kscarbel2

This was the frustrating environment at Mack Trucks' Bridgewater, New Jersey, parts distribution center.

Mack Lanova-powered "NR" . .

Wow, there are no many.............(their discomfort with Volvo compelled them to diversify) The boys at Shealy.............http://www.shealytruck.com/ Triple-T...................http://www.wemeantrucks.com/ The great folks at Excel (formerly Virginia Truck Center)............http://www.exceltruckgroup.com/ You can check this dealer locator for more.............https://www.freightlinertrucks.com/Dealers/United-States/

The 567 has the new cheap cab (cheaper for Paccar to build) that is shared with Kenworth. The new range trucks, which are cheaper to build, restore profitability that was falling off. The new 567 that looks like a toy......http://www.peterbilt.com/products/vocational/567/ The traditionally built 367 with the signature cab........http://www.peterbilt.com/products/vocational/367/

When Mack sold the F-Model, Cruise-Liner and Ultra-Liner, they were our best trucks in many ways, particularly the extremely advanced Ultra-Liner, due to the spacious cab, unmatched visibility and unmatched drivetrain access. There "is" a very good reason why the rest of the world largely uses COEs. It's a more advanced design than the conventional. If you park a Pinnacle next to a Streamline, Actros or TGX, it will really open your mind. Come to the IAA int'l truck show in September......you'll fly home with a whole new thought process.

If you like the 122SD, there are plenty of mega dealers selling both Mack and Freightliner. And they have nothing but good things to say about the Daimler organization (unlike what they have to say about Volvo/Mack). The Cascadia is a cutting edge truck. However, it's not the ideal fit for your described application and personal preferences. I don't care for the direction Kenworth has gone. With Peterbilt, as much as I despise the new-school 567, I think the world of the old school 367. Again, if anyone has time, make a point to tour Peterbilt's Denton plant. When you watch them build a 367, you will be pleasantly surprised to see a truckmaker still builds trucks "like they used to". It can still be spec'd to be a 20 year truck. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A word about the Cascadia: . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A quick look at the 122SD .

Zenon Hansen injured by riding mower The Daily Mail (Hagerstown newspaper) / May 31, 1975 Zenon C. R. Hansen, retired board chairman and chief executive of Mack Tracks Inc. was listed in guarded condition at the Sacred Heart Hospital Center in Allentown. Pennsylvania, after being thrown from a riding mower at his home on May 28. Hansen, 65, of Macungie, Pennsylvania, sustained a fractured left wrist and right elbow, and first and second degree burns to both ankles when the steering mechanism on his mowing tractor broke and the machine overturned and caught on fire.

I apologize if I troubled you. I'm not telling a gentleman not to buy a Mack. Realistically, I'm telling him not to consider buying a Volvo unless it has the new common rail-equipped engine. "If" I understand you correctly, when I posted about how stagnant the Mack brand is with sales, it's because in the days of the former Mack Trucks, an organization whose leadership "knew something about trucks" (as the old man used to say), we........set the world on fire. Yes, even the superb Detroit engines can have a bad day. But anyone on BMT who runs the Detroits, not just Bullhusk, will tell you what great engines they really are.

Regardless of what happened at Macungie, I'm glad that someone gave him a break. As an outsider American (non-Swede) working under the Volvo environment, he is probably rediscovering life again. I hope he enjoys his new opportunity and it works out for the long-term. Philadelphia-based private equity firm Versa Management bought Hatteras/CABO from Brunswick Corporation (Mercury Marine’s owner) in August 2013. http://www.hatterasyachts.com/ http://www.brunswick.com/brands/

Hatteras Yachts names ex-Volvo/Mack executive Wade Watson COO Boating Industry / July 21, 2016 Hatteras/Cabo Yachts, LLC announced that Wade Watson has joined the company as chief operating officer. Reporting directly to Hatteras President and CEO John Ward, Wade will oversee daily operations at Hatteras’ manufacturing plant in New Bern, N.C., with a focus on improving manufacturing operations. Wade has more than 20 years of manufacturing, aftermarket, quality control and management experience. Wade’s previous experience includes several years working for Volvo AB, most recently as vice president and general manager of its Mack Trucks division. Prior to that, he served as vice president of operations of Volvo Powertrain – North America, where he previously had served as vice president of quality and customer satisfaction. Wade said joining Hatteras brings together two of his lifelong passions – the pursuit of excellence and a love of boating. “I am extremely excited to join the Hatteras Team in New Bern,” he said. “I spent most of my formative years in Florida living on the Gulf Coast and have been on or around boats for much of my life. My professional life has been mainly driven by leading complex operations on journeys to operational excellence.” One of Wade’s first goals at Hatteras is to improve operating efficiencies through systematic waste elimination, as well as building upon the strengths of Hatteras’ talented workforce to shorten lead-times from order to delivery. “My experience as an operations leader within the global automotive sector has afforded me the opportunity to learn best practices from all over the world,” he said. “The combination of the time-tested craftsmanship for Hatteras with the latest operations/manufacturing techniques should prove to be an unbeatable combination. It is a real honor to be a part of such an iconic brand at such an exciting moment in its history.” “We are excited to have Wade on our management team,” said Ward. “His dedication to operational excellence, combined with his love of boating, will serve us well. I look forward to continued growth at Hatteras with him by my side.” .

After 5 owners in 12 years, a former Ford glass plant finally has a stable owner Automotive News / August 1, 2011 Welcome to a huge and until now unwanted factory in the North American auto industry. It is the new home of Carlex Glass in Nashville. How unwanted was it? Try five owners in 12 years. Which is remarkable considering that for decades, without interruption, the plant has been supplying windshields and windows for some very popular U.S. light vehicles, among them the Ford F-150 pickup and Escape SUV. But today it's different. Now that the storm of the recession is over, now that less committed players have vacated the field, Carlex Glass America, the U.S. operating unit of Japan's Central Glass Co., is moving in. Carlex is one of many established suppliers that aim to turn the wreckage of the recession into opportunity by investing in new technology for the long term. The Japanese giant couldn't have picked a less likely spot. The dowdy, half-century-old plant sits on a hill overlooking downtown Nashville. Three brick smokestacks tower overhead, two of which were taken out of operation years ago. Inside, long lines of huge, gothic black machinery resemble locomotives abandoned in a dim train station. The lights are out over what seem like acres of wooden shelves holding thousands of sheets of dusty glass. The roof leaks. New methods, complex shapes But Carlex thinks this is the starting point for a play to expand its North American market share of windshields and side windows for cars and trucks. Carlex peered into the neglected behemoth and saw a dusty jewel. It has begun investing $100 million to clean up the plant, modernize its equipment, demolish traces of its obsolete past, boost its capacity and use it to solicit more North American business -- ideally from the Detroit 3. The company is betting on new technology, including a modern process called press-form. Unlike gravity-sag windshield shaping, the new process will permit greater manipulation of glass and provide the ability to handle more creative vehicle designs. The investment also will allow the plant to make thinner glass, according to customer desires. Thinner glass means less weight, which improves fuel economy. The state of Tennessee is kicking in more money to help Carlex retrain and update the plant's 450 employees -- a fraction of the 3,500 workers who once produced windshields and windows for Ford Motor Co. there. "Things are absolutely going to change here," declares Jim Shepherd, Carlex's executive vice president, who with his wife is moving to suburban Nashville from Detroit. Sitting in his barren industrial office at the plant, with little more than a gray metal desk and a couple of metal-frame guest chairs from the era of black-and-white TV, Shepherd motions around the room. "We're going to knock down these walls. We're going to get away from this 1950s atmosphere." Carlex will make the plant its North American headquarters, moving personnel there from the Detroit area, along with the suburban Detroit work force of Carlite, its newly acquired aftermarket auto-glass company. "This place has been neglected, and we're going to fix that," Shepherd says. "The employees here might be a little jaded and uncertain about us, having been through so many owners who wanted to get rid of the business. But they will soon see we're serious. "The biggest difference for us is that we're in the glass business. The others who came before weren't. They had their hands full with bigger concerns. Our only concern is making glass and windshields, and we believe this is the place to do it." That, more or less, is the status of the 54-year-old glass plant. But how the factory ended up at this juncture is a story that mirrors almost every trend that has come and gone in U.S. auto manufacturing for the past quarter century. The industry's evolution from Eisenhower-era Big 3 hegemony to the Japanese invasion of the 1980s, the U.S.-Japanese joint-venture supplier bubble, the automaker divestitures of parts operations, the rise of megasuppliers in the late 1990s, the private-capital supplier wave -- it's all there in the run-up to Carlex's acquisition of the plant in April. It all came and went. The operation, originally created as the Ford Glass Plant, already was three decades old when Gary Casteel moved from Muscle Shoals, Ala., to work there as a young pipe fitter in 1988. As the in-house producer of much of Ford's North American windshields and windows, it was one of the biggest auto glass plants in the industry, with 1.8 million square feet under roof. In the 1950s and 1960s, three enormous float lines heated the sand to 3,000 degrees in ovens that burn so bright they can only be viewed through hand-held black glass panels. One of the Nashville plant's most notable features is that, unlike most glass factories, it houses the entire process. Workers bring raw sand in through one door, melt it and cook it into flawless glass. They then shape the glass, finish it, package it and ship complete windshields out the other door to vehicle assembly lines. "I really don't know of any other plant in America that does it all," Casteel says. Casteel was elected to the plant's UAW Local 737 bargaining committee in 1990. By that time the industry was under unfamiliar new pressures. Detroit was struggling through its second recession in a decade, and domestic market share was slipping away to import brands. Ford was eager to find new cost reductions and operating efficiencies, even if it meant divesting itself of some of its large in-house parts operations -- an issue the UAW resisted. Today Casteel is director of the UAW's Region 8, a vast union territory stretching from Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina up through Tennessee and Virginia and into Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. "That plant always ran well," Casteel says. "We always had good labor relations." Japanese partner But Ford's component management team informed the union in 1990 that the glass operation needed to reach beyond Ford business. A new corner of the industry was rapidly emerging in the form of Japanese automakers assembling vehicles in U.S. plants. Nissan Motor Co. was expanding car and truck production just a few miles away in Smyrna, Tenn. Honda Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and others were opening assembly plants around the lower Midwest and Southeast. But to gain glass business from such Asian transplants, Ford would need to form a separate joint-venture supply company in a deal with its large Japanese competitor, Central Glass. "They told us: "We don't want to do anything to hurt the glass plant here,'" Casteel recalls. "But they said we really need to do this deal with Central to get more business." The Ford-Central hookup was named Carlex, and the venture opened a separate state-of-the-art window fabricating plant in Vonore, Tenn., on the state's eastern edge. Unwanted orphan By the end of the 1990s, the industry was evolving again. This time, megasupplier mania was in the air. Individual component suppliers were merging and being acquired to roll up into multipart module and system supplier groups. The larger ones hoped to provide a sort of one-stop shopping for automakers, responsible for entire vehicle systems, including anything from a car's rolling chassis to its brakes and tailpipe and steering parts. Amid great hoopla, General Motors spun off its vast global parts operations into an independent publicly traded entity, Delphi Corp. Ford similarly spun off its huge parts operations, including the Nashville glass plant, into a public megagroup dubbed Visteon Corp. [huge mistake] Delphi went public in 1999 and Visteon in 2000 with visions of a bright future. But the ventures soon collapsed. In 2005, Delphi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Visteon followed in 2009. By way of restructuring, Visteon identified 23 unwanted properties and business segments to unload -- among them, the Nashville glass plant. That decision in 2005 pushed the windshield factory off to new ownership by Automotive Components Holdings LLC, a safeguarding umbrella that sought yet another new owner. A former Automotive Components Holdings manager, who asked not to be named, said the group's sole function was to "hold" and operate the glass plant with the other unwanted plants until viable buyers could be found. Casteel also lent his time to finding a buyer for the plant. "We approached everybody," he says. "Nobody wanted it. The problem we encountered was that the only people who considered it were just after its book of Ford business. They thought they could move the business into their own plants and then close Nashville. We weren't going to let that happen." Private equity buyer The buyer who finally emerged in April 2007 was hardly a familiar auto industry name. Robert Price, a wealthy investor from Tulsa, Okla., had made his fortune in commercial real estate and oil and gas investments. According to press reports at the time, Price was at least partly motivated by his desire to save the jobs at Ford's other glass factory in Tulsa. The older Nashville plant, along with a third glass operation in Juarez, Mexico, simply came with the package. Price entrusted the operations to a newly formed entity first called simply Glass Products, and in 2008 renamed Zeledyne LLC. Zeledyne management drew from Ford's ranks of component executives, and the group took possession of the plants in 2008. The deal wasn't unique; Price was part of a trend sweeping the supplier industry. Private investment companies were acquiring distressed parts makers at bargain prices, running them with independent management teams and hoping to use private capital to improve their profit picture. Efforts to speak with Price or other members of the venture were unsuccessful. But Price's timing couldn't have been worse. By mid-2008, the U.S. economy was teetering. By the third quarter, a banking crisis had locked up the capital markets, threatening business plans in all industries. By 2009, Zeledyne was frozen in place, along with most of the rest of the auto industry. Although the new team invested in Nashville enough to keep it operating, by 2010, the plant was again for sale. Fresh investment at last Carlex's Shepherd declines to say how much Central paid for the Nashville plant this year, noting that its acquisition did not include the Tulsa or Juarez factories. It did include Zeledyne's aftermarket glass business, Carlite. Casteel believes the Japanese owner is in a good position to take the plant into new business deals. After 50 years of operation and more than 20 years of soliciting outside business, the plant no longer is owned by Ford. It no longer is owned by a supplier in financial trouble. It no longer is owned by a private investor with an unproven track record. It no longer is being starved for capital improvements. It no longer is in jeopardy of being closed. "We think we can help them get into GM and Chrysler now," Casteel says. "These guys are serious global players. And they need this source of glass. I'm pretty excited about the future there. We've all been through a lot with that plant."

Ford Brazil sells Class 5 to Class 8 Cargo product, from 8 to 31 metric ton rigids, plus tractors. Ford Otosan only sells Class 8, with rigids from 18 to 41 metric tons, plus tractors. Having said that, all the engineering occurs at Ford Otosan, the home of Ford Truck's global design center.

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / July 28, 2016 .

Street Insider / July 28, 2016 GE announced toay that it has signed and closed the sale of a 14.4% limited partner interest in Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., a full-service truck leasing, rental, and logistics business, to Penske Automotive Group, Inc. The sale represents ending net investment (ENI) of approximately $0.4 billion and leaves GE with a 15.5% limited partner interest in the business. In addition to the interests owned by Penske Automotive Group and GE, Penske Truck Leasing is owned by Penske Corporation and Mitsui. “As we continue to execute on our strategy to sell our businesses that aren’t linked to GE’s industrial businesses, we’re pleased to announce this agreement for the sale of a significant portion of our remaining stake in Penske Truck Leasing to our long-time partner, Penske Automotive Group,” said Keith Sherin, GE Capital chairman and CEO. “Penske Truck Leasing is a leading provider of truck leasing and rental services in North America and is a well-established global provider in the logistics business.” As previously announced, GE is focusing on its high-value industrial businesses and is selling most of GE Capital’s assets. GE will retain the financing verticals that relate directly to GE’s industrial businesses. Including this transaction, and since the announcement in April, 2015, GE Capital has signed agreements for approximately US$189 billion and has closed approximately US$168 billion of those deals. GE Capital plans to sell approximately $200 billion of GE Capital businesses worldwide and expects to have largely completed the process by the end of 2016. GE Capital believes it is on track to deliver about $35 billion of dividends to GE under this plan, subject to regulatory approval.

Scania Group Press Release / July 28, 2016 Scania’s sales reached an all-time high at SEK 50.1 billion and the company showed a strong operational performance in the first half of 2016. Summary of the first six months of 2016 Operating income amounted to SEK 1,348 m. (4,737), negatively impacted by a provision of SEK 3.8 billion related to the European Commission’s competition investigation Operating income excluding items affecting comparability rose by 9 percent to SEK 5,148 m. (4,737), resulting in an operating margin of 10.3 (10.1) percent Net sales rose by 7 percent to SEK 50,110 m. (46,798) Cash flow amounted to SEK -492 m. (1,106) in Vehicles and Services Comments by Henrik Henriksson, President and CEO “Scania’s sales reached an all-time high at SEK 50.1 billion and the company showed a strong operational performance in the first half of 2016. Higher vehicle volume in Europe and increased service revenue had a positive impact on earnings while currency rate effects and lower deliveries in Latin America impacted negatively. The high investment level related to Scania’s investment in a new truck generation also had an impact on earnings. Scania’s market share in Europe continued on a high level and amounted to 17.1 percent during the first half of 2016, compared to 17.2 percent in 2015. The replacement need and economic situation in Europe continues to have a positive impact on demand for trucks. The weak performance continued in Latin America, primarily related to Brazil. In Eurasia, Russia now appears to have bottomed out at a low level. However, the outlook for Brazil and Russia is still uncertain. In Buses and coaches, the demand trend is positive, mainly due to strong order bookings in Mexico and Iran. In Engines, demand fell in all regions. Service revenue amounted to SEK 10.5 billion during the first half of 2016, an increase of 9 percent in local currency. Financial Services reported operating income of SEK 506 million and credit losses remain at low levels. In August Scania will initiate the launch of its largest ever investment − the new truck generation. It constitutes an important part of Scania’s ambition to become a leader in sustainable transport, where partnerships and continued digitalisation will play an increasingly important role. In light of the European Commission’s Statement of Objections and recent developments in the competition investigation, Scania is now, in accordance with relevant accounting principles and a prudent approach, making a provision of SEK 3.8 billion. Scania has fully cooperated with the European Commission during the investigation but contests the Commission’s view. The company will fully exercise its rights of defence in the ongoing investigation.” Scania Interim Report January-June 2016 - http://mb.cision.com/Main/209/2051752/544231.pdf

I'm not following you Bob. Ford has just finished spending time, money and effort to create a variant of the aluminium F-150 cab for the Super-Duty F-250 thru the F-550. Thus I expect that's the F-250/350/450/550 cab we're going to see for at least 5 years....if not far longer. And the F-650 and F-750 retain the bought-and-paid-for steel Super-Duty cab. Advertised as "all-new for 2016", I don't expect to see any major changes for probably 5 years. I doubt Ford would allocate funding for a new medium-duty cab anytime soon, when model year2016 is all-new, given the small number of trucks they sell. Money is allocated to where Ford gets the most return.........and that's not medium trucks. They sell them for corporate face. Ford is building medium trucks now in the cheapest way possible, using in-house pickup truck drivetrains.

In conversation with Daimler leader Wolfgang Bernhard Truck News / July 28, 2016 North America has proved a disappointing truck market so far this year with the most recent Class 8 intake standing at a multi-year low. Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the Board of Management and responsible for Daimler AG’s truck division, is sanguine about this; North America rises and North America falls and there’s not an awful lot to be done about it. “When we look back in the history of the North American market we see big market swings and nobody is ever afraid of the upside,” he explains. “Everybody is afraid of the downside and everybody takes the upside as a present and it’s a huge punishment to suffer through downside. We looked at the pattern of the past, we see that when overswing of historic averages is biggest, the underswing is also huge,” he continues. “So in a way, we’re glad to see that after the moderate overswing that we had last year, we see that the that the market is coming down a bit and we believe the silver lining in that is basically that if we don’t overswing so much we don’t have to suffer the underswing so much. “And let’s be honest here. The market that we’re seeing this year which will be north of 350,000 trucks (Classes 6-8) and that is still a reasonable market in historical terms. Sure it’s nothing you write home about and it’s slightly below historic averages, but still a good market nonetheless, and I’m not sure we should be complaining about it. And rather than having huge up and down swings over time, I’m happy to live with a small oscillation around historic averages. “And on top of this, in the special case of North America and Canada, I have to say that we can compensate some of the market downturn with gaining market share. We are increasing our market share and this is allowing us to position the organization strongly.” Bernhard sees the current interest rate environment as a problem, and argues that the global economy needs to pursue a return to a more normal rate level. While this may seem slightly counterintuitive coming from a supplier of capital equipment, he sees the broader macro impact of low and zero rates as being one that is negative. “At some point of time, we have to find a way back to the reasonable interest rates,” he says. The present situation is a drag on of financial structure; it is very difficult for pensions and insurers to find assets with adequate returns and it seems too that there is a constant danger of the misallocation of resources. “I believe that at some point we have to get back to reasonable interest rates and, yes, there will be some repercussions. So if the Fed starts to raise interest rates it will make the situations in South America and in some emerging countries, more difficult. However, I believe that at the forefront of those countries is not an economic problem. It’s a political problem and unless these issues are not addressed the economy will not thrive. The decisive factor is not one of the interest rate in America or in Europe. The decisive factor is the political, the structural reforms that needs to be taken. I’d argue that the same thing applies to Greece as well.” Looking forwards, the agenda within the truck industry at present is constituted of considerations of GHG regulations and the rather more nebulous issue that is connectivity. To the first point, Bernhard is at pains to stress the need for fitness for purpose in terms of regulation, and adds to this the view that a regulatory framework that rewards GHG reduction is one that is ultimately self-perpetuating in a positive manner. “Regulators tend not to be deeply ingrained in the particularities of this industry,” he says. “That means, they see the complete value chain of transportation but tend to focus only on the vehicle aspects and not other factors. And so while we are looking at – for example – a 10-20% difference between the best and the worst driver, they are fixated on expensive technical solutions to get at the 0.1-0.2% of potential – for instance in powertrain-derived reductions.” He points to the experience of North America – where a regulatory framework mandating GHG reductions is now in place – as proof positive of the value of market forces. “I believe in the power of market forces as a force for good in this industry,” he says. “The driver of progress on the CO2 side is being driven by our customers and their economic needs on the one hand, and our technology on the other hand. Looking at North America, what are the major drivers for the CO2 reductions that we see there? Customers were asking for it and paying for it. It is a business case for them, that’s what drives it. “Secondly, the technology that enables it. What is it? It is an integrated powertrain. The departure from a component truck into a world of integrated powertrains where you have instead of a manual, an automated transmission, where you have highly sophisticated engines, and improved axles that fit the overall package as well as improved aerodynamics. Did the CO2 regulation of US force that to happen? I don’t think so. This was done through innovation that we had, and we innovated not because of any GHG regulation but because it is what our customers expect us to do to improve their cost of ownership.” The customer relationship is also at the center of the move towards connectivity. Bernhard is quick to point out that the idea is not a new one – Fleetboard and Detroit Connect are both well-established examples of a connected vehicle and both are profitable in their own right. But he sounds a caveat: “I would caution to say that for us, connectivity will be a major stream of revenues and of income,” he says. “Even in our boldest dreams when we calculate this through, we cannot see anything getting close to what we have with the truck itself. “We believe that this is something that if you don’t have it, you will lose your mainstream revenue,” he continues. “It is both a threat and an opportunity at once. If you are at the forefront, you will be able to gain market share. You will be able to build relationship with your customers that go beyond contract and legal obligations, and with that, you solidify your relationship with your customers, and if you grow a reputation of a leader in that industry, you will always have the upper hand. I believe rather than having this as a major source of income, it is a vital, crucial enabler to make sure for our shareholders that the business as it is stays in place.”

API: Fleets need to be aware of new engine oils, heed OEM recommendations Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / July 28, 2016 When licensing and distribution begin for the two new heavy-duty diesel engine oils in December, it’s paramount for fleets and owner-operators to be aware of the new categories and ensure they’re using the proper engine oil in their equipment, says a representative from the American Petroleum Institute. “New oils are coming. They’re coming very soon, and you need to make sure you know which one you’re supposed to use,” said Kevin Ferrick, manager of API’s global industry services certification programs. “Oils are different enough and unique enough today that you need to be sure you’re buying the right oil.” Ferrick spoke to CCJ editors in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Thursday, July 28. Licensing for the two new diesel lubricants, CK-4 and FA-4, begins Dec. 1, 2016, which is the first day oil marketers like Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo and Mobil Delvac can sell lubricants officially stamped as CK-4- and FA-4-certified by API. CK-4 oils will essentially replace the current CJ-4 oil spec on the market today and will be backwards compatible with diesel engines currently using CJ-4. FA-4 will be much more limited in its use. It will be recommended almost exclusively for 2017 year-model engines and newer, and it will only be recommended for long-haul applications. Ferrick strongly advises fleets and owner-operators to check with their engine’s manufacturer to ensure they’re using the oil recommended for their engine when the new products come to market. Ferrick says CK-4 oils improve upon CJ-4 oils by better protecting against engine oxidation, oil shearing, oil aeration and degradation of the oil due to soot. CK-4 is also expected to improve fuel economy and generally work more efficiently with modern engines. Ferrick says consumers using older engines could see engine life benefits from using CK-4 instead of CJ-4, which will still be available following the licensing of CK-4 and FA-4 products. FA-4 oils offer the aforementioned benefits of CK-4 oils, but they’re designed to increase fuel economy in new engines. FA-4 oils are deemed low-viscosity oils, as they’re “thinner” (less viscous) than CK-4 oils and therefore allow engine parts to operate more efficiently. FA-4 oils have been proven to protect engines as well as CK-4 and CJ-4 oils, despite their thinner design. The API certification procedure is designed to ensure FA-4 oils protection engines just as well as their higher viscosity counterparts, Ferrick says. The development of the new lubricants was spurred by modern engine design and federal regulations requiring reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Today’s engines run hotter, are more powerful and more efficient than engines of yesteryear, and engine manufacturers requested new lubricants to fit their new needs. New emission regulations taking effect next year call for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, primarily emissions of carbon dioxide. To achieve those emissions reductions, fuel economy needs to be boosted, Ferrick says. FA-4 oils were designed to help engine makers reach those fuel economy goals. Ferrick’s key message to fleets and owner-operators regarding proper oil use is simple: Check with your engine manufacturer. “It’s not something you get cute about,” he said. “You need to be sure you’re using exactly what’s recommended. It’s that precise now. Not all oils are the same. You could end up with lower performance if you get the wrong oil.” For fleets that buy in bulk, Ferrick warned against mixing CK-4 and CJ-4 oils. Fleets need to empty their CJ-4 tanks before filling them with CK-4. “You don’t need to clean it or flush it,” he says. “But you don’t want to mix them. Fleets need to draw their tanks down before adding CK-4 or FA-4 oils.” To prepare for the launch of the new products, Ferrick says API is trying to get the word out to fleets, owner-operators and technicians across all outlets. API has a site dedicated to helping users choose the right oil — dieseloilmatters.com — along with a marketing and advertising campaign built around the same message: Diesel oil matters. Oil containers like drums and off-the-shelf bottles will also feature the new API donut for CK-4 and FA-4 oils. The CK-4 donut will look just like existing donuts — a plain white circle that designates them as CK-4. The donut for FA-4 lubes, however, will be slightly different. The top half of the donut will be split into two quadrants, and the FA-4 designation will be in reverse type or will feature a splash of color.

Daimler to Kick Off Medium-Duty Engine Production Transport Topics / July 28, 2016 Daimler Trucks North America announced its Detroit-branded DD5 medium-duty engine will officially hit the market later this year in the Freightliner M2 106 truck model. Production is scheduled to begin in October, with deliveries planned at the end of the year, company executives said July 28. “Our entry into the medium-duty engine market is a significant step,” said Richard Howard, DTNA senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We feel we well-prepared to bring this engine to the market,” said Kary Schaefer, DTNA’s general manager of marketing and strategy. She said the company is offering a three-year, 250,000-mile warranty covering both the engine and aftertreatment system. DTNA first announced plans to develop the engine in 2014 during American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition. The company previously had not offered an in-house medium-duty engine. Moving forward, it will continue to provide customers the option of a Cummins Inc. engine, much as it offers choices for heavy-duty engines, transmissions and axles. The four-cylinder DD5 will initially be aimed at the pickup-and-delivery segment, and feature ratings of 210 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque, as well as 230 HP and 660 lb-ft. Detroit is also providing customers the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system. Additional ratings to appeal to wider range of vocational applications are expected to be offered later, and the company still plans to roll out the larger DD8 engine in 2018. The initial Class 6 trucks test-driven by journalists here included a 20-foot dry van body, Detroit axles and the Allison 2500 RDS transmission. The engine, which uses many common designs found on the existing heavy-duty platform, will first be produced in Germany, and plans remain on track to shift production to the plant in Redford, Michigan, company officials confirmed. That follows the production model of the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission. Company officials said the DD5, which meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2017 greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards, offers extended maintenance intervals, including oil and fuel filter change intervals up to 45,000 miles. During 2015, Freightliner was the market leader in Class 7, selling 26,251 trucks, a market share of 44.6%. For the first half of 2016, Freightliner sold 14,318 Class 7 trucks for a 50.4% share. Freightliner also led in Class 6 last year, selling 19,842 trucks for a 36% share. Through June 2016, it was No. 2 behind Ford Motor Co. with sales of 9,715 trucks.

(If you want to sell me a truck Chris, remove your sun glasses.) . .

DTNA Launches the Detroit DD5 Today’s Trucking / July 28, 2016 YOUNTVILLE, Calif. – Come October buyers will be able to buy a four-cylinder Freightliner M2 106 truck. Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) chose California wine country to make the announcement that its Detroit DD5 engine will soon be ready to roll. A six-cylinder DD8 will arrive in 2018. The pickup-and-delivery world is the company's first market target with the DD5, which shares some design principles and elements with its larger DD13, DD15, and DD16 brethren. That includes diagnostic and connectivity features as well as hardware. The DD5 will offer customers a number of benefits over competitive engines, DTNA promises. One prime example is best-in-class scheduled maintenance intervals -- for short-haul P & D applications buyers will enjoy extended oil and fuel-filter change intervals up to 45,000 miles (72,420 km). For severe-duty work that will drop to a still respectable 35,000 miles (56,325 km) and for easier highway work it will rise to 50,000 miles (80,470 km). The engine has undergone extensive development and testing in preparation for release -- like three million miles in a 12-truck test fleet -- and boasts impressive durability with an expected B10 life of 400,000 miles (about 643,750 km) . That means 10% of DD5 engines will require an overhaul by that distance travelled. The engine will first be offered in two ratings -- 210 hp and 575 lb ft of torque, and another at 230/660. Testing, says Detroit, has proven that the DD5 will provide best-in-class fuel efficiency -- 3% better than the closest competitor, with more to come in the near future. DD5 customers will get the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system, as used by heavy-duty customers use to make service decisions that minimize downtime. “As a testament to our confidence in the DD5, I am excited to announce we are backing it with a 3-year/250,000-mile engine and aftertreatment system warranty,” said Kary Schaefer, newly installed as DTNA's general manager, marketing and strategy. The 5.1-liter DD5 engine uses common design principles found on the heavy-duty platform such as a deep-rib block that provides strength and minimizes noise. The engine also introduces some leading-edge technologies of its own such as variable cam phasing -- which offers the ability to optimize thermal management under low engine load conditions and improve the overall performance of the aftertreatment system. This is a key benefit to keeping customers up and running in the P & D segment where low-load stop-and-go operating conditions mean it's hard to keep operating temperatures high. The DD5 should also be a good fit for a number of vocational applications, though that will have to wait until later in 2018 when power-take-off options stronger horsepower ratings are offered. The engine's use within the DTNA lineup will expand in 2018 as production of the DD5 shifts from Mannheim, Germany to its powertrain facility in Detroit, where an investment of US$375 million is getting things ready. Detroit has received EPA certification for the new DD5, to meet 2017 greenhouse-gas and fuel-efficiency standards as well as all on-board diagnostic and near-zero criteria pollutant standards. While it was a short 15-20-mile trip, my test drive -- in an M2 106 with a 230-horse DD5, albeit unloaded -- showed a willing engine with sprightly performance. You'd be hard pressed to tell that it was a four-cylinder motor, the first so far in a conventional-cab medium-duty truck.

DTNA introduces its first medium-duty diesel Fleet Owner / July 28, 2016 The first Freightliner M2s with the new DD5 will be on the market by the end of the year. Daimler Trucks North American has officially entered the medium-duty truck engine business with the launch of the Detroit DD5, a 4-cylinder diesel based on a new engine platform first introduced in Europe in 2013. The first North American engines will be installed in Freightliner M2 106 van body models limited to rental/leasing and pickup and delivery applications. Available at the end of 2016, the initial DD5s will be rated at 210 HP and 575 ft.-lbs. peak torque. A 230 HP/660 ft.-lbs. rating will be added in 2017, followed in 2018 by the DD8, a 6-cyl. diesel with ratings ranging from 260HP/660 ft.-lbs. to 350 HP/1050 ft.-lbs. DTNA chose to lead with the 5.1L 4-cyl. version “because it can do the job and then some,” siad Kary Schaefer, general manager for marketing and strategy. With ratings comparable to 6-cyl. diesels currently on the market, the DD5 has a durability B10 life of 410,000 mi. and will come with a 3-yr./250,000-mi. warranty for both the engine and aftertreatment systems. DTNA has also conducted over 3 million mi. of durability testing on the new MD engine and has some trucks in the test fleet that have run over 250,000 mi., according to Schaefer. Although the broad range of applications in the medium-duty truck segment makes it difficult to make comparisons, the DD5 should deliver 3% better fuel economy than competitive engines, Schaefer said during a press conference. Even anticipating competitive improvements to meet future greenhouse gas regulations, the new Detroit MD engine should maintain that 3% advantage, she added. The DD5 has already been certified to meet the EPA’s 2017 greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards, as well as the new onboard diagnostics and near-zero emissions requirements. Design highlights for the DD5 include dual-stage fixed geometry turbocharges with an electronically controlled waste gate, variable camshaft phasing to improve aftertreatment efficiency in low-load conditions, a high-pressure common rail fuel system, and an integrated engine brake that delivers up to 220 bhp. Oil/fuel filter service intervals are 45,000 mi., which is two to three times longer than competitive MD diesels, according to Schaefer. Like Detroit’s heavy-duty engines, the new medium-duties will draw on the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician telematics for remote diagnotics and use the same Detroit diagnostic systems and tools. Initial DD5 engines will be built at Daimler Trucks’ Mannheim, Germany engine plant. Production will shift to Detroit’s powertrain plant in Redford, MI, in 2018 as part of a $375 million expansion in that facility. The M2’s current engine, the Cummins ISB, will continue to be offered along side the new proprietary diesel, according to Richard Howard, DTNA sr. VP of sales and marketing. The company has a 39% market share in Classes 6/7 through the end of June. While overall truck sales are off from their peaks in 2014 and 2015, the medium-duty market in general is described as “dynamic” by Howard, who points out that it is currently up 14% year-to-date over. “So the timing is great to be bringing this product into the market,” he said.

Heavy Duty Trucking / July 28, 2016 Daimler Trucks North America says it plans to play a major role in the medium-duty engine market, and is taking the first steps with the new Detroit DD5 engine [Mercedes-Benz OM934], which will begin production in October. “We didn’t come into this market being cocky; we took a cautious approach,” said Kary Schaefer, general manager of sales and marketing for DTNA, told trucking reporters at an event debuting the engine in California on July 28. One mark of that approach is that the engine is being released in two phases. In the first phase, it will be targeted at the pickup and delivery market, available in the Freightliner M2106 truck. “We’re going to launch the DD5 in a limited application," she said. "We focused on pickup and delivery because it’s the least amount of complexity for us to enter the market. This allows us to gauge customer acceptance of the engine and get customer feedback and incorporate that into the engine for phase two.” The engine will first be offered in 210 hp, 575 lb-ft and 230 hp, 660 lb-ft ratings. Schaefer said that in testing against competitor engines, the new DD5 offers 3% better fuel economy. Getting there, she said, “was all about optimizing the engine in many many different ways, considering milliseconds and hundredths of millimeters and great attention to detail.” DTNA says engineers will be able to improve upon this base for future fuel economy improvements, to meet fuel economy regulations or maintain a competitive position in the industry. The engine already has been certified to meet EPA’s 2017 greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards as well as all on-board diagnostic and near-zero criteria pollutant standards. For phase two, in early 2018, in conjunction with the shift of D5 production from Mannheim, Germany, to its Detroit powertrain facility. Detroit will launch the larger displacement, six-cylinder DD8 [Mercedes-Benz OM936], which will have a range of 260 to 350 hp. At that time, the DD5 offerings will be extended to 240 hp and applications for power takeoffs will be available. At that point the engine also will be offered in DTNA’s step van and school bus offerings. About the engine Diesel engines in general have gone through a lot of development over the years. “When you think there’s nothing more you can do to improve the engine, voila, the engineers come up with a way,” said Schaefer, who is an engineer herself. One of the unusual features of the engine is that it is a four-cylinder. “You may ask, why a four-cylinder?” Schaefer said. “Why not? We’re able to do the job and then some, so it makes for a better engine. It’s slightly shorter, offering better access for service especially at the rear of the engine.” Less parts complexity, she said, helps improve endurance, reliability and durability. Some of the engineering changes she cited include: No cylinder liners Ribs incorporated into the crankcase for stiffness instead of just adding more material and weight Integrated oil cooler. “Managing the aftertreatment and regen process is all about managing those temperatures in the engine,” she said. Optimized cylinder roundness and valves designed to allow high pressures. A dual stage turbo for higher air flow, with the turbos in series, with no moving parts as on a variable geometry turbo. “Simple in design, the electronically controlled waste gate helps manage the pressure in the cylinder, which helps reduce the stress on the engine.” Variable camshaft phasing (read more about VCP below) Designed for durability The DD5 5.1-liter engine uses common design principles found on the heavy-duty platform, such as a deep rib block that provides robustness and minimizes noise. The engine has undergone extensive development and testing in preparation for release and boasts an expected B10 life of 400,000 miles. (B10 and B50 life are the industry standard for measuring the life expectancy of an engine and indicate the miles of operation before an engine overhaul or replacement is required.) DTNA is backing it up with a 3 year/250,000 mile engine and aftertreatment system warranty. The engine introduces some technologies Daimler says are leading-edge, such as variable camshaft phasing. Variable cam phasing technology allows Detroit to optimize thermal management under low engine load conditions and improve the overall performance of the aftertreatment system. This is a key benefit to keeping customers up and running trouble free in the pickup and delivery segment, where low-load stop-and-go operating conditions are common, DTNA notes. As Schaefer explained, “VCP is unique for our engine design. It’s used at low engine speeds to increase exhaust temperatures going into the aftertreatment system. The aftertreatment system wants higher exists temperatures-- it performs better. I think this will be a differentiator for our engine.” Serviceability Schaefer said the designers paid a lot of attention to detail and considered customer requests in terms of servicabity and maintenance. For instance, cartridge-style fuel and oil filters are mounted above the rail for easy access. DTNA says operators in short-haul pickup and delivery applications will have extended oil and fuel filter change intervals up to 45,000 miles. The engine will take the backward-compatible version of the new PC-11 engine oils, CK-4, when those become available late this year. In addition, Detroit will provide DD5 customers its Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system, the same system heavy-duty customers use.

Who is the UAW to advise its members on who they should vote for?

One option is you call Rush (toll-free), a huge mega dealer and the nation's largest Peterbilt dealer, and get some numbers for your trade and a new truck. http://www.rushtruckcenters.com/truck-sales/new-truck-sales And you can look through the Peterbilt dealer directory for a mega-dealer that also sells Mack. http://www.peterbilt.com/resources/Dealer Directory.pdf For example, McDevitt Trucks.........https://www.mctrucks.com/ And Cambria.............http://www.cambrias.com/ Don't worry about the distance. (It's noteworthy that two long-time hard-core Mack distributors, McDevitt and Cambria, over the years decided to add the Peterbilt franchise)