kscarbel2

And it never dawned on the highly talented software engineers of the wireless communications systems in today's vehicles that this danger was possible.........right.

The light truck requirement for local delivery is no secret. Competition is fierce, and customers unforgiving. You need a light truck that anyone can drive and never breaks down. And there’s the case for Volkswagen Truck’s “Delivery” light truck range. The Delivery is engineered for high levels of performance, maneuverability and reliability. Volkswagen Truck’s optimized design philosophy equates to maximum uptime and lower life-cycle costs. High power output and light weight design cut your operating costs and raise productivity. See your Volkswagen Truck dealer today, and experience a new era of cost-effective transport. Volkswagen Truck – We’re right for your business

Navistar Trail Magazine

Fleet Owner / July 21, 2015 International Truck has signed a multi-year supply agreement and secured orders for 1,050 new Class 8 on-highway tractors from a provider of fleet and owner-operator leasing services. In addition, the customer indicated it intends to order an additional 7,950 trucks later this month for delivery through the end of 2017. The orders would consist primarily of International ProStar and LoneStar vehicles powered by Cummins ISX-15 engines and spread across the next three years, according to the company. "Customers continue to recognize that the heavy-duty products we are building today are among the best we have built in decades, with uptime and fuel economy performance that leads the industry," said Bill Kozek, president, Navistar Truck and Parts. "This customer has experienced our new products firsthand and their International models are leading the way in fuel economy performance when compared to competitive models." Navistar Press Release - http://media.navistar.com/index.php?s=43&item=747

On good roads where you have minimal chassis articulation, you can run a long single tank as is done on 4x2 tractors in Europe. But when you have higher levels of chassis articulation, a single long aluminum fuel tank can be stressed and crack.

The base price of the cheapest F-150 offered today, the XL package, is $26,030. The base level "Custom" package is no longer offered. If Ford wants to be the undisputed market leader in pickup trucks, it should offer a a basic "Custom" work truck trim level (6' bed) starting at $20,000 (add $300 for 8' long bed). Ford won't make money on it, just as they don't on base level compact and sub-compact car models. But it's all about the big picture, where they are making a huge profit in the pickup segment.

Wall Street Journal / July 21, 2015 Two computer-security researchers demonstrated they could take control of a moving Jeep Cherokee using the vehicle’s wireless communications system, raising new questions about the safety of Internet-connected cars and trucks. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), owner of the Jeep brand, expressed displeasure with the researchers, slamming them on Tuesday for disclosing their ability to hack into the sport-utility vehicle’s software and manipulate its air conditioning, stereo controls and control its speed by disabling the transmission from a laptop many miles away. The hackers, one of whom works for Twitter Inc. and is a former analyst for the National Security Agency (NSA), counter they are bringing attention to an issue auto makers have for too long ignored. Nearly all modern automobiles, not just those manufactured by Fiat Chrysler, feature computer controls that are potential targets for hackers. The problem has caught the attention of most major car companies. General Motors, for example, has been working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on ways to protect the loads of data that a vehicle carries, and fortify a car’s control system from outside tampering. Auto executives generally admit the industry is behind in tackling car cybersecurity. Consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton is pushing them to develop common security measures. The Jeep manufacturer, in touch with the hackers for months, released a software patch last week that it said can fix the security flaw. Consumers must either take their vehicle to a dealership or use a USB stick to obtain the update. The cyberattack demonstration comes amid concerns over how susceptible U.S. automobiles are to hackers taking control of vehicles or accessing motorists’ private information. Other researchers next month plan to show how they can hack a Tesla Motors vehicle. Tesla said members of its security team would attend the conference in Las Vegas to discuss its security, but it isn’t making a vehicle available to hackers. Last year, it sent a manager to the Def Con hacker convention in Las Vegas to recruit hackers to test its vehicles. It isn’t clear how many vehicles are affected by the Jeep security flaw. Fiat Chrysler this year through June 30 sold more than 105,000 Jeep Cherokees, according to Autodata Corp. The researchers believe their hack would work on any late 2013, 2014 or early 2015 vehicle with Fiat Chrysler’s Uconnect system. “Under no circumstances does FCA condone or believe it’s appropriate to disclose ‘how-to information’ that would potentially encourage, or help enable hackers to gain unauthorized and unlawful access to vehicle systems,” the auto maker said in a statement. The two hackers, Charlie Miller, a Twitter employee based in St. Louis, and Chris Valasek, a director at the security firm IOActive, demonstrated in an article and video published in technology magazine Wired their ability to access a vehicle’s systems wirelessly. The researchers, who have been probing vulnerabilities in connected automobiles for years, previously could only take over a car by hacking from a laptop connected by cable to a moving vehicle. Mr. Miller defended releasing the information, arguing he is improving auto safety by drawing attention to the issue. “We both want the same thing, to keep drivers safe from a cyberattack,” said Mr. Miller, who used to work on hacking tools for the NSA. “All I can do is point out flaws in their vehicles, get other researchers working on this issue and make suggestions.” Messrs. Miller and Valasek have kept some of the flaws they uncovered under wraps to prevent copy cats from wreaking havoc on the highway. But they do show in a video that they can effectively disengage a car’s transmission or, when it is moving at slower speeds, its brakes. The two researchers say they will show more details during a talk at the Black Hat hacker conference next month. In February, staff for Sen. Edward Markey (D., Mass.) released a report claiming that nearly all cars and trucks on U.S. roads feature wireless technology prone to hacking or privacy intrusions. The report queried more than a dozen manufacturers in light of studies demonstrating how hackers can infiltrate vehicles to gain control of steering, braking and other functions. The report also raised concerns about companies sweeping up information from navigation systems and storing data with third parties. Sens. Markey and Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would require NHTSA officials and the Federal Trade Commission to develop standards for securing vehicles and protecting consumers’ privacy. The legislation would also create a “cyber dashboard” ratings system to inform consumers how well a vehicle protects against hackers. “Drivers shouldn’t have to choose between being connected and being protected,” Sen. Markey said in a statement. “We need clear rules of the road that protect cars from hackers and American families from data trackers.”

And that, my friend, is the problem. The unacceptable level of **** that is now a part of our daily life. Our government has many responsibilities, from leading American society in a positive and healthy direction........to leading the world with earned respect. In pyramid fashion, direction and leadership begin at the top and trickle down. The government sets the tone. For 20 years, our EPA has been conducting what amounts to a large scale science experiment, at excessive expense to both consumers and industry, and their current head is clueless about her job. Our railroad infrastructure.................enough said. Our airline industry, coddled by politicians and FAA officials, is a national embarrassment. The same government that insisted on using tax payer money to bail out the Big 3 because they were deemed too important to fail (no, there wasn't a vote) allowed our trucking industry to be taken over by foreign truckmakers (US carmakers have deeper pockets for lobbyists and "contributions" than truckmakers). And then our government gave away Chrysler to a bankrupt Fiat for nothing........the greatest American giveaway of our lifetime. Look at Baltimore and Detroit - crime is rampant because we are not handing crime properly. Our government is failing to execute well, and failing badly, resulting in unacceptable levels of **** now being a part of our daily life. In fact, the performance of our government today is not at all indicative of a government of the United States of America. I have a problem with that.

The back-to-basics "working" Ford pickup is looking better all the time. 3.9-liter 150 horsepower Cummins ISB 4-cylinder diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction (SCR)Eaton 5-speed synchronized manual transmissionABS brakesElectronic brake force distribution (EBD)Air conditioninghttp://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/35823-ford-re-launches-f-4000-at-brazils-agrishow/

Reuters / July 21, 2015 Volkswagen Group plans to set up its new truck business close to its Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany, as the carmaker strives to build heavy goods vehicle operations capable of taking on rivals Daimler and Volvo. VW is pooling its controlling stakes in truck makers MAN and Scania into a global commercial truck business, Truck & Bus GmbH. The new group will be based in Brunswick, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of VW's own headquarters in Wolfsburg, and will start off with 50 employees, VW said. The trucks group, which includes MAN's Latin American operations, will be run by former Daimler trucks chief Andreas Renschler, who joined VW in February.

Daily Mail / July 20, 2015 Tomi Lahren called out Obama on her show, One America News Network's On Point with Tomi Lahren.The comments came after four U.S. Marines and one active-duty Navy reservist were killed in a shooting on Thursday in Chattanooga, Tennessee.Lahren, from Rapid City, South Dakota, comes from a family of Marines.She claimed that 'radical Islam is becoming the rule, not the exception. Yesterday's moderate is today's terrorist'.LAHREN'S RANT AGAINST 'HALF-WAY' EFFORT IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM 'Four United States Marines are now dead. Climate change didn't kill them. Lack of free community college didn't kill them. 'The income gap, wage inequality - nope, not those things either. Gay marriage? Nope. White racism? Not that either. So what did? President Obama, if you won't say it, I will: radical Islam. 'This is not work-place violence. This is not a criminal act with motives unknown. This is terrorism. The suspected shooter, Muhammad Abdulazeez, a devout Muslim. 'Do I care that he seemed like an all-American young man? Do I care that he was good at mixed martial arts or a smart quiet guy? Do I care that his high school friends would not classify him as 'overly religious'? No, I don't give a flying you-know-what about any of that. 'Was he linked to ISIS or Al-Qaeda or Hamas, or any of the other 15-plus offshoot terrorist groups? Does it matter? 'I'm sorry but radical Islam is becoming the rule, not the exception. Yesterday's moderate is today's terrorist. 'I care that this SOB killed four of our United States Marines, and I care that our Commander in Chief is more concerned with Muslim sensitivity than the honor and sacrifice made by these Marines. 'Now this is the 21st time our military men and women have been attacked here at home. 'This is not a Middle East problem. This is an American problem, and I'm sorry I can't sit here and let go. Not anymore. I come from a family of Marines. 'My grandpa was a World War II paratrooper, my uncle a Vietnam Purple Heart recipient, by cousins both Marine Corps officers, I have some very close Navy SEAL connections as well. 'In fact, someone very close to my heart is deployed to the Middle East right now, but the sad thing is I was telling him last night: 'I think you're safer over there than you would be right here in the United States of America.' 'I've had it with this failed strategy - this half-way, half-baked, tip-toe, be-friendly-to-Jihadis mentality pushed by this administration. Be a leader, someone. 'They, the radical Islamists have brought the fight right here to the red, white and blue, and it's about time we bring it to them. Full force. Let's show them what the United States of America looks like up close and personal. 'Show them what a B1 Bomber looks like flying overhead. Show them what they're messing with. Put the fear of God in their desert, because clearly our lack of strategy isn't working. 'But with that, thanks for getting on point with me tonight.' A conservative news anchor has been catapulted to internet celebrity status after a video of her blasting President Barack Obama's efforts in the fight against terrorism went viral. Tomi Lahren, host of One America News Network's On Point with Tomi Lahren, called out Obama's administration for their 'half-way, half-baked, tip-toe, be-friendly-to-Jihadis mentality' in a passionate speech that has been viewed more than 755,000 times on YouTube. The conservative 22-year-old's comments, said on Friday's episode on the fringe broadcast network, were in reference to the fatal shooting of four U.S. Marines and one active-duty Navy reservist, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday. The 24-year-old shooter, who was also killed, was identified as a devout Muslim named Mohammad Abdulazeez. Lahren, who comes from a family of Marines, said that 'radical Islam is becoming the rule, not the exception. Yesterday's moderate is today's terrorist'. 'I care that this SOB killed four of our United States Marines, and I care that our Commander in Chief is more concerned with Muslim sensitivity than the honor and sacrifice made by these Marines,' she added. Lahren, who is originally from Rapid City, South Dakota, said outright that Abudlazeez's acts were an act of terrorist. 'Do I care that he seemed like an all-American young man? Do I care that he was good at mixed martial arts or a smart quiet guy? Do I care that his high school friends would not classify him as 'overly religious'? No, I don't give a flying you-know-what about any of that,' she said. Clips of servicemen and women, as well as waving American flags filled the back drop of Lahren's set as she urged the United States to fight back against acts of terrorism such as this. 'Let's show them what the United States of America looks like up close and personal,' she said. 'Show them what they're messing with. Put the fear of God in their desert, because clearly our lack of strategy isn't working.' Several people took to social media to share their thoughts about what Lahren said in her closing statements of her talk show. Some people were positive and supportive of what Lahren had to say. A few suggested she run for president, even though she's 13 years shy of the age required to run for the position. 'Thank you @TomiLahren for finally saying what needed to be said. Enough is enough. #americaonpoint,' Twitter user @RyckiEbert wrote. 'I have mad respect for what you said. We need more people to step up and pray for our country. Keep doing what you do. #Pray,' @CalebSeeley3 wrote. 'BRAVO for speaking up for millions Americans are dying because of #PoliticalCorrectness,' @BiancaOSantos wrote. '@TomiLahren why don't you run for president! You have the courage to stand up & say it like it is,' @kellyjopeissner wrote. WHO IS TOMI LAHREN? Tomi Lahren is a 22-year-old conservative news anchor on One America News Network's On Point. She was born and raised in South Dakota, where she was student body president at her high school Lahren attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and graduated with degrees in journalism and political science After graduating in 2014, she moved to San Diego to work with One America News. She made headlines in March after giving a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference where she criticized the misconception among young people thinking the GOP was filled with 'old, rich, white males' The Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Q0MMHwx4k

What Ever Happened to the Affordable Pickup Truck? (The temptation of the overkill truck) By Ezra Dyer / Car & Driver / April 2015 In 1987, my parents bought their first new truck, a Dodge Ram D150. The Big Dodge Ram, as it came to be called, was so sparsely equipped that it should have come with a vow of celibacy. It had a manual trans hooked to an overtaxed 95-hp slant six. You sat on a bench seat and your headrest was the glass immediately behind your noggin. For options, it had stripes. As a kid, I thought it was the coolest truck in the world. As a teenage driver, my opinion was probably a little different, but the Dodge served nobly during the winter months when my IROC was encased in an ice fortress. No, the Ram wasn’t four-wheel drive. But I’ve found that if you drive fast enough toward an obstacle, it’s kind of like having four-wheel drive. Now, not to sound like Grumpy McGrandpa, but these days trucks are different. Of course, they’re way better. But they’re also way more expensive. The Ram cost $9995, which means that today it would cost a little less than $21,000. A few months back I drove a rear-drive, cloth-seat Chevy Silverado V-6 that cost $36,000. Extended cab, not even a four-door. Throw four-wheel drive on it and you crowd the price of a Mercedes-Benz C-class. Lord, won’t you buy me a Z71 4x4? And that’s what you pay for a modest truck. I just drove a Ford F-150 King Ranch that cost more than $60K. The cowboy motif—evoking the wide-open spaces of your wallet—isn’t really my thing, but the EcoBoost King Ranch is one gorgeous truck. It’s got twin turbos and an aluminum body, just like the new Ferrari 488GTB. The seats were heated and cooled and trimmed in the supplest of hides. When you’re helming the (heated, multifunctional) wheel of the mighty King Ranch, all other drivers are knaves. Bow down before my LED headlamps! One time I drove the Ram through a chain and didn’t notice. The school had a new chain across one of the parking-lot entrances, but there was no flag or sign on it, so I didn’t see it as I pulled in. I heard it, though, as the Dodge’s chrome front bumper casually tore the chain from its concrete stanchions. There was no apparent damage to the truck. Can you drive a new F-150 through a chain? You probably could, but I bet you’d feel bad about it. And therein lies the dilemma for the new-truck buyer. Trucks are so very nice, and so expensive, that you get anxious using them as trucks. I used a $62,000 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali to haul a yard of gravel for my driveway, and cleaning out the bed took me twice as long as the trip to get the gravel. Somehow I got rocks inside the tailgate, so I had to take that off, which meant wrestling with the wiring harness for the backup camera. The harness isn’t quite long enough, almost as if GM figures that nobody will ever need to remove a Sierra Denali tailgate for the purpose of pebble extraction. And on that count, they’re probably correct. Excessive fanciness might even make your truck the object of ridicule. A couple years ago I drove an F-350 to a Patriots game, and my parking space was too narrow for the Dumbo-ear outside mirrors. So I hit a button and conveniently telescoped them in, the sight of which caused a nearby tailgater to point and laugh. It doesn’t feel good to get laughed at by a guy in a Starter jacket. Now, you might point out that nobody is forcing you to buy the Rancho Supremo Rodeo Master Cowpoke Deluxe version of your favorite truck. Every company makes a basic work truck, but it’s ever so tempting to pile on the options. Even when I’m indulging in the make-believe of online configurators, I have a hard time resisting. I begin with a basic truck and then start saying: “Well, I’d want the V-8. And four-wheel drive. And I’d probably get at least an extended cab. And the locking differential would be nice. Bedliner and trailer package, obviously. And when you’re hooking up a trailer, a backup camera is really helpful, so let’s get the convenience package. Does that come with satellite radio? No?” And then I check the option for satellite radio on the imaginary truck that I’m not buying because, even hypothetically, I can’t stop myself from spending big dough on a pickup. This is why I’m a bad person to consult for truck-buying advice. Recently, a friend told me he was looking at 2015 GMC Canyons and wondered what other trucks he should try. I told him to check out a few full-size models, too, because a leftover Ram or F-150 might slum it down into the Canyon price range once all the discounts are figured in. And he dutifully drove a Hemi Ram, an F-150, and a Silverado. A few days later he texted me a photo of his new truck: a $23,000 Canyon, four-cylinder and manual transmission, two-wheel drive. It’s about the most basic new truck you can buy. And he loves it. I admire his honesty, his self-control, his acknowledgment that you don’t need to roll around in a jacked-up battlewagon just to haul a stepladder or a few bags of mulch now and then. His truck is rational, as the Big Dodge Ram was in 1987—just enough truck, no more. I respect that. But me? I would’ve sprung for the Hemi.

Automotive News / July 21, 2015 Ford Motor Co. is responding to surging demand for high-end pickups by introducing a Limited version of the F-150 that will start at about $60,000 and likely top $70,000 when loaded with options. The F-150 Limited, which Ford is unveiling today in Los Angeles, will go on sale this winter as a 2016 model. Its features include 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, Mojave leather seats and interior accents made of aluminum and fiddleback eucalyptus. Each truck’s production number is laser-engraved in a VIN plate on the center console lid. “The F-150 Limited sets a new bar for what discerning customers should expect in a high-end truck,” Raj Nair, Ford’s product development chief, said in a statement. “We’re adding segment-exclusive technology, and features that improve productivity, convenience and capability with distinctive style.” Ford offered a Limited trim on the 2013 and 2014 F-150, at a starting price of about $53,000, but discontinued it when introducing the aluminum-bodied 2015 model. In the first half of this year, Ford said 60 percent of F-series sales were so-called high-series trims: Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. As a result, the truck’s average transaction price has jumped 9 percent to $44,100 from a year ago. Though the Limited trim isn’t expected to sell in large numbers, it gives Ford another way to maximize revenue from the hugely profitable F-series lineup. Its starting price is about $10,000 more than that of the Chevrolet Silverado High Country, $8,000 more than a Ram 1500 Limited and the same as a BMW X6. Exact pricing will be announced later this summer. “There’s a lot of people who buy trucks as both a work tool and a status symbol,” said Karl Brauer, senior director of insights for Kelley Blue Book. “You have a lot of wealthy businesspeople who have the money to buy an extremely capable and extremely luxurious truck. It’s not any financial stretch for these people to spend 50 or 70 grand.” Ford sold about 190,000 F series for more than $50,000 last year, TrueCar estimated, outselling BMW’s 3, 5 and 7 series combined and the entire Audi brand. The F-150 Limited will have a 3.5-liter, EcoBoost V-6 engine, which is a $400 option on the King Ranch and Platinum trims. It will have a unique grille, raised “Limited” lettering on the hood and a satin-chrome exterior accents. The interior contains massaging front seats, a Sony 10-speaker sound system and scuff plates with “ice blue” backlighting. .

Motoring Australia / July 1, 2015 With former chief Tim Quinlan entering retirement, two Navistar veterans now join Glen Sharman to guide Navistar Auspac Two long-serving International/Navistar executives have signed on at Navistar Auspac, with Dicky Commandeur and John Staley effectively taking the reins from former Managing Director Tim Quinlan (pictured), whose contract came to a close on Tuesday, June 30. Mr Commandeur, a South African, will fill the role of Regional Manager. While still based in South Africa, Mr Commandeur will travel frequently to Melbourne to carry out his new role. Assisting Mr Commandeur 'on the ground' will be Mr Staley – an Australian who will be based at Navistar Auspac's Melbourne headquarters and who will assume the title of General Manager, Operations. With Mr Quinlan vacating his post to return to the US and begin his retirement, Mr Commandeur and Mr Staley will continue Navistar Auspac's efforts to establish a dealer network for International and generally prepare for that brand's reintroduction to the Australian market. They will both be assisted by Glen Sharman, Navistar Auspac's Director, Sales, Marketing and Business Development, who will continue to play a key role in steering Cat Trucks and International in this market. Mr Quinlan completed a six-month contract with Navistar Auspac in the wake of the sudden departure late last year of former MD Kevin Dennis, who returned to MTU Detroit Diesel Australia (now Penske Power Systems Inc). Speaking candidly with trucksales.com.au just before his departure, Mr Quinlan – an International/Navistar stalwart of almost 38 years – said that rather than installing a local chief, it was important that Navistar Auspac's leadership team retain a strong sense of the company's culture, and especially so through a crucial period that will see the re-establishment here of the International brand. "I think it's still important to reinforce that Navistar culture," he said. "For any local we might have found it would have taken a lot to get them to understand the strengths and weaknesses Navistar has as a global organisation. But we [Mr Quinlan, Mr Commandeur and Mr Staley] know them." Mr Staley is returning from retirement to take on his role at Navistar Auspac, after a career with International that spans 45 years. Mr Commandeur, meanwhile, joined the Navistar family in South Africa after being hired by Mr Quinlan some 20 years ago. Most recently, Mr Commandeur has been responsible for all African markets outside of South Africa itself. "He [Mr Commandeur] is very good at setting up dealers and then getting them up to speed, so he'll be a very good help and mentor for people like Glen Sharman," said Mr Quinlan. "I'm leaving Navistar Auspac in very good hands. Now that it's in place, or on the way to being in place, I can leave feeling good about what I've started, and I can look back and I know that they'll carry it on."

Motoring Australia / June 29, 2015 With his retirement beckoning, Navistar Auspac's Tim Quinlan says he's leaving International and Cat Trucks in safe hands… With over 37 years under his belt with Navistar and International before it, Tim Quinlan has ridden with the American truck manufacturer through good times and bad. Having just relinquished his role as Managing Director at Navistar's Australian subsidiary, Navistar Auspac, the 65-year-old American is heading home to begin his retirement, after a six-month contract here overseeing the reintroduction of International to Australia and mapping out the future for both it and sibling brand, Cat Trucks. From humble beginnings in 1972 as a California-based accounting clerk with International Harvester, Quinlan quickly rose through the ranks to become an export market specialist, overseeing International and later Navistar operations in markets as diverse as the Middle East, Africa, and Russia. His career saw him based on two occasions in Brussels (Belgium), before moving to Johannesburg (South Africa) in 1995 – a post from where he went on to guide Navistar's operations for the entire Eastern Hemisphere, including Australia. From 2000, and while still based in South Africa, Quinlan oversaw International here in partnership with Iveco Australia, which had bought the International Harvester operation in Dandenong, Victoria, in 1992. He continued in that role until the arrival of the joint venture between Navistar and Caterpillar, the new entity known as NC2. The formation of NC2 eventually spelled the end of Quinlan's time at Navistar – at least for a while. Unable to fully support the endeavour in concept or roll-out, he left the company and set up his own consultancy business with his wife in Johannesburg. That continued until last year, when Navistar approached Quinlan to head up Navistar Auspac. There he would fill the void left by outgoing chief Kevin Dennis and guide the reintroduction of International, while continuing the efforts of Cat Trucks. It was a contract Quinlan couldn't turn down, its relatively brief six-month duration belying the gravity of the role, if not ultimately altering the date of Quinlan's impending retirement. Now, with preparations for International's return well underway, Quinlan and his wife are heading home to the US, to begin that retirement in earnest. trucksales.com.au caught up with the Navistar stalwart just days before his departure, to chat about his career, International's return, and the future for it and Cat Trucks in Australia… trucksales.com.au: You're no stranger to Australia. Prior to heading up Navistar Auspac, how have you been involved with trucks here? Tim Quinlan: While I was based in South Africa I picked up responsibility for Australia in 2000; at that time Iveco had our brand, importing some medium and heavy trucks at the time; they weren't building any International trucks. My service manager from South Africa had been working in Australia, and he came back the year before and was telling me how badly Iveco was doing. When I took on the role I was told by Navistar in Chicago to come over and terminate the agreement. I was prepared to do that until I ran into Alain Gajnik, who had just joined Iveco from Mack as marketing manager. He appreciated the value of an American truck within the Iveco business and said that we should try to figure it out. We put together an assembly program and spent the next 10 years working together – International became the conventional product in the Dandenong plant and Iveco focused primarily on its cab-overs. Later people in Chicago would tell me, 'You can't do business with a competitor', but I actually thought we did pretty well – pretty well for working under the same roof, for them being a European manufacturer and us being a US manufacturer. The dealer network was pretty much an old International network anyway – they had International blood in them – so the dealers were pushing them to keep the International brand. But the [NC2] joint venture in 2010 forced the end of that. Part of the agreement was we had to get out of any other International business in this market, and the distribution [of Cat Trucks] had to go through them [Cat]. TS: You weren't in favour of the joint venture, were you? TQ: You know, that's a difficult one for me because I really am passionate about it. I didn't agree with the strategy, but that was a strategy that was being conducted at a far higher level than my colleagues and I. I actually took a contract and stayed on for a year with the NC2 joint venture because I felt I owed my dealers around this part of the world to help them transition in the best possible way. I think if they had developed a construction/vocational-type truck, something like what they developed in North America for the Cat network over there, and then offered that to Cat dealers around the world, including Australia, to whet their appetite for the truck business, then we could have moved them maybe into the highway business. But to start them right away in the highway business? They just didn't understand it, even though they were in the engine business – that's different to being truck dealers. They were engine people; the [Cat] dealer network found looking after the trucks to be a totally different animal than looking after their usual earthmoving, construction and stationary equipment. I think that's been a learning curve for Cat; certainly it has been for us. Trucks demand a different mentality and I think that's where we've probably had the most problems – that and the fact that they raced this thing through. It was too much, too fast, in my opinion. And on top of that, you had Cat going out of the engine business – that happened just before the joint venture. That decision really upset this market, and so we've come in as partners with them to a market that in some instances was mad at Cat. It was a bit tricky. So I guess the learning is, what looks good on paper doesn't necessarily work out in reality. I think it's interesting that as we went around to the other parts of the world, trying to talk to Cat dealers to become part of it, they didn't want to. Australia is the only market where the Cat dealers signed up to take on the truck business, so that must tell you something. TS: How easy or hard was the decision to take on the Navistar Auspac role? TQ: It wasn't very difficult, actually. I was shocked, because I thought I was done with International when I retired, because I left a little bit bitter in the sense that they didn't listen to us about how the joint venture maybe should have been put together – they decided to do it their own way. I left because I didn't believe in it and so I didn't leave with the best feeling, but to be able to come back and help in some little way to bring the International brand back and get it on the right path, I was very grateful for the opportunity. Dave Allen [then Vice President, Parts Sales, Service and Operations, Navistar Global] was caretaking this market after Kevin Dennis left kind of suddenly. I think the intention was Dave was going to try to do it from Chicago but he found out he had a full-time job there, so he asked me if I'd consider it. It was very quick; this was in the middle of November last year and I was back in early December for two weeks with Dave on transition, before my wife and I returned to Australia in January. TS: What have been the biggest challenges you've faced in overseeing International's return? TQ: The biggest challenges have been on the internal side, in the sense of getting some clarity on where we stood with Caterpillar. Cat left the joint venture in 2011. Since that time Navistar has really been representing the Cat brand here, so in bringing International here we don't really have a clear identity as Navistar – it really hasn't been a Navistar business, if you see what I mean. So my challenge in putting International on the right path is to bring a Navistar culture to it, while we also had to wait for clarity on the distribution going forward. We felt we needed to offer the International brand to the Cat network, but we couldn't be sure that Cat was going to allow that because they had to agree to it – so we waited until around March before we had clarity that we could have dual distribution. The biggest challenge now is putting the right dealer network in place. TS: Has there been much progress with that network? TQ: We don't have anybody signed yet but we're at the very beginning stage. We've met a few former International dealers and we've met some others I didn't know who have expressed interest. We've offered it to the Cat dealers and four out of five have declined. The fifth one is considering it and we're hopeful that they will take International on. So we might end up with one dual-brand dealer and individual-brand dealers in another network. That's the biggest mission for the next 12 months. The good thing is we've got a bit of time – we don't go into full production until February next year, so we've got until then to start putting the pieces in place for the dealer network. TS: What sort of synergies have been realised between International and Cat Trucks? TQ: Because we had the ProStar platform for the Cat truck, a lot of the engineering required to bring the International here has already been done. It's a ProStar with a Cat badge and some other Cat DNA, so if we hadn't had that program then we wouldn't have a right-hand-drive ProStar and we'd have to figure that out. That's already done – those synergies are already there. Our advantage now is that we can still cater to the Cat-loving customers and the guys who don't want to spend a premium to buy a Cat-branded truck, but who still want a good North American alternative and who will accept a Cummins engine. We've got the best of both worlds. I think it's a bit telling that the majority of the Cat dealers have said they don't want to take on International – it just shows how hard they've found the truck business. Because if they had found it easy and if they were happy with it, then why not take on the other and have both? So they know themselves, and they understood fully that if they don't take it then they're going to have an International dealer somewhere in their neighbourhood. But they made that decision and good for them. At least they took a good look at themselves and asked, 'Can we do it justice, or are we kidding ourselves? TS: So with your departure, who will be guiding the ship going forwards? TQ: I have a succession plan in place. A colleague of mine who worked with me in South Africa and who helped me manage the business here is going to look after the market from South Africa along with a locally based fellow ex-pat. He also worked with me for many years – he's a 45-year International guy. So there's going to be a couple of International people looking after it. The local fellow will be the in-country manager but he'll be on a management/consulting contract, because he's retired from the Navistar joint venture. We're still finalising a few things but their names will be released soon. TS: Seems Navistar attracts a few executives back from retirement… TQ: Maybe that's not ideal but for the next 12 to 18 months I think it's still important to reinforce that Navistar culture. For any local we might have found it would have taken a lot to get them to understand the strengths and weaknesses Navistar has as a global organisation. But we know them. It will be managed kind of like how we did with Iveco – the chief will still be living in South Africa but he'll be coming here every couple of months for a couple of weeks. I first hired him almost 20 years ago, so he's still working for the company over there covering all the markets outside of South Africa. He's very good at setting up dealers and then getting them up to speed, so he'll be a very good help and mentor for people like Glen Sharman [Navistar Auspac Director, Sales, Marketing and Business Development]. TS: Is it tough leaving the role before the local roll-out of International is fully realised? TQ: That's a very good question but I didn't come in with any illusions – I agreed to a six-month contract with the possibility of extending by a couple of months, but you know what? If we didn't have the succession plan, if we didn't have some clarity on the dealer network, then I would have probably suggested that I stay a little longer. But we have that, so we might as well get started with the people who are going to carry it on – I have complete confidence in both my successors to carry on what I've started. So whether it be now or a couple of months from now, I was determined to retire and be home by Thanksgiving anyway, and that's November. But I feel like I wish they had asked me two years earlier, because I would have liked to have had a couple of years to work with the organisation to make them more understanding of the Navistar culture. Previously we operated in a niche environment and NC2 tried to make us global. We proved to ourselves that that didn't work, so now we're going back to the niches and we're starting with markets where we've got the brand name – markets like Australia. We're working very hard to get back into South Africa – we've got the brand name there too – so if we can get success there, get a foothold back in these markets, then Navistar can start to grow the export business again. So I feel gratified that at least I'm leaving seeing the ProStar coming, and seeing these guys getting started on an International dealer network, but the product launch next year I can watch from the beaches of California. I'm leaving Navistar Auspac in very good hands. Now that it's in place, or on the way to being in place, I can leave feeling good about what I've started, and I can look back and I know that they'll carry it on.

Motoring Australia / May 26, 2015 Navistar executives have outlined their basic strategy to re-introduce International to Australia. At a press conference at the recent Brisbane Truck Show, Navistar Inc Vice President and General Manager – Global, Tom Clevinger, along with Navistar Auspac Managing Director, Tim Quinlan, Navistar Auspac Director of Sales, Marketing and Business Development, Glen Sharman, and Navistar Auspac Chief Engineer, Adrian Wright, revealed the rough timeline guiding International's return. They also shone a light on International's initial product offering and gave an insight into how the brand will sit alongside Navistar Auspac's existing Cat Trucks operation. CHANGING FORTUNES Navistar has endured tumultuous times on both sides of the Pacific over the past five or so years. Here the creation of the NC2 joint venture between Navistar and Caterpillar in 2010 saw Cat's C15 engine slotted into the new Cat Trucks line-up as the heavy-machinery giant simultaneously (and controversially) pulled out of on-highway engine supply elsewhere. Local assembly of Cat Trucks followed, only for production to be shifted back to the US as the joint venture dissolved, with Navistar assuming full control of the operation in 2011. Navistar Inc, meanwhile, had its own struggles to contend with, but a concerted push to reduce costs, divest itself of non-core businesses, transition from EGR to SCR emissions technology and generally streamline operations has, from 2012, returned the company to a stable financial footing. There's been a lot happening within the extended Navistar Inc family, that's for sure, but the firm has moved exceptionally quickly since the initial decision was made in early 2014 to return International to Australia. It's been a long time coming for a brand with a rich history in this part of the world. After falling on hard times, the Australian operations of parent company International Harvester were purchased by Iveco in 1992, although Iveco continued to sell some International-branded trucks under licence. Through its agricultural equipment International can in fact trace its history back to the 1850s here in Australia and to 1831 in the US, when Cyrus McCormick produced his innovative reaping machine and founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. That was one of five companies that amalgamated in 1902 to form International Harvester, which produced a wide variety of equipment, including trucks, until 1986. Here in Australia the firm's truck operations shifted into top gear with the establishment of a major production facility in Dandenong, Victoria, in 1952 – a plant still in operating under the Iveco banner today. It was this plant that produced the ACCO, AB Series and S-Line families of trucks, among many others; vehicles that forged a strong reputation for reliability and strength through years of punishment on rough Aussie roads. Now, some 23 years after International's exit from Australia, the brand is set to roll our roads once more – and owner Navistar Inc and local arm Navistar Auspac are keen to capitalise on the iconic name's heritage. PROSTAR SPEARHEAD International's return will be spearheaded by the ProStar 112. While the Cat Trucks range also adopts the same basic ProStar format, in a major point of difference the International ProStar will be powered by the Cummins ISXe5 15-litre engine, in a product also tailored for Australian conditions. According to Navistar Auspac Chief Engineer, Adrian Wright, the local-spec ProStar represents the world's first installation of the 15-litre ISX in a short-hood ProStar format. "The ProStar is the first model we're going to introduce on the International side of the business; it's a key model for us – it's where the market volume is and it's also a key model in the US," he said. "The Australian model will be based on the American model; we'll leverage as much of that technology as we can. At the end of the day we want to combine the aerodynamics of that North American truck with the ISXe5 engine, which meets our emissions here in Australia and gives us a good, simple and efficient package." In bringing the ProStar to Australia, Navistar Auspac worked in partnership with Cummins South Pacific, with assistance also received from Navistar Inc and Cummins headquarters in the US. Extensive work has been undertaken to ensure the engine meets not only our ADR requirements and Navistar's own standards, but also Cummins' Installation Quality Assessment (IQA) criteria. Changes were made to the engine mountings, the air intake system, the radiator and charge air cooler, the AdBlue tank and DEF doser and lines, and the exhaust and aftertreatment system, among many other components. While the US ProStar is fitted with ISX EPA engine, Wright said there was little to be gained by bringing that same engine here. "It [the US-spec engine] is a 'hamburger with the lot', if you like, with all the acronyms," he said. "We don't need all that yet in Australia, along with its extra cost and complexity for operators." Mr Wright said he has complete confidence the engine will meet local operators' needs, and that it has ample cooling capacity to handle local conditions. "We've got better than 50-degree cooling capability on this truck," he said. "In theory this means you can operate the truck at full load indefinitely on a 50-degree day without the engine de-rating." In local spec the ProStar boasts a bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 112 inches (2845mm), making it suitable for 34-pallet B-double applications, while it has a fuel capacity of over 1000 litres. It comes with LED headlamps with Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) and its cab is crash-tested to ECE R29 standards. Here it will be offered in Day Cab, Extended Cab and 40-inch integrated Sleeper variants, the latter also optimised for 34-pallet work. Future options could potentially include the addition of a 13-litre engine (both Navistar's N13 and/or Cummins' new ISGe5), a 122-inch long-hood version and a 56-inch integrated sleeper. LOCAL RELEASE So, when will we see the International ProStar here in Australia? Navistar Auspac says the US engineering release of the Aussie-spec ProStar will be made in July 2015, with pilot builds to commence in October 2015 and full production to commence in February 2016. At this stage local availability is slated for early 2016. Navistar Auspac Managing Director, Tim Quinlan, said the company is now laying the groundwork for Australia's International dealer network. "We're currently in the process of developing that strategy," he said. "Out of courtesy and respect for the Cat dealers we've offered the International brand to them. They're at various stages of deciding; some have opted not to take on the International brand, there are still a couple who are considering it, and we will then be entertaining the prospect of other truck dealers around the country. "We'll probably have, and [at this early stage] I'm guessing, a diverse dealer network." FELINE FUTURE The re-introduction of International has been viewed by some as a potential threat to the future of Cat Trucks, especially given the inability of Cat's C15 engine to meet Euro 6 emissions standards – not that there's any sign those standards look likely to be mandated here before 2020. Mr Quinlan, however, gave his assurance that the future of Cat Trucks is secure… "Cat dealerships are going to stay in place; they're going to continue to sell the Cat trucks that we have, that we've developed, while one or two of them might [also] take on the International brand," he said. "For us, we want to get market share in the heavy-duty sector. So if we sell Cat trucks, if we sell International trucks, that's good for us." Mr Sharman echoed those sentiments. "[international] now gives us more scope to service customers' needs," he said. "Cat certainly has a viable future for us. We see Cat continuing on; we've got dealers who are committed to it." Those comments were underlined by the launch of Cat's new CT630HD at the Brisbane Truck Show, the new model expanding the Cat line-up's capabilities to include road train applications with GCMs of up to 131 tonnes. Mr Wright said there was plenty of life left in Cat's C15 for the immediate future. "The Cat engine is good until 2020 as far as we're concerned and it's performing well," he said. "Trying to predict more than five years ahead, I don't know." Mr Sharman was also quick to quash any notions of engine swaps across the two brands. "The International product will have a Cummins engine and potentially a Navistar engine, and the Cat product will continue with the CT13 engine, which is a Navistar product, and the Cat C15 engine – there will be no other options," he said. FURTHER EXPANSION As for International's future expansion, Navistar Auspac said the ProStar would likely be followed in two to three years by the WorkStar. "We’ve got a high-level strategy but there's no timing on it yet," said Mr Wright. "Our plan is to grow the model range incrementally over the next five years." To that end, Navistar Auspac said it's also examining long-hood LoneStar – which in highly customised 'Blade' form was drawing plenty of interest at the Brisbane Truck Show. "The LoneStar is a bit of a barometer test at the moment," said Mr Sharman, who admits it could work for bulk-haul applications. Navistar Auspac said it will leverage significant synergies in having the two ProStar-based ranges under two different brands in Australia. "We get really good economies of scale out of this and the two brands will actually support each other from a technical and volume point of view," said Mr Wright. "There will be certain niches where the Cat product will fit better and certain niches where the International product will fit better." Amidst all the industrious activity to re-establish the International name in Australia, Mr Clevinger said Navistar's motivation remains fundamentally simple. "We wanted to have control of our own brand; Cat's not our own brand," he said. "We have a great relationship with Cat and we work with them, but at the end of the day we'd like to be able to have control of our own brand in some of these markets." Mr Sharman, meanwhile, says the addition of International is a thrilling prospect for Navistar Auspac and Navistar Inc. "It starts now for us," he said. "Having International and really getting the runs on the board come 2016, and working with the Cat dealers and working with the Cat product, we're really lucky in Australia and New Zealand to have these two good brands to work with."

Scania Press Release / July 20, 2015 What can a Native American tribe and one of Central Europe’s largest logistic companies possibly have in common? Well, more than the name, it seems. Hopi is a Native American tribe from Arizona. The word Hopi represents their spiritual goal – a mental state of being in complete harmony with the natural world and all things. “Initially the shared name was just a coincidence. But we discovered that we actually have a lot in common. In many respects, our corporate policies are identical to the credo of the Hopi tribe,” says Eduard Šneidar, director of transport at HOPI s.r.o. Eduard’s move into the HOPI logistics business started right after his graduation in transportation science from the Czech Technical University in Prague. “At that time, to me, the word ‘logistics’ was just a technical term from some textbook. I decided to find out what it meant in practice. Now that I’ve been with HOPI for 13 years, logistics has become one of my main interests, along with sport, music and documentaries.” HOPI s.r.o. is a family owned logistics company in Central Europe with about 4000 employees and 500 vehicles. Like the tribe, HOPI operates with a strong environmental ethos. Not surprising then, that the choice fell on Ecolution by Scania when the time came to upgrade the fleet with 108 new trucks. “In the current market situation, where you’re looking to economize and streamline, it seemed a ‘sin’ not to try this,” Eduard says. Ecolution by Scania helps customers drastically reduce costs and carbon dioxide emissions while improving road safety. Components include carbon-optimized vehicle specifications, driver training, feedback on real-time environmental performance and a maintenance agreement. “We’ve made significant savings thanks to the Ecolution tools,” Eduard tells us. One advantage he mentions is that they now have access to vehicle data more or less on-line and in an intuitive format. “It’s one thing to have all the data. But if you don’t know what it all means, it’s useless. With this system, the data are presented in a simple, intuitive way that everyone can get to grips with.” http://newsroom.scania.com/en-group/2015/07/20/20752/ .

CAT Press Release / June 16, 2015 The optimism of senior Cat Trucks representatives in the new CT630HD road train triples model has been firmly vindicated both during and after the recent Brisbane Truck Show. “We were certainly anxious to gauge reactions to the CT630HD, particularly to see if the level of operator interest would be equal to our confidence in the model. But any concerns disappeared as soon as the doors to the show opened,” says Gary Johnson, general manager of the Hastings Deering Cat Trucks dealership in Richlands, Brisbane. “The huge number of visitors to the stand and the sheer volume of interest and feedback from customers and drivers were incredibly positive. Best of all, the level of inquiry has continued to be extremely strong since the show,” he adds. “In this part of the world, I don’t think there could be a better place to launch a new truck model than the Brisbane Truck Show. People come from all over Australia, New Zealand and even further afield to visit this show, so to be able to present a truck like the CT630HD is a great asset.” Gary and his team were responsible for preparing the hugely popular Cat Trucks exhibit featuring the new CT630HD alongside its increasingly popular stablemates, the CT630SC and the highly efficient CT610. “Interest in all the models was extraordinary,” he remarked. “Since the previous Brisbane Truck Show two years ago, several new Cat models have been developed including the CT630S and the CT630SC which primarily target the B-double sector. “But the CT630HD was making its debut at the Brisbane show and being the first Cat truck rated for roadtrain triples work, it’s easy to understand why it attracted so much attention. “It’s obvious many people were looking forward to this model’s arrival as much as we were and again, it’s not difficult to understand why. It’s a versatile truck with the ability to cover a lot of workloads from grain to general freight, tankers, bulk goods and most things in between,” Gary Johnson enthused. “There’s certainly the strength to run on dirt when required but it’s more a triples rated highway truck and that’s what suits a lot of roadtrain operators these days, particularly the flexibility to do staging work from a single trailer to two and then three trailers.” With several fleet operators placing orders for the CT630HD even before the Brisbane show, the first units are already headed to roadtrain triples roles in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. “It’s a truck developed from a proven platform and as far as I can see, pulling three trailers won’t be an issue,” commented Sean Carren, founder and managing director of Perth-based Goldstar Transport, prior to taking delivery of Australia’s first CT630HD. “I’ve been quite vocal in encouraging the development of this truck for the past couple of years simply because we’ve had such a good run from the Cats we already operate.” Buoyed by such consistent demand, Cat Trucks engineers were able to expand on the foundations already proven in the well-equipped CT630LS model to develop a unit with the inherent strength to operate efficiently and reliably at gross weights up to 131 tonnes. Powered by the indomitable Cat C15 engine which satisfies Australia’s emissions regulations without the need for complex SCR or EGR emissions technologies, several key areas were identified to bring the CT630HD to Cat’s desired level for triples work. The most obvious changes are a deeper, blackened grille and a higher cab stance which along with giving the CT630HD a boldly unique identity, delivers the mutual benefits of optimised airflow and reduced engine fan engagement in high duty cycles. Specific enhancements included a raised, heavier duty frame for bullbar and tow-pin fittings, a high-flow twin cylinder air compressor to facilitate greater air delivery in multiple trailer applications and critically, increased air cleaner capacity with the introduction of a centrifugal pre-cleaner into the existing air cleaner assembly. Meantime, front axle rating was boosted to 7.3 tonnes with the optional Meritor MFS73 beam which runs a narrower track width to accommodate the wide profile 385/65R22.5 steer tyres preferred by many roadtrain operators. With standard 295/80R22.5 steer tyres, the CT630HD employs the wide-track version of Meritor’s MFS front axle rated at 6.5 tonnes. Front suspension is a tapered three-leaf parabolic spring package rated at 7.3 tonnes. Importantly, Cat Trucks engineers also saw the need for an upgraded steering system. Consequently, a Sheppard ‘slave’ gear is now available for fitting to the left-hand side frame rail, effectively creating a dual gear steering system which not only maintains Cat’s high standards of road handling but also distributes the steering load across both chassis rails rather than imparting full load on a single steering gear on a single rail. Similarly, chassis rails of the CT630HD have been strengthened with the introduction of long L-shaped inserts extending from a position forward of the fuel tanks through to the tapered rear of the chassis. The rear axle assembly has been upgraded to Meritor’s RT50-160GP drive tandem rated at 22.7 tonnes (50,000 lb) and offering rear axle ratios from 3.9 to 4.1, 4.3 and 4.56:1. In standard form, the Meritor layout features steel hubs, a power divider lock and cross diff lock on the rearmost drive axle. Optionally available are alloy hubs, an additional cross-lock on the forward drive axle and a lube pump for the rear axle assembly. Rear suspension is Hendrickson’s popular Primaax EX road friendly air suspension which has been bolstered with the fitment of heavy-duty transverse torque rods. On the inside, drivers are comfortably accommodated in the spacious, fully integrated 56 inch (1422 mm) sleeper cab widely acclaimed in Cat’s CT630LS model. Yet while the CT630HD has been developed essentially to answer the call for a triples-rated Cat truck, maintaining operational versatility was a critical factor according to Cat Trucks chief engineer Adrian Wright. “Our primary goal was to create a truck for roadtrain work up to 131 tonnes, but not at the expense of putting so much weight into the truck that it would lose the viability to also operate effectively as a B-double or B-triple.” This level of versatility is an extremely important factor according to Peter Calligaro, business unit manager of Westrac’s Cat Trucks operation based in Perth. “The CT630HD is ideal for the West Australian market,” he comments. “It has the attributes to haul B-doubles, roadtrain doubles or B-triples across the Nullarbor or roadtrain triples to the north. “In this day and age it pays to be many things to many people and given the amount of inquiry we’ve had, it’s apparent the CT630HD already ticks a lot of boxes with a lot of operators. “We’ve had a lot to do with this truck’s development and we’re definitely happy with the finished product,” Peter emphasises. “It adds a new dimension to our business in so many ways.” Akin to the new model’s debut at the Brisbane Truck Show, the CT630HD will have pride of place on the Cat Trucks stand at the upcoming Perth Truck Show from July 24 to 26. “We’re eager to show it off and we know there are a lot of people just as eager to see it in the flesh,” Peter Calligaro concludes. Related reading - http://www.cattrucks.com.au/trucks/ct630hd/#tab=1 .

Today's Trucking / July 20, 2015 Navistar International Corp. on Monday announced it is refinancing a loan to improve the company’s liquidity and financial flexibility. A US$697.5 million senior secured term loan, which matures in August 2017, is being replaced with a US $1.040 billion package that will mature in August 2020. "The company's financial condition and results continue to improve steadily, and we have begun to generate positive cash flow," said Walter G. Borst, Navistar’s chief financial officer. "We're investing in new products and advancing on our uptime strategy in the market, driven by our focus on connected vehicles. The term loan renewal will provide us additional flexibility to pursue these initiatives while extending our debt maturity profile." According to published reports stock in Navistar has lost 4.38% during the past week and dropped 20.97% in the last 4 weeks. Year-to-date the stock performance is down 44.62%. Analysts are anticipating the company will report earnings per share of US$0.21 for the fiscal quarter ending on July 31, which are set to be reported in early September. The company will be trying to improve on the previous quarter’s numbers of earnings per share showing a loss of US$0.57 for the previous quarter, $0.40 more than expected, according to a consensus of analysts.

Fleet Owner / July 20, 2015 The impact of the potential lawsuit announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week against truck and engine maker Navistar over its use of “non-compliant” engines in its 2010-model trucks – engines that did not meet the agency’s exhaust emission standards – is really going to depend on just how big a fine EPA inflicts on the OEM. Right now, the EPA is planning to levy up to $300 million in fines on Navistar over some 7,750 heavy-duty diesel truck engines sold in 2010 that didn’t meet the agency’s air pollution metrics – roughly equating to a $37,500 fine per engine. Yet also in play alongside those potential fines is the continued strong pace of the North American commercial truck market, Basili Alukos, an equity analyst with independent investment research firm Morningstar, told Fleet Owner. “If volumes stay at their current level, they’ll generate the cash needed to dig out from this,” he said. “If volumes fall, then it works against them twice; they are losing revenue even as the costs they need to carry rise.” To date, the truck sales outlook has become more mixed. Yet Navistar noted in its second quarter earnings report that it believes retail deliveries of Class 6 through 8 trucks and buses in the U.S. and Canada will stay strong in both 2015 and 2016 – in the range of 350,000 to 380,000 units – with a stronger mix of school buses and medium-duty trucks. If truck sales remain at such a strong pace, Alukos contended, then Navistar should be able to generate the cash necessary to handle the EPA’s fines – whatever that final number turns out to be. “From a revenue perspective, you’re talking about a company generating $10 billion to $12 billion a year, if [truck sales] volumes continue at their current pace,” he explained. “The real question is how it impacts their free cash flow, which is around $700 million to $1 billion. That’s the more meaningful impact.” According to the company’s second quarter earnings report, filed back at the beginning of June, Navistar has $784 million in manufacturing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities on hand. The OEM also reported a net loss of $64 million on revenues of $2.7 billion for the second quarter as well, compared to a net loss of $297 million during the same period in 2014. The company attributed that significant reduction in its losses to an “increase in truck segment sales, favorable product mix and the continuation of lower warranty expense and cost reductions.” Furthermore, Navistar noted today that it successfully “refinanced” its $697.5 million long-term line of credit with a new $1.040 billion senior secured term loan that will mature in August 2020 – a loan increase of $300 million, or the exact amount of the maximum potential fine being sought by EPA. "The company's financial condition and results continue to improve steadily, and we have begun to generate positive cash flow," noted Walter Borst, Navistar’s CFO, in a statement. Yet analyst Vicki Bryan feels that the EPA’s lawsuit comes “at a bad time for Navistar,” which has “made strides to become more profitable” but still faces a precarious financial situation. “By the time a settlement is assessed on this issue, which could come over the next year, we expect Navistar will be in even better shape to absorb it without stalling or, worse, reversing its hard-won progress toward recovery,” Bryan told the newspaper. “We suspect Navistar’s new management is working aggressively to whittle the impact as much as possible, but it’s also important that Navistar get decisively past so much damaging, not to mention expensive, legacy baggage — especially government probes and lawsuits related to this dark period — which continue to impair its credibility with customers, employees, suppliers, lenders and investors,” she added. At the end of the day, however, it's the reaction by Navistar’s customers to the EPA’s lawsuit that has the longest-term implications, Morningstar’s Alukos told Fleet Owner. “Are they going to view this as a new, significant challenge for the company’s products? Or to pay for their ‘past sins,’ which is the more likely view,” he explained. “It comes down to how it might affect the view of current product quality.”

Forbes / July 20, 2015 Winslow Bent found himself unemployed in 2008, staring down the Great Recession. When he saw a 1940s Dodge Power Wagon in a field near his home in Jackson Hole, he turned to his childhood passion for solace. “It was such a cool looking truck. I bought it,” he says. His winter of discontent was spent disassembling and learning the secrets of the Power Wagon, a slow but impossibly tough civilian vehicle first launched in 1946, based on the Dodge WC military vehicle that helped turn the tide for America in World War Two. No less a man than General George Patton preferred the Dodge WC Command Car for his campaigns in Africa, Sicily and the push from Normandy into Germany. Not long after Winslow completed that first Power Wagon, someone saw it roaming Jackson Hole and offered to buy. Negotiations were simple. “It’s built so you can drive it everyday. I have at least a hundred grand in it,” Winslow offered up. The buyer replied, “I bet you do,” and wrote the check. After selling the truck, Winslow did not know what to do next. His wife had an answer: “You’re already doing it. Build another one. Just get an ‘Open’ sign.” He named the company Legacy Classic Trucks. His second Power Wagon sold for $150,000 before it was done. Winslow learned the basics of engineering development and industrial design in childhood, working at his family’s company in Chicago, which fabricated stainless steel manufacturing equipment. After the second Power Wagon sold, he focused on serious product planning, defining a vehicle that he could build, over and over, repeating established processes based on readily available components with the goal of delivering reliable service in harsh conditions. “These vehicles are reliable, and serviceable in the field. It means a Legacy can be taken out and driven hard every day,” Winslow says. His winter of discontent was spent disassembling and learning the secrets of the Power Wagon, a slow but impossibly tough civilian vehicle first launched in 1946, based on the Dodge WC military vehicle that helped turn the tide for America in World War Two. No less a man than General George Patton preferred the Dodge WC Command Car for his campaigns in Africa, Sicily and the push from Normandy into Germany. Not long after Winslow completed that first Power Wagon, someone saw it roaming Jackson Hole and offered to buy. Negotiations were simple. “It’s built so you can drive it everyday. I have at least a hundred grand in it,” Winslow offered up. The buyer replied, “I bet you do,” and wrote the check. After selling the truck, Winslow did not know what to do next. His wife had an answer: “You’re already doing it. Build another one. Just get an ‘Open’ sign.” He named the company Legacy Classic Trucks. His second Power Wagon sold for $150,000 before it was done. Winslow learned the basics of engineering development and industrial design in childhood, working at his family’s company in Chicago, which fabricated stainless steel manufacturing equipment. After the second Power Wagon sold, he focused on serious product planning, defining a vehicle that he could build, over and over, repeating established processes based on readily available components with the goal of delivering reliable service in harsh conditions. “These vehicles are reliable, and serviceable in the field. It means a Legacy can be taken out and driven hard every day,” Winslow says. Working 18-hour days on his own was unsustainable, forcing Winslow to become a business manager, engaging fabricators and mechanics. “I posted photos of Power Wagons online,” Winslow says. “People started calling—guys in the energy business and timber, ranchers, from western Canada, the Bakken, Rocky Mountains, Texas. I found a market that went beyond local buyers who saw my Power Wagon on the road.” “What’s so surprising is the number of people who recognize it, who know what a Power Wagon is,” says Mark Chenoweth, owner of the red Power Wagon seen here, and the retired COO of CoorsTek, a privately held technology company headquartered in Colorado that specializes in advanced materials like ceramic armor and proppants, the ceramic beads used in fracking. Winslow’s development and production process differentiates his operation from hot rod shops building outrageous one-offs. “I build these trucks with off-the-shelf ‘crate’ engines. A Cummins diesel with 480 foot-pounds of torque, the engine that powers UPS and FedEx trucks, is my favorite. Or a 430 horsepower Chevy LS3 V8, which is not unlike what comes in a Cadillac Escalade or a Corvette Stingray. Or a Dodge V8.” If the commissioned vehicle will meet Legacy’s standards for reliability, the owner can request any number of special items to express their unique vision of the Power Wagon. “If a customer wants Ostrich hide seats or a special gun rack,” says Winslow, “he can have them.” The red truck seen here is special under the hood, powered by a variation on the supercharged Cadillac CTS-V and Camaro ZL1 V8, producing 620 horsepower. But it can be serviced at a GM dealership. “During the ordering process, I had a couple of criteria,” says Chenoweth. “I wanted a four-wheel drive vehicle as strong as Winslow could make it. For the powertrain my main criteria was the ability to spin all four 40-inch tires on dry pavement. That’s how we started.” To achieve Chenoweth’s goals, Winslow turned to the GM engine catalog. “My Power Wagon is a sleeper,” says Chenoweth. “You’d never expect this truck to have so much power or ability.” To build a four-wheel drive truck so strong, Winslow installed only the very best. “I can’t go to a gas station without attracting a crowd,” says Chenoweth. “The day I picked it up, I stopped at a station driving home and had one guy crawl underneath to see the Dynatrac axle. You read about these axles, but rarely see them. It’s what every off-roader would love to have.” Winslow maintains good relations with his customers, following up on any number of issues. “The quality of the work is very good,” says Chenoweth. “And if you have a problem, Winslow will ask ‘How do we fix it? What do you need?’ His customer service is exceptional.” Legacy Power Wagons are much like the American Bison Winslow adopted as his corporate symbol: run all day, tough beyond measure, ferocious when required. They may seem like gargantuan cartoon interpretations of the classic American pickup, but Legacy Power Wagons are in fact serious equipment for conquering inhospitable terrain. In the Power Wagon, Winslow has a unique market proposition. “Jon Ward at ICON already had a handle on remanufactured Ford Broncos and Toyota Land Cruisers—I couldn’t add anything to that market.” But Power Wagons hold a magical appeal for a certain breed of highly successful men who can write the check. Though Winslow will perform a similar modernization on a 1940s or ‘50s half-ton pickup truck, or work trucks from the 1920s forward, Power Wagons are his passion and the bulk of his business. Each vehicle takes 600 man-hours to build, with a starting price of $160,000. From the time they provide a 25 percent down stroke, customers wait about a year, with two additional payments required before delivery. To date, he has sold 60, producing about one a month, though demand is high enough to double his production rate. If he found distributors in the Emirates and a few other centers of wealth where a tough vehicle is appreciated, he might produce 50 or even 100 vehicles a year, though the population of suitable Power Wagons is not boundless. At such sales volumes he might be forced to digitize frames and bodies and start producing his own, a move that would demand a far steeper rise in sales volumes—he’d become a real manufacturer. For now, Winslow is part of America’s high-tech cottage industry, with a mix of CNC-produced high-quality parts, a “UPS and FedEx” supply train for major components like engines, transmissions, axles and air-conditioning that arrive when needed, and all of it pulled together with old-fashioned craft work. Winslow strikes themes that echo Ronald Reagan’s inaugural addresses. “These trucks speak to the expansion of the American West,” he says. “They tell the story of America from the 1940s into the 1960s. Men heading into the wilderness to build a ranch—felling trees, building roads, putting up telephone poles, figuring out where to place a dam.” For perspective, it’s best to remember that Alaska, our last wild frontier, became a state in 1958, near the halfway point of the Dodge Power Wagon’s production life. Winslow scrounges across North America for well-preserved Power Wagons, or the earlier military variants, known as WC. “Winslow will send photos of whatever he has found. If it’s not what you want, he will look for another,” says Chenoweth. Each Power Wagon or WC has a back-story. “I figured out early on that when I rescue one of these trucks, under the surface they have a story to tell. I document what I find. These trucks have a real American Tough Guy persona.” Some of the stories are compelling enough for a cable TV documentary. “We had a Dodge Carryall, a four-door wagon built for the military, a precursor of both the post-war Power Wagon and the American SUV. When we sanded the doors we found military insignia. I tracked the vehicle’s ID numbers. It had served in Tunisia in World War Two, fighting Rommel’s Afrika Korps. It was a radio scout truck. They’d drive around the sand dunes and if they found Germans, they’d call in the position, and in came the fighter planes and artillery shells. When we opened up the bodywork, we found a German harmonica caught in the A-pillar. We restored the harmonica and included it with the Carryall. That resonates with my customers. These trucks have a heroic component.” “The World War Two history of the Dodge WC is a big part of the appeal,” says Chenoweth. “After the war Dodge evolved it into the Power Wagon, the first generation of the American hard-working truck.” Winslow’s clients don’t want historically accurate concours restorations, though the workmanship throughout is to concours standards. “Stock, original Power Wagons can conquer any terrain, carry thousands of pounds,” says Winslow. “They have winches, tool boxes, ammo boxes. But the downsides are an 80-horsepower flathead six engine that was unimpressive 70 years ago, and a top speed of 40 miles per hour if you have a tail wind. You saw at the steering wheel, wishing your way around corners. The rear suspension is stiff to support heavy cargo—they rattle the spine. A stock Power Wagon is for display, not real driving. Stock Power Wagons are too primitive to serve as daily transportation.” “Legacy delivers a 1940s or ’50s Power Wagon,” says Winslow. “But we’ve made it workable, with plenty of power, real brakes, a better ride, comfortable seats, air-conditioning, a nicely finished interior. You can drive it to northern Alaska and expect it to work. I know. We have customers who’ve done it.” Legacy pursues a thoughtful process that retains all the Power Wagon’s design appeal and alluring character, but raises everyday performance and comfort to the standards of our time. Mark Chenoweth concurs. “My Power Wagon is surprisingly comfortable for a vehicle like this. After showing it for awhile, this will be my daily driver here in the Rocky Mountains.” Legacy Power Wagons are serving in wild landscapes all around the world: New Zealand, the Middle East, Mexico, Africa, Canada, and the American West. “Owners might only use the vehicle for a month during a fly-fishing vacation at their second home in Montana, but they can let it sit for 11 months, then drive it anywhere they want to go fishing, under any conditions. Or they might drive it every day, relying on it in harsh country.” Related pictures - http://www.forbes.com/sites/markewing/2015/07/19/legacy-power-wagons-super-sized-pickup-and-suv-king-of-the-wild-frontier/ Legacy Power Wagon website - http://www.legacypowerwagon.com/ Related videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25fXHn30dU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulw_zoubCtc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqUxcvjfNaY

Car & Driver / July 20, 2015 Tougher federal fuel-economy standards are coming to heavy-duty pickups, full-size vans, and other large rigs, bringing with them big changes to the nation’s truck fleet. The new proposed standards—which are not yet set into law—call for big vans and medium-/heavy-duty pickups to slash their fuel consumption by a third between now and 2027. We plowed through the EPA’s 1329 pages of documents to get a picture of the greener, higher-tech truck market that’s likely to emerge over the next 12 years. A Brief Primer on CAFE Regulations Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards were born in response to the disastrous 1970s oil embargo by the Arab OPEC nations and resulting gas shortages. Starting with the 1978 model year, the EPA imposed a minimum fuel-economy requirement on every mainstream manufacturer. Automakers had to average the combined (55 percent city, 45 percent highway) fuel economy for every car and light truck in their fleet. If they met or exceeded the prescribed standard for that year, they earned credits to offset thirstier vehicles from past or future years. If they fell short, as most German brands regularly did until a few years ago, they paid fines and walked away. All automakers had to meet the same number, with trucks at correspondingly lower targets. Really big trucks—everything from F-250s to 18-wheelers—were excluded; they didn’t have to answer to anyone on fuel economy. In 2010, the EPA shifted CAFE into its broader climate-change policies. For the 2011 model year, manufacturers now had to meet variable, company-specific averages based on their lineup’s production volume and the physical size of each model. Automakers could avoid fines by buying credits from competing automakers with excess credits (the selling of which has become a significant income source for companies like Tesla). For the first time ever, heavy-duty trucks and vans were included as well, except they would be regulated by a weighted sum of their payload and towing capacities, not by actual size. The scale at which larger trucks can burn more fuel than smaller trucks is linear, not curved, so that automakers have no pressure to end production of their most capable models. The latest “Phase 2″ proposal works in the same way. Diesel and gasoline trucks get rated separately, with 20-percent lower numbers for gasoline. To avoid unintended exaggeration, we’ve lowered every miles-per-gallon (mpg) stat in this story to what you might actually see on a window sticker. The EPA and NHTSA continue to base CAFE standards on the original city and highway tests from the 1970s, not the latest tests that lowered mpg results starting for the 2008 model year. To further complicate things, the EPA only publishes a few mileage figures for new heavy-duty vans. It doesn’t publish any data on heavy-duty pickups or require manufacturers to display the numbers on the window sticker. Ready or Not, Heavy-Duty Hybrids Must Roll Out Averaged across GM, Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, Nissan, and Daimler, the EPA wants heavy-duty pickups and vans to reach a combined 16 mpg in 2027 versus 12 mpg in 2016, the first model year the “Phase 1″ rules go into effect. That’s a whopping 33 percent increase in efficiency. It won’t be achieved through a simple engine stop-start system. For example, a 2015 Chevrolet Express 2500 passenger van that gets 12 mpg combined today will need to reach 15 mpg combined for 2027. Within two model years, a gasoline Ford F-250 4×2 has to achieve 11 mpg (roughly what it does now) and 13 mpg in 2027. A Ram 3500 dualie needs to go from 9 mpg for 2016 to 11 mpg for 2027. Ford’s aluminum F-150 and its downsized turbocharged engines—still derided today by some competitors as a gamble—may become the absolute minimum strategies required to pass the goal line. And while the agency doesn’t officially mandate any specific technology, it’s all but requiring electrification on next-gen heavy-duty trucks and vans. As the EPA sees it, manufacturers need to install full-hybrid powertrains in at least eight percent of all heavy-duty pickups and vans by 2027. That’s a tall order: Even after a decade and a half in the market, hybrid cars have barely crested three percent of annual U.S. auto sales. Regarding gasoline heavy-duty pickups, the EPA is proposing that manufacturers sell at least a quarter of them as full hybrids and two-fifths as mild hybrids (with limited-to-no electric driving). The agency has boldly suggested that GM sell half of its gasoline heavy-duty pickups as hybrids by 2027—and that GM sell a hybrid truck for every four in its entire heavy-duty fleet by 2030. GM’s last hybrid pickups, built until 2013, posted 25 percent greater city ratings than the normal half-tonners. But the tradeoffs in acceleration and towing made them expensive statuary in most showrooms. Even if buyers get over durability fears, heavy-duty hybrid powertrains don’t yet offer comparable performance and capability. Indeed, the EPA expects automakers to develop hybrid powertrains without smaller engines to avoid the inevitable power loss when the batteries drain under load. In order to spur their development, the EPA is letting each fuel-cell, hybrid, and all-electric pickup count as 1.5 vehicles toward a manufacturer’s total CAFE credits. Eight-cylinder vans also appear to be not long for this world. The EPA explicitly asks GM to kill the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana and “replace it with an as-yet-to-be-designed European-style van similar to its competitor’s products.” GM is in the worst spot on fuel efficiency, the agency says, since it relies on older V-8 vans, has not introduced significant weight reduction, and has not proposed smaller turbo sixes (although it should be noted that the aluminum-body F-150 EcoBoost V-6 returns close to the same mileage as a Silverado V-8). By 2021, the EPA estimates GM will have to add $770 of new fuel-saving tech to each heavy-duty pickup and van—or about triple what Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, and Nissan will need to spend based on their total sales. More Reasonable, Car-Like Tech Is Coming, But at What Cost? While manufacturers can still sell plenty of underperforming trucks—remember, CAFE rules let manufacturers trade credits, in addition to applying excess credits to cover five model years ahead—there won’t be enough credits to trade without significant sales of higher-efficiency models elsewhere in the line. Fortunately, automakers can go a long way toward achieving the CAFE requirements by adopting fuel-saving tech they’re already using throughout the light-duty segment: eight-speed transmissions, variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, turbocharging, reduced friction, low-rolling-resistance tires, axle disconnects, and replacing hydraulic and engine-driven accessories with electric ones, as well as good, old-fashioned aerodynamic refinements and weight reduction. The EPA wants to give brownie points to active aerodynamics, auto stop-start systems, solar panels to power the climate-control system, and LED lighting. None of this is impossible in the near term. Further out, homogenous compression charge ignition (HCCI) and lean-burn engines that would make gasoline nearly as efficient as diesel also may be in the mix. Cost, however, is a concern. The Detroit Three make the bulk of their profits through truck sales, and any new technology that eats into those margins or prices a truck too high won’t go over well with investors. The EPA recognizes that automakers haven’t traditionally updated heavy-duty models with the same frequency as their other products, and that current product-planning cycles do not incorporate these new proposals. After automakers submit their comments and the EPA finalizes the ruling, we’ll see what concessions were made. We’re not betting on seeing a solar-paneled, plug-in-hybrid Ram dualie anytime soon, but heavy-duty trucks will look more like their light-duty brethren in their use of technology and their attention to fuel consumption.

Father, 20, charged with abuse after 'viciously assaulting' his 3-month-old son who is not expected to survive KTLA5 / July 19, 2015 Jordan Mendez, 20, was arrested and charged with assault on a child causing great bodily injury/death His son was found not breathing when police arrived at a Santa Ana residence on Friday night, authorities saidHospital staff observed signs of physical trauma on the baby boy, according to policeHe was taken to Children's Hospital of Orange County in critical condition and is currently on life support The father of a three-month-old baby boy has been arrested for assaulting his son who was found unresponsive and with signs of physical trauma at a California home. Responding officers reported to the Santa Ana residence on Friday night where they found the baby not breathing, Santa Ana police said. The infant was transported to Children's Hospital of Orange County in critical condition where he is currently on life support. Police said the baby is not expected to survive. The baby boy's father, 20-year-old Jordan Mendez, was arrested and charged with assault on a child causing great bodily injury/death. Hospital staff observed signs of physical trauma on the infant and the father was arrested following an interview with detectives, according to police. Authorities said they arrived at the home at 8.42pm after receiving a report of a baby not breathing. Officers and Orange County Fire Authority fire personnel performed CPR on the infant before he was transported to hospital. Mendez is being held at the Santa Ana jail on a $1million bail.

I was curious myself so here’s the background on the Sanitarium brand. The “Sanitarium” name for New Zealand’s Marmite comes from America, from John Harvey Kellogg (Kellogg's cereal) who invented corn flakes. Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan, a health resort based on the health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Supposedly, the Battle Creek Sanitarium became world renowned, and became the in place for the rich and famous to seek their lost health, to listen to health lectures and to learn and practice the principles of a healthy lifestyle. Kellogg explored various treatments for his patients, including diet reform. He encouraged a low-fat, low-protein diet with an emphasis on whole grains, fiber-rich foods, and most importantly, nuts. Kellogg also recommended a daily intake of fresh air, exercise, and the importance of hygiene. Many of the theories of John Harvey Kellogg were later published in his book The Road to Wellness. Charles W. Post (Post cereal) worked with Kellogg. Founded in Melbourne in 1898, The Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies - Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd which are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In December 1900, Edward Halsey, a Seventh-day Adventist and baker trained at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, came to New Zealand to prepare healthy food for a small health home. He began making batches of Granola, New Zealand's first breakfast cereal, Caramel Cereals (a coffee substitute) and wholemeal bread in Christchurch. These products became known as Sanitarium Health Foods. Today, Sanitarium New Zealand is owned and operated by New Zealanders while Sanitarium Australia is owned and operated by Australians. They do work together; producing over 150 products and employing 1500 people throughout New Zealand and Australia. http://www.sanitarium.com.au/products/spreads/marmite

A more in-depth article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3167688/Mitsubishi-apologizes-94-year-old-American-World-War-II-prisoner-war-forced-slave-labor-copper-mines.html