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Correct! Most Americans could never imagine Paccar building Ford trucks. After Ford car production at Amsterdam ceased in 1978, Ford’s plant was underutilized with only Ford Transcontinental Mk 2 heavy truck production still taking place. Paccar purchased UK-based truckmaker Foden in 1980. At the end of 1981, Ford decided to shut down its plant in Amsterdam and have the Paccar-owned Foden plant in Sandbach, Cheshire (UK) assemble their global market heavy truck range under contract, which it did in 1982 and 1983. The last of Ford’s legendary Transcontinental global heavy truck range rolled off the line in early 1984. It's impossible to forget those beautiful Ford blue Cummins Formula E engines in the Transcontinental. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30332-when-ford-roamed-the-world-the-transcontinental/?hl=transcontinental

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Most had brass bushings (10QK157). To be clear, the rubber bushing was standard on the (fabricated axle housing) SS440 suspension, and optional on the SS441 (cast axle housing) suspension. It was a $210 option on the SS441, and 20 pounds lighter than the brass bushing configuration.

No, the rubber bushing was offered on 44,000lb camelback suspensions. And it should have a transverse torque rod. Did you buy Mack or aftermarket rubber trunnion bushings? What's the part number you bought? You should have used Mack part-no. 10QK219P2, and coated them with 20 weight non-detergent oil (per the Mack service bulletin) at installation.

From the bumper and fuel tank spec, I suspect it's an ex-Overnite unit. On the horn button, does it say who the truck was built for?

Car & Driver / May 2015 The Ram Rebel 1500 is not the brand’s response to the Ford F-150 Raptor. Nor is it a competitor for the scandalously lifted, mega-tired, hard-core rigs that can be caught prowling sand dunes or posing on the SEMA show floor. No, despite its defiant name, the Rebel is a wholly cooperative vehicle. Essentially a Ram 1500 outfitted with off-road duds, the Rebel packs the same towing and cargo-hauling capabilities and comfortable cabin as a regular 1500, but it offers from the factory the kinds of upgrades that a buyer with an itch for casual off-roading might piece together from the aftermarket. Before we get into the mechanical upgrades, let’s address the exterior. As we noted when the Rebel debuted at the 2015 Detroit auto show, the large grille—which has neither a bit of chrome nor even a hint of a crosshair—is a pretty big departure. Instead, brand identity is handled by the massive “RAM” lettering on the blacked-out grille and on the tailgate. It certainly won’t appeal to wallflowers, but then the name “Rebel” should have tipped you off from the get-go, right? Below the grille is a powder-coated steel brush guard/skid plate (additional skid plates protect the oil pan and the transfer case); above it is a twin-snorkel aluminum hood. Wheel-well flares borrowed from the Power Wagon frame unique 17-inch aluminum rims shod with 33-inch-tall 285/70 Toyo Open Country A/T tires. Behind the Bravado To back up the ornamental bravado, Ram gave the Rebel some real hardware, too, fitting specially tuned Bilstein dampers, a slower steering ratio, and a softer rear anti-roll bar. What’s more, the Rebel’s air suspension provides for an additional inch of maximum lift (the Rebel’s standard ride height also is one-inch higher than a non-Rebel’s; thus, with the air suspension at full stroke, the Rebel, in the immortal words of Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel, goes one more). Suspension fully extended, the Rebel has an approach angle of 25.3 degrees, easily beating the 17.9-degree number of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 but falling a cactus needle shy of the 2015 Ford F-150 4x4’s 25.5 degrees. Still, the Rebel is no rock climber, despite its graphics. The Rebel goes on sale in July and comes only as a Crew Cab with the five-foot seven-inch bed. The base price will be approximately $45,000. The quartet of Rebels available during our excursion were all equipped with the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, eight-speed automatic transmission, on-demand four-wheel drive, and a 3.92:1 axle ratio. The 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 also will be available in combination with the eight-speed auto and part-time 4WD; the Rebel is the only way to get the 3.92 rear axle with the six-cylinder. Those interested in the Rebel-lious look alone can get a two-wheel-drive version, which comes paired only with the 5.7-liter V-8. A 3.21:1 rear axle is available for any V-8 models, but we wouldn’t bother with it. Capability is unaffected by the off-road makeover, with the 5.7-liter 4x4 Rebel sporting the same 1530-pound payload as the standard 1500 and a 10,130-pound tow rating, a scant 20 pounds less than a comparable non-Rebel. Likewise, EPA fuel-economy estimates are unchanged at 15 mpg city and 21 highway (22 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive). On the Surface of the Moon To see just how well the spate of Rebel-specific tweaks performs in the wild, we headed to the mountainous region of northern Arizona, at times climbing to more than 8500 feet above sea level while traversing the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Last active sometime between 1040 and 1100 AD, the volcano fields lay adjacent to the Kaibab and Coconino national forests, giving us a variety of terrain over which to abuse the Rebel—all in the name of journalism, of course. To ensure we brought the four pre-production units back alive, a pair of hard-core, winch-equipped Ram 2500 Power Wagons led the way. Traveling on the paved roads leading out of Flagstaff, the Rebel felt decidedly Ram 1500–like. Despite the slower steering and tread-tastic Toyo tires, this Rebel displayed the same docile road manners and consistent braking behavior as its more reserved siblings. If it weren’t for the bright-red anodized vent rings and steering-wheel stitching, plus the “Rebel” logo on the glove box, you’d have no reason to think you were in anything but a Ram 1500. Well, there were also the black-and-red seats, which, in addition to being all-day comfortable and supportive, feature a shadow print of the tires’ aggressive tread pattern. Black-and-red floor mats with channels deep enough to capture all the mountain mud we could track into the cabin are a welcome touch. Driving on pavement, we became a bit concerned—the tires seemed far too quiet to be worth a darn off the road. Concerns regarding traction were abated, however, as we entered Cinder Hills OHV Area, the tires sinking into the deep, gravel-like ash that coats sections of the area’s 13,000-plus acres. Our trucks were equipped with the “anti-spin” rear axle. Although not a true locker, it did a good job of ensuring that the V-8’s 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque—the same ratings as in the standard 1500—were fed to both rear wheels as they churned through the seemingly limitless supply of volcanic ash. (Fun fact: NASA used sections of the area to simulate, in 1:1 scale, the moon’s surface to prepare and test equipment for the first lunar landing.) When it came time to climb, we shifted into four-wheel drive via the dash-mounted button and proceeded to ascend tight, twisty, not-quite two-tracks with aplomb, kickbacks and driveline binding either nonexistent or masterfully concealed by the power steering. A gravel plateau about halfway up one of the steepest climbs proved to be an excellent playground for whipping up a cloud of “space dust” by spinning wider and wider circles into the ash. Despite our best efforts, the winches on the Power Wagons remained unused. The preferred technique for descending consisted of leaving the transfer case in low range and selecting a gear—generally first or second—via the wheel-mounted gear-selector buttons and idling downward using engine braking. Traction control is disabled in low range, so on descents like this, with Wile E. Coyote cartoon–style cliffs bordering the trail, it’s better to keep it slow and steady rather than mucking up things with excessive pedal inputs. After a short jaunt on paved roads, we hit the kind of terrain owners are likely to encounter most frequently: muddy two-tracks. Again the Rebel persevered, slipping and sliding across the muck, but never out of control. When it began to snow, the fun factor increased exponentially. This is when we were nearly rear-ended by an overzealous driver in one of the Power Wagons. Thankfully, he chose the ditch over the large “RAM” target affixed to our tailgate. Now, we did see a Nissan Sentra artfully plying the same paths, but it’s likely the driver was a local, or maybe just huffing bath salts. Later, we managed to ditch our official and gracious group leader and found some beautiful trails that branched vein-like from the main arteries, and which guided us higher and higher through stands of ponderosa pines. Steep and rock-strewn, it was here the Rebel felt most at home. Competent enough to traverse the toughest terrain that 90 percent of owners will ever likely encounter, the Rebel doesn’t have to be a baby monster truck. Whether the fact that it tries to look like one is a good or bad thing, we’ll leave it to you to decide. Photo gallery: http://www.caranddriver.com/photo-gallery/2015-ram-rebel-1500-4x4-57l-hemi-v-8-first-drive-review

Press Release / May 20, 2015 Numilog, a major player in the Algerian road haulage and logistics sector, has once again demonstrated its confidence in Renault Trucks by acquiring 195 new “Road C” on-highway tractors This sale brings the number of Renault Trucks vehicles in Numilog’s fleet up to 377 units. This acquisition predominantly concerns Renault Trucks Road C 4x2 tractors fitted with 11-liter 440 horsepower DXI engines and Optidriver AMT transmissions. Related reading: http://www.renault-trucks.co.za/c-road/ .

Prime Mover / May 18, 2015 Field testing of Cummins’ new 11.8-liter Euro-5 global heavy truck engine, the ISG12, has begun in Australia. Produced by Beijing Foton-Cummins Engine Company in China, the ISG12 is being tested in Australia with peak outputs of 500hp and 1700lb/ft of torque. Four of the 12-litre engines will eventually be running with fleets in various truck manufacturers’ chassis. Release of the ISG12 in Australia and New Zealand is likely in late 2016 - following field test and pre-production validation. The ISG reportedly achieves an engine weight of 860kg in a compact package, and uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to dose AdBlue/DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) into the exhaust stream. The ISG12 also incorporates Cummins’ XPI (Xtra-High Pressure Injection) common-rail fuel system, derived from the 15-litre ISXe5. With multiple injection events driven by Cummins electronic controls, the XPI fuel system contributes to the peak torque of 1700 lb/ft and torque rise as high as 60 per cent. Generating injection pressures in excess of 30,000 psi, XPI also reportedly improves combustion and fuel economy while helping lower noise. Note: The Foton-Cummins produced 10.5 and 11.8 ISG engines are decontented and simplified versions of the 11.9-liter ISX12. Both engines are loosely based on the 13-liter ISZ “Dakota” engine platform developed in the late 1990s. The 13-liter ISZ was intended to fill the gap between the 10.8-liter ISM and the 15-liter ISX. The ISZ was originally offered exclusively to Navistar in early 2001 for the first two years. Navistar declined, and instead entered into long-term engine supply agreement discussions with Volvo. By the end of 2001, no agreement had been reached between the two companies and the talks ended. The ISZ finally came to rest in China at Dongfeng-Cummins Engine Company. .

Driving the new Cat CT680 vocational truck Truck News / May 19, 2015 It felt counterintuitive, even ill-advised, but I put my faith in the Cat guy sitting in the passenger seat and stopped the CT680 halfway up a long 18% grade topped with loose gravel. Brad Zingre told me to transition from brake pedal to throttle and slowly depress the accelerator – don’t mash it. I did as he instructed and the truck eased effortlessly up the grade, as though it were flat and as though there weren’t 28 tons of boulders inside the side-dump Trail King trailer we were pulling. “This engine’s stout!” he beamed. This demonstration, conducted at Caterpillar’s sprawling 6,500-acre Tinaja Hills test centre and proving grounds south of Tucson, Az. was the grand finale in a day-long demonstration of the CT680, the newest addition to Cat’s line of Class 8 vocational trucks. Cat got into the truck business in 2011 with the introduction of the sleek, set-back axle (SBA) CT660. It followed that truck up late last year with the pug-faced CT681, a set-forward axle (SFA) no-frills truck designed to be functional, if not beautiful. The brand new CT680 rounds out the line and features the longest cab of the family, with a 124-inch BBC (bumper-to-back-of-cab) measurement, just slightly longer than the CT660 and a full 10 inches longer than the CT681. This time, Cat is smartly offering the new truck in two exterior styling configurations – one for image-conscious customers who care about ease of repairs and another for those who are resigned to the fact their truck’s going to get banged up and probably aren’t too worried about it. The CT680L is the truck you’d bring to the show’n’shine. It features a three-piece Metton hood, three-piece chrome bumper and three-piece stainless grille surround. These give the truck a distinctive look and damaged sections can be easily replaced so the truck can be kept looking good throughout its life. The CT680LG comes with a one-piece fiberglass hood, three-piece black bumper and integrated fiberglass grille surround. It’s a plain Jane CT680 but every bit as capable of getting the job done. Both can be had with dual external air cleaners, for easier serviceability in dirty environments and for that classic-styled look befitting a truck with a long, square hood. The other key difference between the two offerings is in the lighting: The L features composite halogen headlights and incandescent park/turn signals, while the LG comes with sealed-beam halogen headlights and LED park/turn lights. Naturally, Caterpillar chose to make the sexier CT680L available for rides and drives in mid-May. I was awfully happy to get one in Viper Red, because what could be more appropriate for a drive in the Arizona desert? For the on-road portion of the drive we hooked on to a side-dump trailer loaded up with 28 tons (about 62,000 lbs) of boulders. The ‘stout’ engine under the hood was Cat’s CT 13 rated at 475 hp and 1,700 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s well known this engine is a Navistar N-13, re-programmed and re-rated by Cat for vocational applications. It’s available in three power ratings: 410 hp/1,450 lb.-ft.; 430 hp/1,550 lb.-ft.; and 475 hp/1,700 lb.-ft. Cat officials revealed at the CT680 launch that a 15-litre is coming later this year. Both the CT660 and CT680 were designed to accommodate it and Cat’s CX31 automatic transmission, rated at 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque, can too. While they were tight-lipped about who their engine partner will be, there’s really only one possibility and the bigger question would be: will it be painted red or yellow? We’ll have to wait to find out, but the 15-litre engine will be a welcomed addition, especially here in Canada. Even before climbing inside the CT680, it’s clear Caterpillar engineers have had their way with this truck and where appropriate, they haven’t been shy about straying from industry norms. The hood opens differently. Instead of mounting a grab handle to the front of the hood and requiring drivers to plant their foot on the bumper and heave it open, they’ve placed two handholds along the side, allowing for easier lifting. The exterior grab handles are textured for a better grip when climbing into the truck, though the external air cleaners on the one I drove seemed to limit the door opening. Even so, climbing in was no problem. The interior of the cab is where Cat really went to town with this truck and evidence of this can be seen everywhere. Round vents are said to deliver more efficient heating and cooling and on my drive in the Arizona desert the A/C kept the cab comfortably chilled. The gauge cluster has been carefully arranged to ensure the most important gauges are always visible through the steering wheel. This includes consolidating the speedometer and tach so that both road and engine speed can be determined with one, quick glance. Extra wide rocker switches snap authoritatively into position, making them easier to activate with gloves on. “They’re nice and wide and you get a nice tactile feel with those switches, so you can tell you’ve engaged that switch and you can keep your eyes on the road,” Zingre explained. They’ve also been logically placed on the centre stack, with the most frequently used of those switches located closest to the driver. And the centre stack itself is angled towards the driver, providing a cockpit feel with everything within easy reach. The CT680 I drove featured a one-piece windshield but if you’re worried about chips and cracks, a two-piece is available. A long, flattish hood extends in front of that windshield but all-around visibility isn’t bad. The cowl-mounted sideview mirrors have been positioned far enough back to afford a good left-right view at intersections and also excellent visibility of the space around the truck and trailer. Those mirrors are heated and also feature an integrated turn signal. One small detail I didn’t like is that the signal light stalk was a bit of a reach from the steering wheel; you pretty much have to take your hand off the steering wheel to activate the turn signals, rather than flicking them on with one finger while keeping both hands on the wheel. The CT680 was comfortable to drive. It seemed everything was just right in terms of driver comfort – the positioning of the elbow rests, the angle of the dead pedal, etc. The seat was comfortable and the ride was smooth. The interior has an automotive-type feel to it, with soft-touch materials that look and feel nice but are also easy to wipe clean. The standard leather-wrapped steering wheel is just one example of this, but other examples can be seen throughout the cab. Even the flooring has extra matting to provide better insulation from ambient sound and noise. The CT 13 is a quiet engine and combined with the well-insulated cab, this is a quiet truck to operate. As for drivability, I really enjoyed the CX31 transmission produced by Cat itself. It’s a six-speed torque converter-style automatic transmission that communicates well with the CT 13 engine and provides seamless powershifting. Cat claims this transmission boasts the industry’s best power-to-weight ratio. The shift console is located fairly far back on the driver’s seat, so that you have to turn your head a full 90 degrees from the road if you want to confirm the gear you’re in, but there’s little need to fret about gear selection with this transmission; it’s on the mark, all the time. About 50% of Cat trucks are being ordered with the CX31, but Eaton automated and manual transmissions are also available as options. The engine, with its graphite iron block, weighs up to 200 lbs less than other 13Ls on the market and coupled with the aluminum alloy cab provides a total weight savings of 400-600 lbs. That can be converted straight into revenue-generating payload. The Jake brake on this truck was incredible – and incredibly quiet, at least from inside the well-insulated cab. The route we drove was fairly hilly and we were heavily loaded but I seldom required the maximum engine brake setting. Off-road, it kept the truck reined in down an 11% grade, no problem. The ride quality was also exceptional. Cat guys attribute this to the parabolic taper leaf spring suspension that’s standard on this truck and now an option on the CT660. Any lingering perceptions that this is an International truck with a Cat logo on the hood are grievously inaccurate. Yes, Navistar provided the donor chassis upon which the CT-series trucks were built but it’s a true, genuine Caterpillar piece of equipment. As such, it can be serviced through Cat’s network of 400 dealers in the US and Canada. Back at Tinaja Hills is where Zingre saved the best for last – a demonstration of the CT 13’s pulling power. As already mentioned, the engine easily passed this test. Zingre, who comes from a trucking family where horsepower was always king, said many customers are surprised by the power put out by this 13-litre engine. The truck I drove was rated to 120,000 lbs GCW. However, he also acknowledged there’s a time and place for 15-litre power and that is especially true in Canada. The new CT680 rounds out Cat’s vocational truck line and gives it more complete coverage of the segment. Offering it in two exterior stylings also gives this model broader appeal to what is a diverse customer mix. Add to that a proven 15-litre engine and it seems Cat is poised to become a bigger player in the vocational truck segment. The spec’s: Truck: 2016 Cat CT680L 6×4Engine: CT 13 475 hp, 1,700 lb.-ft. torqueTransmission: CX31 automatic, first-generation controls, six-speed, includes oil level sensorFront axle: Meritor MFS-13-143A wide track, I-beam type, 13,200-lb capacityRear axles: Meritor MT-40-14X-5DCR-P, single reduction, 40,000-lb capacityRear suspension: Hendrickson HAS-402-55, 40,000-lb capacity, 9.5” ride heightRelated pictures: http://www.trucknews.com/transportation/driving-the-new-cat-ct680-vocational-truck/1003065685/

Navistar to Use Indiana Proving Grounds For Extensive Testing Heavy Duty Trucking / May 19, 2015 The former Bosch, Bendix and Studebaker proving grounds near New Carlisle in northern Indiana is open for business under new ownership: Navistar Inc., which took it over as of April 1. The company showed off the facility to industry reporters today with a multi-vehicle ride-and-drive that covered many of the on- and off-road testing paths on the sprawling 668-acre site. Its main feature is a 3-mile paved and banked oval that allows steady 65- to 70-mph cruising by heavy tractor-trailers, something Navistar engineers never had before, executives said. The facility is replacing Navistar’s old technical center in Fort Wayne, a much smaller property that is being sold. The New Carlisle proving grounds also include shops and equipment that allow extensive testing and maintenance of the wide variety of trucks and buses that Navistar builds. Navistar bought the facility from Robert Bosch, the German component maker that had acquired it from Bendix Corp. in the 1990s. “Bosch didn’t use it anymore,” said Dennis Mooney, vice president for global product development. “We were really lucky. We got it for a really good price,” though he declined to say what it was. “This falls in with our emphasis on uptime,” he said. “We’ll use it to make our trucks even more reliable.” Executives and technicians showed off 14 International heavy trucks and tractors and four medium-duty models and allowed reporters to drive them on the long track, across rough testing surfaces and off-road courses. These were samples of the type of rigorous testing that the company can now do on its own property instead of renting time at other firms’ facilities. Previous owners rented various parts oif the premises to other companies for testing and Navistar intends to continue that practice. In a typical year, 50 different suppliers and truck builder conduct testing, said Steve Nash, director of operations who works out of Navistar’s engine and engineering center at Melrose Park, west of Chicago. One current tenant is Daimler Trucks North America, which uses a large shop and the various tracks to test Freightliners. Daimler has two years left on its Bosch contract and is welcome to stay at New Carlisle, Nash said. The proving grounds are about a 90-minute drive from Navistar’s headquarters in Lisle and Melrose Park, so the facility is convenient to engineers and executives there, Nash said. Fort Wayne is another 90 minutes to the southeast, and was not easy for Chicago-area people to get to. Aside from the high-speed paved track and off-road courses, the proving grounds also include: Brake testing capabilities which include infrastructure, complete instrumentation and computerized data acquisition;Structural durability testing and accelerated-mile accumulation with road profile capability using accelerometer and strain gage data and multiple road surfaces including chatter, impact, cobblestone, undulating, resonance road surfaces, gravel, body/chassis twist event and off- road surfaces; andSpecialized testing such as vehicle noise and handling, center-of-gravity, rollover and roof crush testing, grade-ability up to 60%, traction control, powertrain durability among others.“The new Navistar Proving Grounds is a strategic addition to our product development operations and will play an important role in our mission to deliver industry-leading uptime for our customers,” said Bill Kozek, president, Navistar Truck and Parts, in a statement. “Beyond testing our latest vehicles and innovative technologies, we will also use the site as a customer center to showcase new products and give customers an opportunity to experience our vehicles firsthand.” .

You are a lucky man. WM-300? What year? That truck will never wear out - literally. Be sure to flush your brake fluid annually if you run DOT 4 and don't drive it regularly. An alternative, I've had good experience with Motul RBF600 synthetic brake fluid to virtually eliminate moisture issues. https://www.motul.com/ca/en-us/products/oils-lubricants?f[application]=144

Trailer/Body Builders / May 18, 2015 Tipper trailer manufacturer Hamelex White Won “Trailer of Show” at the Brisbane Truck Show for its new VersaBOLT range of trailers boasting a modular construction that the company says will shorten lead times and dramatically reduce downtime. Show judges took into account various categories such as its innovation, safety and appearance. Craig Wallace, general manager of tippers at Hamelex White’s parent company, MaxiTRANS, said that the development came as a result of extensive customer consultation. “Feedback suggested that many tipper operators would greatly appreciate a trailer that can be delivered sooner upon winning a contract and that has greater ease of servicing,” he said. “VersaBOLT is Hamelex White’s solution to that feedback. “The VersaBOLT name is derived from the words ‘versatile’ and ‘bolted.’ At the heart of the concept is a modular design, which will enable us to quickly and effectively manufacture a variety of trailers for a broad range of applications.” He said VersaBOLT allows Hamelex White to build any trailer configuration, for any application and from any one of MaxiTRANS’ manufacturing and service facilities, expediting lead times. “What it means is that if we are approached by a customer in Queensland looking for a low tare dog tipper for quarry applications, we can select aluminum floor and wall modules, install them in our Queensland facility and have a tipper on the road within a matter of weeks. “Conversely, if we are approached by a customer in South Australia looking for a grain semi-tipper, we can use our low tare steel modules, install them in SA and deliver that equally as quickly. “Effective immediately, dog trailers and rigid bodies are available in steel or Hardox. In the very near future, semi-tippers and aluminum construction will be available as well.” A major additional benefit of the VersaBOLT design is ease of repair, with bolted floor, wall, tub base, front wall, rear frame and the mudguard sections. The bolted construction ensures each of these can be removed and replaced if worn or damaged, minimizing downtime. Furthermore, hinges on the VersaBOLT have been cleverly hidden below the top rail for simple tarp movement, while the trailer comes with a clever two-way tailgate which can be easily switched between side or top-hinged. “By engineering hinges beneath the top rail, the tarp can move smoothly all the way to the back of the trailer without obstruction,” says Craig. “While the two-way tailgate enhances the VersaBOLT’s versatility and possesses an added safety benefit in that it can be operated from a secure position beside the trailer.” The VersaBOLT model Hamelex White chose to display in Brisbane was a PBS pre-approved 4 Axle Dog, built for heavy duty rock transport and featuring Hardox steel construction. Related Reading: http://www.hamelexwhite.com.au/hamelex-white-releases-revolutionary-versabolt-wins-best-trailer/ .

Today's Trucking / May 18, 2015 Truck and engine manufacturer Navistar Inc. on Monday announced the opening of the Navistar Proving Grounds in New Carlisle, Indiana where the company will test its entire portfolio of products, including its Class 5-8 trucks. Recently purchased from Robert Bosch LLC, the 668-acre site includes a three-mile paved and banked oval. According to the company, the facility will allow it to perform many different types of testing including for vehicle noise and handling, center-of-gravity, rollover and roof crush testing, grade-ability up to 60%, traction control and powertrain durability, among others. "The new Navistar Proving Grounds is a strategic addition to our product development operations and will play an important role in our mission to deliver industry-leading uptime for our customers," said Bill Kozek, president, Navistar Truck and Parts. "Beyond testing our latest vehicles and innovative technologies, we will also use the site as a customer center to showcase new products and give customers an opportunity to experience our vehicles firsthand." This new facility is located about 90 miles from Navistar's headquarters in Lisle, IL.

Fleet Owner / May 18, 2015 It’s one thing to get a first look at new trucks at the Mid-America Trucking Show every year, it’s another to actually climb in the cab and take one for a spin. So a few weeks after the trucking press got the technical details and some show floor photos at MATS, Kenworth Truck Co. invited a handful of editors to the Chillicothe, OH, assembly plant to see how the trucks are built and, more importantly, to take a range of products out on the road. Let’s compare and contrast the Class 8 highway trucks Kenworth had on hand: The ICON 900, the T680 mid-roof sleeper, and the T680 Advantage. ICON 900 The ICON 900, unmistakably, is a classic W900L—only more so. For anyone who’s been behind the wheel of a modern, aero-styled tractor lately, the first thing you’ll notice is the hood—because you can’t miss it. By comparison, it’s like driving with a flight deck for a front end. And if you’re of a certain age, it’s like a time machine—with an angel/devil on your shoulder whispering ‘find me a load—a big one.’ But whispers won’t cut it once that Cummins ISX15 and its 550 horses shake to life. Paired with the Fuller 18-speed transmission, this machine is now begging you to go to work. On the road, the phrase ‘be careful what you ask for’ comes to mind. Rolling through the lovely hills, farmland and horse country of central Ohio will keep your gear-shifting skills fresh (an automated transmission is optional, however). And the rumble of the big ISX comes through loud and clear, but it’s a sweet base line resonating through the large chrome air cleaner cans on either side of the cab—with the melody notes provided by the rise and fall of the turbo whistle. This is not a truck for rookies, at least not on narrow, winding country roads. (Did I mention the wheelbase is a whopping 280 inches?) Not that driving it is hard or uncomfortable—the ICON 900 is, after all, a very modern piece of engineering, and the high-back leather seats don’t hurt—but it doesn’t drive itself. And that’s how Kenworth is marketing the immodestly named ICON: “a trucker’s truck.” “It’s been a great launch, right out of the gate,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “Dealers, customers, everybody wants to get in that truck.” He also noted an early rush to grab the low serial numbers on the limited edition ICON, although the company has yet to announce just how limited that will be. “It’s going to be a collector’s item. It’s just a cool-looking truck with all the chrome, all the lights, the chrome logo,” he said. “There’s a lot of owner-operators coming back into the market. Diesel prices are down and the market is hot.” Companies are also using the W900 and ICON as “reward” trucks to retain their drivers, Swihart added. And there’s more reward to driving an ICON than just the admirers in a truck stop parking lot. (A road construction crew paused and gave a thumbs-up as we passed by in a section of road reduced to one lane.) The 86-in. Aerocab isn’t big enough to play basketball in, but there’s certainly room to two-step—that’s just to give you an idea of the space, not a suggestion. (Although the top-of-the-line trim featuring buttoned-down leather upholstery and custom lighting might pass for a booth in the VIP lounge.) This truck may well be collectible, but it demands to be put through its paces first. T680 mid-roof The T680SH 76-in. mid-roof Kenworth had on hand, in contrast to the ICON, introduces itself in a business-like way: “Please permit me to assist in efficiently pulling your flatbed or tanker.” After being in the ICON, the visibility from the driver’s seat is striking. (Another editor reported being grateful she was driving the T680 when a person in a scooter crossed in front of the truck late at a stoplight.) There’s no mistaking this view as that of a cabover—the nose is there, you just don’t notice it. But the aero-styling is a key element of the T680’s fuel efficiency. As is the Fuller Advantage Automated 10-speed transmission. Not only does the integrated drivetrain use the wonders of electronic control to sip fuel only as needed, the drive that had required a certain amount of attention with the 18-speed ICON became a pleasant jaunt through the countryside when the transmission did all of the work. Combined with the 455hp Paccar MX-13 engine, the T680 handled the hills effortlessly, with no lags or missed shifts. With a 220-inch wheelbase and a loaded flatbed trailer, the rig handled some close quarters in town with no trouble. Cab insulation also made for a much quieter ride than that of the ICON—but again, it’s a different animal for a different job. The mid-roof sleeper, while still plenty tall for a six-footer, saves 100 pounds compared to a full height sleeper, and as much as 5% on fuel as well. The T680 Advantage The T680SH Advantage, with a 76-in high roof sleeper, is designed to be the king of road when it comes to operating efficiency. Kenworth boasts that the latest model gained another 10% in fuel efficiency compared to one built in 2013. Like the mid-roof, this T680 features the MX-13 and Fuller automated 10-speed. Additionally, the Advantage aerodynamic treatments include longer side extenders for the 76-inch sleeper, lower cab fairing extenders, front air dam, aerodynamic mud flaps, rear fairing without steps coupled with an air deflector, exhaust cut out covers, and optional wheel covers for drive tires. Again, the automated transmission made for a comfortable country drive. And, as with the mid-roof, the Advantage handled well—so well that lane departure tone was silent and I didn’t remember the Bendix Wingman Advanced safety system was engaged until a four-wheeler passed and jumped into our lane a little too closely. Indeed, the only downside to the 21-mile loop we drove was that it did not include an extended limited-access leg where we could’ve tested some of the high-end highway options such as the predictive cruise control system which uses GPS technology to maximize fuel economy in hilly terrain. Pick a truck As with any modern commercial vehicle, buyers needn’t worry about which truck to buy: What’s important is to know exactly the application. Sure, the ICON not’s going to get the fuel economy of the Advantage hauling coast-to-coast van loads. But for a specialty hauler pulling oversized construction equipment, aero is not nearly so critical as horsepower. And, as we saw on the plant tour, modern manufacturing means that every truck is essentially a custom truck, with enough equipment and trim options to give me a headache just imagining how Kenworth’s Chillicothe facility can turn out one made-to-order truck after another and get every color, interior trim and exterior light preference right. The good news is that truck buyers don’t have to worry about how it’s done: Just pick what works for your operation and let Kenworth do the rest. Photo gallery: http://fleetowner.com/equipment/kenworths-highway-haulers-icon-900-t680-advantage-t680-mid-roof-sleeper#slide-0-field_images-160331

It was confirmed to me by engineers in Greensboro that the VNX is based on Titan, i.e. they share the same platform, Volvo engines, I-Shift transmissions, Sifco steer axles with ConMet unitized hubs and vendor drive axles from Dana Spicer, Meritor or Sisu. The Titan is also available with legacy Mack transmissions and drive axles. The Australian market Titan is a winner, a superb truck in form and function. However I don’t care for the styling cues of the US market variant. Today’s Mack brand Titan brochure on the website is 6 years old, the same one from the 2009 product launch. http://www.macktrucks.com/~/media/files/brochures/mack_titan_brochure.ashx?as=1&sc=1 Volvo’s VNX brochures, following Volvo sales marketing policy, do not list specs in any detail. http://www.volvotrucks.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VTNA_Tree/ILF/Products/VNX/2015_VNX_Brochure.pdf http://www.volvotrucks.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/VTNA_Tree/ILF/Products/VNX/VNX%20Heavy%20Haul.pdf Note that neither of these North American market Mack and Volvo brand brochures mention frame specs, a key aspect that heavy hauling customers would want to know. Only Mack Australia offers a proper list of specs. Mack Australia still impresses, though Volvo no longer allows a Cummins option, fearing competition with their D16. https://www.macktrucks.com.au/~/media/files%20au/brochures/titan_brochure.ashx?as=1&sc=1

Navistar Trail Magazine / Fall 2013 It’s the kind of sight that brings all the neighbors out of their houses. Snail-driving his customized six-wheel-drive International PayStar® down 3rd Street South in Moorhead, Minn., Tim Thein, 36, from Thein Moving Co., is carting quite a load. Stretching a dozen feet past the sidewalks on both sides of the street and blocking the horizon is a two-story, four-bedroom house with attached three-car garage. It measures 48 feet across and stretches 72 feet behind the rear wheels of his truck. It weighs 101 tons. A few feet in front of the truck, Tim’s cousin and business partner, Matthew Thein, 39, is darting from one side of the street to the other, checking the balance of the house on the hydraulic lifts and looking ahead for possible obstructions. As Tim nears the intersection of 3rd Street South and 50th Avenue South, Matt casually wraps his arms around a stop sign, rocks it back and forth a few times, and then pulls it out of the ground with the ease of someone pulling a carving knife from a turkey. Tim makes the turn, and the east corner of the house sweeps over the prone stop sign. “We probably had six inches to spare,” says Matt, whose ready smile epitomizes northern Midwest affability. “But I didn’t want to take a chance on scratching the paint.” Tim slows his load to a stop while Matt jogs into an adjacent field to talk to a couple of workers about moving their parked truck out of the way. It gives Tim time to reflect on the business. “Mentally, it can be very challenging,” he admits. “I move houses in the middle of the night when I’m supposed to be sleeping.” Tim is attracted to the historical significance of the industry, though. “It’s the world’s oldest and largest recycling business,” he says. “It’s rewarding to move a beautiful house like this and save it from a landfill.” A HISTORY OF HAULING It should be no surprise that the Thein cousins are particularly adept at moving houses. Their great-grandfather, Eugene Thein Sr., founded the business in Clara City, Minn. in 1892, when moving houses meant using draft horses and brute force. When cousins Tim and Matt joined the company in the late ’80s, both men felt strongly about the tradition of carrying on a fourth-generation enterprise. “My son is working now,” says Tim. “He’s 15 and if he gets done with college and decides he wants to do it, great. If he decides to do something else, that’s okay too. It’s a total family business. It can be tough sometimes, but it can also be pretty good.” House moving itself is an old business. In early 19th-century Concord, Mass. it was considered a “winter sport” because it was easier to move houses over the icy ground. Then, during the boom-or-bust years of late-19th-century western mining, entire towns were disassembled and reassembled at the site of the next strike. However, the house moving in Moorhead today is all about reclamation. According to Tim, the Red River, which flows north here along the border, separating the community of Moorhead from Fargo, N.D., has had seven “100-year floods” in the past 10 years. Five years ago, the city came up with an innovative plan to buy the threatened homes at market value and then auction them off to licensed contractors who had the expertise to move them to new locations. Since 2009, the city of Moorhead, with state and local funds, has purchased 217 homes along the river. Some will be moved to new locations, and a continuous levee will be built that, according to city engineer Peter Doll, “will fully button up the city when completed.” Thein Moving Co. estimates it has moved more than 30 homes around Moorhead since the program began. From their Clara City base, the company will move houses in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin. CLEARING HOUSE The day before the move, Tim, Matt and their four-person crew showed up at the address on Riverhaven Street in a fleet of Internationals. Tim’s father, Jim, and Matt’s father, Tom, acquired their first International new in 1974. “The 1974 International is a 4x4 with an Allison transmission. That truck has literally pulled thousands of buildings and it’s still going strong,” Matt says proudly, surveying his impressive collection of trucks. “In total, we have nine International trucks in our fleet and each one has its particular purpose.” A couple of skip loaders move steel beams that will be used to lift the house from its foundation and then cradle it. After locating and severing all attached utility and sewage lines, Tim and Matt carefully measure the house to locate its center of gravity. In the best-case scenario, the crew would excavate around the house to expose the foundation, punch holes in it, and thread the beams through it. Here on Riverhaven, though, the house is on a slope toward the river and there are too many trees. Matt says that rather than spending a lot of time putting cribbing in place to raise the house away from the foundation, “it’s better to roll it straight off.” The Thein crew works with the precision and speed of a military unit. Every man knows his job. “We would never be such a successful company without these guys,” Tim says. Once the bolts that keep the house fastened to the foundation are cut with a reciprocating saw, roll beams are laid perpendicular to the beams supporting the house. Small devices called Hillman rollers, which act as ball bearings, are placed between the beams. The house is so carefully balanced that a single skip loader pulls the house into what was once the front yard. The crew then places dollies at predetermined points under the house. Matt says the hydraulic jacks under the house are calibrated to distribute the weight of the load. “The house is riding on three points,” Tim says, indicating the hydraulic dollies. “The whole trick is making sure that each point is bearing the same weight.” LOAD ’ER UP The next morning, Tim climbs into the International PayStar and fires it up. It’s show time. The truck looks minuscule next to the load it’s about to carry, but it obviously has plenty of muscle. On its bed rests a 2,000-pound concrete slab meant to give the rear end extra traction. “We worked with Nelson International [in Wilmar, Minn.] and a group of engineers to determine what we needed the truck to do,” says Matt. “The PayStar was bought new in 2003, has plenty of moves under its belt, and has been a great asset for our company.” Among the truck’s many special features are six-wheel drive, an Allison automatic transmission with deep gear reduction, a 46,000-pound rear end and a 24,000-pound front end. In addition, the Theins equipped the truck with a panel of levers that control the hydraulic lifts on their dollies. Should the truck encounter an obstruction that can’t be bent, cut or lifted out of the ground by Matt, then Tim can manipulate the levers so that the house tilts a maximum of 16 inches up or down, or slides to the left or right a maximum of a foot and a half. After the pickup truck is moved from 50th Avenue South, Tim drives the home a hundred yards and takes a left onto a gravel service road. Up ahead is a nascent development with a half dozen new homes scattered around a cul-de-sac. The original plan had been to set the house on a new foundation near the end of the street, but recent rains had delayed work on the concrete. Instead, Tim and Matt decide to park the house in an open field opposite the new site. Before they can reach the spot, one of the dollies dips into a marshy rut off the narrow service road. While the PayStar has more than enough torque and power to pull the house free, slow and easy are the bywords for moving such a beautiful home. The crew springs into action, hauling 2-by-10 elm planks over to the stuck wheel. Matt fits them carefully into place, and within a few minutes, Tim slowly presses the throttle and the house moves forward. “Sometimes in this business,” laughs Matt, “you have to do things old school.”

The thought process for the Australian models is entirely different from what's going on in North America. Obviously one expects different exterior design cues for on-highway models as opposed to vocational, however there's more to it than that. Cat Australia has a team of real truck people that are enthusiastically working to make their endeavor a success. But in the US, you get the impression that Cat corporate doesn't have their heart in it. Remember, Cat was ready to pull the plug on the US market, but an extremely angry dealer base prevented that from happening, because Cat had already forced them to spend thousands on new truck repair facilities. In theory and done right, the US market Cat vocational truck has the ingredients for success.

The Associated Press / May 16, 2015 The trains that link global centers of learning, finance and power on the East Coast lumber through tunnels dug just after the Civil War, and cross century-old bridges that sometimes jam when they swing open to let tugboats pass. Hundreds of miles of overhead wires that deliver power to locomotives were hung during the Great Depression. The rails of the Northeast Corridor are decaying, increasingly strained — and moving more people than ever around the nation's most densely populated region. The railroad's importance became all the more apparent after Amtrak Train 188 derailed Tuesday as it sped around a curve in Philadelphia, killing eight passengers and injuring more than 200. The wreck closed part of the corridor all week. On a normal weekday, 2,000 trains run by Amtrak and eight other passenger rail systems carry 750,000 riders on railway between Washington and Boston, making it a vital link for both intercity travelers and suburban commuters. Federal investigators will take months to determine the cause of the crash. Speed, not equipment failure, has emerged as a key factor. Still, the crash refocused attention on the slow-motion deterioration of vital infrastructure with a seemingly endless to-do list. By one estimate, it would take $21 billion just to replace parts still in use beyond their intended lives. "The stakes are enormous," Amtrak's president, Joseph Boardman, warned in his 2015 request to Congress for funding. He said the corridor was experiencing a "crisis brought on by decades of chronic underfunding." Some federal lawmakers want to give Amtrak less, not more. A day after the accident, the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut Amtrak's federal subsidy for next year by $251 million, to $1.1 billion. "There just isn't enough money to go around," said Rebecca Reyes-Alicea of the Federal Railroad Administration. In her job as the agency's Northeast Corridor program manager, Reyes-Alicea has been helping states pool their clout and push for federal money all along the corridor, rather than competing with one another. Amtrak's ridership on the corridor is up 50 percent since 1998, thanks mostly to the introduction of high-speed trains now favored by travelers who used to fly between New York, Washington and Boston. Amtrak carried a record 11.6 million riders on the corridor in fiscal year 2014. Commuter railroads that rely heavily on the rail corridor, such as the Metro-North Railroad serving New York and Connecticut, also have been breaking ridership records. Reyes-Alicea ticks off a list of needs, from a bigger station in Boston at the northern terminus to obsolete bridges along many of the 450 miles that end next to Capitol Hill. Half of the route's 1,000 bridges are around a century old. Not all are at the end of their useful lives, but at current funding levels, it would take 300 years to replace all of them, according to the Northeast Corridor Commission of transportation officials. A 105-year-old bridge over New Jersey's Hackensack River, the Portal Bridge, wouldn't close for 45 minutes in February after it opened for a tugboat. Plans call for a pair of replacement bridges. The first one will cost $940 million. There are 10 such "historic moveable bridges" along the corridor. In Connecticut, officials are working on a plan to replace a swinging bridge over the Norwalk River. It was built in 1896. "As a piece of engineering, it's just amazing," said John Bernick, assistant rail administrator for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. "But, it's certainly reached its retirement age." Last year, after some needed equipment changes, the bridge got jammed, twice, at rush hour while trying to close. The computer that operates the bridge is from the 1980s. Replacing the bridge, he said, could cost $650 million. Connecticut has three other bridges built in 1904 and 1905 that the state would like to replace soon, Bernick said. "They are all turn-of-the-century vintage structures that require a lot of maintenance to keep going, and the challenge is to say you need to replace them all at once," Bernick said. "You're talking about billions of dollars. And can you operationally pull that off with an operating railroad?" In Baltimore, trains pass through a 1.4-mile tunnel built in 1873 — one so narrow, decrepit and leak-prone that speeds are limited to 30 mph. With such chokepoints, the journey between Boston and Washington takes at least seven hours. Trains connecting major cities in France can cover a longer distance in less than half the time. In its five-year financial plan released in February, Amtrak warned that its passenger cars also were older than at any previous point in its history. Amtrak's Train 188 was going 106 mph just before it derailed on a curve with a speed limit 50 mph, according to federal accident investigators. "We should be saying that was half as fast as it should have been going, not twice as fast," said Phineas Baxandall, a transportation analyst for U.S. PIRG, a nonprofit which advocates more transit funding. No bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor is more potentially problematic in the long haul than where the tracks connect New Jersey and New York City under the Hudson River. About 170,000 rail passengers make the crossing each weekday in a two-tube tunnel built in 1910. Some travel Amtrak; more take New Jersey Transit. A few years ago, officials had a plan funded to relieve chronic backups at the crossing by building two more tubes in a second tunnel, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pulled the plug, citing concerns about his state's share of the project's massive cost. Then, the existing tubes flooded when Superstorm Sandy struck the city in 2012. The tunnel survived, but corrosive salt water did its damage. Now, Amtrak says both tubes will have to be taken out of service and overhauled, one at a time, sometime within the next 15 to 20 years. Each tube could be offline for a year, a loss of capacity that Amtrak has warned could lead to "profound disruption" of existing service. That's not a project that can be delayed indefinitely, said Tom Wright, president of the Regional Plan Association, an urban policy group that studies transportation issues. "Someday, an engineer is going to go down and say, `You know what? We can't run the trains today. That leak looks too serious,"' Wright said. Now, Amtrak is pushing another plan for two new tunnels, called the Gateway Program, but cost estimates have topped $16 billion, which would make the project bigger than anything Amtrak has pulled off previously. "These problems are not going away," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said of the nation's most important rail corridor. "They're going to be there and we've got to own up to it and figure out a way forward as a country."

The CT680's cab is groomed entirely different from the 9900i. And of course, the hood is unique to the CT680 as well. The VNX is essentially no different from a Titan than a Chevrolet pickup is from a GMC......different flavors of the same truck.

Let me get this straight............ When Volvo Group offers two truck models on the same platform, the Volvo brand VNX and Mack brand Titan.......that’s okay and good. However, when CAT and Navistar offer two truck models on the same platform, the CAT brand CT680 and International brand 5900i..........that’s bad (in the minds of you Volvo people). Interesting...........

Automotive News / May 15, 2015 German auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG said today that it has completed its $12.4 billion acquisition of safety systems supplier TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. TRW will operate as a division under ZF called active and passive safety technology. “The combined company is a powerhouse of automotive technologies, ranging from driver assistance and occupant safety systems to drivelines and transmissions and braking and steering systems,” TRW CEO John Plant said in a statement. “This unique combination of advanced technologies comprehensively addresses the growing, industrywide trends of safety, fuel efficiency and autonomous driving.” The total value of the transaction, including assumption of debt, is $13.5 billion, the companies said last July when the deal was announced. ZF CEO Stefan Sommer told Crain’s Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News, in January that Plant would remain with the company after the deal closed, but the scope of his role is unknown. The combined company will have 138,000 employees. Sommer told Crain’s that he foresaw no overlapping of the two companies' business. The integration of the two companies is expected to last three to five years, ZF said in the statement. The deal creates the second-largest auto supplier in the world, according to the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers. ZF reported global sales to automakers of $20.4 billion in 2013, with TRW posting $17.5 billion in 2014. Robert Bosch GmbH remains the No. 1 global supplier with $37.7 billion in automotive revenue. The current No. 2 is Denso Corp. with $35.9 billion, based on 2013 data. Outstanding shares of TRW, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, are delisted as of today. FYI: ZF (Zahnradfabrik) was founded in 1915 in Friedrichshafen, Germany by Ferdinand von Zeppelin to produce gears for his Zeppelin airships which were used to bomb Allied troops and civilian targets in Belgium, France and England. The company manufactured most of the transmissions used in Wehrmacht and SS division Panzer tanks during World War Two. Today, the major shareholder is the Zeppelin Foundation, which is administered by the City of Friedrichshafen and holds 93.8 percent. The remaining 6.2 percent of the shares are held by Dr. Jürgen and Irmgard Ulderup Foundation Lemförde.

Reuters / May 15, 2015 Transportation services company Penske Corp. is exploring a sale of Truck-Lite Co. in a deal that could value the maker of lighting, wiring harnesses and mirrors for trucks at close to $1 billion, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Penske, a company controlled by billionaire former race car driver Roger Penske, owner of the eponymous racing team, has hired investment bank Robert W. Baird & Co. to run an auction for Truck-Lite, the people said this week. Truck-Lite has annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of around $100 million, the people added. The sources asked not to be identified because the sale process is confidential. Representatives for Penske, Truck-Lite and Robert W. Baird did not respond to requests for comment. Based in Falconer, N.Y., Truck-Lite manufactures lighting and safety accessories for the heavy-duty truck, trailer and commercial vehicle industries. Founded in 1955, Truck-Lite was acquired in 1997 by Penske with backing from General Electric Co. Private equity firm Kelso & Co acquired a stake in Truck-Lite in 2010. Penske Corp. is a holding company for subsidiaries operating in the retail automotive, truck leasing, transportation logistics and professional motorsports markets. Its businesses have annual revenues in excess of $19 billion. Penske's biggest holding is its 35 percent stake in Penske Automotive Group Inc., the second largest U.S. auto dealership group, which generated $17.2 billion in revenue in 2014.

CAT CT630HD Specifications - http://www.cattrucks.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CT630HD_SpecSheet.pdf Website - http://www.cattrucks.com.au/trucks/ct630hd/#tab=1 .

Cat expands vocational truck line; will add 15-litre engine Truck News / May 14, 2015 Caterpillar’s line of vocational trucks has received a significant boost, with the introduction of a new model and the addition of more options and features for existing trucks. New to the market, with production set to begin later this year, is the CT680. It’s a set-forward axle (SFA) Class 8 truck available in truck or tractor configuration, complementing Cat’s existing SFA model CT681, introduced late last year. The CT680 comes standard with parabolic taper leaf springs for a smooth ride, and is available in two exterior designs. The CT680L features a stylish, serviceable design with three-piece Metton hood, chrome bumper and stainless steel grille surround as well as composite halogen headlights and incandescent park/turn signals. This model was designed for maximum serviceability and ease of replacing damaged parts. The CT680LG features a one-piece fiberglass hood, three-piece black bumper, integrated grille surround, sealed-beam halogen headlights and LED park/turn lights. “Our customers told us they want options on how they style the truck,” said Dave Schmitz, vocational truck product manager with Caterpillar. “The feedback we got from customer was ‘We want options. Give us options on that exterior trim’.” Cat used common components where possible, to simplify the stocking of inventory for dealers. About 90% of components used on the CT680 are the same as those found on the CT660, Cat’s first vocational truck introduced in 2011. The new CT680 is Cat’s longest truck, with a 124-inch BBC (bumper-to-back-of-cab). That’s 10 inches longer than the CT681 and slightly longer than the CT660. It features an aluminum alloy cab that reduces the weight of the truck by 200-400 lbs, allowing for more payload when compared to a truck with a steel cab. The new truck is being offered with the CT-series 13-litre vocational truck engine, but a 15-litre is coming, officials announced. The details of that engine will be released later this year, but both the CT660 and CT680 were built to accommodate a 15-litre engine. No further details about the 15-litre engine were shared today. For now, customers can spec’ the CT13 engine with the following ratings: 410 hp/1,450 lb.-ft.; 430 hp/1,550 lb.-ft.; and 475 hp/1,700 lb.-ft. The engine, based on the Navistar N-13, has been programmed for vocational applications. The engine can be coupled with Cat’s own CX31 torque converter-style automatic transmission. About 50% of Cat vocational truck customers are choosing this option. Manual and automated manual transmissions from Eaton are also available. The truck can be serviced across Caterpillar’s North American dealer network, which boasts 400 locations. These trucks are being built in Escobedo, Mexico. Truck News will have more information on the new CT680, including a drive report, soon. New options for CT660 Caterpillar also announced it has added 40 new features to its CT660 vocational truck within the past 20 months. The most popular of these are the parabolic taper leaf springs, which are standard on the new CT680. Factory-installed lift axles, a lower ride with air suspension and paver brakes are among the other options that have been well received by the market, according to the company. Cat also announced it’s bringing its vocational trucks to new markets in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Caterpillar unveils new CT680 model Fleet Owner / May 14, 2015 Caterpillar introduced the third model of its CT vocational truck line – the CT680 – here at its training and proving grounds just outside of Tucson, AZ; a 124-in. BBC vehicle that will be available in both truck and tractor configuration when it goes into full production this July. David Schmitz, vocational truck product manager for Caterpillar, said the CT680 is a Class 8 set-forward-axle model that will be offered with the 13 liter C13 engine and a range of transmission options, including Caterpillar’s CX31 six-speed automatic, Eaton UltraShift Plus automated mechanical transmission (AMT), and several Eaton manual gearboxes as well, from 8- up to 18-speed configurations. Schmitz noted that, to date, over half of the orders for the CT660 introduced in 2011 and the CT681 rolled out late last year are being spec’d with the CX31 automatic gearbox, largely as that allows the entire truck to be warrantied and serviced at one of Caterpillar’s 400 dealerships across the U.S. – offering “one stop shop” appeal, he added. Schmitz also pointed out that Caterpillar plans to introduce a 15 liter engine option for the CT680 and for the 122-in. BBC configuration of the CT660 later this year. Ron Schultz, Caterpillar’s sales and product support manager, noted that the company introduced glider kits for the CT660 a year ago for 1998 and 2004 C15 engines and that similar glider kits will be available for the CT680 once it goes into full production this summer. Schmitz highlighted several other features of the new CT680 model during the press briefing, including: Two exterior trim levels – L and LG – are available address different style and serviceability needs, with both “comparable in pricing,” said Schultz.The CT680L features a three-piece Metton hood, three-piece chrome bumper and three-piece chrome stainless grille surround, as well as composite halogen headlights and incandescent park/turn lights.The CT680LG comes with a one-piece fiberglass hood, three-piece black bumper and integrated fiberglass grille surround, along with sealed-beam halogen headlights and LED [light emitting diode] park/turn lights.A dual external air cleaner option for more efficient air management in dirty, dusty applications will be available for both the CT680 truck and tractor configurations.Key service points such as coolant, washer reservoirs and air filters are now easier to access due to C680 design upgrades, with customers able to quickly replace headlight bulbs and windshield wiper blades without tools.Ratings on the C13 engine range from 410 to 475 hp, with peak torque ranging from 1,450 to 1,700 lb.-ft.A right-side mounted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system with upgraded in-cylinder technology allows all three CT models to meet meets emission reduction requirements.The CX31 automatic, which offers six forward speeds and one reverse, comes with two side PTO [power take off locations] and an exclusive rear PTO slot.Drivers can choose from multiple seat options – including the Cat Comfort Seat – with the tilting, telescoping steering column and leather-wrapped steering wheel a standard feature.The CT680 features a curved, sloped, wraparound windshield in either a one- or two-piece design.Schmitz noted that all the CT line trucks feature an aluminum cab that reduces chassis weight by some 200 to 400 lbs. depending on configuration while improving corrosion resistance. He added that all the CT trucks are being built at a manufacturing facility in Escobedo, Mexico. Schmitz also pointed out that Caterpillar “continues to monitor” the opportunity to provide natural gas power for its entire CT vocational truck line. “Some of our customers definitely want that,” he said. “We see it as an option that we will consider in the future.” Photo gallery: http://fleetowner.com/equipment/test-driving-new-ct680#slide-0-field_images-160111 .