles with a DXM independent suspension, MaxxForce® 9.3 engine, 570 amp alternator and driveline. Work for the survivability upgrade will be done in Afghanistan beginning in December 2012. The order is scheduled to be completed by July 2013.

The Wall Street Journal / September 8, 2016 Navistar International Corp. said Thursday it had received a federal subpoena related to truck-suspension systems the company built for the U.S. military. Lilse, Ill.-based Navistar said it provided the Department of Defense with information on suspension systems sold to the government in 2009 and 2010. Navistar wouldn’t confirm whether the suspensions were for some of the 8,700 mine-resistant, ambush-protected trucks, or MRAPs, the company built starting in 2007 for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company later upgraded the suspensions on thousands of the boxy, top-heavy trucks originally built for service in Iraq to improve their off-road performance in Afghanistan’s rugged, mountainous terrain. “We are fully cooperating and providing them the information that they’ve requested,” Chief Financial Officer Walter Borst said during a conference call Thursday. Navistar announced Tuesday that German auto maker Volkswagen AG will take a minority stake in the company and jointly develop new Navistar trucks and engines for the North American market. VW has agreed to pay $256 million for a 17% stake in Navistar’s stock. After North American truck sales spiked last year, trucking companies have been dialing back purchases in 2016. Industry-wide production of heavy-duty trucks this year is expected to fall by about one-third from 2015’s volume. Navistar Chief Executive Troy Clarke predicted that industry sales of heavy-duty trucks in 2017 “could be slightly lower” than in 2016. The company said Thursday that falling sales contributed to a wider fiscal third-quarter loss. Nevertheless, Navistar maintained its guidance for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31. “We expect a stronger fourth quarter than third quarter.” Mr. Clarke said. “The [third] quarter [had] a little less volume than we anticipated.” Navistar’s sales of trucks in the quarter fell 24% from a year earlier to $1.4 billion. The number of trucks and school buses invoiced to specific customers fell 23% in the quarter, led by a 46% drop in heavy-duty models. Navistar’s struggles to increase truck sales are burdened by the fallout from a failed engine exhaust treatment strategy that undermined the reliability of Navistar’s trucks and engines from 2010 through 2012. Truck buyers abandoned Navistar’s trucks for other brands, sending Navistar’s share of the heavy-duty market into a tailspin. Since then, Navistar has mostly relied on engines built by Cummins Inc. Navistar also bought up used trucks carrying its own engines and resold them overseas. It reported Thursday that its inventory of used trucks in the third quarter fell for the first time in a year. Navistar continued to back its earlier guidance for the year, projecting adjusted pretax income of between $550 million and $600 million on revenue of between $8.2 billion and $8.6 billion. For the three months ended July 31, Navistar reported a loss of $34 million, or 42 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $28 million, or 34 cents a share. Revenue slipped 18% to $2.09 billion. Analysts had expected a profit of 14 cents a share on revenue of $2.18 billion.

Why in the world would one locate the AMT controls on a far away dashboard panel, rather than place them at the driver's fingertips on a steering column-mounted stalk ??? . The wrong way: . The right way:

Navistar quarterly loss widens as sales slide Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / September 8, 2016 Navistar International Corporation Thursday morning announced a third quarter 2016 net loss of $34 million, up from a net loss of $28 million during the same quarter last year. Revenue in the quarter slid 18 percent to $2.1 billion thanks in part to soft industry conditions, primarily in the Class 8 market. “As we pursue our goal of market share growth, we do see some encouraging signs in the area of order share, where year-to-date share of new orders continues to be up for the past three quarters,” says Troy A. Clarke, Navistar president and chief executive officer. “Consideration of our products is improving.” Third quarter 2016 gross earnings were $96 million versus EBITDA of $106 million in the same period one year ago. The third quarter 2016 included $36 million in adjustments – including $19 million of pre-existing warranty charges – compares to adjustments of $23 million in the third quarter of 2015. Tuesday, Navistar announced that it has formed a strategic alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus, which includes a $256 million equity investment in Navistar by Volkswagen Truck & Bus. Framework agreements are also in place for strategic technology and supply collaboration and a procurement joint venture. “We are making significant investments in new products, services and technologies and partnerships that set us apart as the leader in uptime and a company clearly focused on our customers’ needs,” Clarke says. “This company is well positioned – operationally and product and service wise – to capitalize as market conditions improve.” Truck segment net sales declined 24 percent to $1.4 billion compared to third quarter 2015, due to lower core truck and export truck volumes, a shift in product mix in the company’s core market and lower used truck revenue. Chargeouts in the company’s core markets (13,100 units) were down 23 percent year-over-year. “What we’re seeing is the big guys, the top of the Class 8 market, are still planning,” says President of Navistar Truck & Parts, Bill Kozek, adding all OEMs have been more aggressive in pricing with available capacity utilization. Navistar’s truck segment recorded a loss of $54 million in the third quarter, compared with a year-ago third quarter loss of $36 million. Losses in the truck segment increased, Clarke says, due to higher adjustments to pre-existing warranty and lower used truck margins – the first quarterly decline in used truck inventory in a year. “Our used truck pricing seems to have stabilized,” Clarke says. “I think given the high supply of other used truck brands in the market, the [valuation] gap seems to be closing.” Kozek adds price degradation of International-branded trucks has been driven by EGR-equipped trucks, while values of SCR-outfitted trucks have been “normal.” Parts segment net sales declined $28 million, 4 percent compared to third quarter 2015 due to lower volumes. For the third quarter 2016, the parts segment recorded a profit of $152 million, mostly flat compared to third quarter 2015. “There’s been a soft rate and freight environment recently,” Kozek says, “but the economy’s been good recently and we expect trucks to continue moving and consuming parts.” Walter Borst, Navistar’s chief financial officer, says the company has already achieved $300 million in cost savings through the first nine months of the year, well exceeding the 200 million target set for the calendar year. With 2017 only three months away, Borst says truck inventory levels and used truck markets are concerns on horizon. “[Truck order levels in] 2017 could be slightly lower than 2016,” he adds. “On the other hand, we expect class 6-7 medium duty truck and bus volumes to remain relatively solid.”

Heavy Duty Trucking / September 8, 2016 Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) released fiscal third quarter financials on Thursday morning showing its losses grew in the third quarter of the year while revenue fell 18%, following news on Tuesday that Volkswagen is taking a minority interest in the Illinois-based company. The truck and engine manufacturer reported a net loss of $34 million, or 42 cents per share, for the three months ending July 31, compared to a third quarter 2015 net loss of $28 million, or 34 cents per share, as it faced what it called “tougher market conditions, particularly in the heavy segment.” Revenue fell to $2.1 billion from $2.5 billion a year earlier, which the company mainly attributed to lower year-over-year chargeouts in the company's core markets, Class 6-8 trucks and buses in the U.S. and Canada, which was affected by softer industry conditions, primarily in the Class 8 market. (Chargeouts are typically defined as trucks that have been invoiced to customers, with units held in dealer inventory.) A consensus forecast by analysts was expecting a loss of 14 cents per share with revenue of $2.18 billion. Despite the wider loss, Navistar said it achieved $32 million in structural cost reductions during the third quarter, raising year-to-date structural savings to $145 million. Combined with product and purchasing cost savings, the company's total year-to-date costs savings exceed $300 million. Third quarter 2016 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) totaled $96 million versus $106 million in the same period one year ago. This more recent quarter included $36 million in adjustments, including $19 million of pre-existing warranty charges and $17 million in asset impairments and restructuring costs, compared to adjustments of $23 million in the third quarter of 2015. Excluding these items, adjusted EBITDA was $132 million in the third quarter 2016 compared to $129 million in the same period one year ago. "As we pursue our goal of market share growth, we do see some encouraging signs in the area of order share, where year-to-date share of new orders continues to be up for the past three quarters,” said Troy A. Clarke, Navistar president and CEO. “We are confident that as the industry works through its near term challenges, particularly in Class 8, our improvements in order share will translate to improved retail share as well." Navistar Truck segment net sales declined 24% to $1.4 billion compared to third quarter 2015, due to lower core truck and export truck volumes, a shift in product mix in the company's core market and lower used truck revenue, according to the company. Chargeouts in the company's core markets were down 23% year over year. Parts segment net sales declined $28 million or 4% but recorded a profit of $152 million, flat compared to third quarter 2015 while Global Operations net sales declined $24 million year over year to $85 million as recorded a loss of $5 million compared to a year-ago third quarter loss of $26 million. Financial Services net revenues decreased by $3 million to $60 million but recorded a profit of $26 million, equal to third quarter 2015. Earlier this week, Navistar announced that it has formed a wide-ranging strategic alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus, which includes an equity investment in Navistar and framework agreements for strategic technology and supply collaboration and a procurement joint venture. On the call, company executives said the "planned alliance" will result in collaboration on technology and the licensing and supply of Volkswagen Truck & Bus products and components. Clarke added that this will allow Navistar to "optimize product development costs. We'll gain significant economies of scale in the short term [from the alliance]... and position the company for considerable growth when the headwinds of inventory subside." Pressed by an analyst to elaborate on reports that the alliance will result in VW supplying engines and other powertrain components to Navistar by 2019, Clarke demurred from going into details. "We are not prepared to discuss a product plan at this point," he responded. "But we ask that you stay tuned." Noting that Cummins’ engine share in International vehicles currently stands above 80%, Clarke said in response to a question that, regardless of the VW deal, there are “no plans to displace Cummins engines between now and the 2019 date” that had been given for the arrival of VW components in International models. Asked if the VW deal will impact Navistar's with General Motors, including a recent agreement to manufacture GM's Cutaway G Van commercial chassis starting early nexty year, Clarke stated that "We're doing two projects for GM and expect no changes" regarding those plans. Navistar also on Thursday maintained guidance for fiscal year 2016 that includes revenue of $8.2 billion - $8.6 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $550 million - $600 million.

Heavy Duty Trucking / September 8, 2016 Orders of medium-duty vehicles in Class 5 to 7 increased 10% to 16,900 in August and rebounded to a three-month high, according to industry analysts. The move higher was not surprising, as early summer months typically show a softening of truck ordering. However, the trend is showing that medium-duty vehicle demand has moderated. Despite rising 10% from July, orders failed to reach year-ago levels for a third time in the past four months, dropping 5% from year-ago August. Despite slower orders in recent months, Class 5-7 net orders are running 3% ahead of year-ago order levels through August. Year to date, Class 5-7 net orders have been booked at an annualized rate just over 231,000 units.

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / September 8, 2016 Despite changes to how glider kits will be classified for emissions regulations compliance — and new standards coming to bear for glider kit builders — the glider industry will remain viable and intact, says Fitzgerald Glider Kits’ head of marketing Stu McLaughlin. “We’re confident we’ll be able to test our products and meet the new standards,” McLaughin says of the looming Phase 2 emissions standards set by the EPA and the DOT. The standards will be phased in over the coming decade, spanning tractor-trailer wide improvements in fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. The final text of the standards, issued in mid-August, depart from current regulations governing glider emissions. Glider kits will now be required to meet the emissions standards of the model year of the truck’s cab and chassis, rather than the year the engine block was cast. Fitzgerald, the country’s largest glider kit maker, installs in-house remanufactured Detroit Diesel 60 Series engines into new cabs and chassis, effectively meaning its gliders must meet many of the standards set by the Phase 2 rule. But major glider kit builders like Fitzgerald have the ability to meet the regulations, McLaughlin says, and continue to meet demand for their products. “Our plans for production are still in accordance with what we feel works for us and what sales trends in the past couple of years dictate,” McLaughin says. Smaller glider kit makers — those who assemble and sell only a few hundred gliders a year — will be the ones forced out by the new EPA standards, he says. Kit makers who aren’t able to meet the new EPA standards will be capped at building 300 glider kits per year. Fitzgerald has already started research work to set its benchmark in order to begin working toward compliance with the new regs, McLaughin says. Fitzgerald has about 12 full-time engineers on staff. They’re working on lightweighting and other advances to help Fitzgerald’s Detroit engines meet EPA standards. New standards for engines begin in 2018 and gradually tighten until 2027, when engines will be required to achieve between 5 and 6 percent greater fuel economy when compared to 2017 benchmarks. “[The rule] clearly states they definitely anticipate kits to be built for years and years,” McLaughin says. “They just want them to be compliant. Gliders represent such a small percentage of truck sales, but within that small market, it would be a crushing blow to say ‘no kits,’” he says. McLaughin says it’s unclear as to how the new standards will affect the prices of its glider kits, but there likely will be “updates” to the company’s current pricing in accordance to meeting the new standards.

This is what Car & Driver had to say about the USPS's Fiat Ducatos (rebadged as Promaster) full-size vans. http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/diesel-cargo-vans-compared-ford-transit-vs-mercedes-benz-sprinter-ram-promaster-comparison-test ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Ram ProMaster, a Fiat Ducato with ram-head logos, is a detestable, shovel-faced thing that appears to have been cobbled together from spare parts. Too harsh? No, not really. The ProMaster itself is an insult. It is the only vehicle in any comparison test in memory to receive zero points in a subjective category from one of our ­voters. That would be for its dreadful single-clutch automated-manual transmission. The other voters each gave it one mercy point. Pull out onto a busy road and the vehicle comes to a near stop as the transmission pauses to find the next gear. It’s not just annoying, causing your head to bob fore and aft with every shift, it’s scary. The steering system is loose and numb and connected to a steering wheel that feels only a few degrees from a horizontal orientation. It’s better than the steering in an ex-military Hummer H1 or a Mercedes-Benz G-class, but worse than everything else. Its 3.0-liter inline-four turbo-diesel makes more power than the Mercedes’ smaller-displacement four, but the ProMaster returns the slowest acceleration in the test by two seconds to 60 mph. This despite being the shortest and lightest of the vans. It also takes the longest distance to stop from 70 mph. It was the loudest van, it was judged to have the worst ride, and its handling properties were bottom rung. Oh, and judging by the contorted position that Fiat/Ram forces the ProMaster’s driver into, the company must really hate plumbers and delivery drivers. Why? We don’t know. We probably should have specified the longer-wheelbase version, which would have brought it closer to other competitors in terms of length. But the problems that ail the ProMaster will not be solved by more ProMaster.

USPS Adds Another 3,000 Ram ProMaster Vans Heavy Duty Trucking / September 8, 2016 FCA has started delivering another 3,339 Ram ProMaster [Fiat Ducato] cargo vans to the U.S. Postal Service in a second order that follows a 9,113-vehicle order last year. USPS awarded the contract to FCA on March 24, and the vehicles will be delivered by the end of November, said Ralph Kisiel, an FCA spokesman. In all, FCA will deliver 12,472 vans, mostly from the 2016 model year and some from the 2017 model year. The postal service has been adding ProMaster vans set up with a Ranger Design rack system to replacing aging vehicles as it continues its development of a next-generation delivery vehicle to replace its Long Life Vehicles. USPS is purchasing ProMaster 2500 vans powered by a gasoline 3.6L Pentastar V-6 engine that produces 280 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The front-wheel drive van is available in more than 14 configurations. USPS now operates a fleet of about 215,000 vehicles, of which 163,000 are LLVs. .

International offers DuraStar powertrain warranty package Fleet Owner / September 8, 2016 International Truck announced today the availability of the International DuraStar Integrated Powertrain Warranty Package, a four-year/unlimited miles and hours integrated powertrain warranty on new orders of its DuraStar model Powered by Cummins ISB and configured with an Eaton Procision transmission, Dana Spicer axles and driveshafts. "The International DuraStar is one of the most reliable trucks in the medium-duty market," said Carl Webb, vice president and general manager, Medium-Duty Truck, International Trucks. "This new warranty is both a testament to the outstanding uptime this product delivers and also an example of our commitment to standing behind our products." According to the company, the four-year/unlimited miles and hours integrated powertrain warranty on the DuraStar features the most efficient engine ratings offered in the Cummins ISB6.7 diesel powered engine. “The DuraStar is the first truck in the industry to offer a powertrain that delivers outstanding drivability and high power density through high capacity gearing with the Dana E Series Steer and S140 Drive axle bundle,” International added. "Customers in need of a dependable truck that can handle the rigor of stop and go operation and withstand long idle times should strongly consider this specification of the DuraStar," said Webb. "It will deliver the efficiency they need with the peace of mind they require." To qualify for the DuraStar Integrated Powertrain Warranty Package, customers must either order or purchase a DuraStar from an International dealer between now and Dec. 31, 2016. Eligible truck applications include Dry Van, Refrigerated Van, Roll Back Recovery, Attic Van, Beverage (not tractor), Expedited Freight or Stake Flat with a max GVWR of 33,000 lbs.

One on one with DTNA’s Martin Daum Fleet Owner / September 8, 2016 Trucking has changed a lot in the past seven years. When Martin Daum was named president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America in 2009, the U.S. economy was quietly descending into what’s now recognized as “the Great Recession,” and trucking was sliding from one of its boom cycles into an extended downturn. But the resulting fleet bankruptcies and consolidations haven’t brought the biggest changes to trucking over the last seven years, according to Daum. The biggest changes he’s seen haven’t been driven by the economy, but rather by the flood of new industry regulations. “Regulations make it really tough” to run a fleet these days, Daum told Fleet Owner. Whether it’s hours-of-service changes, safety recordkeeping requirements, or other newly imposed Federal regulation, “these are huge burdens for big or small fleets,” he said. The constant pressure fleets are under to find qualified drivers only adds to that burden, Daum said, as does the ever-present possibility of a liability suit that could close down almost any fleet. “And that burden keeps getting bigger with absolutely no easing on the horizon.” he said. One “positive surprise” over the last seven years has been fleet response to much lower fuel prices. “I expected their fuel efficiency technology [investment] to rise and fall with prices, but it hasn’t,” according to Daum. “They continue to make the investments because they expect [fuel prices] will go up again.” As a truck manufacturer, the biggest change over his initial seven years at DTNA has been the emergence of connectivity as a main driver in both truck technology and fleet operations. “For me, real-time information on how a truck is performing combined with smart analytics is necessary to deliver real value,” Daum said. “Our customers need information to run their businesses smarter. They can’t wait until the truck comes back in to get it, especially if it’s safety related. They want that information immediately.” When the company introduced its Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system four years ago, “I didn’t really see just how far it could go,” Daum recalls. “But our partner Zonar saw the possibilities, and being creative helped us, our dealers and our customers learn.” Looking forward, Daum believes “deep integration” of all truck systems will be absolutely necessary to achieve the highest levels of fuel efficiency, productivity and safety. “We’ll always offer choices [in vehicle specifications] because we have a diverse population of customers and our product line has to reflect that,” he says. But the gains in fuel economy promised for the next generation Cascadia and its highly advanced safety systems wouldn’t be possible without that kind of integration. “It’s inevitable,” concludes Daum.

Fleet Owner / September 8, 2016 Truck maker touts market share gains, new products over Q3 loss of $34 million Navistar International Corp. management on Thursday emphasized the focus on gaining market share with its current truck and engine lineup (and the soon-to-be revealed Project Horizon), deflecting questions about future powertrain products following the recently announced alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus. Still, the company currently has “no plans to displace Cummins” as an engine supplier, Navistar President and CEO Troy Clarke said. Earlier this week, Clarke had suggested that a Volkswagen-based powertrain could be available by 2019, an “illustrative” timeframe that’s “not tomorrow, but not well into next decade"—and that sparked speculation that Cummins would be on the way out as a third-party engine supplier. “We have no plans to displace Cummins engines between now and the 2019 date that, quite frankly, I wish we hadn’t said because there’s not as much substance behind that as a lot of people seem to consider,” Clarke said, in response to numerous questions from investment analysts during Navistar’s third-quarter earnings conference call. “Cummins is an important partner for us and they’re helping us create outstanding vehicles that are getting a lot of traction in the market. We’re including their product in all of the new product launches that will take place over the next 18 months.” Cummins engines are currently in more than 80% of the company’s vehicles and ultimately, he added, the customer will continue to make the decision on powertrain options. “We think we are the most customer-centric truck company, and let’s just live by that for a while,” Clarke said. Otherwise, he restated his earlier position that the Volkswagen alliance is in a very early phase, and only now that the deal has been announced can the two companies begin “to work together to figure out what we’re going to do when.” More immediately, Clarke pointed to the Project Horizon launch later this month as a critical part of International Truck’s ongoing effort to reclaim market share. “When we put a lot of energy and effort into a major redesign of our product, we have a lot of goals in mind,” Clarke said, naming improved quality, fuel efficiency, uptime, and operating cost. “And I think our trucks are more than pretty good today. We’re in launch—some of these products are coming off the line as we speak.” Questioned about reports of industry-wide price cutting in a down market, Bill Kozek, president of Truck & Parts, downplayed any significant impact. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot of capacity out there—Class 8 specifically. Everybody is getting more aggressive on their pricing,” Kozek said. “That’s just the way the industry is, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary and I’m not seeing any of our competitors doing anything that hurts the entire industry.” As for the earnings report, Navistar lost $34 million in the third quarter, worse than Wall Street had expected, as truck sales fell 24%. But Clarke emphasized improved cost savings and a lower break-even point, along with an increasing share of new orders—even as industry-wide truck sales slide. “This quarter's results show that we continue to make progress in the face of tougher market conditions, particularly in the heavy segment," said Clarke. “We are confident that as the industry works through its near term challenges, particularly in Class 8, our improvements in order share will translate to improved retail share as well.”

The Guardian / September 9, 2016 Colin Powell told Hillary Clinton, his successor as secretary of state, that he used a personal computer to email foreign leaders “without going through State Department servers”, a seven-year-old email exchange reveals. Powell dismissed some of the official security restrictions on him as “nonsense” and questioned why his personal digital assistant (PDA) was any more vulnerable to spies than a TV remote control or “something embedded in my shoe heel”. The email correspondence was released on Wednesday by Representative Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, intending to show that Clinton’s handling of data was hardly less meticulous than previous secretaries of state. She was the only one to set up a private email server in her home, however, and has admitted this was a mistake. The emails also offer a rare glimpse of relations between America’s top diplomats across party lines, evolving technology in an era when the BlackBerry was still king and the daily frustrations of a security detail. Clinton and Powell were on first name terms. At 7.37am on Friday 23 January 2009, two days after she was sworn into office, she wrote flatteringly: “Dear Colin, I hope to catch up soon w you, but I have one pressing question which only you can answer! What were the restrictions on your use of your blackberry? Did you use it in your personal office? I’ve been told that the DSS [Diplomatic Security Service] personnel knew you had one and used it but no one fesses up to knowing how you used it!” Barack Obama was the first president to own a BlackBerry at a time when celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears made the hand-held device fashionable. He gave it up for a smartphone only this year, although his phone cannot text or play music for security reasons. Clinton wrote to Powell: “President Obama has struck a blow for berry addicts like us. I just have to figure out how to bring along the State Dept. Any and all advice is welcome. All the best to you and Alma, Hillary.” Skipping formalities, Powell replied that he did not have a BlackBerry but explained how he circumvented official channels: “What I did do was have a personal computer that was hooked up to a private phone line (sounds ancient.) So I could communicate with a wide range of friends directly without it going through the State Department servers. I even used it to do business with some foreign leaders and some of the senior folks in the Department on their personal email accounts. I did the same thing on the road in hotels.” Powell has previously admitted using a laptop on a private line and sending notes to ambassadors and foreign ministers via personal email, according to a report by the state department’s inspector general. In the message to Clinton, Powell said the main issue for him was PDAs – once-popular devices that included Palm Pilots – that the DSS would not allow into secure spaces. “When I asked why not they gave me all kinds of nonsense about how they gave out signals and could be read by spies, etc. Same reason they tried to keep mobile phones out of the suite. I had numerous meetings with them. We even opened one up for them to try to explain to me why it was more dangerous than say, a remote control for one of the many tvs in the suite. Or something embedded in my shoe heel. They never satisfied me and NSA/CIA wouldn’t back off. So, we just went about our business and stopped asking. I had an ancient version of a PDA and used it. In general, the suite was so sealed that it is hard to get signals in or out wirelessly.” Powell went on to offer Clinton a friendly warning first reported last week when the FBI released notes of its now closed investigation into her handling of sensitive information. “However, there is a real danger. If it is public that you have a BlackBerry and it it [sic] government and you are using it, government or not, to do business, it may become an official record and subject to the law … Be very careful. I got around it all by not saying much and not using systems that captured the data.” Giving an insight into the routine frustrations of balancing security with convenience, Powell, who was secretary of state under George W Bush, added: “You will find DS driving you crazy if you let them. They had Maddy [possibly a reference to former secretary Madeleine Albright] tied up in knots. I refused to let them live in my house or build a place on my property. They found an empty garage half a block away. “On weekends, I drove my beloved cars around town without them following me. I promised I would have a phone and not be gone more than an hour or two at Tysons or the hardware store. They hated it and asked me to sign a letter relieving them of responsibility if I got whacked while doing that. I gladly did. “Spontaneity was my security. They wanted to have two to three guys follow me around the building all the time. I said if they were doing their job guarding the place, they didn’t need to follow me. I relented and let one guy follow me one full corridor behind just so they knew where I was if I was needed immediately. Their job is to keep you hermetically sealed up. Love, Colin.” The email saga has continued to haunt Clinton’s presidential campaign even after the FBI concluded in July that she should not face criminal charges. She was quizzed about it closely during a “commander-in-chief” forum with military veterans on NBC News on Wednesday night. Cummings said the 2009 exchange showed that Republicans were unfairly critical of Clinton and argued that Powell “advised Secretary Clinton with a detailed blueprint on how to skirt security rules and bypass requirements to preserve federal records, although Secretary Clinton has made clear that she did not rely on this advice”. It “also illustrates the longstanding problem that no secretary of state ever used an official unclassified email account until the current secretary of state”, Cummings said. The date of the Clinton-Powell email exchange raises questions over Powell’s recent denial of responsibility for providing her advice. “The truth is she was using it for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did,” he told the New York Post. “Her people have been trying to pin it on me.”

France: ‘Imminent’ attack thwarted Reuters / September 8, 2016 Three radical Islamist women arrested on Thursday in connection with a car laden with gas cylinders found abandoned near Paris's Notre Dame cathedral were likely planning an imminent attack, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. One of the women had stabbed a police officer during the arrest before being shot and wounded. The attacker was the missing 19-year-old daughter of the car's owner. The discovery on Saturday night of the Peugeot 607 loaded with seven gas cylinders, six of them full, prompted a counter-terrorism investigation. No detonator had been found, though the vehicle also contained three jerry cans of diesel fuel, adding to concerns that there had been a plan to explode the car. "These three women aged 39, 23 and 19 had been radicalised, were fanatics and were in all likelihood preparing an imminent, violent act," Cazeneuve said. Seven people have now been detained since Tuesday in connection with the investigation. The arrests took place in Boussy-Saint-Antoine, some 30 km (20 miles) south-east of Paris. The Peugeot was found in the early hours of Sunday morning on a Seine riverside road, just meters from Notre Dame cathedral. Documents with writing in Arabic were also found in the car, which had no registration plates and was left with its hazard lights flashing. The car owner was taken into custody earlier this week but later released. He had gone to police on Sunday to report that his daughter had disappeared with his car. His daughter, officials say, is known to police for wanting to leave for Syria, where scores of religiously radicalised people of French and other nationalities have joined the ranks of the Islamic State militant group. .

Former attorney general Alberto Gonzales weighed in on a newly released email from former Secretary of State Colin Powell to Clinton in 2009. Powell wrote how he used a personal computer connected to private phone lines while at the State Department. “It appears that Colin Powell did what he did or his advice was based upon convenience for him,” said Gonzales. “The fact that she [Hillary Clinton] would rely upon Colin Powell’s advice to me is also kind of interesting or curious because he’s a secretary of state, he’s not a lawyer, and so why wouldn’t she check with the attorney general? Why wouldn’t she check with the lawyers at the State Department? That’s who she should have checked with, not necessarily reliance upon Secretary Powell.” With the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Sunday, Gonzales worries “that America may be less safe today” with the rise of lone-wolf terrorists, who are harder to detect. “We are more safe in respect to attacks by hijack aircraft,” said Gonzales. “The next attacker of a 9/11 scale attack is likely to be an American citizen, someone who looks like you and I, speaks perfect English, can travel back and forth freely within this country, and that presents unique challenges to our law enforcement and intelligence communities.”

I've never liked the primitive way full fenders are mounted in North America, rigidly to the frame without any insulation at the frame mounting point. The every day road shock beats them to death. The fender supporting tubes should be mounted into frame mounts with rubber insulation within (e.g. picture below), or the tubes rigidly mounted to the chassis with rubber insulation at the fender mounting points, so as to allow a bit of "give". That said, I'd start by contacting Betts or Minimizer in the states and explain your Reyco 102W 4-spring mounting situation. Also, can you attach a bracket (s) under the top of the 5th wheel mounting angles? http://www.bettshd.com/fender-mounting-bracket-kits.html http://www.bettshd.com/contact_us.php http://www.minimizer.com/product-category/bracket-systems/ .

The New Zealand Waste Management-operated Hino 500s feature a pure-electric drive system designed by Netherlands-based Emoss Mobile Systems B.V. (http://www.emoss.biz/).