kscarbel2

March 30, 2015 I was deeply saddened to learn of Walter's passing. He was a big supporter of our efforts at Mack International and he and Hazel frequently entertained our major overseas distributors in their home. The world was a far better place with them in it. Hagen McGuire, Macungie, PA (Former Manager International Accounts & Sales Engineering, Mack Trucks Inc.)

April 6, 2015 I was deeply saddened to hear of Walter May's passing. I had the honor of passing by Walter in the halls at Mack and the Tech Center, and will remember him as the father of the Maxidyne. Frank Bio (former Mack Trucks engineer)

March 31, 2015 A associate for many years, he helped Mack remain the "The greatest name in trucks"! Learned a great deal from him and he was a industry Icon! Jack and Rosemary Curcio

Walter M. May, 97, Mack Trucks Engineer and co-inventor of the truckmaker’s advanced Maxidyne high-torque rise engine technology Walter M. May, age 97, of Luther Crest Retirement Community, South Whitehall Township, formerly of Harris York, Macungie, died March 27, 2015, at home. He was the husband of the late A. Hazel May. Walter worked as an engineer and C.O.O. at Mack Trucks, retiring as Vice President of the Engineering Department. He held many engine and transmission patents that are still used in truck manufacturing 60 years later. Born in New York City, he was the son of the late Walter H. and Janet (Forbes) May. He was a 1939 graduate of M.I.T. Like his former colleague Zenon C.R. Hansen, Walter was an Eagle Scout. During World War Two, he worked for the Civil Defense Department. He and his wife Hazel were benefactors at M.I.T., Cedar Crest College and Lehigh Valley Medical Center. Survivors: Daughter: Susan wife of Paul Trexler of Seminole, FL., Step-Sons: Malcolm W. Heckman and his wife Joanne of Galloway Twp., NJ and Ronald B. Heckman and his wife Pamela of Emmaus, Fiancée: Carol R. Cook of Topton, 10 Grandchildren, 20 Great-Grandchildren and 1 Great-Great-Grandchild. .

The Mack family once again remembers legendary chief engineer and vice president, Alfred Fellows Masury.

Do you have an E6-350 2-valve or 4-valve ? (We still built both in 1985) I'm a sales guy, but the legendary Mack parts numbering system having been as brilliantly straightforward and simple as it was, I vaguely recall: 62GB2382 P1 (standard size) for E6-350 2VH 62GB2393P1 (standard size) for E6-350 4VH These are the part numbers for a set. The actual stamped part number is for a bearing half, which you never could buy separately. Your Mack parts representative can supercede the stamped number on the rod bearing half to the set part number. You stated 62GB312 (the other half being 62GB313).......that's a 62GB2393......a rod bearing for a 4VH E6-350. Main bearing sets didn't change, so a 215SB72DP1 kit (standard size). If you need oversize, the "P" variation will be different. And if need be, source your rod and main bearings from the good folks at Watts Mack. I thank legendary Mack Trucks chief engineer and vice president Alfred Fellows Masury for creating the best parts numbering system that the global truck industry ever knew. I pity the Mack parts people today who are bogged down with meaningless Volvo global part numbers you can't remember.

European Parliament Plenary Session Press Release / April 13, 2016 A proposal to grant €1,793,710 (US$2.02 million) in European Union (EU) aid to Sweden to help find new jobs for 500 workers made redundant by Volvo Trucks, mainly at the Umeå plant, and by four of its suppliers and downstream producers, was approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday. The employees were laid off due to difficulties faced in recent years by European manufacturers in competing with newly emerging Asian truck manufacturers. Heavy truck production in the EU fell in 2014, as did exports of heavy commercial vehicles, buses and coaches, while overall imports of commercial vehicles into the EU rose. Volvo therefore decided to boost efficiency by cutting costs to meet existing and expected global competition. The redundancies are a challenge for Västerbotten county (of which Umeå is the capital). Most of the redundant Volvo workers are from Umeå, but others from Gothenburg and Eskilstuna are also included in the scheme. Volvo's optimisation programme also affected subcontractors, especially in Umeå. The resolution by rapporteur Victor Negrescu (S&D, RO) was approved by 585 votes to 82, with 7 abstentions. Background The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund contributes to packages of tailor-made services to help redundant workers find new jobs. Its annual ceiling is €150 million. Redundant workers are offered measures such as support for business start-ups, job-search assistance, occupational guidance and various kinds of training. In most cases, national authorities have already started the measures and will have their costs reimbursed by the EU when their applications are finally approved. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44047-european-commission-proposes-almost-18-million-euro-from-globalisation-fund-to-support-former-volvo-trucks-workers-in-sweden/#comment-324651 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/33165-volvo-to-restructure-truck-manufacturing-in-europe/#comment-212024

Simard Suspensions Press Release / April 6, 2016 After 5 years of development, thousands of test hours in extreme conditions, the industry unique off-road truck able to legally roll on the road, the Dramis D55T truck, is on its way to the Chilean salt mines. A total of 7 trucks will join the Excon Construcciòn fleet, one of the biggest ore transportation companies in South America. "With a payload of 55 metrics tons (60 imperial ton), twice the capacity of actual trucks, Excon Construcciòn will be able to greatly increase its production," explains Denys Dufour Simard Suspensions Sales Manager. Industry unique specifications The Dramis benefits of a superior payload and also operates faster. With its active hydraulic suspension and adapted gear ratio, it is able to circulate up to 90km/h, giving it the capacity to do more cycles than articulated or rigid trucks. The cost per ton of the Dramis D55T is the most profitable of its category. Built on a class 8 vocational truck chassis, its purchase price is less than its competition, and its maintenance does not require a specialized technician. Its fuel consumption cost is between 15 and 20l/hour depending on the configuration. Another decisive advantage, the Dramis can circulate unloaded legally on road that offers the opportunity to move from site to site without requiring a trailer or special permits. “I thank Excon Construcciòn and its team for the support given to us all along this project as well as all those who participated in its development,” says David Tremblay, Simard Suspensions Chief Executive Officer. Custom configuration Totally assembled in Québec, Canada, the Dramis is available in many configurations and adaptable on all vocational commercial trucks in North America such as Mack/Volvo, Kenworth/Peterbilt, Freightliner/Western Star, and soon to be the new International HX. Simard Suspensions 100% Canadian Company, Simard Suspensions (http://simardsuspensions.com/) is established in the Quebec since 1935. Employing 110 persons, Simard stands out with its tandem suspensions distributed in all North America and South America. Simard Suspensions is always hiring to meet new orders and with the ongoing need for labor a training program in partnership with Formation Continue Charlevoix has been implemented. .

Canada Big Truck Sales Down 26.7% in March Wards Auto / April 13, 2016 Big-truck deliveries in Canada were down 26.7% on a daily sales basis in March with 3,275 units, compared with 4,294 from prior-year. Sales in Class 8 fell 36.1% to 1,915 units. All manufacturers posted double-digit losses. Share leader Freightliner sales declined 26.1% on 752 units while still increasing share to 39.3%. The worst performers were Volvo, down 62.6%, and Kenworth, 44.9% below prior-year. Western Star showed the smallest drop at 19.6%.

Wards Auto / April 13, 2016 Sales of medium and heavy trucks in the U.S. totaled 40,323 in March, 2.5% below year-ago on a daily sales basis. Class 8 posted sales of 20,034 units, down 10.1% from prior-year. Substantial losses by International (-29.1%), Peterbilt (-22.8%) and Volvo (-52.7%) led the decliners. Daimler’s Freightliner and Western Star outsold last year, leaving the parent company up 16.5%. Mack posted a small gain, growing 1.3%. Year-to-date, Class 8 sales were down 7.1%.

Two Renault Range C trucks have joined the 30-stron g fleet of Scottish demolition, asbestos removal and recycling specialist Central Demolition. The company’s first from the Renault Trucks stable, both 32-tonners are C430 RKs with Optidriver AT 2612E AMTs (automated manual gearboxes), have been specified with the night and day cab. They have been mounted with Weightlifter Muckaweigh hardox tipping bodies, and equipped with Kelsa top and bottom light bars, comfort seats, Renault’s comfort pack and vertical exhausts. “When we needed additional, new vehicles to keep up with the demand I turned to the team at Renault Trucks Scotland who put together an impressive package,” comments Central Demolition owner Ross Craig. “We’ve previously used Renault Landers and have been extremely impressed by their robustness and overall performance, so the Range C was the natural progression for us,” he continues. “Access in and out of demolition and recycling sites can be tricky, so we needed tippers with exceptional mobility... “We’ve found the Range C to be well up to the challenge... It’s a well-constructed vehicle, very well accepted by our drivers and provides good value-for-money overall.” The new 32-tonners were supplied by Renault Trucks Scotland. .

http://www.truckingboards.com/bb/threads/volvo-s-validated-interim-remedy-for-yrc.73391/ http://www.truckingboards.com/bb/threads/nationwide-major-volvo-recall-detailed-recall-information-for-volvo-vnl.73326/#post-1034065

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / April 13, 2016 ABF Freight System has instituted a $5.92 surcharge for each shipment going to or from California. This month, the Arkansas-based, LTL division of ArcBest Corp. (No. 15 in the CCJ Top 250) began the California Compliance Surcharge to offset the state’s higher operating costs and stricter regulations. The surcharge does not apply to shipments moving under Volume Price, TimeKeeper Price, a TurnKey Price or U-Pack quotes. In recent years, truckers have had to meet progressively stricter emissions standards in California. Additionally, the state’s courts upheld the state’s meal and rest break rules for truckers and ordered carriers to reclassify independent contractors as employees in several high-profile cases.

Transport Topics / April 13, 2016 Transportation activity in the United States rose moderately in late February and March, with several areas of the country reporting increases in freight volumes, the Federal Reserve reported. National economic activity continued to expand, with most areas saying economic growth was in the modest to moderate range. Contacts expected growth would remain in that range going forward, the Fed said in its Beige Book report released April 13. The survey is based on reports gathered by regional Fed banks to give an anecdotal picture of the economy. The Fed releases its Beige Book report eight times a year. This report covered Feb. 22 through April 7 and was prepared by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. In contrast to the March 2 Beige Book, when Fed district banks said prices were “generally flat,” the report indicated that “overall, prices increased modestly across the majority of districts, and input cost pressures continued to ease” amid cheap energy bills. Trucking firms in the Richmond area reported stable to stronger growth in demand in recent weeks. Port contacts in the Richmond District cited record import volumes in February that moderated in March, as well as a modest rise in exports in part because of stronger shipments of agricultural and forest products, according to the report. In the Atlanta District, trucking contacts cited notable increases in overall tonnage during the reporting period. Port contacts cited continued growth but rail cargo in the area continued to decline, the Fed said. In the St. Louis region, contacts in the trucking industry reported an increase in revenue and reduced costs from low diesel prices, and some in the industry have announced expansion plans. The Cleveland area reported freight volume expanded slightly in late February and March, though some of the increase was seasonal. “Our contacts anticipate a modest expansion in volume during the upcoming months. Overcapacity is forcing some haulers to lower shipping rates. Diesel fuel surcharges have been largely eliminated,” the Fed said in the report. However, compared to a year earlier, freight volume is lower in the Cleveland District due to weakness in the energy and steel industries and lower demand for industrial goods, the report said. San Francisco noted an increase in cargo volumes and the Kansas City District said transportation and wholesale trade activity had increased sharply. Contacts in the Dallas District told the Fed ongoing weakness in the energy and steel sectors continued to weigh on freight volumes.

Another reason why I dislike Delphi (maker of Volvo's fuel injection systems). They are for all intents and purposes a U.S. company, headquartered in Michigan and profiting here. But they pulled an inversion scam to avoid paying taxes in the United States, registering itself in the tax haven of Jersey, a channel island between England and France. Their act makes them criminals.........I don’t support purchasing from criminal entities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amid Inversion Crackdown, IRS Blesses Delphi's British Domicile Bloomberg / April 14, 2016 Three days after President Barack Obama held a news conference pledging to close “loopholes” that allow U.S. corporations to claim they’re foreign for tax purposes, his Internal Revenue Service blessed one of the biggest corporate expats. That company is Delphi Automotive Plc, a Michigan auto-parts maker that attempted to cut its tax rate by adopting a British address in 2009. The IRS had insisted that Delphi, still run from a Detroit suburb, remained an American taxpayer. But on April 8, an appeals panel within the tax agency sided with the company. The secret decision came to light on Wednesday, when Delphi notified its investors in a regulatory filing. It may save the company as much as $100 million a year. The decision comes as the Obama administration takes new and aggressive steps to stop corporate tax avoidance, particularly the corporate address changes known as inversions. On April 4, the Treasury Department issued new rules targeting the transactions, forcing the New York drugmaker Pfizer Inc. to drop plans to become Irish, and potentially crimping the tax savings from dozens of past and future inversion deals. Unique Obstacles The Delphi case may have presented unique obstacles, said Jerald David August, a partner at Kostelanetz & Fink LLP, a New York tax firm. The IRS may have worried that a loss in court would force it to revise a round of anti-inversion regulations from 2009, he said -- or that the case would bring unwelcome attention to the administration’s own role in Delphi’s expatriation. The company shifted its tax address as part of the fallout from General Motors Co.’s 2009 bankruptcy and bailout, which were overseen by Obama’s administration. “The government threw in the towel when it may have had a strong case to present to a court to review,” said August, who wasn’t involved in the case. “The stakes involved in presenting this issue for full review may have had other, non-tax repercussions.” For their part, Delphi officials had always insisted their case was strong and pledged in securities filings to “vigorously” defend their position. On Wednesday, Delphi declined to comment beyond saying it’s “satisfied” with the IRS’s decision. The IRS also declined to comment. GM’s Bankruptcy The former auto-parts arm of Detroit-based GM, Delphi changed its legal address in 2009 as part of a plan to emerge from bankruptcy protection. Under the deal, creditors including GM and a group of U.S. hedge funds purchased most of Delphi’s assets through a newly formed English partnership. The U.S. Treasury, which had bailed out GM amid a collapse in the U.S. auto market, took part in the negotiations and authorized GM to release $1.7 billion in Treasury funds to pay for its portion of the deal. In September 2009, just before the transaction was completed, the IRS issued a new interpretation of tax law that seemed aimed at Delphi. It said a bankruptcy reorganization that results in a U.S. company becoming foreign may not be recognized under U.S. tax law. Delphi went ahead with the deal anyway. Official Address When it prepared to go public in 2011, Delphi incorporated itself in Jersey, a Crown dependency in the English Channel, but retained British tax residence. Its official address is at a diesel plant and research compound in an industrial park about an hour’s train ride east of London. Most of its top executives continue to work from the Troy, Michigan, offices that Delphi used to call its headquarters. In 2014, the IRS, which is part of the Treasury Department, formally challenged Delphi’s foreign domicile, starting a litigation process within the agency. In a regulatory filing in February, Delphi said that a loss in the IRS case would increase its long-term effective tax rate to about 20 percent or 22 percent, from about 17 percent. Analysts estimate Delphi will earn about $2.1 billion before taxes this year, translating to a savings of $63 million to $105 million.

That's a proper CAT install. Great work. The M35A3 with the factory-installed CAT 3116 looks ridiculous with the upward sloping hood.