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The Organization behind the Product When the internal combustion engine was rapidly developing from an experiment into a practical power plant, the Mack Brothers applied it for the first time in America to commercial highway transportation. The manufacturers of the present-day Mack are the oldest builders of motor trucks in America. For some time prior to the production of the first Mack, Adolph Saurer, of Arbon, Switzerland, had been making motor trucks in Europe. The Saurer has long been recognized as the finest of European motor trucks and is still being manufactured in Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria through its original founder. The first Saurer was built in 1894. Shortly after the Mack truck had established itself in the American market, the Hewitt Motor Company was founded by Edward R. Hewitt, an engineer of international fame. The first Hewitt light delivery truck was delivered in 1901, and the first 5-ton truck was delivered in 1905. The largest motor trucks ever marketed in America were the 10-ton Hewitts. A consolidation of Mack Brothers, Saurer and Hewitt was brought about for the purpose of combining the best features of their respective products in the manufacture of a finer motor truck than existed at that time. All of these vehicles were pioneers in their field and had long records of service behind them, both in America and abroad. By combining the outstanding features of these three trucks, and applying the same engineering genius and skill, the modern Mack truck has been evolved. The company now building the Mack truck was incorporated as the International Motor Company in October, 1911. More than one-third of the employees at the time of the consolidation are still with the present company. The remarkable efficiency of the present-day Mack Truck and Mack Rail Car is maintained by the many factors of safety that it embodies – case-hardened parts, large bearing surfaces, long pistons and connecting rods, wide-faced transmission gears, and ample sized springs and axles. Efficiency and safety are more than technical considerations with Mack engineers. They have acquired a traditional significance and importance that fairly dominate the Mack drafting rooms. They are reflected on the highways by performance characteristics. In the final analysis, proper engineering, efficient service and master workmanship are the three sturdy legs that support the ultimate performance record of a Mack truck, and that form the foundation of its present-day leadership in the field. .

Where the rail car belongs Many railroad lines have lost so much of their passenger traffic to inter-urban trolleys and highway vehicles that their remaining patrons can be carried in much smaller units than the conventional locomotive and two-car train. Therefore short-line officials are brought face to face with the fact that with rapidly mounting cost of service and decreasing numbers of passengers, it is now, in the majority of cases, no longer a question of showing a profit but rather of how much the operating losses can be reduced. They have accomplished wonders in the way of cutting expenses to the bone, but are nevertheless waging a losing battle with steam equipment, because the cost of operating even the lightest two-car train is greater than the revenue from the few passengers carried. Gasoline propelled rail cars have shown that they can handle light passenger traffic satisfactorily and at much less expense than is possible with steam equipment. Mack Rail Cars are capable of providing clean, comfortable, safe and reasonably rapid passenger service, and can be operated for approximately one-quarter of the expense of steam equipment. They offer an opportunity of eliminating present operating losses with a possibility of actually turning them into a profit. In addition to their marked ability to operate economically, Mack Rail Cars are instantly popular as a strictly modern conveyance designed for a specific purpose. Single gasoline-propelled rail cars, in addition to being a practical answer for such situations, are also ideal for operating in new undeveloped sections that must await the time when traffic will warrant the installation of heavier equipment. Because the capacity is limited to the requirements of a special type of passenger traffic, they can be built lighter than equipment designed for heavy, long-distance loads. This lightness, coupled with the fact that the speed does not exceed 10 miles per hour, permits the use of moderate power, and moderate power means moderate costs. Where the traffic is too heavy to be carried on one car, it is frequently practical to run two cars, and at that time give the public the advantage of a more attractive schedule, at an operating cost that does not exceed half that of a single steam train. The International Motor Company manufactures Mack Rail Cars of two capacities, models AB and AC. .

Mack Rail – Meeting mobility needs with innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions Where the usual train is composed of separate pulling and trailing units, great weight of the pulling unit (which carries no useful load) is necessary to secure traction, and corresponding robust construction is essential in each part in order that it may withstand the shocks of coupling. In the Mack Rail Car, all of the useful load contributes directly to the traction for both driving and braking, permitting a corresponding reduction in the dead weight. This advantage, in addition to a total absence of coupler impact, plus the use of anti-friction ball and roller bearings, alloy wheels and aluminum and pressed steel sections assures heavy duty characteristics with the economy of light weight. The rail car is not a motor truck. Nevertheless, in its construction are employed many principles of engineering and mechanical parts which are the result of highway transport development. The Mack Rail Car consists of a chassis upon which a body is mounted. The chassis is entirely self-contained and capable of operation without the body. .

Mack Trucks Inc., America’s oldest commercial vehicle manufacturer, is also the oldest rail motor car manufacturer in the United States. The company sold its first “rail car” to the Uintah Railway Company of Colorado in 1903. Construction began at Mack Trucks’ Brooklyn plant on Atlantic Avenue and was completed in Allentown’s No.1 Division. Mack delivered its second rail car to another Colorado operator, the Silverton Northern Railroad, on August 22, 1905 where it provided passenger service between Eureka and Silverton. The company designed and produced rail cars (also referred to as rail buses), self-propelled railway passenger cars and locomotives. Always leading America forward with cutting edge technology, Mack Trucks was a pioneer in the United States of the concept now commonly known as "light rail". From the versatile Model AB rail bus to the highly advanced Model FCD, Mack Trucks met the needs of both rural communities and cities worldwide with affordable, efficient and versatile public transport. Gasoline, gas-electric and diesel-electric “rolling stock” was produced at the company’s plants in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Plainfield, New Jersey. Forty railroads and twenty-three industrial companies in the continental United States, Hawaii, Canada, Bolivia, Columbia, Cuba, Honduras, Korea and Spain have operated rolling stock produced by Mack Trucks. Mack rolling stock remains in operation to the present day. One of four Mack FCD rail buses purchased by Sperry Rail Service continues to operate in year 2015, some 61 years after being built, performing ultrasonic rail testing for microscopic fissures on the New York City subway system and elsewhere. The Allentown plant produced the first two and one-half ton 25-45 horsepower Model AB omnibus type passenger rail bus in late 1920 for the Chesapeake Western Railway in 1920. In 1921, Mack assembled the first five ton 64 horsepower Model AC omnibus type passenger rail bus for The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Both the AB and AC models were fitted with a double axle four flanged wheel pony truck at the front, and a single axle two flanged wheel railway truck at the rear. Between 1920 and 1925, contemporary railroad and street railway car builders including Philadelphia-based J.G. Brill Company, Worcester, Massachusetts-based Osgood-Bradley Car Company and Paris, Illinois-based McGuire-Cummings Manufacturing Company all fabricated bodies for Mack rail buses. In 1923, Mack Trucks expanded its rail bus range with the introduction of the 60-80 horsepower Model ACX, which featured a four wheel rear truck and longer chassis to accommodate longer bodies. Mack Trucks – A “Light Rail” Pioneer From 1903 thru the 1950s, Mack engineers helped pioneered the concept of “light rail” in North America and around the world. As we strive today to improve air quality and reduce energy consumption for a more sustainable future, a forward-thinking Mack Trucks was already addressing these issues head-on almost one hundred years ago. Mack’s culminating achievement, the advanced Model FCD light rail bus, represented cutting edge light rail technology ahead of its time (such was the norm at Mack Trucks, the iconic American manufacturer that created future trends rather than follow existing ones). Fast, efficient and comfortable, the Mack FCD provided an ever-growing number of commuters with high-performance public transport between suburban areas and city centers. At a time when urban planners and transport companies are looking once more to light rail as a flexible, environmentally friendly and highly economical means of public transport, the fundamentals of Mack’s FCD light rail bus are as valid today as they were 65 years ago. Like its light rail vehicle producing successors Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens, the rolling stock unit of Mack Trucks consistently offered innovative and environmentally-friendly technologies for efficient and cost-effective public rail transport, providing operators with high levels of capacity and operational flexibility for both urban and regional requirements. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/33469-mack-rail-the-rail-cars/?p=216270 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/33544-mack-rail-global-sales/?hl=acx http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/33657-mack-rail-the-locomotives/?p=218642 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/33763-mack-rail-sperry-rail-service-the-oldest-operator-of-mack-rail-buses/?hl=fcd http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/39495-update-sperry-rails-mack-fcd-rail-bus/?hl=fcd http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/33179-mack-trucks-sales-marketing/?hl=fcd#entry214970 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34219-mack-trucks-the-facilities/?hl=plainfield#entry226401 .

You're quite welcome. I'm not speaking of an owner's manual or maintenance manual, rather I'm speaking of a parts book.

Mack part number 447GC218 was the water pump seal for most Mack gasoline engines. Do you have an engine parts book for your truck's ENF707A (or ENF707B) engine? And the bearings are probably Mack part numbers 46AX451 and 46AX452. But double check a 707 parts book.

The Mack part number is 20QL304. Why not give the good folks at Watts Mack a call?

T-Line Specialty Vehicles (www.tlinetrucks.com), producer of Diamond Reo heavy trucks, is providing a glimpse of their long awaited new Raider II. https://www.facebook.com/TLineSV?_fb_noscript=1# The company says the Raider II will be available this summer on a limited production basis. Initial variants, including glider kits, rolling gliders and complete trucks, will have set-back front axles. All units will be "made to order". In addition, downloadable literature is now available for the company’ model TCS20 set-forward front axle and model TCL20B set-back front axle glider kits. http://tlinetrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TCS20GliderSpecSheet.pdf http://tlinetrucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/TCL20BGliderSpecSheet.pdf Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/39126-diamond-specialty-vehicles-announces-all-new-models/

There's a very good reason why Mack engineers specified 24-volt starting for E9 V-8 powered Mack Trucks. You want the "kick" of 24 volt starting (the preference worldwide), for turning over a 16-liter engine, particularly in cold conditions. You are doing yourself a disservice if you change an E9-powered Mack truck's starting system over from 24 to 12 volts.

Mack "light blue-gray engine", part number 312SX45P2.

A tremendous amount of bitterness is now flowing throughout the Volvo empire aimed at its board. By choosing an outsider to lead Volvo, the board is effectively saying that Volvo itself in their judgement does not have a single individual qualified to take the helm Not a single person with long experience in the truck industry, a clear vision and a "winning leadership style" (i.e. leadership skills). Certainly, when you look at the unqualified Volvo people now manning the Mack brand, that is indeed true.

Press Release / May 7, 2015 Renault Trucks and the Rave group presented Airbus with the keys to their new fleet of six Euro 6 Biodiesel vehicles on Tuesday 5 May. Rave won the invitation to tender launched by the aircraft manufacturer in Toulouse with the Renault Trucks Range D Biodiesel Euro 6 offer of two rigids and four tractors. Rave, in close collaboration with Renault Trucks, won the invitation to tender launched by DHL, on behalf of Airbus, by offering biodiesel vehicles. The invitation to tender concerned four tractors and two rigids, taking into consideration alternative solutions to Diesel. By combining their respective expertise in the fields of commercial vehicles, alternative energies, transport and logistics, Airbus was convinced by the two partners’ arguments and is now expecting the delivery of six biodiesel Euro 6 vehicles on Tuesday 5 May. These consist of two Renault Trucks D 4x2 rigids, a 12 ton model equipped with the DTI 5 240 hp engine and a 19 ton model equipped with the DTI 8 320 hp engine as well as four Renault Trucks D Wide 19 ton tractors fitted with the DTI 8 320 hp engine. These biodiesel Euro 6 vehicles offer identical performance to those of their Diesel counterparts in terms of engine power rating and torque. Their engines can run on up to 100% biodiesel, a fuel made from renewable energy extracted from vegetable oils and animal fat. Airbus found this solution from Rave, in collaboration with Renault Trucks, to be particularly attractive. The Renault Trucks Airbus D and D Wide biodiesel vehicles will be operating in the Toulouse urban area on the brand-new Air-log logistic site, devoted to meeting the logistics needs of all the Airbus assembly sites in the region and its production site at Airbus Saint-Éloi. These biodiesel vehicles will be operating daily rounds between the production sites, the subcontractors and suppliers to pick up parts to be machined or that have been machined and transfer them from one site to another. .

Press Release / May 7, 2015 DAF Trucks N.V. has concluded an agreement with Truck World Auto Assembly (T.W.A.A) in Port Klang, Malaysia, for the marketing, sales and service activities of DAF Trucks in Malaysia. DAF Trucks has thus extended its presence in the Far East, building on its success in places such as Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Malaysia Airlines has directly placed a first order for six DAF CF65 trucks. There are more than a thousand right-hand drive DAF trucks on the roads in Malaysia, imported by T.W.A.A. from the United Kingdom as used vehicles. The Malaysian importer now also wants to meet the demand for new DAF trucks. "DAF has an extremely good reputation in Malaysia", says Goh Tiong Guan, Managing Director of T.W.A.A. "The level of customer satisfaction is unprecedented. DAF trucks are renowned for their quality of construction, reliability and low fuel consumption. We therefore clearly stand out from the competition when it comes to total cost of ownership." DAF will start in Malaysia with three versions of the popular CF-series: a 2-axle CF65 rigid with a 6.7 litre PACCAR GR-engine and two 3-axle CF85 tractor units with a single or double drive and a 12.9 litre PACCAR MX-engine. "There is no lack of ambition", states Goh Tiong Guan. "We will actively serve the Malaysian truck market from the capital Kuala Lumpur. This market comprises approximately 3,500 units. We predict that we will be able to sell at least around 600 trucks per annum within the foreseeable future." .

Bloomberg / May 5, 2015 A multimillion lobbying push by FedEx Corp. and other freight carriers may be about to open U.S. highways to a new generation of bigger truck trailers even as watchdogs warn the price will be roadway carnage. A $55.3 billion transportation spending bill unveiled last week blocks a variety of safety measures opposed by the industry, at a time when the rise in truck-related deaths has bucked a trend of overall improvement in highway safety. In addition to the bigger-capacity trucks, the bill would also do away with plans to require trucking companies to carry higher insurance coverage and make it harder for regulators to re-impose more stringent rest requirements for drivers. “Christmas came early for the trucking industry,” said Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, the senior Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee. The trucking industry is a formidable force in Washington, spending $9.85 million lobbying Congress last year, and making $7.96 million in contributions to political candidates, parties and action committees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Lowey and others decried how the industry was able to insert sweeping policy changes into unrelated budget legislation. A provision in the appropriations bill that would allow two trailers of up to 33-feet to be hauled in tandem, up from the current 28-foot limit, is drawing the most concern. The longer trucks will be harder for drivers to handle and harder to stop, said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a coalition of consumer-rights groups and insurance companies. “This is the most aggressive attack on safety I’ve seen in my lifetime,” she said. She cited research showing double-trailer combinations have crash rates 15 percent higher than single-trailer rigs. FedEx, whose chief executive officer, Fred Smith, has lobbied lawmakers on the issue, cites statistics that tell a different story. A study commissioned by FedEx, Con-way Inc. and other shippers showed that the extra five feet in length of each trailer would save gas and cut carbon emissions and would actually reduce the number of trucks on the road. “There’s no safety issue,” said Dave Osiecki, executive vice president with the American Trucking Associations. “There’s an environmental benefit and a fuel-economy benefit.” The trucking industry is advocating for longer combinations to meet demand, especially for lighter packages like those delivered for online shoppers, according to the Coalition for Efficient and Responsible Trucking. That kind of freight is expected to grow 40 percent over the next decade, from 145 million tons a year to 204 million, according to the group, which includes FedEx, United Parcel Service Inc., Con-way, YRC Worldwide Inc. and five other so-called less-than-truckload companies. Twin 33-foot trailers have already been permitted in Florida and South Dakota, according to the trucking coalition. Attaching the trailer measure and other trucking provisions to a must-pass federal Transportation Department appropriations bill helps to avoid some of the normal congressional vetting and makes it more likely the changes will become law. “Not a single one of these provisions has been subject to a congressional hearing,” Gillan said. FedEx made $2.32 million in campaign contributions to House and Senate members in the two-year cycle ending in the 2014 election, according to the center. That included $84,750 to members of the House Appropriations Committee. Maury Donahue, a spokeswoman for FedEx, referred questions to the Coalition for Efficient and Responsible Trucking. Across all House races, the industry handed out $2.56 million, and 84 percent went to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The appropriations bill approved by a subcommittee on April 29 is still far from a done deal. The full committee is expected to take a vote in May when Congress returns from a recess. The House bill still would have to survive a Senate vote and be signed by the president. Gillan is telling the White House: “You sign this bill, you’re signing a death warrant for American families.” Crashes involving large trucks killed 3,921 people in the U.S. in 2012, an increase of 16 percent from the all-time low in 2009. Trucking deaths have increased in each of the past four years. The trucking industry argues that the long-term trend is still good as fatalities are 21 percent lower today than a decade ago. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx declined to comment on whether he could support 33-foot trailers, telling reporters April 28 that his department hasn’t yet completed a comprehensive safety study. He did say the Obama administration is concerned about Congress making policy changes in an appropriations bill. The Coalition for Efficient and Responsible Trucking says safety isn’t an issue. Osiecki added that research also shows stopping distances are the same with 28-foot and 33-foot trailers, and the longer trucks are more stable. Existing twin 28-foot trailers are typically full before they reach the federal weight limit of 80,000 pounds. Even 33-foot trailer combos crammed with packages wouldn’t exceed the standard weight, while they would be able to carry 18 percent more freight. One of the main hurdles for the provision may be public sentiment. About 76 percent of people are against allowing more longer or heavier trucks on the road, according to a poll that safety groups, including Gillan’s, commissioned last year. In addition to bigger trucks, the House bill would add conditions for any attempt by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to re-institute a 2013 rule forcing drivers to get two nights of sleep in a row after reaching a weekly time limit for driving. That regulation was intended to close a loophole that allowed some drivers to legally stay on the road as long as 82 hours over eight days. Another provision would squash a Transportation Department effort to revisit a rule requiring trucking companies carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance. That level hasn’t been changed since 1980. Regulators haven’t indicated what the new level should be, but have indicated they would like to study the matter. The department has suggested it would take a $3.2 million policy to have the same buying power as $750,000 three decades ago. The House legislation wouldn’t permit any money to be spent on the effort. .

Heavy Duty Trucking / May 7, 2015 Kenworth is offering Eaton's 10-speed UltraShift Plus VAS transmission on selected medium-duty trucks for the first time, including the T370, T440 and T470 equipped with the 8.9-liter Paccar PX-9 engine (aka Cummins ISL). The transmission is recommended for construction, refuse, municipal pickup and delivery, and agricultural applications. It provides select Kenworth medium-duty trucks with an alternative to manual or traditional automatic transmissions. By using an electronic clutch actuation system, with a system that enables quick shifts and clutch engagement regardless of engine RPM. The system automatically selects an appropriate start gear and adapts shifts based on driving environment. The transmission can handle the maximum torque rating of any medium-duty engine, according to Kenworth and provides more control of engine and transmission functions for automated shifting and vehicle launches. The UltraShift Plus VAS features Hill Start Aid, creep modes, auto neutral, and engine and clutch over speed protection. The transmission employs grade sensing, weight computation and driver throttle commands for better reliability and performance during launch and shift decisions. “Kenworth has an excellent partnership with Eaton, and our medium-duty truck customers will benefit from the performance and value of the Eaton UltraShift Plus VAS transmission option for the Kenworth T370, T440 and T470,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director.

Trailer/Body Builders / May 7, 2015 Fourteen fleets operating more than 53,000 tractors and 160,000 trailers achieved fuel savings of $477 million in 2014 by adopting a variety of fuel efficiency technologies, according to the Annual Fleet Fuel Study released by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE). These fleets represent a growing focus on fuel efficiency in the industry. The fleet improvements save $9,000 per year per truck, with an estimated payback period of two and a half years, and reduce their carbon emissions by 19%. This year’s study found the adoption of fuel-saving technologies had increased from 18% in 2003 to 42% in 2014. As a result, the 14 fleets have achieved 7.0 mpg on average for all their trucks, while their 2015-model-year trucks have reached as high as 8.5 mpg. That is well above the national average of 5.9 mpg, reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. The 14 fleets included in the study achieved this high level of fuel efficiency by adopting a combination of nearly 70 currently-available technologies and engaging the resources and guidance of Trucking Efficiency, a joint effort of NACFE and Carbon War Room (CWR). “The dramatic improvement in fuel economy of the leading fleets this year is exciting,” says Mike Roeth, operation lead for CWR’s Trucking Efficiency and executive director of NACFE. “If we can get the owners and operators of the 1.5 million tractor-trailers on the road today to invest in more of these technologies, we will see significant reduction in fuel consumption.” Major trucking fleets like Con-way Truckload, Frito Lay, and Schneider are actively pursuing fleet-wide fuel savings and seeing on-the-road results from adopting recommendations from Trucking Efficiency’s Tech Guide and Confidence Reports on individual trucking technologies. Trucking Efficiency has completed Confidence Reports on tire pressure systems, 6x2 axles, idle reduction, transmissions, and engine parameters. "We have been aggressively pursuing fuel savings and freight efficiency for many years,” says Steve Hanson, director of fleet engineering at Frito Lay. "Through collaboration with tractor builders and aerodynamic-device and fuel-system suppliers, we are now able to get the aerodynamics we desire on our latest tractors. This will help us continue to increase our overall fleet-wide fuel efficiency." Con-way Truckload, another exemplary fleet, saw major success in equipping 48% of their fleet with automated manual transmissions. “We will continue to buy automated manual transmissions as they are providing fuel savings and drivers appreciate their performance,” says Randy Cornell, vice president of maintenance and asset management at Con-way Truckload. Since 2011, NACFE has conducted its Annual Fleet Fuel Study to report on innovative fleets that have committed to improving fuel efficiency. Fleets that participated in the study shared their implementation experiences as well as best practices for using these technologies. The study provides insights to help other fleets make decisions about adding these fuel efficiency technologies and practices in the future. With upcoming Confidence Reports on tires, maintenance, downspeeding, lightweighting, and other technologies, Trucking Efficiency will continue to promote fuel savings opportunities in the industry. "Fleets saved $477 million in 2014 by investing in efficiency technologies. These savings will grow as other fleets learn from their leadership," says Mike Roeth.

Australasian Truck News (ATN) / May 7, 2015 A greater proportion of heavy vehicles and longer “gap acceptance” times mean road designers should shift their focus away from passenger cars Austroads has completed a four-year research project investigating the impact of more heavy vehicles on the national road network. It has found Australia’s growing heavy vehicle fleet is changing the basic requirements of road design. The project report, Road Design for Heavy Vehicles, analyses data on heavy vehicle crashes from around Australia and New Zealand. It also undertook its own direct field research to analyse the gap acceptance times – the amount of time and space required for a vehicle to turn through oncoming traffic – for heavy vehicles manoeuvring through a range of intersection types. Among its recommendations is a call for road designers to focus more on heavy vehicles than passenger cars. Wider lanes on some arterials roads, for example, will help longer vehicles navigate turns. "Where triple or larger road trains are expected designers should consider wider lanes," the report advises. "Lanes may also need to be widened on curves to allow [the] additional ‘tracking’ required by trucks." Changes to road alignments and grades could also help make driving smoother and safer for heavy vehicles. About 20 per cent of casualty crashes involving heavy vehicles occur on crests and grades in rural areas, Austroads’ research found. Heavy vehicles are also at risk of overheating on particularly steep climbs. "To overcome the operational and safety problems associated with heavy vehicles driving on an upgrade road, authorities often provide truck climbing lanes," Austroads says. "On relatively long or steep downgrades, road authorities may provide truck roadside parking strategically located, to allow drivers to stop and check the temperature of the brakes, and if necessary allow them to cool." Likewise, road shoulders are found to be an important consideration on rural roads. Degraded shoulder conditions, such as excess loose material or steep edge drop-offs, can lead to greater crash risks for heavy vehicles. But Austroads says there is a limit to how much back-up bitumen road designers can provide. "While shoulder sealing provides a marked improvement in safety, increasing shoulder width to greater than 2.5 metres on two lane roads may increase crash risk as some drivers might treat the shoulder as an additional lane." Further factors highlighted in the report include pavement surfaces, the availability of rest areas, and speed differentials between traffic on carriageways and accompanying service roads. The Austroads Road Design Taskforce will now critically review the report and its suggested amendments to the national Guide to Road Design.

After Cummins in 2012 began developing a 15-liter spark-ignited natural-gas engine (ISX15 G) outside its joint venture with Westport, the relationship soured. Now that engine has been put on hold, but the relationship still is not as before. Cummins is planning for a total in-house package.

The relationship between Westport and Cummins has cooled in recent years, possibly because Westport is growing their business (an understandable need for long-term sustainability) by entering into agreements with other global engine makers in addition to Cummins. This is why Cummins is now investing in Agility Fuel Systems. Not that another entity isn't capable of creating a better mouse trap, but I personally still favor Westport's technology.

Reuters / May 6, 2015 Andreas Renschler, the board member in charge of commercial vehicles at Volkswagen Group, will replace Ferdinand Piech as chairman of truck maker MAN SE. Piech resigned from all his supervisory board posts including the VW chair on April 25 after losing a showdown with VW CEO Martin Winterkorn. Volkswagen said on Tuesday it was creating a commercial vehicles group to align its truck divisions MAN and Scania, pushing its long-standing ambition to become Europe's largest truck maker, which was a pet project of Piech's.

Green Car Congress / May 4, 2015 Wrightspeed Inc., a developer of range-extended electric vehicle powertrains for medium and heavy trucks, has unveiled the Fulcrum, a new proprietary turbine generator for use in its “Route” family of electric powertrains. (Route for Class 3-6, Route HD for Class 7-8) The new 80 kW Fulcrum is a radial inflow, axial turbine, intercooled and recuperated. Fulcrum is a single shaft machine, the generator runs at turbine speed (~100,000 rpm). Weighing in at 250 lbs (113.4 kg), the Fulcrum is approximately 1/10th the weight of its piston generator counterparts and it is designed to have a 10,000-hour lifetime. The Route extended range electric powertrains incorporate a range-extending genset designed to recharge the high-power battery pack (currently from A123 Systems) and Wrightspeed’s own geared traction drive (GTD). Wrightspeed, founded by Ian Wright, one of the original co-founders of Tesla Motors, has used a 65 kW Capstone microturbine in earlier Route powertrains. The 65 kW Capstone unit weighs 300 lbs (136.1 kg), for a power-to-weight ratio of 478 W/kg. By comparison, Wrightspeed’s new Fulcrum microturbine offers a power-to-weight ratio of 750 W/kg. With Fulcrum, on which the company has been working for about 3 years, Wrightspeed now owns 100% of the Intellectual Property of its powertrain products. A two-stage compression process and novel recuperation design make the Fulcrum 30% more efficient than existing turbine generators, while tripling usable power. Its multi-fuel capabilities allow it to burn diesel, CNG, LNG, landfill gases, biodiesel, kerosene, propane, heating oil, and others. In addition, the Fulcrum will make for a smooth, comfortable ride for drivers and a quiet, clean experience for neighborhoods because of its ultra-low vibration. Microturbines operate on the Brayton Cycle. Atmospheric air is compressed and heated (usually by introducing and burning fuel); these hot gases then drive an expansion turbine that drives both the inlet compressor and a drive shaft. Other than the size difference, microturbines differ from larger gas turbines in that they typically have lower compression ratios and operate at lower combustion temperatures. To increase efficiency, microturbines can recover a portion of the exhaust heat in a heat exchanger (recuperator) to increase the energy of the gases entering the expansion turbine, thereby boosting efficiency. There have been a number of problems with automotive applications of turbines, Wright noted, among them fuel economy and efficiency, and cost. While turbines have seen great success in aviation, a fundamental challenge with the use of a turbine as the main traction engine in an on-road vehicle is that turbines are not efficient at low-load points; they are only efficient at full power, noted Wright. In other words, fuel economy is a significant problem. However, he added, the advent of the range-extended EV architecture alters the operational requirements significantly; instead of coping with varying load, the turbine can operate at its most efficient point—similar to the high efficiency large-scale turbines used in power generation—to produce power for the battery pack, which in turn powers the electric motors. The automotive industry is in the midst of a fundamental disruption, with electric vehicles merely symbolizing the beginning of the movement. The Fulcrum, together with our range-extended EV architecture, is perfectly suited for achieving maximum efficiency in extremely high-power stop-and-go applications, such as garbage trucks. For many of the same reasons that aviation changed from piston engines to turbines decades ago, we believe turbines will begin to replace piston engines in range-extended electric vehicle applications. It doesn’t matter what the driver is doing, you operate the turbine only at its most efficient point. It’s only 250 lbs, incredibly clean and also multi-fuel. It has all those advantages. —Ian Wright Further, Fulcrum’s design with its intercooler, recuperator and pressure ratio enables a higher efficiency than usually seen in this class of turbine, Wright said. A further disadvantage for turbines in automotive applications has been cost. Wrightspeed addressed that by deliberately designing Fulcrum for low cost manufacturing, leveraging turbocharger technology with great economies of scale at this point. Wrightspeed emphasizes the use of high-power batteries rather than high-energy batteries in its powertrain. One of the things that enables the story is that the batteries have become extremely reliable and long life, even when at high power. We use the smallest pack we can. In general, we save fuel in three separate ways: first is with a grid charge; second is regenerative braking—we run very high power regen, much, much higher than anyone and we pretty much avoid the use of friction brakes; and third is running the engine at the sweet spot. —Ian Wright None of those three approaches work very well in long-haul trucking in which the big rigs with optimized engines and gearing are cruising for long stretches at an optimal, constant speed. On the other hand, a big rig in an urban environment is just horrible at fuel efficiency, Wright said. As a result, the Route extended range electric powertrain is ideally suited for urban environments. FedEx, which is already running a couple of trucks using the Route powertrain, has ordered 25 more. .

Cummins Westport introducing new ISB6.7 G mid-range natural gas engine Green Car Congress / May 6, 2015 At the opening reception at ACT Expo in Dallas, TX, Cummins Westport Inc. will unveil the ISB6.7 G, a 6.7-liter medium-duty, factory-built dedicated natural gas engine for school bus, shuttle bus, medium-duty truck and vocational applications. The new ISB6.7 G is currently in field trials with full production expected to commence in mid-2016. The ISB6.7 G natural gas engine is based on the Cummins ISB6.7 diesel engine platform, the industry leader in the Cummins medium-duty engine family. The ISB6.7 G will operate exclusively on natural gas (CNG or LNG) utilizing Cummins Westport’s proprietary spark-ignited, stoichiometric combustion with cooled exhaust gas recirculation (SEGR) technology, first introduced with the 8.9-liter ISL G. The SEGR technology was introduced with the ISL G in 2007, and was developed to meet 2010 EPA emission requirements. The cooled-EGR system passes exhaust gas through a cooler to reduce temperatures before mixing it with fuel and the incoming air charge to the cylinder. Stoichiometric combustion in combination with cooled-EGR offers increased power density and thermal efficiency. It also reduces in-cylinder combustion temperatures and creates an oxygen-free exhaust, which then enables the use of a three-way catalyst (TWC) for NOx control. The ISB6.7 G TWC is packaged as a muffler and is maintenance-free. No diesel particulate filter or selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment will be required. The 6-cylinder ISB6.7 G will offer up to 260 hp (194 kW) and 660 lb-ft (895 N·m) of torque, and will be available with both manual and automatic transmissions. The ISB6.7 G shares many base engine components with the ISB6.7 diesel engine and shares the emissions architecture of the ISL G and ISX12 G, including wastegate turbocharger, a high-energy ignition system controlled by the CM2180A Engine Control Module, and similar fuel module design. The ISB6.7 G is expected to be certified at launch to meet the US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board emission standards of 0.20 g/bhp-hr NOx and 0.01 g/bhp-hr PM and 2016 US greenhouse gas and fuel economy regulations. Partial funding in support of the ISB6.7 G engine development has been received from California Energy Commission through its Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program in conjunction with the Gas Technology Institute. The ISB6.7 G will be manufactured in Cummins’ medium-duty engine plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Trucking News / May 5, 2015 Southfield, Mich.-based global supplier Denso has developed a new high-amperage alternator for the medium- and heavy-duty truck market that is smaller, lighter and more efficient than the industry competition. The PowerEdge offers advanced alternator features like Denso’s patented segment conductor technology, which incorporates an innovative square wire copper stator design. By leveraging Denso’s innovative design and manufacturing technologies, the PowerEdge achieves higher efficiency in a smaller, more lightweight design, which translates into improved fuel economy. The product will be available in July. “Denso has harnessed its cutting-edge technology in order to provide a much-needed solution for the commercial truck market,” said Frank Jenkins, senior manager of Denso product and services Americas’ commercial and heavy-duty group. “In addition to its improved efficiency and higher amps at idle, the Denso PowerEdge alternator can be up to 10 pounds lighter than the industry’s competition. This means reduced fuel consumption over the long haul, which can save thousands of dollars per truck per year.” The alternator’s design has been optimized to provide the durability and long life needed to meet the severe demands of heavy- and medium-duty trucks. The alternators offer four output versions: 170amp, 185amp, 205amp, and 220amp. Each unit features the same innovative SC stator, producing higher efficiency and more amps at idle. Additionally, these units are equipped with heavy-duty bearings, advanced long-life brush composition, and remote sense technology to prolong battery life. Not only do these highly efficient alternators offer a small, lightweight design, but also its compact size and weight offer fleet and truck technicians easier handling and installation. The Denso PowerEdge Alternator provides 100 percent coverage for pad-mount applications and offers the following features and benefits: Superior efficiency, providing reduced fuel consumption and mileage savingsDurability, long life, reducing replacement intervals and costsHigher amps at idleRemote sense features, prolongs battery life, reducing replacement costsCompact size and lighter weight, for improved fuel savings and ease of installationDenso, which has supplied alternators since 1962, has been reducing the size and weight of alternators while also increasing their efficiency. .

The New York Times / May 5, 2015 In what might be construed as a blow to Gallic pride, the French Army will soon be patrolling La Belle France, the land of Renaults and Peugeots, in Ford Ranger pickups. The army is buying 1,000 of the Ford trucks as part of a “crash program” to begin replacing its fleet of off-road vehicles, said Pierre Bayle, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry. The army’s Peugeot P4 jeeps went into service in 1983 and are becoming obsolete, he said. Two other vehicles were considered, Mr. Bayle said: PSA Peugeot Citroën’s Berlingo, and the Dacia Duster, made by Renault. But Ford got the nod for the first replacement order because of its large payload capacity, he said. The truck can carry five adults and a ton of cargo, more than the French vehicles. “It’s not a question of America versus France,” Mr. Bayle said, as not one of the three vehicles in question was made in either country. The Ranger is made in South Africa, the Duster in Romania and the Berlingo in Spain. The work of replacing the fleet will continue over the next few years, Mr. Bayle said, and French vehicles could be chosen for other roles. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/39372-ford-unveils-2015-global-ranger/?hl=ranger

Riding in Freightliner’s autonomous Inspiration Truck Truck News / May 6, 2015 After a flashy prime time introduction of its Inspiration Truck atop the Hoover Dam, Freightliner today offered further details on how the world’s first road-legal autonomous truck works, and how it will benefit the North American trucking industry. Martin Daum, president and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) stressed it was customers that drove Freightliner to develop a truck that will help improve safety and trucking industry efficiency. “The easy things are already invented,” he said of truck efficiency, noting it’s time now to push the envelope on innovation and to help shape future regulations as well. When it comes to autonomous trucks, it’s the regulatory obstacles that may be more difficult to overcome than any technical challenges. In Nevada, Freightliner found a like-minded government willing to help develop autonomous vehicles by putting a regulatory framework in place to allow their use. There, drivers of autonomous trucks must have a commercial driver’s licence and also take a course developed by the truck manufacturer and approved by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). “DTNA elected to debut the Inspiration Truck in Nevada, because of the fact the Nevada government has regulatory requirements for needing a licence to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in this state,” said Sean Waters, director of compliance and regulatory affairs with DTNA. “We wanted to do it in a regulatory environment that sets standards.” Daimler conducted 10,000 miles of testing on its Inspiration Truck to satisfy the state that the technology is safe. Nevada requires a data recorder to be installed in autonomous vehicles that will store at least 30 seconds of data in the event of a crash, however Daimler captures and stores all the data generated by the vehicle over the course of its entire life, far surpassing the minimum requirement. In the event of an accident, this data will be vital in determining who – or what – was at fault. Until other states come on-board, the Inspiration Truck can only be operated in the state of Nevada. Daum said more states and provinces must follow suit to make autonomous trucks more widely viable. The truck can only be operated in autonomous Highway Pilot mode when it’s being driven on Nevada freeways and interstate highways. Mechanisms are in place to prevent the driver from operating in autonomous mode when and where it’s not permitted. While the driver is able, under certain conditions, to relinquish control of most driving responsibilities to Highway Pilot, he must remain in the driver’s seat and must always be in position to take back control of the truck when necessary. Still, Waters said when Highway Pilot is active, the driver will eventually be able to complete paperwork, plan their next load or take care of other responsibilities, effectively allowing them to make better use of their downtime once their driving shift is completed. A driver will always be required to oversee the operation of the truck, Daum added. “Will it make the driver obsolete? I don’t see that,” he said. “The human brain is still the best computer. We want to give the driver a tool that enhances their capability significantly.” The brains of the Highway Pilot system are a collection of advanced cameras, radars and sensors, integrated with the truck’s engine, transmission, braking system and electronics. The Inspiration Truck is defined by the Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a Level 3 autonomous vehicle, explained Martin Zeilinger, director of advanced engineering with DTNA, meaning it “enables the driver to cede full control of safety-critical functions, including steering, in certain traffic or environmental conditions.” There are four levels of autonomous vehicles, the fourth being a true driverless truck, but that’s not the technology Freightliner is currently developing. “Freightliner is not interested in pursuing a full self-driving vehicle,” said Al Pearson, chief engineer, product validation for Freightliner. Zeilinger added one of the biggest myths around autonomous driving is that it is ‘driverless’ – a frequently used, but misleading description. “An autonomous highway truck is not a driverless vehicle,” Zeilinger emphasized. “We still require a qualified truck driver with a CDL to be in the cab and at the controls.” In fact, since the technology is so new, Nevada currently requires two people to be in the cab of an autonomous truck at all times. One can only assume that condition will be lifted in time, otherwise it would certainly offset any productivity gains the industry hopes to achieve. While the driver will not be eliminated by the technology, there are still benefits to be had, officials pointed out. Since 90% of crashes are caused by driver error, Freightliner officials said autonomous trucks have the potential to reduce crashes. They profess the technology can also improve fuel efficiency, reduce the strain on components, improve traffic flow and reduce driver stress and fatigue in monotonous driving situations. The Inspiration Truck also boasts platooning capabilities, where further fuel savings can be achieved by linking up several such trucks via vehicle-to-vehicle communications. They can then travel in a tightly packed convoy with the braking activities of the lead truck causing the following trucks to slow or stop in unison. This technology has shown a 5.3% average fuel savings among the trucks in a three-truck platoon and a 6% average fuel savings in a five-truck platoon, chiefly by minimizing the air pressure zones between the trucks. The Highway Pilot system – while impressive and far more advanced than any other such systems – still has some concerning shortcomings. It requires clearly visible lane markings to function, so it won’t be usable in snowy conditions – not likely to be an issue in Nevada – or when lane markings are difficult to discern. Also, the camera/radar combination can’t yet identify non-metallic objects and then apply braking, so a driver who’s reading a book or making dinner reservations on his iPad when he comes upon a sizable piece of tire debris or a deer, moose or pedestrian in his path…well, that could be an issue. However, it seems a fix to this is already in the works. Zeilinger noted as the system is further developed, it will eventually be able to recognize non-metallic objects through technology he referred to as “sensor fusion” – the combining of camera and radar capabilities to recognize a wider variety of objects. Since it’s not yet clear when the Inspiration Truck will be production-ready, this will likely have been sorted by then. With the technical sessions complete, it was time to climb inside the Inspiration Truck for a journey on Nevada highways. The tractor-trailer was buffeted by powerful, gusty crosswinds, which put the Highway Pilot system to the test. At one time, the system did ask the driver to take control but we were never at risk. The driver obliged and after a few seconds placed it back into Highway Pilot mode. The truck held its course remarkably well while driven autonomously. The route was pre-programmed into the GPS so when we approached the intended highway exit the system reminded the driver to take the reins. While on Highway Pilot, the driver was able to remove a tablet from the dash to perform non-driving tasks. During our drive, the truck always felt completely safe and in control, even when the driver’s feet were planted firmly on the floor and his hands were off the steering wheel. Highway Pilot will eventually be able to use sign recognition abilities to maintain the posted speed limit but for now, the driver programs in the desired cruise speed. The truck adjusted its speed as required to maintain a safe following distance. It was able to effortlessly handle any scenario that it encountered on our short drive. Daimler, so heavily invested as it is in autonomous trucking technology, is hoping regulators across North America will be equally impressed and convinced. Once more states allow the use of autonomous trucks, DTNA’s Daum said the hope is the technology can be used to drive further productivity gains for the industry. These could come in the form of longer driver hours-of-service due to the reduced fatigue they experience when driving autonomous vehicles, or larger, longer truck and trailer combinations, which will be safer than ever to operate because of the safety benefits automation brings.