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Prime Mover Magazine / June 29, 2015 Queensland Shadow Minister for Main Roads, Fiona Simpson, has begun a journey down the Bruce Highway to hear and see first-hand what is needed for this important piece of infrastructure. “The best way to understand what is needed for this highway is to travel it with those that do it every day. They have a unique and invaluable insight as to what works and what doesn’t,” Simpson said. Simpson’s journey south from Cairns began with Followmont Transport, and then picked up with Freshwayz Transport for the second leg and Rocky’s Own for the final leg. According to Owen Driscoll, National Manager Industry Relations at National Transport Insurance (NTI), the journey was organised with TruckSafe Accredited operators in order to ‘ensure the Shadow Minister was in the best of care’. “The Bruce Highway is a lifeline of our vast state as supplies are moved north and south every hour of every day. I am looking forward to hearing what each driver says and also to listen to the feedback from locals as we travel from postcode to postcode,” Simpson said. Simpson will also meet with key stakeholders to get their feedback on local concerns and to hear what they believe their priorities are regarding this major Australian highway. “It’s good to get somebody from the government to actually sit in a truck and see what the guys go through daily and see where the highways need to be upgraded,” Clynt Leeson from Followmont Transport said. Simpson said the LNP's 10-year action plan to fix the highway was showing results but there was a long way to go. "I can see areas where there has been significant work done but there needs to be a lot more done over the next 10 years," she said. "It's never going to be cheap but this is our most important highway - a lifeline as supplies are moved north and south every hour of every day."

Renschler Named Chairman at Scania Heavy Duty Trucking / June 30, 2015 Andreas Renschler, the former head of commercial trucks for Daimler who went to work heading up Volkswagen's commercial truck operations earlier this year, has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of Scania. The Swedish truck and bus manufacturer is majority owned by Volkswagen. A member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, Renschler earlier this year took over as head of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH, the holding company that coordinates the operations in the group’s commercial vehicles companies. The news comes just days after published reports indicate that German truck maker MAN, majority owned by Volkswagen, will cut 1,800 jobs at its main commercial vehicles division. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company will save about 850 million euros ($951 million) by realigning operations at its German plants in Munich and Salzgitter and plants in Austria and Poland. The revamp is part of a broader restructuring within Volkswagen, which is integrating the trucks businesses MAN and Sweden’s Scania AB to create a commercial vehicles unit under Renschler's leadership. The goal for Volkswagen is to combine Scania and MAN with VW's commercial vehicles operations in order to better compete in global markets against rivals Volvo and Daimler. There's speculation that at some point that will mean entering the North American market in some way, as well. .

Transport Topics / June 30, 2015 Andreas Renschler, head of Volkswagen’s truck division, has been appointed chairman for the global manufacturer’s Scania AB business unit. VW holds a controlling stake in Sweden-based Scania, which builds heavy trucks and buses. Renschler, born in 1958, began his role at Volkswagen’s truck division in February. Previously, Renschler was head of rival manufacturer Daimler AG’s global truck business until April 2013. Scania also said it appointed Per Hallberg as its CEO on June 26. Hallberg succeeds former CEO Martin Lundstedt, who is set to become Volvo Group’s next CEO in October, replacing Olof Persson.

Sources indicate GM, Navistar nearing partnership Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / June 30, 2015 General Motors exited its 2009 bankruptcy without a medium duty commercial truck segment and was greeted by a country in the throws of a recession, but all indications are the Detroit behemoth is set to come roaring back. Earlier this month the company announced a partnership with Isuzu, an arrangement under which GM will rebrand Isuzu’s N-Series trucks and sell them at Chevrolet dealerships nationwide. First reported by Forbes Tuesday, unnamed sources indicate GM is poised to reach a similar arrangement with Navistar International, who would manufacture Class 3 – 5 trucks for GM. A spokesperson for Navistar says the company has made no announcements and has no information to share. Messages to GM were not returned. Such an arrangement would not be unfamiliar territory to Navistar. Last year Ford formally broke off its relationship of more than a decade with Navistar. Under the Blue Diamond venture, Navistar built medium-duty trucks that were sold at Ford’s commercial-truck dealerships. Navistar (along with Cummins and Allison) was left behind when Ford elected to integrate its powertrain and bring manufacturing in-house beginning with the 2016 model year. A partnership with Navistar would allow GM to re-enter the segment just as the first generation of Ford-built F-650/750s are hitting the market, while also unlocking GM’s commercial truck dealership network to Navistar just as Ford emerges as a player in the segment. CEO Troy Clarke, during Navistar’s earnings call earlier this month, said the company is currently riding a wave of medium-duty truck replacement cycles. “And the good news is we are seeing growth in this important segment in 2015 due to increase in business investment and extension in the housing market,” he says. Clarke says he believes these conditions will remain favorable and forecasts North American sales of Class 6 through 8, including buses, in the range of 350,000 to 380,000 units this year. Navistar is also gaining medium-duty market share quickly, jumping six percentage points in the second quarter of 2015 from the first quarter.

GM Believed Ready to Announce Commercial Truck Venture With Navistar Forbes / June 30, 2015 With the nation’s steadying economy accelerating demand for all manner of commercial trucks, the truck-production landscape is evolving – and revolving – as former partners and rivals scramble for position in what is projected to be a boom period for truck manufacturing. Industry sources believe General Motors is close to announcing a new partnership with Navistar International to manufacture “medium-duty” trucks that cover the industry’s Class 4, 5 and 6 classifications. GM built medium-duty trucks for decades before exiting the business in 2009 amidst its bankruptcy reorganization and the recession. A spokesperson for GM said the company has made no announcements and had no information to share. A GM link-up with Navistar would be the second prong in a GM re-entry to the medium-truck business: earlier this month, the company announced a new venture with Japan’s Isuzu Motors to sell a version of Isuzu’s N-Series low-cab-forward (cab-over) light trucks (higher GVW versions fall into the lower end of the U.S. market medium truck range). Navistar, meanwhile, has considerable history with GM – and crosstown rival Ford Motor. Navistar and Ford last year severed their Blue Diamond venture that for a decade saw Navistar build medium trucks sold by Ford’s commercial truck network. As part of an agreement struck with the United Auto Workers union in 2011, Ford this year will begin in-house production of its medium-duty trucks, the 2016 F-650 and F-750, at a plant in the Cleveland suburb of Avon Lake, Ohio. A Wall Street Journal story last year pegged the Ford business as worth $400 million annually to Navistar. Navistar was a suitor when GM was shopping its money-losing medium-truck business in 2007, but in 2008 backed out of a deal to purchase the unit as the U.S. economy began to slip, pulling commercial-truck sales along for the ride. The recession marked the beginning of a bad stretch for the storied maker of heavy-truck diesel engines and its own International-brand commercial trucks – including the largest Class 7 and Class 8 highway haulers – capped by Navistar’s costly backing of a failed engine design to enable its engines to comply with new federal emissions standards. As GM neared the end of its in-house production of medium-duty pickups, the company was producing about 22,000 units annually, but then-CEO Fritz Henderson said the business was unprofitable. After being jettisoned by Ford, Navistar said it would strike out alone with its International brand, but the move comes as the company’s share of the medium truck segment dipped from 36 percent in 2011 to a current share of about 26 percent. Navistar said one plan to beat back former partner Ford and other rivals is to offer a wider range of engine and transmission choices in its medium trucks, but a team up with GM would markedly increase production volumes for the company, while GM would gain immediate access to Navistar’s portfolio and manufacturing capacity, enabling a swift reboot for its abandoned medium-truck presence – just in time to parry Ford’s new in-house truck lineup.

Motor Malaysia / June 30, 2015 Toyota has introduced a new line of turbocharged diesel engines with more torque, greater efficiency and lower emissions. The company said the new GD engines feature next-generation advanced thermal insulation diesel combustion to reduce cooling loss significantly. In-house trials showed the use of Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology (TSWIN) helps make the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV engine one of the most thermally efficient, with a maximum thermal efficiency of 44 percent, Toyota said in a statement. Despite smaller engine displacement in comparison to the current KD engine, maximum torque is improved by 25 percent and low speed torque improved by 11 percent, while fuel efficiency has received a 15 percent boost. Toyota will gradually phase out the current globally deployed KD diesel engines and replace them with GD engines. By 2016, production will reach approximately 700,000 units a year with introduction in approximately 90 markets, set to expand to at least 150 markets by 2020. The newly developed 1GD-FTV is available in the Hilux pickup truck, and Land Cruiser Prado (aka. Lexus GX, GX470). The same engine lineup includes the 2GD-FTV 2.4-litre direct-injection turbo diesel engine. Toyota’s new compact high-efficiency variable geometry turbocharger used by the GD engines is 30 percent smaller than its current equivalent, and features a newly developed turbine that improves efficiency, and a newly developed impeller that provides instantaneous acceleration response and produces maximum torque over a wide range of RPM. By reducing size and increasing efficiency, the newly developed turbocharger with the GD engine delivers approximately a 50 percent faster response in the rate of boost pressure increase.

General Motors representative Jimmy Diesel describes the various applications of Detroit Diesel engines. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/historical-brochures/Innovation_and_Technology/What_Do_GM_Diesels_Do.pdf

Australasian Transport News / June 29, 2015 Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA) has hit the wall and is in voluntary administration, 50 per cent owner McAleese and specialist accountancy Ferrier Hodgson have revealed. The high-profile heavy haulage logistics specialist is now under the control of Ferrier Hodgson partners Brendan Richards, John Lindholm, and Tim Michael but any move there may have to contend with legal issues. While McAleese some of the problems besetting HHA at the feet of an extremely difficult market making it unlikely the firm could handle its costs let alone make a worthwhile financial return, there appear to be deeper issues at play. "McAleese Group is considering its options for legal recourse against the vendor (and associated parties) of the company’s shareholding in HHA Group, in connection with the sales process and conduct after that time," McAleese, which bought the stake last November, says in a stock exchange announcement. The company expects to take a $17 million hit to its full year results relating to loans and interest and other receivables payable by HHA Group to it but insists it has no other exposure. Ferrier Hodgson says the decision to go into voluntary administration was made" in the best interests of protecting the considerable assets of the company and maximising the prospect for it to continue as a going concern". Richards, who leads Ferrier Hodgson’s logistics practice, expressed his disappointment in seeing another high-profile Australian transport business in distress. "This is indicative of the downturn we are seeing in the resources sector and the knock on effect it has and will continue to have on the transport industry," he says. "Unfortunately, HHA has a very high cost base and when revenues are challenged, it is left with little room in which to manoeuvre." "We will be working hard to try and achieve a strong outcome for all of the parties involved, but this is a tough time for Australia’s transport industry and heavy haulage businesses in particular." In the short-term, Ferrier Hodgson will continue to trade the business as normal while a buyer is sought and arrangements are made to protect the interests of the employees, customers, suppliers and creditors. "A clear strategy and direction for the business is expected to be established within the week," it says. Established in 1999, HHA specialises in 4,000-8,000 tonne haulage movements for infrastructure, mining and special projects. Its services include, transportation, cranes, electrical wire, haulage consultancy, storage services, SPMT trailers, heavy haulage fleet leasing and specialist haulage services for the oil and gas, power, rail, refinery and infrastructure sectors. HHA was also a prominent sponsor of V8 Supercars and the subject of the ‘Megatruckers’ series featured on Foxtel’s A&E Channel. Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA) - http://www.hhagroup.net/ http://www.hhagroup.net/services/heavy-haulage-transport/

Obama Signs Two Bills, Advancing Trade Plan Bloomberg / June 29, 2015 President Obama signed two pieces of legislation June 29 that together will allow him to move his trade agenda forward and continue negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. “This legislation will help turn global trade, which can often be a race to the bottom, into a race to the top,” Obama said. “It'll reinforce America's leadership role in the world, in Asia, and in Europe and beyond.” First, Obama signed the Defending Public Safety Employees’ Retirement Act (H.R. 2146). The bill was amended so that Title I of the bill gives the president trade promotion authority, or the ability to present trade agreements to Congress for an up-or-down vote. Obama also signed the Trade Preferences Extension Act (H.R. 1295) to provide trade adjustment assistance for workers who lose their jobs because of a free trade agreement. In a signing ceremony at the White House, Obama said he would not be signing these bills if he were not absolutely convinced that they were good for U.S. workers and businesses. UPS Inc. praised the approval of the legislation. “Trade is vital to the U.S. economy, supporting global growth and spurring job creation,” said David Abney, CEO of UPS. “The administration and Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress deserve great credit for finding common ground in legislation that will enhance U.S. leadership on global trade by opening new markets to American businesses and consumers as well as breaking down barriers to our exports.”

The Financial Times / June 29, 2015 General Electric made further progress in its withdrawal from financial services with deals to sell its fleet arm, taking it about a third of the way through its planned disposal programme. The US conglomerate sold its fleet businesses, which provide commercial vehicle financing and fleet management services, in the US, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand to Toronto-based Element Financial, for $6.9bn. Separately, it has also signed a memorandum of understanding for the potential sale of its European fleet businesses to Arval, a subsidiary of French bank BNP Paribas, for an undisclosed amount. The two sales will mean GE is disposing of businesses with “ending net investment” — the company’s measure of assets — of $8.6bn, and taking to about $63bn the value of the various deals it has agreed since the planned exit from financial services was announced in April. It plans to sell $200bn of assets in total. Keith Sherin, GE Capital’s chief executive, said the company was “on track” to reach a total of $100bn in assets sold by the end of the year. He added that GE expected “to be substantially done” with the disposal programme by the end of 2016. Two businesses that have been set as priorities for sale in the near future are healthcare finance and European acquisition finance, which Mr Sherin has said will benefit from a quick resolution of the uncertainty about their future ownership. Other business that are expected to be sold this year include GE’s US and global commercial lending operations and its international consumer business. Jeff Immelt, GE’s chief executive, has set a strategy of focusing on the group’s industrial manufacturing and service businesses, which are less volatile and generally more highly valued by investors. Once the disposal programme is complete, GE Capital, the financial services division that two years ago provided almost half of the group’s earnings, is expected to generate just 10 per cent of its profits. Deals announced already include the sales of a property portfolio for more than $26.5bn, Australian and New Zealand consumer finance businesses for $6.2bn, and US buyout lending operations for $12bn. In total the disclosed sale proceeds have now reached $51.6bn, although there are also a few deals for which the price has not been announced. One measure used by the company is the value of cash released from GE Capital to be paid to the parent group, which, with the fleet deals, has reached $9.3bn, a bit more than a quarter of the way to the target of $35bn.

Automotive News / June 29, 2015 Free-trade deals would roll back the tariff In the background of the free-trade debate that has raged in Washington this summer, a sacred cow of U.S. auto and trade policy is under threat. The 25 percent tariff imposed on imported pickups, vans and commercial trucks, known as the "chicken tax," stands to be significantly rolled back through big-ticket trade deals being hammered out with Pacific Rim nations and the European Union. With the legislative pieces now in place, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are closer to becoming reality. The Pacific Rim deal seeks to create a 12-nation free-trade bloc encompassing some 40 percent of the world's economy. The EU deal would lower trade barriers and seeks to align regulations between the U.S. and EU. Both would remove the chicken tax. Critics of the tax say it has priced imported trucks out of the market, shielding the Detroit 3's biggest profit machine from robust foreign competition. The tariff also has had other effects, experts say, such as stifling pickup innovation and motivating Japanese automakers to build U.S. factories. "It has provided a competitive advantage for the domestic pickup producers," says Daniel Ikenson, an economist and trade expert at the Cato Institute, a Washington pro-business think tank. "The response of the Japanese manufacturers has been to invest in production lines here in the United States." After months of heated debate, Congress passed a bill last week that would give President Barack Obama authority to negotiate and send free-trade agreements to Congress for an up-or-down vote, free of amendments. With the so-called fast-track authority ready for Obama's signature, the wheels on the Pacific treaty can shift into high gear, and a final version of the deal could go to Congress by the fall. The EU deal is expected to take longer to finish. Truck lovers have long hoped that removing the tariff would create a flood of new, smaller pickups that today are available only overseas. But trade watchers and auto industry experts agree that a barrage of new pickups would be unlikely. Free-trade deals would roll back the tariff gradually over several years, even decades, they say. Stifled innovation? While Nissan and Toyota have spent billions on their U.S. pickup operations, most brands from South Korea and Europe have stayed out of the U.S. pickup market. Just six brands offer pickups in the United States, compared with 19 that offer compact crossovers and 14 that sell midsize sedans. That contrast shapes the view of John Krafcik, president of TrueCar and former CEO of Hyundai Motor America, who says that the pickup segment "has the least competitive intensity of any segment in the industry." Krafcik says the U.S. would "definitely" get more pickups if not for the chicken tax. The tariff has all but required pickups to be assembled in the United States to be sold here, he said. The cost of installing pickup manufacturing capacity from scratch -- building a plant, paying for tooling, engineering the truck and producing it -- can cost from $2 billion to $3 billion, he said. Such a steep investment requires manufacturing at a large scale. As a result, Krafcik said, product planners create trucks to compete in the full-size segment, where they see the biggest chance of selling at volume. That means automakers can't afford to take a risk on small-volume trucks with different sizes, bed and cab configurations or experimental storage and packaging designs. "I think what is lost the most is low-volume experimentation and innovation in pickups," Krafcik said. "As soon as you get to that level of investment, the risks become so great that the solutions become fairly mainstream." Gradual change The two free-trade agreements would roll back the chicken tax affecting nearly 40 nations -- 11 through the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the 28 that make up the EU, through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. So would U.S. showrooms see an array of shiny new imported pickups? Probably not, at least in the near term, industry experts and trade watchers say, for these reasons: First, few countries involved in the talks have pickup assembly plants. Volkswagen builds the Amarok midsize pickup in Germany, but, a company spokesman said, "If you look at where we produce vehicles, to bring an Amarok from Hanover, even if the chicken tax were repealed, would be a bit of a stretch." Much midsize pickup production capacity outside the United States is concentrated in Thailand, but that country isn't involved in the TPP talks. In Thailand, Ford builds the recently redesigned Ranger, Mazda produces the BT-50, Mitsubishi assembles the L200 and Toyota makes the Hilux. But the country could be a wild card -- Thai officials have expressed interest in joining the TPP once the deal is completed, and the TPP is designed to allow other nations to do that. Second, the chicken tax is expected to be rolled back slowly. Obama administration trade negotiators have said the tariff with Japan would phase out on the longest possible timeline, as part of a bilateral U.S.-Japan side deal proceeding alongside the TPP talks, says Matt Blunt, the former Missouri governor who now runs the American Automotive Policy Council, a Washington trade group that represents Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors on trade issues. Blunt said it's only fair because barriers in Japan other than tariffs have effectively kept U.S. automakers out of the country. "We believe it could take as many as 25 years to open up the Japanese market given that it's the most closed market in the developed world today," Blunt said. Third, pickups sold overseas aren't designed to meet rigorous U.S. crash and emissions regulations -- partly due to the high upfront cost imposed by the tariff -- and they're unlikely to resonate with U.S. truck buyers, says Dave Sullivan, an analyst with AutoPacific. It's not uncommon to find Ford, GMC, Chevrolet and Ram pickups loaded with leather interiors, premium audio systems and high-tech features that push the sale price upward of $50,000 -- status symbols as well as cargo haulers. Trucks found overseas are Spartan by comparison, often sold with manual transmissions and turbodiesel four-cylinder engines without the hauling power of full-size American pickups. "When you look at how we treat our trucks and how people do around the world, a lot of them wouldn't be able to withstand some of the same things, and they're not designed with American needs in mind," Sullivan said. "We've come to have a very refined and sophisticated pickup truck buyer." Fourth, some automakers told Automotive News that the chicken tax is not the only barrier keeping their smaller pickups out of the United States. Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said the size of the Hilux would make it a "tweener" in the U.S., overlapping too much with the full-size Tundra and midsize Tacoma. A Volkswagen spokesman said the company, which has said the tariff was the biggest impediment to selling the Amarok in America, now also doubts whether the truck is the proper size for the U.S. And a Mazda spokesman said the BT-50 would be a mismatch for Mazda's sporty, affordable-premium U.S. brand identity. Despite the challenges, the prospect of fat profits might prompt automakers to adjust to a defanged chicken tax, Krafcik says. Over time, that could mean more competition. "I think it would take some time, but with clarity around that guideline, we would see opportunity for those products," Krafcik said. "You would certainly be creating the conditions for manufacturers with production facilities in [Pacific treaty] countries to provide low-cost compact pickups to U.S. truck buyers." Trucks you would see on the US market after the repeal of Lyndon Johnson’s Proclamation 3564 (aka. The Chicken Tax) > FORD RANGER The Blue Oval brand killed its compact pickup for the U.S. in 2011 but revealed an updated 2016 Ranger for overseas markets in May at the Bangkok auto show. The global Ranger is bigger and beefier than its U.S. predecessor. • Where it's made: Thailand, South Africa > VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK Volkswagen's U.S. dealers and fans alike have clamored for the Amarok, but it's unlikely to arrive stateside anytime soon. The first modern pickup from VW's commercial vehicles unit, the Amarok is roughly the size of a Nissan Frontier. • Where it's made: Germany, Argentina > TOYOTA HILUX The Hilux nameplate left U.S. showrooms in 1976, but it has been a mainstay around the world with some 16 million units sold globally in its nearly 50-year history. Toyota revealed the eighth-generation Hilux in May at the Bangkok auto show. In crew cab configurations, the redesigned Hilux has a few more inches in length and height than the 2015 Tacoma. • Where it's made: Venezuela, Argentina, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Pakistan > MAZDA BT-50 Mazda discontinued U.S. sales of its B-series pickup after the 2009 model year, when it was essentially a rebadged Ford Ranger. Overseas, Mazda's midsize truck is called the BT-50. • Where it's made: Thailand > MITSUBISHI TRITON Mitsubishi discontinued the Mighty Max in the mid-1990s and has not sold an imported pickup in the U.S. since. But the Triton, successor to the Mighty Max, has lived on overseas. • Where it's made: Thailand

Netherlands-based truck conversion company Veldhuizen Wagenbouw (http://www.veldhuizen.eu/) has introduced a DAF “FAD” 10x4 vocational chassis with a wide spread driven and steered drive axle bogie. Already available from Veldhuizen Wagenbouw for 8x4 Iveco Trakker vocational chassis the conversion, the rear drive axles are mechanically steered. .

This KamAZ model 4326 has a 920 horsepower 16.2-liter Liebherr D9508 V-8 engine. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/37840-the-formula-to-a-successful-race-truck-kamaz-4326/?hl=liebherr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xAZq8jrY4

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40694-remembering-renaults-virages-program-the-magnums-beginning/?p=294983 I have no knowledge as to why Renault chose a set-forward front axle (loosely termed U.S. style). But the flat floor, the industry's first, certainly wasn't inspired by any American COE trucks.

Originally called the “AE” in 1990, it was renamed the Magnum in 1992. From 1996, the Magnum was fitted with the Mack E7, or E9 V-8 rated up to 560 horsepower. EE9-500 16.36 500 @ 1,900 2,000 N.m @ 1,300 Europe – Renault Magnum AE500 EE9-520 16.36 520 @ 1,900 2,250 N.m @ 1,300 Europe – Renault Magnum AE520 EE9-530 16.36 530 @ 1,900 2,250 N.m @ 1,300 Europe – Renault Magnum AE530 EE9-560 16.36 560 @ 1,900 2,450 N.m @ 1,300 Europe – Renault Magnum AE560 Little Known Facts: The Mack E7 E-Tech, when installed in the Renault Magnum tractor, carried the Renault engine designation MIDR 06.24.65. Note the Virage prototype’s staircase for cab access, not unlike the later Freightliner Argosy (an option) Another note, though the Magnum (AE) was launched in 1990, the Renault R-Series COE heavy tractor first launched in 1980 remained in production until 1996. The R-Series was an updated version of the Berliet GR/TR, using a lengthened version of the Berliet KB2400 cab which had been used by Ford Motor Company for the Transcontinental Mk 1 and Mk 2. Renault Press Release / Lyon, June 2013 / 20 Years of Success for the Renault Magnum Legend - http://corporate.renault-trucks.com/media/document/DP-pdf/dp_magnum_20_ans_en.pdf .

VE 20 The 6x2 configured VE20 represented a number of firsts in global heavy truck design. Advanced technical features included: The chassis was made of curved extruded aluminum with symmetrical cross membersMcPherson strut-type oil/pneumatic suspension systemCompact powertrainFully automated transmission (AMT) featuring a shift "under torque" capability, allowing gear changes without any interruption in tractionDisc brakes front and rearElectronic surveillance and management functionsWind tunnel-designed cab offering a flat floor with forward and lateral visibility close to maximum possible values..

VE 10 With its high mounted cab reached by a spiral staircase and huge, bulbous windshield, the VE 10 prototype presented by Renault Trucks in 1985 made a powerful impression. Highly aerodynamic, the VE10 included a streamlined semi-trailer with trailer tail to reduce aerodynamic drag, and therefore fuel consumption. The original VE10 was a 6x4 tractor with super single tires on the drive axles, an idea later employed on the “AE” production models. The VE10 also stood out for its use of nitrogen gas in the tandem suspension’s air springs, front and rear disc brakes and model B18 automated manual transmission (AMT). From day one, the production “AE” models featured disc brakes on the steer axle. .

It’s interesting to view photographs of Mack COE concepts of the 1970s, together with the Virages tractor concepts that resulted in the 1990 launch of the Renault AE (Magnum). The Virages program was initiated in 1979, two years after Mack and Renault (represented by the superb Elios Pascual) joined forces to adapt and sell Renault’s proven medium trucks to the North American market. Launched in the 1980 model year, the Mack Mid-Liner became the number one selling medium-duty COE in America by the mid-eighties. Renault, like Scania, were great people to work with. They admired Mack Trucks, the people and its technological prowess, and wanted to work together where synergies could be identified. Along the way to the Magnum, Renault displayed the Virages VE10 concept in 1985 and VE20 in 1988, both advanced COE designs with an American style set-forward front axle configuration. (V.I.R.A.G.E.S. - Véhicule industriel de recherche pour l’amélioration de la gestion de l’énergie et la sécurité, i.e. Commercial vehicle for research into the improvement of energy management and safety) The VIRAGES program was focused on evaluating a number of technologically advanced options to be featured by Renault on future vehicles. This program resulted in the construction of two VE (Vehicle Experimental) prototypes, dubbed VE10 (1985) and VE20 (1988). VIRAGE made it possible for Renault to expand its working knowledge of new architectures and technologies, allowing them to be successfully applied in the AE (short for aerodynamic) in 1990. .

A great read brought to my attention by our UK truck industry veteran, BC Mack. Note the not-so-well-known Mack Maxitorque 7-speed overdrive transmission. .

New GM Gas Turbine for Heavies Commercial Motor / April 10, 1964 A new 280 horsepower regenerative gas turbine designed specifically for heavy-duty commercial vehicles has been developed by General Motors Research Laboratories and will be exhibited at the New York World's Fair, which opens on April 22 and closes on October 18. The new engine is known as the GT-309, and is a fifth-generation design with more than 15 years of research and development behind it. It will be recalled that one of the first G.M. gas turbines for vehicle use was' installed in the Turbocruiser bus in 1954. The new engine has the same basic components as previous turbines—compressor, gasifier turbine, power turbine and regenerator—but a new system termed Power Transfer is incorporated whereby a variable coupling or clutch transfers a predetermined amount of power from the engine's gasifier turbine to the output shaft, This maintains a virtually constant turbine-inlet temperature over most of the engine's operating range, it is claimed. When the vehicle is decelerating, the Power Transfer couples the transmission line to the turbine compressor and provides two to three times the braking power of a comparable petrol or diesel engine. According to Dr. Lawrence R. Hafstad. vice-president in charge of the General Motors Research Laboratories, the Power Transfer improves the new turbine's part-load fuel economy, and also gives better acceleration, limits the power-turbine speed and makes the use of manual or automatic transmissions possible. The GT-309 develops its rated 280 horsepower at an output shaft speed of 3,600 r.p.m., this being stepped down from a power-turbine-shaft speed of 30,480 r.p.m. It has a falling torque curve, with maximum torque near the stall speed, and it is claimed to occupy one-third less space and to weigh less than half the weight of a diesel engine of equivalent performance. The gas temperature at the gasifier-turbine inlet is 927°C. (1,700°F.), and the single regenerator results in exhaust temperatures in the 150°-260°C. (300"-500°F.) range, and salvages more than 90 per cent of the recoverable exhaust-system heat. Several GT-309 gas turbines are being evaluated under a variety of operating conditions in vehicles and on G.M. test beds.

GM Press Release / April 8, 1964 A turbine-powered freight hauler which could carry containerized cargoes at new peaks of efficiency on tomorrow’s express highways is being shown by General Motors at the New York World’s Fair. Named the Bison, it shows a sleek new design for heavy cargo vehicles combining power, speed and utility with outstanding appearance. The Bison anticipates the day when much of our freight may be moved in standardized containers which can be automatically loaded, unloaded, sorted and stored by electronically-controlled equipment. The Bison was designed and built by General Motors Styling under the direction of GM Vice President William L. Mitchell. The cab, “power pod” and trailer total 50 feet in length. Gas Turbine Power The vehicle would have a twin-turbine powerplant providing 1,000 horsepower from two gas turbines of 280 and 720 horsepower, based on the GT309 gas turbine developed by General Motors Research Laboratories. The two gas turbines are enclosed in a pod mounted behind the cab over the “fifth wheel” (trailer attachment point) and the four driving wheels. This location improves aerodynamic flow by filling the gap between the tractor and trailer roofs, and provides cleaner air for the gas turbine engines. The engines can be lifted off individually for service or replacement. The 280 horsepower gas turbine, a regenerative type, would provide power for normal highway cruising conditions. The non-regenerative 720 horsepower gas turbine would add its power when needed for acceleration or climbing grades, or for pulling two or more trailers. Power could be distributed to all axles on both tractor and trailer units by a turbine electric system. General Motors’ experience with vehicular gas turbine design dates back almost two decades Today’s GT309 represents the latest development in a series of heavy duty vehicular, dual shaft, regenerative gas turbine engines. The GT309 features a single-stage centrifugal compressor, rotating regenerator, single can-type direct-spray burner and two axial turbines. To improve partial load fuel economy and provide engine braking, “Power Transfer” technology is employed, which connects the gasifier and power turbine shafts through a controlled torque coupling. A patented development of the GM Research Laboratories and Allison Division. “Power Transfer” transmits a scheduled amount of power from the gasifier turbine to the output shaft, thus stabilizing the turbine inlet temperature over much of the engine operating range. A direct result is improved fuel economy at partial throttle, where the engine operates most of the time. When the vehicle decelerates, power transfer couples the driving wheels to the compressor, providing engine braking power two to three times greater than that of a conventional diesel-powered truck. For example, the power transfer system of the 280 horsepower GT-309 gas-turbine engine provided over 1000 lb. ft. of torque at stalled output rpm. Power transfer allowed trucks to make faster and safer descents, controlling downhill speeds while extending service brake and wheel-end life. Another function of Power transfer was to prevent turbine overspeed if the load suddenly is disconnected from the engine. Futuristic Cab Design The Bison’s cab provides comfortable seating for two, ahead of the engines and wheels. Windshield and side windows are combined in a single panoramic window giving uninterrupted vision to the operator. Easy entrance and exit is provided by a forward-tilting canopy, and a step which folds down when as the canopy opens. The Bison is steered with two coupled hand grips on a console extending over the driver’s lap. To turn the vehicle, the grips are tilted from side to side. Also located on the driver’s console are the steering option selector lever, speedometer and a maintenance monitor indicator lamp which illuminates green while all systems are okay, amber when something requires attention at the next service opportunity, and red when a malfunction renders the Bison inoperable. Revolutionary Steering Technology Unique engineering features of the Bison include a trailer locking device, and a four-option steering arrangement. This provides the stability and safety advantage of a straight (rigid) truck on the highway, while also making possible exceptional maneuverability in urban traffic and freight terminals. With an adaptor, the Bison could also handle present day semi-trailers. The four steering options are: Single front axle steering, for operation as a semi-trailer rig on city streets.Tandem front axle steering (twin-steer), with all four front wheels turning parallel and the fifth wheel locked to make the Bison a rigid chassis truck for the highway.Opposed steering, with front and rear wheels turning in opposite directions for close turns at low speeds.Single rear axle steering, for trailer spotting.A combination jack and sander is housed in a cylinder between the driving wheels. It is actuated by the air-oil suspension system and can be controlled as a jack from either inside or outside the cab. The sander distributes sand to both wheels to provide traction in both forward and reverse directions. The Future of LTL – Standardized Containerization The Bison’s trailer is designed around a standardized container system using rigid weatherproof containers if eight by eight-foot cross sections in 10, 20, 30 and 40 foot lengths. This system has recently been approved by the American Standards Association, and is already in use. Containers could be removed individually, and new ones added, as the Bison calls at various freight terminals on its programmed route. At the terminals, the containers could be transferred by automatic equipment to smaller local delivery trucks or other modes of transport, or stored in open, pigeon hole-type buildings. The entire terminal operation could be automatic, with loading and unloading of vehicles, and sorting and movement of containers, all controlled by electronic equipment. The GM Futurama Exhibit – 1964/65 World’s Fair at Flush Meadows Park, New York The Bison, painted a bright orange color, is on display in the lower product plaza of the General Motors Futurama exhibit. The GT309 gas turbine engine is being exhibited at the Futurama by General Motors Research Laboratories. Applications of the vehicle’s containerization principles are demonstrated in scale models in the Futurama ride’s “City of Tomorrow” exhibit, and in a Metro-Mobility exhibit in the lower product plaza. Related reading – (GT309 gas turbine) http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31898-the-gas-turbine-chevrolet-turbo-titan-iii/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31891-the-gas-turbine-general-motors-bison-iii/ .

When you called Volvo's Mack brand customer service desk at 866-298-6586, how did they offer to help resolve your issue? How did they attempt to do so?

Perhaps improper on my part, but I always thought of the Transtar 4100 ConCo as a successor to the "Sightliner".

When you called Volvo's Mack brand customer service desk at 866-298-6586, how did they offer to assist you?

Lillesand, Norway-based Birkeland Transport (Bendiks) operates a fleet of DAF, Scania and Volvo tractors, as well as a Mack E9 V8-powered Magnum. Here’s the Magnum last month at Alashankou land port, at the border of Kazakhstan and northwest China (a long way from Norway). Bendiks website - http://bendiks-transport.no/bilparken/ Past photographs of this truck - http://hankstruckforum.com/htforum/index.php?topic=56444.105 .