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Volvo Trucks Press Release / July 12, 2016

Did you contact Watts Mack (with your 1QHA number) and check if the 204SQ17 tie rod end repair kit is applicable to your truck, and still available?

I apologize. I thought Watt's Mack was still selling them, obtained from the wonderful folks at York Corrugating, one of Mack Trucks' long time cab panel suppliers.

Ford's 3.0-liter V-6 diesel, long offered in the Range Rover, is on the way. But last night, while I was speaking to a gentleman in a Range Rover powered by Ford's 4.4-liter V-8 diesel, I really enjoyed the V-8 throb of that engine. It's regrettable that Ford doesn't also offer that powerplant as a US option.

The price is ridiculous. GM is making you pay a premium. The engine is fine......not cutting-edge tech but certainly quite acceptable. But given that GM's labor costs in Thailand (where the motor is produced) is very low by US/UAW levels, GM is clearly trying to earn a tidy profit. As you discovered, the diesel is only available on mid-level LT and high trim levels, and they force several options upon you. (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44932-review-2016-gmc-canyon-diesel-4x4-crew-cab/#comment-331084) All this weighed in, I'd rather buy a global Ford Ranger. But Ford's US pricing is yet unknown, and no doubt they'll aim to price-match GM so as to enhance their profits. I drove a Ford Everest last week, the SUV variant of the global Ranger. Simply brilliant. It's a man's SUV (body-on-frame, ect.).

International Trucks Press Release / July 12, 2016 .

Missouri ends platooning pilot after self-driving car death Today's Trucking / July 12, 2016 Missouri has vetoed its pilot program to allow testing of driver-assistive truck platooning technology on state highways, with the state’s governor saying that Tesla’s recent self-driving car fatality “tragically highlighted” how the “technology remains unproven.” Missouri’s HB1733 bill would have allowed for six years of testing for platooning technology. It had already passed through both levels of the state’s legislature. On July 8, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon wrote, “The risk associated with automated vehicles are even greater considering the size of long-haul trucks and the catastrophic damage that could occur if the technology fails. Using Missouri as a testing ground for long-haul trucks to deploy this unproven technology is simply not a risk worth taking at this time.” Nixon added: “That fact was tragically highlighted with the recent fatality involving a self-driving passenger vehicle." State law now prohibits truck and bus drivers from following another such vehicle within 300 feet. The May 7 self-driving car crash in Florida, which occurred with a transport truck, was the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where autopilot was activated, Tesla said in a June 30 statement.

Ford's "EcoBoost" engines, with every available cutting-edge technology thrown into it in a Hail Mary play, certainly don't lack "boost". However, the "eco" continues to be missing. The 3.5L V-6 delivers nearly identical performance, and fuel economy, to the soon-to-be-discontinued 5.0L V-8. While one gets the power of a V-8 in a V-6, one also still gets V-8 fuel economy.

Automotive News / July 12, 2016 When the 2017 Ford F-150 arrives at dealership lots this fall, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine under the hood will have more power. The second-generation engine will have 50 more pounds-feet of torque and an additional 10 hp, raising the numbers to 470 pounds-feet of torque and 375 hp. The 3.5-liter engine will be paired only with the F-150’s new 10-speed automatic transmission, which was designed under a joint venture with General Motors. Ford said the powertrain combination will improve acceleration and low-end and peak engine performance, especially when it comes to hauling and towing. The 3.5-liter engine will remain the premium EcoBoost engine, above the 2.7-liter EcoBoost. Ford also offers a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V-6 and 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V-8 in the F-150. The 2.7-liter and first-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost engines account for 60 percent of F-150 sales, Ford said. Ford spokesman Mike Levine said the company expects the new 3.5 liter EcoBoost will be just as popular, if not more so. Ford is awaiting final certification from the EPA, but fuel economy ratings on the latest 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, combined with the 10-speed transmission, are expected to rise from those of the current 3.5-liter. That engine is rated at 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway.

As a frequent flyer, my personal experience is this ranking is dead on. Emirates' economy class is the same price as US airlines, and yet you're treated like a person rather than cattle. Superb entertainment twice as good as a US airline, plus great food with metal cutlery. And the seats.......proof that economy class "can" be comfortable. 1. Emirates Dubai 2. Qatar Airways 3. Singapore Airlines 4. Cathay Pacific Hong Kong 5. ANA All Nippon Airways Japan 6. Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi 7. Turkish Airlines 8. EVA Air Taiwan 9. Qantas Airways Australia 10. Lufthansa Germany Note that not a single U.S. airlines in one the list. Nearly every flight on a U.S. airline is a unique nightmare.

I never heard a Ranger buyer "bemoan" the truck for being smaller than a full-size F-150. They purposely bought the Ranger because they didn't want/need a full-size truck. As for towing, of course a smaller truck has a lower towing capacity. But that said, the Ranger could easily pull most bass boats and other. That all said, the Ranger has "grown up". Designed by superb engineers at Ford Australia, the global Ford Ranger does it all.

Diane, contact the folks at Watts Mack (provider of the BMT website). 1-888-304-Mack (6225) http://www.wattsmack.com/parts-department/

You're more than welcome. We aim to please. You say it has a double frame, and it was originally a tractor. We didn't build a lot of double frame Super-Liner tractors in the US market. Is it possible that it wasn't originally built with that double frame?

F-150 sales undented by Chevy attack ad Automotive News / July 11, 2016 The Chevrolet Silverado grabbed its biggest piece of the U.S. full-size pickup market since January in the first month of its blistering ad campaign attacking the Ford F-150's aluminum body as too flimsy. But the F-150 emerged from the fray looking no worse for wear. Ford said F-150 sales soared 40 percent in June from a year earlier, and segment share for the full F-series line jumped to the highest level in 17 months. Ford normally doesn't report F-150-only numbers but did so for June to argue that the Chevy ads didn't hurt it. It's an intense battle between two longtime archrivals in which both sides act like they're winning, though Chevy's campaign clearly didn't deter the tens of thousands who bought an F-150 last month. "I love this truck," said Alan Monroe, an accountant in southern Illinois who bought an F-150 Lariat a few weeks after Chevy started airing the commercials in heavy rotation. The ads, launched June 8, show a load of concrete landscaping blocks and the corner of a toolbox gashing the F-150's bed, while the Silverado's steel box sustains lesser dings and scratches. Monroe, 55, who traded in a Ram 1500, said he researched Chevy's claims online and came away reassured. His Caribou-colored F-150 includes a $495 spray-in bedliner, a popular protective coating that wasn't on the trucks Chevy's marketers abused. "When somebody's trying that hard to prove something, there's probably not a whole lot of truth in it," Monroe said. Besides, he added, "98 percent of the time, the heaviest thing that will be in it will be my golf clubs." Although Silverado sales dropped 3.7 percent in June amid a 9.7 percent gain for the segment, Chevy deems the campaign a success. A spokesman, Jim Cain, said about 10 percent of Silverado buyers in June previously owned an F-150, the most in five years. The year-over-year sales comparison doesn't tell the whole story, Cain said. He said Ford's results from June 2015 were hampered by the slow rollout of the redesigned F-150 while GM had a big month, setting up an easier comparison for Ford. Including the Super Duty, which is soon to be replaced by a redesigned version, total F-series sales rose 29 percent in June. It was the first time in four years that either nameplate posted higher sales in June than in May. The pickups' month-over-month share gains came at the expense of the Ram and Toyota Tundra. The Silverado accounted for 26.7 percent of full-size pickup sales last month. That was up from 25.1 percent in May but down from 30.4 percent in June 2015, which was the highest of any month since early 2010. The F series' share rose from 32.5 percent a year ago and 37.5 percent in May to 38.1 percent in June. Ford started shipping the aluminum-bodied F-150 in December 2014, but production only reached full speed in June 2015, and it took several more months for inventories to reach normal levels. Ford offered smaller discounts on the F series last month than Chevy did on the Silverado, according to Autodata. It said average incentive spending climbed to $5,110 for the Silverado, $1,220 more than for the F series, even as Ford's discounts nearly tripled from a year ago. But Cain cited J.D. Power data that calculated Silverado incentives as $4,115 vs. a slightly higher $4,183 for the F series. 'Stronger validation' Cain said the Chevy campaign has worked on its target audience of retail pickup buyers, noting that the Silverado's share of the retail full-size pickup market rose 1.9 percentage points from May, to 27.7 percent, also citing J.D. Power data. Power data supplied by GM showed that the F-150's retail share fell 0.7 percentage points to 34.5 percent, though Ford said retail sales volume was up 41 percent from a year ago. Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet's truck marketing director, said the retail gain was significant: "Retail market share tells you how well you are doing with individual truck customers and small business owners. ... It means you have people's attention and clearly separated your truck from the competition. When conquest sales spike at the same time, it's an even stronger validation." Fleet buyers, who might order several dozen pickups at a time, are paying close attention as well, said Steve Hill, GM's head of U.S. sales. Hill told Automotive News last month that he has heard positive feedback on the campaign from fleet customers, who typically put a premium on durability and cost and wouldn't want to spend hundreds of dollars per truck on bedliners. Tough enough? But Ford said that fleet sales of the F-150 surged 40 percent in June and that the campaign -- particularly notable for taking direct aim at the F-150's carefully crafted image as being "Built Ford Tough" -- has not deterred orders from business and government customers. The F series is the U.S. auto industry's top-selling fleet vehicle. "Fleet is a profitable business for Ford, and we're very happy with our balance on all the components of fleet," Ford spokesman Mike Levine said. Levine cited customers such as Terracon, a Kansas-based consulting engineering company that has bought more than 100 F-150s this year. In a video Ford posted online June 30, Terracon employees laud the truck's durability and performance under strenuous conditions. All of Terracon's F-150s in the video appear to have bedliners. "We'll typically haul augers, large water pumps, big generators, bags of concrete, concrete cylinders, soil samples -- light loads, heavy loads, it performs the same," Jason Sander, manager of Terracon's Cincinnati office, says in the video. "We're able to do everything we want to do using that truck. It has not let us down." June marked the third time in the past four months that Ford sold more than 70,000 F-series pickups and the vehicle's highest share of full-size pickup sales since January 2015, when dealers were selling down discounted inventory of the outgoing F-150. Ford has not directly responded to Chevy with any ads of its own. Though automakers rarely run commercials disparaging specific rivals so overtly, Mark LaNeve, Ford Motor Co.'s vice president for U.S. marketing, sales and service, brushed off such gamesmanship as nothing unusual in a segment that's as competitive as it is lucrative. "We're the clear market leader," LaNeve said on a July 1 conference call. "They're going to try things. They tried this, and the numbers speak for themselves." Pickup share Ford, Chevy both gained U.S. full-size pickup share in June. Ford F series Chevrolet Silverado Jan. 36.30% 26.70% Feb. 36.40% 25.80% March 37% 24% April 36.50% 25.80% May 37.50% 25.10% June 38.10% 26.70% .

KamAZ Trucks Press Release / July 11, 2016 Rostec Group’s truckmaking subsidiary KamAZ has received European type approval on four new Euro-6 emissions level truck models. The new models include the KamAZ model 53605 4x2 rigid and 65115 6x4 vocational chassis, plus the 43502 4x4 and 43118 6x6 models for specialized applications. The trucks are now available for order in 28 European countries. "Work in this direction has been conducted in accordance with the company's plans to expand sales markets, in particular, strengthening our global sales footprint", said KamAZ R&D center head Yuri Rubinchik. European customers have appreciated the opportunity to spec KamAZ chassis due to the competitive price, flexible options and availability of a wide range of factory-installed bodies for the fire, rescue, crane and utility segments. Together with Euro-6 Cummins engines and ZF transmissions, KamAZ offers European customers a very competitive product that meets the latest environmental standards. Euro-6 certification is also welcomed by Asia-Pacific and Latin American countries. KamAZ received Euro-5 certification in 2012. In 2015, Europe adopted the stricter Euro-6 emissions standard. The release of new Euro-6 KamAZ models allows the truckmaker to build on its success in the Europe market. .

5 Statistics about police officers killing African-Americans The Daily Wire / July 7, 2016 The Alton Sterling and Philando Castile shootings have caused an uproar among leftists because they fuel their narrative that racist white police officers are hunting down innocent black men. But the statistics tell a different story. Here are five key statistics about police killing blacks. 1. Police killed nearly twice as many whites as blacks in 2015. According to data compiled by The Washington Post, 50 percent of the victims of fatal police shootings were white, while 26 percent were black. The majority of these victims had a gun or "were armed or otherwise threatening the officer with potentially lethal force.". Some may argue that these statistics are evidence of racist treatment toward blacks, since whites consist of 62 percent of the population and blacks make up 13 percent of the population. But as The Wall Street Journal writes, 2009 statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics reveal that blacks were charged with 62 percent of robberies, 57 percent of murders and 45 percent of assaults in the 75 biggest counties in the country, despite only comprising roughly 15 percent of the population in these counties. "Such a concentration of criminal violence in minority communities means that officers will be disproportionately confronting armed and often resisting suspects in those communities, raising officers’ own risk of using lethal force," writes Manhattan Institute Fellow Heather MacDonald. MacDonald also points out that blacks "commit 75 percent of all shootings, 70 percent of all robberies, and 66 percent of all violent crime" in New York City, even though they consist of 23 percent of the city's population. "The black violent crime rate would actually predict that more than 26 percent of police victims would be black," MacDonald said. "Officer use of force will occur where the police interact most often with violent criminals, armed suspects, and those resisting arrest, and that is in black neighborhoods." 2. More whites and Hispanics die from police homicides than blacks. According to MacDonald, 12 percent of white and Hispanic homicide deaths were due to police officers, while only four percent of black homicide deaths were the result of police officers. "If we’re going to have a 'Lives Matter' anti-police movement, it would be more appropriately named "White and Hispanic Lives Matter,'" said MacDonald. 3. The Post's data does show that unarmed black men are more likely to die by the gun of a cop than an unarmed white man...but this does not tell the whole story. In August 2015, the ratio was seven-to-one of unarmed black men dying from police gunshots compared to unarmed white men; the ratio was six-to-one by the end of 2015. But MacDonald points out that looking at the details of the actual incidents that occurred paints a different picture: The “unarmed” label is literally accurate, but it frequently fails to convey highly-charged policing situations. In a number of cases, if the victim ended up being unarmed, it was certainly not for lack of trying. At least five black victims had reportedly tried to grab the officer’s gun, or had been beating the cop with his own equipment. Some were shot from an accidental discharge triggered by their own assault on the officer. And two individuals included in the Post’s “unarmed black victims” category were struck by stray bullets aimed at someone else in justified cop shootings. If the victims were not the intended targets, then racism could have played no role in their deaths. In one of those unintended cases, an undercover New York City police officer was conducting a gun sting in Mount Vernon. One of the gun traffickers jumped into his police car, stuck a pistol to his head, grabbed $2,400 and fled. The officer gave chase and opened fire after the thief again pointed his gun at him. Two of the officer’s bullets accidentally hit a 61-year-old bystander, killing him. That older man happened to be black, but his race had nothing to do with his tragic death. In the other collateral damage case in Virginia Beach, Virginia, officers approached a car parked at a convenience store that had a homicide suspect in the passenger seat. The suspect opened fire, sending a bullet through an officer’s shirt. The cops returned fire, killing their assailant as well as a woman in the driver’s seat. That woman entered the Post’s database without qualification as an “unarmed black victim” of police fire. MacDonald examines a number of other instances, including unarmed black men in San Diego, California and Prince George's County, Maryland attempting to reach for a gun in a police officer's holster. In the San Diego case, the unarmed black man actually "jumped the officer" and assaulted him, and the police officer shot the man since he was "fearing for his life." MacDonald also notes that there was an instance in 2015 where "three officers were killed with their own guns, which the suspects had wrestled from them." 4. Black and Hispanic police officers are more likely to fire a gun at blacks than white officers. This is according to a Department of Justice report in 2015 about the Philadelphia Police Department, and is further confirmed that by a study conducted University of Pennsylvania criminologist Greg Ridgeway in 2015 that determined black police officers were 3.3 times more likely to fire a gun than other cops at a crime scene. 5. Blacks are more likely to kill cops than be killed by cops. This is according to FBI data, which also found that 40 percent of police killers are black. According to MacDonald, the police officer is 18.5 times more likely to be killed by a black than a cop killing an unarmed black person. Despite the facts, the anti-police rhetoric of “Black Lives Matter” and their leftist sympathizers have resulted in what MacDonald calls the "Ferguson Effect," as murders have spiked by 17 percent among the 50 biggest cities in the U.S. as a result of police officers being more reluctant to patrol neighborhoods out of fear of being labeled as racists. Additionally, there have been over twice as many police officers victimized by fatal shootings in the first three months of 2016. Anti-police rhetoric has deadly consequences.

Transport Engineer / July 11, 2016 Logistics business WH Bowker has taken delivery of 12 Volvo FM rigids – part of an order for 25 trucks – and has specified lower nearside windows as part of its bid to boost road safety. Supplied by Thomas Hardie Commercials, of Preston, the new additions to Bowker’s 120-strong fleet are Globetrotter-cabbed, FM-330 6x2 rigids, with windows fitted by Thomas Hardie Vehicle Solutions, of Chorley. The second delivery will be 13 Volvo FH-500 tractors, all of which are equipped as standard with AEBS, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Keeping System (LKS). Bill Bowker, director, says: “Volvo’s reputation for producing a safe vehicle continues to be paramount in our decision to operate a single make fleet. “Our drivers take part in training to help their awareness of vulnerable road users, particularly when delivering to, or transiting the urban environment. We are supporters of the CLOCS standard and the company is FORS Silver accredited. Our support for CLOCS and FORS reinforces our company-wide, integrated approach to safety.” He adds that the AEBS set-up on the FH tractors goes beyond compliance with General Safety Regulations, introduced in 2015: “The Volvo system is specified over and above the legislated standard as it includes a radar function and a head up warning display for the driver that not all other manufacturers can offer. “In my opinion, this manifests and supports Volvo’s position as the manufacturer whose core values revolve around safety, for drivers and other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians.” And, he adds: “We took the decision to go with a Volvo, single make fleet policy in 1978. We based that decision on the fact that Volvo is the best, the safest, had the best back-up and the best resale values. We made that choice and have grown with it.” .

FYI Established in 1998, Volvo's importing distributor for Russia, ZAO Volvo Vostok, is responsible for all Volvo operations in the Russian market including truck, bus, construction equipment and marine. ZAO Volvo Vostok's Moscow headquarters manages all sales and after-sales support including dealer administration and management, a spare parts distribution center, advertising and a Volvo training center. The Volvo brand has been registered in the Soviet Union / Russia since 1969. "Volvo Financial Services Vostok", a Volvo subsidiary, was established in 2003 to provide customers with financing and leasing options. As of 2009, Volvo financed over 11,500 trucks in Russia worth US$1.7 billion. Since 2003, Volvo truck sales have increased from 500 units to 3,000 in 2007. Volvo's truck sales in Russia rose 83% in 2006 to 2,436 units. Russia is Volvo's largest market in Central and Eastern Europe, with Poland in second place at 2,079 units. Volvo sold 3,904 trucks in Russia in 2007. Volvo sold 5,800 new trucks in Russia in 2008, a 27% increase over 2007. Volvo overall sold about 12,000 new and used trucks in Russia in 2008. Volvo imported 11,841 trucks to Russia in 2008, up 27% over 2007, including 6,580 new trucks and 5,261 used trucks. (Of the 6,580 new trucks, 4,189 tractors, 2,256 rigid chassis and 135 specialty chassis) Over 31,000 Volvo trucks are registered in Russia. Volvo began producing FM12 4x2 tractors at a joint venture plant near Moscow (Zelenograd) in 2003. Volvo owns 66% and "AFK Systema" owns 34%. But the plant's annual production capacity is only 500 units, not enough to meet Russia's fast growing demand. To increase local production, Volvo Group opened a US$132.6 million heavy truck factory in Kaluga (200km southwest of Moscow) on January 19, 2009. With an annual production capacity of 15,000 units, Volvo Group had hoped to produce 10,000 Volvo trucks and 5,000 Renault trucks annually including Volvo FH, FM and FL and FE models; and Renault Premium and Kerax models. However, due to dismal sales, the plant has remained in first gear. In May 2007, Volvo scored its largest single fleet order with 300 trucks to “Sunflower Logistics”, a large Russian car transport company. The contract included financing for all the trucks through Volvo Financial Services. Sunflower is expanding its truck fleet to meet the fast-growing market for passenger cars in Russia. The order was for 300 Volvo FM tractors with 440 horsepower D13 engines and I-Shift AMT transmissions. Coca-Cola operates over 1,000 Volvo trucks in Russia, including FM 4x2 tractors and FE rigids. Volvo has 39 authorized service locations and 20 sales offices in Russia, including two self-owned truck centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Info-Commentator / July 11, 2016 At the International Industrial Exhibition "INNOPROM 2016" in Yekaterinburg, Volvo Group has signed a memorandum of intent with the Kaluga regional government to invest in the local production of Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmissions (AMT). The document was signed by Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt and Kaluga Deputy Governor Vladimir Popov. Volvo Group has a number or ongoing projects in the Kaluga-South Industrial Park including its Volvo-Renault truck KD assembly plant, Volvo-Renault cab plant, Volvo Truck company-owned store, Volvo Customs Department and Volvo Construction Equipment (VCE) excavator plant. .

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Scania Group Press Release / July 8, 2016 . .

Fleet Owner / July 11, 2016 Points to ponder: The Federal Highway Administration is studying frequent freight standstill on America's roads. It's often a tangled infrastructure out there riddled with distracted driving, as multiple law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have attested. Meanwhile, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) studies of crashes between heavy trucks and passenger cars, cyclists and pedestrians have shown that a decisive majority of the time, the accident isn't the truck driver's fault. And yet........reporting from Fleet Owner has elucidated a public perception of just the opposite: John Q. Public sees a heavy truck-smaller vehicle crash as a "big guy-little guy" situation and tends to point blame at the big, heavy equipment. With that in mind, here are three related arguments and things to consider that have come up recently regarding the use of video systems in heavy trucks. 1. They're playing juries against you. Noting as above that there can be a negative public perception — or fear — when it comes to heavy trucks on America's highways, it seems there are lawyers out there akin to so-called "ambulance chasers" looking for big injury settlements who've also figured this out. "In passenger vehicles vs. large truck [accidents], who's usually at fault? The passenger vehicle — that driver who didn't do an inspection on his vehicle before he started; that driver who's not responsible for compliance or regulated by enforcement; it's that passenger vehicle or pedestrian," notes Drew Schimelpfenig, senior manager of integration programs at fleet management systems provider Omnitracs. "You would think with those things being the case that [fleets' and trucking companies'] accident costs would be down," he says, "but what we've seen in this industry are some record-setting jury-awarded judgments against carriers" to the tune of tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. And sometimes in these lawsuits, "the judgments are just not adding up with the circumstances" and are unexpectedly high, he argues: Schimelpfenig points to a large award in 2015 to a passenger car driver who crashed into a heavy truck that was stopped 12 ft. off the roadway. How is this happening? Schimelpfenig contends that some plaintiff attorneys are playing on juries' built-in fears and bias against big trucks and trucking. "They make you the carrier look like you are a danger and a threat to society, to the jury's community, to the jury's family, even the jury's children — they'll go that far," he says. "The way they do this is by using fear, not facts; the facts may not make it into the case much." He adds that attorneys Don Keenan and David Ball have published a sort of "user's manual" for this kind of trial strategy called the Reptile Theory. Because of such "bold and brash" strategies by attorneys, Schimelpfenig says video has become a "silent witness" that better-prepared motor carriers can use in their defense. 2. FMCSA's proposed program to determine whether crashes are preventable could include video input. Last week, FMCSA proposed a demonstration program for determining whether crashes reported on carriers' records are preventable or not. The program would take into account information reported from the scene of accidents by law enforcement and others such as tickets and citations issued, but could also include things like video showing the crash. Fleet Owner asked Joe DeLorenzo, director of FMCSA's Office of Compliance and Enforcement, specifically about the potential use of video in the demonstration program. This was his reply: "We didn't specifically address video in the proposal, but this has come up before recently. I think those kinds of comments [on including input such as video from a forward-facing, in-cab camera] are what we expect to get from this notice. "We ask specifically what type of information and what type of documentation would be useful, and if [video] becomes a continuing thing we may want to include — if we can find a way to get that submitted to the process — that may be something we can add as we move forward." So it appears that video will likely be relevant to an FMCSA crash preventability demonstration program, should it materialize. Also note that the National Transportation Safety Board earlier this year made "expanded use of recorders to enhance transportation safety" — which includes the use of cameras and video in trucking and transportation — one of its top 10 most important issues. 3. With carriers, there's been a tug-of-war going on regarding whether to put a camera on the driver — but if you have driver-facing cameras, be aware of this. Forward-facing cameras get lots of support, but fleets differ on whether to keep a camera on the driver. One video systems provider, PeopleNet, can include a driver-facing camera in a system but doesn't particularly encourage it. The company's Jim Angel, vice president for video intelligence solutions, continues to stress that instead of video, data such as telematics information coming off a truck's control module such as speed and when the brakes were applied can tell the story of what the truck driver was doing. "There's two sides of it with the driver-facing camera. Yes, I absolutely believe there is valuable information available by having a driver-facing camera," he tells Fleet Owner. "But I also know you have to be prepared to defend everything that you have." Angel says plaintiff attorneys can make a driver-facing camera part of their strategy in court. "What they're going to ask that carrier for in any collision is six months of history of that driver's video, because what I want to do is build the history of that driver," he says. "Maybe that day [of a collision] wasn't exactly his fault, but two months ago I see he was holding his cell phone and driving. Maybe three months ago, he wasn't wearing his seat belt or had a 32-oz. 'big gulp' in front of his face. "What the attorney then says, as ludicrous as it sounds, is, 'That driver shouldn't have even been in the truck that day. You guys didn't address these problems the driver had a long time ago, and he was in that position to have a collision with my client and he should never have been there in the first place," Angel contends.

Speaking of AMTs for vocational applications, the game-changing Voith Turbo Retarder Clutch must absolutely be mentioned. Mercedes-Benz is the first truckmaker to promote the technology. http://www.voith.com/en/products-services/power-transmission/turbo-retarder-clutch-viab-12877.html http://resource.voith.com/vt/publications/downloads/1569_e_g_2101_en_viab_2014-05_screen.pdf .

ZF must be mentioned here, a global leader in heavy truck transmission design. ZF AS Tronic, the automated manual transmission (AMT) system for heavy trucks was the first of its kind. Economy, safety, and comfort of the vehicle increase due to the fully automatic shift system. Today, AS Tronic has evolved into the Traxon modular transmission system. Note: ZF’s immensely popular AMT is, like Eaton’s UltraShift Plus, a dual countershaft design. .