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Business Wire / May 12, 2016 Chinese truckmaker JAC on May 10 completed delivery of a US$274 million order for 5,239 heavy trucks to Venezuela. On the morning of May 10th, the final shipment arrived into the South American country. In July 2014, JAC signed purchase contract with Venezuela’s land transport department and CORPOVEX S.A. for tractors, dump trucks and water tankers. It is the largest Chinese truck export order to date. JAC has been active in Venezuela since 2006 selling primarily light and medium trucks. Note: JAC is producing light truck engines under license from Navistar's Brazilian MWM engine subsidiary. .

We offered some heavy axles in Australia. .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 11, 2016 Driving made safe with active roll stabilization Continuous damping control (CDC) enables rolling and pitching movements to be stabilized using the continuously variable electronic control of the shock absorber hardness. This prevents the development of rolling and pitching movements while cornering, changing lanes and braking. .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 11, 2016 The second generation of MAN EfficientCruise is a GPS-controlled cruise control and enables an anticipatory driving strategy, thanks to automatic speed control incorporating optimised gear selection that takes into account crests, downhill and uphill stretches. The result in all operating ranges is a pattern of speed that achieves the lowest fuel consumption. .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 11, 2016 Braking and moving-off functions for off-road operation The electronic brake system for off-road operation improves handling in difficult terrain. Besides the paver brake, the hill holder and ASR functions for simplified moving-off as well as ABS for off-road operation for braking on loose surfaces and the turning brake are described here. .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 11, 2016 Intelligent braking and moving off with networked systems The electronic brake system EBS enables the optimization of braking and moving-off procedures of commercial vehicles. The anti-lock braking system keeps the vehicle directionally stable even under emergency braking conditions and can reduce the braking distance. ASR prevents the drive wheels from spinning when moving off and accelerating. .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 11, 2016 Top-down engine cooling provides efficient cooling output in the D38 engine. What is special about this is that the coolant flows vertically from the cylinder head to the engine block. This cools particularly those parts of the block that are subject to high loads. .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 11, 2016 Maximum engine braking power for demanding drivers The MAN Turbo EVBec engine brake is a special further development of the engine brake for the D38 engine series. Variable exhaust valves upstream of the turbo chargers ensure higher backpressure when braking and enable a targeted air flow to the turbo charger blades to increase the turbine speed of the turbo charger on the exhaust side and thus also on the intake side. The pressure level in the engine is raised and the brake output increases. Background: MAN EVB (exhaust valve brake) enables powerful, wear-free braking and controlled downhill driving at high speeds with up to 290 kW of braking power. The engine braking power increases when the exhaust valves are opened briefly. A further improvement is the pressure-controlled MAN EVBec. This provides an even greater braking torque at lower speeds. MAN EVBec extends the normal EVB function to enable continuously variable brake output. This is achieved by regulating the exhaust back-pressure with the butterfly valve in the exhaust pipe. The air-actuated engine brake valve closes the exhaust pipe in a stepless process depending on the desired brake output, thus generating the exhaust back-pressure required for the cylinders. The vehicle management computer (FFR) measures the current exhaust back-pressure from a sensor and uses a proportional valve to ensure that the servo-cylinder is accordingly triggered by pressure. The staged response of the sustained-action braking equipment permits regulated use when driving. Smooth, jerk-free braking can be achieved in this way. The impressive combination of the powerful EVBec engine brake and the MAN PriTarder® water retarder creates an efficient and economical brake system. In contrast to a conventional retarder the water retarder works directly with the water from the cooling circuit. As is the case with the intarder, the MAN PriTarder® is incorporated into the MAN BrakeMatic® sustained-action braking management system. When shifting/declutching, the service brake is activated so that the braking power is not interrupted during gear changes (reblending). .

Navistar's OnCommand Connection Hits 200,000 VINs Heavy Duty Trucking / May 10, 2016 Navistar, Inc. announced subscriptions to OnCommand Connection (OCC), the company's open architecture remote diagnostics system, have surpassed the 200,000 vehicle mark. This milestone reflects OnCommand Connection's rapid rate of subscriber growth since it was initially demonstrated in October 2013. It also underscores the system's integration with a large and growing number of leading telematics service providers (TSPs). OnCommand Connection is already integrated with 16 TSPs [link to web portal showing TSP list], with several additional TSPs now in the process of being integrated. Illustrating this breadth of coverage is the fact that approximately two-thirds of the vehicles now in the system were manufactured by other OEMs besides Navistar. "OnCommand Connection continues to grow its subscriber base by proving its value to a wide range of customers who are seeking a one-stop telematics solution for their entire fleets," said Terry Kline, Navistar senior vice president and chief information officer. "Through our strategy of integrating with a wide range of leading telematics service providers, we are able to provide unique, single-portal access to fleet managers and other customers who want their fleet's vehicle health information available through a single integrated portal. This open-architecture approach is helping many customers achieve significant uptime improvements while also driving reduced maintenance costs." Vehicle status and diagnostic trouble code data from the TSPs are transmitted to OnCommand Connection, which then interprets this data and creates easy-to-understand vehicle health reports and recommended action plans for all brands of vehicles and engines, which can be accessed through an online portal, e-mails and other types of alerts, as determined by the customer. By integrating and interpreting vehicle health information in a customer-friendly format, OnCommand Connection enables fleet users and other customers to achieve more efficient repairs and maintenance, better lifecycle value, and an overall lower total cost of ownership, giving them increased visibility into maintenance needs and better control of their business. To learn more about OnCommand Connection, visit www.OnCommandConnection.com.

Fleet Owner / May 11, 2016 You often hear fleet management and telematics systems companies say they've integrated a third-party application and it will work with their platform. Now get ready for the next level: software and systems unification. What's that? Think of this unification as making different systems and applications work in combinative, complementary ways rather than just being able to run with or on a given platform — i.e., working together, not just tolerating each other. Trucking got a notable dose of next-level technology systems integration, for instance, when Bendix showed last summer how its Wingman Fusion product has radar and video systems that help instruct each other. The systems detect potential obstructions or objects in a truck's path in different ways, but together they can make better determinations on things like whether an object ahead is a soda bottle or a stopped car. In another new take, fleet management technology company PeopleNet has decided to roll up telematics information from trucks — associating it with particular drivers — into its video product interface and in customizing what triggers video clips to be sent to fleet managers. "We can trigger video [being sent to the back office] off of what the truck and driver actually do, not an accelerometer. Those are a good start, but accelerometers can trigger all the time and it's not meaningful," notes Jim Angel, vice president for video intelligence solutions at PeopleNet. "We've had this deep integration to ECM [electronic control module] data coming off the J1939 [bus] for over a decade. Why not use it? "We can trigger videos based on what the customer says — 9 mph per sec. deceleration, 7 mph per sec. acceleration, whatever — and give the carrier the flexibility to manage to the level they want to," he continues. "When that deceleration triggers from the ECM, that's where we get our trigger — not when I hit a pothole in the middle of the road that sets off an accelerometer." That can fine-tune video clips that are sent to fleet managers for review, but there's more you can do once you start combining telematics and video. Angel points to a dash cam video showing two passenger cars cutting in front of a truck, the second one very nearly causing a crash; had the truck driver not hit the brakes quickly, there would've been a collision. "If you didn't have the video with something like that, the argument would've started," Angel says. "In this case, the driver did a great job, so now we can send 'safe driving' recognition where we're going to give him a credit on his safety analytics score. This all ties back to our safety analytics and what we've built as part of the PeopleNet system," he explains, discussing the telematics-enhanced video product's inclusion of color-coded, filterable driver scorecard info. "You also have the opportunity to review risky or problem behaviors," Angel adds. "We can bring a whole bunch of data into one place and make it easy to use." More in store Expect more collaborative, complementary systems integrations — or unifications — going forward from the world of truck telematics. Omnitracs recently said as much, discussing the second wave of a major product launch and refresh program it's been progressing through. Back in early 2015, the company announced its OTIS project, for Omnitracs Integrated Telematics Solution. The first phase of OTIS comes this year, as Omnitracs rolls out a new, more advanced in-cab telematics box called the Intelligent Vehicle Gateway, or IVG. The idea is to consolidate and focus the company's hardware platforms. Beyond hardware, however, Omnitracs has also been building its applications portfolio substantially. And Dan Speicher, the company's chief technology officer, said earlier this year Omnitracs wants not only to bring those apps together, but to move toward being "hardware agnostic" and able to run on various devices a fleet or trucking company might use. Laura Lohrke, Omnitracs' product manager for mobile, describes working toward those two concepts simultaneously. "We've had these separate solutions with these different companies that have come together under Omnitracs. We've got some really powerful products," she says. Meanwhile, by 2020, industry analysts predict there will be anywhere from 25 billion to 40 billion or more mobile devices of various kinds in the market globally, and Omnitracs is looking to those, too, as possible interfaces for its products. "Playing off the idea of the Internet of Things, we're already tracking trucks; we're tracking people. Those are very important assets in this industry," Lohrke tells Fleet Owner. "We're looking to make things simpler for the drivers as well as back-end managers, where you have a single sign-on and all these functions talking to each other and working together in unison, and coming to a central back end. "We've really been working on not just integration of our different offerings, but unification of them," she continues. "It's not just like a third party integration; we're looking to bring a unified solution with all those analytics tools. "We've started that, and it's just going to continue throughout the year."

Fleet Owner / May 11, 2016 IMI says balance is the ley to longer tire life and better fuel economy. Can tire balancing beads truly extend usable tire life while providing fuel savings at the same time? That’s what the engineers at Chambersburg, PA-based IMI Products believe and they put the company’s new Equal Flexx bead package – introduced earlier this year at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual convention in Nashville, TN – to the test during a special demonstration event for reporters held at the firm’s new headquarters in Chambersburg, PA, this week. http://www.imiproducts.com/products/equal-flexx/ Taking two almost identically spec’d Penske rental Class 8 tractors – with even their maintenance records a near spot-on match – IMI put pouches of its Equal Flexx balancing beads in the steer and drive tires of one of the trucks while leaving the tires on the other untouched. Special sensors mounted to the wheel hubs of the tractors also allowed IMI’s engineers to show how Equal Flexx balancing beads help reduce vibration at the wheel end, creating a smoother ride for the driver while evening out tread wear – promoting longer tire life and fuel savings simultaneously, noted Bob Fogal Jr., the firm’s president and CEO. “Over the course of a tire’s life, regardless of position, it’s going to lose rubber and wear unevenly. You’re looking at losing anywhere from 25 to 30 lbs. of rubber over a tire’s life due to wear,” Fogal (seen at right) told Fleet Owner. “So the key is to get a better ‘footprint’ with that tire, because as it wears more, it becomes more fuel efficient due to lower rolling resistance,” he added. “Thus the reason balancing the tire becomes critical is that more even wear extends the life of that tire in its ‘sweet spot’ for fuel economy.” John Tak, IMI’s director of marketing and product development noted that the development of just the right kind of tire balancing beads in terms of shape and material composition "is a complex science" with "a lot of nuances" to account for. Yet the extensive testing by IMI's research team – headed up by Steve Ludwig, the firm’s senior product development engineer and an aeronautical engineer by training -- leads it to conclude that fuel savings for all tire positions on a tractor-trailer can be improved significantly by using tire balancing beads: - An improvement of 18% on steer tires, or $1,000 in annual fuel savings for a tractor-trailer accumulating 100,000 miles a year, averaging 6.5 MPG and paying $2.50 per gallon for diesel; - An improvement of 39% on drive tires or $2,100 in yearly fuel savings; - And an improvement of 43% on trailer tires or $2,400 saving per year in fuel. Altogether, fleets can save $5,500 in fuel costs annually, measured against the $450 total cost of adding Equal Flexx balancing beads to all the tires on an 18-wheeler – a figure that derives from 25% more tire life and a 3% to 5% improvement in overall fuel economy due to lower rolling resistance, noted Derek Forney, IMI’s associate product manager. Those kinds of numbers mean that fleets should experience a return on investment (ROI) of three months on average by using Equal Flexx beads, noted Fogal. He added that one of the “best parts” about balancing beads is that they help tires adapt to their conditions, balancing them if stones are caught in the tread, or there’s a lot of mud or snow and ice on the road. “It’s also a ‘one-and-done’ application,” Fogal pointed out, with the Equal Flexx pouch dropped in at tire installation, breaking open to release the beads once installed. “That’s why it’s a cost effective solution.”

Today's Trucking / May 10, 2016

I believe there are some joint military exercises ongoing this week, and the matter/antimatter engines utilized on Romulan ships are known to cause disturbances to our internet connectivity. Everything should be back to normal by week's end.

You're wondering about something heavier than an axle-forward Pinnacle (CHU), and mentioning the expensive axle-back Titan (TD), aka. Volvo VNX. For a low-boy tractor, did you consider an axle-forward or axle-back Granite? https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5538/9263449487_827b5e0a0e_b.jpg http://www.macktrucks.com/~/media/files/brochures/mack_construction_brochure.ashx?as=1 https://www.macktrucks.com.au/~/media/files%20au/brochures/granite_vocational.ashx?as=1 Of course, a Trident would be my first choice, a Super-Liner second. https://www.macktrucks.com.au/~/media/files%20au/brochures/trident_ab.ashx?as=1 https://www.macktrucks.com.au/~/media/files%20au/brochures/trident_af.ashx?as=1 https://www.macktrucks.com.au/~/media/files%20au/brochures/superliner_brochure.ashx?as=1

The RM's were such a fixture of the Australian Army for decades that we forget about the ADF's earlier Macks. http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/15604-mack-military-truck/?page=2 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/15604-mack-military-truck/?page=5#comment-186988 On another note, here's one of their right-hand drive Diamond Reos (they also ran Diamond Ts). .

KrAZ Trucks Press Release / April 26, 2016 April 26 marks the day of the Chernobyl tragedy, and is remembered by Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Russians and people all over the world. Now 30 years since the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, people still remembers the events that occurred there and those who valiantly fought the fire and radiation. Kraz (Kremenchug Automobile Plant) was at the forefront of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster response. Then, in 1986, over 300 KrAZ employees went to radiation contaminated area to carry out response operations. About 10,000 vehicles including a large number of specialized KrAZ heavy trucks were brought in to deal with the disaster. The KrAZ-255Bs carried in a floating bridge which was installed across the Pripyat River in support of evacuating the population. The bridge was installed in just seven hours, and evacuation started on April 30. However, the most important task set before the KrAZ team was a government request for high specialized heav y trucks with could operate in the high radiation area and haul away the radioactive demolition debris, as well as deliver construction materials for entombment of the No. 4 nuclear reactor. The task was handed down to the truckmaker on the evening Sunday, June 22. Our engineers decided to base this vehicle on the KrAZ model 256B1 dump truck. A special lead-lined single seat cab weighing 3-tonnes was created to offer maximum protection to the driver. In early July, seven completed trucks arrived at Chernobyl, with another eleven units arriving by months end. The lead cab-equipped KrAZ-256B1s had to do the most dangerous jobs in high-radiation area. Contaminated debris was loaded onto them by robot-aided devices which were clearing up the No.4 nuclear reactor. These dump trucks were used for carrying concrete delivered by their regular production counterparts into the thick of the disaster. Upon completion of the project, all 18 of the lead cab-equipped dump trucks were placed in special burial site in Buryakovaka village nearby the Chernobyl power plant. The KrAZ employees who engineered and produced the trucks for the Chernobyl disaster response received government awards. Today, 30 years after the disaster, all the workers who participated in the Chernobyl disaster response operations are being honored by KrAZ management. .

Auto Review / May 10, 2016 Finland-based truckmaker Sisu (http://eng.sisuauto.com/) abandoned the mainstream truck market several years ago to focus on specialty applications including logging and dump trucks. A particularly interesting new model is Sisu’s Polar CK16M twin-steer 8x4 heavy haul tractor for carrying oversized loads. Until now, such tractors were built only by the major European truckmakers. The CK16M is designed for a gross combination weight of 220 metric tons (485,017 lb). The new Sisu utilizes a Mercedes-Benz Arocs cab purchased through a supply agreement. The truck’s OM473 (aka. DD16) engine is rated at 625 horsepower and meets Euro-6 emissions standards. Unusual for Europe, the OM473 is paired with an American Eaton Fuller RTLO22918B manual transmission with a 2-disc clutch. Sisu has a long tradition is using American transmissions boxes since the early 1970s, and for many years used Caterpillar engines. .

Trade Trucks AU / May 10, 2016 Western Star Trucks has launched a new website for its Australian and New Zealand markets, promising a "next level" e-commerce offering. http://westernstar.com.au/ According to the truck manufacturer, the "easy to navigate" website includes "pioneering features," such as providing a platform for "users to choose the right truck for their needs by comparing truck and engine combinations by model and design." "It features a rotating vehicle carrousel and an extensive image collection for each truck model," Western Star Trucks says. Mobile compatible, the website has almost 500 products available from brands including Truck-Lite, Rigid Industries, Alcoa Wheels, National Seating, Red Dog, and Waeco. A member of the Penske stable, the Western Star page also has details on dealer locations. Penske Transportation Group International marketing general manager Kimberley Ruddock says those behind the website "used the latest web design elements to create something truly next level for our industry." "The Penske group has built its global brand and reputation based on its pursuit of customer service excellence," she says. "We are driven to lead the industry and give our customers more, and we do this by delivering cutting edge services and precision in all facets of our business."

Related reading on micro-turbine powered hybrid tractors. http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/35200-walmart-debuts-futuristic-truck-at-mats/#comment-239455

The LIVLAB patent. US Patent 4351554 Livlab.pdf

Electric Class 8 truck promises 2,000 hp, 1,200 miles Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / May 10, 2016 Nikola Tesla – renowned inventor, electrical and mechanical engineer, physicist and futurist – is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, and as a genius rivaled only by the likes of Thomas Edison. An automobile company named in his honor, Tesla Motors, is poised to revolutionize America’s highways. Another similarly named company, Nikola Motor Company (NMC), seems poised to do the same for transportation. Trevor Milton founded his company to design and manufacture electric vehicles, energy storage systems and electric vehicle drivetrain components. With the first working prototypes expected to be displayed to the public later this year, the company plans to soon launch a 2,000 horsepower electric semi-truck, Nikola One. The company says Nikola One is capable of pulling a total gross weight of 80,000 pounds and offers more than 1,200 miles between stops. The majority of the truck’s components are being developed by NMC, but the company turned to Meritor for help in co-designing the industry’s first-ever independent suspension. “By working together with some of the top engineering firms in America, we were able to design vehicles that have previously been thought impossible to design,” Milton says. “We want to even the playing field and income inequalities seen between owner operators and fleets for the first time in recent trucking history. This is just the beginning of what’s ahead for America, our company and the electric vehicle market.” Nikola One’s fully electric 335 horsepower motor features a dual gear reduction at every wheel (6×6). Combined, the truck outputs more than 2,000 horsepower and 3,700-plus ft. lbs. of torque before gear reduction, and nearly 86,000 ft. lbs. of torque after gear reduction. “Torque is instant with an electric motor,” Milton says. “There is a short window of RPM that you can get good torque from a diesel engine. The electric motor is basically providing 100 percent torque all the time.” The first-of-its-kind independent suspension system, based on Meritor’s all-wheel drive ProTec High Mobility Independent Suspension*, reduces vibration and boosts ride quality and a unique steering geometry improves tracking, centering feel and intuitive feedback. * http://www.meritor.com/products/defense/PDF/ProTec_Portfolio.pdf By removing the diesel engine and transmission, and manufacturing the cab out of lighter carbon fiber panels, the truck builder says it was able to install many of Nikola One’s heaviest components at or below the frame rail, lowering the center of gravity and improving safety. “Nikola One actually weighs about 2,000 pounds less than a regular diesel (21,000 pounds),” he says, “because we removed engine, the transmission, the drivetrain and all the liquids that go in those. All the batteries actually weigh less than the diesel engine does alone.” Additional benefits of removing the diesel engine, Milton says, include the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a larger and more aerodynamic cab and a quieter and more comfortable ride. Without a transmission, the only thing needed to make the Nikola One go or stop is the electric pedal and brake pedal. “No shifting whatsoever,” Milton says, adding Nikola One’s simplified operation will open up the line haul market to a new group of drivers. Nikola One’s electric motors are powered by a liquid cooled lithium-ion battery pack, which is charged by an onboard turbine. The fuel agnostic turbine automatically charges the batteries when needed, eliminating the need to plug in the unit. The turbine, Milton says, burns about 25 gallons of fuel per hour and, when coupled with the batteries, gives the truck a range of about 1,200 miles between stops and fill ups. Going downhill, the Nikola One’s six electric motors absorb the braking energy normally lost and deliver it back to the batteries. Because there is an electric motor at each wheel, the Nikola One’s software provides dynamic control to each wheel. Torque vectoring controls the speed and torque of each of the six wheels independent of each other at any given moment. NMC says its cab is 30 percent larger than its more traditional counterparts, and its aerodynamics reduces the drag coefficient by nearly 5 percent over most trucks currently on the market. The Nikola One’s cab features a sliding mid-entry door, a full-size fridge and freezer, electric climate controlled cabin, 15-inch touch screen infotainment display, 10-inch instrument cluster display, 4G LTE internet and Wi-Fi, over the air software updates, panoramic windshield, sunroof, two full size beds, microwave and 42-inch television. Each of the features will be powered by the truck’s 320 kWh battery pack, alleviating the need to idle or run a separate generator. NMC claims the driver could theoretically stay in the cab with all the amenities on for almost a week without draining the batteries enough to initiate the turbine charge. Milton says the truck’s operational cost per mile is somewhere between 20-30 cents per-mile, roughly half of most diesel-powered semis. The Nikola One’s proprietary hardware and software also features platooning capabilities. Once testing is complete and government regulations allow, a single Nikola One driver will have the ability to virtually hitch and lead up to five driverless Nikola One trucks through NMC’s wireless vehicle network and self-driving technology. “[The lead driver will] send a command and within 30 milliseconds it goes straight to the motor,” Milton adds of the response time of the platoon. “If for whatever reason the trucks experience a communication failure, the trucks would pull over as soon as it was safe to do so.” Virtual Hitch/Fleet Convoy technology is part of the truck’s hardware, and Milton says every Nikola One will come with it built in. Milton says he expects truck deliveries to begin in the next 24-36 months. He wouldn’t disclose the number of trucks on order, only calling it “substantial.” The first truck has been built and it is currently being tested internally. It will then undergo regular field trials to validate the technologies used. “The truck is a lot more simple than a diesel … take a Tesla car, for example,” Milton says. “If you tear apart a Tesla, there’s really not that much to it. Because it’s a lot more simple, the software needs to be a lot more robust.”

International Offers Over-the-Air Programming for Cummins Engines Heavy Duty Trucking / May 10, 2016 International Truck will be the first truck manufacturer to offer over-the-air truck programming for Cummins engines, allowing fleets to update engine control modules with a secure Wi-Fi connection. Over-the-air programming is available through the nine-pin International Link device that enables drivers or fleet managers to use a mobile interface to initiate engine programming over Wi-Fi. Engine control modules can then be updated to reflect the latest manufacturer approved calibrations without needing to visit a dealer or service facility. The service will first be available for a limited production release of Cummins 2017 model year engines, beginning in fall 2016. The two companies have plans to expand the service to other model years. "This new service for users of Cummins engines builds on our commitment to open-architecture solutions that provide drivers and fleets with improved uptime," said Terry Kline, senior vice president and chief information officer, Navistar. "Many of our customers have mixed fleets, and thanks to this industry-leading innovation, customers will be able to program Cummins' engines without having to leave their own facilities." International was the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to introduce OTA programming of ECMs, according to the company. It first offered the service for trucks powered by its N9, N10 and N13 proprietary engines. "We are pleased to be working with International to provide users of our engines with the latest in over-the-air solutions," said Amy Boerger, vice president of sales for Cummins' North America Engine Business.