kscarbel2

Yes it is. However, it's not "run" by Martin Lundstedt.......like an American company in the old days. Some days, I think Volvo is run half by the major institutional investors, and half by the board. And then you have the major stake holder, China's Geely. I am every day disgusted that the United Stated Department of Justice approved the purchase of Mack Trucks by a foreign aggressor.

SITRAK is the unsuccessful joint venture between MAN and state-owned China National Heavy Truck Corporation (CNHTC). For the Chinese side, the JV was necessary to they could get MAN technology for their self-branded trucks. CNHTC ranks number 2 in heavy truck sales. The truck above is a revised MAN "TGA" with a China market D26 engine (simplified architecture). Really, a proven truck and all-round solid performer.

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Owner-Driver / December 2, 2019 Owner-driver Glen ‘Yogi’ Kendall is well known in road transport circles, due to his support of trucking events and his appearances on the TV show Outback Truckers. However, when Yogi arrived at Sandgate Fruit Markets for the Newcastle Hunter Transport Awareness Day convoy, his Kenworth was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was behind the wheel of a 540hp Sitrak prime mover, manufactured by the China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, or Sinotruk. The Sitrak was brought into Australia in September by Wei Liu, general manager of tyre wholesaler Spider GT. "There’s only two of them in Australia at this point in time, and he wanted some genuine industry feedback on what’s good, bad and ugly about the truck," Yogi explains. "And I’m not backwards in coming forwards." So Yogi flew across from Perth to Melbourne, picked up the truck and drove it up to Newcastle for test run. "I’ve put a couple of thousand ks on the clock. When I picked it up it had 114 ks on the clock," he laughs. "It is a complete and utter change from the ’95 Kenworth I’ve got." What immediately impressed Yogi was the spacious cab. "There’s two bunks in there, a phenomenal amount of room. That’s what I actually did like about it. "The vision is unbelievable, but again I’ve come out of a little Ned Kelly window to a big cab-over. "The mirrors are fantastic, but they make a big blind spot ’cause they’re so close." Yogi says, although the Sitrak drove well, it was difficult to evaluate it driving bobtail. "I did feel a little bit seasick, so it would be nice to put a trailer behind it, put a bit of weight on it and just see what it actually will do." Yogi says the Sitrak boasts MAN technology, and complies with Australian regulations. He adds that Sinotruk has been making trucks since 1935 and is the third largest truck manufacturer in China. However, entering the already competitive Australian truck market is a challenge. "He’s a good bloke to deal with," Yogi says of the Spider GT boss. "The biggest thing he’ll come up against, and we’ve already spoken about it, is how are you going to back it up? "At the moment he’s running Longmarch Tyres and Tianli Ag Tyres around Australia, so he’s got his dealer infrastructure, like parts and all that are not a problem. "So it’s all there. Everything’s laid out in front him." Yogi predicts the Sitrak will be around $200,000 on the road, with possibly a three-year, 600,000km warranty. .

Diesel News Australia / December 2019 Once out on the road, the build quality of the new Hyundai Xcient prime mover comes into its own. There are no creaks and rattles in a loaded truck over rough roads and all of the controls are positive and well adjusted. There is a reassuring reaction to any action by the driver. The steering feels precise, the ZF AS Tronic AMT is set up to make the right gear changes at the right time. The installation of the ZF transmission adds a quality feel to this product, as it does to the Hino 700 Series. It makes the truck work hard when it needs to and to take it easy when it can. It gets the required response from the 520 hp Hyundai engine which burbles away quietly under the cab in a very European style. The engine is a 12.7 L in line six cylinder which is intercooled and turbocharged. The version on offer here puts out 520 hp (382 kW) at 1700 rpm. It achieves maximum torque of 2550 Nm at 1200 rpm. The engine is compliant with Euro 5 and uses SCR to achieve its emission control objectives. The ZF AS Tronic gearbox comes with a very simple steering column control lever to allow the driver to intervene if necessary. On this test drive, out of Warwick in Queensland, down Cunninghams Gap towards Brisbane, before climbing back up the grade into Warwick, this driver hardly felt the need to intervene manually. In the main, the changes were made at the right time and in the right order. Included in the transmission is the ZF transmission retarder which feels very effective and was fully tested in a fully loaded condition on the way down the Gap. At the start of the descent a low gear was selected in manual and the four stage retarder set to maximum. This proved to be too much retardation, although you can never really have too much. Descending the grade, it was possible to run down a couple of ratios higher than expected and to toggle between position two and three on the retarder control, which sits handily on the right hand side of the steering column. To say this truck was comfortable coming down the Gap would be an understatement. Clearly, this truck could run down a grade like this with a B-double on behind and be able to cope with the workload. There is enough here to make a driver feel secure at quite high masses. The climb back up the Gap poses a different challenge to this South Korean product. The spec sheet tells us we have 520 hp and 2550 Nm of torque in our back pocket. The climb shows us it does include what it says on the box. The combination of enough torque and a sure footed AMT like the ZF does a pretty good job of completing the climb. This is not the best performer Diesel has ever climbed the Gap with, but it is certainly not the worst either. Unfortunately, it was not possible to make a definitive judgement on the climbing performance as the truck was baulked by a slow moving heavy load before the final kick over the top of the climb. At the end of the day, this engine and transmission combination proved to be in the same ballpark as its competition, which is where a new entrant needs to be to show it is competitive. The Xcient certainly seems to be that. The truck uses disc brakes all round and includes ABS, ASR, hill start assist and something called vehicle dynamic control, a feature which is something we need to find a little bit more about in the future. .

Iveco's all-new S-WAY comes to North America.......via Nikola. .

Cerberus didn't buy into Navistar Defense have Oshkosh continue it's monopoly on defense trucks. They want a piece of the action! https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/54947-cerberus-to-acquire-majority-interest-in-navistar-defense/

Defense News / November 27, 2019 WASHINGTON — For over a decade, the U.S. Army has used one source — Oshkosh Defense — to build its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, choosing to sole source to the company beyond its initial five year contract rather than reopen competition. Defense company Navistar is challenging the Army’s choice to forgo competition and filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in early August. Nov. 26 was to be the day a judge would decide whether the U.S. Army violated the law by continuing to order vehicles from Oshkosh outside of the scope of the contract while avoiding competition. And while a bench trial happened, the judge hearing the case did not make a decision. It is unclear what’s next or when a ruling could happen. Navistar decided to sue the Army after it was getting nowhere in its quest to get the Army to produce documents — through a protest filed with the Government Accountability Office — that would show the service’s reasoning to continue to order more vehicles from Oshkosh without competition and without proper legal justification. The company contended that the Army did not justify and improperly awarded its most recent sole source FMTV procurement to Oshkosh, and failed to provide proper notice to possible competitors in accordance with federal acquisition regulations and the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), according to an extensive review of court documents by Defense News. In addition, the Army also ignored a stop work order, which automatically went into effect when a GAO protest was filed. Navistar filed two complaints: One that claims the Army violated the law when it continued to buy Oshkosh vehicles outside of the scope of its contract without holding a competition and another that claims the Army illegally continued to work on production of those vehicles despite a required stop work order that must go into affect once a protest is filed with the GAO. Since 2009, the Army has spent over $6 billion on FMTVs from Oshkosh. FMTVs are used for a wide variety of missions to include transporting capabilities that extend from cargo to missile defense radars. Navistar contends the Army had ample time to compete for follow-on FMTV orders, and the pool was deep with companies ready to provide vehicles that met the service’s requirement, but the Army never did. A long saga The saga goes much further back than just the 2019 GAO protest and lawsuit. Navistar successfully protested the Army’s initial award to Oshkosh back in August 26, 2009. As a result, the Army reviewed its decision, reaffirmed its selection of Oshkosh and awarded it a contract with a performance period of less than five years, set to expire at the end of 2013. The request for proposals ahead of the original contract award estimated 23,341 vehicles to be delivered over a five-year period. Following that, it was Navistar’s belief that the Army would reopen the competition to deliver more FMTVs. Through a series of justification and approvals — five of them — the Army continued to extend the contract through August 25, 2019, arguing each time that it did not have the time to conduct a new competition to meet the service’s needs. In its latest J&A in September 2016, the Army justified it needed another 1,744 FMTVs at an estimated cost of $575 million for total contract duration of 10 years. The Army argued that it needed to sole source FMTVs to Oshkosh because it didn’t have 24 months that it would take to conduct a full competition to meet urgent requirements, while it acknowledged there were other companies to include Navistar that could build FMTVs. The service also justified the sole source award due to its plans to stop procuring the current version of the FMTV as it prepared to take delivery of a new FMTV variant, which was also competitively awarded to Oshkosh in 2018. Navistar chose not to compete for the new variant, according to court documents. The order in 2016 was to fulfill the Army’s remaining needs between the end of the current variant and the future variant expected to be delivered in fiscal year 2020. Navistar again protested with the GAO the 2016 sole source award to Oshkosh for more FMTVs and ended up dropping the protest when it settled with the Army to supply some vehicles to Iraq. Without a J&A or any other documents justifying another order of vehicles, the Army, on June 28, 2019, announced what it described as the award of a $320 million contract modification for domestic purposes and for foreign military sales for the countries of Argentina, Djibouti, Iraq, Lebanon and Romania. The order was for an estimated 1,916 vehicles and extended the performance period of the contract out to 2021, 12 years past the original contract award. The announcement, according to Navistar, never disclosed that the Army had actually already ordered roughly 1,000 vehicles in excess of what was justified in the 2016 J&A. Navistar again filed a protest with the GAO over the orders made without a new J&A, but withdrew its protest in favor of filing a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims when the GAO refused to require the Army to produce relevant documentation justifying the additional FMTVs. It wasn’t until the company filed its complaint in federal court, that it was informed by the Department of Justice that the Army had never stopped work to produce the FMTVs ordered in 2019, Navistar reveals in court documents. Beyond the scope When the Army announced a new sole source procurement for FMTVs to Oshkosh in June, it caught Navistar by surprise because the service hadn’t issued a J&A, which had been its practice after the original contract period of performance had ended, and is also required by law, the company argues in the court documents. The June announcement came on the heels of the five J&As that had included an extra 4,875 vehicles and $1.4 billion more to Oshkosh outside of the scope of the original 2009 contract and procured without competition, Navistar notes. Navistar also learned that the Army, months prior to June 28, had already placed tens of millions of dollars in sole source orders for hundreds of FMTVs beyond the scope of the 2016 J&A. Navistar argued a new J&A to cover the 2019 orders was needed because the previous J&As only provided enough authority to solve the Army’s claimed immediate needs and were very specific in number and delivery time frame and laid out what trucks were needed by which units and where. The company contended that the original contract and subsequent J&As didn’t and shouldn’t provide the Army with “a blank check” to continue buying more vehicles without justifying competition. And it argues that the Army, three years beyond 2016, had ample time to prepare to compete for remaining FMTV orders. A contract or a blank check? While the Army’s arguments are sealed under a protective order and not available for public review, Oshkosh argued in a response to Navistar’s complaint, that the original 2009 contract was a “requirements” contract considered valid through August 25, 2019, for any orders placed. The J&As were essentially just amendments to the original contract. Navistar disagreed and argued that each subsequent J&A should be considered the binding contract and that previous contracts are expired. “CICA does not contain an exception to competition simply because a contract extension involves a requirements contract. To conclude otherwise would gut CICA’s requirements," Navistar added. Oshkosh argued that the Army was required to fulfill all of its needs for the FMTV A1P2 through the Oshkosh contract in whatever quantity became necessary until the contract expires. The company also argued that the contract ceiling value had not been exceeded even with the 2019 orders. Oshkosh also argued that Navistar misinterpreted the difference between the ordering period under a contract and the delivery period. The company claims the contract covers the ordering period and not the delivery period, which can extend beyond. Navistar argued that the September 2016 J&A timeline covers the entirety of the contract to include delivery of the vehicles. Oshkosh also contends that the Army alerted all offerors in the original competition that except for monthly and annual limits there is no minimum quantity and no maximum of vehicles that the Army can order. And Oshkosh stated that the number of vehicles laid out in the Army’s contract and subsequent J&As were just “estimates” and not a ceiling for orders. Additionally, any maximum ceiling just means a company isn’t obligated to honor any orders placed above that level. For Navistar, Oshkosh’s interpretation goes against the core of the Competition in Contracting Act. “These J&As do not contain any rationale that would enable the Army to procure an indefinite quantity of Oshkosh vehicles for years into the future - they only provide enough authority to solve the Army’s claimed immediate problem of requiring vehicles quickly before a competition can be performed,” Navistar argues. The amendment Deviating from its normal course, the Army retroactively revised or amended the September 2016 J&A in early June instead of issuing a new J&A, scratching out original numbers and costs and replacing them with new numbers and new cost estimates. The amendment was made at the request of the Army’s director of policy only after orders earlier in 2019 were discovered to have gone beyond the scope of the 2016 J&A. According to CICA, agencies are not allowed to avoid competition requirements by using the device of a contract modification. The Army did not notify potential offerors of the amendment and claimed, according to Navistar in its response to the court, that the only reason for the amendment was to alert Army leadership of the change. “There is no requirement for the Army to amend a J&A as a method of notifying its own leadership about procurement actions,” Navistar notes. Additionally, Oshkosh argued in its response to Navistar, that the director of policy’s request in an email to amend the J&A because orders had fallen out of the scope, was just “the author’s view.” Navistar writes, “The Army’s attempt to authorize its prior illegal actions along with the Army’s official position at the time the amendment was executed (that its sole source actions were “beyond the scope” of its earlier J&As) are damning indicators that the Army failed to justify its 2019 sole source contract action and that it knew its actions were wrong." Army didn’t hit pause It’s commonly known in defense acquisition that when a GAO protest is filed, work must stop on any contract award at issue until the GAO renders a decision roughly 90 days later. But the Army didn’t stop Oshkosh from ordering parts and beginning work to build vehicles wrapped up in the Navistar protest filed July 8. The service doesn’t dispute this fact, according to court documents. Navistar was not made aware the Army had continued to execute the disputed sole source orders until it filed its lawsuit at the court. Once alerted by a DOJ attorney that the Army had not stopped working, the company issued a separate complaint addressing the Army’s failure to stop working on the contract in accordance with the law. The Navistar complaint states the Army continued to work in secret and did not alert the GAO or Navistar that it was proceeding with the performance of the protested contract. The Army didn’t take any action to override the requirement to stop working on roughly 1,365 vehicles covered under the protest. The Army did stop work on 75 vehicles destined for Iraq and Djibouti, but that did not happen for days after the protest was filed with the GAO. The service “inexplicably”, according to Navistar’s response to the Army’s sealed arguments, believed in “good faith” that the only vehicles in dispute were the 75 vehicles that were bound for Iraq and Djibouti. Navistar states that the administrative record “contains no explanation, documentation or reasoning” as to why the Army failed to stop work. “The Army cannot claim ignorance of its legal obligations (as it appears to be doing) in order to avoid the consequences of its statutory violations,” Navistar argues in its response. The service’s argument, according to Navistar’s response, focuses on a July 12 phone call it had with Navistar’s defense counsel where it claims that the focus of the call was on Iraq and Djibouti requirements, but includes nothing related to it in the administrative record provided to the court. Navistar lays out that the stop work order for the 75 vehicles came at 10:15 a.m. on July 12 before the 10:30 a.m. call with Navistar’s counsel. The call was scheduled at the request of the Army’s counsel and Navistar’s lawyers were advised to come prepared to address the number of FMTV vehicles that it could produce on an expedited basis and the schedule under which it could deliver. According to a declaration submitted to the court, Navistar’s lawyers said the Army’s counsel offered to try to resolve the protest by giving Navistar contracts to provide vehicles for Iraq and Djibouti. Navistar said it would not agree to a resolution unless the Army agreed to have Navistar provide a more substantial volume of both domestic and foreign military sales vehicles. The Army’s lawyers said they couldn’t agree with that and indicated they would have to proceed with the protest. And while Iraq and Djibouti were discussed, “the Army could not have reasonably come away from that telephone conference with such a belief,” that the protest only covered those 75 vehicles, according to Navistar’s response. To Navistar, it was clear from the beginning that its protest covered all orders in 2019 made beyond the scope of the 2016 J&A. .

Defense Blog / December 6, 2019 General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag, a business unit of General Dynamics Corporation, said on Thursday it had got a delivery order of 100 EAGLE 6×6 reconnaissance vehicles to the Swiss Army. The EAGLE 6×6 was selected after an international competition conducted by armasuisse, the Swiss federal office for defence procurement. This first order of the EAGLE 6×6 is a milestone for the latest development of the EAGLE vehicle family. The 100 EAGLE 6×6 vehicles will be the vehicle platform of the tactical reconnaissance system “TASYS.” TASYS will be used to gather intelligence for the Swiss Armed Forces including support of civil authorities. It consists of an EAGLE V 6×6 carrier vehicle, a multi-sensor system mounted on a telescopic mast, and a data processing system. For self-protection, the highly-mobile EAGLE V 6×6 TASYS is armoured and equipped with a remotely controlled weapon station. The vehicle offers sufficient payload reserves to allow for future improvements, such as the integration of additional sensors. The EAGLE V 6×6 TASYS starts production in 2020 and will be fielded between 2023 and 2025. Besides the Swiss Army the EAGLE V 4×4 is also extensively used by both Denmark and Germany, where it is very popular with the troops. The further development of the EAGLE V 4×4 into the EAGLE V 6×6 was inspired by operational experience and the need for a vehicle with increased useful volume, more payload, very compact exterior dimensions, as well as constant high mobility and maximized protection. “We are very proud that the Swiss Army is the first customer to introduce the EAGLE V 6×6,” says Oliver Dürr, Vice President Wheeled Vehicles and Managing Director of General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag. The EAGLE is available in 4×4 and 6×6 versions and is one of the most modern protected wheeled vehicles in its class. The EAGLE has already proven its efficiency and reliability in various military missions. Due to its power reserves, the EAGLE offers an ideal platform to meet both current and future requirements. In addition to its excellent protection against mines and improvised explosive devices, the EAGLE V 6×6 offers a high payload and a large transport volume, within very compact dimensions. With its unique axle and drive system, the EAGLE V delivers off-road mobility and on-road driving safety. .

Ford recalls 262,000 pickup trucks with defective tailgate latches Associated Press / December 6, 2019 Ford is recalling nearly 262,000 trucks in the U.S. and Canada because the tailgates can open unexpectedly. The recall covers F-250, F-350 and F-450 trucks from the 2017 through 2019 model years. All the trucks have electric tailgate latch release switches in the tailgate handle. Ford says water can get into the electrical wiring and cause a short circuit, activating the switches and releasing the latches. That could allow loose cargo to fall onto the road. Ford says it has no reports of crashes or injuries. Trucks with mechanical tailgate latches are not affected. Dealers will fix the tailgate frame wiring harnesses and install a new tailgate handle release switch. Owners will be notified by male during the week of January 20.

Commercial Motor / November 20, 2019 Here’s why the new Mercedes-Benz Actros is the International Truck of the Year 2020 .

Renault Trucks Press Release / December 4, 2019 Renault Trucks is launching the 2020 versions of its range of long haul trucks. The T and T High are more fuel efficient, while remaining as committed as ever to driver comfort. Top-of-the-range finishes for improved on-board comfort for drivers Inside, the Renault Trucks T cab features new top-of-the-range finishes, including all-textile seats, two driver’s armrests and a leather steering wheel. For perfect driving comfort, a three-way adjustable steering column is now fitted as standard. The T-series vehicles feature a carbon-coloured dashboard, aluminium handles and metal door sills. The 2020 Renault Trucks T and T High also have new high-capacity storage compartments (221 litres). Outside, the radiator grill and wing mirrors can still be customised in either glossy black or orange, available as an option for the 2020 Renault Trucks T and T High. The T and T High can also be fitted with Roadpad+ as an option. Acting as an on-board assistant, it enables drivers to listen to music, use their telephones hands-free, and manoeuvre safely thanks to its rear and side cameras. With Roadpad+, the driver also obtains navigation assistance from a truck-specific satnav system. Reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions Renault Trucks’ Long Haul range is fitted with DTI 11 and DTI 13 Euro 6 Step D engines. They are both fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, with a 3% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared with the previous generation. The 2020 versions of the Renault Trucks T and T High feature a new high-efficiency axle and lighter disc brakes, further reducing fuel consumption. Optionally, new vehicle settings can be activated, providing an additional 3% saving. The Renault Trucks T and T High engines are compatible with XTL synthetic fuel and biodiesel. .

Renault Trucks Press Release / December 4, 2019 Renault Trucks is launching the 2020 versions of its range of distribution vehicles. The D and D Wide are fitted with a new ergonomic and comfortable interior design, safety features and aerodynamic equipment. The new versions of Renault Trucks’ distribution vehicles are 100% connected. A new interior design for greater comfort Renault Trucks has reworked the interior design of its D and D Wide models. The 2020 versions feature a redesigned dashboard that includes a new steering wheel and a new black and white instrument cluster. To make the driver’s job easier, a tablet holder, an optional holder for a second smartphone and two USB-C ports have been added. The vehicles are also supplied with new radio equipment, compatible with the DAB+ digital terrestrial radio network. For a high level of comfort, Renault Trucks offers its Comfort Pack as an option, which includes a leather steering wheel, a driver’s seat with side support, additional storage compartments, a second smartphone holder and a sunroof (for the D Wide only). New equipment for increased safety The Renault Trucks D and D Wide are fitted with adaptive cruise control (ACC) as standard. ACC maintains a safe distance from the vehicle in front by automatically adjusting acceleration and braking for greater safety, smoother driving and reduced driver fatigue. For improved visibility, the Renault Trucks D and D Wide are available with LED rear lights. For a high level of safety, Renault Trucks offers its Protect Pack as an option, which includes LED rear lights, a hill start aid, a vision door and a reverse alarm to improve protection for road users. Connected trucks for increased productivity Renault Trucks diesel vehicles are fitted with Euro 6 Step D engines, which are both fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. To further increase vehicle efficiency and productivity, Renault Trucks D-series models are connected as standard (TGW 4G). They are therefore compatible with Optifleet, Renault Trucks’ fleet management solution. With Optifleet, vehicle activity is managed in real time, which means that the main items of expenditure can be fully controlled. Fleet managers can track the fuel consumption of their vehicles with Optifleet Check and geolocate them in real time with Optifleet Map. For maximum productivity, Renault Trucks offers its Fuel Eco Pack as an option, which includes an adjustable roof deflector, inhibited power mode, automatic engine stop after three minutes, the Optiroll “free wheel” function (on the D Wide), optimised Fuel Eco gearbox software (on the D Wide) and a clutchable air compressor (on DTI 11 engines only). The Renault Trucks D and D Wide E engines are compatible with XTL synthetic fuel and biodiesel. The 2020 models are also available in natural gas (D Wide CNG) and 100% electric (D and D Wide Z.E.) versions. .

Volvo Trucks Press Release / December 1, 2019 Hear the Swedish haulier Braås talk about their improved efficiency, high-performance vehicles and their Volvo FH16 750 developed for heavy loads and demanding driving. .

Volvo Group Press Release / November 25, 2019 .

Scania Group Press Release / December 6, 2019 For their high-flying wind turbine work, French company Joly Location uses a five-axle Scania P 450 truck equipped with a 90-metre Ruthmann crane and aerial platform. It took the company three years to develop and assemble this unique piece of equipment. The design adjustments included tank displacement and several modifications to the after-treatment system, while the chassis is four times thicker so that it can support the crane’s work basket. .

Daimler Press Release / November 11, 2019 The plant in Wörth am Rhein is the largest truck assembly plant of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Since 1963 the Mercedes-Benz Antos, Arocs and Atego trucks – as well as the Actros, the world's most successful heavy-duty truck for more than 20 years - are produced here. Up to 470 trucks leave Wörth every day, because customers in over 150 countries value the "quality made in Wörth". .

Daimler Press Release / October 1, 2019 Thomas Built Buses is the leading school bus manufacturer in North America. The 103 year old Daimler subsidiary is based in High Point, N.C.. Every school day, more than 25 million children ride the bus to school. Our school buses are the first thing they see in the morning and the last part of their school day. .

Daimler Press Release / December 5, 2019 Premiere of the success story that started 65 years ago Comfort and driving safety on par with that of a passenger car Reliability, robust design and an unrivalled service network Pioneer of the company’s internationalisation strategy at the time Stuttgart. Its impressive overall design concept made the Mercedes-Benz O 321 H/HL bus ─ which was unveiled 65 years ago ─ a resounding success. And the production figures provide solid proof of this: from October 1954 until December 1964, what was then Daimler-Benz AG manufactured a total of 18,083 buses, chassis and ckd parts kits for the O 321 H/HL (“ckd” stands for “completely knocked down”; parts kits for assembly in export countries). The competition ─ particularly in Europe ─ simply could not keep pace. The O 321 H/HL also ultimately turned Mercedes-Benz into a leading bus manufacturing company. The innovative concept employed laid the foundation for the vehicle’s success. To this end, the O 321 H/HL brought to the table what municipal, regional and interregional carriers as well as private companies were looking for. This not only gave Mercedes-Benz a considerable edge in Europe, but also paved the way to entering large key foreign markets such as Latin America. The O 321 H/HL became a very popular export item and an ambassador of the brand; furthermore it underscored the meaning of quality German workmanship all over the world. The exceptional starting point this generation of buses from Mercedes-Benz signified when it came to internationally positioning the company in the bus segment is also backed by the production figures of its even more successful successor model. From March 1965 until June 1976, no fewer than 32,281 O 302 buses, chassis and ckd parts kits were assembled. First all-new commercial vehicle design of the post-war period Taking a look back: in December 1954, when Daimler-Benz launched the O 321 H (the O 321 HL variant, which was 1,325 millimetres longer, entered the scene in mid-1957), the Second World War had not even been over for ten years yet. In the mid-1950s, Germany was still very much in the process of rebuilding its infrastructure. Although the company resumed manufacturing trucks as soon as 1945 and buses in 1948, the designs used were nothing more than pre-war specifications or modified vehicle layouts based on pre-war technology. An unmistakable departure in the spring of 1951 was the unveiling of the representative Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186) ─ and one year later, the 300 SL racing sports car (W 194): Mercedes-Benz had returned to the international scene. In September 1953, the brand introduced the “Ponton” saloon type 180 (W 120) featuring a unibody construction, which was the first genuinely new design in the passenger car segment. This model was then followed by the 220 (W 180) in 1954. The 190 SL (W 121) and 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 198) production sports cars also debuted in 1954. If the company wanted to assert itself in the national and international playing fields, however, it not only needed to build on its pre-war success with passenger cars, but also with commercial vehicles. It also became generally accepted knowledge that different design principles apply to transporting people than to inanimate objects such as sand, steel and boxes. As such, the basic truck design did not represent the ideal platform for a bus. Design principles borrowed from passenger cars Daimler-Benz therefore adopted an innovative approach for the O 321 H. Designers devoted their attention to the design of the “Ponton” passenger cars to develop the new bus with an integrated floor assembly, a load-bearing body structure, a subframe front axle suspension with coil springs and recirculating-ball steering with dampers. So equipped, the new commercial vehicle easily met the requirements of high ride comfort and outstanding driving safety. Efficient production in the form of semi-integral construction and good product value rounded off the product offering. The floor assembly replaced the conventional ladder-type frame construction typically used in truck building. It comprised a welded floor frame group with a robust, torsionally stiff centre carrier as the main design feature. The sidewalls were designed as tall longitudinal members. In conjunction with the steel profile framework construction and panelling, the floor assembly formed a self-supporting unit designed to integrate with the factory bodies. The closed centre carrier also doubled as a ventilation and heating duct as well as accommodated linkages, electrical cables and compressed-air lines. Moreover, this design made it possible for external body manufacturers to offer chassis assemblies together with the matching bodies. The subframe supported the front axle construction and could be easily dismantled. Four wide rubber cushions served as connecting points to the body ─ a design feature that contributed significantly to a smooth ride and low vibration levels. The suspension fitted to the rigid front axle comprised coil springs pushed to the far corners of the vehicle, which were coupled with auxiliary springs and large telescoping shocks. Two transverse control arms aligned in parallel to the front axle beam absorbed cornering forces. A triangular strut channelled longitudinal and braking forces away from the front axle. The rear axle, which was fitted with leaf springs, integrated a robust torsion stabiliser bar. Agility and comfort The ball-and-nut steering system with damper assembly was “very smooth and almost entirely free of vibrations for such a large vehicle”, as commented by German trade magazine “Lastauto und Omnibus” in its 4/1955 issue. This, in conjunction with the large steering angle, gave the O 321 H an astounding level of agility. Its turning circle was a mere 16 metres! This was very beneficial during daily driving as the bus could easily navigate through tight city streets. And on long-distance runs, the bus was capable of traversing alpine roads with numerous hairpin bends ─ such as the Stelvio Pass ─ without having to back up. An outward indicator of its modern design was the appearance of the O 321 H. By leveraging the look of the front end, Hermann Ahrens lent the bus an air of the 190 SL and 300 SL, thereby making it the trendsetter for the design language of commercial vehicles to come. Also, as the export delivery ratio of the bus was unusually high at around 50 percent, this design became a familiar “face” for many different people spread out over multiple continents. The bus was shipped to no fewer than 63 countries, with leading customers in Iran, the United Arab Republic, Turkey, Austria, Saudi Arabia and Argentina. The O 321 H impressed on a global scale The design concept of the O 321 H impressed professional fleet operators around the world. It was available not only as a city bus with folding doors at the front and back (DM 45,000), but also as an intercity bus with hinged doors (DM 43,700) and a long-distance bus (DM 44,800). On the long-distance bus variant, roof edge glazing really opened up the interior in terms of space and light, and a sunroof option was also available! The OM 321 diesel engine rated to 81 kW (110 hp), which had a displacement of 5.1 litres from a six-cylinder block, was good for a top speed of 95 km/h. By way of comparison, at the time, the Mercedes-Benz 180 passenger car model reached no more than 126 km/h and the 180 D just 112 km/h. The O 321 H impressed experts right from the start with its appearance alone. “Lastauto und Omnibus” summed up in its 4/1955 issue: “We can summarise our assessment of the Mercedes-Benz O 321 H by stating that this all-new design represents one of the best (if not the best) production buses in this category that is currently on the market. The advertising slogan ‘handles like a passenger car’ is therefore not an exaggeration at all. The bus simply has a car-like feeling to it, which we experienced for ourselves in dense city traffic as well as on the icy roads in the Upper Black Forest.” Trade magazine “Auto Motor und Sport” came to the following conclusion in its 8/1955 issue: “The groundbreaking new path taken by Daimler-Benz is perhaps most impressively demonstrated by citing the following figures: compared to the O 3500, the kerb weight per passenger seat has been reduced from 172.5 kilograms to 138.5 kilograms, while the engine output per tonne of gross weight has increased from 11.6 to 13.1 hp. Who would not call this progress?” Successful production in Mannheim On 26 April 1960, the ten thousandth 321 model series bus rolled off the assembly line at the Mannheim plant ─ a milestone marker for Daimler-Benz AG, which was able to achieve a bus production output in Europe that differed only slightly from that of passenger cars in a proportional comparison. In December 1964, production of the O 321 H/HL at the Mannheim plant came to a halt after 18,083 units had been assembled. This marked the end of the professional career of the most successful bus to ever bear the star up to this point in time ─ a bus that also made a significant contribution to building and strengthening the global position of the Mercedes-Benz brand. The O 302 successor model continued this tradition with ease and even greater success. .

DAF Trucks Press Release / November 20, 2019 DAF Trucks has introduced its CF Electric with 6x2 rigid chassis. The first vehicles will be field-tested later on this year as garbage trucks by the Dutch public waste disposal firms HVC and ROVA. The city of Rotterdam and Cure will follow suit early in 2020 with a fully electric 6x2 garbage truck fitted with a loader crane. All of these vehicles are equipped with a VDL E-Power driveline. The fully electric superstructure is supplied by VDL Translift. Since the end of 2018, the first DAF CF Electrics have been operating as 4x2 tractors for various Dutch transporters, including Peter Appel, Simon Loos and Tinie Manders, as well as the supermarket chain Jumbo. These trucks are part of an extensive field test in which they are required to transport goods to and from destinations such as supermarkets and distribution centres. The German logistics firm Rhenus is currently using two CF Electrics for regional container transport. Thanks to its efficiency and all-purpose and practical usability, the DAF CF Electric won the prestigious ‘Green Truck Award’ in Germany earlier this year. Increased manoeuvrability Because the truck is low on both emissions and noise when in use, the CF Electric is ideal not only for urban distribution but also for the collection of household waste. To this end, DAF has designed a 3-axle rigidwith steering axle for increased manoeuvrability and an even higher loading capacity. The GVW for the CF Electric 6x2 is 28 tons. Regular routes The truck’s electric VDL E-power driveline provides 210 kW of power and a torque of 2,000 Nm – just like the CF Electric tractor. The driveline is powered by a battery pack with a (gross) energy content of 170 kWh; sufficient for covering regular garbage collection routes. Garbage trucks usually return to the depot every few hours to unload, where the electric trucks can recharge up to 80% battery capacity in only 30 minutes. Sideloaders and loader cranes HVC is active in Noord-Holland, the Rijnmond area and Flevoland, and ROVA in central and eastern regions of the Netherlands. Both firms make use of sideloaders by which containers can be emptied from the side of the truck. The city of Rotterdam and the Cure firm in the Eindhoven region will be using the DAF CF Electric complete with loader crane to collect garbage from underground containers. .

"Customer Adaption Center"............geez. Only Volvo would change the more suitable name (Modifications Center) to something else purely to escape the old American Mack Trucks.

Ford Trucks International Press Release / December 6, 2019 We have introduced F-MAX to Italy. We've got lots in store for Italy, our third national market in Western Europe. 🇮🇹 📢 #FordTrucks #italy #SharingTheLoad .