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Sub drivers* are generally very sharp individuals, and President Carter is no exception. This interview is extremely revealing across-the-board about what made the man, and his blunt position on the world today. There isn’t a single man in Washington today of the same caliber. You will not find any dirty laundry his closet. Now, when is the last time you thought that of a politician? Unlike President Carter, today’s politicians are corrupt, unqualified, incompetent or all three. President Carter sought to perform the job of President, not to become a politician. * President Carter graduated 60th out of 820 midshipmen in the class of 1946.He was admitted to the US Navy's fledgling nuclear submarine program in 1952, led by the legendary Captain Hyman G. Rickover (of the generation of men who could move mountains). Rickover's demands on his men and machines were legendary, and Carter later said that, next to his parents, Rickover was the greatest influence on his life.

Automotive News / July 13, 2015 BorgWarner Inc. agreed to buy Remy International Inc. for $951 million in cash, driving further consolidation of the auto-parts industry. BorgWarner will pay $29.50 a share, a 44 percent premium from Remy’s closing price on Friday, according to a statement today. The price indicates an enterprise value of about $1.2 billion, BorgWarner said. The maker of turbochargers and transmission parts said the deal is set to close in the fourth quarter and should add to earnings in the first year because of purchasing efficiencies and other savings. Demand for fuel-saving technology and global scale is pushing auto-parts makers to consolidate. In May, TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. was acquired by German auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG for $12.4 billion. “Our main focus has been organic growth, and that remains a prime path for us,” James Verrier, CEO of BorgWarner, said on a conference call. “But we’ve also been consistent about the need for M&A to add key technology to sustain that growth.” The acquisition highlights the increasing importance of the electrification of the powertrain, which has not been a strength of BorgWarner’s, Verrier said. BorgWarner rose 2 percent to close the day at $54.78. Remy soared 42 percent to close at $29.24. This year through Friday, Remy had fallen 1.9 percent and BorgWarner had declined 2.4 percent. Turbochargers, alternators Turbochargers, a key product for BorgWarner, compress air to maximize the power an engine produces. Automakers, forced by governments in the U.S., Europe and Asia to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, are turning to smaller, lighter engines. They’re using turbos to give buyers the power and acceleration they still want. Buying Remy will add alternators, starters and hybrid motors, giving BorgWarner the ability to benefit as more powertrains blend electric power with traditional gasoline-fueled technology. Some investors had been concerned that the move to hybrid engines would eventually cause BorgWarner to lose sales to automakers, Joseph Spak, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, wrote in a research note today. BorgWarner CFO Ron Hundzinski said he expects savings from the acquisition of at least $15 million annually within two years, in part by eliminating duplicate costs associated with a public company, and from lower purchasing expenses. He said he expects the Remy business to have profit margins in the mid-teens, similar to BorgWarner’s. Former GM unit Remy International, formerly known as Delco Remy, traces its roots to brothers Frank and Perry Remy, who developed magnetos, generators that used magnets to help start early automobiles. GM acquired Delco Remy in 1918 and spun it off in 1995. The name was changed to Remy International in 2004 and the Pendleton, Ind.-based company spent less than two months in bankruptcy in 2007. Remy posted net income from continuing operations of $6.1 million last year on revenue of $1.2 billion. In 2013, it posted net income of $12.4 million on revenue of $1.1 billion. UBS AG was financial adviser to Remy, while Sullivan & Cromwell LLP provided legal advice, according to the company’s statement. Bank of America Corp. acted as financial adviser to BorgWarner, and Sidley Austin LLP provided legal advice. BorgWarner ranks No. 29 on the Automotive News list of top 100 global suppliers with worldwide sales to automakers of $8.3 billion in 2014.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado Gets Early Facelift, More 8-Speed Availability Car & Driver / July 13, 2015 Barely two years after going on sale in its current iteration, the Chevrolet Silverado is getting a refresh. Yep, that’s early, especially considering the typical full-size truck life cycle is measured not in years but in eons. Chevy provided a single photo with the release, showing a Silverado in snazzy LTZ form, brandishing new horizontal grille vanes; a chunky new hood; squinty new lights; and a deep, aero-friendly bumper with outboard LED lamps and a large chrome chin. We expect some minor changes to the rear of the truck, as well, based on spy photos of the 2016 Silverado we posted earlier this year. Additional enhancements include more widespread availability of the eight-speed automatic transmission across the Silverado 1500 lineup, added safety technologies, and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. More photos and details will be made available closer to the truck’s public debut this fall, and based on recent spy photos of the GMC Sierra, we expect to see a similar batch of enhancements bestowed upon the 2016 GMC Sierra, as well. Pointing out that Silverado sales are up 14.6 percent through June, Chevrolet says the update is part of “an aggressive strategy to build on Chevy trucks’ momentum”—but we can’t help but think it is also part of an aggressive strategy to thwart Ford trucks’ momentum, which has accelerated now that the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 has been in dealerships for a while. Certainly, the Silverado’s handsome new face can’t by itself trump the benefits that aluminum gives to the Ford, but it certainly won’t hurt Chevy’s cause.

Automotive News / July 13, 2015 Chevrolet is scrapping the long-running dual stacked headlights on the freshened 2016 Silverado and giving the hot-selling pickup a mean-machine look. The stacked headlights -- a fixture on Chevy’s big truck since the 1980s -- have been replaced with smaller, more stylized units that recall high-tech electronics. The 2016 model also adds a more muscular hood and a new front fascia. The styling changes were planned to keep the truck, overhauled for the 2014 model year, fresh against Ford’s revamped F-150 and Fiat Chrysler’s Ram 1500, Chevrolet spokesman Tom Wilkinson said. Also, Nissan Motor Co. is just months away from rolling out a new version of the Titan pickup. It's one of the most radical mid-cycle changes to the face of the Silverado. Some dealers, truck enthusiasts and journalists questioned whether the Silverado's 2014 redesign went far enough. Some critics griped that it looked too much like the truck it replaced. U.S. sales of the light- and heavy-duty Silverado have spiked 15 percent this year in a full-size truck market that has expanded 4.7 percent. Deliveries of the F series, including super duties and the redesigned 2015 F-150, have dropped 2.4 percent and Ram volume has climbed 4.3 percent. Upper trim levels of the 2016 Silverado, such as the Z71, will feature two rows of LED lights separated by an accent bar that stretches the width of the grille. The lower fascia has also been redesigned and features smaller vertical fog lights. Mechanical and trim changes are few. Chevrolet is expanding the availability of an eight-speed automatic transmission for models with a 5.3-liter V-8 engine. The eight-speed gearbox had been available only on models with a 6.2-liter V-8. Inside, the Chevy MyLink system has been reworked to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It’s not clear if the Silverado’s platform mate, the GMC Sierra, will receive similar updates for 2016. GMC spokesman Brian Goebel said GMC is not yet releasing any information about the 2016 model. .

Australasian Transport News / July 13, 2015 Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA) is to be broken up as a buyer for the firm as a whole has failed to step forward. Despite some early inquiry, the trucking company’s voluntary administrator, Ferrier Hodgson partner Brendan Richards, put the eventual lack of interest in HHA as a going concern down to economic and market factors. "While we received a promising level of initial interest from investors, the continuing fall in iron ore prices and the subsequent pressure on the Australian mining industry has seen that interest dissipate," Richards says. As a consequence, HHA will be formally wound up with the loss of more than 70 jobs across its operations in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Perth and Port Hedland. HHA had a high profile as a heavy haul logistics specialist servicing the mining and infrastructure sectors, as well as being a prominent sponsor of V8 Supercars. It was also the subject of the ‘Megatrucker’ series featured on Foxtel’s A&E channel. The assets comprising more than 50 prime movers, 120 heavy haulage trailers, 15 cranes and 40 pilot and light commercial vehicles will be offered up for private sale. "This is another sad day for the Australian transport industry but also further evidence that the decline in the mining industry is still very much continuing," Richards says. "The outlook for many of the companies with exposure to that decline is troubling to say the least, and further fallout is likely in the near future." Sources close to the issue say the main creditors are Westpac and GE Capital, with half-owner McAleese in the mix as well. The failure comes against a backdrop of harder times nationally. In more proof of that, the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) reveals that business-related personal insolvencies, as opposed to corporate insolvencies, rose to 16.3 per cent in the June quarter, up from 15.5 per cent in the March quarter. ‘Economic conditions’ was the most common business-related cause, accounting for 398 debtors from a total of 968.

Heavy Duty Trucking / July 10, 2015 Navistar is following in the footsteps of Daimler Trucks North America and Volvo Trucks in deciding to skip exhibiting at the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show, with plans to return in 2017. The annual show, founded in 1972 and held in March at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center in Louisville, Ky., is the largest in the U.S. The 2015 show set an all-time record for attendance with 81,768 attendees. There were more than 1,000 exhibitors filling 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space. "We’ve made the decision to not attend the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show," Navistar spokesman Steve Schrier told Truckinginfo.com in response to an email query. "We look forward to returning to the Mid-America Trucking Show in 2017 to showcase our technology and products." Toby Young with Exhibit Management Associates, which puts on the show, told Truckinginfo, "Navistar has been a strong supporter of MATS, participating every year since the first MATS in 1972. Their presence at the 2016 show will be missed. "We will continue as planned with sales for the 2016 MATS beginning on July 15 and, given the recent news, additional exhibit space opportunities for returning and new exhibitors." In May, Daimler Trucks North America said it will not exhibit at the Mid-America Trucking Show in 2016, saying it is moving to an every-other-year format similar to the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Germany. DTNA intends to return to MATS in 2017 and attend the show bi-annually thereafter. At that time, Navistar Truck and Parts President Bill Kozek commented in response, "Although we have not yet committed to attending MATS in 2016, we do believe that moving to a bi-annual schedule would be beneficial to exhibitors and customers alike." Just days ago, Volvo Trucks followed Daimler's lead, also saying that it believed "a show like MATS would benefit from a biennial calendar." One major trailer maker, Wabash National, hasn't exhibited at MATS for the past few years, according to Dana Stelsel, corporate communications manager. “TMC [the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting and expo] is our ‘big’ show of the year on the van and composites side.” Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40797-volvo-becomes-second-oem-to-pull-out-of-mats-next-year/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40008-daimler-trucks-pulls-out-of-mid-america-trucking-show-in-2016/?hl=mats

That New Zealand Sanitarium Marmite is pretty good, a little sweet. But Vegemite is my stand-by, I never travel without a jar now.

Tim might want you all to assume he moved to the other side of the world for the big money driving trucks in New Zealand. Or maybe he’d like you to think that New Zealand’s stunning views attracted him. And certainly, the world's best dairy cows make New Zealand a milk drinker's paradise. But Tim’s not fooling me one bit. It was the ability to have ready access to Vegemite on toast every morning, a vegemite sandwich for lunch whenever he wishes, and perhaps a lush salad with Vegemite salad dressing that caused him to relocate to New Zealand. And fearing a mass influx of Yanks to New Zealand that would see the jars of Vegemite fly off the shelves resulting in a national shortage, Tim has been keeping everyone in the dark. Now, you know.

For those unfamiliar with what he's speaking of............. At the same time that Mack Trucks was achieving major sales success in Europe, the Middle East and Iran, the opening up of the Soviet Union presented a major opportunity for the company. Mack was proceeding step-by-step with the U.S. Commerce Department. That's the only way a true American like Mack Trucks President Zenon C.R. Hansen would handle it. Ironically, while politics prevented Mack Trucks from cooperating with Russia on the HUGE KamAZ truck plant project, MANY other U.S. companies were in the end allowed to participate, bringing them vast profits while giving the Russians their first state-of-the-art commercial truck production facility (see Summary below). Mack Trucks Signs Pact with Russia Business Week Magazine / June 18, 1971 The Soviet Union and Mack Trucks, Inc. have signed a $700 million preliminary agreement for the U.S. company to supply machinery and technology for a huge Russian truck manufacturing plant. The agreement is subject to approval by the U.S. government. It was signed by Zenon C.R. Hansen, chairman and president of Mack Trucks, and N.D. Komarov, Russian deputy foreign trade minister, May 18 at the company’s Allentown, PA headquarters. Hansen, commenting in a telephone interview, said he would describe the result of the talks with the Russians as a “letter of intent” rather than as a preliminary agreement. Hansen said that “with the changing attitudes on east-west trade,” he was enthusiastic about the prospects of government approval. The proposed deal could have a skyrocketing effect on U.S.-Russian trade. Total U.S. exports to Russia amounted to only $118 million in 1970. The Russians were reported to be clearing land for the $1.3 billion project near Naberezhnle Chelney, 600 miles east of Moscow in the Tartar Republic.The project was said to include housing for an eventual 300,000 people. The plant may require an estimated $1 billion worth of machinery and technology before it is completed. Export of Mack Trucks To Russia May Be Near SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS / August 10, 1971 (WASHINGTON) The Nixon administration approved licenses Monday for export of million worth of foundry equipment to the Soviet Union, apparently clearing the way for a massive trade deal involving Mack Trucks Inc. Although the two licenses approved went to a company other than Mack, a Commerce Department spokesman said the action was “related to the project on the Kama river” where the Allentown, Pa. firm proposes to build what is billed as the world's largest truck plant. Commerce officials said privately the action would be a first step in approval of the Mack Truck deal but said It should not be construed as meaning a final decision has been made. The department approved three licenses altogether, including one for export of technical data for iron and steel foundries. Equipment for automotive castings was among items listed. The firm went unidentified, in line with department policy. Roger Mullin, executive vice president of Mack Trucks, said the export licenses approved were “definitely not for us. Our application is for machine tools.” But he said foundry equipment would be necessary before a truck plant could be built. Mack Trucks signed an agreement with the Soviet government this spring to build the Kama River project. The Mack Trucks spokesman said the cost is just a guess, but he said estimates have run between $1 billion and $2 billion. Mack Trucks, as a result of the agreement, is seeking authority to export an estimated $700 million worth of machinery and technology to the Soviet Union. The company spokesman, asked whether the government’s action indicated the administration will act favorably on the entire deal, said he would not speculate on what would happen next. He said “your question would lead logically” to the conclusion the administration is looking on the application favorably. Mullin said in reference to the foundry equipment: “It is an essential part. We would have to have a foundry.” The government refuses to name the companies for which it approves export licenses. A spokesman said it only referred to the Kama River project because it had been previously announced by the parties involved. Officials said a step-by-step approval process may be used in granting licenses for the project. The Commerce Department’s Office of Export Control passes on specific export licenses for export of equipment forbidden under government regulations. Such high-technology items as foundry equipment are prohibited from being exported, unless a specific license is granted by the government. About a year ago, Henry Ford II went to Moscow in an attempt, later abandoned, to complete a similar agreement. At that time, Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird commented: “Before giving away the technology to construct trucks in the Soviet Union, and establishing plants for them, there should be some indication on the part of the Soviet Union that they are not going to continue sending trucks to North Vietnam by the shiploads for use on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.” There was no Defense Department comment on Monday’s action by the Commerce Department. Mack cancels Soviet Plant The Miami News / Sept 16, 1971 Mack Trucks, Inc. has cancelled plans to build the world’s largest truck plant in the Soviet Union. Mack said it has not received U.S. approval. Mack signed a preliminary agreement with Soviet officials last May 18, providing that the Allentown, Pa. firm would design and supply a major part of the Soviet Union’s $1.4 billion Kama River truck plant. The deal, Mack said, hinged on whether the White House was willing to ease its policy on exports to communist countries sufficiently to grant the necessary approval. The deadline for government approval under the tentative agreement was initially June 25, but the date had been extended to September 15. In a terse message to Soviet officials yesterday, Mack said, “Since approval from the U.S. government has not been received and the second extension....expired with the close of business today, we feel that to our mutual interest.....to consider said protocol terminated.” There has been no official statement from administration sources on the proposed deal. Defense Secretary Melvin Laird, however, has in the past decried the fact that the Russians are supplying trucks to North Vietnam. Mack countered the charge with the argument that a final agreement would have stipulated that the trucks be used only for industrial and agricultural purposes within the Soviet Union. The Kama River plant, about 600 miles east of Moscow, was scheduled to begin production in 1975, with a planned capacity of 150,000 heavy diesel trucks and 100,000 diesel engines annually. Mack Truck President Zenon C.R. Hansen was unavailable for comment on cancellation of the project. Summary The Kama River (Kamaz) truck plant was built. The project was financed by Chase Manhattan Bank and U.S. government loans. The modern plant, automated by IBM model 370 computers, was built to produce 150,000 trucks and 250,000 diesel engines annually. Awarded Contracts: Principal engineering contractor - Swindell-Dressler Co. (Pittsburgh, PA) - $50 million C.E. Cast Equipment (Cleveland, OH) - $35 million Holcroft & Co. (Livonia, MI) - $20 million Ingersoll-Rand (Rockford, IL) - $20 million National Engineering Co. (Chicago, IL) - $15 million

. President Carter is the only living U.S. President who genuinely cares, and will call a spade a spade. Video - http://www.reuters.com/video/2015/07/07/newsmaker-president-carter-on-middle-eas?videoId=364861537

A brief history of the development of the diesel engine at the General Motors Research Labs. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/historical-brochures/Innovation_and_Technology/The_GM_Diesel_Story.pdf

Connecticut mother drugs her two children to death, charged with murder Reuters / July 9, 2015 An overdose of over-the-counter cold medicine caused the death of two children whose bodies were found in their gas-filled home in Connecticut, and their mother, who had said she stabbed them, remained charged with murder, police said on Thursday. Autopsies concluded this week by the state's chief medical examiner on Aleisha Moore, 6, and Daaron Moore, 7, determined they died from acute intoxication of an antihistamine used to treat cold or allergy symptoms. The children were found dead and their mother, LeRoya Moore, injured when police and firefighters were called to their East Haven home on June 2 for a medical emergency. Police said there was also a gas leak in the home at the time, and that the mother had told a friend she was going to commit suicide. Moore, 36, who told authorities she stabbed the children, was charged last month with two counts of murder and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment in connection with their deaths. "Blunt force trauma and puncture wounds were positively ruled out as a cause of death,” according to the medical examiner. Police discovered 46 bottles and boxes of over-the-counter and prescription medications, according to an arrest warrant. Police said they found a note Moore placed near the younger children saying she did not want to leave them in the care of an institution. Moore's parental rights were terminated years ago by the state for abuse of two older children. No further details were available. By the time the bodies were found, the children had been dead "for an extended period of time," police said. Authorities said they determined gas in the home had been intentionally turned on.

Some are familiar with these events. However many aren’t. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Business Insider / July 9, 2015 San Francisco's fog is famous, especially in the summer, when weather conditions combine to create the characteristic cooling blanket that sits over the Bay Area. But one fact many may not know about San Francisco's fog is that in 1950, the US military conducted a test to see whether it could be used to help spread a biological weapon in a "simulated germ-warfare attack." This was just the start of many such tests around the country that would go on in secret for years. The test was a success, as Rebecca Kreston explains over at Discover Magazine, and "one of the largest human experiments in history." But, as she writes, it was also "one of the largest offenses of the Nuremberg Code since its inception." The code stipulates that "voluntary, informed consent" is required for research participants, and that experiments that might lead to death or disabling injury are unacceptable. The unsuspecting residents of San Francisco certainly could not consent to the military's germ-warfare test, and there's good evidence that it could have caused the death of at least one resident of the city, Edward Nevin, and hospitalized 10 others. This is a crazy story; one that seems like it must be a conspiracy theory. An internet search will reveal plenty of misinformation and unbelievable conjecture about these experiments. But the core of this incredible tale is documented and true. It all began in late September 1950, when over a few days, a Navy vessel used giant hoses to spray a fog of two kinds of bacteria, Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii — both believed at the time to be harmless — out into the fog, where they disappeared and spread over the city. "It was noted that a successful BW [biological warfare] attack on this area can be launched from the sea, and that effective dosages can be produced over relatively large areas," concluded a later-declassified military report, cited by the Wall Street Journal. Successful indeed, according to Leonard Cole, the director of the Terror Medicine and Security Program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. His book, "Clouds of Secrecy," documents the military's secret bioweapon tests over populated areas. Cole wrote: Nearly all of San Francisco received 500 particle minutes per liter. In other words, nearly every one of the 800,000 people in San Francisco exposed to the cloud at normal breathing rate (10 liters per minute) inhaled 5,000 or more particles per minute during the several hours that they remained airborne. This was among the first but far from the last of these sorts of tests. Over the next 20 years, the military would conduct 239 "germ-warfare" tests over populated areas, according to news reports from the 1970s (after the secret tests had been revealed) in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Associated Press, and other publications (via Lexis-Nexis), and also detailed in congressional testimony from the 1970s. These tests included the large-scale releases of bacteria in the New York City subway system, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and in National Airport just outside Washington, DC. In a 1994 congressional testimony, Cole said that none of this had been revealed to the public until a 1976 newspaper story revealed the story of a few of the first experiments — though at least a Senate subcommittee had heard testimony about experiments in New York City in 1975, according to a 1995 Newsday report. A mysterious death When Edward Nevin III, the grandson of the Edward Nevin who died in 1950, read about one of those early tests in San Francisco, he connected the story to his grandfather's death from a mysterious bacterial infection. He began to try to convince the government to reveal more data about these experiments. In 1977, they released a report detailing more of that activity. In 1950, the first Edward Nevin had been recovering from a prostate surgery when he suddenly fell ill with a severe urinary-tract infection containing Serratia marcescens, the theoretically harmless bacterium that's known for turning bread red in color. The bacteria had reportedly never been found in the hospital before and was rare in the Bay Area (and in California in general). The bacteria spread to Nevin's heart and he died a few weeks later. Another 10 patients showed up in the hospital over the next few months, all with pneumonia symptoms and the odd presence of Serratia marcescens. They all recovered. Nevin's grandson tried to sue the government for wrongful death, but the court held that the government was immune to a lawsuit for negligence and that they were justified in conducting tests without subjects' knowledge. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Army stated that infections must have occurred inside the hospital and the US Attorney argued that they had to conduct tests in a populated area to see how a biological agent would affect that area. In 2005, the FDA stated that "Serratia marcescens bacteria ... can cause serious, life-threatening illness in patients with compromised immune systems." The bacteria has shown up in a few other Bay Area health crises since the 1950s, according to The San Francisco Chronicle, leading to some speculation that the original spraying could have established a new microbial population in the area. While Nevin lost his lawsuit, he said afterward, as quoted by Cole, "At least we are all aware of what can happen, even in this country ... I just hope the story won’t be forgotten."

Renault Press Release / July 9, 2015 Renault Trucks has been voted Best supplier of the year 2015 by the Fraikin Group, Europe’s leading industrial and commercial vehicle renters. After a detailed in-house survey of some 50 staff members, it was the quality of its customer relations and fulfilment of its commitments that enabled Renault Trucks to stand out from 23 other chassis or equipment suppliers. Renault Trucks has been declared winner of the Best supplier of the year for 2015 award by the Fraikin Group, Europe’s N°1 industrial and commercial vehicle rental company. The candidates for the title were judged on the basis of several criteria: their ability to provide the Fraikin Group with support both before and after sales, their responsiveness to customers’ commercial and technical demands, respect for commitments to delivery lead times and product conformity plus their ability to offer innovative products corresponding to market and customer needs. Competing with 23 other international chassis and equipment suppliers, Renault Trucks was able to stand out for the quality of its “customer relations” and its performance in all other areas. “We wanted to reward Renault Trucks teams’ high motivation, as well as the quality support the brand provides to our Group,” explains Arnaud Perard, the Group’s purchasing director. “In particular, Renault Trucks gave our teams an excellent technical grounding when EURO VI was introduced, enabling us to optimise vehicle handovers to our customers and also guarantee efficient maintenance. This is why we decided to give them the Best supplier of the year 2015 award.” In order to discern its best international suppliers, the Fraikin Group carried out an in-house survey involving some 50 staff members. These assessed each brand based on a number of different criteria, which were subsequently backed by quantitative data gathered within the company. By means of this survey and award ceremony, which took place during the company’s annual convention, the Fraikin Group aimed to improve its methods of analysis and its suppliers’ performance. Renault Trucks makes up 10% of the Fraikin Group’s total fleet. The company operates 4,900 of the brand’s vehicles in 14 European countries. About the Fraikin Group: With 70 years of experience and an annual revenue of €643 million, the Fraikin Group, Europe’s leading industrial and commercial vehicle rental company, operates the continent’s largest multibrand and multi-function vehicle fleet (55,000 vehicles, of which 49,050 are owned and 6,000 managed). It also boasts the largest dedicated and integrated network with 180 agencies throughout Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia and Saudi Arabia). Offering much more than just a vehicle rental service, Fraikin, with its 2,800 strong workforce, helps its clients define solutions adapted to their needs and enables them to benefit from its extensive expertise which allows the company to meet their demands in terms of swift response and flexibility. Find out more at: www.fraikin.fr .

Land Line / July 9, 2015 The recent release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Phase 2” environmental standards for heavy trucks and trailers has prompted a U.S. representative from Tennessee to file legislation that would make sure glider kits remain exempt. For one thing, glider kits are not technically “new” trucks, says Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn. Black’s congressional district includes Byrdstown, Tenn., home of Fitzgerald Glider Kits (https://www.fitzgeraldgliderkits.com/). Black filed an amendment to the House version of an annual spending bill, known as an appropriations bill, which covers the Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. Every year, Congress must sign off on a dozen appropriations bills for various departments (another of which is transportation) that keep the government running in day-to-day operations. Her amendment says that no funds shall be used to finalize, implement or enforce greenhouse gas regulations on glider kits and glider vehicles. The proposed EPA standards contain language that could, if implemented as a rule, force glider kits to meet certain standards to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions. Black spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 8. “I recently toured a business in my district that manufactures these kits. For those who don’t know, a glider kit is a group of truck parts that can include a brand-new frame, cab, or axles, but does not include an engine or transmission,” Black said, educating her colleagues about the kits. “Since a glider kit is less expensive than buying a new truck and can extend the working life of a truck, businesses and drivers with damaged or older vehicles may choose to purchase one of these kits instead of buying a completely new vehicle. Unfortunately, the EPA is proposing to apply the new Phase 2 standards to glider kits, even though the gliders are not really new vehicles.” Black’s amendment passed by a voice vote and was added to the appropriations bill. The fact that the Senate has passed its own version of the Department of Interior appropriations bill means there are now two different versions of the bill. For a bill to pass and become law, the language needs to be reconciled – matched up – so it can move on to the president’s desk for signature. Black reiterated that the glider kit provision in EPA’s Phase 2 proposal would unfairly target the glider kit industry and consumer choices. “Under this ill-advised rule, businesses and drivers that wish to use glider kits would be effectively forced to buy a completely new vehicle instead,” she said on the House floor. “Reducing glider sales would also end up limiting consumer choice in the marketplace.” The recent release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Phase 2” environmental standards for heavy trucks and trailers has prompted a U.S. representative from Tennessee to file legislation that would make sure glider kits remain exempt.

Felixstowe-based container haulier James Kemball has added 10 Renault trucks to its 120-strong fleet of Mercedes, Scania and Volvo units – the first in its 42-year history. "After gaining the title of International Truck of the Year and hearing about the improvements to the new Euro 6 vehicles, we felt the time was right to take a fresh look at Renault Trucks and in particular the new Range T," explains general manager Chris Abbott. Supplied by local dealer Renault Trucks Felixstowe, the Range T460 6X2 Euro 6 tractor units, plated at 44 tonnes have joined James Kemball's fleet on a two-year lease deal through BRS under a full R&M contract including tax and tyres. "The demonstrator performed exceptionally well in fuel evaluation trials and we felt that the new cab is now on a par with its major competitors by including microwaves and TV/DVD players," comments Abbott. "This, together with first-class back up support from our local Renault Trucks' approved dealer, and a competitive leasing deal from BRS, cemented our decision to go with Renault Trucks," he adds. The Range Ts are now being used for long-distance operations, transporting containers from Felixstowe Port across the UK for shipping lines, freight forwarders, and logistics companies. .

Low revs high torque Diesel News Australia / July 9, 2015 New engine technology is claimed to make a new engine the most efficient truck engine in the world. Mercedes Benz has unveiled the next generation of its 13 litre engine range in Europe. The latest iteration of the OM 471 engine is based on the same basic engine block as other 13 litre Daimler engines around the world, including the Detroit DD 13. This evolution of the OM 471 comes four years after its introduction at the European launch of the new Actros, due in Australia next year. The Euro 6 compliant engine sees each of the various technologies included in the modern engine enhanced for improved performance. The initial launch of the new Actros in Australia will be fitted with the Euro 5 version of this engine, so we can expect to see this latest enhanced technology appearing later this decade. Power ratings now go up to 530 hp, the X-Pulse fuel injection system has been improved, a new EGR valve has been introduced, as has an asymmetric turbo system. Mercedes Benz is claiming considerable fuel economy improvements for the new engine and is talking about oil change intervals out to 150,000 km. New torque performance has been achieved, as a result of introducing the enhanced technology. The lower powered versions of the new engine will see torque topped up by an extra 200 Nm when the truck is in top gear. This should reduce down changing, thus decreasing fuel use, by enabling the truck to hang on to top gear longer. Maximum power will be available from 1450 to 1800 rpm on the new engines and maximum torque, at 2600 Nm (1918 ft lb) on the top power engine, is on tap from 900 to 1450 rpm. Even at idling speed, at 600 rpm, the engine is still producing 1600 Nm of torque. X-Pulse injection uses a common rail fuel system boosted with extra pressure by the injectors. Pressure in the rail will now increase to 1160 bar and injection pressure is to rise to 2700 bar, giving more precise control of injection event timing. As part of the fuel saving strategy, the new engine is being offered in a truck with a rear axle ratio of 2.533. In this set up, with the truck running at 65 km/h the engine is still below 900 rpm but can use the 2200 Nm of torque to maintain performance. The new EGR exhaust valve has been repositioned and can now be used to control both the level of exhaust gas recirculation but also the amount of exhaust gas redirected to the turbo, when a power boost is needed. The engine also uses asymmetric injection strategies when regenerating the DPF. The EGR rate is increased as high as 50 per cent in to increase exhaust gas temperature flowing through the particulate filter. In order to avoid a high level of unburnt fuel, cylinders one to three get reduced fuel while four to six get a full fuel flow. Benz claim this strategy does not compromise power output or emissions levels.

Prime Mover / July 9, 2015 Cummins Filtration has announced the release of the Fleetguard LF14000NN lube filter as a standard for new Cummins ISX diesel engines. LF14000NN uses NanoNet media, a patented polymeric nanotechnology-based synthetic media originally developed for the company’s Fleetguard fuel filter applications. “Many of the characteristics that make NanoNet media so successful in fuel filter applications translate well to lube filters,” said Brad Long, Senior Engineering Technical Advisor, Cummins Filtration. “By pairing NanoNet with our proven StrataPore synthetic media, we can offer a lube filter that’s suited to meet the needs of today’s advanced engine platforms and lubricants as well as those coming in the near future.” The NanoNet media in lube filtration removes and retains 98.7 per cent of all particles as small as 12 microns. In the case of LF14000NN lube filter, the NanoNet and StrataPore media structures work together for improved particle removal, capacity and cold-flow ability. “Our NanoNet media structure enables much higher cold-flow ability than competitors while retaining its high efficiency characteristics in filtering lube oil,” Long said. “High cold-flow ability means less restriction and faster oil lubrication during cold start-up, and lubricating and protecting the vital engine components. Filter efficiency, capacity and cold-flow ability are all improved.”

Prime Mover Magazine / July 9, 2015 North Queensland carrier, Blenners Transport, has taken delivery of its 200th Australian designed and built Kenworth truck. Managing Director of PACCAR Australia, Mike Dozier handed-over the Kenworth K200’s keys to Blenners Transport’s Managing Director, Les Blennerhassett (pictured), at a recent ceremony held at the Kenworth Bayswater plant in Melbourne. “We got our first Kenworth – a T650 – back in 1988. That was the start of our relationship with Kenworth and with (Kenworth dealership) Brown & Hurley,” Blennerhassett said. “We now have a mix of Kenworth models; some K200s on B-doubles, and T609s and T409s on linehaul and road train work. “They’re a strong, proven truck,” Les said of his 27 years of operating Kenworths. “Our customers demand reliable, scheduled deliveries, which means we must operate the best possible equipment available. The drivers love ‘em and Brown and Hurley are very professional people to deal with.” Blenners’ milestone Kenworth K200 features a 550hp Cummins ISXe5 engine and a factory-installed Brown and Hurley 50th Anniversary detail package. Dozier added, “The production and delivery of Blenners Transport’s 200th Kenworth marks a tremendous milestone for the Blennerhassett family, the Blenners Transport organization, and for Kenworth.” .

Transport Topics / July 9, 2015 Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) introduced legislation that would raise federal fuel taxes by 10.1 cents per gallon, and index the new rate to inflation as a way to ensure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The bill also would establish an income tax credit for individuals as a way to cover the additional taxes the average driver will have to pay annually. “Our Highway Trust Fund isn’t funded and cannot be trusted,” said Rice, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “The uncertainty this trust fund creates stifles investment from states and industry, and makes American businesses less competitive.” The bill “will fund much-needed new roads on our congested highway system and will ensure that the condition of our highways will improve, encouraging investment and creating good-paying jobs. Additionally, improvements to the system will reduce accidents and improve safety,” he added. The trust fund is used to back many highway and transit projects, and its funding authority expires July 31.

The Wall Street Journal / July 9, 2015 Ford Motor Co. has announced its Wayne, Michigan plant that assembles its small Ford Focus and C-Max wagon will end production of those vehicles in 2018 in a new setback to efforts to create a market for small cars made in the U.S. Production of the Focus will be moved outside the U.S. The move could put pressure on the United Auto Workers union to temper demands for wage increases in upcoming contract negotiations. Ford, General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), although profitable, are struggling to keep pace with lower-cost Asian auto makers that now have the added advantage of weaker currencies compared with the U.S. dollar. Small cars like the Focus deliver far lower profit margins than the pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles the Motor City is best known for, but they are essential to helping car makers meet stringent fuel economy mandates. Auto makers won concessions from the UAW before and after the financial crisis to dramatically lower labor costs. Those agreements helped usher in a return of U.S. small car production. GM now makes the subcompact Chevrolet Sonic in Lake Orion, Mich., and Ford its Focus in Wayne, Mich. Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which employs 4,400 workers, builds gasoline, electric and hybrid versions of the two cars. It previously built light trucks and SUVs there and the decision to shift to the smaller vehicles was helped by gasoline that once cost $4 a gallon. Ford earlier had split production of the Focus between factories in Michigan and Mexico. In a statement, the nation’s second-largest auto maker said it is “actively pursuing future vehicle alternatives” for the Wayne facility. Ford builds the Focus at plants in Germany, Argentina, China, Vietnam and Thailand. It is unclear where the next generation U.S. models will be built. Ford Fiesta subcompact cars sold in the U.S. are built in Mexico, which is becoming a production hub for global auto makers [who are leveraging the country’s low labor costs to supply the US car market more profitably, owing to the NAFTA loophole created by politicians tied to big business]. Tens of billions of dollars in new production capacity is underway or planned in Mexico by Ford, Generals Motors and Fiat Chrysler. Toyota is shifting production of its Corolla compact to Mexico in coming years after three decades of building it for North American customers in Canada. Honda last year began shipping its compact Fit to the U.S. from Mexico. Mazda is now building its U.S. market Mazda 3 and Mazda 2 small cars in Mexico. The loss of Focus production move deals a blow to the Obama administration’s attempt to encourage U.S. auto makers to make more fuel efficient vehicles domestically. Government-backed programs, including billions of dollars in Energy Department financing lent to Ford and Treasury Department bailout funds given to GM, helped pave the way for more U.S. small car production. Ford received a $5.9 billion U.S. loan commitment to retool 11 factories in five states to deliver fuel-efficient technologies. The UAW enters negotiations with the Detroit Three aiming to win higher pay packages amid what has been a trend of annual profit-sharing checks that auto makers prefer over fixed increases. As Detroit car makers’ profits increase, union members have grown increasingly discontent with a wage scheme that pays entry-level workers about $19 an hour, or $9 less than workers hired before the financial crisis. While the roughly $57-an-hour wage and benefit costs Ford spends per UAW worker is less than the $75 an hour it was spending a decade ago, it is still between $8 and $20 an hour higher than Honda or Volkswagen, according to Ann Arbor-based researcher Center for Auto Research. How much is Ford or their lobbyist paying the center for Auto Research to lie ??? $57-an-hour ??? U.S. auto workers averaged $28.38 (25.63 Euros) per hour last year. The average hourly pay in Japan was $33.17 (29.96 Euros). The highest in the world is at Volkswagen in Germany, at $53.59 (48.40 Euros) per hour). VW’s labor costs are far higher than Ford. Ford can build the Focus in Germany at a cost of over $50.00 per worker per hour, but Ford can’t build the Focus in America for the American market at a per-hour worker cost around $28.00 ??? (and worker benefits in Germany exceed those in the US)

Bloomberg / July 10, 2015 A U.S. Senate panel unveiled a plan to roll back protections consumers get when renting cars with potentially lethal safety defects, something a safety advocate called a step backward. Under a bill introduced Thursday by Senator John Thune, a South Dakota Republican who is chairman of the Commerce Committee, rental-car companies would be able to offer vehicles with unresolved flaws as long as they disclose the defects in writing to the renter. (A US senator wants to allow big business to bury a danger declaration in that long-worded agreement form, legal speak that many people would miss. No requirement to verbally tell the unsuspecting customer, just include it in the intentionally confusing fine-printed contract that would take 15 minutes to read. Transparency in government? Hardly. Politicians go to the highest bidding lobbyist. Elected representatives displaying no morals and ethics should be promptly impeached) Consumer groups have pushed for laws to prevent rental of defective cars. Legislation such as the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act was considered by the Senate committee as recently as 2013 but never became law. The panel this year switched to Republican control. (Why would your government intentionally want to block the recall of rental cars to resolve dangerous defects that have killed hundreds, e.g. the Takata air bag fiasco, GM ignition switch, ect. ????) “This is going backward,” said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, a safety group based in Sacramento, California. “This would be worse than existing practices for 95 percent of the industry.” The Senate Commerce plan would let rental-car companies ignore the steps taken voluntarily by the largest companies, like Hertz Global Holdings Inc., Avis Budget Group Inc. and Enterprise Holdings. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is supporting Thune’s legislation, arguing that less than 10 percent of recalls sought by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were deemed serious enough to recommend that consumers stop driving until their cars are repaired. NADA and car dealers have been working with Senator Charles Schumer, the bill’s sponsor, on changes that would mitigate the economic impact on consumers and small businesses. (In other words, business profits outweigh your safety) Alliance Chief Executive Officer Mitch Bainwol, who lobbies on behalf of General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and 10 other automakers, said at the 2013 hearing legislation to stop renting defective cars would be harmful to consumers (a fairy tale) because dealerships would repair the rental cars before their customers’ vehicles. The Houcks -- Raechel, 24, and Jacqueline, 20 -- died in a 2004 crash involving a rented Chrysler PT Cruiser. The car had been subject to recall for a defective power-steering hose that hadn’t been repaired. The women lost control after the hose caught fire and the car collided with a tractor-trailer. “The promise of life my talented daughters held was snuffed out in a matter of seconds,” Cally Houck, the women’s mother, told the commerce committee in 2013. “Why didn’t the rental car company fix this defect before renting out a vehicle that was a ticking time bomb?”

Pennsylvania man sent to prison in rape plot to conceive child Reuters / July 9, 2015 A Pennsylvania man convicted of raping his wife's teenage daughter in an effort to conceive a baby the couple could raise as their own was sentenced on Thursday to up to 27 years in prison. Gary Machinshok, 29, of Wilkes-Barre was sentenced on Thursday to first-degree rape and other charges related to the abuse of the 15-year-old girl and her 11-year-old sister. Prosecutors said the girls' mother, Misty Machinshok, 33, was unable to have another child and wanted the 15-year-old girl to become pregnant so she could raise the baby. The mother assisted in the rape by pushing the teenager onto her husband and suggesting the best positions for getting her pregnant. Prosecutors said Machinshok testified against his wife, who was sentenced in April to 15 to 30 years in prison. She pleaded guilty in January to charges including rape, assault, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy. Gary Machinshok was sentenced on Thursday to 13-1/2 to 27 years in prison. The abuse came to light when one of the girl's friends alerted a teacher who called police. The girl was raped more than once in 2013 after the couple met through a website called onlinebootycall.com. .

Cummins hasn't been "slightly years ahead of everyone else" in years. The engine technology of every global truckmaker is far ahead of Cummins, beginning with Daimler (Detroit Diesel). The DD13, DD15 and DD16 (OM 471, OM472, OM473) are cutting edge. One can't put Cummins and "cutting edge" in the same sentence. Their (SCR) emissions systems are the industries worst, and the ISV in the new NIssan pickup is an embarrassment. Due to an inabiity to compete, Cummins lost the global truck market beginning with Europe (Cummins was the leader there in the day). The best they can do is build their old models in India.

Sadly, we live in a new era where very few real truck salesmen, and customers that are truck people, still exist.