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The Guardian / August 15, 2019 President Trump has expressed an interest in the United States purchasing Greenland from Denmark. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US president has “expressed interest” in buying the expansive icy territory and has asked his aides to explore the possibility. He has even sought the view of the White House counsel, though the Journal noted his inquiries came “with varying degrees of seriousness”. News that Trump had set his sights on acquiring a meaty chunk of the Kingdom of Denmark set Twitter aflutter on Thursday night. Pundits tried in vain to find a real estate valuation for the 811,000 square miles on Zillow, while others attempted to calculate Greenland’s worth in pickled herring. Despite the levity the idea has provoked, it is not entirely in the realm of fantasy. In 1946 US President Harry Truman tried to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100m but was rebuffed. There was a more successful precedent dating back to 1917 when the United States acquired the Danish West Indies, rebranding them the US Virgin Islands. The US military already has a major airbase on Greenland, on the north-west of the island. The base has 600 personnel and is important in the country’s global radar system. Trump travels to Denmark next month in his first official visit to the kingdom, though Greenland is not thought to be on the agenda. The Journal reported that the president raised the issue at a dinner last year in which he said he had heard Denmark was finding its financial support to the self-governing territory burdensome. Floating the thought of the US buying the island, he asked the other guests: “What do you guys think about that?”

Bloomberg / August 15, 2019 Japan surpassed China in June as the top holder of U.S. Treasuries as the trade war between the world’s two largest economies intensified. Japan increased its holdings of U.S. bonds, bills and notes by $21.9 billion to $1.12 trillion, the highest level in more than 2 1/2 years, according to data released by the Treasury Department on Thursday. Meanwhile, China’s ownership rose for the first time in four months to $1.11 trillion, up by $2.3 billion. The last time Japan held the position as America’s largest foreign creditor was May 2017. Japan has added more than $100 billion worth of Treasuries at a fairly steady pace since October 2018.

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / August 15, 2019 The demand for commercial trucks remains strong, buoyed by factors including a strong construction sector, and Volvo Group subsidiary Mack Trucks now forecasts a North American market for 325,000 Class 8 units this year. “July was strong. Our retail [sales] were very good for NAFTA, I think about 30,000 trucks,” said Jonathan Randall, senior vice-president North American sales and marketing, referring sales figures that recovered after a slower June. While order intakes have dropped, that is to be expected given the industry’s existing backlog, he said. “You can’t fill an already-full cup.” Mack Trucks has a few openings on its assembly line for late 2019, but most of the orders taken today involve trucks to be manufactured in 2020. “Order intake will be good — but it’s not going to be what we’ve seen a year ago at this time,” Randall stressed. “We still believe, historically, it’s going to be a good market.” Robust demand presents challenges of its own, and that was especially apparent in 2018 as OEMs scrambled to address an unexpected surge in truck orders. “We did not forecast a 300,000 market it turned into,” Randall said. Component suppliers struggled to keep up as a result. And while issues in the supply chain have largely been resolved, a tight labor market continues to be a challenge, he said. This year Mack Trucks has added more than 500 employees at its Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) in Pennsylvania, where two shifts are running to produce conventional trucks, and one shift is devoted to producing cabovers. Price pressures also continue despite the removal of metal tariffs on steel and aluminum. “We still see inflationary pressure as the results of not only tariffs, but threats of tariffs,” Randall said. The nature of the demand for trucks, meanwhile, is shifting. Long haul trucks account for about 49% of registrations this year, but Mack expects that share to drop to 44% in 2020. Straight trucks, while currently flat in terms of equipment counts, are expected to account for a bigger share of business next year. That bodes well for Mack, which has a strong presence in the construction segment. Housing starts, traditionally one of the “canaries in the coal mine” when it comes to economic indicators, still continues to be robust south of the border and are up 6.2% year over year, Randall said. Construction spending is down just 2.1% year over year. Public construction spending, meanwhile, is up 6.12% year over year. For its part, the OEM is actively lobbying the U.S. government to invest in ailing infrastructure. The American Road and Transportation Builders Association has identified 47,000 bridges in need of repair. “We support user fees, and we support raising - as part of that - fuel taxes in targeted ways,” Randall said. However, Mack doesn’t support the 12% Federal Excise Tax or the tolling of existing highways to collect the funds. Randall made the comments during a visit to the headquarters of Schwing America, the largest concrete pump manufacturing facility in North America. Much of the equipment that it produces is mounted on Mack trucks including Granite and TerraPro models. The business – a subsidiary of the Germany-headquartered Schwing Group — makes concrete pumps, truck mixers, and truck-mounted loop conveyors, as well as batch plants, reclaimers, and parts. It also has a presence in China’s Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG). And it has seven manufacturing facilities globally. High-profile Schwing projects include New York City’s Freedom Tower, which used a pair of high-pressure stationary pumps to push concrete over 1,600 vertical feet, as well as U.S. Bank Stadium and San Francisco’s Bay Bridge. “Our business is really chained to housing. Not tied, chained,” said Tom O’Malley, Schwing’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing. Pumping equipment in general is proving its worth as a tool to boost productivity on job sites. A load of ready-mix concrete has a shelf life of just 90 minutes, O’Malley noted. With equipment like this, teams are able to turn their trucks around more quickly. While 45% of concrete is placed through tailgating, pumping now accounts for 34% of the work, with 9% moved by wheelbarrows, and 2% by cranes and buckets, Concrete Pumping Holdings reports. It’s a significant shift. Just 20% of the U.S. concrete was pumped as recently as 2000. The concrete pumping business is now worth about $1.75 billion in the U.S., and that’s expected to grow to $2.3 billion by 2021.

The step frame is alike a B426.

Great article on spec'ing trucks. A key quote: With the wrong vehicle, "productivity will suffer, drivers will be unhappy, and [your] customers will not be served. Proper vehicle specifications are the key to greater productivity." https://zcu.io/7CvP #AlwaysUp #AutocarACX Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

"The announcement today that the Trump Administration will be delaying the additional 10% tariff on some footwear until December 1 is an acknowledgment that tariffs are indeed paid by Americans,” says Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) president and CEO Matt Priest. “It is no coincidence that the Administration is allowing certain shoes to come in without raising taxes in hopes that prices do not rise at retail during the holidays. Our industry's loud unified voice left a clear impression that shoe tariffs are already extremely high, upwards of 67.5%, and any further tariffs would directly raise costs on consumers and cost footwear jobs."

With both the US and UK yield curves inverting, important global economy Germany entering recession and serious global trade issues at hand, it appears we are about to enter a global recession. Just a heads up FYI. Some might want to make some defensive decisions to protect their investments, business and/or other. It could get extremely ugly.

Commercial Motor / August 13, 2019 .

Jacobs teams up with Tula Technology Transport Engineer / August 8, 2019 Jacobs Vehicle Systems is partnering with internal combustion control business Tula Technology on the development of cylinder deactivation (CDA) technologies, which reduce engine fuel consumption and emissions. The new partnership, say the companies, will use Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire controls technology to support Jacobs’ developments in diesel deactivation hardware. Jacobs introduced its CDA (pictured) system for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle engines in 2018. CDA mechanisms are used in the valvetrain to disable the opening of the intake and exhaust valves. The hydraulically-activated mechanism is integrated in a collapsing valve bridge system for overhead camshaft engines, or with a collapsing pushrod system for cam-in-block engines. When combined with disabled injection in selected cylinders, multiple cylinders can be deactivated as needed. At low engine loads with three of six cylinders deactivated, says Jacobs, fuel consumption can be improved by up to 20%. Tula’s Dynamic Skip Fire system makes firing decisions based on how much torque is requested, choosing which cylinders will be active or deactivated to meet performance demand. When more torque is required, the firing density increases; when there is less demand for torque, firing density decreases. Robb Janak, director new technology, Jacobs Vehicle Systems, says: “Vehicle manufacturers are looking for new and improved technologies to comply with stricter legal limits on CO2 and NOx emissions... Cylinder deactivation is a great solution, technically proven and cost effective.”

Autocar U7144-T 4x4 tractor (military designation G-510) The U7144-T was a shorter version of the U8144-T pontoon tractor. It was powered by a 529 cubic inch 131 horsepower Hercules model RXC engine paired with a 5-speed transmission and 2-speed transfer case. (The Federal version of the "Truck Tractor, 4-5 Ton, 4x4" was designated G-513) Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / August 7, 2019 The new MAN D15 engine! The eXtremely efficient engine for your everyday challenges – day in and day out! .

DAF Trucks Press Release / August 7, 2019 Swiss-based Bertschi AG transports special chemical products around the world by road, water and rail. Lightweight and reliable vehicles are a must when transporting tank containers and bulk goods; in DAF, Bertschi has found the perfect partner. For many years, the majority of the vehicles in Bertschi's fleet—of which there are more than 1,100—have been DAF trucks. With 1,100 trucks, 1,400 trailers and container chassis, and upwards of 35,000 containers for intermodal transport, Bertschi AG is a major player in the field of tank container and bulk transport. Jan Arnet, Group CEO of Bertschi AG: "Our customers expect safe and reliable logistics tailored to their needs at the lowest possible cost. We can deliver this by always opting for the right transport solution. Our preference is to use rail for longer distances, with trucks used for transport to and from the rail terminals." .

Ford Trucks Russia Press Release / August 12, 2019 On August 8, 2019, a Ford Trucks Day event was held at distributor TruckSpecService in Togliatti (Tolyatti) where the all new Ford F-MAX tractor was introduced to local truck operators. .

Roger Desvergnes wanted to set up his new hauling business, RJD Excavation out of North Smithfield, Rhode Island. He remembered his grandfather used to run Autocar trucks. So naturally, Roger snagged this sweet 1986 Autocar DK64 and >Bingo!< he's at work, picking up the cabbage. 💸💸 Thanks to http://dailydieseldose.com/autocar-mondays-reliable-foundation/ for sharing. Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

First eCascadia Models Set to Begin Commercial Operations Transport Topics / August 12, 2019 Daimler Trucks North America announced Penske Truck Leasing and NFI will be the first companies to employ its battery-electric eCascadia in commercial operations. Penske Truck Leasing is based in Reading , Pa. , and NFI has headquarters in Cherry Hill , N.J. Both are members of the Freightliner Electric Vehicle Council and earlier were the first to be given trucks to test. The initial customer shipments are the first heavy-duty additions to the 30-vehicle Freightliner Innovation Fleet. They were built at its research and development center in Portland, Oregon. The eCascadias — built on the foundation of the Freightliner Cascadia, the best-selling Class 8 heavy-duty truck on the market — are destined for the Southern California operations of both companies and will arrive later in August. Additional deliveries of the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet will continue throughout 2019. according to Portland-based DTNA. “Our team is incredibly proud to be leading the way for the industry, but prouder still to be working with our customers in a process of co-creation to make real electric trucks for real work in the real world,” Roger Nielsen, CEO of DTNA, said in a company release. DTNA’s Electric Vehicle Council brings together 38 Freightliner customers to identify and address potential hurdles to large-scale deployment of commercial battery-electric vehicles. Issues at the forefront of the discussion include charging infrastructure, partnerships with other parties in the e-mobility value chain, vehicle specifications and vehicle use case. .

Navistar's Severe Service Team Launches Engineering Hotline Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / August 12, 2019 Providing an added margin of expertise for complex vocational truck sales, Navistar’s Severe Service team recently launched an Application Engineering Hotline that gives International dealers direct, rapid access to the product experts who designed the vehicles. “Because of the highly customized and often complex configurations our severe service customers require, our dealers’ support for those customers can be enhanced through direct access to Navistar application engineers,” said Mark Stasell, vice president, Vocational Truck, Navistar. “The Application Engineering Hotline supports dealers’ strong relationships with customers by giving them the ability to get direct, expert advice when they need it.” Rolled out to dealers through visits from the Severe Service team, as well as the dealer network’s online portal, the hotline can be reached through a simple phone call from any International dealer. Phone calls are immediately directed to an application engineer who listens to the dealer’s request and offers support moving forward. During an initial pilot phase conducted earlier this year, the hotline quickly amassed well over 100 calls from dealers. Typical phone calls ranged from general questions on severe service truck configurations to advanced, application-specific questions from customers. Some dealers also reached out simply seeking an update on their orders or special quotations. No matter how big or small the issue, each phone call was received and answered quickly and accurately to provide dealers with full support. “There are many times in a given day when a dealer sales person needs an update or has a specific customer question that they need to get answered rapidly,” said Melissa Gauger, chief product specialist, Severe Service, Navistar. “How quickly and accurately it gets answered could have a big impact on that customer’s decision to purchase an International truck. By having our application engineers available to help through this easily accessed, simple-to-use hotline, we’re putting our dealers’ sales teams in the best possible position to win.” Since the launch of the hotline, dealer feedback and customer results have been continuously measured to determine the speed and success of responses. So far, the results have been extremely encouraging, according to the manufacturer, with steady increases in the number of dealers using the hotline and the number of calls received each day. Maudlin International Truck and Trailer, based in Orlando, Florida, was one of the first International dealers exposed to the hotline, and has since used it for sales growth. In fact, this new tool has been so successful that the Severe Service team is looking at expanding the hotline to support Navistar’s other products. “Since launching the hotline, we have received such positive feedback that other product teams across the company want to use the same process for their segments,” Gauger continued. “It’s great to see that type of receptivity to the hotline, and we’re looking forward to continuing to provide this support for our Severe Service products, while helping different product teams across Navistar launch their own.” .

In my mind, the three most unattractive (hideous) looking trucks today are the 5700XE, Anthem and W990.

Politicians hand Nikola $1.7 million in free taxpayer money rather than CEO Trevor Milton visiting a bank or dipping into his personal wealth. Where's the justice in that?

Nikola lands $1.7 million grant to advance fuel cell research Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / August 7, 2019 The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Phoenix-based Nikola Motor Company a $1.7 million grant to advance its research into fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Nikola’s Executive Vice President of Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technologies Jesse Schneider said the award provides an opportunity for the Nikola team to leverage expertise in academia and resources within the DOE Fuel Cell Consortium for Performance and Durability “to accelerate a breakthrough that will benefit the entire hydrogen and fuel cell industry and community.” The joint grant was funded by the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Transportation Office under the recently announced FY19 Commercial Trucks and Off-Road Applications FOA. Nikola is pursuing a new approach and unique MEA architecture to satisfy the high-power output and durability requirements of heavy-duty applications with its academic partners: Carnegie Mellon University Prof. Shawn Litster, Northeastern University Prof. Sanjeev Mukerjee and Georgia Institute of Technology Prof. Younan Xia. In this project, Nikola will bring together advanced concepts in catalysts, ionomers, proton exchange membranes, and gas diffusion layers within a robust MEA by using appropriate, scalable fabrication methods. Nikola’s hydrogen station partner NEL Hydrogen of Oslo, Norway was also awarded a $2 million award from the DOE. Nikola executives are serving as the technical lead on that project as well. There are currently more than 14,000 Nikola Class 8 trucks on order. The Nikola trucks feature up to 1,000 horsepower and 2,000 ft-lbs of torque. Nikola recently announced a battery-electric vehicle option for the urban, short haul trucking market. Nikola’s trucks will be manufactured in Coolidge, Ariz. Testing will begin on Arizona roads this year with full production expected in late 2022.

A U series Autocar carries a German Panzerkampfwagen (PzKw) III back for interrogation. Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

Oct 5, 1951-- Baltimore's very first delivery of corn syrup via tanker truck was delivered to Goetze's Candy Co. located at 3900 East Monument Street. Yep, Our beloved Caramel Creams need "corn syrup" to be born. Yummy! Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / August 7, 2019 Cylinder deactivation technology is likely to be a major design change in the next generation of heavy-duty diesel engines looking to meet stricter greenhouse gas/fuel efficiency regulations. As its work on this technology progresses, Jacobs Vehicle Systems has entered into a collaboration agreement with Tula Technology, an internal combustion controls company. The two businesses will work together to enable Jacobs to further develop cylinder deactivation technologies, which reduce engine fuel consumption and emissions. Jacobs announced its Cylinder Deactivation (CDA) technology for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle engines in 2018. Tula has licensed its Dynamic Skip Fire (DSF) technology for major automotive OEM gasoline applications. According to Jacobs, the new partnership will use Tula’s DSF controls technology to support Jacobs’ expertise in diesel deactivation hardware development. “Vehicle manufacturers are looking for new and improved technologies to comply with stricter legal limits on CO2 and NOx emissions," explained Robb Janak, director, new technology, Jacobs Vehicle Systems. "New test measures, such as Real Driving Emissions and CARB Low Load Cycle for heavy-duty trucks, are encouraging the adoption of smarter technologies that address these requirements. Cylinder deactivation is a great solution, technically proven, and cost effective.” Jacobs’ CDA, cylinder deactivation mechanisms, originally designed for the company’s High Power Density (HPD) engine brake, are used in the valvetrain to disable the opening of the intake and exhaust valves. The hydraulically activated mechanism is integrated in a collapsing valve bridge system for overhead camshaft engines or with a collapsing pushrod system for cam-in-block engines. When this is combined with disabled injection in selected cylinders, multiple cylinders can be deactivated as needed. At low engine loads with three of six cylinders deactivated, fuel consumption can be improved by up to 20%. Jacobs said its CDA technology reduces emissions by achieving higher exhaust temperatures, thus maintaining aftertreatment temperatures for optimal efficiency of SCR (selective catalytic reduction) systems, even when the engine is in idle or low load operation. CDA also enables faster warm-up after engine start-up of the aftertreatment system and minimizes cooling of aftertreatment during coasting. CDA additionally reduces camshaft friction, reduces pumping losses in part-load conditions, and can reduce or eliminate use of the intake throttle, all of which yields overall improvements in fuel consumption while increasing exhaust temperatures. Tula has developed an infinitely variable cylinder deactivation system, integrating advanced digital signal processing and software with sophisticated engine control algorithms. This technology reduces fuel consumption of gasoline engines by 6-15% on real world drive cycles; the collaboration with Jacobs aims to enable Jacobs to develop and demonstrate deactivation hardware required for diesel engines. The Tula DSF system makes dynamic firing decisions based on how much torque is requested and then selectively choosing which cylinders will be active or deactivated to meet performance demand. When more torque is required, the firing density increases, and when there is less demand for torque, firing density decreases. This means the control algorithm effectively creates an engine with optimal displacement for the torque required. Tula’s control system also ensures production level noise, vibration and harshness in a vehicle, the company said. By having the ability to select which cylinders are fired every engine cycle, and by taking into account the frequencies and amplitudes of vibration produced by cylinder combinations, the control algorithm determines the cylinder firing sequences that deliver smooth operation and reduced cost at the fuel pump.