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Coalition puts name to legislation ditching RSRT Australasian Transport News (ATN) / April 18, 2016 Big day in Parliament follows rally as anti-RSRT legislation joins effort to create building watchdog The Coalition is moving to introduce legislation abolishing the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) and redirecting Tribunal resources to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) on a pivotal day for the federal government. The Road Safety Remuneration Repeal and Road Safety Remuneration Amendment (Protecting Owner Drivers) to the Parliament on a day when mainstream and other media report that the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) would face trouble getting past the Senate, thereby bolstering its arguments for a double dissolution. However, there seems few doubts the RSRT’s contentions Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration Order 2016 (RSRO) would be delayed at the very least or "suspended", which is the government’s fall-back position. Less confidence surrounds the abolition of the tribunal, though that might hinge on as few as one crossbench senator. With a mob-hand of tie-less ministers, including prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, queueing up to be on the RSRT case, the government is refining its rhetoric and message. "There’ll be $4 million a year saved by the abolition of the RSRT and that will all go in to support the work of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to ensure that there is real support, practical support for safety," Turnbull tells yesterday’s owner-drivers’ rally in Canberra. "We are all committed to safety on the roads, in the workplace, on construction sites, everywhere. "We’re all committed to safety. "But what this Tribunal was, as you know, was essentially a pretext. Safety was used as a means of undermining independent family businesses at the expense of a big union and the best answer we’ve got to that is to abolish it this week. "Thank you so much for being here. "Your courage, your determination to stand up for your family businesses is inspiring." Infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester told owner-drivers protesting, saying the RSRT had failed to make the intended difference while the NHVR was the correct repository of transport safety. "In 2012, the Labor Government established the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, suggesting that if you pay a truck driver more, they’ll drive slower and work fewer hours," Chester says. "The tribunal was intended to make the road transport industry fairer and safer, but after almost four years in operation, the evidence shows that the Tribunal has not achieved either of these aims. "Small operators are telling us that the remuneration system risks harming their businesses, without doing anything to improve the safety of the industry. "A tribunal of industrial umpires cannot claim to be experts in road safety. "It is the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator – a combined effort of the Australian Government and most state and territory governments – that has the expert knowledge and understanding needed to bring about improvements to the safety of the road transport industry." Employment minister Michaelia Cash spoke in support of Chester. "Assuming successful passage of the necessary legislation, the tribunal’s resources will be redirected to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator," Cash says. "The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will be tasked with prioritising ways in which road safety can be materially improved. "To determine how best this resourcing can be used to re-prioritise and strengthen safety measures that will work at the roadside, the Australian Government will be consulting with state and territory governments and with industry. "Everyone supports a safer heavy vehicle industry, but clearly the answer is not to put tens of thousands of owner-drivers off the road through a central wage fixing policy. "A better resourced National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, working together with Government and with industry, is the best mechanism for achieving real safety outcomes for the heavy vehicle sector and the broader community." In response, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) continues to bring new truck-related fatalities to bear on its arguments against RSRT abolition. "My thoughts are with the families left devastated by these tragedies which have to be fully investigated," TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon says. "This has been a black weekend for the trucking community and the wider community which bear the brunt of these horrific crashes. "I am appealing to the Government not to abolish the one body tasked to examine the pressure in trucking which leads to so many tragedies. "What other proof does the Government need that there is a problem with safety on our roads involving trucks? "We know that a deadly cycle is at play in transport with major retailers and manufacturers squeezing transport operators and drivers with low cost contracts to the point that our roads are not safe." In the meantime, the union has sought an RSRT delay on the RSRO. Opposition leader Bill Shorten reiterated that the RSRT’s creation was all about safety and took Turnbull to task over a lack of previous commitment to owner-drivers. "Mr Turnbull's never really shown any interest in truck driver safety ever in his parliamentary career," Shorten says. "A search of Mr Turnbull's parliamentary words in the parliament show that he's used the work truck only on eight occasions and never, and never in regard to safety or remuneration. "Mr Turnbull probably has the votes of the crossbenchers to secure his abolition of an independent tribunal. "Mr Turnbull should explain what he intends to do to improve the safety of truck drivers and motorists in Australia. "What he's doing is creating a free-for-all in terms of a race to the bottom of wage rates. "We will see truck drivers cutting corners, forced through their very low pay to take risks which will jeopardise the safety of themselves and other motorist and Mr Turnbull has shown no interest in explaining the detail of his measures to improve truck drivers’ safety and motorist safety on the roads of Australia."

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

Thank you Vlad !

In the US market, the D11 (MP7) and D13 (MP8) get common rail. The US market D16 (MP10) will oddly soldier on with unit pump injection. In the global market, the D16 does has had common rail since 2014. (http://www.volvotrucks.com/trucks/kuwait-market/en-kw/newsmedia/pressreleases/pages/pressreleases.aspx?pubid=17405) http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44540-volvo-trucks-announces-us-market-common-rail-other-powertrain-enhancements/#comment-328779

Back to the future Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 Today’s aerodynamic Scania “Streamline” is the essence of our efforts. Tag along for a ride down memory lane to find out how we ended up here.

Pump it up Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 You can put a Scania industrial engine to work almost anywhere and it will not let you down. Even after pouring sand in the machinery.

A ticket to ride Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 Vabis produced its last train coach in 1911. It marked the end of a successful era and the beginning of an exciting future.

All inclusive Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 The easy and carefree charter concept attracted more and more Swedes in the late 1950's. A trend the bus company Erik Larsson joined early on.

Topdog Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 In 1932, Scania-Vabis delivered its first bulldog bus. It became a triumph for the company. But who was behind the success?

A bin on wheels Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 A story of Mombasa’s waste disposal issues. And the citizen who threw the solution to the problem in the trash.

Keep on T-trucking Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 The 100-year-old production of bonneted (conventional cab) Scania T-trucks finally came to end in 2005, or did it? Long live the T-truck.

Fire and Steel Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 From horses to the modular system. Join us on a historic journey through decades of fire fighting from all around the world.

Without you, Scania wouldn’t be the same. Drivers, designers, fleet managers, service engineers, purchasers, passengers, fans – we are all part of making Scania what it is. Our calendars celebrate this. They tell your stories, our stories, the stories that make Scania. And since it involves all of us, we simply call it, “We. Scania.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 40 Years. But who’s counting? Scania Press Release / April 15, 2016 The first Scania truck ever built in Argentina is still going strong. And so are the gentlemen who actually put it together.

Wednesday, Nov 11 - Wade Watson speaking at an event entitled "Mack Trucks in the Lehigh Valley and in the World", in front of 200 area business professionals. (http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-mack-trucks-in-the-lehigh-valley-20151111-story.html) Video - http://www.mcall.com/videos/mc-video-mack-trucks-vp-wade-watson-is-optimistic-about-truck-manufacturer-s-future-20151111-premiumvideo.html Thursday, April 14 - Wade Watson was terminated or resigned. Friday, April 15 - Dennis Slagle (Mack brand president) officially announced the Macungie investment, via a released statement. (It would have been proper.......for him to fly up from Greensboro to Macungie and make the announcement in person) Saturday, April 16 - Volvo responds to media inquires stating that, after 16 years employment, Wade Watson "is no longer with the company."

Westport opened their chassis assembly plant at 650 Boulder Drive in June 2012. Ironically, the Westport plant is located at Allentown's Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, in the former Mack Trucks Plant 4* in south Allentown. * Mack Plant 4, built in 1926 to assemble truck chassis and paint truck bodies, was closed in 1984 In 2012, Westport Axle’s director of operations Allen Fink said average production-line wages would be $15 to $16 an hour. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/26449-who-got-the-contract-to-build-mack-chassis/#comment-130616 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/43123-mack-trucks-laying-off-400-workers-at-macungie/#comment-315947

The news indicated that chassis assembly will once more be done at Macungie (rather than "down the street" in Breinigsville). But the Volvo news release didn't clearly say whether the work would be performed by lower cost non-union* Westport employees, or union Volvo (Mack brand) employees. Many auto and truckmakers nowadays have suppliers working within their plants to cut overhead costs. * http://www.mcall.com/news/local/parkland/mc-westport-axle-union-20141125-story.html

Transport Topics / April 15, 2016 Not that long ago, the mindset of many fleet operators was to get as much muscle power in engines as they wanted or could afford. That often meant 15-liter engines that could deliver a whole lot of horsepower. But times have changed. With evolving technology and additional greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and fuel-economy regulations pending, smaller engines are becoming more common — not just 13-liter models but also those in and around the 11- to 12-liter range. In early January, Paccar Inc. upped the ante by installing in the United States its first production MX-11 engine, a 10.8-liter power station. It went into a Peterbilt Model 567 for North Dakota-based fleet Knife River, one of the largest aggregate producers and suppliers of concrete and asphalt in the United States. The move by Paccar followed the 2013 launch of the MX-11 in Europe, where it has installed more than 10,000 of these engines in trucks made by its European operation DAF. The MX-11 is built at Paccar’s engine manufacturing facility in Columbus, Mississippi, along with the MX-13. Paccar isn’t alone when it comes to having engines in and around 11 to 12 liters, with offerings in the United States from Cummins, Navistar, Volvo and Mack. So what’s driving the trend toward smaller engines? Several factors. These engines aren’t new, but the power they deliver is much more than it was, even just a few years ago, said Charlie Cook, marketing manager for vocational products at Peterbilt, which is owned by Paccar. “We are able to achieve more horsepower and torque with less displacement,” he said. “We are getting 430 horsepower and 1,550 pound-feet of torque out of the new MX 11-liter engine, something that a few years ago would have required a much larger engine.” More technically, this means several things, said Mario Sanchez-Lara, director of on-highway marketing communications for Cummins, which makes the 11.9-liter ISX12 model engine. “Increased power density is the objective, which drives adoption of aggressive compression ratios, increased injection pressures and higher fresh air induction,” he said. “Similar to what we have seen in passenger cars, truck engines are adopting dual overhead cams, variable timing, high-pressure fuel systems, multistage turbocharging and sophisticated materials like compacted graphite iron on the blocks and head castings,” the latter making the engines lighter. The increasing sophistication of engine control software is helping. Mack Trucks offers the 11-liter MP7 with 325 to 405 hp and torque ratings from 1,200 to 1,560 pound-feet, which maintains what Stu Russoli, highway and powertrain products marketing manager, calls “good efficiency numbers.” “Integration plays a role, too, particularly in the case of our mDRIVE automated manual transmissions,” Russoli said. “Our MP engines are fully integrated with mDRIVE, sharing 100% of the information 100% of the time. “Together, they sense factors like the load on the truck, incline, decline, speed and more to get the most performance and efficiency out of a smaller engine displacement.” In other words, a lot of the move to smaller engines has to do with efficiency. This is why there also are many more 13-liter engines in use today compared with 15-liter ones, said Mike Evans, senior consultant at Rhein Associates. “The race to add more horsepower has really slowed down over the last 15 to 20 years,” he said. “So now we can do more with less. In the past, you would see lots of 15-liters, and then the 13-liters came in and we saw a trend into 13-liters. That doesn’t mean the 15-liters went away, but a large proportion of that business has moved to 13-liters.” It’s largely about fuel efficiency, said John Moore, powertrain product marketing manager for Volvo Trucks, which offers a 10.8-liter D11 engine. “The fuel maps on these engines are optimized for regional haul, less-than-truckload and diminishing-load applications running on flat to rolling hills,” Moore said. ”You can post excellent miles-per-gallon numbers, if set up correctly.” In addition to technology advancements, helping to drive this trend toward smaller engines are increasing federal emissions regulations, Moore said. He believes future advances in horsepower and torque will allow these smaller engines to cross even further into their larger-displacement counterparts’ applications zone at increased efficiency. “Future GHG regulations are requiring dramatic reductions in aerodynamic drag, along with more efficient engines,” Moore said. “Because the hood slopes are more aggressive to lower drag, engine installations at higher displacements become a greater challenge to install within limited space and still have enough space available for technicians to service them.” Weight savings is another main driver, especially in certain vocational applications “where they are looking to get every pound of payload,” Rhein Associates’ Evans said. If an 11-liter can do the job and save 400 pounds of weight for a regional or bulk hauler or vocations such as refuse, that helps productivity. That weight savings is attractive to any operation concerned about grossing out before cubing out, such as bulk and tanker haulers. They also are a fit for local and regional operations as well as construction and refuse. “I think the regional haulers look to buy the most efficient truck they can,” Evans said. “They don’t need the absolute power perhaps they get from a 13, definitely not from a 15.” When you look at the horsepower and torque ranges the 11-liter engines provide, they get well into the 13-liter applications, he said. “If the customer is hauling high-cost freight, such as fuel, they will see an immediate payback for the extra 390 pounds they can now haul,” said Volvo’s Moore, who noted the D11 engine is 390 pounds lighter than the company’s 12.8-liter D13 engine. “There aren’t many options on the truck that cost less and save this much weight.” This is what drove Walpole Inc. to check out the 11-liter Paccar engine, said Keith Walpole, president of the company, a 240-tractor bulk hauler, which also has been running the 13-liter Paccar MX-13 model engine in some of its trucks. “We have never been afraid of running a smaller cube engine,” he said. “We’re in the bulk-hauling commodity movement business, and weight is our dollars.” This weight savings with the MX-11 versus the MX-13 is about 400 pounds, which Walpole said has translated into a 5.1% improvement in fuel economy — and more than 12% when compared with larger engines from other makers just a few years ago. If you worry about not having enough power with an 11-liter engine, but you don’t want the weight of a 13-liter engine, some 13-liters are actually smaller — such as Navistar’s 12.4-liter N13 model, said Steve Gilligan, vice president of product marketing. The current N13 weighs 2,400 pounds installed in chassis, about 565 pounds lighter than a Cummins ISX15 engine, about 200 pounds less than the Paccar MX-13 engine and 200 pounds heavier than the new MX-11, he said. “Right-sizing” the engine, as it is called, can be part of an overall “lightweighting” strategy. The North American Council for Freight Efficiency advocates selecting equipment and components that are lighter, allowing for better fuel efficiency and more freight per truck. “Getting a big number, like hundreds and hundreds of pounds, like you can with these engines, allows you to add some other fuel-economy technologies that are adding weight,” NACFE Executive Director Mike Roeth said, such as aerodynamic add-ons and idle reduction systems. Looking ahead, those interviewed said that engines in and around the 11-liter to 12-liter range offer more horsepower and torque than ever and are likely to get even stronger. These engines can save you weight, allowing for greater payloads and improved fuel efficiency. Thus far, they seem best for regional and local operations, depending on the geography, and for bulk and tanker applications, they said. But these engines aren’t for everybody. Planning on trucking across the Rockies or the Appalachians while loaded up to 80,000 pounds? Chances are your drivers may be cursing your name and thinking about quitting to work as a Wal-Mart greeter. However, the most crucial thing to consider may be what Keith Walpole said: “The strongest advice I would have is to analyze your current fleet’s data and just see how much horsepower you have been using and how much torque you have been using versus what you are buying, moving forward.”

Mack investing $70 million in Lower Macungie plant The Morning Call / April 15, 2016 Mack Trucks plans to invest $70 million over the next three years to modernize and expand its Lower Macungie plant, a signal that the company is committed to keeping the facility churning out big rigs for at least the near future. The company announced the plan Friday, laying out enhancements to its 1-million-square-foot Lehigh Valley plant that include a 75,000-square-foot expansion, new manufacturing information technology systems, equipment and tooling, and a new building to conduct quality audits on finished vehicles. Chassis pre-assembly work now being done at Westport Axle in Breinigsville will be moved to the Mack plant. Westport, which announced 50 layoffs in December, will continue to provide other "critical support operations" for Mack, the company said. "For more than 40 years, Mack's Lehigh Valley Operations has built high-quality trucks that our customers can depend on," Dennis Slagle, president of Mack Trucks, said in a statement released by the company. "This investment strategy will help ensure we continue to deliver Mack's legendary durability through a more efficient, integrated and modern manufacturing operation." Wade Watson, vice president and general manager of Mack's Lehigh Valley plant, had alluded to the company's plans at an event in November, reassuring jittery public officials that the company had no plans to move the work elsewhere, despite recent layoffs. "We have been here for a long, long time," Watson said, tracing Mack's local roots to 1905. "We're here to stay." Workers were briefed on the plans at a town hall meeting Thursday, said Ed Balukas, president of Local 677 of the United Auto Workers. "Any money coming into the plant is a good thing," Balukas said. "I think some of the improvements they have in mind will make us more efficient and add toward the quality of the product and position us for the next upturn in the trucking industry." Watson, who took the helm of the plant in May, was instrumental in keeping it in the Lehigh Valley, said Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. "When Wade Watson came in, he took the bull by the horns and assessed, can we be cost-effective in the Lehigh Valley with some upgrades and investment?'" Cunningham said. "Or is it better for us to move? Then he really drove forward a plan." Cunningham said that when Watson gave him a call recently to let him know Mack's corporate parent had decided to make the investment here, it was a relief. Media reports are littered with stories of southern states offering generous incentives to lure manufacturers. "The decision on [parent company] Volvo's part to invest $70 million to upgrade and modernize the plant and expand it is huge for us," Cunningham said. "They are a top three manufacturer in the Lehigh Valley in terms of employment and beyond that they are an iconic brand internationally that has been associated with the Lehigh Valley for a long time." State, county and local officials had worked hard in recent months to improve relations with the company, which had atrophied a bit over the years. That was in evidence in October, when Lower Macungie supervisors passed a resolution in support of Mack's Lehigh Valley Operations, promising to facilitate township permits and approvals for renovations. A parade of local, state and county officials held meetings with company officials to reconnect. "On the local side, it was reengagement of relationships," Cunningham said. "Knowledge of what was going on with Mack between the local, county and state government had become distant over the years." The $70 million investment includes $12 million in projects that will be completed over the next three years and were part of a $26 million upgrade that was made public in 2014. The union has been trying for years to get Mack to bring chassis assembly in-house, Balukas said. That's a process that involves more than 310 people at Westport Axle. It's likely to require some additional hiring at Mack whenever it takes place, he said. Mack spokesman Chris Heffner said employment in the truck manufacturing industry is based on market volumes so it's difficult to say whether additional hiring will be needed. "Insourcing the chassis assembly process gives Mack greater control over more of the manufacturing process, enabling us to deliver even higher quality trucks to our customers," Heffner said. The truck-making business is cyclical, highly dependent on economic conditions. Mack's local workforce has fluctuated over the years as demand for its trucks has waxed and waned. While demand slowed in early 2016, last year was among the company's best. "We are looking at 2017 being a comeback year," Balukas said. "Even though we had some layoffs, they have been minimal compared to some of our competitors." The heavy-duty truck manufacturer delivered 27,411 vehicles in 2015, its strongest year since it delivered 36,838 vehicles in 2006, according to a report from Volvo Group of Sweden. Volvo said last year's high demand for heavy-duty trucks in North America was the result of fleet renewal and fleet expansion combined with good customer profitability because of a good freight environment, low fuel prices and low interest rates. Ninety-two percent of Mack's worldwide deliveries in 2015 were in North America. Freight activity weakened toward the end of 2015, Volvo said, and the need for fleet expansion and renewal will be lessened this year. All Mack trucks built for the North American market and export are assembled at the Lower Macungie plant. The plant employs about 1,430 workers and is Lower Macungie's largest employer. Westport Axle officials could not be reached for comment. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44866-local-mack-boss-out-volvo-confirms/

Wade Watson is no longer "thriving on change" at the Volvo Group..................http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/42985-mack-trucks-vp-thrives-on-change/#comment-314618 The question is.......why? The Lower Macungie Township's Board of Commissioners and Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. seemed thrilled with him, and are shocked by his sudden departure from the equation. They claim he earned their trust and respect, something that other Volvo officials had failed to do. (After Volvo broke a much earlier promise and closed Mack World Headquarters and the R&D center (Research, Development and Test Center), there's little wonder for their distrust with Volvo.

The Morning Call / April 16, 2016 One day after announcing a $70 million investment at its plant in Lower Macungie Township, Mack Trucks said its top-ranking Lehigh Valley official is no longer with the company. Wade Watson, who was vice president and general manager of Mack Trucks Lehigh Valley Operations for less than a year, is no longer employed by Mack or its corporate parent, the Sweden-based Volvo Group, company spokesman Christopher Heffner* confirmed Saturday. * Mack brand public relations manager, August 2014 to present. Citing company policy, Heffner declined to say when Watson left or provide a reason for his departure. "We will soon name an acting general manager who will lead the operations until we identify Wade's successor," Heffner said. Watson did not return a call left on his cellphone. Watson arrived in the Lehigh Valley in May to lead Mack's local operations, including the company's 1 million-square-foot plant in Lower Macungie Township, a soon-to-be-expanded facility where all Mack trucks built for the North American market and exports are assembled. Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC)), said he received a text Friday night from Watson, who informed him that he had left the company. Cunningham said he doesn't know the reason for the departure of Watson, whom the LVEDC welcomed to its 35-member board of directors March 22. "It's very surprising to me," Cunningham said. "We were working on different components related to the expansion plans. It's confusing, too. He's been such a principal player in the re-engagement of Mack really into the Lehigh Valley community." “For the last year, he has been the point person for those discussions,” Cunningham said of Watson. “In the end, what’s important is that the institutions and the companies remain and they made that clear with their expansion.” Cunningham added that Watson was instrumental in keeping Mack in the Lehigh Valley. State, county and local officials had worked hard in recent months to improve relations with the company, which had atrophied a bit over the years. At a Nov. 11 LVEDC event, Watson made it clear Mack is here to stay, also announcing an expansion to the Lower Macungie plant by adding receiving docks and putting a new facade on the 40-year-old building. On Friday, Mack made its commitment official, announcing plans to invest $70 million over the next three years to modernize and expand the plant. Before starting at Mack Trucks, Watson was the vice president of operations for Volvo Powertrain North America in Hagerstown, Md., bringing $70 million in investments to the plant during his nearly five-year run. He moved with his wife and young son to Zionsville, Pennsylvania (near Macungie) last year and, in an interview with The Morning Call in December, described himself as a fixer who thrives on change and wanted to get Mack more involved in the community. Watson also said he planned to remain in the area well into the future. "I think, for my expectations, I could see us staying here for quite some time," Watson said then. "There's lots of work to do here, and there's lots of fun stuff to do in the area." Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44865-mack-to-upgrade-lehigh-valley-truck-plant/. .

Mack invests $70 million into its Lehigh assembly plant Truck News / April 15, 2016 Mack Trucks announced a plan to pour around $70 million over the next three years into its Lehigh Valley, Penn. truck assembly operations to further improve manufacturing quality, efficiency and to modernize the facility. “For more than 40 years, Mack’s Lehigh Valley operations has built high-quality trucks that our customers can depend on,” said Dennis Slagle, president of Mack Trucks. “This investment strategy will help ensure we continue to deliver Mack’s legendary durability through a more efficient, integrated and modern manufacturing operation.” Mack plans to include a 75,000-square-foot expansion to the plant, as well as add a new manufacturing IT system, equipment and tooling and a new building for conduction audits on completed vehicles. Chassis pre-assembly work currently completed by Westport Axle will also be moved to the Mack plant to streamline the manufacturing process. Mack’s one-million-square-foot Lehigh Valley facility opened in 1975 and manufactures all Mack trucks for the North American market and export.

Heavy Duty Trucking / April 15, 2016 Mack Trucks announced it will invest about $70 million in its Lehigh Valley, Penn., truck assembly operations over three years “to further improve manufacturing quality and efficiency and modernize the facility.” The investment will cover a 75,000-square-foot expansion to improve material handling and flow; new manufacturing IT systems; equipment and tooling; and a new building for conducting quality audits on completed vehicles. In addition, "to better manage and streamline the manufacturing process," chassis pre-assembly work currently completed by Westport Axle in Breinigsville, Penn., will be moved into the Mack plant. Mack noted that Westport will continue “several other critical support operations” for the OEM. Mack said the investment plan includes about $12 million in projects that will be completed over the next three years, but were included in the $26 million upgrade of its Macungie cab and vehicle assembly facility in Macungie, Penn., that was announced in 2014.

CNBC Africa / March 29, 2016