kscarbel2

#Autocar is dedicated to reducing emissions. We were the first refuse chassis builder to offer Compressed Natural Gas & are the largest supplier of Class 8 #CNG trucks across all industries! Muncie Sanitary District #AlwaysUp #itsallabouttheuptime

Exactly. (but not for the children of illegal immigrants born here, as they are inherently illegally here as well)

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30411-when-mack-ruled-the-roads-of-iran/?tab=comments#comment-172034 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/33150-when-mack-ruled-the-roads-of-iran-part-2/?tab=comments#comment-211784

Scania Group Press Release / December 12, 2019 Andrea Landi spends his days behind the wheel of an all-wheel-drive Scania G 500 XT, driving up and down the steep gravel roads to and from the marble quarries in Carrara, Italy. Carrara is well known for the quality of its marble, which has been a source of wealth since the Roman era. Though the work has become considerably safer in recent decades, truck drivers like Andrea still rely on considerable experience, tough equipment and knowledge passed down through the generations. .

Good job Vlad ! The lightest Mack camelback suspension with that trunnion I recall is the SS50C. 60 km/h = 37.3 mph

Bad new leadership.......and a government which, unlike shrewder foreign governments, does not support truckmakers (as they do automobile manufacturers).

I respectfully disagree.

On the entry-level trucks and construction trucks, they remain a customer preference. Medium and high-end on-highway have the latest tubeless.

1. Volvo gets out of bed with UD, a relationship it didn't know how to handle. 2. Volvo got UD's (Nissan Diesel's) new 5 and 8 litre engines fresh out of the development pipeline when it bought the truckmaker in 2007, GH5 and GH8 rebadged D5 and D8, allowing Volvo to kick Deutz to the curb in 2010. 3. Volvo gets some fast cash it desperately needs.....$2.3 billion. 4. Isuzu will likely pay Volvo royalties to utilize Volvo's electric truck technology under license.

Transport Topics / December 19, 2019 Volvo is shifting its Mack plant into a lower gear, a slowdown that likely will lead to layoffs at Mack Trucks’ assembly plant in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania. “We have communicated to our employees that we’ll have to adapt production to reduced demand sometime in the first quarter of 2020,” Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner said on Dec. 18. “Unfortunately, we do expect that this will mean layoffs, but it’s too soon to say how many or when.” In addition, Heffner said, Mack is planning two down weeks at the plant near the end of the first quarter to meet the lower demand. Another two down weeks — which means a majority of the plant will be on temporary layoff — will come early in the second quarter, allowing Mack to complete work on its chassis-insourcing project, he said. The news of additional down weeks and potential layoffs is not unexpected at the plant, which built its employment up to 2,400 workers as orders flew in during 2018 and production surged through much of this year as Mack chipped away at an order backlog. The last significant layoff at the Mack plant came in early 2016, when the company laid off about 400 of the facility’s then-1,850 workers. Walt Smith, president of United Auto Workers Local 677, which represents the plant’s employees, did not return a call seeking comment. Union members, which number more than 3,500 across six Mack facilities in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida, have been back at work nearly two months after a 12-day strike in October over job security and concerns over health benefits. The members ratified a four-year labor agreement in early November, a contract that maintains health care premiums and protects truck production in Lower Macungie. Because the strike idled production for two weeks, Heffner said in late November that Mack canceled its two previously scheduled down weeks in the fourth quarter “to catch up on production.” But now, Mack is adjusting to market conditions. One market analyst is projecting U.S. heavy-duty truck production to end this year at about 287,000, which includes around 211,000 highway trucks and 76,000 vocational trucks. In 2020, truck production is expected to drop to 180,000, which includes a projected 121,000 highway trucks and 59,000 vocational trucks. Projections for this year and 2020 are both lower than estimates a couple of months ago. Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) has announced plans to lay off about 700 employees in January at its Dublin, Va., assembly plant, a facility that has more than 3,000 employees. Also, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) in October cut about 900 jobs at two Freightliner plants in North Carolina as the market began to level off. Mack’s parent company, Gothenburg, Sweden-based Volvo Group, on Dec. 18 announced it was selling its UD Trucks division to Isuzu Motors for about $2.3 billion, the latest example of consolidation within the industry. The sale of the UD Trucks to Isuzu is part of Volvo’s plans to form “a strategic alliance” with Isuzu “to capture the opportunities in the ongoing transformation of the industry.”

Happy holidays and a prosperous New Year from the #Autocar family to yours! #AlwaysUp #Hagerstown #MerryChristmas #HappyNewYear #HappyHanukkah #Kwanzaa #SeasonsGreetings .

I remember when we sent those trucks in KD form to Kenya!

Trump is the only good option on the list for Wall Street and "big business". Therefore he will be re-elected.

David Cullen, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / December 18, 2019 Another consolidation among global truck makers is in the works. Sweden’s Volvo Group is selling its Japan-based UD truck brand to Isuzu Motors, according to a joint Dec. 18 press release. The proposed deal is included in a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding the two global OEMs have signed with the intent to form a strategic alliance “to capture the opportunities in the ongoing transformation of the industry,” which presumably includes the advent of electric trucks, the development new truck-based logistics solutions, and making further progress on autonomous driving systems. The roughly $2.3 billion merger of the heavy-duty truck business of Isuzu Motors and UD Trucks in Japan and across international markets will entail transferring ownership of the complete UD Trucks business globally from Volvo to Isuzu, with an eye to accelerating growth by leveraging volumes and complementary capabilities. Volvo Group stated that UD Trucks’ global business “had a minimal impact on the Volvo Group’s operating income in 2018.” The sale, per the OEMs, is expected to, at the time of closing, “result in a positive impact on the Volvo Group’s operating income.” “Volvo and Isuzu have a well-established relationship on medium-duty trucks in Japan based on mutual respect, shared values and win-win spirit,” said Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of Volvo Group. We see great potential to extend our cooperation within technology, sales and service as well as other areas going forward.” “We intend to derive the full value from each other's different specialties across product and geographical strongholds,” said Masanori Katayama, president and representative director of Isuzu Motors. “Our collaboration will actively contribute to service improvements and strengthened customer satisfaction as well as to prepare ourselves for the forthcoming logistics revolution.” Along with repositioning UD Trucks within Isuzu Motors, the intended strategic alliance plans to: Form a technology partnership that will leverage the OEMs’ “complementary areas of expertise within both well-known and new technologies as well as to create a larger volume base to support necessary, forthcoming technology investments.” Create the “best long-term conditions for a stronger heavy-duty truck business” for UD Trucks and Isuzu Motors in Japan and across international markets. Explore opportunities for broader and deeper collaboration within the commercial vehicle business across geographical areas and product lines, such as light- and medium-duty trucks. The Memorandum of Understanding is non-binding. Next steps will involve finalizing the scope of the business to be transferred, due diligence by Isuzu Motors, and negotiations of binding agreements. The OEM said that the signing of binding agreements is expected by mid-2020 and the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2020.

Our #AutocarSolutions techs provide free, factory-direct support for the life of your truck. If there's a problem, call us first & we'll own it until it's fixed. Email, phone, live video w/ merged reality--whatever's best. That's #AlwaysUp! #itsallabouttheuptime #uptime .

Volvo Announces Christmas Layoffs at New River Valley Assembly Plant Jack Roberts, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / December 17, 2019 Volvo Trucks North American is winding down its truck manufacturing operations at its New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, with company officials citing declining heavy truck orders for a pending layoff of 700 assembly line workers. The layoffs will take place in January of next year. The news comes on the heels of a recent strike at the Mack Trucks assembly plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, early this Fall, which forced parent company Volvo to idle the New River Valley production line during the 12-day negotiating period. “We regret having to take this action, but we operate in a cyclical market, and after two years of extremely high volumes, we have to adapt to reduced market demand,” a Volvo spokesperson said. In June, Volvo executives said they expected the company would have to lay people off around year-end due to decreased demand in North America for heavy-duty trucks. “We expect the total North American truck market to be down nearly 30%, or about 100,000 trucks, in 2020,” the Volvo spokesperson added. “And we expect one of Volvo’s core segments, the long-haul truck market, to represent a significant part of that reduction. The reduction in production will unfortunately mean the layoff of about 700 people, beginning the week of January 20, 2020.” The [unnamed] spokesperson said that outplacement support meetings led by the company and UAW representatives will be provided for all affected employees. Volvo also provide laid-off employees with information about the support available through the Virginia Employment Commission and the regional Rapid Response team.

Say hello to the #Autocar December 2019 calendar model--thanks to Winters Bros. Waste Systems for letting us show off this gorgeous #ACX front loader! Winters Bros. has proudly served Long Island customers since the 1950s. #AlwaysUp #ROI #itsallabouttheuptime #uptime Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

Ford to add 3,000 jobs at two Mich. plants Michael Martinez, Automotive News / December 17, 2019 Ford Motor Co. plans to add 3,000 jobs at two assembly plants in southeastern Michigan, the automaker said Tuesday. Ford told state economic development officials that it will invest nearly $1.5 billion in the Michigan Assembly and Dearborn Truck plants for the upcoming Bronco SUV, electrified versions of the F-150 pickup and a modification center that will convert hybrids into autonomous vehicles. "This would be the first center of its kind for the company and is expected to drive synergies with its existing AV research functions in Dearborn and Detroit," the Michigan Economic Development Corp., which approved Ford's requests for about $35.3 million in incentives, said in a memo explaining the projects. Ford's new contract with the UAW, ratified in November, alluded to the assembly plant renovations, though it wasn't known how many jobs would result. The incentive request said employment at Michigan Assembly would double, to about 5,400 workers, while Dearborn Truck would add about 300 jobs. Ford told the state it would spend $767 million at Michigan Assembly to install machinery and equipment for the Bronco launch and a Ranger/Bronco modification center in 2020. It indicated that more upfitting equipment likely would be added in 2021 and 2022. At Dearborn Truck, Ford said it would spend invest $696 million in equipment and tooling to support production of hybrid and electric F-150s. The company said it also plans to build battery cells for the F-150 in Dearborn and make additional investments in stamping and powertrain production for the electrified pickups. "The UAW is proud of Ford’s commitment to manufacturing in the United States and in Michigan,” UAW President Rory Gamble said in a statement. “This is a direct result of the 2019 collective bargaining process, providing additional jobs – and job security – for UAW members in Southeast Michigan.” The incentives approved Tuesday include $26 million of the remaining $31.6 million in the Good Jobs for Michigan tax capture program, which goes away at the end of this month. It's the same program that awarded Fiat Chrysler Automobiles up to $105 million for creating 6,350 jobs at an assembly plant being built in Detroit and other area plants being expanded. At the same time, the state said Ford has agreed to give up $12 million in previously approved incentives for expansions at its Romeo Engine and Flat Rock Assembly plants that did not happen as planned. Ford is closing Romeo Engine under its UAW contract and shifted 650 jobs from Flat Rock to other plants when it eliminated one of two daily production shifts this year. Ford in May said it planned to put an AV production center somewhere in the Detroit area, altering previous plans to build the facility near Flat Rock. The state said Ford "could locate its AV modification center closer to where the base vehicle is being manufactured in Mexico, where labor costs are lower, but is looking to focus its advanced technology capabilities here in Michigan." The automaker remains on track to launch self-driving vehicles for commercial use in 2021. Ford envisions using the yet-to-be revealed hybrids to deliver packages, groceries and other goods. The automaker is testing AV deployment in Miami; Austin, Texas; and Washington, D.C., through partner Argo AI.

Bloomberg is reporting today that China is considering re-routing trade that currently passes through Hong Kong to mainland ports. That could enable around $10 billion a year in goods transshipped there from the U.S. to be directly booked in the mainland, thus reducing the actual purchase amounts of $40 to $50 billion by that amount. The U.S. does not count shipments that go through Hong Kong as part of its trade with China.

Weiler's Concrete Pumping's 130 Telebelt (aka loop belt or conveyor truck) has 126' of reach & 16'8" working height. It can move 360 yds/hr of stone, sand, concrete & more to the exact spot you need it! What's your #vocation? #Autocar #AlwaysUp #ROI itsallabouttheuptime Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

The Trade Deal Will Intensify The U.S.-China Rivalry Forbes / December 15, 2019 The U.S. and China have reached a trade deal that is meant to de-escalate the trade war. It commits China to buy $40 billion of American agricultural products annually, tighten measures for protecting American intellectual property, and stop forcing American companies to transfer their technology when doing business in China. In return, the U.S. agrees to halt the planned tariffs on $156 billion of Chinese goods that is due to take effect on December 15, and it will also cut the tariffs from 15% to 7.5% on $120 billion of Chinese goods that was imposed in September. However, the 25% tariff on $250 billion of Chinese imports imposed in March 2018 stays. Predictably President Trump boasted that this is a big deal that will lead to the “opening of China’s markets.” As positive as this partial trade deal is, it is not what Trump claims. If anything, it will intensify the U.S.-China rivalry. The fundamental issues that ruptured the U.S.-China trade relationship have not been resolved. America’s dispute with China is more than just America’s trade deficit even though Trump sees it as proof that America is the loser in trading with China. The real U.S.-China rivalry is that of a head-to-head struggle between an incumbent superpower and a rising challenger. In the U.S., there is a rare bipartisan consensus that the structure of the Chinese economy and how it is managed is at the heart of the problem, which puts foreigner companies at a disadvantage when competing with Chinese companies. The real objective of Trump’s trade war is to force China to dismantle its state sector and conform to the standards and practice of a market economy as defined by the West. China has indeed proved to be very skillful in manipulating the multilateral system that governs global trade, bending its rules when and where it is advantageous to do so. China is now snapping at the heel of the U.S. in closing the technology gap. According to UN data (UNIDO Competitive Industrial Performance Database, the proportions of total export considered to be of medium and high tech are about the same between the U.S. and China. Furthermore, Xi Jinping’s signature “Make in China 2025” program is designed to propel China forward to becoming a world beating technology leader in ten key sectors in the next few years. And central to China’s stupendous economic and technological advances in the last four decades is its ability to combine market forces with state intervention; which is the very economic structure that the U.S. wants China to abandon. Not surprisingly, China has absolutely no intention to do so. In this context, the announced trade deal is merely an admission that a trade war against China through higher tariffs has not and will not work. Both sides will now refocus their efforts in achieving their strategic goals by other means. The U.S. will certainly toughen its scrutiny of Chinese investment in its tech sector, and putting more Chinese companies under surveillance, and there will be more aggressive actions in blocking China’s attempts in acquiring advance technology knowhow. The sanctions against Huawei and its role in the rollout of 5G is only a foretaste of what is to come. Beijing, on the other hand, will surely push ahead with the Make in China 2025 program regardless of what the U.S. may do, while preparing for a worst case scenario of decoupling from the U.S. economy over the longer term. The global economy should be prepared for many destabilizing storms to come. The U.S.-China rivalry is made more acute because of an asymmetry in time horizon. The U.S. fears that time is not on their side, which is reflected in its bipartisan consensus that stronger actions are urgently needed to prevent a further weakening of America’s position relative to China. Beijing, on the other hand, believes that time is on its side, and is confident that it can out-last America’s belligerence. It will work gradually to reduce its dependence on the U.S. market and American technology knowhow while building new networks of alliances outside of the U.S. This asymmetry in time horizon thus reduces incentives on both sides to compromise. Now that there is a trade deal, the U.S.-China rivalry is set to intensify.

Trump’s China Deal Flirts With the Curse of a Phase One and Done Bloomberg / December 14, 2019 President Donald Trump unveiled an interim deal with China on Friday that will avoid further escalation of a trade war that for almost two years has hung over the world’s largest economies and thus almost any country or company doing business with them. But that agreement is already facing a question from political allies, foes, analysts and business groups alike that is likely to define the deal’s place in economic history: What if, after all those tariffs and all that drama, that’s it? What if it’s cursed to be Phase One and Done? Trump and his aides have promised that the partial deal the president first announced on Oct. 11 will be followed by others. That’s because while the initial accord may see China increase its agricultural purchases to as much as $50 billion annually and make commitments on currency and intellectual property enforcement, it includes nothing on more potent structural issues such as the vast web of subsidies that has fueled the global rise of many Chinese companies. While Trump has insisted that as many as two further phases will follow, many analysts are skeptical much more progress can be made going into an election year in the U.S. That could allow the Chinese to run out the clock. “After the ups and downs over the past two years that led to a partial deal, I’m not sure both countries have the stomach to get back into these issues with any urgency,” said Wendy Cutler, a veteran trade negotiator now at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “A phase one trade deal is a welcome step. But it looks like this deal will fall way short of the long-term fundamental changes in China’s trade regime that the administration laid out a couple of years ago.” That Trump appears ready to offer tariff relief in return has agitated China hawks in Washington who fear that after daring to take on Beijing in a way no prior president has with his tariffs, Trump is giving up leverage that might extract future concessions. Marco Rubio, who has staked his claim as the most vocal Republican China hawk in the Senate, on Thursday urged the White House in a tweet to not surrender tariff leverage. Beyond China’s sub­sidies for do­mes­tic firms, he said, those included its historical practice of forcing foreign companies to hand over technological know-how as a cost of market entry and the blocks facing U.S. firms wanting to do business in some sectors in China. .@WhiteHouse should consider the risk that a near-term deal with #China would give away the tariff leverage needed for a broader agreement on the issues that matter the most such as sub­sidies to do­mes­tic firms,forced tech transfers & blocking U.S. firms access to key sectors — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 12, 2019 All of those concerns remain priorities for a U.S. business community that has lobbied heavily against the Trump administration’s tariffs and questioned the efficacy of its tactics, even as it has endorsed its diagnosis of the problems that need to be addressed in China. In reactions sent out by business groups after Bloomberg and then others reported that Trump had signed off on the deal during a meeting with aides Thursday, the common theme was that there had to be more to come. “While this would be an important step, more work would remain to fully address longstanding concerns regarding China’s unfair trade policies and practices,” Jason Oxman, president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council, said in a statement. Business groups are also eager to see Trump work multilaterally with allies to take on China, arguing that should both add pressure and deliver more substantive and longer-lasting changes. The U.S. has been engaged with the European Union and Japan in drafting potential rules to tackle industrial subsidies. Those talks have stalled, however, in part because of a lack of interest from the Trump administration, making some skeptical the new rules will ever amount to anything. Adding to the mistrust among historical allies like the EU is the U.S. administration’s move to hobble the World Trade Organization’s dispute resolution process by blocking the appointment of new judges to its appellate body. Around the world many other countries remain concerned by what they see as Trump’s efforts to dismantle a multilateral system the U.S. spent decades building. Trump’s aides have characterized the moves at the WTO as part of an effort to modernize a moribund institution that has failed to address what they see as China’s systematic cheating of the system since it joined the WTO in 2001. And there are signs some American business leaders are willing to play along with that as well as Trump’s broader trade disruptions. Jamie Dimon, the chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and outgoing chairman of the Business Roundtable, which represents U.S. CEOs, expressed doubts this week that a deal with China would go beyond an initial phase one agreement. But he told reporters in Washington that Trump was right to take on China. Moreover, after the administration delivered an update of Nafta in the form of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement now headed for approval in Congress, notched a partial deal with Japan and freshened up an existing pact with South Korea, many in business were willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt on trade, he said. “If we accomplish those things it’s going to be important for the global economy for decades to come,” Dimon said. Then again, he also warned it was unclear whether Trump would succeed in remaking America’s trade relationships with China and others for the better. “We don’t know yet because it’s not done yet,” Dimon said. “We’ll know in five years.”

Alan Tonelson, Marketwatch / December 14, 2019 OK, let’s assume that something deserving the name “U.S.-China trade deal” has been reached — even one dubbed “Phase One” or “preliminary.” Deep doubts would remain justified about whether it can possibly serve American interests. For example, where’s even an English-language version? There’s nothing new about such agreements coming out in both English and Chinese, raising thorny questions about ensuring that key terms in both languages are commonly understood — on top of all the towering issues raised by China’s long record of flouting official commitments it’s made. But if something worth announcing officially on both sides has actually been produced, why is the most detailed description so far this statement from the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office? No specifics Why does this statement contain plenty of specifics about U.S. tariff reductions (except for the actual dates by which American levies on imports from China will be cut) but no specifics about China’s own pledges? In that vein, no useful accounts have been released of what China will actually buy from the United States (though it’s interesting that President Donald Trump has included manufactures on the list — not simply agricultural products and other commodities), and by when the Chinese will buy these goods. Special bonus — shortly after noon, the President said he “thinks” China will hit $50 billion in U.S. agriculture imports. Over what time period? Heaven only knows. Don’t forget — such import increases will be the most easily described and verifiable aspects of any agreement. Structural reforms So maybe since these terms are still being left so vague, it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s absolutely nothing from the administration so far about “structural reforms and other changes to China’s economic and trade regime in the areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange.” Even the Trump administration has viewed these issues — which lie at the heart of the intertwined U.S.-China technology and national security rivalries, as well as of the purely economic rivalry — as so challenging to address diplomatically that rapid progress can’t be made. Why else would Trump have settled for now for seeking a shorter term, interim agreement? If genuine breakthroughs have been made that will strengthen and safeguard and enrich Americans, terrific. But if so, what’s the point of couching them in generalities? And if not, what’s the point in claiming major progress? Dispute resolution Also completely, and crucially, omitted are any indications of what’s actually meant by “a strong dispute resolution system that ensures prompt implementation and enforcement.” In particular, if the United States doesn’t insist on the last word in judging Chinese compliance and meting out punishment when agreement terms are broken, then this deal will work no better on behalf of U.S.-based producers (employers and employees alike) than previous arrangements under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that pleased only the corporate Offshoring Lobby, its hired guns in Washington, D.C., and the Mainstream Media journalists who have long parroted its talking points. So if the United States is not recognized as sole judge, jury, and court of appeals when dealing with Chinese compliance, history teaches that will be the case that the agreement literally will be worthless. Politics are puzzling The politics of this U.S. announcement are puzzling in the extreme as well. China’s economy obviously has taken a much greater trade war hit than America’s — of course mainly because it’s so much more trade-dependent. Beijing’s dictators are struggling to contain unrest in Hong Kong. The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace NAFTA, will offset some of the China-related losses suffered by the agriculture-heavy states so critical to Trump’s re-election hopes. The polls show unmistakably that the president is winning the impeachment battle in the court of public opinion. And even before the congressional Democrats’ efforts to remove him from office began bogging down, their party’s slate of presidential candidates had started looking so weak to so many in Democratic ranks that a gaggle of newcomers jumped into the primary campaign on stunningly short notice. In short, this is no time for Trump to reach any deal with China — whatever phase it’s called. In fact, it’s the time for the president to keep the pressure on (because whatever weakens the Chinese economy ipso facto benefits the United States these days). And since a deal that promotes real U.S. interests remains impossible to reach because of verification obstacles, it’s also time for Trump to start signaling to American business that major tariffs on China are here to stay for the time being, and may even increase down the road. That’s one way to eliminate any uncertainty employers are feeling about doing business with China that will increase the odds of building a new, improved bilateral relationship — not restore its epically failed predecessor. Reasons to hope The only reasons for optimism on the U.S.-China trade front right now? Just two that I can identify, but they’re hardly trivial. First, for all the reasons cited above, the supposed Phase One deal is clearly still so tentative and, frankly, so flimsy, that it’s likely to fall apart sooner rather than later. Second, U.S.-China decoupling will continue — precisely because the closely related technology and national security gulf dividing the two countries can’t be bridged diplomatically, and because even previously gullible U.S.-owned companies in numerous industries will now be thinking twice about exposing themselves, or exposing themselves further, to the whims of China’s utterly lawless and unreliable government.