kscarbel2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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