kscarbel2

Glenn, I humbly suggest the absolute minimum front axle in a tipper application is the FAW538 (14,300 lb).

Common rail, in any configuration, will allow them to reach higher injection pressures, a necessity for meeting present and future emissions regulations.

Band-Aid is an apt description. Martin (Lundstedt) came into the picture too late to effect this.

You're right Tim. And think of New Zealand, heavy trucks for instance...........every global truck brand is represented there. Those Great Wall V-Series pickups and X-Series SUVs are actually quite good now. Do you remember the Isuzu Axiom that followed the Trooper but didn't sell. The always financially-troubled Isuzu sold GW the design, and they made it good looking. Their 2.5L diesel is based in the Isuzu 2.8L, and their 2.0L......they bought from Hyundai Group. They buy their automatic trannies from Hyundai as well. The V-series pickups (aka. ute, bakkie) are solid trucks too. I'd buy the diesel Ford Ranger, but it depends on how much you want to spend. http://greatwallmotors.com.au/showroom/x-series http://www.greatwallmotors.com.au/showroom/v-series-dualcab My gripe in the states is that Toyota won't import the 70 series Land Cruiser. The FJ40 and FJ55 established the brand in America. They were affordable trucks, a CJ-5/CJ-7 alternative. But the states today only gets the ridiculously overpriced Land Cruiser 200 series with all the options, and the Lexus equivalent. There's no Land Cruiser for the mainstream market. The 70 Series is the direct descendant of the FJ40. http://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70-series E-Brochure - http://www.toyota.com.au/static/vehicles/landcruiser-70-series/content/pdf/landcruiser70_ebrochure.pdf South Africa: http://www.toyota.co.za/ranges/land-cruiser-76 http://www.toyota.co.za/ranges/land-cruiser-79 Gibraltar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltWdbnRhoNI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzgoiQd-mcI Another oddity is the states gets the Lexus GX, but not the much more affordable Toyota version that started it all.....the Land Cruiser Prado. http://www3.toyota.com.au/prado?WT.ac=Toyota_ShowroomPage_Suvs_Prado_Visit http://www.toyota.co.za/ranges/land-cruiser-prado

The arrangement appears strange (wrong) because they're going the cheap route (and with a cheap supplier - Delphi), jury-rigging common rail onto an architecture designed for unit pump injection. Due to their cash flow problems, a new purpose-intended common rail engine architecture (e.g. DD/M-B) was ruled out this time around.

Paul, Malaysian automaker Proton has become much better, but the Japanese brands still outsell them there for a reason. GM bought Daewoo in 2001, but used the name until 2011. The GM global designed products coming out of the former Daewoo today, like the Chevy Captiva, Cruze, Spark and Buick Encore, are all of good quality. You speak of the Kia from a decade ago (they've come so far so quickly!). This review reflects the Kia of today (http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-kia-sorento-long-term-test-review). The Japanese brands are truly fearing Hyundai and KIa now.......and they should.

Via Renault Trucks Components Partnerships, it all started with them importing Kerax vocational in CKD form. But that means being too expensive and impractical, and with attention shifted more to on-highway tractor (prime movers), it evolved into a Premium hybrid with local production. Today's truck is far from a Premium, essentially a self-design.

Hyundai Group's Hyundai and Kia brands have come a long way in record time. From 2005, they hired a number of global designers* including the fellow who did the original Audi TT. Today, the latest models are on par with Japan in all aspects, having overcome their last shortcoming.....handling. Thus, the resale value of the latest model Hyundai Group products is holding up in the US market. * including: VW Group's Peter Schreyer, BMW's Chris Chapman and Thomas Burkle, and Bentley's Luc Donckerwolke.

Truckies fear pay rise will leave them jobless Big Rigs.com.au / April 15, 2016 Lockyer Valley truck drivers who own and operate their vehicles fear they will be left jobless if legislation forcing contractors to increase their pay rate is passed. The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), which sets pay and conditions for road transport drivers, announced the new minimum pay rates in December, stating they were designed to promote safety and lessen pressure on owner-drivers being paid per-kilometer. While a higher pay rate may initially sound like a good thing, owner-drivers like Hatton Vale's Wayne Schultz argue the legislation will put them out of business as they will be forced to charge well above competing transport businesses that are exempt from the new pay rates. "The legislation targets owner-drivers, not multinationals, and it's going to drive me out of business," Mr Schultz said. "A lot of blokes are going to lose everything over this and some already have. "A lot of little towns also depend on owner-drivers and mobile mechanics and tyre fitters will also lose out." The new rates were due to come into effect on April 4, but the Federal Court granted a stay of the Order following an urgent application by the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad). New legislation will now be introduced to Parliament on Monday to ensure orders setting mandatory remuneration rates cannot commence any earlier than January 1, 2017. Mr Schultz, who has been driving trucks for 40 years, said safety needed to be addressed but the RSRT was not the way to go about it. "If the RSRT was set up right and applied to drivers across the board, it would be a good thing," he said. "In its format now I hope it's scrapped and they come back with something else completely." Federal Member for Blair Scott Buchholz said, although legal concerns prevented most transport businesses from saying so, the rise in costs would force the majority in the region to stop employing owner-drivers. "We have roughly 200,000 trucks on the road of which approximately 26,000 are owner operators. The RSRT was put in place with good intention to try and offer a better rate of pay for these owner operators," he said. "It was pushed heavily by the Transport Workers Union. Union membership in the company sector is quite large (compared) to membership in the owner-driver sector. "My concern is we're going to have 26,000 owner-operators having to sell their trucks (and) losing their homes because they've lost their income. "Whilst the RSRT intent was good the effect is they'll wipe out the entire owner-driver sector. It's a cruel blow and it's an invasion of economic freedom to do business. Local owner-operators are furious." Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull agrees and has said, if re-elected, he would move to abolish the Tribunal which was set up by the Gillard government in 2012 to improve road safety. Mr Turnbull based his decision on the findings of two independent reviews of the Road Safety Remuneration System that outlined economic consequences and a lack of conclusive evidence around safety. "We will, if we are re-elected, abolish the RSRT," he said. "It is not a tribunal that does anything effective to do with safety, it undermines owner operators, it undermines small business, it undermines family businesses."

Linfox calls order impracticable and unworkable Big Rigs.com.au / April 15, 2016 Linfox (www.linfox.com) has addressed questions raised about its position on the introduction of a the safe rates order by the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT). The large transport provider has supported the tribunal as a way to improve our industry's safety standards from the beginning, but the company says the current order is, "impracticable and unworkable". Linfox Executive Chairman Peter Fox claims that Linfox leads the industry in safety, when responding to the Order. "Linfox leads the industry in safety, training and innovation," he said. "This is evidenced by our Vision ZERO safety campaign. Despite rumours Linfox will stand to gain from the Order, they say owner drivers are a valuable part of their operations. "Owner drivers are important to our business and we operate with a limited number of owner drivers who provide services during peak periods," said Mr Fox. "Media reports claiming that Linfox stands to benefit from the long distance order are inaccurate, create confusion and exacerbate concerns in the industry and among members of the public." Despite calling the current order unworkable, Linfox does support the introduction of minimum safety standards. "Linfox does support the introduction of minimum national safety standards for the transport sector. These standards are long overdue and need to be developed and implemented as a matter of urgency," Mr Fox said. For over a decade, Linfox has advocated for improved safety on Australian roads and the compulsory introduction of in-cab telematics or European style 'Black Box' technology.. "Addressing safety requires real commitment and it is the view of the business that the compulsory introduction of advanced telematics is a top priority for both the industry and government regulators," Mr Fox said. "Linfox implores the Federal Government to legislate in this area. To do so will bring about an immediate and real improvement in safety on Australian roads." Linfox submissions to the RSRT on Friday 25 March, 2016: ...The setting of minimum rates for contract owner drivers engaged in long distance operations is a more complex task than the setting of minimum rates for contract drivers engaged in local supermarket distribution operations. ...it's also not right to all of a sudden put a transport operator in a position where his freight charges double. He has no ability to recover that from a consignor. ...It would just be a fundamental turning on its head of the current transport arrangements. ...Linfox is presently unable to support the setting of specific minimum rates for contract owner drivers engaged generally in long distance operations.

Prime Mover Magazine / April 15, 2015 The Victorian Government has announced the launch of a set of digital maps that are able to provide real-time information on the State’s High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) network. The Victorian Minister for Roads, Road Safety and Ports, the Hon. Luke Donnellan, presented the new online tool during a breakfast event hosted by the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) in Melbourne this week. Available on the VicRoads website, the maps are part of a new HPFV policy that will see the Government focus stronger on providing access for longer heavy vehicles to improve freight productivity. As such, Donnellan said they would not only indicate the maximum load capacities specified for each Victorian road, but also list the types of vehicles permitted. They also include an overview of current access restrictions and potential obstacles, with live information on what authorities are planning to do to resolve each bottleneck. “A simple mouse click will reveal details like construction status and a specific ‘due for completion’ date,” Donnellan said – pointing out that the tool would allow industry to hold the State Government accountable. “That way we enable operators to organise the right equipment and obtain the relevant permissions in time for construction projects to be finished.” Indicating that Higher Mass Limits (HML) are bound to become “the norm” in the State, Donnellan added the road network must be adjusted to deal with the more productive vehicles. "We want to see the freight network throughout the State open to 30 meter (98.4 ft) HPFVs at Higher Mass Limits,” he said. “In regional areas, we will also permit combinations up to 36 meter (118.1 ft) long – as we are already doing on the road-train network in north-west Victoria." VTA CEO Peter Anderson commented the new HPFV policy and maps were the start of a “State-based mapping system that will see transport operators use to strategise and plan within their freight businesses”. He explained, “The VTA has worked closely with the Andrews Government and Vicroads to see this policy come together and we’re pleased it’s now a reality. “These new HPFV network maps are a powerful tool for freight operators. Their interactivity and the depth of information available will help operators plan their journeys with certainty and, in turn, quote with certainty.” While currently the HPFV map only displays information relevant to Super B-Doubles in both quad/tri and quad/quad configurations, it will reportedly receive on-going updates, with A-doubles up to 85.5 metric tonnes (188,495 lb) to be added over the coming months.

Transport Engineer / April 15, 2016 Doncaster-based McGregor Logistics has taken delivery of 20 fixed-roof curtainsider trailers from Schmitz Cargobull – the first of their type to go into service in the UK. The new trailers – which comply with DIN EN 12642 Code XL load security regulations and feature a bulkhead specific for the British market – join 30 other Schmitz Cargobull curtainsiders McGregor Logistics operates throughout the country. Katy Williams, operations director at McGregor Logistics, says: “We have been purchasing our trailers from Schmitz Cargobull for more than a decade now because they simply have the best build quality. In addition, the trailers are lighter than their nearest competitor, which means an increase in payload on each journey. “Our trailers also work hard, so the modular bolt-on, bolt-off design means they are extremely easy to repair if necessary.” The curtainsiders do not require internal restraints as the body and curtains are strong enough to contain the load – as long as the goods are loaded within the positive fit standards set out in legislation. Removing the internal restraint requirement makes loading and unloading quicker and easier, allowing for more efficient operations. The design delivers this performance benefit without operators having to compromise on safety. The trailers have wraparound curtains and a new aluminium front bulkhead with galvanised steel front and rear corner posts. This enables standard-spec forklifts to load through the side aperture, without requiring a side-shift capability. The curtainsiders also feature stacker ramming protection, lashing eyes along the entire outer frame and Schmitz’s Rotos axle unit which comes with a 1,000,000km warranty. To trailers have been fitted with Dhollandia tail-lifts, with platform warning lights and trolley stops. Video - http://www.cargobull.com/uk/Curtainsiders-Platform-Trailers_7_579.html .

He really did. An indescribably great American actor, Jackie Gleason was very unique.......he dictated his own terms. One of his last efforts, I enjoyed him in "Nothing in Common" (His co-star Eva Marie Saint, another old name, was also good).

Dagens Industri / March 15, 2016 Olof Persson was far from penniless when he was fired from his position as president of Volvo. He received a golden parachute of 50 million kronor (over US$6.1 million) in salary, bonus, free shares and pension when he left the job, according to Dagens Industri (DI). Olof Persson was President of AB Volvo for four years, from 2011 to 2015. During this period, he pocketed a breathtaking 124 million kronor (US$15.2 million), including pension and free shares, according to DI. During his last years as the president, he introduced large savings packages which among other things caused over 4,000 employees to lose their jobs. A hefty sign-on There is big money in circulation for the top men at the Gothenburg company. Volvo's annual report reveals that the incoming CEO, Martin Lundstedt, got a so-called sign-on bonus of five million (US$613,843) when he was recruited from Scania, a sum any football player on IFK Göteborg would have been happy with (the Gothenburg-based Swedish football team). It is rare that companies pay transfer fees to recruit employees. A CEO of a listed company is supposed to get paid anyway. The Board's decision Volvo has provided a brief commentary about the startling sums. - When it comes to the CEO's compensation to which it is a matter for the board. The Board of Directors has decided on both the previous and current president, "said Volvo press officer Kina Willeke to Dagens Industri. http://www.di.se/artiklar/2016/3/15/volvos-chefsbyte-blev-dyrkopt/

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