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19-year-old murders three family members in Tennessee Associated Press / August 30, 2015 Police were called to a home in eastern Tennessee and found a grizzly sight - three people were killed and a child was injured during a shooting spree on Saturday. Sullivan County sheriff's spokeswoman Leslie Earhart says the shooter, Robert Seth Denton, was wounded during the rampage and was taken into custody a short time later in a nearby driveway. Two women with gunshot wounds were found in the kitchen when authorities arrived Saturday evening, he said. They were pronounced dead at the scene. An adult male was found on the porch suffering from gunshot wounds, but he later died at a hospital. A half-dozen children were in the home during the shooting spree and one girl was injured, Sheriff Wayne Anderson said. Denton, who is related to the victims, walked up the driveway of the home with a long-gun and opened fire when he reached the house located near Bristol, Tennessee. 'From what I've seen and heard, he just took `em by surprise,' Anderson said. 'It just all happened real fast.' The 19-year-old male has been charged with three counts of first degree murder, aggravated assault and felony reckless endangerment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press / August 31, 2015 Outfitted in camouflage and armed with a high-powered rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition, Robert Seth Denton fatally shot his mother, stepfather and grandmother while six children witnessed the carnage in the family's double-wide mobile home in eastern Tennessee, a sheriff said Monday. The 19-year-old suspect then went outside, laid down his weapon and camouflage jacket and walked to a neighboring trailer, where he told his grandfather he needed to call 911, Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson said. The grandfather, Curtis Rose, had been making repairs to the trailer, and the din of power tools drowned out the gunfire. Rose went next door and found the horrific scene. He called 911, put the children in a bathroom, grabbed a gun and went after his grandson, the sheriff said. Climbing into a van, Rose caught up to the fleeing Denton at the end of a long driveway. Rose fired once, wounding his grandson in the arm, Anderson said. Denton didn't go far before calling 911 to report he had been shot and to give his location, the sheriff said. Denton was taken to a hospital for treatment and then taken to jail. Denton was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and felony reckless endangerment. Denton made his initial court appearance Monday, and attorney Lynn Dougherty was appointed to represent him. Denton's bond was set at $1 million and his next court appearance was set for Sept. 8. Dougherty did not immediately return a call Monday evening seeking comment. Authorities were still trying to piece together what caused the teenage suspect to allegedly turn on family members. Most of the children in the trailer lost parents. "We have gained a lot of information that he has hated his mother for most of his life," Anderson said. "He had made statements ... over the years that he wanted to kill her." He didn't offer details about the cause of the enmity. The information was based on police interviews with relatives and others who know Denton, the sheriff said. Killed were Denton's mother, Toshya Millhorn, 39; his stepfather, James Millhorn, 36; and his grandmother, Lena Rose, 57. Authorities found Rose and Toshya Millhorn inside the home with gunshot wounds, the sheriff's office said. Both died at the scene. James Millhorn was found near the front door with gunshot wounds, and he died later at a hospital. The children, ages 2 to 12, were in another room but witnessed the shootings, authorities said. Investigators have interviewed two of the children. "These kids, they saw everything that went on," Anderson said, his voice shaking with emotion. "They've got to live with that for the rest of their lives, all six of them. It was the worst horrific scene that I've seen." Five of the children are children or stepchildren of Toshya and James Millhorn, and they are staying with family members, authorities said. The other child was visiting. One youngster, a 7-year-old girl, was injured when a fragment struck her hip, Anderson said. The suspect did not turn the gun on her, he said. The sheriff has described the assault as a surprise attack. Denton parked his vehicle away from the residence and made the long walk up the hilly driveway to the home, Anderson said. Denton apparently entered the trailer through a back door. A neighbor, Darrell Grey, said he heard a barrage of 10 to 12 gunshots and screams. The rampage lasted less than a minute, he said. "We heard somebody, they said, 'Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,'" he said. Authorities said Monday they don't know why the suspect spared his grandfather. "Why he didn't shoot his grandfather and went out there and told him is beyond me," the sheriff said. Investigators had not uncovered any prior local criminal record for Denton, the sheriff said. Authorities said the suspect had served a short stint in the Army, but didn't provide any details about his work history outside the military. As a child, Denton had lived in the trailer where the shootings occurred, but most recently lived in a Bristol apartment, the sheriff's office said. No charges are pending against Curtis Rose for opening fire on his grandson, the sheriff said. .

17-year-old drowns pregnant girlfriend's nephew Associated Press / August 30, 2015 An East Texas teenager is accused of pushing his pregnant girlfriend's three-year-old nephew into a pond so the boy would drown to make room for the unborn child to live at their home. Bobby Woods, 17, faces a charge of capital murder of a person under age six. Woods told authorities that he wanted Mason Cuttler to die because his girlfriend was pregnant and he wanted to make room in the home for his unborn child. Mason's dead body was found on August 18 in a pond near Lufkin, a day after he was reported missing while playing outside as his parents cleaned their home, investigators have said. Woods' pregnant girlfriend is the aunt of the boy. Woods was booked as an adult after his arrest Friday and remained in the Angelina County jail without bond Saturday. Sheriff Greg Sanches said Woods was a member of one of three families living at the house. Woods told sheriff's deputies he was aware of Mason's age and that the boy could not swim. He said he pushed the child into the pond, then turned his back and made no effort to rescue the boy as he cried for help. .

About Fitzgerald in general, I believe what's special is the ability to purchase a new truck in year 2015 with a pre-emissions engine. Aside from the Icon, which doesn't do anything for me either, they have a wide range of brand and model offerings.

Diesel News Australia / August 27, 2015 The government of South Australia’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) has released a safety video for truck operators on how to handle the long steep descent into Adelaide on the South Eastern Freeway. The issue is, with the set of traffic lights directly at the foot of the grade, an out-of-control truck arrives right in the middle of suburban traffic, and deaths have resulted from this. It’s a long way back up the hill to the last safety ramp where runaway trucks can get off the highway safely. The descent is over seven kilometres (4.35 mile) long and has some deceptive sections where it looks like it is levelling out, but actually continues even steeper. Truckies need to be aware of the descent and be prepared for it when they arrive at the summit, this video talks them down the grade and offers advice to the unwary. As an older truckie, my thoughts go immediately to questioning why an operator would let a driver who didn’t have good experience and knowledge at heavy masses drive down to Adelaide on this route. Then I remember the fact some modern trucks do not even flinch at descending a grade like this at a relatively high speed. The time when all grades needed to be approached with caution, when engine brakes were laughable and drums could over heat real quick are in the past. We have become a little blasé about descents like this, using retarders and compression brakes to enable us to get down these hills at a set speed without fuss. The video reminds us how these descents should be treated with respect and we do need a strategy if the retardation suddenly stops working. For something a little lighter, here is an safety video made in Queensland, asking drivers to respect the issues of outback driving. It’s good to see the cops joining in!

Overdrive / August 27, 2015 Fitzgerald Glider Kits (https://www.fitzgeraldgliderkits.com/) announced Aug. 27 it has added the the Kenworth Icon 900 and the Western Star 4900 to its glider kit offerings. The announcement came at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Texas. The Kenworth Icon 900 was unveiled in March at the Mid-America Trucking Show and is a modern take on Kenworth’s classic W900 tractor. Fitzgerald is offering three 2006 and older engine choices for the Icon 900: a 12.7 liter Detroit 60 series, a Cummins N14 or a Cat 6NZ. All engine choices can be spec’d with a 10-,13- or 18-speed Eaton Fuller reman transmission. The Western Star 4900 will be available in three configurations: An over-the-road day cab, a heavy-haul configuration and the 4900EX 82-inch high-top sleeper. Fitzgerald says it ordered 100 Icon 900 gliders and 300 Western Stars.

Fleet Owner / August 27, 2015 Asked to forecast truck sales for 2016, Kenworth Truck general manager and Paccar vice president Preston Feight pointed out that current high Class 8 numbers in the U.S. and Canada would be hard to exceed. Citing recent Paccar estimates of 2015 industry sales totals at 270,000 to 290,000 units, Feight said: “With sales at such high levels, I don’t know where we can go from here.” Without offering a number for 2016, Freight said he expects Class 8 sales to be “solid” as both general economic and industry-specify indicators are all positive except for continuing driver shortages. “People are doing well and freight will need to be hauled, so customers will continue to buy trucks.” Surpassing current levels by any significant amount would put Class 8 sales near the record numbers seen in 2006, “which seems a bit unrealistic,” he said. Sales that year were driven by strong pre-buy pressure to avoid the cost and complexity of new emissions systems arriving in 2007. There are no similar pre-buy pressures on the horizon, and current sales reflect more organic drivers such as the need to replace an aged fleet with significantly more fuel efficient models. As for Kenworth’s performance in the strong Class 8 market, Feight said it had increased its Class 8 market share from 12.15 in 2010 to 14.7% this year. Its new T680 and T880 models, introduced in 2012 and 2013, respectively, now account for 75% of the company’s production, and its proprietary 13-liter DAF MX series engine is now installed in 40% of its trucks. Early next month, Kenworth will expand the T680 model line up with a 76-in. mid-roof model intended for tanker and flatbed applications. A second proprietary engine, the 10.8 liter DAF MX-11 rated from 286 to 435 horsepower, is also scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2016.

Fleet Owner / August 27, 2015 Responding to what it said is the “latest in a series of baseless and defamatory editorials, letters and columns published by” The New York Times on Saturday, Aug. 22, American Trucking Assns. (ATA) President & CEO Bill Graves lashed out at “several falsehoods, both implied and intentional” in an op-ed submitted to the Times. According to ATA, the Howard Abramson-penned op-ed, entitled, “The Trucks Are Killing Us,” misrepresented the safety focus of the trucking industry. Graves’ op-ed submission was rejected by the Times, ATA said. Abramson is a former publisher and editorial director of Transport Topics Publishing Group, which is a unit of ATA, working with the group from 1998 through January 2014. “It is unfortunate that the Times ran an opinion column this Saturday titled ‘The Trucks are Killing Us,’ without properly vetting the statements contained in it,” wrote Graves in the rejected op-ed. “Despite the author’s implied credentials, there are several falsehoods, both implied and intentional, in the text that deserve a response.” In his op-ed, Abramson wrote that Congress has “pursued a number of steps to roll back safety improvements ordered by federal regulators,” including suspension of the restart mandate that required drivers to take consecutive 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. rest periods as part of a 34-hour restart. The 34-hour restart was not suspended. Abramson also criticized efforts to allow longer trucks, allow a pilot program to test an 18-year-old interstate driving age, and said Congress is discouraging FMCSA from “investing in wireless technology designed to improve the monitoring of drivers and their vehicles.” In Graves’ unpublished response, entitled “Despite Fearmongering the Trucking Industry is Safe and Getting Safer,” he writes that “Mr. Abramson says Congress has ‘eliminate[ed] the requirement that drivers take a two-day break each week.’ This isn’t just an implied falsehood – it is simply and totally wrong. What Congress has done is almost exactly the opposite – it is allowing drivers to take more than one two-day break each week should they need or want to – and easing an onerous restriction that these breaks include two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration admitted to Congress it never studied the potential consequences of these changes, consequences we now know – thanks to an American Transportation Research Institute analysis – include increased daytime truck traffic and likely increases in crashes as a result of more congested highways during daylight hours.” Graves also noted that Abramson’s claim that Congress wants truck drivers to work 82 hours a week, an increase over the current 70 over eight days, is also wrong. “FMCSA itself has said such an extreme work schedule would only be possible in ‘an imaginary world of perfect logistics.’ In the real world the average driver works 52 hours in a week – a reasonable total when compared to the average American workweek in today’s modern economy,” Graves wrote. Many, ATA included, have noted that 18-year-olds are currently allowed to hold CDL and drive intrastate commerce, but not cross state lines. Under the current rules, an 18-year-old could travel hundreds of miles within a state’s border, but not “the three miles between Philadelphia to Camden, N.J,” Graves wrote. Graves added that “the pilot program Congress is currently proposing would not only fix this illogical inconsistency and provide states the ability to restrict these younger drivers in many ways; it would take a huge step toward a graduated commercial licensing system – the same type of system that has long been heralded by safety minded organizations, including ATA.” In his op-ed, Abramson wrote that the trucking industry is opposed to safety. “All of these concessions to the trucking industry have gained traction in Congress even though the industry has consistently resisted safety improvements,” Abramson wrote. “The death toll in truck-involved crashes rose 17 percent from 2009 to 2013. Fatalities in truck-involved crashes have risen four years in a row, reaching 3,964 in 2013, the latest data available. Those crashes are killing not only car drivers but also, during 2013 alone, 586 people who were truck drivers or passengers.” According to Graves, the claim of little to no concern for safety is false. “ATA has pushed for a review of truck crashworthiness standards and has supported mandates for both electronic stability control (finally enacted this June) and improved braking systems. ATA has also been at the forefront of pushes to electronically limit truck speeds and better electronic monitoring of driver hours-of-service – a pair of regulations we hope will be issued soon,” he wrote. In addition, Abramson said that “more people will be killed in traffic accidents involving large trucks this year than have died in all of the domestic commercial airline crashes over the past 45 years, if past trends hold true. And still Congress continues to do the trucking industry’s bidding by frustrating the very regulators the government has empowered to oversee motor carriers.” Graves said the implication is that the trucking industry is responsible for all highway deaths involving trucks. This is not true, he wrote. “Per the most recent federal data available, upwards of two-thirds of all serious crashes involving large trucks are caused by the actions of someone other than the professional driver. Speeding, impaired driving and other aggressive behaviors by non-commercial drivers cause far more truck crashes than do fatigue or other issues cited by the author. This is why ATA supports highway safety programs like America’s Road Team and Share the Road where our professional drivers educate the best ways for trucks and autos to interact on the roadways safely,” Graves said. “ATA has also been at the forefront of pushes to electronically limit truck speeds and better electronic monitoring of driver hours-of-service – a pair of regulations we hope will be issued soon,” Graves added. Graves concluded his op-ed submission summarizing what he said is the safety-conscious approach of the trucking industry. “Improving safety is also at the core of ATA’s support for modest increases in trailer length for some trucks. With a simple increase in trailer size from 28 feet to 33 feet, studies have shown we can eliminate the 6.6 million trips to deliver the 69% of the American economy that trucks move, and that would reduce the number of truck miles traveled by 1.3 billion. Those trips not taken and miles not driven will result, based on crash rates, more than 900 crashes not had,” he wrote. “At the end of the day, there is no silver bullet, no magic gadget that will make roads entirely safe. But through education, by reducing crash risk through sound rules, safety technologies and tighter enforcement, we can continue the long-term improvements in truck and highway safety. Over the past decade, through the industry’s diligence and professionalism, as well as improvements in vehicle technology and enforcement, the number of truck-involved fatal crashes has fallen by a third. “This is good news that some choose to ignore, but it is also a call for all of us – the industry, government regulators and motorists to look at the true roots of crashes and not use the politics of fear to impose counterproductive ‘solutions,’” he added. http://fleetowner.com/safety/trucks-are-killing-us-not-so-says-ata-s-bill-graves

I mentioned that: "Buying Oshkosh’s HEMTT A4 8x4 would have been a wise decision, proven vehicles that would have allowed interoperability with U.S. armed forces, Canada’s key ally" The bottom line is, Canada has been dragging on this purchase for years, and finally decided to go cheap rather than pay up for a Oshkosh HEMTT or Rheinmetall unit. As for the Eurofighter, I'd much rather bet on the latest version of Saab's Gripen (http://saab.com/air/gripen-fighter-system/gripen/gripen/).

In a desperate "Hail Mary" play for points, Hillary in Cleveland yesterday compared Republican presidential candidates who hold conservative views on abortion and women's reproductive rights to "terrorist groups." This proves to me at least that she has a lot to learn about who the terrorists actually are. And she wants to sit in the captain's chair.............hmm.

You only have one life and it is an all-too-short one. It doesn't cost much to travel unless you want it to. After having worked hard for many years, you owe it to yourself to do something for yourself.....a little payback time. Certainly, stepping outside the box (the US) will open you mind and expand your horizons in so many ways (as our lad Tim is now realizing).

????? Where did my post mention religion?

It does sound like you are speaking of the Mack bogie's self-steering design capability (which results in reduced tire wear). Having said that, and assuming that you have rubber trunnion bushings, they could be in bad shape simply because they're 36 years old. Rubber deteriorates over time.......low mileage doesn't matter. .

Gale Banks 866T V-8 diesel based on the 6.6-liter GM-Isuzu Duramax (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAAahUKEwjR6oLy3cjHAhXDO4gKHVSQCRQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.bankspower.com%2Fmag_article_files%2F84%2F866T-Brochure-2012_sm.pdf&ei=WbveVZHaN8P3oATUoKagAQ&usg=AFQjCNFR2ktCuHmJ097j9BP6krddGFVOgw&cad=rjt) Each truck at about $400,000 a pop, and about 55,000 will be purchased when all is said and done. Maybe we should stop handing out free money to countries around the world.

Put the trip on your calendar..........life's too short. There are many places around the world you absolutely need to experience.

Owner/Driver / August 26, 2015 Liam Fyfe is a young third generation truckie who’s recently started in business for himself. Who says the younger generation these days isn’t prepared to have a go? After driving for his family's trucking company, Fyfe Transport, in rural Western Australia since the age of 19, Liam Fyfe is now striking out on his own. Liam, 25, has recently bought a new Kenworth T659 prime mover and wants to add a set of livestock trailers as soon as possible. He’s called his company "Fyfe Logistics", which implies bigger things down the road. For the moment though, he’s working as a tow contractor to his parents’ company, which specialises in sheep and grain. Liam reckons he’s got it a lot better than when his parents David and Christine Fyfe started their company nearly 30 years ago at Lake Grace, 350km south east of Perth (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/41502-fyfe-transport-a-tale-of-teamwork-in-western-australia/). "Loans are easier to get and work is easier to get," Liam says of livestock cartage. "No-one wants to do it. No one wants to do hard work." Liam’s T659 has notched up nearly 13,000km and had its first service at CJD Bunbury. He specified a Cummins ISX engine rated at 550hp (400kW) with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control – ie using AdBlue. The bunk is a big 50-incher. "It’s really good," Liam says of his new truck. "It’s really comfortable, good to sleep in, runs nice and cool compared with the older motors." Liam favoured the 659 over a 909 because of better vision in the city with the sloping bonnet and easier reversing and better manoeuvrability in the numerous customer tight spots thanks to the set-back front axle. http://www.kenworth.com.au/trucks/t659/ http://www.kenworth.com.au/trucks/t909/ Trucks are all Liam’s known and all he’s been interested in. "Ever since I could reach the pedals I’ve been driving, that’s just what I wanted to do," he says. "I think I got my first truck when I was three years old, and I think my first load was a load of sand to the garden bed in the backyard. I did a few miles on my knees with that truck." Liam’s got a competitive streak, no doubt sharpened by arguing with younger brother Nathan – the Fremantle Dockers AFL player – over whose turn it was to ride with David in the truck, and competing with Nathan on who could do things faster. "We would see who could tarp the quickest, tie the ropes the quickest, and who could back a road train in the least amount of shots," Liam says. "We would set challenges for each other, it was pretty fun. "We would knock off from school and everyone else would be hanging around with mates or down at the ice cream shop or whatever, but we would be down at the yard running amok annoying drivers. We just loved it". Needless to say Liam can do any maintenance work on trucks and trailers other than fiddling with the injectors or motor. He anticipates that in the longer term he’ll slip into the management side of things with the family business, as David scales back. .

HHA equipment under the hammer - http://www.pickles.com.au/general/onsite-auctions/-/content/LIVE-019332/general

Fleet Owner / August 26, 2015 Lightweighting technologies offer a significant chance to reduce fuel usage and boost payload capacity for fleets, but few fleets are actually taking full advantage of the opportunities, according to a new Confidence Report from Trucking Efficiency (http://fleetowner.com/site-files/fleetowner.com/files/uploads/2015/08/CWR_trucking_full_report_Lightweighting_FINAL_0.pdf). The report said that, due to emissions regulations, fuel economy features and driver amenities, tractors have gained about 1,000 lbs. of weight over the past decade. That weight, though, could be easily offset with lightweight technologies. Trucking Efficiency’s latest Confidence Report on lightweighting said that about 2,000 lbs. of weight can be cut from a truck with a “limited degree of lightweighting, while more aggressive investment can yield around 4,000 lbs. of savings – at which point 1 in every 11 trucks that gross out can be taken off the road for a given amount of cargo.” The time, the report said, is now for fleets to start adopting lightweight technologies, especially as shippers are demanding more efficiency and freight is becoming denser, leading to more vehicles maxing out at 80,000 lbs. Trucking Efficiency is a joint effort of the Carbon War Room and the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. Lightweighting also has an impact on the growing driver shortage, the report noted. With more freight and more dense freight, fleets will have two options: add trucks or cut vehicle weight. The report is clear which option Trucking Efficiency believes is best. “A new truck costs around $120,000 up front, and an additional $1.68 per mile to operate. With trucks driving [about] 100,000 mi. or more annually, investing in lightweighting such that a single vehicle can be kept off the road while still moving the required amount of freight would save a fleet nearly a million dollars over five years. And at current industry averages of just under 6 mpg, one fewer truck means reduced CO2 emissions of nearly 380,000 lbs. per year,” the report said. In the report, Trucking Efficiency measures the value of lightweighting technologies in “dollar of upfront cost per pound of weight saved.” Few fleets willing to pay for technology According to the report, category 1 fleets (primarily bulk operations operating at max weight during at least some portion of their route) have already invested heavily in lightweighting initiatives and are willing to pay for such technologies. A cost of between $6 and $11 per pound of weight saved is justified by these fleets, the report said, noting that a technology that saves 500 lbs. might be worth an upfront cost of $5,500 for these fleets. Conversely, those fleets in category 2 (trucks loaded to max weight a minimum amount of time) and category 3 (dry vans that rarely ever reach max weight) are less willing to spend on lightweighting technologies. On average, the group said reefer or certain dry van operators running dedicated routes are willing to pay between $2 and $5 while general dry van freight operators less than $2 for every pound saved. Noting that category 2 and 3 trucks represent about 98% of all trucks on the road, Trucking Efficiency said plenty of increased efficiency is possible, resulting in between 0.5% and 0.6% of fuel saved per 1,000 lbs. of weight reduction. “However, the upfront costs to remove the nearly 4,000 lbs. off a tractor and trailer required to reach the 1–2% efficiency gain considered acceptable for many other technologies is so high that it does not offer an attractive payback from fuel savings alone,” the report noted. “But with an 80,000-lb. legal maximum weight for a truck plus cargo to travel down our roads, theoretically every pound shaved off the vehicle’s weight could be recouped as freight.” Breaking down the true costs The group breaks down lightweighting technologies into 3 price categories for tractors: no cost - generally right-sizing components such as using shorter cabs, smaller engines, fewer batteries, etc.; some cost – things like increased use of aluminum in hubs, air tanks, battery boxes and molded plastics fairings; and more cost – aluminum frame and wheels, composite brake drums and the use of carbon fiber. It does the same breakdown for trailers. There are concerns about lightweighting, Trucking Efficiency pointed out, including higher upfront costs with more aggressive technologies and a potential impact on resale value and maintenance costs. “Some lightweighting options have a negative impact on the residual cost or resale value of a truck at present. Some lightweighting options also entail higher maintenance costs,” it said. Among areas where lightweighting is possible, the report cited powertrains, drive shafts, front axles and suspensions, rear axles and suspensions, wheel ends, wheels and tires, frame and chassis, and fifth wheels. Using the right materials, the group said a Class 8 day cab could weigh less than 14,000 lbs. and a sleeper 15,000 lbs. It produced the following table to indicate lightweighting options: Each area also has drawbacks. For instance, while right-sizing engines to 13L or even 11L might reduce weight and improve fuel economy, the report noted that buyers of tractors on the used market, in addition to many drivers, still prefer 15L engines. As a result, a vehicle may have less value on the resale market. Trailer lightweighting can be addressed through lightweight brakes, hubs, and suspensions, which could deliver savings of 600 to 700 lbs., the report said. Other areas include flooring, tires and wheels and even smaller fuel tanks for refrigeration units. The report suggested two “technology packages” for lightweighting. Package one, “mild lightweighting,” would cut about 2,000 lbs. from a tractor-trailer combination. It would include smaller fuel tanks, wide base tires and wheels, horizontal exhaust among the tractor spec choices and aluminum and other lightweight components on the trailer. A more aggressive lightweighting package would save about 4,000 lbs. on the combo and would add a smaller engine, shorter sleeper, and aluminum to the tractor and wide-base tires and wheels to the trailer. While the report makes it seem like all fleets should immediately adopt these technologies, it does point out a number of challenges facing fleets. From higher upfront costs; higher maintenance costs; potential drops in resale value; the cost to perform validation testing and the general nature of fleet operations, where no two vehicles seem to perform the exact same functions or travel the exact same routes under the same conditions make it hard to conduct cost comparisons. On the horizon Interestingly, report authors asked respondents to identify future technologies, both near-term and in the future. In the near term (within the next couple of years), the choices were: Plastic hoods 25-30% lighter than current modelsHigh strength steel frame – 200-300 lb, savingsComposite brake drums, rear – 200 lb. savingsComposite brake drums, front – 85 lb. savingsAluminum frame – 500 pound savings (note: aluminum frames are available today, but the report said more robust designs are needed to make them viable)Future technologies include: Carbon fiber cab & trailer body – 5,000+ lb. savingsCarbon fiber prop shaft – 50% lighter than current modelsGas turbine or OPOC engine – 1,100 lb. savingsThe report concludes with several other benefits of lightweighting, including fuel economy improvements and driver retention. .

Fleet Owner / August 26, 2015 Improving the aerodynamic performance of highway tractors often boils down to making small yet significant changes to its exterior shape – changes that can also be canceled out by aerodynamic enhancements to trailers, if one isn’t careful. Those are just two of the lessons Peterbilt Motors Co. has gleaned not only from its involvement in the Dept. of Energy’s “Supertruck” program but also from the ongoing development work with its Model 579 EPIQ highway tractor spec, originally introduced back in 2014, explained Frank Schneck, the OEM’s division engineering manager. “For example, if you are pulling a trailer equipped with side fairings, then you want to equip the tractor with a front bumper air dam to redirect more air away from under the tractor to its sides, where it can also be further ‘smoothed out’ by the trailer side fairings,” Schneck (seen at right) told Fleet Owner. “However, if the trailer does not have side fairings, you don’t want to push more air out to the sides – that will actually cause more turbulence and drag,” he stressed. “So when you don’t have trailer side fairings, you want more air to flow under the truck because that will actually create less drag compared to pushing out to the sides.” Back when first rolled out in 2014, Peterbilt said its Model 579 EPIQ spec delivered a 10% increase in fuel economy compared to a “normal” Model 579, which jumped to 14% this year in part due to aerodynamic refinements and the combination with Peterbilt’s APEX powertrain package, which mates a Paccar MX-13 diesel engine to a 10-speed Fuller Advantage automated manual transmission (AMT). One example of aerodynamic “refinements” Peterbilt added to its Model 579 EPIQ spec are “recirculation shields” around the front of the motor inside the hood to redirect air not needed for engine cooling again out to the sides of the truck. “In the past, we didn’t use recirculation shields on engines with under 450 hp but now we’re putting them in,” Schneck noted. Interestingly, he pointed out that the wheel hub “close outs” added around the wheel fairing to close the gap between tire and wheel fender on the Model 579 EPIQ are actually designed to keep air from sliding out of the wheel well. “We even added a wheel well liner to help channel that air through the well and out under the vehicle to keep the air along the side of the truck smooth,” Schneck said. “Keeping air smooth, thus eliminating turbulence, is what reduces drag.” Another key factor learned over time is to keep the gap between tractor and trailer at 42 inches, he noted. If the gap is too long, airflow over and around the tractor tends to “undershoot” the gap, falling into it and creating turbulence. But if the gap is too short, the airflow “overshoots” the gap and thus isn’t smoothed out properly, Schneck said. “That being, it’s better to ‘overshoot’ rather than ‘undershoot’ the gap, for ‘undershooting’ creates more drag,” he explained. To help close an “ideal” 42-inch gap, Peterbilt developed 18-inch bolt-on sleeper berth extenders accentuated with an 8-inch rubber fairing “tip.” That total of 26-inches of gap coverage allows for several things to occur, Schneck noted: allowing airflow along the side of the truck to “jump” the tractor-trailer gap smoothly; provides enough swing room for the trailer when turning the vehicle; and blocking most crosswinds from entering the gap to generate turbulence. Yet he pointed out that such external aerodynamic configurations are designed with 53-foot dry van trailers in mind. When flatbed trailers get involved, the aerodynamic picture changes drastically. “For example, we designed the roof fairing close out panel and ‘bridge’ to help connect airflow smoothly from the top to the truck to the top of the trailer,” Schneck explained. “But when you move to a flatbed trailer, that ‘bigger square’ you’ve made with the roof fairing now actually creates more drag. So now you need to reduce the size of that frontal ‘square’ to reduce overall drag.” It’s all part of the aerodynamic adjustments required for tractors based on their operational parameters and duty cycle, he said. “It’s also why we continue to enhance our aerodynamic offerings, harvesting what we’ve learned from Supertruck as well as our ongoing on-road testing,” Schneck stressed.

"but still they [Volvo] will allow Mack to develop a new cab based on their cab" Friend, Mack isn't developing anything. There is no more Mack. Mack is now nothing more than a brand name owned by Volvo Group. Volvo engineers have designed the new Volvo global cab platform-derived Mack brand cab. Each one of those engineer's e-mail addresses end in @volvo.com. You're right that, owing to uncompetitive product, the Volvo brand is taking over the Mack brand's on-highway market share. And that's no accident.

Brochure - http://oshkoshdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/16589_JLTV_8pgBrch_LowRes.pdf Website - http://oshkoshdefense.com/jltv/#

$12 to $14 an hour in non-union U.S. auto plants.............my friend, I'm not sure how you are arriving at that. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auto workers make more in right-to-work Alabama than anywhere else in the country An estimate by the Center for Automotive Research found that the non-unionized Daimler Automotive Group employees at Alabama’s Mercedes plant in Vance, near Tuscaloosa, make more per hour than any other auto workers in the country. The Center for Automotive Research compiled estimates of the hourly labor costs, including wages, benefits, and legacy costs at each of the major U.S. automakers. So, while the numbers below may not be the exact amount on a worker’s paycheck at the end of every pay period, it is a reflection of the many types of compensation a worker would receive at that employer. Labor costs per employee at Daimler AG in Alabama average $65 per hour, including benefits, compared to the $58 per hour at GM, $57 per hour at Ford, and $48 per hour at Fiat Chrysler, all of which are highly-unionized. In last place are BMW compensating only $39 per hour, and Volkswagon AG at $38 per hour. Alabama’s other major automotive manufacturers, Honda and Hyundai came in at $48 and $41, respectively. The United Auto Workers union has long targeted Mercedes as its next conquest. A vote to unionize the Vance plant was narrowly defeated in 2014. Alabama is a right to work state, meaning that employers can’t require union membership as a condition of employment. However, if unionization of the Mercedes plant had been successful all workers would, by requirement of contract, be represented by the UAW, not just those who are union members. Right-to-work advocates say this caveat strips the rights of workers who wish not to be a member of a union, and silences their voices. Unions were once widely viewed as a positive voice for workers who did not have the ability to stand up for themselves. But as workplaces became safer and wages more fair, unions started shifting from workplace representation to heavy political involvement to accomplish their goals. At only 7% of the private workforce, unions are now a shadow of their former selves, although they remain a powerful bloc in the Democratic Party. Between the Mercedes, Honda, and Hyundai plants, Alabama has become a strong player in automotive manufacturing and the state’s right-to-work laws are often credited with having played a major part in that. Several companies have cited Alabama’s status as a right-to-work state as a key reason they relocated to the state, particularly Airbus and Remington. .

Today's UAW is desperate, trying to justify its continued existence in an era where unions have proven to be unnecessary. Zenon C.R. Hansen knew how to deal with the union of the 1960s, but the union leadership of the 1980s damaged both Mack Trucks and its Allentown members. (U.S.-built non-union vehicles: Acura, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla and Toyota)

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30184-all-eyes-are-on-the-new-maxidyne/

Hillary's manager changes their damage control strategy. http://us.cnn.com/2015/08/26/politics/hillary-clinton-iowa-rural-policy-2016/index.html

Here we go again...........every time the news is "white kills black", race is made crystal clear by the media and we also hear from the "Black Lives Matter" bunch. But in cases such as this when "black kills white", the race of the killer and victim is not mentioned by the U.S. media. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3211529/WDBJ7-reporter-Alison-Parker-Adam-Ward-shot-live-TV-Moneta-gunman.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3211803/Vester-Lee-Flanagan-AKA-Bryce-Williams-WDBJ7-shooter-sued-employer-2000-alleging-racism.html