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Heavy Duty Trucking / July 18, 2016 Volvo Trucks will lay off around 300 more employees later this year due to weaker truck demand in 2016, according to a report in The Roanoke Times. The layoffs are expected to take place in September and will affect workers at its New River Valley truck plant in Dublin, Va. This will be the second round of major layoffs at the facility for the truck manufacturer, which in February laid off as many as 700 employees. The New River Valley plant is one of Volvo Group’s largest manufacturing facilities, assembling the Volvo VNM, VNL, VNX, VHD and VAH trucks. The layoffs are part of a plan the company put in place late last year when it projected demand to fall off after a stellar 2015. Class 8 truck demand in particular has been reported at low levels throughout 2016 as a weaker economy and lower freight demand have made carriers cautious about ordering new vehicles. Daimler Trucks North America has also responded to truck order reductions with major layoffs, letting go 1,240 workers across its North American production wing as a result. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45425-more-workers-face-layoffs-at-dublin-volvo-plant/#comment-334930

Ford 2017 Super Duty payload, towing data released Fleet Owner / July 18, 2016 OEM says adaptive cruise control can function even when towing 32,000 lbs. Specific payload and towing numbers released today for the new 2017 F-Series Super Duty truck – a vehicle officially unveiled late last year – result in Super Duty models that offer “more towing and hauling capability than ever before,” according to Ford Motor Co. Some of the data Ford is releasing includes: Maximum payload of 4,200 lbs. for the 2017 Ford Super Duty F-250 and payload of 7,630 lbs. for the 2017 Ford Super Duty F-350; Maximum conventional towing with F-250 and F-350 single-rear wheel models with the OEM’s new trailer tow package boosted to 18,000 lbs.; A maximum gooseneck tow rating of 32,500 lbs. for the Ford F-450 Super Duty SuperCrew 4x4, with maximum fifth-wheel towing increased to 27,500 lbs. Maximum gross combined weight rating for truck and trailer now tops out at 41,800 lbs.; more than half the maximum weight limit of an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer combination for most federal highways. “This is the best heavy-duty truck we’ve ever made,” noted Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager. “What it boils down to is a more efficient truck,” Brian Rathsburg, marketing manager for the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty, told Fleet Owner. “If you can tow and haul more, that means you need to take fewer trips, which benefits you on fuel economy, certainly, but also in time savings,” he explained. “Time is money for commercial customers and if you can be more efficient and also more capable at the same time that lowers the overall cost of ownership for the vehicle.” Rathsburg added that several new technologies augment the 2017 Super Duty payload and towing capabilities as well: An adaptive cruise control and collision warning system with brake support for towing heavy trailers, allowing operators to traverse steep mountain grades while maintaining speed, even with a trailer weighing 32,500 lbs.; A center high-mounted stop lamp camera to provide visibility into the cargo box that is especially helpful when hooking up gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailers; An “ultimate trailer tow” camera system that uses four digital, high-definition cameras to give the driver a 360-degree bird’s-eye view surrounding the vehicle. A “trailer reverse guidance” package that provides visual cues and tips to help ease backing up a trailer, along with a factory-available trailer camera can be custom-placed on a trailer to improve visibility backing up; An optional in-cab trailer tire pressure monitoring system, accessible from cab while stopped or on the highway; A blind spot information system with trailer tow that is “optimized” in Scott’s words for the Super Duty to include trailer lengths up to 33 ft. long, using radar sensors in the truck’s tail lamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver. “As we like to say, it boils down to safety systems and technology making the customers' lives easier,” Rathsburg said. “And making their lives easier helps them be more efficient – ‘efficient,’ there’s that word again – which again helps lower the overall cost of operations for them.” Ford is also offering several beefed-up powertrain options for its 2017 F-Series Super Duty line to enable greater payload and towing capability. First, its second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine now offers 440 hp and 925 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a TorqShift six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. This package will be the standard option for every Super Duty – from F-250 to F-450 – that is spec’d with a diesel engine; without requiring special tuning or unique hardware, the OEM said. The second powertrain choice is a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine – the standard option for F-Series Super Duty models – that offers 385 hp and 430 lb.-ft of torque. It, too, will be mated to the TorqShift six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, the OEM said. Rathsburg added that commercial customers should also understand how the use of military-grade aluminum in both the body and frame of the 2017 F-Series Super Duty – mirroring what Ford did when it revamped its F-150 pickup two years ago – benefits commercial customers. “We saved 350 lbs. of weight by using that strong aluminum and we reinvested some of that weight savings back into the truck to create bigger and stronger components,” he emphasized. “That again allows the truck to be more capable and more efficient for the commercial user.”

Ford's redesigned Super Duty pickup raises performance ante Automotive News / July 18, 2016 Ford Motor Co. used the weight savings from an aluminum body to beef up the capabilities of its Super Duty pickups, which it says will beat the competition in towing, payload, torque and diesel horsepower ratings. The redesigned F-250, F-350 and F-450, slated to be on sale this fall, weigh as much as 350 pounds less than the outgoing models, Ford said. That’s about half the weight savings Ford gained by switching the light-duty F-150 from steel to aluminum body panels. Ford said the Super Duty’s frame, composed of 95 percent high-strength steel, is 24 times stiffer than the current generation’s frame to support heavier loads and trailers. “We listened to our customers and created the toughest, smartest and most capable Super Duty ever,” Doug Scott, Ford’s truck marketing manager, said in a statement. The F-450 SuperCrew 4x4 can tow 21,000 pounds with a conventional hitch -- 1,000 pounds more than its closest rival, Ford said. Its tow ratings are 32,500 pounds for a gooseneck trailer, 1,290 pounds more than its top competitor, and 27,500 pounds for a fifth-wheel trailer, 2,500 pounds more than any other heavy-duty pickup. The F-250 and F-350 with a single rear wheel can tow a class-leading 18,000 pounds with a standard hitch, Ford said. Ford said the redesigned Super Duty will be the first pickup to offer adaptive cruise control and a collision-warning system with brake support for trailers up to 32,500 pounds. The maximum gross combined weight rating for an F-450 SuperCrew 4x4 and a trailer is 41,800 pounds, more than any other heavy-duty pickup and more than half of the weight limit for an 18-wheel semitractor-trailer on most federal highways, Ford said. Payload capacity for the F-350 is a class-leading 7,630 pounds, while the F-250 can haul 4,200 pounds in its bed, 600 pounds more than any competitor, Ford said. Diesel versions of the Super Duty, equipped with the second-generation of Ford’s Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged engine, are rated at 440 hp and 925 pounds-feet of torque without special tuning or hardware, Ford said. The standard gasoline engine, a 6.2-liter V-8, produces a class-leading 430 pounds-feet of torque and 385 hp. That beats the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 on both numbers and tops the heavy-duty Ram 2500’s torque rating by 1 pound-foot, but the Ram has a more powerful rating of 410 hp. Ford said the Super Duty will offer improved fuel economy ratings, but it has not released specific numbers. Ford Press Release - https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2016/07/18/all-new-ford-f-series-super-duty-leaves-the-rest-behind--raises-.html

The Guardian / July 18, 2016 The man who killed three police officers in Baton Rouge was “tactical” in his movements and shots and avoided civilians while targeting officers with “chilling, sheer brutality”. “He was in shape,” said Louisiana State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson. “He was concentrated, he was articulate in all manners of engagement. I’ll just leave it at that.” The three police officers shot dead in Louisiana were deliberately ambushed by the gunman who carried two AR-15-style rifles and a 9.9mm pistol. One of the officers was first wounded, then killed as he lay on the ground. A sheriff’s deputy was killed after leaving cover to help that officer. Three officers were injured – on Monday one, corporal Nicholas Tullier, remained in critical condition after being shot in the head and torso. Another officer, deputy Bruce Simmons, faced the second of many reconstructive surgeries after being shot in the arm. The gunman was Gavin Long, a black separatist identified by media on Sunday who in online postings had urged African Americans to “fight back” against oppression by law enforcement. Long was from Missouri. Police could not confirm reports that Long had also been in Dallas. “We have him in several locations,” police said. Two Baton Rouge officers, Montrell Jackson, 32, and 41-year-old Matthew Gerald, were shot and killed. Sheriff’s deputy Brad Garafola, 45, was killed after leaving cover behind a dumpster and going to their aid. Long then moved around the neighboring convenience store where sheriff’s deputy Nicholas Tullier had pulled up in his patrol car. Long approached and shot him through the window, shooting him in the head and torso. Edmonson presented to the press still images from surveillance video of the shooting, which he said showed the “chilling, sheer brutality” of a planned and methodical attack by Long, a former US marine who carried two AR-15-style rifles and a 9.9mm pistol. Police were investigating the provenance [record of ownership] of the guns. The gunman was killed by a long-distance shot from a member of the Baton Rouge police Swat team. Police Chief Carl Dabadie saluted the shot, which he said was an example of “militarized tactics” which have been criticized by protesters against perceived police brutality. “It was a hell of a shot,” Dabadie said. “We’re up against a force that is not playing by the rules,” he said. “Our ‘militarized tactics,’ as they are being called, saved lives.” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux reinforced Dabadie’s conviction. “You can’t understand the shot they took,” he said. “They had to shoot through a structure and take the subject down.” Long had been in Baton Rouge for several days. His exact motives remain unknown. “Why did he come to Baton Rouge? Why did he come to this location?” Edmonson said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How it unfolded Shortly before the ambush that killed three police officers in Louisiana, the gunman was stalking a Baton Rouge police car with his rifle poised to shoot. Scouting the area in a rental car, Gavin Long initially spotted the patrol car at a convenience store Sunday morning and parked next door, only to find it empty. Long then drove north on Airline Highway and saw another patrol officer vacuuming his vehicle at a car wash. By the time Long had exited his car, that officer also disappeared. Long made his way back behind buildings near the B-Quik convenience store. Baton Rouge Officers Matthew Gerald, 41, and Montrell Jackson, 32, were behind the building next to the B-Quik along with sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola. Skilled in his handling of an assault rifle, Long, an ex-Marine, moved to ambush the officers, Edmonson said. Surveillance video captured the calculated attack. "There is no doubt whatsoever that these officers were targeted and assassinated," police say. Long appears to have been in Baton Rouge for days planning his attack, which also wounded three other officers. Investigators are tracking his whereabouts before the 8:40 a.m. Sunday ambush. "We want to know what brought him here, what kept him here" and why he killed police.” The Baton Rouge ambush followed on the heels of the Dallas attack on officers, both cases involving skilled gunmen and multiple casualties. Gautreaux, the East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff, said he was convinced that if the Baton Rouge SWAT team had not arrived when it did, two additional deputies who were wounded would be dead and the gunman would have escaped to attack more officers. The SWAT team's training kicked in, and it performed flawlessly in responding to the ambush. A SWAT team rifleman took out the gunman from more than 100 yards without a clear line of sight. "That shot our SWAT team made was a helluva shot," police say. "We've been questioned for the last (two) weeks about our militarized tactics and our militarized law enforcement. This is why. We are up against a force that is not playing by the rules. They didn't play by the rules in Dallas, and they didn't play by the rules here. "This guy was going to another location. He was not going to stop here," the chief told reporters. "He was going to take more lives." Long used a IWI Tavor SAR 5.56 rifle with a strap on it to keep the rifle in place as he engaged the officers, helping him maintain accuracy. He also was armed with a 9mm pistol and a Stag Arms M4 variant 5.56 rifle. The rifle was staged inside his Chevrolet Malibu rental car so he could get to it during the shooting. "He was extremely accurate," he said. Details of the ambush Long used the front of the building next to the B-Quik for cover and then pivoted the corner, ready to fire, saw the two Baton Rouge officers and shot them, killing one immediately and wounding the other, Edmonson said. Garafola apparently had responded to reports of a "dude with a rifle going down Airline Highway," Edmonson said. Farther behind the building, he heard the shots and took cover behind a trash bin. Garafola saw the wounded officer crawling behind the building and ran to his aid, Edmonson said. Long stepped from around the corner in the back of the building and shot the deputy, who fell to the ground from where he returned fire. Once Long killed Garafola, he saw the other wounded officer move and "shot him twice." Long shot and wounded an unidentified police officer who had pulled up in front of the building. The attacker then retreated back to the Malibu he had parked behind a fitness center several hundred yards away, using the businesses and woods for cover. Back at the fitness center, Deputy Nicholas Tullier, 41, had just got back in his patrol car to run the tag of the Malibu when Long emerged in the parking lot. Long opened fire on the deputy immediately, shooting as he walked toward the patrol car. He took long shots at another arriving deputy in the front parking lot, shattering the bone running from his elbow to his shoulder. Deputy Bruce Simmons, 51, now has a titanium rod in his arm and faces more surgery for his wounds. It was then that Baton Rouge Police SWAT saved the day. Pulling up in front of Benny's Car Wash, a rifleman saw the gunman and managed to kill him with a 100-yard-plus shot despite buildings and other obstructions.

Associated Press / July 18, 2016 A Muslim Afghan refugee shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) injured 21 people with an axe and knife on a train in Germany. Twenty-one people were left injured in the incident, with three now in a critical condition, according to Spiegel and Bild. The 17-year-old was gunned down by armed police after fleeing from the scene near the city of Wurzburg, 70 miles north of Nuremberg in southern Germany. Officials have said it was 'probably' an Islamist attack. Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann has told state television that the attacker was a 17-year-old Afghan man, who came to Germany as an unaccompanied minor refugee. According to state broadcaster ARD a passengers pulled the emergency brake on the train and the assailant then fled from the vehicle. Law enforcement have entered the area in significant numbers and have brought helicopters into operation. According to Deutsche Welle, police located the assailant and shot him dead. The train was on its way from the Bavarian town of Treuchtlingen to Wuerzburg, which is about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Nuremberg.

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Truck and trucking legend Ed Cameron passes on Australasian Transport News (ATN) / July 18, 2016 The man who imported the first fully assembled S-model Kenworths to Australia back in October 1962 has passed away. Australia is mourning one of its most respected trucking pioneers, Ed Cameron, 93, of Doncaster, Victoria. Cameron passed away at Broadbeach, Queensland, on July 16. Paccar and Kenworth Australia released a statement, saying they were saddened by the death of Cameron, extending their condolences to his family. While his greatest legacy is undoubtedly bringing the Kenworth brand to Australia, Cameron is also remembered for operating interstate transport company, D&E Cameron Transport, from 1946 to 1970. His contribution to the industry continued after retirement. Cameron was a generous supporter of the National Road Transport Hall of Fame. He was inducted to the Wall of Fame in 2002 and became an Icon of the Industry recipient in 2015. Hall of Fame CEO Liz Martin describes Cameron as ‘one of the nicest, most humble men’ she ever met. "He really was just a genuine down-to-earth, salt-of-the-earth type bloke. I was really lucky to have him as a friend. "One of the things that he did was highlight to us that we didn’t necessarily have to have what we were given from Britain – trucks that overheated in the heat and weren’t quite able to handle the heavy loads we needed to cope with our rough roads. "Ed worked with Kenworth to make sure the specifications were what he thought would suit Australia." After WWII Cameron and his brother Don bought their father’s 1935 Dodge to cart produce from Doncaster orchards to the Melbourne market. (Their brother Les later joined them at D&E Cameron.) By the end of 1946 they were regularly carting produce up the Hume Highway to Sydney. The fleet grew in response to demand, but throughout the 1950s Cameron considered British and European trucks unsuitable for the Hume Highway’s steep climbs and deteriorating road surfaces. After lengthy negotiations he imported several S Model Kenworths from the USA for the D&E Cameron fleet. In 1962 long-term employee Peter Cerveri drove one of the company’s first Kenworths. "Ed Cameron was a lovely man to work for and he listened to you," Cerveri says. "You could talk to him anytime you wanted if you had a bit of a problem. "He had a lot of faith in people. That’s why everybody stayed there for so long. We respected him but he respected us as well." Cameron Kenworth Importers brought more than 100 Kenworths into Australia during the 1960s. Cameron also operated Australian Kenworth Truck Sales which handled sales and parts. He sold both businesses to Kenworth’s American parent company in the late 1960s. D&E Cameron was sold to Mitchell Cotts in 1970. Since then Cameron’s son Glen has established his own transport company, Glen Cameron Group. A service to celebrate the life of Ed Cameron will be held at Doncaster Church of Christ, Doncaster, Victoria on Friday, July 22 at 1.30pm. A private cremation will be held earlier. Related reading: http://www.kws900.com/ http://www.kenworth.com.au/our-history/ .

Big Rigs / July 18, 2016 The man who first brought Kenworth to Australia Transport Pioneer Ed Cameron has sadly passed away. Ed was one of the first men to import Kenworth trucks to Australia. He ws also inducted into the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2002 and was named one of the four Icons of the Industry at the 2015 Hall of Fame Reunion. The Australian Road Transport Hall of Fame posted that Ed served in the Army during WWII then he joined the family business in Doncaster Vicotria which mainly transport fruit from growers to the Melbourne markets. With brothers Les and Don under the name of D&E Cameron he began a regular service to the Sydney wholesale markets transport fruit and vegetables and backloading with general to Melbourne. He was frustrated by the primitive road conditions and unsuitability of the trucks available in Australia mainly UK and European brands. In the late 1950s Ed visited the USA looking for more suitable long distance highway trucks. Then in 1961 he was appointed the first Australian importer of Kenworth trucks into Australia and he started using them in his own business. Major operators like Ansett and Kwikasair and man logging, heavy haulage and general freight businesses also jumped on board. He imported and sold more than 100 primemovers before Paccar acquired his business in the late 1960s and then estabilshed their Australian manufacturing and assembly base at Bayswater in Victoria. Ed was also actively involved in transport politics being a founder of the Victorian Road Transport Development Association and served as its president. The Association played a lead role in what led to the Privy Council victory in London upsetting the state road tax charges and severe restrictions on transport operators. Ed has recently published his life’s journey and Kenworth experience in a book “First Custom Built Trucks for Australia” - subtitled The Kenworth and Ed Cameron Story (http://www.angusrobertson.com.au/books/first-custom-built-trucks-for-australia-edward-cameron/p/9780980362428). It documents a formative period of road and highway transport as it is known today. .

Turkish police have urgently ramped up their presence in Istanbul, with special forces and military hardware deployed to the streets and orders to down aircraft without warning, following reports of rebel helicopters approaching the city. Turk F-16 fighter jets have been sent to patrol Turkish airspace. A state of emergency has been imposed in Istanbul and 1,800 additional special police forces have been deployed. In Istanbul's Kurdish district, police are indiscriminately firing tear gas at anyone who enters the street. Armored vehicles have been deployed to key locations in Istanbul (aka. Constantinople, the capital of the Roman/Byzantine Empire). Three unidentified helicopters were spotted over the city at 22:30 local time, two days after rebel aircraft were used in a military coup attempt to attack police and government buildings in Ankara. Five helicopters were reported to have approached Istanbul from the sea. Istanbul Police Chief Mustafa Caliskan had ordered the shooting down of any helicopters flying overhead without warning. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fled Istanbul on his personal aircraft (Gulfstream IV) and headed to Ankara. Since the coup, over 42 Turkish military helicopters have gone missing, suggesting the possibility of another attempt to seize power. The situation contradicts the Turkish government’s statements that it has squashed the coup attempt. The mass arrests have prompted a worried response from European leaders, who called on Ankara to uphold democracy and the rule of law. Erdogan said the coup attempt was a “gift from God,” enabling the government to “cleanse the army” once and for all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The United States rejected an asylum application by General Bekir Ercan Van, former commander of Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base, who is accused by Ankara of involvement in the attempted coup. General Van was later arrested by the Turkish authorities. Though Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook says the US coalition had resumed its anti-IS air operations in Turkey, power to the American military at the base remains cut off. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following World War II, Incirlik Air Base became a critical American base in the Cold War era, particularly after Turkey joined NATO in 1952. Its chief attribute was logistical, being a one hour flight from the Soviet border. Incirlik housed bombers, U-2 spy planes, tankers, fighters and nuclear weapons. Nuclear firepower was central to NATO’s strategy, to counter the threat of similar Soviet weapons. Located in southeast Turkey, the Incirlik Air Base includes NATO’s largest nuclear weapons storage facility. In modern times, Incirlik has been intended to serve as a nuclear deterrence. At least fifty B-61 hydrogen bombs, more than a quarter of all the nuclear weapons in the NATO stockpile, are stored at Incirlik. The adjustable yield of the B-61 bombs held at Incirlik can range 0.3 to 170 kilotons. The U.S. also has nuclear weapons in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. When NATO members Turkey and Greece faced off over Cyprus in 1974, the US withdrew its nuclear weapons from Greece, and rendered its nukes in Turkey inoperable.

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Terror Truck to ‘Mow Down’ Enemies Seen in Al-Qaeda Guide Bloomberg / July 16, 2016 The use of a truck as a weapon in France didn’t come as a surprise to counter-terrorism experts who have watched attacks involving vehicles surge in recent years. There were more than 70 worldwide in the two years ending in 2015, according to a database maintained by the University of Maryland. Three others had already occurred in France in the last two years. It’s become a weapon of choice in areas where guns and bombs are hard to obtain. An al-Qaeda guide to motivate home-grown terror attacks recommended the use of heavy vehicles. “The idea is to use a pickup truck as a mowing machine, not to mow grass but mow down the enemies of Allah,” said a 2010 magazine called Inspire, written by members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. “To achieve maximum carnage, you need to pick up as much speed as you can while still retaining good control of your vehicle in order to maximize your inertia and be able to strike as many people as possible in your first run.” An attack similar to that in Nice, France on Thursday killed at least 84 people and highlighted the risks to large, public gatherings days before thousands will convene in Cleveland for the Republican nominating convention. U.S. Protocols Because the danger from vehicles is well known, federal and local law enforcement have protocols to protect large public events from trucks, said John Halinski, a former deputy administrator at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration who is now a security consultant. “When you have events like that, you should barricade off the streets,” Halinski said. Photos of the carnage in Nice appear to show that precaution wasn’t taken, he said. No group has taken credit for the Nice attack, whose perpetrator drove a 19-ton rented refrigerator truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day. But “this sort of action is the sort of action advocated by terrorist groups on online media,” Paris anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters. U.S. officials set up barricades and roadblocks routinely at the largest public gatherings, such as July 4 on the National Mall in Washington or New Year’s Eve in New York’s Times Square, Halinksi said. FBI Director James Comey has been warning for months that the group known as Islamic State is encouraging supporters to kill wherever they are, rather than travel to Syria or Iraq. Needle in Haystack Testifying with other senior U.S. officials before the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, Comey said the challenge for law enforcement and intelligence agencies is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. “It’s to find pieces of hay in that haystack that may become a needle and disrupt them before they move from consuming to acting on that poisonous propaganda,” Comey said. The use of vehicles in attacks is growing rapidly, according to the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database. There were 157 such assaults from 1970 through 2015, and 70 of them occurred in just the past two years, according to the database. The group’s list of attacks includes aircraft as well as motor vehicles. Palestinian Militants While vehicle-impact attacks have been used prominently by Palestinian militants in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, such attacks have also occurred in the West, said Matthew Henman, head of IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre. The three other vehicle-impact attacks in the past two years in France were conducted by suspected Islamic militants, killing one and wounding 21. A Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department bulletin for local police departments warned about vehicle attacks in 2010, noting that there had been at least two in the U.S. since 2001. “Vehicle ramming offers terrorists with limited access to explosives or weapons an opportunity to conduct a homeland attack with minimal prior training or experience,” the agencies said in the document. “This is something our homeland security professionals are always concerned about,” the White House said Friday. Road Map The 74-page second edition of Inspire issued in the fall of 2010 included a detailed guide for carrying out an attack with a large vehicle or truck. Such attacks could be done in “the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Denmark, Holland” and other countries sympathetic to Israel, it said. It urged the attacker to carefully study potential targets and pick areas where people can’t easily escape. “The ideal location is a place where there are a maximum number of pedestrians and the least number of vehicles,” it said. It also warned that it would be difficult to escape afterward. “Hence, it should be considered a martyrdom operation,” it said. “It’s a one-way road. You keep on fighting until you achieve martyrdom.” While most truck drivers in the U.S. aren’t required to pass a security clearance, those working in the most sensitive areas receive background checks. Drivers who work in ports must obtain the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, which is issued by TSA. The agency also assesses any driver who is certified to carry hazardous waste. Steal Trucks Trying to expand these programs in order to prevent terrorists from using trucks to kill people in the U.S. wouldn’t be an effective solution, according to Rick “Ozzie” Nelson, a former National Security Council official who now serves as a senior associate for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Would-be terrorists would simply try to steal trucks or radicalize someone who has already received TWIC approval, he said. “How do you determine when an individual crosses the line from rhetoric to violent action?” Nelson said. “You either have to be in somebody’s head or it requires a level of surveillance that we as a society aren’t willing to accept.” There is no way to completely prevent attacks on the lightly guarded flanks of society, ranging from airport areas outside of security to nightclubs and restaurants, Nelson said. “Terrorists are going to take the path of least resistance,” Nelson said in an interview. “Being able to pick out a threat profile in something as ubiquitous as automobiles and trucks is an almost impossible task.”

FCA wants to introduce a Jeep "Grand Wagoneer" for the Jeep brand on the Ram 1500 pickup platform. Building a “Ram” variant would thrill Ram dealers and add to FCA’s profits. Remember, FCA has announced that it will largely discontinue car production and focus on the more profitable truck segment. In the mid-range pickup segment, FCA head Sergio Marchionne can’t ignore GM’s runaway success with the Colorado/Canyon. Toyota’s Tacoma no longer has a monopoly on the segment. And, believing the U.S. mid-size pickup market still has space to grow (again), Ford will soon be producing the global Ranger in the states.

The Detroit Free Press / July 17, 2016 Developing a large SUV based on the Ram platform would give FCA a large, profitable SUV. A smaller Ram pickup would get the Ram brand into the hot, mid-size truck segment. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) may build a large SUV based on the same platform as its Ram 1500 pickup to compete with big SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and also might add a smaller pickup to its truck lineup so it can jump into the hot midsize pickup market. Developing a large SUV based on the Ram platform would give FCA a large, profitable SUV and give the automaker a vehicle that could go head to head with General Motors' and Ford's large SUVs. A smaller Ram pickup would expand the Ram brand and give it a truck that would likely appeal to lifestyle buyers. The platform that underpins the current Ram pickup is well-suited to for a body-on-frame SUV, Mike Manley, head of FCA's Jeep and Ram brands, said last month. The automaker is developing the next-generation version of its Ram pickup, which is scheduled to go on sale in January 2018. FCA also is planning to move production from its plant in Warren to its plant in Sterling Heights, a move that will increase the automaker's production capacity. "You have the opportunity with a new frame for the next-generation Ram," Manley said. "You have the opportunity to take a large SUV off of it because we already have a very, very capable frame today that is going to be upgraded." The Ram’s coil-spring suspension makes it “one of the best handling pickup trucks,” Manley said. Big SUVs equal big profits Large, body-on-frame SUVs are cash cows for automakers. But even with a lineup heavily weighted towards trucks and crossovers, the Auburn Hills automaker has been missing out on the cash flow because it lacks a large SUV based on a truck frame. Meanwhile, GM sold a total of more than 200,000 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade SUVs in the U.S. last year. All four vehicles are that are all built off of the same platform and analysts estimate GM makes a profit of $10,000 or more for each large SUV sold. "While crossovers are all anyone wants to talk about, the money is still in pickups and SUVs," said Dave Sullivan, an automotive analyst for manager of product analysis for Auto Pacific. "FCA needs to enter this segment. "FCA is chasing profit-driving vehicles and they are missing out on a major one, just as Ford is getting ready to launch an all-aluminum Expedition." But while it would be based on the Ram, the SUV would not join the Ram lineup, Manley said. Instead, it would be produced for one of FCA's other brands, Jeep, Dodge or Chrysler. FCA also is planning to bring back the Jeep Wagoneer nameplate in 2018 as a three-row SUV that, according to various media reports, will be built off of the Grand Cherokee platform. 'Opportunity' for a smaller Ram pickup FCA has studied the market for a midsize pickup several times in recent years and has always held back on developing a midsized truck either because the timing for such a vehicle was bad or because the company didn't have the financial muscle to develop one. Chrysler ended production of the midsize Ram Dakota in 2011. The automaker was thinking about developing a midsize "lifestyle" pickup back in 2012 that would have been similar in function to Honda's Ridgeline but didn't move forward with the project. Now, Manley said, FCA is taking another look. The timing makes sense. General Motors brought back its Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon nameplates after a several-year hiatus in 2014 and they have both been a hit, Honda just launched a redesigned version of its Ridgeline pickup and Ford, which discontinued its midsize Ranger in 2011, is widely believed to be bringing the nameplate back in 2018. Finally, U.S. sales of the Toyota Tacoma have increased 7% so far this year and sales of the Nissan Frontier are up 29.3%. "In terms of midsize pickup for Ram I very much believe that that’s an opportunity for the brand," Manley said. "Not just because of the success of the few competitors that have been playing in that field, but I …have been part of the history of the brand, I think it remains a great opportunity for us. But I have no definitive plans for that to announce today."

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / July 15, 2016 .

Bastille Day attack prompts renewed call for 'First Observers' in U.S. July 15, 2016 / Land Line (OOIDA) Following a deadly terror attack involving a panel truck in the coastal city of Nice, France, which left at least 84 people dead, transportation security officials in the U.S. held a conference call Friday to discuss transportation security. Doug Morris, OOIDA safety and security operations director and also the chair of the Transportation Security Administration’s Highway and Motor Carrier Coordinating Council, was one of the conference call participants. He said the group discussed the latest non-classified security briefings about the July 14 attack, as well as ways to improve surface transportation security in the United States. One of the ways Morris said truckers can help is by participating in the TSA’s First Observer program. First Observer is a voluntary program that provides transportation professionals with training on effectively observing, assessing and reporting suspicious individuals, vehicles, packages and objects. OOIDA is a subcontractor for the program. “(TSA) is counting on professionals in the trucking industry or the bus industry who know their industry, know what is suspicious, and know to report those types of things,” Morris said. Since its inception seven years ago, Morris said the training program and the hotline have been responsible for helping to thwart at least 47 instances of terrorist activity, including an attempted bus hijacking at Super Bowl XLV. “If you see something that doesn’t look right, call someone,” he said. “If it’s an emergency situation, call 911. If it’s not, then call the TSA hotline.” Authorities have identified Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old man of Franco-Tunisian origin, as the attacker. He was killed by police after driving his panel truck into a large crowd. They were watching a fireworks display that marked the end of the national French holiday similar to America’s Independence Day, celebrating the storming of an infamous prison during the French Revolution. According to a report from the BBC, Bouhlel rented the truck from a rental company in a nearby town on July 11, and was supposed to have returned it on July 13. Police have said the suspect was in possession of an automatic pistol, bullets, a fake automatic pistol and two replica assault rifles, as well as an empty grenade. “As the onion peels back on this, we’ll see that there were a lot of clues that could have been called in and could have probably prevented this,” Morris said. “So what TSA is saying is, if you see something out there … If there’s a situation that’s suspicious and dealing with surface transportation, call the TSA hotline.” For more information about First Observer, click here. To report suspicious activity via the First Observer hotline, call 866-615-5150.

Whitman Design & Custom Chassis Press Release / July 17, 2016 Limited Production Offering - 14 Build Reservation Slots Remaining! This Glider can be used to upgrade or repair any Diamond Reo C114D, C116D, DR Giant or build yourself a custom retro ride. Built using an exclusive custom aluminum cab with retro styling. The gliders will be built in order of reservation starting November 2016. A $5000.00 refundable reservation deposit is required. Upon receipt of the deposit each customer will receive a confirmation package within 10 days and TSO to firm up their specification. Once the spec is firm, a final price is generated. Base model pricing starts at $55,500.00 for a basic Glider Kit but many options are available to customize the unit. Anything from a base Glider to a rolling Glider is available. All units will be shipped with a new Certificate of Origin and will have a standard 12 Month or 100,000 mile warranty. The warranty will be activated once the unit is put into service. For questions or instructions for reservation deposit please send and e-mail to: sales@tlinetrucks.com Related reading - http://tlinetrucks.com/glider-kits/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/39126-diamond-specialty-vehicles-announces-all-new-models/ .

Transport Topics / July 15, 2016 A group of trucking companies in Southern California will pay $5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by drivers who alleged that they were improperly treated as independent contractors [which they in fact are], according to a court filing July 14. The settlement marks the latest victory for port truck drivers in a years-long battle they have waged, with the help of union organizers and plaintiffs lawyers, to force companies to compensate them as if they were employees, rather than freelancers. It is unclear, though, whether the case will prompt a radical transformation in the trucking business, which has clung to a contractor model despite an onslaught of legal challenges brought by drivers. Several companies have been forced out of business in the last two years. "It doesn't change anything," said Barb Maynard, a spokeswoman for the Teamsters Union, which has been advocating for port truck drivers. "The clock starts again the minute the settlement is over. The misclassification is continuing." More than 380 drivers sued Erick Byunghak Yoo, whose family trust owns the land used by a network of trucking firms that are operated by Yoo's family members or associates and are run as a single enterprise, according to plaintiffs' lawyers. The drivers were represented by attorneys from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles and the Wage Justice Center. The suit accused the constellation of companies of illegally deducting around $1,500 from drivers' paychecks, paying them less than the minimum wage and failing to give the workers rest breaks. Plaintiffs' lawyers accused Yoo and his associates of "maximizing their own profits while forcing their drivers to labor under unlawful and unfair conditions that shock the conscience." About $1.25 million of the settlement will go to plaintiffs' lawyers. Jon Kardassakis, a lawyer representing the defendants, refused to comment. The companies did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement. Trucking bosses have been reluctant to start labeling their drivers employees partly because the current model saves so much money, said Jonathan Rosenthal, a portfolio manager at the private equity fund Saybrook Capital. "There are a lot of companies out there who, despite these huge claims, despite these huge awards, continue to go with the status quo," Rosenthal said. "It's a business decision. It's a risk." Last year, Rosenthal helped found Eco-Flow Transportation, whose drivers are employees. He estimates that an employee-only trucking firm is 30% more expensive to operate than the traditional independent contractor model. The case will have a very specific impact on Mariano Alexander Saravia, a named plaintiff in the case who will win more than $9,000 from the settlement. In 2012 and 2013, Saravia worked 14 hours per day for QTS from Monday through Thursday and an additional six hours on Saturday, hauling tires from the Port of Long Beach to Ontario, California. At the end of each week, he said, QTS subtracted from his paycheck $1,000 for diesel fuel, $415 in truck lease payments, $130 for insurance and $35 for the cost of tires. Steep deductions are a common practice in the trucking industry, in which drivers are treated as if they are small-business owners. Trucking executives have said drivers prefer the arrangement because it affords them some measure of freedom. But Saravia, a resident of Rialto, said he often ended up taking home a sum that amounted to less than the minimum wage, after counting the seven hours he often spent waiting to pick up containers at the port. One week in December 2012, Saravia recalled, he was left with a paycheck of exactly $1 after all the deductions, for 48 hours of work. He said the check amount stuck with him because at the time he was gearing up to buy his three daughters gifts for Christmas. "I felt really badly, because what could I have bought my daughters with $1?" he said. "If I had gone to the 99-cents store to buy something for my girls, I could only have bought one of them a gift." Now Saravia said he earns more driving for XPO Logistics, one of the world's largest trucking companies. That outfit still treats him like a contractor and bills him for the truck rental, parking and insurance, which Saravia says comes to about $450 per week.