kscarbel2

Transport Engineer / October 13, 2015 Luton Borough Council is replacing its fleet of 26 RCVs (refuse collection vehicles) with new Euro-6 DAF CF 290 FAG 6x2 twin-steer rigids – 23 mid-steer and three rear-steer, all fitted with all fitted with Allison 3200 series fully-automatic gearboxes. All are 26-tonne gvw trucks with four-plus-one crew cab conversions by Esteppe, in the Netherlands, and all have been fitted with 21m³ Variopress rear-end loader bodywork and Rotary three bin lifters, from Faun Zoeller. They also have conventionally-mounted cabs, which fleet transport manager Simon Smith says provide improved visibility on collection rounds in narrow streets. “Our decision to use conventionally-mounted cabs goes against the norm of the more common low-entry option,” agrees Smith. “However, the normal height cab on the DAF allows the driver to set his truck with greater confidence when manoeuvring into tight spaces, while the crew-cab conversion still provides excellent accessibility for the crew,” he explains. “On the streets of Luton it’s a far better solution.” Ten DAF 26-tonne CF 6x2s have now been delivered into the Bedfordshire local authority with a further nine on programmed delivery before the end of the year and the remainder over the next two years. “DAF’s twin-steer configuration suits the weight distribution of a rear-end loader as the weight is heavily biased to the rear,” continues Smith. “The twin-steer set-up means excellent handling characteristics while at the same time reducing the risk of damage to the road surface when the vehicle has to make tight turns,” he adds. Smith also says that Euro 6 fuel economy has already shown an improvement over equivalent Euro-5 DAF trucks. “A benchmark fuel economy figure is very difficult to gauge,” he comments. “Refuse collection is a stop-start operation for up to eight hours a day and, though the truck is stationary, engine revs are often high while powering on-board equipment,” he continues. “[but] we have noticed that, overall, the Euro 6 models are using noticeably less fuel, and that’s come as quite a surprise.” .

Truck drivers could become an endangered species Memphis Business Journal / October 12, 2015 With the U.S. facing a truck driver shortage, industry experts discussed the possibility of truck drivers becoming an endangered species at the The Journal of Commerce Group’s 2015 Inland Distribution Conference Oct. 8. In its most recent report, the American Trucking Associations said the shortage of U.S. tractor trailer drivers has reached 48,000. A journalist, who has been covering trucking for more than 30 years; a truck driver, who has been on the road for more than 35 years; and the CEO of TeamOne Logistics came together to discuss how the logistics industry can address the shortage at Inland 2015. Allen Boyd, Wal-Mart Transportation Driver and America’s Road Team Captain, who has been on the road for 35 years with more than 3 million accident-free miles, said the industry needs to utilize the drivers who are already on the road by shortening their wait time at the dock. “If we can figure out how to keep that driver moving, the [shortage] numbers aren’t that big of a deal,” he said. Boyd said current truck drivers could be turning away from the profession out of frustration. “If my wheels don’t turn, I don’t get paid,” Boyd said. “I got a call from a friend of mine just the other day who waited a day and a half on a load and he didn’t get paid nothing.” Boyd said the industry needs to remember truck drivers are also dads, husbands and people who like to go home. “If I’m sitting at the dock even four, five, six, seven hours I’m looking at that as taking away time with my family,” he said. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of U.S. truck drivers peaked in 2007, then fell 13.4 percent from 2007 to 2010. Since the recession, that number has slowly recovered, growing 2.5 percent in 2014. Annual driver wages lag compared to the national average. Overall , truck drivers are paid just below $42,000 annually, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The driver wage gap peaked in 2013 and narrowed to 11.2 percent in 2014. Page Siplon, CEO, TeamOne Logistics, said the trucking industry is not doing the best with what is has in both veterans like Boyd and untapped millennials. While the average pay is lower than the national average, the typical age of a truck driver is much higher than the national average. Siplon said the industry is naive to think millennials are going to suddenly want to drive a truck. “We need to put processes in place that fit the needs of millennials who grew up using technology,” he said. “If you hand them paper logs they’ll that’s what my grandfather used. Where’s the iPad app?” William Cassidy, senior editor, Trucking, JOC.com, IHS Maritime & Trade, said a market flooded with unqualified drivers is also contributing to the shortage. For example, Progressive Transportation, the asset-based arm of Dallas-based third-party logistics company TTS, receives 5,000 applications a month, but can only hire 100 of those people, he said. “They don’t fit the qualifications set by that company, which are getting tighter all the time,” Cassidy said. There are moves companies can make that integrate truck drivers into company culture and make them a more integral part of the supply chain, Siplon said. Boyd said Wal-Mart has done an excellent job allowing drivers to communicate directly with customers and individual Walmart stores to address loading problems. “Involving drivers in everyday business makes them feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves,” he said.

Truck drivers wanted. Pay: $73,000 CNN Money / October 9, 2015 America needs a lot more truck drivers. There will be a shortage of nearly 50,000 truckers in the United States by the end of this year, according a new report by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). That's up from a shortage of 30,000 drivers just two years ago, and 20,000 drivers a decade ago. American businesses need truck drivers to move goods around. And not having enough of them affects daily deliveries of everything from essentials like food and gas to supermarkets and gas stations to online Amazon orders to people's homes. It's a job that cannot be shipped overseas and has the potential to drive the cost of goods higher and ultimately hurt the U.S. economy. No wonder businesses are willing to pay up for it. Trucker compensation has been going up 8% to 12% a year in recent years, according to Bob Costello, chief economist at the ATA. That's a lot higher than wages for the rest of Americans, which have barely budged recently. The median annual wage for a trucker that works for a private fleet, such as a truck driver employed by Walmart, is $73,000, according to ATA. The Labor Department pegs the median annual salary for all truck drivers at around $40,000. But it isn't an easy job to fill. There's 1.6 million truck drivers in America. Of those, about 750,000 are "for hire" truckers, meaning they work for a truck company that's hired by another company, such as a grocery chain, to deliver its product. These truckers are sometimes on the road for 10 days at a time before coming home, Costello says. At a time when work-life balance issues such as paid leave and flexible schedules are gaining spotlight in the American economy, trucking companies are challenged to recruit and retain workers. Add on an aging workforce and a lack of interest from young workers, and you've got a shortage. The median age of truckers is 49, according to ATA. The median age for all American workers is about 42, according to Labor Department. Costello admits that the industry is having the toughest time retaining young workers. Trucking companies also have a tough time recruiting women, who have become a larger part of the workforce than in previous generations. Women make up 47% of the total U.S. workforce, yet only 6% of all truck drivers are women, according data from the Labor Department and ATA. To qualify, truckers have to be 21, they must a commercial trucking license and pass a background check and drug test. Those requirements haven't changed in years, experts say. However, what's changed is that there are fewer people willing to be on the road for days at a time and put in the long hours that the truck-driving lifestyle demands. "They're having a very difficult time being able to recruit or retain [young] drivers," says Charlie Myers, vice president of Trucker Path, an app for the trucking industry.

Owner/Driver / October 14, 2015 The US truck driver shortage is tipped to become significantly worse within 10 years and bring with it economic disruption unless steps are taken to address the issue. A new report from the American Trucking Association (ATA) paints a bleak reality confronting US trucking operators and the broader economy due to a dearth of drivers. It expects the shortage to peak at 47,500 by the end of the year – up from 38,000 in 2014 – and to balloon to more than 175,000 within the next 10 years. "Looking ahead to 2016, if the economy picks up slightly, like we expect, the shortage could quickly jump by 26,000 to 73,500. If nothing changes in the trend line by 2024, the shortage could be as high as 174,500," the ATA’s report says. "We are not saying that the shortage will reach that level; instead, this is more of a warning to the industry and the broader supply chain of what could happen if things don’t change. "If the trend stays on course, there will likely be severe supply chain disruptions resulting in significant shipping delays, higher inventory carrying costs, and perhaps shortages at stores." The report estimates the industry will need to hire a total of 890,000 new drivers over the next decade, or an average of 89,000 per year. Most of those will be to replace retiring drivers, with the ATA saying they will account for 45 per cent of new hires. The second largest factor (33 per cent) will be due to industry growth. Trucks are responsible for almost 70 per cent of all freight moved in the US, so the ATA says it is unlikely different transport modes could be used to offset the driver shortage. SOLUTIONS TO THE SHORTAGE The report recommends a number of measures to attract and retain drivers, including pay increases, more at-home time and better treatment from the supply chain. "Compounding the already difficult lifestyle, drivers often complain of mistreatment at shipping and receiving facilities. Complaints range from restricting access to restrooms to having to wait extended periods of time before the trailer is loaded or unloaded," the ATA says. "Improving the experience for drivers at drop-off and pickup locations would provide for a more attractive career choice. All companies in the supply chain, including trucking companies, shippers, and receivers, need to treat drivers with the respect that they deserve." The report goes on to suggest a change to the age limit on people driving trucks across state borders. "Interstate driving currently has an age minimum of 21. The 18-20 year old segment has the highest rate of unemployment of any age group, yet this is an entire segment that the industry cannot access," it says. "Often, these individuals obtain employment in construction or the service industry as they can start their careers at a younger age." Trucking also needs to do more to boost the number of women working in the industry. While females make up 47 per cent of the US workforce, the ATA says they comprise only 6 per cent of truck drivers. It adds that autonomous trucks may in future be an effective means of addressing driver shortages, but has warned that driverless trucks on the highway are still many years away and companies "should not count on this being an option for some time". A shortage of numbers is not the only problem, however, with companies reporting there is a lack of quality drivers to choose from. "An important thing we learned in this analysis is that this isn’t strictly a numbers problem, it is a quality problem too," ATA chief economist Bob Costello says. "Fleets consistently report receiving applications for open positions, but that many of those candidates do not meet the criteria to be hired. According our research, 88 percent of carriers said most applicants are not qualified." The report says many companies are highly selective when it comes to hiring drivers and have strict conditions relating to driving history and experience.

Mesilla Valley to Equip Allison TC10 on a Third of Its Fleet Heavy Duty Trucking / October 13, 2015 Mesilla Valley Transport will equip its 2015-2016 Class 8 truck purchases with Allison’s TC10 automatic transmission, the carrier announced. After conducting comparisons of manual, automated-manual and automatic transmissions, Mesilla made the decision to go with the 10-speed Allison transmission. With Mesilla’s latest order, around a third of its 1,200-truck fleet will be equipped with the TC10 by the end of 2016. Allison is a big player in the medium-duty truck market and the TC10 was designed specifically for the Class 8 metro market in 2013. However, this move may show that over-the-road fleets are looking at the automatic transmission as a viable option as well, according to one market analyst who called the announcement a “meaningful win for Allison.” “It demonstrates the TC10, perhaps the company’s most viable new market growth opportunity, is having success—especially considering MVT does not fit neatly into Allison’s target “Metro” market,” said Michael Baudendistel of investment advisory firm Stifel in an email to investors. Mesilla had an eye toward fuel efficiency when it decided to go with the TC10 and saw an improvement of 3.5% compared with the rest of its fleet and saw several trucks achieve double-digit mpg in testing. "We pride ourselves in making our equipment as fuel efficient as possible," said Royal Jones, co-founder, CEO, president and majority owner of MVT. International recently expanded its Allison TC10 offering by coupling the transmission with the Cummins ISX15 on the ProStar by the end of the year. It also offers the transmission on ProStar and TranStar trucks powered by the N13 engine. Mesilla Valley Transportation is a New Mexico-based transportation provider that serves the Southwest. The company specializes in dry freight and has a fleet of over 1,200 trucks and 5,000 trailers.

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34267-macks-v8-powered-c-series-comin-on-strong/

Nice, but this is a proper long wheelbase Patrol. .

Thank you Vlad. North Korea probably assembled their trucks from imported SKD or CKD kits (semi-knocked down or completely knocked down). Nice models of the Chinese CA10, the license-built ZiS-150, which itself was a copy of the International Harvester 2-1/2 ton K-7 (not the 5-ton KR-11) supplied to the Soviet Union during the war under the Lend-Lease Program. .

Vlad, North Korea's ZIL-130 4x2s and ZIL-131 6x6s that we saw in the parade last week appear fairly new. My understanding is ZIL produced them from 1962 to 1994, and then (AMUR) Ural took over production from 1995, designating them UamZ-43140 and AMUR-531340 ??. Is Ural, now a GAZ Group subsidiary, still producing them today? .

CAT Trucks Australia / Navistar Auspac Press Release / October 12, 2015 Fuel savings “incredible” for regional truck operator Of the many things that impress regional NSW truck operator Kevin Munro about his Cat CT630 model, it’s actually the monthly fuel bill which impresses most. Not because he enjoys paying fuel bills but simply because the bills are so much better than before. “From the day the Cat started work, our monthly fuel bills have been at least five hundred dollars less than the cab-over we ran before,” says a resolute Kevin Munro. “That’s an incredible saving in a business like ours. “When we first bought the Cat I thought we might be a little better on fuel but I never imagined it would be this much better. “On top of that, the Cat’s half a tonne lighter.” Based in the central New South Wales (NSW) city of Dubbo, Kevin and wife Lea own and operate Macquarie Valley Transport, servicing the transport needs of a diverse customer base scattered among the distant communities and sprawling farmlands of western and north-west New South Wales. In between calls from customers and freight agents, Lea Munro explains growth has come steadily since buying the business 20 years ago. “There wasn’t much to it when we bought it,” she recalls. “Just two small Japanese trucks picking up and delivering small loads in Dubbo and towns around the region. But we quickly changed the name to Macquarie Valley Transport because it reflects where we’re from and also puts our own stamp on the business. “We’re not a big operation by any means but we are totally dedicated to the business and our customers. “Like any transport business it has its commercial pressures and when it’s all boiled down, service and reliability are the things that have kept it going.” “We don’t let people down,” Kevin adds emphatically. “Reliability is everything and in this business we have to be able to do a job on short notice. Sometimes very short notice. “We run hand-in-hand with the ups and downs of the rural industry,” he continues. “Much of what we do revolves around the cotton industry and broad-acre farming so when rain and drought have a big impact on farmers, they also have a direct impact on our workloads. “Good times and bad, you still need to be reliable and people get to trust that reliability, particularly when things are tough. That’s where good equipment is such an important asset because you know it’ll get the job done.” Loads range from Lea picking up and delivering parcel freight to Dubbo businesses in a utility, to a driver in a six-tonne truck carrying larger items around the local area and outlying towns. Meantime, Kevin remains at the helm of the Cat CT630 coupled to a three-axle dog trailer hauling the vast array of products required by rural communities and businesses as distant as Broken Hill to the west and Moree to the north. Critically, the company is a licenced dangerous goods carrier and along with a wide range of chemical products, the Cat primarily hauls farm machinery, fencing equipment, seed and livestock feed products. Operating under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme with Performance-based Standards (PBS) approval, Kevin insists the truck regularly works at maximum gross weight. “The truck and dog trailer combination is definitely an asset,” he remarks, citing several significant advantages over a semi-trailer configuration, not least the ability to segregate chemicals from other products and the flexibility to operate as a rigid truck when load volumes are down. “With the Cat’s tight turning circle, the truck and dog is also a lot more manoeuvrable than a semi-trailer,” he adds. “In fact the turning circle is even better than the cab-over we had before.” Replacing a high profile cab-over brand which they had bought new five years earlier, Kevin and Lea took delivery of the Cat CT630 extended cab model late in 2014 from Dubbo Cat dealer WesTrac. Keen to support local Dubbo businesses, the Cat started its working life with a new curtain-sided body supplied by DND Welding and matching curtain-sided dog trailer from Express Engineering. On the decision to choose a Cat truck over all other contenders, an adamant Kevin Munro said there were many enticing factors. For starters, “I’d driven trucks with Cat engines years ago and their performance always impressed me, so when Cat trucks came on the market I was immediately interested. “There was something of a gut feeling about it. I liked the look of the truck from the start and all the reports I read were generally very positive. There was certainly nothing to suggest I shouldn’t do it,” he enthused. However, it was a visit to the Cat stand at the 2013 Brisbane Truck Show and subsequent discussions with WesTrac personnel which ultimately convinced Kevin Munro that Cat should be his next new truck. Now a year after taking delivery, Kevin is unequivocally convinced. “It was the right decision. Definitely!” Again he cites fuel economy as the single-most impressive benefit but concedes that actual fuel figures are not the prime indicator of the Cat’s greater efficiency. “In this business things can change from day to day. One day you’re running as a truck and dog at top weight, then the next day you’re running as a rigid, so I don’t really bother looking at how many kilometres per litre the truck is using,” Kevin explains. “What counts is the fuel bill at the end of the month and like I said, every month we’re consistently five hundred dollars or more ahead of where we were with the previous truck doing exactly the same work. And at the end of the day, that’s money in the bank for us.” He agrees the streamlined contours of the Cat conventional undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on overall fuel economy but likewise, he believes the strong performance and fierce determination of Cat’s tireless C15 engine play a vital role in keeping fuel costs under control. “It’s an engine that just does the job so easy and the way I see it, that has to be a positive when it comes to getting good fuel economy,” Kevin contends. Yet he is quick to add that fuel efficiency is not the only feature which keeps him well satisfied with the Cat. “Some of the roads out here leave a lot to be desired and it’s not unusual to get onto rough farm tracks but there are absolutely no rattles or squeaks in the cab. It doesn’t seem to matter what sort of road you’re on, the comfort and ride of the Cat are good. Really good, and the steering and handling are excellent as far as I’m concerned,” Kevin comments. Although he’s home most nights, there are occasions when longer runs necessitate a night in the bunk and he rates the extended cab of the CT630 as, “Ideal for this job. It’s comfortable and I don’t have any trouble getting a good night’s sleep. It’s actually perfect for what I want.” Kevin also offers high praise for the standards of customer support from WesTrac’s Dubbo facility, listing the company’s widespread service outlets in regional NSW as an important factor in the decision to choose Cat above all other truck brands. “I know help is never too far away if I need it,” he says thoughtfully. “Nothing seems to be a problem and I can honestly say the level of service has been great. There was one small issue early and WesTrac jumped on it straightaway. I certainly have no complaints about the service or the cost. “WesTrac does all the service work on the truck and it’s a lot cheaper than what I was paying with our other truck. “There’s not much more I can really say about it except that I’ve had a few people ask me how the Cat’s going and would I make the same choice again. “All I can tell them is the truth that the truck’s performing really well, it’s great on fuel and there are no complaints about the service and support from WesTrac (http://www.westrac.com.au/Industries/Pages/Highway_Truck.aspx). “So would I make the same choice again? “Absolutely. It’s an easy truck to like,” Kevin Munro concludes. Picture gallery - http://www.cattrucks.com.au/cat-provides-big-benefits-for-small-business/

Prime Mover Magazine / October 12, 2015 With grain harvest season around the corner, Transport for New South Wales (NSW) (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/) has urged motorists and freight operators to be on high alert, particularly around level crossings (railroad crossings). “Grain harvest season in NSW starts in the state’s north in October and extends south until early 2016,” said Bernard Carlon, Acting Executive Director, Centre for Road Safety. “There is increased truck and farming machinery on our roads moving produce to where it needs to go during this period.” According to the State’s transport body, driver fatigue will be one of the biggest threats on the road. “Fatigue is a common factor in rural crashes, so drivers need to plan their rest and be aware of any signs that they might be tired,” Carlon said. “Heavy and long vehicles require longer distances to slow down - some trains can take up to 14 rugby fields to stop and can’t swerve to avoid a pedestrian or a motorist who has ignored the level crossing controls, so we need all road users to pay attention and obey the rules.” One of the initiatives Transport for NSW has funded to improve level crossing safety is the Level Crossing Improvement Program, which the State Government has allocated $29.2 million, approximately $7.3 million a year. The program provides funding to accelerate engineering safety improvements to level crossings at priority sites across NSW, raise community awareness of level crossing safety issues, support police enforcement initiatives, and promote new technology to improve level crossing safety. In partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, NSW works with industry and provides guidance material on how to comply with the law. NSW has also invested in compliance infrastructure to reduce the risk of unsafe heavy vehicle operations - from systematic fatigue monitoring through the Safe-T-Cam system to the statewide network of Heavy Vehicle Safety Stations.

Heavy Duty Trucking / October 12, 2015 A Kenworth T680 will be transporting the 51st U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree this year, stopping at 10 community celebrations en route to the tree-lighting event in Washington D.C. In advance of the tree-cutting ceremony on Oct. 27, Kenworth released a distinctive decal for the T680 showcasing several design details referencing the journey of the tree. The decal features the Chugach Mountains and the U.S. Capitol with the words “From the Northern Lights to the Capitol Lights.” The decal also includes the official seal of the 2015 capitol Christmas tree with a map of the tour route it will take from on the way to Washington D.C. This year’s Capitol Christmas Tree is a 74-foot Lutz spruce that will be shipped from Anchorage, Alaska to the Port of Tacoma in Washington. Lynden Transport driver, John Schank, will take the tree from Seattle on a 3,000 mile journey to the Capitol pulling a specially designed trailer. The T680 is a 76-inch mid-roof sleeper equipped with a 485 horsepower Paccar MX-13 engine. “The tour of ‘The People’s Tree’ offers millions of Americans an opportunity to see our nation’s symbol of celebration,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “The Kenworth T680 mid-roof 76-inch sleeper offers the perfect spec’d truck to complete this important tour.” The tour will include a stop at Kenworth’s Chillicothe, Ohio plant where the truck was built and will include community event in Chillicothe on Nov. 17. For more information on the Capitol Christmas Tree, click here. The tree’s progress can also be tracked along its journey, here. Related reading - http://www.kenworth.com/media/52555/t680-design-us-capitol-christmas-tree.pdf .

I always preferred the 22MO349, much more attractive than the later short-lived lamp. Did Watts check the Volvo PDCs (parts distribution center) and do a dealer locator check?

Father murders 22-month-old son, intentionally leaves him in hot car Reuters / October 12, 2015 A Georgia man charged with killing his 22-month-old son sent an online message saying: "I love my son and all but we both need escapes," just hours before his child was found dead in the back seat of a hot car, according to court testimony on Monday. Prosecutors said the message to a woman and other online chats established motive in the murder case of Ross Harris, 34, who was charged after authorities said he left his son, Cooper, in a car for seven hours in June 2014. "It can’t be more apparent than in his own words,” Assistant District Attorney Chuck Boring told a Cobb County judge. “He loved his son and all but they both needed escapes.” Harris was a self-described “sex addict,” the prosecutor said, adding the death of his son would have helped further his ability to have extramarital affairs. Harris' attorneys argued his online affairs had nothing to do with the toddler's death and sought to have "sexting" charges against Harris separated from the murder case. Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley rejected that motion on Monday, finding that Harris’ texts and emails with women other than his wife could help prosecutors establish motive and his state of mind before the death. Cobb County police detective Phil Stoddard testified that Harris was having breakfast with his son on the day of the toddler's death when Harris sent the "escapes" message to a woman who had posted online that she hated having children. Harris also said he missed “having time to myself and going out with my friends,” the detective said. Harris told police he forgot to drop his son off at daycare on his way to work and discovered the child after he left the office that afternoon. Harris' attorney, Maddox Kilgore, has called Cooper's death a "horrible and gut-wrenching accident." Prosecutors have said Harris killed the toddler so he could live a "child-free" life. On Monday, Staley also refused to dismiss an indictment against Harris on a charge of attempting to sexually exploit a minor by trying to convince her to send him pictures of her genitals. The judge set a trial date for Feb. 22. .

The 60 Minutes interview between President Obama and reporter Steve Kroft. Kroft challenged Obama's strategies in Syria and against ISIS, accusing the president of embarrassing failures and a lack of leadership. Steve Kroft: The last time we talked was this time last year, and the situation in Syria and Iraq had begun to worsen vis-à-vis ISIS. You had just unveiled a plan to provide air support for troops in Iraq, and also some air strikes in Syria, and the training and equipping of a moderate Syrian force. You said that this would degrade and eventually destroy ISIS. President Obama: Over time. Steve Kroft: Over time. It's been a year, and-- President Obama: I didn't say it was going to be done in a year. Steve Kroft: No. But you said...... President Obama: There's a question in here somewhere. Kroft was pressing Obama on the administration's timetable and successes so far against ISIS, at one point describing a now-scuttled Pentagon plan to train and equip anti-Islamic State fighters as an 'embarrassment.' The White House announced Friday that it is pausing the train-and-arm plan after it was revealed last month to a Senate committee that instead of an initial goal of 5,000 fighters, the U.S. military now only has four or five still on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria. Steve Kroft: If you were skeptical of the program to find and identify, train and equip moderate Syrians, why did you go through the program? President Obama: Well, because part of what we have to do here, Steve, is to try different things. Because we also have partners on the ground that are invested and interested in seeing some sort of resolution to this problem. And-- Steve Kroft: And they wanted you to do it? President Obama: Well, no. That's not what I said. I think it is important for us to make sure that we explore all the various options that are available. Steve Kroft: I know you don't want to talk about this. President Obama: No, I'm happy to talk about it. Steve Kroft: I want to talk about the-- this program, because it would seem to show, I mean, if you expect 5,000 and you get five, it shows that somebody someplace along the line did not-- made-- you know, some sort of a serious miscalculation. President Obama: You know, the-- the-- Steve, let me just say this. Steve Kroft: It's an embarrassment.

Where was the love for country in our elected officials when the U.S. Department of Justice on December 18, 2000 approved the sale of American icon Mack Trucks to Sweden's Volvo Group in 2000? An oxymoron, the American flag flying beside the sign of a conquering foreign company.

So we air-dropped 112 pallets of ammunition (50 tons) to Syrian rebels last night. I wonder now how much they've already handed over to ISIS. ISIS appears to be delighted with the U.S.-purchased Toyota pickup trucks that the Syrian rebels presented them with. This latest development, coming days after the CIA claims to have abandoned a $500 million plan to train thousands of "moderate" rebels to fight ISIS (If you know how to determine if a Syrian rebel is a "moderate" rather than a radical, call the CIA suggestion line at 1-800-CIA-HELP). Washington criticizes the Russians for mounting air attacks. Then the next day, we bomb a Doctors-Without-Borders hospital and kill 20 people. They'd reported their GPS location week-after-week. We knew. After the attack began, they called the US government both locally and in Washington. But the attack continued. Go figure

Apparently, the ACLU supports illegal activities in these United States including illegal immigration. The ACLU should be designated an illegal organization and banned. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pennsylvania city must pay $1.4 million legal fees for targeting illegal immigrants Reuters / October 7, 2015 The mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania on Wednesday said the city will seek a ten-year payment plan after being ordered by a court to pay $1.4 million to lawyers who sued the city over a 2006 ordinance targeting illegal immigrants. Mayor Joseph Yannuzzi said that if agreed to by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other plaintiff lawyers, the payment plan would allow the city of 25,340 to avoid the tax hikes and layoffs it would otherwise need in order to pay the legal fees. "We lost, so we had to pay. But it was not a wasted cause. We thought we were right," Yannuzzi said. U.S. District Judge James Munley issued his ruling about the fees late on Tuesday. In 2006, Hazleton's City Council, at the prodding of then-mayor Lou Barletta, passed an ordinance barring local businesses from hiring illegal immigrants and landlords from renting housing to them. Barletta is now a U.S. Representative. The ACLU and others sued. The subsequent court battle lasted eight years, with appeals going twice to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The city was unable to get past rulings that immigration control was a matter for the federal government. ACLU lawyers originally asked for $2.8 million in legal fees. But Judge Munley cut that amount by half because the lawyers did not prevail on all their claims. Munley rejected a 14-year payment plan proposed by Hazleton's lawyer, Kris Kobach, a national activist against illegal immigration who is also the Republican Secretary of State of Kansas. Kobach did not respond to a request for comment. Omar Jadwat, one of the ACLU lawyers, said the lawyers are committed to finding a payment plan for Hazleton "that works." Yannuzzi said he did not believe the city would appeal. The court set a Jan. 15 deadline to work out a payment agreement.

Navistar Press Release / October 1, 2015 International Truck today announced that it will be introducing the Allison TC10 fully automatic transmission coupled with the Cummins ISX15 on its International ProStar model. The engine/transmission combination—an industry first— will be available for order beginning in December 2015 with expected delivery dates of early 2016. "The introduction of the TC10/ISX15 combination on the International ProStar is another example of how we are bringing industry-leading solutions to the market quickly for our customers," said Jeff Sass, Navistar senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. "The quality and performance of the International ProStar, coupled with the integrated Allison TC10 transmission/Cummins ISX15 engine combination, will deliver the uptime and fuel efficiency our customers demand." The Allison TC10, offered with 10 forward speeds and two reverse, uses a patented torque converter and full power shifts to deliver superior performance and productivity when compared to automated manual transmissions. The premium transmission is ideal for tractor applications and is extremely well-suited for distribution applications where the tractor-trailer splits its work cycle between city and highway conditions. "With the TC10, Allison has been able to bring its reputation for smooth vehicle drivability along with transmission reliability and performance to the Class 8 tractor market," said Heidi Schutte, executive director of North America sales for Allison Transmission. "The TC10 maximizes powertrain fuel efficiency while achieving and maintaining highway cruising speeds to save both time and money." First introduced in 2014 on International ProStar and International TranStar powered by N13, the Allison TC10 is the first fully automatic transmission for the Class 8 on-highway segment. The TC10 transmission's unique design utilizes a blended architecture with full-power shifts, a torque converter and a twin countershaft gear box. "We set very aggressive performance and fuel economy targets for the TC10," said Randy Kirk, senior vice president of engineering and product teams for Allison Transmission. "We're proud to see the TC10 exceeding those expectations with significant fuel economy gains when compared to fleet averages with other transmission technologies." The Allison TC10 comes equipped with Allison's newest generation of electronic controls and FuelSense® technology which provide superior fuel economy features, prognostics to eliminate unnecessary oil and filter changes and enhanced shift selector functionality. A standard five-year or 750,000 mile warranty is also included. More information about the TC10, including customer testimonials, is available at allisontransmission.com/tc10.

Bloomberg / October 7, 2015 A noisy yellow machine laying down railroad track near Alva, Oklahoma -- as much as a mile a day of concrete and steel -- is Warren Buffett’s solution to the industry’s dwindling coal traffic. After this year, BNSF Railway Co. will be more than 99 percent finished with a second, parallel line to its 2,200-mile (3,500-kilometer) Los Angeles-to-Chicago route. Doubling up will create a rail superhighway speeding deliveries of toys, electronics, autos and other goods, because trains won’t have to yield to each other on sidings as they do on single tracks. The goal: help the unit of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. grab cargo now going by road. “If the rails can improve the reliability of the transit time,” shipping consultant Satish Jindel said, “it helps them compete with the trucks.” Snatching consumer products and other freight from big rigs is more crucial than ever. Coal, once a pillar of U.S. rail traffic, is fading as utilities burn cheaper and cleaner natural gas. Average weekly carloads are down 20 percent from five years earlier. Viable Option The Los Angeles-to-Chicago route links the busiest U.S. container port to the biggest mid-continent rail hub, giving BNSF a leg up in the race to find alternatives to those dwindling coal cars. And there’s room to grow: consultant FTR Transportation Intelligence estimates that trains now move only about 19 percent of the 71 million trailer loads that travel 550 miles or more, a rough threshold for where rail becomes an viable option. “We have significant opportunities to convert” truck cargo to rail, said Katie Farmer, chief of BNSF’s consumer group. “We’ve really narrowed the gap now between what was traditionally rail service and over-the-road trucking.” That’s where the dual tracks come in. More and longer trains can be run on two tracks than on a single line. Once the double-tracked section in Oklahoma is completed at the end of October, BNSF will have just seven more miles of line to build -- involving three costly bridges -- and will be able to run 78 trains a day in that region, up from 62 now. Faster Speeds With no need to pull over, they can also go faster. A BNSF train laden with truck trailers now can make the Los Angeles-Chicago run in 64 hours, said consultant Jindel. Completing the twin-tracking will shave off as much as three hours, he said. XPO Logistics Inc., an arranger of shipments for customers such as Costco Wholesale Corp., figures that about a third of the long-haul freight that it now sends by truck is a candidate to switch to train, Chief Strategy Officer Scott Malat said. If that rule of thumb were applied across the industry, there could be more than $100 billion of business up for grabs by railroads, he said. “Rails have realized that, and that’s one of the main reasons they’ve been investing so much in their capacity, service and efficiency,” Malat said. Direct Shot In the eastern U.S., CSX Corp. is reconstructing a Washington tunnel with twin tracks and enough height to handle two containers stacked atop one another. In the west, Union Pacific Corp. is laying a second track on its 760-mile line between Los Angeles and El Pa so, Texas. It has about 150 miles to go. Buffett’s railroad has a key advantage over Union Pacific: the most direct shot between Chicago and Los Angeles, where the region’s two ports handle about 40 percent of U.S. imports shipped in containers. Those boxes, holding finished goods like shoes, furniture and auto parts, leave ships to be hoisted onto trains or trucks. Railroads are already winning more of this so-called intermodal business. Rail shipments of containers grew 15 percent over the last decade while other cargoes, such as coal and chemicals, dropped 11 percent. Intermodal traffic is up 2.3 percent in 2015, the Association of American Railroads said Wednesday. But persuading shippers to switch still isn’t easy. While it’s cheaper to send freight by rail, it takes longer. The cost of transferring containers to trains and then back to trucks for final delivery makes it difficult to compete on trips of less than 550 miles, said Larry Gross, a partner at FTR Transportation Intelligence. Trucks are more punctual and flexible. This is why Tiera Adams’s job in Oklahoma is crucial for BNSF. Sporting an orange vest, white hardhat and a two-way radio on her hip, the 25-year-old is project manager for the 10-mile stretch of new line going in alongside the Southern Transcon route, which was completed in the early 1900s to bypass steep mountains in northern New Mexico. Adams, tramping along on foot behind the clanking track layer and dispensing instructions, revels in taking out the bottleneck in the midst of the farmland outside Alva. “You see the fruits of your labor when they start running the trains double once you’re done,” Adams said.

Los Angeles Times / October 11, 2015 At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. The brand-new diesel truck is among the cleanest on the road, the engineers at the California Air Resources Board testing lab say. Even so, its 550-horsepower engine spews out more than 20 times the smog-forming nitrogen oxides of a typical gasoline-powered car — and that won't be good enough for the state to meet stricter federal smog limits adopted this month. Cutting ozone, the lung-damaging gas in smog, to federal health standards while meeting state targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions will require a radical transformation of California's transportation sector over the next two decades, air quality officials and experts say. Millions of new electric cars must replace gasoline-powered models. Buses will have to run on hydrogen fuel cells. New technologies and cleaner fuels need to proliferate quickly to slash pollution from trucks, cargo ships and trains. "We have to go to zero tailpipe emissions," said Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. "There's really no other solution." The changes will fall heavily on vehicles because they are the dominant source of air pollution in California. The largest reductions must come from the heavy-duty sector that transports goods through ports, freeways, rail yards and warehouses. The diesel-powered freight system emits 45% of the smog-forming pollution in the state and lags behind passenger vehicles, which have reduced tailpipe emissions dramatically over 50 years of smog-fighting regulations. The transition is beginning with automobiles. A 2012 Air Resources Board mandate aims to put 1.4 million zero-emissions vehicles on the road by 2025 and requires them to account for one in seven new car sales by that year. In one scenario under consideration by the agency, the number of electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles would increase to 5 million and 40% of new car sales by 2030. About 160,000 zero-emissions vehicles are on the road today in California — just 0.5% of the passenger fleet. To reach air quality and climate change targets, technology being pioneered in cars must eventually be scaled up to trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. In July, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order directing state agencies to establish "clear targets" to transition California's freight system to "zero-emission technologies." That won't be easy, state regulators say. But one advantage for California is that it can lean on many of the same efforts needed to meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Those carbon-cutting policies should simultaneously reduce levels of ozone, fine-particle pollution and cancer-causing diesel soot. Some of those measures are outlined in a recent Air Resources Board report that projects California can reduce transportation-related pollution to meet air quality and climate change targets over the next 15 years with cleaner fuels, vehicles and energy sources. For heavy-duty vehicles, diesel engines will continue to dominate through 2030, the report says, but under even tougher emissions rules. "While today's trucks are significantly cleaner than their predecessors, we'll need new engine standards that are about 90% cleaner," said Karen Magliano, chief of the air quality planning and science division at the Air Resources Board. Chris Shimoda, policy director for the California Trucking Assn., acknowledged the industry "is way behind light-duty cars in terms of the introduction of zero-emissions technology." That's in part because the because the state Air Resources Board has not yet adopted zero-emissions requirements for freight, Shimoda said. But heavy-duty trucks also face higher technological hurdles and "the engineering challenges of trying to get a battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell truck that can haul 80,000 pounds across the country." "It's going to take time to introduce that technology," Shimoda said. A key driver of the changes is the nation's worst ozone pollution in Southern California, which can reach over 100 parts per billion in inland valleys. Ozone, linked to asthma, heart disease and premature deaths, is formed when pollution from motor vehicles, power plants and other combustion sources cooks in the heat and sunlight. Though air quality has improved markedly in California, the smoggiest regions — the South Coast basin and the San Joaquin Valley — have so far failed to meet a series of federal ozone standards going back to 1979. Regional air quality regulators say they must cut smog-forming nitrogen oxides at least 75% beyond existing regulations to meet a 2037 deadline to clean the air to the new federal ozone limit of 70 parts per billion. Environmentalists say Southern California officials are not acting quickly enough. The obstacles are so great that air regulators and transportation planners "have to get a lot more aggressive," said Adrian Martinez, an attorney for the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice. Martinez wants to see zero-emissions lanes on freeways and electrified corridors for trucks hauling cargo in and out of the ports. "We need to get this stuff going now because these projects take decades," he said. Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, is optimistic that the region can meet ozone standards through improvements in diesel engines and new technology, such as hybrid trucks powered by overhead catenary wires. "We shouldn't underestimate ingenuity and ability to continue to further reduce emissions," Wallerstein said. When pressed on the Southland's failure to meet previous air quality standards, he said, "we need to pick up the pace." Wringing enough pollution out of trucks and other cargo-moving vehicles to get Southern California's ozone levels down to 70 ppb will require a "paradigm shift" to battery-electric and fuel cell technology, said Scott Samuelsen, an engineering professor who directs the Advanced Power and Energy Program at UC Irvine. The key question, he said, "is how to make an economically viable transition of a freight industry that's evolved with diesel engines." Some of those changes can be seen at the Port of Long Beach, where crews have finished building the first half of a $1.5-billion terminal that unloads, stacks and sorts shipping containers using electric cranes and driverless, battery-powered vehicles instead of diesel-burning yard tractors. "We're looking to expand use of electricity," said Art Wong, a spokesman for the port. "This terminal is going to be the first." Back in downtown L.A., where the Air Resources Board is testing heavy-duty trucks, lab manager Keshav Sahay put the difficult task ahead in simple terms: "We have to do more."