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Owner/Driver / September 24, 2015 Electronic work diaries (electronic logging) could potentially expose rural truck drivers to significant fines due to the daily challenges they face, a Queensland Government MP (Member of Parliament) has warned. Jim Pearce believes the diaries may not fit in well with the realities of rural trucking, which can involve flooded roads and long trips between rest areas on a regular basis. The Queensland Government last week passed legislation permitting the use of the diaries. The devices record compliance with rest and work requirements in one-minute intervals, which Pearce believes may be a serious problem for rural drivers. "While this technology is important to best practice heavy vehicle movements, I am having trouble working out what the impact will be on heavy vehicle users in regional and rural Queensland where there are long distances between approved parking areas where a driver can stop for a period of time and meet the requirements of a rest period," Pearce says. "It concerns me that you can have seasonal conditions which could mean that a driver has to enter areas where roads are flooded or are about to be flooded." Pearce, whose electorate of Mirani spans Mackay to Rockhampton and takes in mining towns and the state’s sugar industry, says drivers entering flooded areas may face 40 minute delays. He adds that a lack of rest areas means drivers may need to travel more kilometres than permitted to find a suitable spot to pull over. "You would not want the law enforcers out there taking advantage of drivers who are trying to do the right thing, trying to meet all the requirements but for other reasons are unable to stop driving when they are supposed to," he says. "I remain somewhat concerned that drivers may be dealt with harshly because they have made a common-sense decision to go that extra mile in the interest of being able to continue the trip at a later time or to find a safe area to pull off the road." Queensland transport minister Jackie Trad says there is a measure in place for drivers who cannot pull over when required to rest. "I can confirm absolutely to the member for Mirani that, under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, if there is nowhere safe for drivers of a heavy vehicle to pull up and rest there will be a defence for short rest break offences," Trad says. It means a driver who cannot find somewhere to take a short rest when required can take the break at the next suitable location as long as it is within 45 minutes travelling distance. Although policy makers have stressed that the diaries, when introduced, will be voluntary, Pearce believes governments will eventually make them mandatory. "I have a little bet that sometime into the future when they see that it is working it will probably be made compulsory. It is good that we are not looking to do that until it has been proven," he says. Pearce’s fellow Queensland MP Ian Rickuss has echoed similar concerns about truck drivers being penalised for minor fatigue management offences. Trad says EWDs will help the trucking industry meet its fatigue management obligations while helping reduce red tape. .

If they want to be devout Muslims, they’re best off living in their Muslim country of origin. Want to live in the United States? Then renounce the Sharia Law, swear to place the U.S. Constitution above your religion and subjugate to the American way of life. If unwilling to become an American, well, the taxi outside can drop you off at the airport.

Migrants are disguising themselves as Syrians Refugees to enter Europe The Washington Post / September 23, 2015 Moving among the tens of thousands of Syrian war refugees passing through the train stations of Europe are many who are neither Syrian nor refugees, but hoping to blend into the mass migration and find a back door to the West. There are well-dressed Iranians speaking Farsi who insist they are members of the persecuted Yazidis of Iraq. There are Indians who don’t speak Arabic but say they are from Damascus. There are Pakistanis, Albanians, Egyptians, Kosovars, Somalis and Tunisians from countries with plenty of poverty and violence, but no war. It should come as no surprise that many migrants seem to be pretending they are someone else. The prize, after all, is the possibility of benefits, residency and work in Europe. Leaders in Germany and other European states say they are prepared to award asylum to legitimate refugees from countries such as Syria, Iraq and Eritrea, but they are issuing more strident warnings that they will reject many of the economic migrants streaming over their borders. “What we see here has nothing to do with seeking refuge and safety,” Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said Monday. “It is nothing but opportunism.” Many of the asylum seekers tell journalists and aid workers that they are from Syria, even if they are not, under the assumption that a Syrian shoemaker fleeing bombed-out Aleppo will be welcome, while a computer programmer from Kosovo will not be. It is common knowledge on the migratory route that some who are not from Syria shred their real passports in Turkey and simply fake it. A couple of reporters, one a native Arabic speaker, who wandered through train stations in Vienna found plenty of newcomers whose accents did not match their stories and whose stories did not make sense. Swimming in the river of humanity are shady characters, too, admitted criminals, Islamic State sympathizers and a couple of guys from Fallujah, one with a fresh bullet wound, who when asked their occupation seemed confused. “Army,” said one. His friend corrected him. “We’re all drivers,” he said. The refugees report that a forged Syrian passport can be bought on the Turkish border for as little as $200. A reporter for Britain’s Daily Mail bought a Syrian passport, ID card and driver’s license for $2,000 in Turkey under the name of a real man who was killed in the conflict. An Austrian security official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there are also thriving black markets for Syrian passports in Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and Austria. But most are arriving in Vienna without ever having shown a passport or document to officials, as long as they travel in the stream of asylum seekers. Authorities along the way may ask for names and countries of origin, but they are not scrutinizing documents. Opportunists can easily pass through borders simply claiming to be Syrians, often without offering any proof. There are enough pretenders that true Syrians complain about ersatz Syrians. Syrian war refugees said Europe offered a welcome to them but that opportunists will quickly wear out the continent’s welcome, if they haven’t already. “Look at these people, what are they doing here? We are the ones who are fleeing from war and slaughter, and now these men are taking away our space,” said Mustafa, 62, from Syria. He had stopped to help a woman who had fainted, letting a group of Afghans use the opportunity to cut in line. “I don’t understand — we thought the Europeans invited Syrians like us to come,” said one of Mustafa’s companions. Blending in with real refugees At Vienna Westbahnhof railway station, a tight clutch of men lined up at the ticket windows. Days of rough travel lay behind them. All had one aim: Germany. When asked by a reporter where they were from, the men answered, “We are from Syria.” When a reporter switched to the North African dialect, the men laughed nervously. “We are Algerians,” they admitted. Hamza, 27, is from Algiers. “I am illegal, not refugee,” he said. “In my country, the only thing you can do there is either drugs or crimes. So I was in prison several times, for drugs, also for trying to kill another guy.” Hamza and his mates went to Turkey because the smuggling route to Sardinia has been shut down. “We flew to Istanbul and then took a bus to Izmir. There we destroyed our passports and just mixed with the Syrian refugees. We then took the boat from Izmir to Greece. From there to Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary and now we are in Vienna,” he said. Did Hamza feel guilty? Not at all. “It’s really easy now to travel with these refugees. We received food and shelter, and a nice welcoming from people so far.” He said he has met Tunisians, Moroccans and Libyans playing the same game. “So when someone asks us, where do you live? We say Damascus. Where are you from? Answer Syria.” An Austrian aid volunteer at the train station, Hisham Fares, is of Libyan descent and has worked as an interpreter helping asylum seekers find their way in the present confusion. [For desperate refugees, ‘the smuggler’s room is over there’] “There are people who are trying to benefit from the situation. I’ve met Egyptians who claimed they were Syrians, but the dialect is Egyptian. I’ve also met people from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or Libya who all are now flying to Istanbul and then go to Izmir where they destroy passports,” Fares said. “I’ve also met Palestinians who live in camps in Lebanon and now claim they were from Yarmouk camp in Syria. Many of them said they have family in Germany and just use this situation to finally get asylum.” “Most of these people say they’ve lost their passports,” Fares added. “The sad thing is that those Syrians who really are fleeing war will be the ones paying the price.” Another group of men, standing in line for free food, spoke English among themselves but with an Indian accent. One said his name was “Hassan.” “We grew up in Syria; our fathers worked there for many years,” Hassan said. He had worked in Syria, in a bank, in Damascus, he said. When a reporter spoke to them in Arabic, the men smiled and said, “No Arabic, only English.” Asked where they lived in Damascus, they couldn’t really say. They excused themselves and wandered away. Screening out impostors Confronting a surge in migrants falsely claiming to be from war-torn nations, European authorities are seeking to bolster screening efforts, particularly at gateway nations such as Greece and Italy. Ewa Moncure, a spokeswoman for Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, said officials are deploying interpreters to assess accents and are using geographic and other questions to weed out pretenders. “You have interpreters working with officers, and they are asking questions,” she said. “If someone claims to be from Syria and he can’t say what the currency is or what the main street is in Damascus, there are going to be questions about his claim.” Frontex, she said, is moving to double its staff in Greece in the coming weeks to at least 140 people, an effort that may help the agency identify more false refugees. Those identified as such, she said, should be detained and processed for rapid deportations. But Greece has been so overwhelmed by the sheer numbers that many are slipping through. Most economic migrants and war refugees in Vienna say they have arrived without being photographed, fingerprinted or subjected to biometric measurements. Some of the new arrivals will make claims to stay based on threat of persecution because of clan or religion; others may seek to be reunited with family already in Europe. And some may never try to become legal residents, but live in the shadows. It will take months to sort out their stories. .

State Department’s account of e-mail request differs from Clinton’s The Washington Post / September 22, 2015 Throughout the controversy over her use of a private e-mail system while she was secretary of state, Hillary Clinton has described her decision last year to turn over thousands of work-related e-mails as a response to a routine-sounding records request. “When we were asked to help the State Department make sure they had everything from other secretaries of state, not just me, I’m the one who said, ‘Okay, great, I will go through them again,’ says Clinton. “And we provided all of them.” But State Department officials provided new information Tuesday that undercuts Clinton’s characterization. They said the request was not simply about general rec­ord-keeping, but was prompted entirely by the discovery that Clinton had exclusively used a private e-mail system. The State Department also said they first contacted her in the summer of 2014, at least three months before the agency asked Clinton and three of her predecessors to provide their e-mails. “In the process of responding to congressional document requests pertaining to Benghazi, State Department officials recognized that it had access to relatively few email records from former Secretary Clinton,” says State Department spokesman John Kirby. “State Department officials contacted her representatives during the summer of 2014 to learn more about her email use and the status of emails in that account.” Kirby added that the agency then recognized “that we similarly did not have extensive email records from prior Secretaries of State and therefore included them when we requested their records in October 2014.” The State Department also realized it was not automatically preserving internal communications, with some other senior officials’ e-mails missing. By casting her actions as part of a routine agency review, Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for the White House, has sought to play down any suggestion that her decision to use a private e-mail system was unusual or problematic. She has said repeatedly that it was “permitted” by the State Department and widely known in the Obama administration. But the early call from the State Department is a sign that, at the least, officials in the agency she led from 2009 to 2013 were concerned by the practice — and that they had been caught off guard upon discovering her exclusive use of a private account. There was a lot going on behind the scenes before the State Department sent a formal request for work records to Clinton and former secretaries Colin L. Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine K. Albright in a Nov. 12, 2014, letter, according to documents and interviews with senior officials. In the spring and summer of 2014, while it was in the process of trying to find records sought by the newly formed House Select Committee on Benghazi, the State Department’s congressional affairs office found Clinton’s personal e-mail address listed on a few records in a batch of Benghazi documents but no government e-mail account for her. “We realized there was a problem,” said a State Department official who until that moment had not been aware of Clinton’s private e-mail setup. The official, like some others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case. The department knew that the Republican-led committee would ask about the private e-mail domain — clintonemail.com — listed on some of the documents. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who was also learning about her exclusive use of the e-mail account for the first time, was eager to “rip off the Band-Aid,” as two key aides described it, and to make sure the agency provided the Benghazi panel with any records it properly requested. State Department staffers were trying to figure out where her work e-mails were stored and how they might try to assemble them. The issue has led to frustrations within the State Department in recent months, as some officials have grown tired of having to answer for a political controversy not of their making, according to three senior officials. While some of Clinton’s predecessors used private e-mail addresses, none took the additional step of conducting all of their business over a personal account housed on a private server. Clinton used a server that was kept for a time in her New York home.

Furious Muslims fight New Jersey school board over religious holiday closure Associated Press / September 23, 2015 Tempers flared at a school board meeting in New Jersey when a room crowded with Muslim parents learned that schools will remain open during Thursday's Muslim religious holiday of Eid al-Adha. Several of the Muslim parents and children screamed in rage and openly wept when the board announced its decision. At one point, a young woman in a purple head scarf took the microphone and told them: 'We're no longer the minority, that's clear from tonight. We’re going to be the majority soon.' A Jewish parent who attended the meeting said some people in his community felt they were being discriminated against because the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were not on Jersey City's official school closure list. Meanwhile just across the Hudson River in New York City, schools will be closed for Eid Al-Adha for the first time as a result of a change put in place by Mayor Bill de Blasio in March. The Jersey City Board of Education had originally proposed to close local schools on September 24 to allow Muslim children to observe the holiday. The City Council unanimously voted in favor of the closure two weeks ago. However, during the contentious four-hour meeting held last Thursday, the board voted to keep Jersey City schools open so as not to cause disruptions for non-Muslim families. ‘Doing this at this point on six days’ notice for this upcoming holiday is going to cause undue hardship on 5,000 to 10,000 people, who are going to have to scramble to get coverage for their children,’ board member Gerald Lyons told the meeting. Board members said that Muslim students who choose to take Thursday off to observe Eid al-Adha will not be penalized. The school board is expected to review its religious holiday policy later this year. Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is the second of two religious holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Transport Engineer / September 22, 2015 Trailer hire giant Hireco has strengthened its presence in truck rental with a new fleet of 35 Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units. The firm, which now has 185 trucks on the road nationwide, ordered high-specification Actros 2545 BigSpace trucks powered by its 449bhp straight-six engines mated to Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmissions. Supplied by Newtownabbey dealer Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (Northern Ireland), the new trucks have also also been equipped with fuel-saving Mercedes-Benz PPC (predictive powertrain control systems), which uses 3D GPS mapping to read 3km of topography ahead to maximise fuel efficiency by controlling speed, braking and gear selection. Other features include colour-coded bumpers, air management kits and fridges beneath the bunks. “For some time now operators who take trailers from us on long-term contract hire have been asking if we can supply tractors as well,” explains Hireco managing director James Smith. “We did buy a small number back in 2007 but the market dropped off a cliff, so we didn’t persevere. Now things are picking up again, though, we felt the time was right to dip our toe back in.” Smith says that many of Hireco’s customers were already running Actros and “had very good things to say about them”, and the same went for those using PPC in terms of its fuel-saving potential. And he adds: “The package was competitively priced and there was a real feel good factor around the whole deal, so we were more than happy to press the button.” The availability of the PPC system was, however, key to the decision, as several of Hireco’s customers were considering new Actros units, in part because of for the technology. “These trucks were intended for long-term contracts – we don’t do spot hire,” states Smith. “So we wanted vehicles specified to match the kind of truck our customers would buy for themselves,” states Smith. “That decision has been vindicated as they were all snapped up very quickly and the feedback has been excellent. The whole exercise has been an unqualified success.” .

Scania's T-model conventional cab says goodbye Scania Press Release / April 22, 2005 Scania will soon end to a century-long design concept. Sales of the bonneted T-Series have declined during the past 10 years and it is no longer defendable to continue developing and producing it. Production will be phased out by October 2005. “The trend in all our markets is clearly in favour of forward-control trucks. Length regulations and productivity requirements on a competitive market have put an end to the market for bonneted trucks in most parts of the world. With the addition of more robust options in Scania's new truck range, we provide forward-control trucks that can perform all types of transport tasks at least as efficiently as a bonneted counterpart,” says Group Vice President Gunnar Rustad, responsible for Scania Sales and Services worldwide. “Globally, Scania sold less than 1,000 T-trucks in 2004 and this is what has tipped the scales. Volumes have halved in Europe and slumped by 90 percent in Latin America over the past decade. The T-model will be phased out globally by October this year,” concludes Gunnar Rustad. What’s the public perception of a genuine truck? Asked to draw a truck, a child often intuitively draws a truck with a bonnet. But if you look on the roads, except for North America, such trucks are increasingly rare today. Reasons for having a bonnet – service access The original reason for having a bonnet was obvious: accessibility. The engines of early automotive vehicles needed more or less constant care to function properly. Today’s trucks need very little attention and there is thus no reason to tilt the cab or open the bonnet between services. Hence, accessibility is no issue, because once the cab of a modern forward-control truck has been tilted, accessibility is excellent both to the engine and to all its ancillaries. Reasons for having a bonnet – safety and comfort Over the years, drivers have often commented on the feeling of safety and security that they experience behind the wheel of a bonneted truck. The driver sits in a commanding position and looks down an impressive bonnet. In addition, sitting behind the engine on a longer wheelbase and well behind the front axle, drivers used to appreciate that bonneted trucks gave them a better ride. Technology has since overtaken these arguments. The protective properties of forward-control truck cabs have been developed almost to perfection, with impact-tested cab structures, yielding protective panels in the cab, cleverly deforming steering columns and improved seats. The introduction of comfortable seatbelts and airbags has also contributed driver protection. In addition, the ride and drive comfort of forward-control trucks has developed dramatically in recent years and in practice there is now nothing to choose between the two configurations. Shrinking volumes Scania has been market leader in bonneted trucks in Europe and Latin America since the early 1990s, being practically alone on the market during the past 15 years. In Europe, the T-Series has fulfilled two distinctly different roles in the transport industry. Some operators have chosen the T-Series as a workhorse for tough applications such as construction tasks, often with the short cab and with rugged chassis options. At the other end of the scale, the T-Series has been chosen because of its strong character, acting as an image-bearer for operators wishing to attract extra attention to their business. The "Topline" version of the T cab is the ultimate choice, gaining attention wherever it is seen and acting as the operator’s mobile advertising board Volumes for bonneted trucks have shrunk continuously for the past few decades. In the 1970s, bonneted trucks accounted for around 50 percent of Scania’s truck production. The 1980s saw this figure drop to around one-quarter. By the mid-1990s, the proportion of Scania T-trucks had shrunk to 20 percent and the figure is now down to two percent, or approximately 1,000 units annually on a global level. Declining customer base in Latin America In 1996, the bonneted T-Series accounted for 90 percent of Scania's heavy truck sales in Latin America. The Scania T-Series was the best-selling heavy truck on the market. Strangely, bonneted trucks have always been considered a lower-price option to forward-control trucks, a situation that has become increasingly difficult to justify in view of the shrinking volumes. Increased demands on productivity and stricter enforcement of length regulations are also factors speaking in favour of forward-control designs. Today the market for Scania's bonneted trucks in Latin America has shrunk by 90 percent. Heritage Scania’s T-Series is an exceptional truck! The heritage of this configuration dates back to the first days of the motor vehicle. Ever since the introduction of Scania's fully modular product range in 1980, the T-Series has been based entirely on the forward-control models, using the same frame, chassis and powertrain. Thanks to the modular design, the same cab structure has been used, with exceptional space and comfort, as well as outstanding ergonomics. Scania-Vabis made a brave attempt to move away from bonneted trucks in the early 1930s, inspired by the success of its pioneering ‘bulldog’ bus concept, which was well received. Between 1932 and 1939, a series of 62 forward-control ‘bulldog’ trucks was produced and 25 based on bus chassis. The market was not yet ripe for the forward-control truck concept, which was put on ice until 1963. So the bulk of the trucks that rolled off the Scania-Vabis assembly lines remained bonneted for several decades. From the late 1930s and through the second world war, great engineering efforts were spent at Scania-Vabis to rationalise both products and production. The first steps were taken towards modularisation of parts and components and despite differences in size, the vehicles got common exterior styling elements. Scania's first global truck model in 1958 What put Scania-Vabis on the map in the world of heavy trucks was the L75 model launched in 1958. Produced in both Europe and Latin America in various guises, it remained in production until 1980. Engines were 7 or 10 litres to start with, from 1963 upgraded to 8 and 11 litres respectively. Summary of designations: L = 4x2 LS = 6x2 LT = 6x4 Lighter versions with the smaller engine were designated 55 and 65. The 75 was continuously updated over the years: 76 (1963), 110 (1968), 111 (1974). Bonneted trucks reigned supreme until the legendary LB76 model appeared in 1963. Scania-Vabis’ entry into the European market dictated the need for a more space-efficient design that complied with new length regulations. The LB76 model was successful, although it involved a number of compromises to avoid the complexity of a tilting cab. It was replaced by the LB80 and LB110 ranges in 1968, designed from the outset as forward-control models. From then on, forward-control trucks started to dominate production. In 1969, Scania launched its legendary 14-litre V8-engine, featuring the highest output on the truck market. This engine could not be housed under the narrow bonnet of the L-model, but there was clearly a market for a bonneted V8. Scania's engineers therefore designed an entirely new bonneted model, the L140. Based entirely on the forward-control LB140 model, it became the first fully modularised model range from Scania and as such a precursor of the GPRT-range launched in 1980. Fully modularised truck range in 1980 Scania’s GPRT range (sometimes referred to as the 2-series: 82/112/142) became the first fully modularised truck range in the world. The cabs (G, low forward-control; P, normal forward-control; R, high forward-control; T, bonneted) could be combined with chassis of three strengths (M, medium duty; H, heavy duty; E, extra heavy duty) in several wheel configurations and different powertrains from 8 to 14 litres. The result was a truly amazing matrix of possible truck models, of which a relevant selection was actually produced to cater for different market needs. Ever since, the T-Series has been developed in parallel with all other models in Scania's truck range, featuring equivalent solutions, the latest technological innovations and new powertrains. With its flat floor, it has provided special space and comfort for applications that are not sensitive to length restrictions. The 3-series was launched in 1988, the 4-series in 1995 and the new truck range in 2004. Through 2004, close to 120,000 Scania T-Series have been built, split into 60,000 2-series, 40,000 3-series and 20,000 4-series. An image gallery with Scania’s bonneted trucks during 100 years is available at https://scaniaimagearchive.scania.com/fotoweb/. .

Scania designed and produced conventional cab commercial trucks for one hundred years. However, faced with declining demand, production of the last conventional cab Scania heavy truck, the T-Series, ended in October 2005. Today, customers can however still buy a new Scania T-Series from Neatherlands-based custom truck builder Vlasttuin. Taking advantage of Scania’s famous modular design, the company takes an R Series COE and converts it into a beautiful T-Series. Scania V8-powered units are the most popular. The one difference is the Vlastuin T-Series does not enjoy the flat floor configuration of the original Scania-produced version. http://www.vlastuin-truckopbouw.nl/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=313:aflevering-scania-t730-am-comm&catid=54:home&Itemid=57 http://www.vlastuin-truckopbouw.nl/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147:aflevering-scania-t730-vaex&catid=54:home&Itemid=57 http://www.vlastuin-truckopbouw.nl/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=218:aflevering-scania-t730-am-comm&catid=54:home&Itemid=57

Prime Mover Magazine / September 23, 2015 In an Australian first, laws allowing on-road trials of driverless vehicles will be introduced in the South Australian parliament this week. South Australia's Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Stephen Mullighan, announced he would introduce a Bill allowing for ‘real-life’ testing of the technology, positioning the state at the forefront of an industry projected to be worth $90 billion internationally by 2030. “We are on the cusp of the biggest advance in motoring since the since the Model T opened up car ownership to the masses,” Mullighan said. “In July, when we announced that South Australia would host the first trials of driverless cars in the Southern Hemisphere, we sent a message to the world that our state is open for business. “South Australia is now positioned to become a key player in this emerging industry and by leading the charge, we are opening up countless new opportunities for our businesses and our economy.” The Motor Vehicles (Trials of Automotive Technologies) Amendment Bill will provide for exemptions from existing laws to allow trials of automated vehicle technology on public roads. “As the first state in Australia to regulate a framework for such testing, we are opening our doors to global businesses to develop and trial their technologies here, while also creating the right environment for local businesses to grow and flourish,” Mullighan said. Melbourne-based ARRB Group (https://www.arrb.com.au/home.aspx) congratulated Mullighan on his foray, saying it aligned with the Group’s vision to accelerate the safe and successful introduction of driverless vehicles onto Australian roads. ARRB will be running the first ever demonstration of driverless vehicle technology on public roads in the Southern Hemisphere in November as part of the Australian Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI). “Whilst these trials from the 7-8 November on Adelaide’s Southern Expressway do not require the legislative change as the roads will be closed, it is an important step for Australia to allow autonomous vehicles to be trialled on public roads in South Australia," ARRB commented, with Managing Director Gerard Waldron adding that automated vehicles are far from science fiction, but rather a short-term reality that Australia needs to be prepared for. “The advent of driverless vehicles is an opportunity to foster technological innovation and revive Australia’s manufacturing industry – the South Australian government has been quick to recognise this,” he said. “ARRB will establish how driverless technology needs to be manufactured and introduced for uniquely Australian driving behaviour, our climate and road conditions, including what this means for Australia’s national road infrastructure, markings, surfaces and roadside signage." Mullighan added the new legislation would provide for safeguards for the public and would also require advance warning of every trial.

Volkswagen Scandal Harkens Back to Truck Engine Makers’ 1998 Battle With EPA Transport Topics / September 22. 2015 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Volkswagen cheated on air-pollution rules for its diesel cars with a defeat device, reminiscent of 1998 when heavy-duty truck manufacturers were doing the same thing. Seventeen years ago, EPA said engine manufacturers were designing their engines’ computers specifically to circumvent federal standards. With the software, the engine would run cleanly for the five minutes it would take for an emissions test but begin emitting illegal levels of nitrogen oxide soon after. “So basically what happens is the computer system senses the timing and other things like speed and temperature, so that as long as you’re under conditions similar to the federal test procedure you’re fine, but otherwise NOx doubles or triples,” Margo Oge, director of EPA’s Office of Mobile Sources, said at the time. Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Engine Co., Detroit Diesel Corp., Mack Trucks, Navistar International Transportation Corp. and Volvo Truck Corp. negotiated a consent decree with the EPA and the Department of Justice to settle the allegations. The way EPA acted in the matter “borders on a crime,” Stephen Homcha, vice president of engineering and product planning for Mack, told Transport Topics at the time. “They held a gun to our head by threatening to withhold certification for 1999,” Homcha said. “I’m a manufacturer who feels he’s been treated unfairly,” he added. “Looking at the level of penalties against a regulation and a test procedure that was very much set by EPA, it appears that the actions and the settlements were very severe on the engine manufacturers.” The six major engine manufacturers accused of cheating on engine emissions tests ended up settling for $1.3 billion with the federal government. Volkswagen AG has admitted that 11 million vehicles were equipped with diesel engines at the center of a widening scandal over faked pollution controls that will cost the company at least $7.3 billion, Bloomberg News reported. “Our company was dishonest with the EPA and the California Air Resources Board and with all of you,” Michael Horn, head of the VW brand in the United States, said Sept. 21 in Brooklyn, New York, where he was revealing a redesigned version of the Passat. “We have totally screwed up. We must fix the cars to prevent this from ever happening again, and we have to make this right. This kind of behavior is totally inconsistent with our qualities."

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / September 22, 2015 Volkswagen shares tumbled Monday morning on the heels of news last week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that it was initiating a class-action lawsuit against the German automobile manufacturer. The suit alleges that Volkswagen TDI diesel cars sold in in North America were equipped with emissions “defeat code” software: If the car’s Electronic Control Module detected a hook-up to an emissions testing device, it would adjust its emissions control system to conform to existing emissions regulations. Once the system was disconnected, the cars would revert to emissions performance not in compliance with EPA regulations — the car’s default operating mode. Defeat software is nothing new in trucking. Flash back to 1999 when several truck OEMs were busted by the EPA for the same offense: Coding engine software to detect test devices and boost emissions performance while in test mode. Ironically, one engine manufacturer — Navistar — was found to be in complete compliance with the regulations then in place. Indeed, the EPA found that Navistar was actually ahead of the game and already exceeding the threshold set for coming emissions regulation rules. As a result, Navistar began receiving EPA emissions credits as a reward for being a good-faith player and company officials apparently decided their emissions technology path was infallible; two developments that would have unforeseen — and profound – consequences a decade later. This is not welcome news at all for VW, should these allegations be proven. If that’s the case, the company is looking at a scandal that affected more than 10 million cars, according to the latest reports, and the in-house costs of repairing those vehicles will be tremendous. On top of that, the EPA could slap them with an $18 billion fine. The long-term repercussions of this story could send shockwaves across the global automotive pond that could eventually lap up on the shores of the heavy-duty truck market. As I’ve noted before, VW is on record saying that its goal was to surpass Toyota and become the No. 1 automobile manufacturer in the world by 2020. Making a move into the North American truck market was widely seen as a vital step in that process. And the industry buzz for years now has been: Is Volkswagen coming? Will they try to buy a North American Truck OEM? If so, which one? If the allegations prove to be true, then it’s reasonable to think that any North American trucking dreams VW has will have to be put on hold — perhaps indefinitely. Any scenario for VW coming into the U.S. truck market is wholly dependent on the company’s access to huge cash reserves. Obviously, VW may soon have to spend that money on cleaning up this alleged emissions mess and paying massive EPA fines. Looking into the crystal ball, it’s tough to see how this will play out in the long run. One the one hand, if you’re a fan of American-owned truck companies, it appears the last two men standing, Paccar and Navistar, will remain so for the near future. On the other hand, Volkswagen’s vast global resources and access to the latest European safety and powertrain technology could have dramatically altered the competitive marketplace in North American trucking today. Who knows what will happen next? Perhaps VW will be able to explain these allegations away, or cut a deal that saves them some cash and keeps their American trucking dreams alive. But above all else, this scandal proves two things: One, that getting cute with emissions systems and stealth software is a bad idea. And second, that in the hyper-connected world of automotive and truck manufacturing, a bad decision in one business unit can have devastating consequences in markets and countries far, far away.

Heavy Duty Trucking / September 22, 2015 Eaton has added two optional features to the company’s UltraShift Plus and Fuller Advantage automated manual transmissions designed to enhance low-speed maneuverability. The new Urge to Move and Blended Pedal features improve low-speed handling in situations such as backing into a loading dock or maneuvering in a construction job site. Urge to Move allows the vehicle to automatically start moving when the transmission is in gear and the service brakes are released. After the vehicle has launched it will creep at a constant speed while the engine is at idle without needing to apply the accelerator. Blended Pedal lets a driver directly control clutch engagement at engine idle through accelerator positioning and enables movement at varying speeds. The feature allows for a finer level of control that was previously exclusive to manual transmissions, according to Eaton. “Both Urge to Move and Blended Pedal allow for controlled motion, controlled discharge of payloads, and more controlled operation when launching the vehicle,” said Evan Vijithakumara, product strategy manager for Eaton. The new features are enabled by an electronic clutch actuator which allows for smoother and more precise shifting at low speeds. The electronic actuator quickly pulls back the clutch bearings, disengages and re-engages the clutch to perform shifts regardless of engine rpm. “The end result blends three-pedal operating performance at low speeds with all the benefits of our latest driver-friendly two-pedal automated technologies,” said Vijithakumara. Both options are available for free and configurable with ServiceRanger 4 and will be available in the Standard and Professional packages by the end of the year. They are available on all models of UltraShift Plus transmissions and Fuller Advantage automated transmissions including the SmartAdvantage powertrain and the integrated powertrains from International and Paccar. .

The Bronco, and particularly the Scout, required modifications to perform. The FJs were ready, right out of the box. The CJ2A and CJ3A were good. The MB lacked the convenient tailgate, and the CJ3B's ugly high hood didn't make the F-head worth it. I suppose an early CJ5 (or M38A1) with the F-head is okay, but heavier than the 2A and 3A without meaningful benefit. The 1960s Nissan Patrol, a respectful copy of the Land Rover 88, was a worthy performer as well. Speaking of Land Cruisers, my favorite current model after the 70 Series, the Prado Land Cruiser, is now available in the global market with an all-new 2.8-liter diesel that uses SCR for an emissions solution. ----------------------------------------------------------- The new 2.8 litre D-4D turbo diesel engine replaces the current 3.0-l engine, with a focus on improved driveability via better torque delivery, plus lower fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions. It delivers 177 hp @ 3400 rpm and can be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a new 6-speed automatic transmission. Available on 3-door and 5-door models, Toyota’s newly developed 2.8 D-4D Global Diesel (GD) engine combines an 11 percent increase in low speed torque and a 7 percent increase in maximum torque with a 9 percent reduction in average fuel consumption. The engine features Toyota’s first urea Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system that can eliminate up to 99 percent of NOx emissions. Mated to the new 6-speed Super ECT automatic transmission, the 2.8 D-4D develops 370 N·m of torque at only 1,200 rpm, and a maximum 450 N·m of torque between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm. It will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 12.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 175 km/h. Average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by 9 percent to 7.4 l/100 km (7.2 l/100 km for 3-door) and 194 g/km (190 g/km for 3-door) respectively. Performance figures are slightly improved with the 6-speed manual transmission, but average efficiency figures are similar. The new 2.8 D-4D engine incorporates a comprehensive range of measures designed to save weight, enhance combustion efficiency and reduce friction. The engine features an electronically controlled, common-rail type fuel injection system that achieves higher pressure and more advanced injection pressure control. A new piston shape has been adopted to match the new shape of the combustion chamber.

Rational thinking......what a concept I say again, the massacre of nine Americans in South Carolina had nothing to do with the Confederate battle flag. It can be blamed on bad parenting, a bad egg, or both. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virginia City decides to keep Confederate monument Associated Press / September 22, 2015 The City of Norfolk, Virginia says its Confederate monument is not going anywhere. The City Council decided not to remove the towering structure downtown, despite pressure from a civil rights group that considers it a symbol of racism and slavery. The council’s decision came on the second day of its annual retreat, held this year at Slover Library. All three black council members agreed that removing the monument was unnecessary, and no other council members lobbied for its removal, either. “You can’t erase history just because you don’t like it,” said Vice Mayor Angelia Williams Graves, who is black. “It is what it is. To remove it would be a mistake.” Councilman Paul Riddick, who is also black, said he doesn’t have a problem with the monument or associate it with “hatefulness.” “It’s been there for years,” Riddick said. “And in my opinion, it does have a value as far as the history of this country.”

I saw my first FJ45 recently. The troop carrier long wheelbase version, still with only two side doors (plus the rear doors), and equipped with the diesel engine. The FJ40, and uniquely styled FJ55........doesn't get much better than that.

Transport Engineer / September 22, 2015 Fruit importer S H Pratt & Co has ordered 25 MAN TGX tractors, which will operate under the company’s Kinship Logistics banner. The deal was brokered with MAN Rental and the Luton-based operator’s new acquisitions are TGX 26.440 XLX tractor units, fitted with MAN’s new Efficient Cruise system. “I have always been impressed with the brand and the great product, and now that Efficient Cruise is a feature, the technology is there too,” says Tony Hunter, head of logistics. “Efficiency is a major factor in our decision making. These vehicles will be running on a 24-hour double shift and will be covering 180,000km per annum. They are real workhorses.” The vehicles will be maintained by John Arnold Commercials on a three-year R&M agreement. “The fact that John Arnold can offer us a 24-hour workshop and support is a huge bonus,” adds Hunter. .

Transport Engineer / September 21, 2015 Haulage firm Murray Hogg has taken delivery of a further 10 Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks and says its decision to move to Euro 6 ahead of the January 2014 deadline has paid dividends, with improved efficiency and lower fuel costs. Supplied by dealer Bell Truck and Van, the North Gosforth-based haulier’s latest Actros delivery includes six 2545 BigSpace tractors with 449bhp straight-six engines and four 26-tonne 2532s with 320bhp engines. The new trucks all feature PowerShift automated transmissions and have Mercedes’ Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) systems and FleetBoard telematics. The rigids are all curtainsiders by Lawrence David and wear the colours of Murray Hogg’s customer Stelrad, which sells its radiators through building and plumbing merchants. Ken Peet, Stelrad’s supply chain director, says: “Murray Hogg’s use of these new Euro 6 trucks fits in perfectly with our own environmental policy and ongoing drive to reduce our carbon footprint. “As well as taking major strides in our manufacturing processes, additional environmental savings through our logistics operation will help us to make significant progress.” Murray Hogg director Colin Hogg says his decision to buy his first Euro 6 vehicle last summer has been vindicated: “There were a lot of scare stories at the time about how Euro 6 would have an adverse effect on fuel consumption and reliability. We never believed the rumour-mongers though, and we’ve been proved right. “The 14 Euro 6 Actros we’re now operating are averaging 9.48 mpg, which compares to the 9.39 mpg achieved by our Euro 5 trucks. Meanwhile, AdBlue consumption by the newer trucks is significantly lower.” Murray Hogg has a 90-strong commercial vehicle fleet, including artics, rigids, vans and car transporters. .

Transport Engineer / September 21, 2015 Cummins had increased the power and torque on selected versions of its latest SmartEfficiency four- and six-cylinder ISB truck and bus engines, which now conform to the latest Euro 6 On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) ‘C’ requirements. OBD C applies to new vehicle type approvals from 1 January 2016 and all vehicles from 1 January 2017 and sees reductions in the NOx emission threshold detected by the engine’s diagnostic system, from 1,500mg/kWh to 12,000mg/kWh. A PM (particulate matter) detection threshold of 25mg/kWh is also introduced, while the level at which sub-standard AdBlue (urea) is detected is further lowered from 0.9g/kWh to 0.46g/kWh. Finally, the OBD C diagnostic operation must report how many times the monitor successfully runs per number of drive-cycles. As part of the performance upgrade, peak torque on the latest OBD C 4.5-litre ISB engine is raised to 850Nm from the previous 760Nm maximum on Euro 6 OBD A versions, while peak torque on the six-cylinder ISB 6.7-litre OBD C engine moves up to 1,200Nm (1100Nm on OBD A engines). Specifically for bus applications there is a new 300hp 6.7-litre top rating too, which is being offered as an engine ‘down-sizing’ option in preference to equivalent power nine-litre diesels. The 300bhp ISB not only saves weight but requires a smaller packaging envelope compared with a bigger-displacement diesel. Revisions to the ISB’s engine-mapping have also resulted in higher torque outputs being available lower down the rev range, further improving driveability and fuel economy. Meanwhile, for truck operators the maximum power rating on the ISB six-cylinder goes up from 310 to 320bhp. Service intervals on ISB OBD C engines have also been extended beyond 2000hrs/90,000kms. Cummins says its latest ISB four- and six-cylinder Euro 6 diesels, which will become available before the end of the year for OEM adoption in 2017, makes them ‘best-in-class’ in terms of their power/torque-to-weight ratio. Since their introduction in the last quarter of 2013 Cummins has supplied over 18,500 Euro-6 ISB four and six-cylinder engines to truck and PSV manufacturers worldwide. .

New Zealand Herald / September 22, 2015 A man has described how a group of truckies helped smash a window, freeing a trapped truck driver from a cab in a fast-moving creek. Chris Cording of Marton said he and another McCarthy Transport employee, Shane Gowan, were travelling on State Highway 1 in a work ute on the way to pick up their own truck at about 5am this morning. They looked up a hill and saw some hazard lights flashing on another truck, he said. "So it had obviously just happened. And then we looked to our right, and we seen the truck down the bank. So I said to me mate that was driving the ute: Oh Christ, he's gone down into the drain, so best we do something and get down there and bloody get him out." The accident happened when the truck, carrying a load of potato chips, plunged into a creek near Utiku in the central North Island. Mr Cording said "a couple of other jokers" were also in the area, ready to help out. "We were yelling out to see if he was still alive, and we got no response straight off. Then obviously we yelled again, and he heard us, and he yelled back and said: Get me out of here." Mr Cording said some men who appeared to be engineers turned up in another ute and one quickly retrieved some tools. "So he got out a hammer, and the boys took the hammer down and smashed the front window, and eventually dragged this poor bugger out." The driver, described as a stocky man in his 50s, was "battered and bruised a bit", but not seriously hurt, Mr Cording said. "..He gave himself a bit of a fright, I would have thought." The creek was small and fairly shallow but recent rains meant it was flowing fast, adding even more urgency to the rescue efforts. Mr Cording called 111 and helped direct rescue efforts in the pre-dawn darkness. He said Mr Gowan understood the truckie was "upside-down" laying in the passenger seat, in the water. "And we just didn't know whether he was laying in the water, or the water had gone into his cab...so yeah, she was all action mate, just trying to get him out. So the boys went back down and my co-worker jumped in the water and smashed the window and they eventually dragged him up, up to the top of the hill, up to the safe area." The driver was "very, very lucky" today, Mr Cording said. "I'd say he needs to go and buy a Lotto ticket." Mr Cording said the truckie's relatively light load of chips possibly saved him from more serious injury. "I would be picking if he had anything heavy inside, he would have got crushed straight away. "He was pretty desperate to get up. I'd be picking he had his seatbelt on...which saved him, and then he's unclipped it, and hadn't realised the position of the truck..." Mr Cording said he was "no bloody Superman" but he and Mr Gowan, the engineers, and three or four other truckies knew they had to help. "We're all truckies at the end of the day, mate." The driver was a bit shaken, Mr Cording added. "You would be too. You're driving big units like we are mate, and you go down the side of a bank, you're looking at stars before you're looking at the road again." Mr Cording said the group stayed with the cold, wet truckie, who was in good spirits, for about half an hour. "I think he was just happy to be alive." Local firefighters said the truck probably hit a bank, went through a fence and careered back on and off the road, hitting a tree and a fence again. Mangaweka firefighter Neil Sinclair confirmed the truck was on its side after crashing into the creek, luckily with the driver's side up, he told NZME News Service. "If it fell on the right hand side it might have been a different story," Mr Sinclair said. "He's pretty lucky...I was quite surprised he got out of it and actually walked up the hill," he added. Mr Sinclair said the injured truckie was later able to share a joke with ambulance staff when some of his cold, wet clothes had to be replaced. "He was having a joke and a laugh, saying 'I don't normally get a man to take my clothes off, it's normally a woman." The driver told ambulance staff he was a diabetic and he had visible bruising on one of his arms. Mr Sinclair understood the man was nearing the end of his shift when he crashed. Mangaweka chief fire officer Rex Noble said the truck hit a bank up the road and the driver recalled "fighting the truck" to get back in control. "He's a lucky boy though. [He] was on his side, his left-hand side. I think he undid his seatbelt and he dropped, down to the bottom side and that's how he got all wet." The firefighters said the trailer was intact - so no chips had spilled into the creek. St John spokesman Mark Tregoweth said the ambulance service was alerted to the incident at 5.01am. Soon after, the Palmerston Rescue Helicopter crew met firefighters and ambulance personnel who brought the injured man down the road from Utiku. "There was low cloud and rain at the scene at Utiku, so we actually picked him up from the road ambulance who drove south, down the road, while we were coming north," Rescue Helicopter base manager and pilot Chris Moody said. The injured truckie was airlifted at about 6.51am and taken to Palmerston North hospital. Initially the man was thought to be seriously injured but a Palmerston North Hospital spokesman said the truckie was in a stable condition with moderate injuries shortly after 10am. Police said the accident happened at about 5am and confirmed the driver was "wet and cold" but able to walk up to ambulance staff who arrived in the area. One lane of the three-lane road nearby was closed. The police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit planned to investigate, and Rangitikei District Council was being asked to help police remove the truck from the creek. The truck and its two trailers were still in the creek about 10am. The back trailer had swung and was at a roughly 45 degree vertical angle from the front trailer. The back trailer had squashed part of the front trailer. The truck belonged to AF Logistics, a third party provider to Linfox, who told NZME News Service the accident happened while the driver was performing a delivery on behalf of the business. "Our concern is with the driver involved in the incident," a spokeswoman said. "The business is co-operating with authorities and we will conduct our own investigation into what occurred." The AF Logistics company website said the firm had coolstores and depots in Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North, Hastings and New Plymouth and more than 100 trucks nationwide. Related photographs: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11517121 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11516818

Fleet Owner / September 3, 2015 As major tire manufacturers reintroduce once-prominent brands in the quest to gain market share, compete with offshore entities, and meet fleet needs for both cost-efficient and fuel-efficient tires, fleets have more choices than ever before, but is that a good development? Miles to removal, durability, tread depth and retreadability all must be addressed. Just as importantly, though, is the question of which brand to support. Michelin? Goodyear? Bridge­stone? Continental? Those are the most well-known. How about BFGoodrich, Dayton, Double Coin, Firestone, Giti Tire or Yokohama? Maybe you have a preference for Benchmark, Joytour or Triones? Haven’t heard of some of these brands? Don’t feel bad. At last count, there were nearly 200 different tire brands, many of which are overseas imports, from which to choose. If you are looking for a SmartWay-verified tire, good luck. There are over 650 such tires. Even narrowing the list to just the most prominent brands still leaves dozens of manufacturers from which to choose. “There are some lower-cost tires out there that we are not going to carry because drivers are not going to get the life or ride they want out of them,” says Gene Kanzigg, tire program manager for TA Operation, which operates Travel Centers of America truck stops and Petro Shopping Centers. One of the big differences between brands, according to Kanzigg, is the construction. “Most all your [Tier 1 tires] have a four-belt package under the tread,” he says. “When you get into the Chinese tires, one of the reasons they are cheaper is they have one or two fewer belts.” Ryder System has a large vehicle fleet and purchases thousands of tires each year. As a result, Scott Perry, vice president of supply management and global fuel products for the Fleet Management Solutions business segment, has plenty of experience with tires. He says many fleets are focused on the ability to retread. “The expectation is that [there is] a casing robust enough to retread two or three times,” he says, adding that Ryder tends to stick with Bridgestone for its new tires and Bandag for its retreads. But, Perry quickly adds, Ryder typically has anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 tires from various brands in its fleet for evaluation. Also consider brand reputation, Perry advises. “You may be rolling the dice a little bit as to whether that [lower-cost tire] even makes it to a DOT removal point.” The number of manufacturers has blossomed in recent years. Consequently, each brand can no longer sit and wait for fleets to come to them. They must actively market their tires, tout their advantages, and be visible. In short, we have entered an age where the battle for market share has led to more choices and more tire-related services, all to a fleet’s benefit if it can just wade through the rolling sea of rubber. Going back to Kanzigg’s point about the various tiers of tire brands, each manufacturer must promote its tires and services in the best light. In the case of Goodyear, it’s a “total package solution” that includes tires, retreads, services and even business tools “to help fleets lower their operating cost,” says Brian Buckham, general manager, commercial tire marketing. Because each fleet is different, designing a single set of tires to meet all needs is impossible. “When designing truck tires, Goodyear believes that it is important to achieve the right balance between low rolling resistance, traction and tread wear,” says Buckham. “At Goodyear, we refer to this as the ‘performance triangle.’ Our tires are designed to deliver different performance benefits, depending on application.” With more than a dozen tires SmartWay-verified already, Goodyear is looking at introducing a Fuel Max trailer tire later this year so that it can offer a “super-fuel efficient tire for every long-haul wheel position,” says Buckham. The company is also applying that same approach to its retreads with SmartWay-verified options in the Fuel Max line. “In addition to industry-leading tires and retreads, such as our new Fuel Max and Endurance tires, Goodyear offers, through our Goodyear-Fleet HQ suite of business solutions, best-in-class services, including 24/7 emergency roadside service,” says Buckham, who also notes the advantages of a large service network of over 2,200 locations. Like Goodyear, Michelin maintains a top-notch reputation among fleets. To remain there, though, takes a lot of work to develop products and services that fit fleet needs. “Michelin provides a total solution for fleets and truckers,” the company says. “We not only offer a complete line of high-quality tires and retreads, we also offer a suite of services to maximize fleet uptime.” Tires, service and maintenance Those services include Michelin OnCall 2.0 emergency road service, preventive light mechanical maintenance through Michelin Truck Care, and preventive tire management through Michelin Tire Care. With a line of fuel-efficient, SmartWay-verified tires, including the X One line, Michelin says its tires are designed to be long lasting and durable. For fleets focused on retreading, “robust casings” help lower their overall cost of ownership. “Our unique benefit is that we are able to maximize multiple performances at the same time,” a company spokesperson says. “So, fleets and truckers get the best of all performances; they don’t have to sacrifice one benefit to get another.” For instance, many may choose a tire based on upfront cost, but that tire may have a shorter lifespan. Mike Graber, senior product manager-truck tires for Toyo Tires, says fleets that buy on price alone could face a competitive disadvantage. “The most significant risk is that lower cost per mile may be the ultimate trade-off,” Graber says, adding that fleets purchasing a tire because of a lower price may lose out on product advantages such as fuel efficiency, mileage, retreadability, and casing durability. As Ryder’s Perry notes, fleets that don’t consider a tire’s total cost of ownership may pay more in the end through higher maintenance-related costs and shorter tire life. If you choose to go with a second- or third-tier tire, Perry says a strong tire maintenance program is a must. “You must be extremely diligent in managing all the other things around that tire. You can’t control the construction of that tire, but you can control inflation. You can control vehicle alignment.” “Most of your major brands have national account programs with roadside programs or relationships with service providers,” TA/Petro’s Kanzigg says. These programs could potentially reduce service costs due to tire failures, many of which may be due to debris and out of a fleet’s control. And that’s where companies such as Bridgestone, Goodyear, etc., may have an advantage. For Bridgestone, which offers the premium Bridgestone line in addition to the mid-level Firestone and Dayton brands, national accounts play a prominent role. But so does the ability to offer fleets of all sizes the option to purchase tires that fit their budgets. Each brand, though, fits its own unique niche and each has its own identity, says Matt Loos, director of TBR for Bridgestone Commercial. “Each of the brands has been set up to make sure they have their own identity,” he says. For Dayton, the key word is “respect. It’s designed to appeal to the owner-operators and small fleets. At Dayton, it’s about providing that value.” Firestone is more of a “retail brand,” as Loos notes that customers tend to make their purchases in conjunction with their local dealers. Bridgestone is dominated by larger fleets serviced through its national accounts program. “They are larger fleets, they are nationwide, and they are looking to us to support them [and provide tire-related solutions],” says Loos of the Bridgestone customer. Still, a Fire­stone or Dayton customer has specific needs as well. “There are customers who gravitate to an affordable tire, and there is nothing wrong with that. And that’s what’s great about having Dayton because [fleets] have access to fuel efficiency [attributes], and they have access to SmartWay tires,” Loos says. Bridgestone customers can tap the company’s national account program, points out Loos. “[Tires] are an investment and many fleets look at them that way,” he says. “There are a lot of great tires out there, but one of the things that separates them is the manufacturer behind the tire.” National fleet programs, though, can add cost to the purchase price of tires, advise several manufacturers. Patrick Gunn, director of sales and marketing, Commercial Tire, for Giti Tire, which markets and sells GT Radial tires, says that the brand offers a lower cost per mile “without compromising quality.” But to do that, there has to be a trade-off. In this case, it’s the national fleet program, although that can have advantages for fleets, he advises. “We do not have a national fleet program that requires subsidizing by our dealers,” Gunn says. “This enhances profitability for our dealers who can pass along the related savings directly to their fleet customers.” Driving down costs Others, like Continental, try to position themselves as a premium tire company that provides overall value, including national programs. The company offers 30 SmartWay-approved tires plus 8 SmartWay-approved retreads. “Continental’s driving philosophy and position is to offer the fleet the lowest overall driving cost,” says Prosser Carnegie, head of brand management-CVT, Continental Tire the Americas. “Fleets are looking for tires that provide safety first and foremost, a means to optimize their overall costs, and increase their efficiency.” Continental touts fuel efficiency, retreadability and durability of its tires. To help achieve these attributes, the company standardized its 3G casing across all axle positions, meaning that “new Conti EcoPlus HT3 trailer tires are built with the same 3G casing that our Conti EcoPlus HD3 drive and Conti EcoPlus HS3 steer tires are,” Carnegie says. “The advantages are that a fleet can retread our trailer tire in a drive position, where traditionally trailer tires were reserved for retreading only in the trailer position.” Carnegie says the final decision on which tire to buy is based on a business case. “This is comprised of several different factors and not just on the performance of the tire, but can include the services and support that a tire manufacturer can provide,” he says. When most people think of the top tire brands available, the names roll off the tongue—Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin, etc. But that doesn’t mean other brands don’t belong in the conversation, and from a quality standpoint, the difference between number one and number 20 may not be as large as you think. “Yokohama has long been recognized as one of the most, if not the most, retreadable tires in the industry,” says Rick Phillips, Yokohama vice president of sales. “A quality casing is the foundation upon which we build all of our commercial tires. We also have one of the most fuel-efficient tire lineups on the market (10 SmartWay-verified tires). This is something Yokohama has always made a priority.” When making its sales pitch, among the items Yokohama focuses on are cost per mile and nationwide availability. “When we talk to fleets around the country, one of the first things they ask is where to get our tires,” Phillips says. “It’s great to tell them we have almost 1,000 certified dealers and truck stops across the U.S. The fact so many of the best dealers in the U.S. carry our products is a testament to the product itself.” Phillips echoes the comments of others when it comes to buying on price alone. “The list of trade-offs is long, but [fleets] should think about two words and make sure these are not on the list,” he advises. “First is quality. If a tire is cheap, it’s usually because something has been taken away from it and very rarely do you make something better by subtraction. Second is safety. This should never be compromised.” A newer, relatively speaking for a company that is over 115 years old, entry into the commercial tire marketplace is BFGoodrich. Part of Michelin, the brand first launched its commercial operations in 1996, but it has quickly built upon its company’s history of quality tires that are durable and provide even wear, good traction, and retreadability, the company says. With several SmartWay-verified tires (two steer, a drive and a trailer option), BFGoodrich believes it has the products and quality for which fleets are looking. Just as important is the value its tires provide. “We differentiate the BFGoodrich brand by providing the right combination of product benefits, product quality and cost with respect to target end-user needs,” says the company. “Fleets should take into consideration their overall business needs such as uptime and operational efficiencies and evaluate those against what tire brands are best suited to support their business needs on both a tire and service level.” Other tire makers focus their sales pitches around the word value. Double Coin Tire’s Walt Weller, vice president of CMA/Double Coin, says his firm offers “value tires that provide performance competitive to major brands at a significant discount to major brand prices.” Value can still mean quality That doesn’t mean fewer of the attributes that fleets want, though. “Double Coin tires offer all the benefits that major brands offer at a significant discount to major brand programs,” he says. That includes the things fleets are most asking for: national pricing, long tread life, retreadability and fuel economy, over 1,000 points of sale in the U.S. and Canada, and service agreements with many of the largest tire dealers and retreaders in North America. Tread depth and tread patterns are also important. While a tread pattern may look the same on two different tires, it may not be the same quality, Weller advises. “Many inexpensive tires have tread patterns that appear very similar. For example, in the case of drive tires, some manufacturers offer similar tread patterns but upon examining the specs, we find that they are offering significantly less tread depth,” he says. “The difference between 22/32s and 30/32s is huge and may make what looks like a bargain a very expensive tire to acquire. The only advantage is a cheap [upfront] price.” Toyo Tires also approaches its marketing efforts from a value perspective. “Toyo commercial tires combine top-tier product performance, application versatility, and a competitive acquisition point for a lower cost per mile,” says Graber. He adds that Toyo’s tires come with a comprehensive warranty and 66-month retreading policy that includes casing allowances for two retreads and a retread rubber allowance. With seven SmartWay tires covering all positions, fleets can also expect fuel efficiency, the company notes, while still addressing many of their tire-related concerns. Roadmaster’s approach is more simply stated: “customer-centric.” That means designing commercial tires at affordable prices, and it includes six SmartWay-approved models. Roadmaster also offers various trailer tires, including the RM272 model designed specifically for drop-deck trailers. To exemplify its approach to tire quality, the company detailed the RM272 development process. “As much as 60% of the 5,000 lbs. that drop-deck trailer tires carry transfers from the footprint to the shoulder rib of the front axle tire on the inside of a sharp turn,” the company says. “This loading and scraping can potentially tear the shoulder rib, which can cause big chunks of the tread to rip off. With 3,000 lbs. of lateral force now concentrated on the shoulder rib, any tire that’s not designed to handle this kind of abuse can experience significant damage. “When the RM272 was in development,” the company continues, “we tested its performance against three types of concrete surfaces to match difficult real-world conditions, including concrete with exposed limestone, and grooved bridge decking. These tests enabled our engineers to validate that the tire’s durability and performance levels exceeded everyday operating conditions.” GT Radial also tries to focus attention on its quality products. “The wider the tread, the better; our Equal Force Carcass technology enables an optimum tire footprint and equal force distribution, resulting in better control and regular tread wear,” says Gunn. The company also pays considerable attention to stress areas during the tire construction process. When marketing tires, Giti touts its products, which currently include a steer, drive and trailer tire that are SmartWay verified with two more on deck for verification this fall, as rugged, durable and retreadable products that are “designed to far exceed the load and capacity requirements of the market.” Gunn warns fleets that buy on price. “The lowest price offering generally [results in] compromises in quality and materials,” he says. “You must define technical parameters, differences and comparable indicators of the products you are considering. These include tread width, belt layout, casing cords, bead structure, contact area and under tread depth. Let the buyer be aware. If it seems too good to be true, it generally is.” In the end, as Ryder’s Perry and several of the tire manufacturers suggest, tires can’t be bought on price alone. In other words, break through the sales pitches and perform due diligence. It just might be the ticket to lowering tire expenses, which is the best selling point of all.

Ford Press Release / September 16, 2015 https://social.ford.com/content/campaign/f150-heritage/

Marine told to turn a blind eye to child sex abuse, murdered in Afghanistan Associated Press / September 21, 2015 The father of a Marine shot dead by a teenager and alleged sex slave in Afghanistan has slammed the US military for making him seem like an enemy to abused local children. According to Gregory Buckley Sr, American officers were ordered to turn a blind eye to the sexual abuse of Afghan boys - even on military bases - because that was not the 'priority of the mission'. It was this policy, he believes, that led to his son Lance Corporal Gregory Buckley Jr, 21, being gunned down on Helmland Province in 2012 by 17-year-old Aynoddin, an Afghan 'tea boy' for local police chief Sarwar Jan - who had previously been reprimanded for child abduction. 'As far as the young boys are concerned, the Marines are allowing it to happen and so they’re guilty by association,' Buckley Sr told the New York Times. 'They don’t know our Marines are sick to their stomachs.' His words come as he files a landmark lawsuit against the military, with testimony from US Marines, describing how local boys would be chained to beds and abused daily by America-backed Afghan officers - but they were barred from intervening. One officer, Dan Quinn, was even discharged for beating up an Afghan commander who allegedly chained a boy to a bed, raped him multiple times, then beat up his mother when she tried to save her son. And two other officers, Major Jason Brezler and Charles Martland, claim they are earmarked for forcible retirement because they flagged the issue of child sex abuse. According to Pentagon policy, sexual abuse is deemed a local concern for the Afghan Local Police unless it is deemed to be an act of war. 'My son said that his officers told him to look the other way because it’s their culture,' Buckley Sr told the New York Times. It was the last thing they ever spoke about over the phone before his death. 'At night we can hear them screaming, but we’re not allowed to do anything about it,' Buckley remembers his son saying. And now he is convinced that his son's killing may have occurred because of the alleged sexual abuse by the Afghan police chief, who was an ally to America. Buckley Jr, from Long Island, New York, was one of three officers gunned down by Aynoddin, armed with an AK-47, while they worked out in the gym at Forward Operating Base Delhi, in Afghanistan's Helmand province on August 10, 2012. It was later revealed that the teen may have been one of the sex slaves that Jan supposedly brought onto the base. He was not vetted and later talked about killing the soldiers in the name of Jihad. Jan had been arrested by Afghan police in 2010 for child abduction and support for the Taliban, according to the New York Times. By 2012, he had been appointed police commander at Forward Operating Base Delhi. It is not clear how or if he was reprimanded and how he came to be appointed. As he was drawing up the lawsuit last year, Buckley said: 'Aynoddin shot my son point blank with an AK-47. Shot him four times in his chest and once in his neck. 'He was in the gym with a pair of shorts and a tank top on. How is that allowed? 'I want them to admit that they were wrong. And I want someone to be held responsible for my son's death.' Before the attack, fellow Marine Major Jason Brezler warned his comrades stationed overseas about Jan's background in an email. He reported that Jan was a noted child abuser and there were allegations he sexually abused minors on U.S. bases in the past. However, Brezler was subsequently honorably discharged for sending the email from his personal, unsecured, Yahoo account. It comes as another decorated soldier who had worked for the U.S. Army Special Forces for 11 years is being discharged after claims he stood up for a young rape victim and his beaten mother in Afghanistan. Sergeant 1st Class Charles Martland, 33, was serving in the country's war-torn Kunduz Province in 2011 when he apparently learned an Afghan police commander he had trained had raped a boy. He and his team leader, Daniel Quinn, confronted Officer Abdul Rahman - who had also allegedly beaten the 12-year-old's mother for reporting the sexual assault - and 'shoved him to the ground'. Despite Rahman walking away only bruised, Martland and Quinn were disciplined. The Army halted their mission, put them in temporary jobs, and then, finally, sent them home. Upon their return, Quinn quit the Army. However, Martland, from Massachusetts, launched a fight to remain a Green Beret. But now, the dedicated soldier has been 'involuntary discharged' from the Army following a 'Qualitative Management Program' that was apparently carried out in February this year. Buckley Sr's lawsuit accuses the Marine Corps, Department of Defense, the Navy, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service and former Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos of withholding the full truth surrounding his son's death. Asked about the sexual assault of young Afghan boys, whether the current policy is under review and why US military personnel are being told turn a blind eye, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest read the following statement: ‘The United States is deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of Afghan boys who may be exploited by members of the Afghan national security and defense forces. This form of sexual exploitation violates Afghan law and Afghanistan's international obligations. ‘More broadly, protecting human rights, including by countering the exploitation of children, is a high priority for the US government. We monitor such atrocities closely and continually stood up for those who suffered exploitation and a denial of basic human freedoms. ‘The United States works closely with the Afghan government, civil society and international organizations in Afghanistan to put an end to the exploitation of children, but also to incorporate human rights training into our law enforcement programs to heighten awareness in prosecution of such crimes. ‘We continue to encourage the Afghan government and civil society to protect and support victims and their families, while also strongly encouraging justice and accountability under Afghan law for offenders.' Asked if the president – the nation’s Commander-in-Chief of the armed services - would tell a military leader to intervene if he sexual assault happening, Earnest declined to provide a direct answer. ‘For the policies that sort of govern the relationship between US military personnel serving in Afghanistan and their Afghan counterparts, I'd refer you to the Department of Defense,’ he said, adding that the statement he read aloud ‘indicates just how seriously we take this issue and how this kind of behavior.’ It ‘doesn't just violate Afghan law, and Afghanistan's international obligations, but it certainly violates, I think, pretty much everybody’s notion of what acceptable behavior is,’ he said. Pressed to explain the circumstances in which US military personnel would allow assault to happen on their watch, Earnest again dodged. ‘For the rules of engagement and the kind of structure that's in place,’ contact DOD, he said. Asked point blank later in the briefing if the president is ‘tolerating’ sexual assault of women and children abroad and is ‘acceding’ to the policy that his military advisers at the Pentagon have established - not to intervene in crimes unless they are an act of war – Earnest deflected once again, invoking the Defense Department. He said he would not answer questions ‘about a policy that governs the conduct of US military personnel in a dangerous place.’ He also said the president has not, to his knowledge, asked for a review of DOD’s policies.

CAT Trucks Australia / Navistar Auspac Press Release / September 17, 2015 Cat CT630SC Mixes Mettle with Metal He’s polite and quick with a smile but Bob Brereton doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to likes and dislikes in matters of the mechanical kind. “Whatever the equipment is, it either does the job well or it doesn’t, and I’m just not interested in anything that promises one thing and delivers something less,” says the sharp-minded founder and proprietor of West Australian scrap metal and used machinery company Millennium Metals. High on the list of likes is the venerable Cat® C15 engine under the snout of a Cat CT630SC. Delivered earlier this year, the versatile SC hauls ‘pocket’ roadtrain loads of scrap metal from stockpile sites at Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Esperance and Albany to the company’s processing facility in the industrial outskirts of Kwinana south of Perth. As Bob Brereton emphasises, there were several significant factors that led to the purchase of his first Cat CT630SC model; the third Cat truck bought by the company in the past three years. “The C15 is certainly the preferred engine,” he explains, “but I’ve also been very impressed with the service from WesTrac (Western Australia Cat Trucks distributor). There’s no doubt in my mind Cat has the best service and to me, that’s probably the greatest asset. “The Cat brand is just so strong.” Still, he insists the scrap business is tough on equipment of all types. “Our trailers are high capacity and heavy, simply because they need to be,” Bob continues, citing tare weight of around 35 tonnes for a relatively standard ‘pocket’ roadtrain combination. Gross weights generally range from 70 to 80 tonnes. However, apart from the model’s enviable durability, the capacity of the CT630SC to be approved for gross combination weights up to 110 tonnes and a compact bumper to back-of-cab dimension to enhance the 27.5 metre overall length limit of two-trailer ‘pocket’ roadtrains are vitally important considerations for Bob Brereton. “It’s a truck that suits what we do. It fits our business in many ways,” he confirms, adding that driver acceptance of the Cats and specifically the space in the well-appointed sleeper cab of the SC have been extremely positive. “We have some good drivers and we like to look after them. “The driver of the SC loves the truck. The way he tells it, it just drives so well.” Yet despite his obvious satisfaction with the CT630SC, it is an adamant Bob Brereton who attests that the scrap industry is not for the frivolous or weak, in men or machines. As he explains though, he certainly wasn’t born to the scrap business. In fact, working life started as a diesel fitter in the UK in the late 1960s before a stint in the Merchant Navy saw an eager young Brereton step ashore at Fremantle in 1974 and quickly decide, “This’ll do me!” With an inherent appreciation for all things mechanical, he subsequently applied his diesel fitter’s trade with various high profile equipment brands and their dealerships. “Later on I even tried sales for a while but I’d soon had enough of that,” he quips. Finally, with a sharp eye for opportunity and a natural willingness to embrace new endeavours, he bought a small scrap metal business. “That was 1992 and seriously, I knew nothing about the scrap business. “It was a company with three employees and one truck but I had a couple of good friends in the machinery business and I figured most equipment ends up as scrap eventually, so I decided to give it a go. I had to learn fast,” he recalls with a shrewd grin. And learn, he did! Today, Millennium Metals employs 20 people, runs an extensive fleet of trucks and trailers, and handles around 35,000 tonnes of scrap a year, retrieved from stockpiles up to 600 km from Perth, sorted and processed before being exported primarily to South-East Asia and India. “In many ways, the scrap business defines the state of the economy,” Bob suggests. “When equipment that’s still serviceable, whether it’s infrastructure like steel beams or different types of machinery, finds its way into the scrap business then that’s usually a sign of a downturn in industry and the economy generally. “That’s where it’s at right now,” he comments. Consequently, Millennium Metals is a business which has purposefully diversified. “Today, there are basically three parts to how we operate,” Bob continues. “First and foremost, we deal in scrap metal. That’s the foundation of the business but we also buy and sell all sorts of machinery and equipment, and the third part is the transport side where we haul for ourselves and also a major scrap company, Sims Metal Management. “We’ve worked closely with Sims for 20 years and it’s a very good working relationship. “It all comes down to the fact that we need to be flexible in this business.” In a mixed fleet of makes and models ranging from around-town rigids to single and tandem-drive prime movers mainly on local delivery work, and a mix of cab-overs and conventionals for heavy-duty roadtrain runs, Bob insists his first priorities in truck choice are durable performance and suitability for a given task. “For the longer distance work, all the prime movers are roadtrain-rated but when it comes to the make and model, I’ve always been something of an opportunist and that applies to trucks whether they’re bought new or second-hand. “You take your opportunities when they come and with Cat it has been the right new truck at the right time and of course, the right price. No one wants to pay more than they need to and everyone wants value-for-money, but you still have to end up with a truck that’ll do the job and keep doing it. In that respect, Cat is a good thing. Definitely! “Even so, I’m a big believer in the value of relationships and that’s certainly been the case with the people at WesTrac. “When it’s all boiled down, it’s not all about metal and machinery,” a smiling Bob Brereton concludes. Photos - http://www.cattrucks.com.au/tough-cat-thrives-on-a-good-scrap/

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