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Volkswagen Truck & Bus / August 16, 2016 Volkswagen Truck & Bus has received a 30 unit order for Constellation 25.420 6x2 tractors, Constellation 17.280 6x2 rigids and Worker 17.230 4x2 rigids from refuse hauler Estre Ambiental (www.estre.com.br). Aracaju, Brazil-based Estre Ambiental has one of the largest refuse truck fleets in Brazil. "Volkswagen’s trucks are the best available for meeting the tough demands of the refuse industry. They offer the robustness required for this severe application," said Estre Ambiental Operations Manager Sergio Toledo. With a GCW ratting of 53 metric tons, the ten new 420 horsepower Cummins ISL 9 powered Constellation 25.420 6x2 tractors will run on average 7,000 kilometers a month in waste transfer service. Modern 16-speed V-Tronic AMT transmissions combine the low maintenance cost of a manual transmission with the ease of automatic gear shifting, providing comfort, increased driver productivity and greater economy in operation. Twenty Constellation 17.280 and Worker 17.230 “Compactor” Series trucks, factory-built with Planalto refuse bodies (www.planaltoindustria.com.br), will operate about 3,500 kilometers a month. Offering high productivity and up-time paired with low operating cost, Volkswagen’s purpose-designed “Compactor” range of refuse trucks uniquely provide operators with a bumper-to-bumper factory warranty. "The waste collection is undoubtedly an operation that requires constant improvement. And we are attentive to customer needs to propose constant innovative solutions, tailored and reflect the profitability of the business, "said Volkswagen Truck & Bus Vice President of Sales Ricardo Alouche. Related reading: https://www.man-la.com/produtos-volkswagen/modelo/vocacionais-11/compactor-70 https://www.man-la.com/produtos-volkswagen/modelos/constellation-7/cavalo-mecanico-8 .

Transport Engineer / August 23, 2016 Waitrose has praised Gray & Adams for its ability to turn groundbreaking designs into real-world trailers, developing the retailer’s Ultra low carbon semi-trailers. The retailer has just ordered more of the aerodynamic ‘boat-tail’ trailers, after achieving targeted fuel savings with its earlier orders. Waitrose has long specified its Gray & Adams trailers (www.gray-adams.com) with features such as large radius panel cappings and side skirts to reduce drag. However, through parent company John Lewis Partnership’s participation in the government’s Low-Carbon Truck Trial programme, and with input from Cambridge University, the retailer has developed a trailer that takes environmental compatibility to another level. The academics conducted wind tunnel research, focusing on the aerodynamics beneath and around the rear of the trailer, as well as between the trailer and the tractor unit. They proposed modifications designed to cut aerodynamic drag by 14% which, they predicted, would deliver fuel savings of 7%. The recommendations included: a tapered ‘boat tail’ on the upper rear of the trailer; tapered sidewalls at the rear; a lowered overall vehicle height; a smooth underside, open at the back, to help air flow out from beneath; and an air management kit for the tractor, matched closely to the trailer with minimal gaps. To be economically viable the ‘boat tail’ design had to ensure no loss of cargo space, while the new trailer also had to be compatible with Waitrose’s loading bays and existing equipment. Simon Gray, vehicle engineering manager for John Lewis Partnership, says: “It’s all very well having a nice set of drawings, but you then have to make it work in the real world. Gray & Adams did a good job of that. “We sat down with the manufacturer and worked our way through it. I recall one problem relating to reversing the trailer onto the bay. It meant we had to amend the original aerodynamic design to accommodate the loading dock infrastructure, but we were able to do so without compromising the optimum boat-tail angle. “This was a typical case in point – whenever an issue arose, Gray & Adams would come up with an alternative suggestion, which we’d then take back to the guys at Cambridge University to get their views. So it was very much a three-way collaboration, with the aim of getting the best possible result.” Rather than lowering the door height, the boat-tail taper was achieved by reducing insulation at the rear of the trailer, where ambient products tend to be carried and temperature control is therefore less critical. This meant there was no adverse effect on carrying capacity, and no cages were lost. Meanwhile, the trailer side skirts that cover half the wheels were designed with a hinged mechanism for easy access to the underbody and wheels. Waitrose commissioned its first handful of Ultra low carbon trailers in 2014. Built at Gray & Adams’ Fraserburgh headquarters, these were followed by more substantial orders in 2015 and again in 2016. “We’ve fine-tuned the specification along the way but the basic concept has been a success since day one,” confirmed Gray. “The trailers are delivering the 7% improvement in fuel efficiency that we’d anticipated, and this is over our standard trailers which are themselves of a low drag design. “The 7% improvement translates into an annual per vehicle saving of around 2,800 litres of fuel, and a reduction in the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere each year of more than 7,000 tonnes. It also means that we will recoup the increased capital cost of each trailer within two years. “Given that we envisage a 10-year life for our trailers, these are highly cost effective as well as environmentally beneficial.” Waitrose has also ordered a number of specialised twin-deck trailers from Gray & Adams this year. .

Lo and behold, Volvo has removed the revised 2017 powertrain video, as it did the original one.

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Heavy Duty Trucking / August 22, 2016 Peterbilt is making available the Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system and a new integrated Softek NXT suspension and steer axle system from Hendrickson on its Model 579 and 567 trucks. Bendix Wingman Fusion incorporates such safety solutions as lane departure warning, enhanced colission mitigation and in-lane object recognition to the Peterbilt over-the-road and vocational truck models. The Wingman Fusion system gathers input from radar, video, multiple sensors and the braking system to create a detailed in-cab picture of the vehicle’s environment. Using the data from these active systems, the vehicle is able to alert drivers to potentially dangerous situations and can even react autonomously in certain situations. The system is currently available for order through Peterbilt dealers. “Peterbilt is a safety leader and we’re pleased to strengthen that position by offering the most effective, comprehensive safety system available, Bendix Wingman Fusion,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt assistant general manager of sales and marketing. Hendrickson's Softek integrated monoleaf suspension and steer axle system is designed to save weight compared to traditional two-leaf spring and I-beam axle systems, to benefit fuel-conscious applications such as tankers and bulk haulers. The Softek NXT system combines the Steertek NXT 12,500-pound-rated axle and the monoleaf spring technology with an integrated knuckle design. It highlights a new, integrated clamp group and monoleaf spring design which are key design features for enhanced ride and handling characteristics. The patented clamp group design also provides greater weight savings and reduced part count compared to previous designs. The design also simplifies the kingpin bushing serviceability and includes a new double lip seal to further improve bushing life, which can improve uptime. The 12,500-pound-rated system is available now for order through Peterbilt dealers. The 13,200-pound-rated axle will become available for order by the end of the year. "Peterbilt is pleased to strengthen our weight-saving leadership by offering this exclusive, lightweight suspension and axle system,” said Woodall. “This is an exciting addition to our portfolio of lightweight options for the vocational and long-haul segments.” Related reading - http://www.hendrickson-intl.com/Truck/On-Highway/SOFTEK-NXT . .

From a distance, I'm guessing you have a bad injector. If your local Mack dealer has some experienced Mid-Liner technicians (old hands), you should take it to them.

The Washington Post / August 22, 2016 The FBI’s year-long investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server uncovered 14,900 emails and documents from her time as secretary of state that had not been disclosed by her attorneys, and a federal judge on Monday pressed the State Department to begin releasing emails sooner than mid-October as it planned. Justice Department lawyers said last week that the State Department would review and turn over Clinton’s work-related emails to a conservative legal group. The records are among “tens of thousands” of documents found by the FBI in its probe and turned over to the State Department, Justice Department attorney Lisa Ann Olson said Monday in court. The 14,900 Clinton documents are nearly 50 percent more than the roughly 30,000 emails that Clinton’s lawyers deemed work-related and returned to the department in December 2014. Lawyers for the State Department and Judicial Watch, the legal group, are negotiating a plan for the release of the emails in a civil public records lawsuit before U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of Washington. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said the group was pleased that Boasberg rejected the department’s proposal to begin releasing documents weekly on Oct. 14, ordering it instead to prioritize Clinton’s emails and to return to court Sept. 22 with a new plan. “We’re pleased the court accelerated the State Department’s timing,” Fitton said. “We’re trying to work with the State Department here, but let’s be clear: The State Department has slow-walked and stonewalled the release of these records. They’ve had many of them since July 25 ... and not one record has yet been released, and we don’t understand why that’s the case.” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the agency previously agreed voluntarily to hand over emails sent or received by Clinton in her official capacity as secretary from 2009 to 2013 but that tens of thousands of documents would have to be “carefully appraised at State” to separate official records from personal ones. “State has not yet had the opportunity to complete a review of the documents to determine whether they are agency records or if they are duplicative of documents State has already produced through the Freedom of Information Act,” Toner said. “We cannot comment further as this matter is in ongoing litigation.” Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit in May 2015 after disclosures that Clinton had exclusively used a personal email server while secretary of state. Judicial Watch had sought all emails sent or received by Clinton at the State Department in a request made under the federal Freedom of Information Act, which covers the release of public records. Monday’s hearing comes seven weeks after the Justice Department closed a criminal investigation without charges into the handling of classified material in Clinton’s email setup, which FBI Director James B. Comey called “extremely careless.” On Aug. 5, the FBI completed transferring what Comey said were several thousand previously undisclosed work-related Clinton emails that the FBI found in its investigation for the State Department to review and make public. Government lawyers until now had given no details about how many emails the FBI found or when the full set would be released. It is unclear how many documents might be attachments, duplicates or exempt from release for privacy or legal reasons. Government lawyers disclosed last week that the FBI has turned over eight computer discs of information: one including emails and attachments that were sent directly to or from Clinton, or to or from her at some point in an email chain, and were not previously turned over by her lawyers; a second with classified documents; another with emails returned by Clinton; and five containing materials from other people retrieved by the FBI. The 14,900 documents at issue now come from the first disc, Fitton said. In announcing the FBI’s findings in July, Comey said investigators found no evidence that the emails it found “were intentionally deleted in an effort to conceal them.” Like many users, Clinton periodically deleted emails, or they were purged when devices were changed. Clinton’s lawyers also may have deleted some of the emails as “personal,” Comey said, noting their review relied on header information and search terms, not a line-by-line reading as the FBI conducted.

August 23 6:40 PM GMT (7:40 PM CET)

Paul, call your local Mack Australia dealer and ask for a 184QS39301A. We also used that same latch assembly on the MC and MR for many years after the Cruise-Liner was discontinued. If they aren't helpful, try calling Mack Australia directly at 1300 69 6225.

ST-KT / August 22, 2016 600hp Tonar-45252 will depart from Moscow to Siberia for diamonds Specialty manufacturer Tonar (http://www.tonar.info/en/) has introduced a new tipper trailer to meet the needs of customer ALROSA in Siberia. The new model 95405 trailer is designed to carry 117 metric tons of rock over long distances. The 45252 tractor is equipped with a 600-hprsepower 18.9-liter 6-cylinder in-line turbodiesel Cummins QSK19-C600, and 7-speed Allison 4700 automatic transmission fitted with a retarder. The tractor’s front suspension is pneumatic-hydraulic. Size 14.00R25 tires have a load capacity index of 170. Photo gallery: http://st-kt.ru/articles/tonar-otpravlyaetsya-za-almazami http://www.gruzovikpress.ru/article/9057-noviy-mnogozvenniy-tyagach-tonar-45252-pritsep-tonar-95405-vnedorojnogo-gabarita-iz-gubino-dlya-alrosa/

Truckstop TV / August 18, 2016 .

Transport Engineer / August 19, 2016 Temperature-controlled transport business Bedworth Haulage has taken delivery of four Mercedes-Benz Actros tractors and, after just three months of operation, is reporting weekly fuel savings of up to £190 per vehicle. Supplied by Midlands Truck & Van and on an operating lease through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, the Coventry-based operator’s new additions are Actros 2551 units, powered by second-generation 510bhp engines and fitted with Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) systems. Bedworth’s Ian Thacker says the new trucks are already returning 10.5 mpg or more – 2 mpg ahead of other vehicles on his fleet – “and I’d like to think that as they loosen up the fuel figures will get even better,” he adds. The Actros have GigaSpace cabs, with roof-mounted light bars and chrome highlights, and the interior spec includes leather upholstery and fridges. Bedworth Haulage’s 34-strong tractor fleet includes three other marques, as well as five more Actros GigaSpace models with Euro 5 engines. The first of these, also a 2551, entered service early in 2013, and was followed later that year by a quartet of 450bhp Actros 2545 variants. Thacker says: “The big disparity in fuel efficiency is partly explained by the fact that while our Mercedes-Benz trucks are powered by 12.8-litre straight-six engines, the majority of our Swedish trucks have big V8s. “Even allowing for this, though, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Actros is the most economical truck on the market right now… and by a wide margin. “Our Euro 5 Actros have always been comfortably ahead of the rest, but with these second-generation Euro 6 models, Mercedes-Benz has raised its game by another big notch.” The new Actros, he adds, are delivering an extra half a mile per gallon over their predecessors: “Our trucks typically cover 3,000 km a week and the total bill for last week alone was £33,000, so savings of this magnitude are very welcome.” The operator is also a fan of Mercedes-Benz FleetBoard telematics, which it fits not only to its Actros but also to other makes of truck, describing it as “simple to use” and providing “a wealth of invaluable data”. .

Transport Engineer / August 19, 2016 Norton’s Hiab Services, of Manchester, has taken delivery of its first Volvo vehicle, a Volvo FH-540 6x4 tractor. Key to the deal was Volvo’s ability to include a 10-tonne front axle rating on the 44-tonne gcw tractor, supplied by dealer Thomas Hardie Commercials. Norton’s Hiab Services moves a variety of self-escorted wide loads, from wind turbines to machinery as well as site accommodation and welfare cabins for construction companies. The FH’s fully stabilised and ballasted specification includes an additional pair of hydraulically operated stabiliser legs, mounted on a ‘NATO beam’ extension to the front of the chassis. This means it can be used both as a versatile crane truck (able to work with its 17.7m Dennison extending trailer), or solo, as a replacement for the lightweight crane carriers that are often used to service city centre construction sites. To do this, the truck is equipped with a 62-tonne/metre Hiab XS 622 EP-6 HiPro crane. According to Norton’s Hiab Services Paul Eddisford, the fitment of the front of chassis extension and the additional stabiliser legs, means that the FH can slew 360 degrees and has the ability to lift and crane 5 tonne at 10 metres, over the cab and over the rear of the chassis. “Although we operate at 44 tonnes GCW, rather than under STGO regulations, we had a specific need for a truck with a 10-tonne front axle rating,” he explains. “Only Volvo were able to supply a tractor unit, that wasn’t a specialist heavy haulage vehicle, with a 10-tonne front axle to assist in the ability to achieve the lifting capabilities via the front stabilising legs, working over the front of the cab.” The Hiab crane on the Volvo FH is mounted on a full length chassis frame mounted cradle. The chassis itself also contains a full length insert to aid rigidity. As the truck is fitted with a sliding fifth wheel which is mounted on a cradle on top of the Hiab crane cradle, coupling height is 1450mm. The chassis is ballasted with steel plate, which is welded to the Hiab frame for its full length behind the crane. In addition, a huge steel ballast box is fitted to the rear of the chassis. Chassis packaging of air, fuel and AdBlue tanks has been carefully engineered by Volvo Trucks to accommodate the crane and the ballast box. Careful positioning of the ‘NATO beam’ has ensured that the AEBS radar is unimpeded and works as normal. The FH is ADR registered for when it delivers bunded fuel tanks to sites. Remote operation of the crane is made possible via Hiab’s ruggedised Space 5000 remote control hand held terminal which, among other things, displays percentage loadings of the crane at all outreach stages. .

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Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / August 19, 2016 .

A 19-pound 5-year-old died of an overdose The Washington Post / August 13, 2016 At the time of his death in May, the 5-year-old weighed just 19 pounds — less than half the weight of an average boy his age. The cause of death was a drug overdose. Specifically, officials said this week, the sickly boy died after his parents medicated him with OxyContin. Charles Burks, 45, and Jennifer Burks, 40, of Endicott, N.Y., are facing second-degree manslaughter charges for their son’s death. Investigators say the couple gave the boy crushed OxyContin, a highly addictive prescription opioid painkiller that ultimately killed him. Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell said the boy was in need of specialized care and had developmental and medical problems. His parents, Cornwell said, “took it upon themselves to self-medicate the child.” “The parents failed to get the proper treatment for the child in a timely manner,” Cornwell said. The prosecutor declined to elaborate on what kind of medical problems the child had, other than saying he was severely underweight. Police responded to the couple’s house on May 7 after receiving a medical call. The boy was then taken to the hospital. The couple abruptly left New York within a month of their son’s death, traveling to North Carolina, where they lived at a campsite. Investigators received a tip from a police officer at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, that Charles and Jennifer Burks visited someone at the hospital. The Burks later drove back to New York for an unrelated matter, and were arrested and arraigned Thursday. Officials did not say whether the boy was still alive when he was taken to the hospital in May. It also remains unclear whether his parents were at home when police were called, or whether one or both of them had prescriptions for OxyContin. As is customary in Broome County, the case will be heard by a grand jury, which will then decide on the appropriate charges. The charges may be different or the same as the original manslaughter charges, the prosecutor said. A second-degree manslaughter charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Cornwell said the couple has other children, though all of them are adults. He refused to say whether they have a history with Child Protective Services. Records, however, show that Charles Burks is registered as a sex offender in New York and North Carolina. He was convicted of third-degree rape of a 15-year-old girl in 1998 in Broome County. .

Toddler who died a ‘painful, horrible death’ was placed in a freezer The Washington Post / August 7, 2016 A New York mother is facing a first-degree manslaughter charge in the death of her baby girl whose body was “extremely cold.” Officials suspect the 15-month-old was placed in a freezer. Police received a 911 call at about 5:30 a.m. Friday from an apartment in Mount Vernon, New York. Officials said 15-month-old Samia Yusef may have been dead for several hours when police found her. She was pronounced dead a half-hour later. “It was a gruesome discovery that shocked even our most senior officers on the job,” Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Ronald Fatigate said. A felony complaint states that Samia’s mother, Dasia Bartee, 26, struck the child in the back “six to seven times” with a closed fist to stop her from crying. She suffered significant injuries to her face, a lumbar fracture and internal bleeding. The crime happened just after 10 p.m. Thursday. “This child clearly died a painful, horrible death,” said Westchester Assistant District Attorney Karen Herbert. Prosecutors recommended that Bartee be held on $1 million bail, but a Mount Vernon city court judge set her bail at $50,000. Her defense attorney told the judge she had no criminal record. Westchester Assistant District Attorney Karen Herbert said Bartee had an “extensive” history with Child Protective Services. Two other children who were in the apartment when the incident happened were not harmed. Authorities said they have been placed in the custody of Child Protective Services. “No child, no infant, no toddler should be subjected to that type of violence,” said Mayor Richard Thomas. .

4-year-old found beaten and abused thought her name was ‘Idiot’ The Washington Post / August 17, 2016 The 4-year-old girl had deep purple bruises, a black eye, a swollen cheek and a mark on her forehead. She also had healing scars across her back, dried blood in the corner of her mouth and ligature marks on her wrist, authorities said. When a police officer asked her what her name was, she had a startling response: “Idiot.” Her mother’s live-in boyfriend, police said, regularly called the child “Idiot” instead of using her actual name. He also zip-tied the girl to her bed as a form of punishment, according to a police report. Clarence Reed, 47, and the child’s mother, Jennifer Denen, 30, both of Hot Springs, Arkansas, are now charged with domestic battery, permitting abuse of a minor and endangering welfare of a minor. Police received a call Friday from the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center, where a staff member told an officer that a malnourished 4-year-old had been abused in her home. Reed and Denen, who were at the center when police arrived, were later arrested. Denen told police that she had seen her boyfriend strike her daughter with a plastic bat and said she’d heard Reed frequently call the child “Idiot.” She admitted not seeking medical care for her daughter, the police report said. Reed told authorities that he hit the child. But instead of a plastic bat, he told police, he had used a half-inch-thick wooden paddle. He also admitted zip-tying the child to punish her for climbing the kitchen cabinets. And although he said he had called the child “Idiot,” Reed told police he meant it as a joke. Hot Springs Police Department spokesman Cpl. Kirk Zaner said a total of six children lived in the house, all of whom are Denen’s. One, an 11-month-old, is her only child with Reed. Zaner said the 4-year-old girl and the 11-month-old are now in the custody of the Department of Human Services. The four older siblings are with their biological father. In 2012, state and local child protective services received about 3.4 million reports of children being abused or neglected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The majority of them, 78 percent, were victims of neglect; 18 percent suffered physical abuse, according to the CDC About 80 percent of perpetrators were parents, the CDC said, while six percent were relatives other than parents. Four percent of perpetrators were the parents’ unmarried partners. .

Dagens Industri / August 21, 2016 A new wave of large mergers and acquisitions may well be imminent in the western truck markets. A big question is how Volkswagen, VW Trucks & Bus, will break into North America. Another question is for Volvo Group to sell any of its truck brands. Things are going well for Sweden's two major truck brands Scania and Volvo Trucks. The two brands has never been so strong as now in the European truck market, a third of all heavy trucks sold in Europe comes from the Swedish brands. Looking at its current record high market share in Europe, the highly capable Scania is excellent off-exchange as a company wholly owned by Volkswagen. But still, the operating margin decreased significantly since Scania left the stock market in 2014, the main reason for this is, however, extremely weak Brazilian truck market, which is normally extremely profitable for the truck companies. A clear negative effect the delisting from the stock market has brought with it is that Scania has lost a number of key employees, including CEO Martin Lundstedt to Volvo. Scania has managed to fill the gaps with internal recruitment. For the Swedish truck industry, it would be brilliant if Scania is able to both support its own development with excellence and in addition can spare experienced top executives to support Volvo Group's truck operations. On Tuesday in Paris, Scania's CEO Henrik Henriksson displayed the company’s new truck platform, the first all-new Scania developed since 1995. Development of the new truck has been going on for nearly ten years, and is the largest investment in Scania’s history, estimated that more than 10 billion kronor. For the continued success of Scania, it is of the utmost importance that the new truck platform will be well received by customers. Something that is also important for Scania's future is for CEO Henrik Henriksson to convince parent Volkswagen that having Scania engineers in research and development is a critical benefit for the Sodertalje-based truckmaker. The knowledge brought out of Scania to sister companies in the VW Group [MAN] in the future can be amply compensated by the fact that Scania can share the costs of research and development with the rest of VW Group. Scania, which has been on its toes for decades with the clear position as Sweden's best truckmaker, is increasingly threatened by Volvo Group. Former Volvo CEO Olof Persson’s efficiency program has provided a clear impact on the underlying profitability. This, combined with Martin Lundstedt product and customer focus, Volvo's truck business is heading for an operating margin of over 10 percent. Something that will be interesting to follow in the coming years is whether Mr Lundstedt chooses to dispose of any of the Volvo Group's smaller truck brands to focus even more clearly on premium brand Volvo Trucks, and thus increasingly mimic Scania's successful development strategy. Even more interesting, however, is when and how Volkswagen's truck chief Andreas Renschler will decide to take the step into the North American truck market. It has been two and a half years since Andreas Renschler left Daimler to become head of VW Trucks & Bus. The stated objective since then is that the VW to become the world's largest truck company, which requires that Volkswagen is establishing itself in North America. It has been speculated that it will be done with VW Trucks & Bus buying Navistar or Paccar. But the emissions scandal surrounding VW's passenger cars has possibly put a spoke in the wheel. The delay is a positive for Volvo. A long shot that should not be ruled out is that a Chinese truckmaker through an acquisition establishes itself on the European or North American truck market in the coming years.

Liebherr Press Release / August 16, 2016 Related reading - http://www.liebherr.com/en/deu/products/construction-machines/concrete-technology/concrete-technology.html .

Scania’s new truck generation: World’s first rollover side curtain airbag for trucks Scania Group Press Release / August 16, 2016 Unique rollover side curtain airbags deploy and protect those travelling in the cab if the truck rolls over Scania’s solution targets one of the most serious consequences of rollover accidents, where drivers or passengers are injured in a collision or fatally crushed by their own vehicle Potential for a significant reduction in deaths from rollover accidents Scania’s new truck generation can be equipped with rollover side curtain airbags integrated into the headliner moulding above the doors – a unique solution which has never previously been offered in trucks. Scania’s rollover side curtain airbags provide significantly-enhanced protection for those travelling in the vehicle in the event of a rollover, one of the most serious types of truck accidents. “The use of a seat belt is essential to allow the safety systems to do their job and to ensure that the driver is not thrown out of the cab,” says Christofer Karlsson, who is responsible for the development of Scania’s crash safety system. “Our rollover side curtain airbag – particularly when combined with the steering wheel airbag and our seat belt pretensioners – ensures that the driver and any passengers on board will have a much better chance of surviving a rollover accident in one of the new generation of Scania trucks, with far less severe consequences than would be the case in any other truck.” Scania has developed both the active and passive safety features in the new truck generation, with a series of measures that protect those travelling in the cab. By offering rollover side curtain airbags, Scania believes there could be a significant reduction in the proportion of drivers who are killed in rollover accidents. A common reason for trucks rolling over is that the driver is forced to carry out evasive action to avoid an oncoming vehicle or an obstruction. If the truck then ends up off the road, there is rarely sufficient load-bearing capacity, so the vehicle may topple onto its side or even roll right over at higher speeds. Advanced systems with sensors determine when and if the rollover side curtain airbags and any other airbags should be deployed; when deployed, the airbags inflate instantaneously. Scania’s new and already widely-discussed truck generation will be unveiled online on the evening of 23 August. The launch can be followed online at nextgenscania.com. .