kscarbel2

The Colorado theater murdered (Holmes) kiiled 12 people and tried to kill 70 others, and yet they aren't going to execute him??? Rather, the taxpayer has to pay the bill for his incarceration for decades? Where's the justice? http://news.yahoo.com/judge-set-sentence-colorado-theater-shooter-life-060524254.html#

Ford Said to Weigh Returning Bronco, Ranger Production to U.S. Bloomberg / August 26, 2015 Ford Motor Co. is considering returning the Bronco sport utility vehicle and Ranger compact pickup to the U.S., where truck demand is booming, said a person familiar with company’s plans. The two models would be built at a factory in Wayne, Michigan, that currently makes small cars, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing product plans. The move would help Ford preserve some U.S. union jobs amid contract negotiations. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company may assemble the Focus and C-Max in Mexico, a person familiar with the matter had said. The return of the Ranger and Bronco, which drew unwelcome renown as O.J. Simpson’s getaway car two decades ago, gives Ford key models to compete with offerings by Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. The models would also secure jobs for the United Auto Workers union, which is in negotiations for a new contract to replace one that expires next month. “We will move production of the next-generation Ford Focus and C-Max, which currently are built at Michigan Assembly Plant, beginning in 2018,” Kristina Adamski, a spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. “We actively are pursuing future vehicle alternatives to produce at Michigan Assembly and will discuss this issue with UAW leadership as part of the negotiations.” She declined to comment on future products for the factory. Brian Rothenberg, a spokesman for the Detroit-based UAW, declined to comment on the negotiations. The Detroit News reported earlier on the Ranger plans. It stands to reason that the new Bronco could be a rebadged global market body-on-frame Ford Everest? (it shares a common chassis with the Ranger)

In America today, due to a lack of government leadership in society's development, your chances of being victimized.....anywhere, at any time......have increased to unacceptable levels.........we've reached critical mass as far as I am concerned. I don't want to hear our statesman making their routine sorrow statements with the words "heartbreaking" and/or "troubling". Rather, I want them to acknowledge the situation, and its severity, and initiate a viable strategy that can resolve the problem, so as to get our great country on a (much) better track. http://news.yahoo.com/cbs-journalists-shot-killed-live-broadcast-130723506.html http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/26/us/virginia-shooting-wdbj/index.html

No time for massages, customers to see and the world's best trucks to sell! You should plan to come over at least once for the beaches down at the coast......absolutely beautiful. And you can swing by NZ and see how Tim is getting along......I hear he's created a shortage of Speight's and Marmite down there, exporting it to Vermont and re-selling it at a 100 percent mark-up so he can retire in five years.

Ford, UAW in talks to revive Ranger sales, output in U.S. Automotive News / August 26, 2015 Ford Motor Co. is in discussions with the UAW about bringing the Ranger midsize pickup back to the U.S. market, a person with knowledge of the talks said late Tuesday. The company is considering a plan to build the truck at Michigan Assembly Plant near Detroit after production of the Focus and C-Max ends in 2018, the source said. The proposal, which would need to be approved by Ford’s board of directors, as well as the union, would give the automaker a smaller and less expensive complement to the F-series that it has lacked since discontinuing the U.S. Ranger in 2011. Ford still sells the Ranger in nearly 200 markets overseas. As transaction prices for the F-150 have risen, so has the opportunity for a midsize pickup to fit below the F-150 without detracting from it. Ford and Fiat Chrysler's Ram brand have abandoned the midsize pickup market in recent years, leaving it largely to the Toyota Tacoma and the recently reintroduced Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. The Detroit News first reported the Ranger discussions Tuesday evening. A Ford spokeswoman declined to comment on the plan. The UAW is negotiating new wage and benefit contracts with Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, with jobs and employment security a top priority. The union's contract with the Detroit 3 expires on Sept. 14 and the pace of talks is expected to accelerate over the coming weeks. “We will move production of the next-generation Ford Focus and C-MAX, which currently are built at Michigan Assembly Plant, beginning in 2018,” Ford said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “We actively are pursuing future vehicle alternatives to produce at Michigan Assembly and will discuss this issue with UAW leadership as part of the upcoming negotiations.” UAW leaders have said they are confident Ford will continue to operate Michigan Assembly past 2018 with different products. The Ranger likely would not be enough by itself to keep the plant running, meaning other vehicles would need to be assigned to it as well. In order to sell the Ranger in the U.S., Ford would need to build it domestically to avoid the 25 percent tariff on imported trucks known as the chicken tax. Automakers have sold 211,797 midsize pickups this year through July, compared to 1.2 million full-size trucks. The Tacoma accounts for about half of all midsize pickup sales in the U.S. this year. Ford sold nearly 350,000 Rangers to U.S. buyers in 1999, its peak year. But volume dropped to 70,832 in 2011, when the plant that built it in St. Paul, Minn., closed. Ford’s truck group marketing manager, Doug Scott, told USA Today last year that Ford was considering bringing a smaller pickup back to the U.S. but that its price and size would need to be different enough from the F-150 to make it worthwhile. "We're looking at it,” Scott told the paper. “We think we could sell a compact truck that's more like the size of the old Ranger, that gets six or eight more miles per gallon [than a full-size truck], is $5,000 or $6,000 less, and that we could build in the U.S. to avoid the tariff on imported trucks.”

The Detroit News / August 26, 2015 Ford Motor Co. wants to resurrect its once-popular Ranger truck in North America and build the midsize pickup at the Michigan Assembly Plant, according to sources with knowledge of Ford’s plans. The Dearborn automaker has entered contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers with plans to bring the Ranger to the plant in Wayne in 2018, said the sources, who couldn’t speak publicly because of the sensitive nature of the talks. They said the final decision is up for discussion in the talks now underway, and must be agreed to with the union and then Ford’s board of directors. The Ranger — which would replace the Focus and C-Max after production of those cars likely heads to Mexico — represents the kind of potentially high-profit, high-volume vehicle the union desires and likely would demand before members would ratify any contract proposal. The two sides must agree that the Ranger would be a good fit for the plant and its nearly 4,500 workers. For Ford, the pickup would mark the return to a small — but growing — midsize truck segment that would help it meet stricter fleet-wide fuel economy standards demanded by the federal government. “There’s a real hunger for midsize trucks right now,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “Once upon a time, there were a lot of midsize trucks in this market. The ones that are available are cashing in on the demand.” New offerings like General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon helped midsize truck sales rise recently after a long decline. But through the first seven months of 2015, the segment represented just 2.1 percent of the overall market, according to Edmunds.com. It’s unclear if the Ranger will be the only product brought into the 5 million-square-foot Wayne plant. Five vehicles currently are built there — the Ford Focus, Focus Electric, Focus ST, C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi — and workers made about 265,000 vehicles last year. Ford in July said it was pulling production of all its vehicles out of Michigan Assembly in 2018, but both the union and automaker have said repeatedly that they expect to avoid shuttering the plant and hope to introduce a new product there. “We actively are pursuing future vehicle alternatives to produce at Michigan Assembly and will discuss this issue with UAW leadership as part of the upcoming negotiations,” spokeswoman Kristina Adamski said in an emailed statement. Ford does not comment on future products. Ford now builds the Ranger in South Africa, Argentina, Thailand and Nigeria for 180 overseas markets. Ford hasn’t imported the small trucks to the U.S. in part because of a 25-percent tariff on foreign-built pickups, known as the “chicken tax.” The tax got its name because it was imposed in the 1960s as payback for a German tariff on chicken. The last North America-built Ranger was part of a fleet order for Orkin Pest Control and rolled off the assembly line in December 2011 at Ford’s now-shuttered Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Minnesota. “It was a huge seller for them for a while,” Brauer said. Revival forecast for segment The midsize pickup market has shrunk considerably over the past three decades, from a peak of about 1.4 million sold in the U.S. in 1986 to a low of about 227,000 in 2013, according to Edmunds.com. Industry analysts expect the segment will grow to around 300,000 in the coming years. Through the first seven months of the 2015, Toyota’s Tacoma holds 50.1 percent of the market share, according to Edmunds. It’s followed by the Colorado at 23.1 percent, the Nissan Frontier at 18.5 percent and the Canyon at 8.4 percent. “The reintroduction of the Colorado and Canyon ended the precipitous market-share slide that the compact truck segment was on,” said Jeremy Acevedo, an Edmunds.com analyst. Ford sold more than 6.6 million Rangers in the U.S. over its 29-year history. Sales peaked in 1999 at around 350,000 but dropped steadily until its final year in 2011, when Ford sold 70,832. “It was the same basic truck from the mid-’90s; it was markedly smaller than other midsize trucks, less powerful, less comfortable and less refined,” Brauer said. “It just never evolved. Basically, it became obsolete.” Ford at the time was coming out of the recession and looking to streamline its product lineup, and it already had committed to a number of new designs for other vehicles for both its Ford and Lincoln brands. “There were more important vehicles for them to launch that were more important for their money,” said Autotrader.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs. The biggest concern in resurrecting the Ranger would be that it would cut into sales of the full-size Ford F-150, analysts say. But some argue the two segments are distinct enough to draw two separate shoppers. The F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. “It’s a very different customer,” Brauer said. “There’s a lot of people who like the idea of having an easy-to-drive, easy-to-park truck that’s less expensive.” Average selling prices for midsize trucks though the first seven months of this year is about $13,500 less than full-size trucks, Edmunds.com says. The introduction of a more fuel-efficient truck — the Colorado can get about three more miles a gallon than Chevy’s most fuel-efficient full-size Silverado — would also be beneficial to Ford as it and other automakers try to achieve a federally mandated lineup average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. Although Ford is introducing an updated 2016 Ranger overseas, analysts say a North American Ranger would likely need an upgrade by 2018 to include more safety and technology features. Plant has built myriad autos The UAW and Ford in the coming weeks are expected to discuss whether the Michigan Assembly Plant is the best fit for a midsize truck. Since it opened in 1957, the plant has produced everything from trucks and SUVs like the F-Series, Ford Bronco, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, to small cars like the Focus and C-Max. The plant got new life after the industry meltdown in 2008-09. Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally pledged to the UAW to bring new production to Wayne in exchange for a competitive labor agreement. Under terms of a $5.9 billion loan from the U.S. Energy Department, Michigan Assembly received a $550 million overhaul to make it a flexible plant capable of producing a number of green, fuel-efficient cars. Despite the overhaul, the plant has struggled recently as demand for small, hybrid and electric vehicles has nosedived. In January, President Barack Obama came to the plant to tout the resurgent American automotive industry, even as the plant was closed that week. In April, the automaker said it would cut a shift there, indefinitely laying off 673 hourly employees and 27 salaried employees on the “C Crew.” Potentially converting the plant to build midsize trucks “would really be making a statement about where the market is,” Brauer said. “I don’t think you’d see someone like Ford jump into midsize trucks and be regretting it in a few short years.” Related Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnSeA8_Ifpk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bohS8d_jkE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6byJaTbF5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuYd-A25qIg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSw_Z58H8TU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZq3EkAB1w&list=PLMv38wXUwPqhUyNU59ksXZVKafoFonuVf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuwM7t21gsU

The election process including the electoral college is a "show", designed to give the masses the illusion that they are participating in government. The founding fathers of our country were amongst the small group of wealthy and schooled aristocracy in the thirteen English colonies that felt the uneducated commoners were unqualified to participate in government. Rather than allow the masses to direct vote, the founding fathers created the Electoral College, ensuring that a proper choice was made for president and vice-president (by the aristocracy behind the veil). The founding fathers enticed the commoners (mass population) of the English colonist to join together in a revolutionary war for independence by promising them the ability to participate in government. However they didn’t really mean it and, at that time, were quite concerned that should they gain independence, the commoners would hold them to their promises. Much to their relief, that never happened. Under the illusion that they had a say in government, the ignorant commoners for the most part fell in line and allowed the founding fathers to run the show. (To gain an accurate picture of our beginning, I encourage you to read "Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free", by John Ferling - http://www.amazon.co...s=independence) Fast forwarding to today, ponder if you will a select group of modern day aristocracy actually managing the country behind the veil.

Transport Topics / August 25, 2015 Private carriers are getting creative with recruitment and training as tight capacity and the persistent shortage of qualified candidates are forcing shipper-owned carriers to grapple with a relatively new problem for them: finding drivers. For some, the problem is so severe that it is stalling efforts to expand in-house trucking operations. “We are trying to innovate with our driver position,” said Paul Mugerditchian, president of Dot Transportation Inc., which operates 1,190 tractors and 1,835 trailers for Dot Foods in Mount Sterling, Illinois. Dot Foods ranks No. 29 on the 2015 Top 100 list of largest private carriers in North America. “We are trying to provide more set schedules and more certainty in their home time. We are promoting jobs where drivers work four days on and four days off. We have always hired student drivers and continue to finish them after hire. We also aggressively hire drivers from our existing warehouse groups in all our locations.” In July, Dot Foods contributed $57,000 to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology to start an evening truck-driving school program in Newbern. Dot Foods, which operates a distribution center in nearby Dyersburg, pledged to hire at least 55 graduates of the program and guarantee first-year earnings of $55,000. The company also will pay school-related fees for the first 10 student drivers it hires from the program. At Perdue Farms Inc., fleet safety director Tommy Pollard is turning his attention to the 19,000 employees who work in the company’s poultry farms and processing plants to find people who might want to drive one of the 684 tractors in No. 48 Perdue’s fleet. “Some of these associates go somewhere else to drive anyway,” Pollard noted. While private fleets tend to hire only experienced drivers, many firms are ramping up training activities to ensure that drivers get the kind of specialized skills needed to operate in urban settings or to handle hazardous cargoes. “Our business requires drivers who can operate in highly congested urban environments,” said Ed Pritchard, senior vice president at Silver Eagle Distributors in Houston. “There is a great deal of physical effort required to get our products inside the store,” Pritchard said. “With the number of driving jobs available . . . we are struggling just like everyone else to keep the seats filled with good people.” At Gemini Motor Transport, the private fuel-hauling fleet of No. 58 Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, based in Oklahoma City, candidates are scrutinized for everything from personal appearance and how they handle themselves in the job interview to previous work history, said Brent Bergevin, the company’s vice president of transportation. Experienced new hires spend about two weeks driving with a trainer, and recent driving school graduates might spend six to eight weeks on the road with a trainer while being paid $1,000 a week, he said. “We’re going to spend upward of $20,000 training a guy before he loads his first paying load,” Bergevin said. Paul Mennard , director of fleet operations at No. 78 Pepsi Bottling Ventures in Raleigh, North Carolina, is targeting veterans from nearby military basis as a source of drivers and also is searching for service technicians by offering part-time work for students at local technical schools. “We are starting to bring students on board . . . to expose them to real-life technician work,” Mennard said. “Our hope is that they develop well and when they graduate they come on board full time.”

The common law-abiding American family is, now at this juncture, becoming victim to the lawlessness that is spreading across America at breakneck speed. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3209571/Father-shot-three-times-wife-children-home-invaders-knocked-door-claiming-flat-tire-horror-home-robbery.html Where is government leadership in American society development today? The events taking place in American society today are shocking.......and shameful. The definition of “socially acceptable morals and values” is clear to any ordinarily prudent individual. However, unlike the automobile and truck which have “evolved forward”, from primitive machines into the highly sophisticated ones we know today, American society appears to be “regressing”, moving away from the signature morals and values that for decades defined America, and made our great country the envy of the world. The American government, I feel, inherently bears significant responsibility in guiding the positive forward development of American society. Over the last 20 years, we have observed what to us in our youth was unthinkable. Who on this forum in their teenage years would have walked into a school and taken the life of another human being. The thought never crossed our minds. When tragic events occur, leadership utters politically correct words like "troubling" and "heartbreaking", and then resumes their normal routine. At some point several decades ago, the values that shaped our morals and values stopped being taught to a sizable portion of the masses, and we’re seeing the effects today in the form of senseless tragedies. Our government refuses to speak of (acknowledge) America’s crisis in society, apparently taboo in Washington, and has taken no steps to address it. An American society with strong moral principles and values is not an option........it is a necessity to safeguarding our future.

The majority of Americans want the Electoral College eliminated, and replaced with a national popular (direct) vote. However the ruling aristocracy behind the veil will of course never allow that to happen.

That's a Renault Trucks Defense deal (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40960-volvo-groups-mack-defense-unit-to-supply-1500-re-badged-renault-kerax-8x8-trucks-to-canadian-armed-forces/?hl=renault). Mack Defense is a shell company set up by Volvo in North America so that rebadged Renault tactical trucks can gain access to the defense market here.

I'm in HK on my way to Bangkok, so it's already the 26th here. I'm in your future.......at the moment.

Back in the day, Mack Truck's Allentown factory branch was a beehive of activity handling thousands of fleet trucks. Bob Dwyer bought it in 1990 at a time when an IRS rules change forced Mack to begin selling its factory-owned branches. I'll say it again because I can't say it enough...............The factory-owned branches of Mack Trucks deserve special mention. From Atlanta to Richmond to Dallas, from Denver to Salt Lake City to Seattle, from Chicago (both the Wentworth Ave. and O'Hare branches) to Buffalo to Queens, no truckmaker in the history of the United States ever had a finer and more capable sales and after-sales support network than Mack Trucks. The Mack factory branches, I feel, set the benchmark for the entire industry. I can't say enough good things about the dedicated Mack men and women who made it possible. Job well done.

Bloomberg / August 25, 2015 Oshkosh Corp. won an initial contract Tuesday from the U.S. Army for its new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a $30 billion program. The Army plans to purchase about 55,000 of the multipurpose land vehicles for its troops and the Marine Corps through 2040 as a better-armored replacement for the Humvee. The other two competitors for the contract were Lockheed Martin Corp. and AM General, the Humvee’s maker. The initial contract, including options, is valued at $6.75 billion for about 17,000 vehicles, the Army said in a statement. Oshkosh, based in the Wisconsin town of the same name, jumped on the news in extended trading, rising 10 percent to $42.55 at 4:59 p.m. in New York. The shares rose 1.5 percent at the close. The win was striking because Oshkosh, the 99th-largest U.S. government contractor as of fiscal 2014, defeated Lockheed, which ranked No. 1, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Oshkosh has been building tactical vehicles for the Department of Defense for 90 years, so no other company understands the role that tactical vehicles play in our troops’ lives better than Oshkosh,” Charles Szews, the company’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. Potential Protest The losing bidders have 10 days to lodge a protest with the Government Accountability Office after they’re briefed on the decision, and Lockheed suggested that it may do so. “We believe we presented a very strong solution and await the customers’ debrief to hear more detail regarding the reasons behind this selection before making a decision about a potential protest,” the company said in a statement. The Humvee entered service in 1985, when “improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other anti-vehicle explosive devices were not a major factor in military planning,” according to a March 9 report by the Congressional Research Service. Deadly attacks on Humvees during the Iraq war led to efforts to speed delivery of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles, or MRAPs. The JLTV is envisioned as a more mobile, lighter descendant of the top-heavy MRAP, which has limited off-road capabilities, essentially combining the mobility of the Humvee and the protection of the larger MRAP. The Army required that its Hummer replacement be able to survive the most destructive improvised bombs, be mechanically reliable and maintainable with onboard diagnostics, all-terrain mobility, and linked into current and future tactical data networks, according to the CRS. Funding for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program would double to $457 million in 2016 under the Pentagon’s pending budget request, top $1.3 billion by 2018 and hit almost $1.8 billion in fiscal 2020, according to Army budget documents. Army Secretary John McHugh told reporters in February that the JLTV was “an essential platform” that’s fully funded through 2020. A decision on full-rate production is scheduled for May 2018.

Now Hillary's camp is going to drag still-wet-behind-the-ears diplomat Caroline Kennedy (ambassador to Japan) into this under the "2 wrongs make a right" rule, in a futile attempt at getting experienced veteran Hillary off the hook. They won't admit that Hillary's sinking ship now has too many holes to plug. http://us.cnn.com/2015/08/25/politics/caroline-kennedy-private-email-japan/index.html

Associated Press / August 25, 2015 Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Corp. won a major contract Tuesday to build a new combat vehicle to replace a large share of the U.S. military's Humvee troop carriers. The Department of Defense awarded the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract to Oshkosh Defense, one of three firms that were finalists for the work. The $6.7 billion contract is expected to support thousands of jobs. The Army and Marine Corps plan to buy as many as 55,000 JLTVs by 2040. Nearly 49,100 would be built for the Army with 5,500 going to the Marines. The vehicle is designed to provide more protection against roadside bombs and mines than Humvees without being as big as another military vehicle produced by Oshkosh, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, or MRAP. Oshkosh Defense beat out Maryland-based Lockheed Martin and Indiana-based AM General for the contract. Pentagon officials declined during a briefing for reporters to say why they chose Oshkosh over its competitors. Scott Davis, the Army's executive officer for the program, said the big winners are the soldiers and Marines who will gain a vehicle that offers a better balance of protection, payload and performance. "Our JLTV has been extensively tested and is proven to provide the ballistic protection of a light tank, the underbody protection of an MRAP-class vehicle, and the off-road mobility of a Baja racer," John Urias, president of Oshkosh Defense and a retired Army major general, said in a statement. Lockheed had said it would build the vehicle at its Camden facility in Arkansas, and state lawmakers there dangled an $87 million incentive package. It's not clear whether Wisconsin or Indiana offered any incentives, but union workers at Oshkosh in 2013 agreed to a contract extension so that the company could nail down its labor costs for the project. The contract is a timely boost for Oshkosh, which eliminated about 760 jobs last year because of declining defense spending. The company plans to build the vehicle in Oshkosh, with deliveries beginning in 10 months. The contract initially calls for 17,000 vehicles, with the Army to decide in 2018 whether to purchase the rest of its share, which would push the value of the contract up to around $30 billion. The Marines will get all theirs up front. Oshkosh Defense, Wisconsin's largest defense contractor, is part of a larger company that also makes fire and emergency vehicles and other commercial equipment such as scissor lifts, cement mixers and garbage trucks. "Oshkosh is honored to be selected for the JLTV production contract, which builds upon our 90-year history of producing tactical wheeled vehicles for U.S. military operations at home and abroad," Oshkosh Corp. CEO Charles L. Szews said in the company's statement. Lockheed and AM General have 10 days to file formal protests over the award. Both companies issued statements saying they're gathering information and considering their options.

Reuters / August 25, 2015 U.S. specialty truck maker Oshkosh Corp has won a $6.75 billion contract to build 17,000 joint light tactical vehicles (JLTV) to replace the aging Humvees used by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, the U.S. Army announced on Tuesday. Oshkosh beat out a team made up of Lockheed Martin Corp and Britain's BAE Systems Plc, as well as AM General, a privately held company that built the original Humvees, the Army said in a statement. The two military services plan to replace a total of 55,000 vehicles over time, which could drive the value of the contract win to over $30 billion.

Now, now, you're developing a bad attitude. According to MackLegacy, you should be grateful to Volvo Group for taking over an American icon and reducing it to little more than a Mack brand nameplate on a North American Volvo truck platform. If you keep this up, he'll quickly accuse you of "breeding negativity" on this website against savior Volvo Group. Next, MackLegacy will take a poll about you and try to figure out why your attitude towards Mack brand owner Volvo is so poor: 1. He/she used to work for Mack and was fired for a poor attitude. 2. His/her job was lost in the move from Allentown (this would be truly sad and the only good reason in the list to be upset) 3. A Mack truck ran over his/her favorite dog as a child. 4. Doesnt have anything better to do and is a grouch. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/2094-is-volvo-good-or-bad-for-mack-trucks/ You might want to save his posts though, because he has this odd habit of deleting them soon after. Strange sort these Volvo people.

Fleet Owner / August 24, 2015 Over the past 14 years, federal emissions standards for trucks led to the introduction of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) in 2002, Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) in 2007 and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) in 2010. In 2014, the first fuel efficiency rules for trucks went into effect and a new set of even higher MPG standards will be required beginning in January 2017. In mid-2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued proposed greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy regulations for model years 2021 through 2027. Compared with 2018 levels, the long anticipated Phase 2 rules would cut carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption in tractors by up to 24% in 2027. The newly proposed separate standards for engines and vehicles would apply to heavy- and medium-duty trucks, all work trucks and buses, and large pickup trucks and vans. The proposed standards also include the first federal efficiency requirements for new trailers. In the rulemaking proposal, NHTSA and EPA claim that operators of 2027 model year long haul trucks would recover the added cost of new engine technology through fuel savings in less than two years. To help make the most cost effective decisions in the changing engine landscape, FLEET OWNER has put together this guide to every major diesel engine model now offered for sale in on-road U.S. commercial trucks. Arranged alphabetically by manufacturer, the following guide offers concise information on engine configuration, displacement, horsepower and torque ranges, and descriptions of engine features and intended applications. Web addresses for additional technical information are also included. Cummins www.cumminsengines.com ISX15 (2017) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 15L Horsepower: 400-605 Peak torque: Not Available The 2017 ISX15 is being offered in two ratings groups for on-highway, heavy-duty operations: 485 to 605 HP for prolonged peak torque and a broader power band that maximizes pulling power for hauling heavy loads, and 400-500 HP for peak torque at lower RPMs and to enable downspeeding. The 400-500 HP versions are offered with the manufacturer’s optional ADEPT suite of electronic features that interact with automated manual transmissions to preview upcoming terrain and make minor adjustments to speed, power and transmission gear to maximize efficiency by taking advantage of vehicle momentum. Features of the 2017 ISX15 include a new turbocharger, a more compact, Single Module aftertreatment system, a series of components that reduce parasitic loads and optimize combustion, and an enhanced INTEBRAKE with increased braking power at lower RPMs. ISX15 (2013) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 15L Horsepower: 400-600 Peak torque: 2050 lb.-ft. Certified to meet 2014 EPA emissions regulations, the 2013 ISX15 is equipped with On-Board Diagnostics (OBD), more efficient fuel and water pumps to provide more usable horsepower, and an optimized combustion system that needs fewer active regenerations of the aftertreatment system. Ratings ranging from 400-600 HP with up to 2050 lb.-ft. of peak torque includes SmartTorque ratings that add 200 lb.-ft. of torque in the top two gears for climbing steep grades with fewer downshifts. Vocational ratings have additional torque in the lower gear ranges. ISX15 SmartAdvantage Powertrain Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 15L Horsepower: 400-450 Peak torque: 1750 lb.-ft. The SmartAdvantage Powertrain combines a Cummins ISX15 SmartTorque2 (ST2) engine with the Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-Speed Automated Transmission. To improve fuel economy and determine the torque required, the engine and transmission share data. The Cummins ISX15 with SmartTorque2 (ST2) delivers higher torque earlier in the RPM range to match load demand and helps improve fuel economy through the combination of downspeeding, communication between the engine and transmission, and the use of direct drive. Four ratings are currently available: 400 HP-1450/1650 lb.-ft., 400 HP-1550/1750 lb.-ft., 420 HP-1550/1750 lb.-ft., and 450 HP-1550/1750 lb.-ft. ISX12 (2013) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 12L Horsepower: 310-425 Peak torque: 1650 lb.-ft. The Cummins ISX12 for all types of work trucks combines technology from the ISX15 with a high power-to-weight ratio and over 800 lb.-ft. of clutch engagement torque. The 2013 ISX12 meets 2014 greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency regulations and is equipped with On-Board Diagnostics (OBD). ISX12 vocational ratings from 320-425 HP provide additional torque in lower gears and are offered with front- and rear-mounted power take-off and hydraulic drive options for rear- and front-pouring mixers as well as dump trucks and refuse haulers. For LTL and day cab trucks the engine if offered with SmartTorque ratings for an additional 200 lb-ft of torque in the two top gears. ISX12 SmartAdvantage Powertrain (2013) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 12L Horsepower: 425 Peak torque: 1650 lb.-ft. The ISX12 SmartAdvantage Powertrain combines a Cummins ISX12 SmartTorque2 (ST2) engine with the Eaton Fuller Advantage Automated Transmission. To improve fuel economy and determine the torque required, the engine and transmission share data. The Cummins ISX15 with SmartTorque2 (ST2) delivers higher torque earlier in the RPM range to match load demand and helps improve fuel economy through the combination of downspeeding, communication between the engine and transmission, and the use of direct drive. ISL9 (2013) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 9L Horsepower: 260-380 Peak torque: 1250 lb.-ft. The ISL9 for medium-duty trucks features common technology with Cummins ISX15 and ISX12 models, including the XPI fuel system, a high-capacity Electronic Control Module (ECM) and the Cummins VGT Turbocharger from Cummins Turbo Technologies. The engine produces 550 lb.-ft. of clutch engagement torque and is offered with optional features that include engine braking, and both a Rear-Engine Power Take Off (REPTO) and a Front-Engine Power Take Off (FEPTO). ISB6.7 (2013) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 6.7L Horsepower: 200-325 Peak torque: 750 lb.-ft. Designed for pickup and delivery, step van and medium-duty trucks, the ISB6.7 for 2013 features the addition of an air intake throttle that makes the EGR system more efficient, reducing parasitic losses. The Cummins ISB6.7 meets 2014 greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency regulations. Emissions are managed by the Cummins Aftertreatment System, an entire integrated unit from air handling to exhaust aftertreatment. The 2013 ISB 6.7 is equipped with On-Board Diagnostics and features High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) fuel injection. The 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel, rated at 325 HP and 750 lb.-ft. of peak torque for model year 2016 Ram pickups features increased horsepower and torque ratings based on transmission choice, a new cooling system with 25 percent more heat-rejection capacity and is B20-biodiesel capable. The 2013 6.7L Turbo for Ram 3500/4500/5500 chassis cabs can be configured with a choice of automatic or manual transmissions. ISV5.0 (2013) Configuration: V8 Displacement: 5L Horsepower: 200-275 Peak torque: 560 lb.-ft. For pickup and delivery vehicles, school buses, light-duty commercial trucks and motor homes, the ISV5.0 features a High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) fuel system, a Cummins VGT Turbocharger and Cummins emission control technology. Weight-saving components include a compacted graphite iron block, and an aluminum alloy head and composite valve covers. The ISV5.0 will be certified to the near-zero NOx and PM emissions levels and meets 2014 GHG requirements and 2013 Air Resources Board (ARB) standards, including on board diagnostics. A 300-HP version will be built for the Nissan Titan. Detroit www.demanddetroit.com DD16 (aka. Mercedes-Benz OM473) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 15.6 L Horsepower: 475-600 Peak torque: 2050 lb.-ft. The largest engine in the Detroit lineup, the DD16 features the manufacturer’s Amplified Common Rail System (ACRS) with variable injection patterns for optimizing fuel economy across all modes of engine operation, a turbo-compounding system that recovers normally wasted exhaust gases, and an integrated Jacobs Engine Brake. The DD16 is compliant with 2014 greenhouse gas requirements. BlueTec emissions technology on the DD16 is available in a variety of packaging solutions with Detroit’s 1-Box Emissions Package that combines the DOC, DPF, SCR catalyst and DEF doser. Designed for construction, dump, logging, mining and other heavy haul operations, the DD16 is available in the Freightliner Cascadia, Coronado and 122SD and in Western Star 4900, 5700XE and 6900 models. DD15/DD15TC (aka. Mercedes-Benz OM472) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 14.8 L Horsepower: 455-505 Peak torque: 1750 lb.-ft. DD15 engines feature an asymmetric turbocharger matched to its EGR system, an updated piston design that reduces friction and Detroit’s Amplified Common Rail Fuel System (ACRS), along with a variable-speed water pump that controls flow based on engine speed and coolant temperature. The DD15 meets 2014 greenhouse gas requirements with the manufacturer’s BlueTec SCR emissions technology that includes the DOC, DPF, DEF and SCR catalyst. The DD15 is available on Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and Western Star 5700XE models used in distribution, long haul and specialty hauling operations. The DD15TC for distribution, specialty haul and a variety of vocational applications including construction, dump, logging and refuse operations, is offered in the Freightliner Cascadia, Coronado and 122SD, and in the Western Star 4900 and 6900. DD13 (aka. Mercedes-Benz OM471) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 12.8 L Horsepower: 350-470 Peak torque: 1650 lb.-ft. Designed for less-than-truckload, regional distribution and vocational applications, the DD13 share 65% of its parts with the DD15 and DD16, including the manufacturer’s BlueTec emissions technology, Amplified Common Rail System (ACRS) and asymmetrical turbocharger, and is equipped with a three-stage integrated Jacobs engine brake. The engine, which has a peak torque range from 1,000 to 1,500 RPM, meets 2013 OBD and 2014 greenhouse gas regulations. The DD13 is available on Freightliner Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution, Coronado, 114SD and Business Class M2 models. Ford www.ford.com/commercial-trucks Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel (AVL-designed) Configuration: V8 Displacement: 6.7L Horsepower: 270-440 Peak torque: 860 lb.-ft. The 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel is offered as an option in Ford F-Series Super Duty F-250 to F-550 pickups and chassis cabs and in 2016 Ford F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks in 270, 300 and 330-HP ratings with no vocational restrictions. Key features of the B20 capable, 32-valve diesel are a compacted graphite iron engine block that helps reduce noise, vibration and harshness, shorter airflow from the exhaust system to a larger turbocharger, a high-pressure common-rail fuel-injection system and instant-start glow plugs for quick start-ups. I-5 Power Stroke Turbo Diesel (global market Ford Duratorq 3.2 diesel) Configuration: Inline 5 Displacement: 3.2L Horsepower: 185 Peak torque: 350 lb.-ft. The direct-injected 3.2L, B20 biodiesel-capable Power Stroke diesel, available in the Ford Transit commercial van, features an optional manual regen initiation (with or without active regen inhibitor) eliminating the need to operate at cruising speed to get the engine temperature high enough to initiate regeneration. The engine, offered in low- and medium-roof regular-wheelbase Transit models, provides 90 percent of its peak torque from 1,500 to 2,750 RPM and has a variable geometry turbocharger. GMC www.gmfleet.com Duramax 6.6L Configuration: V8 Displacement: 6.6L Horsepower: 397 Peak torque: 765 lb.-ft. The Duramax 6.6-liter diesel paired with an Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission is available on GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD and 4500 models and in Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full size vans. The engine, with B20 biodiesel capability, features a high-pressure Piezo-actuated fuel system and a variable vane turbocharger that also acts as an exhaust brake. The engine’s SCR system has a range of about 5,000 miles between DEF refills, and provides about 700 miles between DPF regenerations. Duramax 2.8L Configuration: Inline 4 Displacement: 2.8L Horsepower: 181 Peak torque: 369 lb.-ft. Part of General Motors’ global family of turbo-diesel four-cylinder engines, the 2.8-liter Duramax will be offered in the 2016 GMC Canyon SLE and SLT Crew Cab models, with 2WD or 4WD. The B20 biodiesel capable engine uses cooled EGR to help lower combustion temperatures and rates. Other features include an iron cylinder block and aluminum DOHC cylinder head, forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, an oiling circuit that includes a dedicated feed for the turbocharger, piston-cooling oil jets, a common rail direct injection fuel system and a variable-geometry turbocharger. Hino Trucks www.hino.com/trucks J08E-VB Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 8L Horsepower: 260 Peak torque: 660 lb.-ft. Combining cooled EGR with Selective Catalytic Reduction [sCR] for emission control allows the Hino J08E engine to meet 2010 EPA emissions standards. The B20 biodiesel rated engine has common rail fuel injection supplied by constant pressure pumps and a variable geometry turbocharger design. J08E-VC Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 8L Horsepower: 220 Peak torque: 520 lb.-ft. Common rail fuel injection and cooled EGR with SCR for emissions control make the 220-HP Hino engine compliant with 2010 emissions regulations. The engine’s Variable Geometry Turbocharger optimizes airflow by changing output based on control input from the engine's electronic control unit to control cylinder pressure and air/fuel ratio. J05E-TP/J05E-UG Configuration: Inline 4 Displacement: 5L Horsepower: 210 Peak torque: 440 lb.-ft. Hino J05E Series engines for Hino 195 cabover truck are offered in both diesel and Diesel-Electric Hybrid versions. Fitted in the 14,500-lb GVW Class 4 and 19,500-lb GVW Class 5 COE trucks, the 210 HP J05E-TP engines are mated to an Aisin A465, 6-speed automatic transmission. Isuzu Commercial Truck of America www.isuzucv.com/nseries/diesel_trucks 4HK1-TC Configuration: Inline 4 Displacement: 5.2L Horsepower: 215 Peak torque: 452 lb.-ft. The Isuzu 4HK1-TC turbocharged intercooled diesel, standard on the manufacturer’s NPR-HD, NPR-XD, NQR and NRR models, is a turbocharged intercooled diesel engine equipped with electronic high-pressure common-rail direct injection, a water-cooled EGR system and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology. The engine meets EPA 2010 and California Air Resources Board HD-OBD emissions standards. 4JJ1-TC Configuration: Inline 4 Displacement: 3L Horsepower: 150 Peak torque: 282 lb.-ft. The Isuzu 4JJ1-TC turbocharged intercooled diesel, standard on the NPR ECO-MAX, is designed with electronic high-pressure common-rail direct injection and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to meet EPA 2010 and California Air Resources Board HD-OBD emissions standards. Mack Trucks www.macktrucks.com/powertrain-and-suspensions/engines MP10 (aka. Volvo D16) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 16L Horsepower: 515-605 Peak torque: 2060 lb.-ft. The largest Mack engine in the lineup, the 605-HP MP10 has torque ratings from 1,860 to 2,060 lb.-ft. Built exclusively for the Mack Titan, the MP10 engine used in logging, oil field, coal, heavy equipment, special-permit and severe, heavy-haul applications is offered in five versions in two engine families-- MaxiCruise engines for interstates and on/off road applications and Maxidyne engines for low-speed, severe-duty conditions. Like all MP engines, the MP10 is fitted with the Mack PowerLeash engine brake. MP8 (aka. Volvo D13) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 13L Horsepower: 415-505 Peak torque: 1860 lb.-ft. The MP8 engine, available in Mack Granite, Pinnacle and select TerraPro models, has torque ratings ranging from 1,460 to 1,860 lb.-ft. for heavy-duty vocational and highway applications. The MP8 engine use the same single overhead camshaft and an ultra-high-pressure fuel injection system found on other Mack engine models, and has an electronically controlled Variable Geometry Turbocharger. The MP8 is offered in three engine families, including MaxiCruise and Maxidyne versions and Econodyne models for typical interstate applications. An MP8 Econodyne 505E+uses a torque management strategy called EconoBoost to provide up to an additional 200 lb.-ft. of torque. MP7 (aka. Volvo D11) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 11L Horsepower: 325-405 Peak torque: 1560 lb.-ft. Designed for weight-sensitive applications, the MP7 is offered in three engine families, including Econodyne (three HP ratings up to 1460 lb.-ft.) for typical interstate applications, MaxiCruise (three HP ratings up to 1560 lb.-ft) for interstate and on/off road applications, and Maxidyne (three HP ratings up to 1480 lb.-ft.) for severe-duty conditions, especially in off-road applications. The MP7 is offered in Mack Granite and Pinnacle models, and in the OEM’s TerraPro for refuse operations. Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks of America www.mitfuso.com/en-us 4P10(T5) Configuration: Inline 4 Displacement: 3L Horsepower: 161 Peak torque: 295 lb.-ft. Standard in all Canter FE/FG Series truck models, the turbocharged, dual overhead cam, four-cylinder 4P10 diesel engine delivers flat torque continuously from low through high RPMs, complemented by a two-stage turbocharger. The EPA 2010 emissions compliant engine uses SCR BlueTec emissions control technology developed by Mitsubishi Fuso and Daimler AG. Navistar www.internationaltrucks.com/trucks/engines N13 (aka. MAN D26) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 12.4L Horsepower: 410-475 Peak torque: 1700 lb.-ft. The Navistar N13 engine uses dual sequential turbochargers, including a smaller, primary turbo that responds for take-off at low engine speeds and a larger, secondary turbo to provide peak power at higher speeds and on steep grades. The SCR engine achieves peak torque at 1000 RPM. N10 (aka. MAN D20) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 9.3L Horsepower: 310-350 Peak torque: 1150 lb.-ft. The N10 is built on the same Inline 6 platform as Navistar’s previous DT engine and is compatible with a range of automatic and manual driveline options for on- and off-highway applications. N10 engines are equipped with Dual Fixed Geometry turbochargers, including a smaller, primary turbo for take-off at low engine speeds, and a larger, secondary turbo that provides peak power at higher speeds and on steep grades. N9 Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 9.3L Horsepower: 300-330 Peak torque: 950 lb.-ft. Built on the Inline 6 platform from the Navistar DT engine line, the mid-range N9 diesel adds traditional big bore features like wet-sleeve design and dual sequential turbochargers, single-piece gallery-cooled steel pistons, and crankcase ladder reinforcement. The N9 also features an electro-hydraulic high-pressure fuel system with high-efficiency injector nozzles and advanced electronic control strategies. MaxxForce 7 Configuration: V8 Displacement: 6.4L Horsepower: 220-300 Peak torque: 660 lb.-ft. MaxxForce 7 ratings have been boosted up to 300 HP and 660 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine features dual sequential turbochargers and a high-pressure common-rail fuel system. The MaxxForce 7 V8 turbodiesel is designed for medium-duty commercial trucks, including the International Trucks TerraStar model. PACCAR www.paccarengines.com MX-13 (aka. DAF MX) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 12.9L Horsepower: 380-500 Peak torque: 1,850 lb.-ft. The DAF MX-13 utilizes fractured cap technology in both the connecting rods and main bearing caps to provide high-shearing strength that results in a wide horsepower range and longer torque and power curves. The engine is now offered with expanded power offerings that include a 500 HP/1,850 lb.-ft. rating. Designed to meet the demands of linehaul and vocational heavy-duty truck applications, MX-13 model coverage includes the Kenworth T660 and T880 and Peterbilt Models 579, 587, 386, 384, 389, 367 and 365. PX-9 (aka. Cummins ISL) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 8.9L Horsepower: 260-450 Peak torque: 1,250 lb.-ft. The PACCAR PX-9 engine features replaceable wet liners, roller cam followers, bypass oil filtration and targeted piston cooling. Available in both medium- and heavy-duty configurations, the engine is deigned for a range of Kenworth and Peterbilt truck models. PX-7 (aka. Cummins ISB) Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 6.7L Horsepower: 200-360 Peak torque: 800 lb.-ft. The PACCAR PX-7 engine for medium-duty applications is designed for reduced maintenance and fuel efficiency. The 6.7-liter engine in horsepower ratings from 200 to 360 is offered in Kenworth and Peterbilt medium-duty truck models. Dodge Truck (aka. Ram) www.ramtrucks.com/en/ecodiesel EcoDiesel (aka. VM Motori L 630 DOHC) Configuration: Inline 4 Displacement: 3L Horsepower: 174 Peak torque: 295 lb.-ft. The EcoDiesel, developed and manufactured by Chrysler partner VM Motori, is offered as an option on Ram ProMaster cargo van, windowed van, chassis cab and cutaway models. The B5 biofuel capable powerplant is equipped with a diesel oxidation catalyst, diesel particulate filter, and selective catalytic reduction, and is emissions-compliant in all 50 states. Volvo Trucks www.volvotrucks.com/trucks/na/en-us/products/powertrain/Pages/powertrain.aspx D16 Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 16.1L Horsepower: 500-600 Peak torque: 2050 lb.-ft. Volvo’s 2014 GHG-certified D16 engine features a low-tension oil scraper ring and a clutched air compressor to reduce friction. The 2014 greenhouse gas regulation compliant engine is available in three power ratings from 500 to 600 HP. The heavy-duty XE16 package is rated for combination weights up to 143,000 lbs and was designed for North American heavy-long combination vehicles. A second XE16 package is offered for five-axle tractor-semitrailer combinations up to 80,000 lbs. The 550-HP Eco-Torque rating provides dual torque levels of 1650 and 1850 lb.-ft. by switching to a lower torque curve in the top two gears, but allowing the higher torque as needed. The D16 is sold in VNL day cabs and sleepers, and in the VNX model for linehaul and heavy haul operations. D13 Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 12.8L Horsepower: 375-500 Peak torque: 1850 lb.-ft. Volvo’s 2014-certified D13 is offered in 14 power ratings in a range from 375 to 500 HP. Included are two XE ratings, six Eco-Torque and three Dual-Torque ratings. The engine features 7-hole injectors, low-friction cylinder liner sand oil scraper rings and a clutched air compressor. The D13 is sold in VN day cab and sleeper, VHD and VAH Volvo truck models for linehaul, regional and vocational operations. D11 Configuration: Inline 6 Displacement: 10.8 L Horsepower: 355-405 Peak torque: 1550 lb.-ft. The Volvo D11 has five power ratings in the range from 355 to 405 HP. A 385-HP Eco-torque rating provides dual torque levels for regional highway carriers in need of 1450 lb.-ft. performance and 1250 lb.-ft. fuel economy. The engine is available in VN day cabs, VAH auto haulers and VHDs for regional operations. A Rear Mounted Engine PTO option is available as well.

Today's Trucking / August 24, 2015 Officials at Allison Transmission are in a celebratory mood – after all, it isn’t every day a company has their centennial anniversary – but a visit to the company’s headquarters also reveals new excitement when it comes to selling truck transmissions in the future, especially in the over-the-road market. During a gathering of reporters on Friday, company officials outlined their history and vision. Allison traces its corporate linage back to the founding of the Indianapolis Speedway Team Co. on Sept. 14, 1915, by James A. Allison, co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and owner of several racing teams. The prominent entrepreneur and businessman established a precision machine shop and experimental firm in the Town of Speedway called Allison Experimental Co. to support his endeavors. Since those days, Allison Transmission has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic commercial-duty transmissions, with approximately 2,700 employees, and last year had revenue of more than $2 billion. Today it produces transmissions not only for trucks, but also for the military, buses, construction equipment and even for hydraulic fracturing equipment. “The company that grew out of the humble machine shop has served as an economic and community anchor for the Town of Speedway and greater Indianapolis,” said Lawrence Dewey, chairman, president and CEO. “By celebrating our centennial, we are honoring generations of Hoosiers who have devoted their careers of manufacturing excellence under the Allison name.” The past few years have seen some of the greatest changes for Allison. After General Motors purchased the company in 1929 after James Allison’s death, it sold it off to two private investment firms in 2007. It became a publicly traded company in 2012, with the Carlyle Group and Onex Partners shedding their majority interests in September 2014. At the center of its over the road trucking effort today is the TC10, a ten-speed, fully automatic transmission for the Class 8 metro market, currently available on select Navistar models. However, Dewey, said there is an effort to bring the transmission to other OEMs. “I can say we are in very active negotiations with a couple of OEMs in North America,” he said. “We do have some prototype vehicles working in other parts of the world.” While Dewey gave no indication as to what truck OEMs Allison has been in discussions with to give it a bigger presence in the over-the-road market, he said the company currently has about 7% to 10% of the North American Class 8 tractor market. Dewey said one of the toughest things the company will have to overcome is the perception that automatics transmissions, at least for over-the-road use, don’t get fuel mileage as high as manuals or automated manual transmissions. He said the TC10 transmission is competitive with manuals and AMTs, with fleets operating it consistently reporting getting up to 3% to 5% better fuel economy over their previous specs. While the TC10 in the beginning was suited ideally for about 40% stop and go operations and 60% over the road, Dewey explained, it now is suited for operations operating as much as 80% on the road, opening up the market up to more customers. He conceded that getting more over-the-road trucking operations to open up to automatic transmissions isn’t an easy task, but emphasized concerns about loss of power have been eliminated with the TC10. However, there is still the problem of the premium price, as much as about US$5,000 more when compared to a manual and up to around US$2,000 more versus an AMT. “I understand it’s hard to get your head around the idea that automatic doesn’t use more fuel, and I respect that,” he said. “I tell my sales guys to ask their customers, ‘What does it take to get one or two into your fleet?’ As much as people want to see evidence of other operations, in some way everybody is unique, and so the trick is to get them to get it in, run it and see for themselves. If they don’t then we haven’t earned their business. If they see it, hopefully, they will see a value in it.”

Owner/Driver / August 24, 2015 Peter Francis Colbert given lengthy jail term for causing the death of Robert Brimson. The owner of a trucking company who caused the death of his driver by refusing to repair a faulty rig has been jailed for 12 years. The Supreme Court of South Australia sentenced Peter Francis Colbert to a lengthy prison sentence with a non-parole period of 10 years, after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter in relation to the death of Robert Brimson in 2014. The owner of Colbert Transport failed to repair faulty brakes on the truck Brimson was driving, despite repeated warnings to do so. The brakes failed and caused Brimson to crash into a pole, killing him. In sentencing Colbert, Supreme Court justice David Peek labelled him a risk-taker and narcissist who had misplaced arrogance, ABC News reports. Colbert told a psychologist he would still be alive if he was in Brimson’s position when the truck’s brakes failed. As ABC News reports, Colbert told the psychologist: "I can bet you though that 10 to one that I’d still be sitting here talking to you if I did drive the truck that day." "I don’t expect people to do what I can do with a truck. The truth is most of the blokes I deal with have no skill." Colbert denied being warned repeatedly about fixing the brakes, prompting Peek to label him a liar. "Your response to trial was to lie on oath," Nine News quotes Peek as saying. Peek says a lengthy jail term is needed to deter other trucking companies from committing similar offences. ABC News says a dashboard camera captured the final moments of Brimson’s life. Peek read out Brimson’s words during sentencing. "Oh [expletive] brakes," Brimson is recorded as saying. "Where am I gonna [expletive] go? "I’ve got nowhere to [expletive] go." Along with a long stint in jail, Colbert has been banned indefinitely from driving. Outside court, Brimson’s widow told the media she was happy with the jail sentence. She called her late husband a "hero" for diverting the faulty truck away from others and sacrificing his life in the process. "Mr Brimson was only able to avoid passenger vehicles by taking a course that led to his death," Peek says. "He elected to take that opportunity." The case represents the first time an owner of a company has been held liable for the death of an employee because of workplace negligence.

Owner/Driver / August 25, 2015 David and Christine Fyfe have battled hard to get to a comfortable place in livestock and grain transport. For David and Christine Fyfe, life and trucking in the Western Australian wheat-sheep belt is all about teamwork. The couple operates Fyfe Transport and enjoys a life and trucking partnership forged through the highs and lows of transport in Western Australia over the past three decades. They started out as a two-up driving team carting express freight for a big company from the east coast to Perth. Christine had earlier honed her skills driving an articulated dump truck at the mines. Express work across the "long paddock" was tough enough but then the Fyfes went into business for themselves with a single truck, battling some lean times to stay afloat. David could be away for a week at a time, come home for a day or so and then get going again, leaving Christine in charge of their three children – Liam, Nathan and Sheridan. The kids would ride along whenever they got a chance on local work near their base at Lake Grace, a tiny town 350km south east of Perth, and the boys would help out unpaid in the truck yard every afternoon after school. A couple of decades on, the Fyfes have a close-knit family spread between Lake Grace and Perth, half a dozen Kenworth prime movers along with their own trailers and subbies when needed and they can afford to pick and choose the work they do. David runs the show and still does a lot of driving, while Christine does the books. It’s mostly sheep and grain, with some general freight thrown in. You get the impression David’s so passionate about what he does that there’s not much separation between work and leisure. "I don’t have to do what I do, but I do it because I love it," David says. "I don’t think you have to do anything you don’t like. "There is nothing like getting around the countryside watching the seasons change and hearing the turbo whistle. Just another day in paradise." On the financial side of things: "I’ve always earnt just enough to keep me interested". David says his drivers need to be multi-skilled. They not only need to be experts in animal behaviour and agile enough to clamber all over stock crates, but they need to be bush mechanics as well. He rates another secret to success as collaboration with local businesses. And they don’t get any closer than the Tyrepower franchise right next door to the Fyfe Transport depot, run by David’s mate Peter Hudson who was a huge help in the tough early days. Sometimes a couple of beers – or port in cold weather – was Peter’s only payment for Saturday evening work helping David centre-punch axle quills to prevent the bearings coming loose. .

United States Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz worries more about cars being hacked than the electric grid being attacked. At the National Clean Energy Summit, former Chief of Staff John Podesta asked Moniz if the prospect of cyber attacks on the electric grid keeps him awake at night. “Yes,” Moniz replied, but he suggested the electric grid was not the most vulnerable system. “The grid is usually the poster child for the discussion,” Moniz said, but DOE has been working with utilities to increase cyber security, training utility executives and helping them get security clearances they need to be fully informed of risks. “We have a very effective working arrangement with utilities right now to increase cybersecurity.” More attention should be paid to other vulnerabilities, Moniz continued, such as major natural-gas compressor stations and private vehicles. “We have to worry about the increasing intelligence in things like vehicle and traffic management. This is a big and growing threat. We are paying a lot of attention to it,” he said. Podesta asked, “So we should worry about our cars being hacked?” “It’s an issue,” Moniz replied. “Information technology is so critical, and yet obviously it creates exposures that we have to stay ahead of. We always emphasize that this is not an area where a stationary defense helps. It’s got to be a dynamic, continually evolving one.” Podesta asked Moniz why Congress has been slow to act on cyber security, and Moniz replied that cyber security touches many aspects of society and involves issues, such as privacy, that Congress has not yet resolved to its satisfaction. Earlier this year Sen. Ed Markey’s office released a report on the vulnerability of vehicles to cyber attacks, which found that nearly all new vehicles “include wireless technologies that could pose vulnerabilities to hacking or privacy intrusions.” Markey’s office surveyed vehicle manufacturers and found that most could offer no information on past attacks and that efforts to prevent future attacks are “inconsistent and haphazard.” Moniz called for increased training of cyber security professionals, an initiative partially undertaken by the National Nuclear Security Administation. “This is a case where the training of professionals is not keeping up with demand.”

Michael Mukasey, U.S. attorney general under President George W. Bush, says that Title 18, Section 2071 of federal law bars an official from holding future office if he or she 'conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys' them. Mukasey says the law is clear about 'what happens to you if you are a custodian of public records and you, among other things, alter them or obliterate them.' 'And number one, that's a felony, but that statute makes you unqualified – disqualifies you – from holding any further office in the United States. And she's running for a further office.' Clinton, the Democratic Party's front-runner for president, has acknowledged that she ordered the deletion of more than 30,000 emails from a private server where she hosted all of her official electronic communications durign the four years when she was the top U.S. diplomat. 'There's going to be classified material there,' Mukasey said, forecasting the results of multiple investigations. And Clinton, he emphasized, has admitted making the decision to delete tens of thousands of documents. 'She's already said that she directed that this be done,' he said, referring to the server that the FBI seized last week after someone had tried to wipe its contents clean. 'I think the more dangerous part of this from her standpoint is not so much the placement of the material there as wiping the server,' Mukasey added. Related video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV0NKSPLojk