Maxidyne

The KW SAR exists because of Australian overall length regulations, in most of the U.S. there are no such regulations so no need to build a short nose truck like the SAR. As for putting a big block Cummins 6 in a Mack, Mack did it as recently as 2006 in the CL... Surely the plans if not the tooling for the CL is still around and can be updated for the X15 and EPA2010 emissions? To succeed in truck making you have to be agile and custom configure your trucks to meet market demands. That's why Paccar and Daimler have both grown their market share and why International is recovering. Volvo? After the brilliance of putting the White Integral Sleeper into production, Volvo has been chasing away customers to competitors for decades now.

Great job of designing a classic styled KW with the new cab!

"Mack" doesn't really exist anymore, it's just a legacy premium brand being milked by Volvo. When Volvo has milked Mack dry, they'll just cast it aside as they did Autocar, etc..

At Ford's presser yesterday they detailed plans for just 5 platforms, and none of them was a heavy truck... Hopefully the Koc family can keep the Cargo alive now that father Ford plans to be a deadbeat dad.

That's been my experience too- 1st high usually works fine unless you're starting on a steep uphill with a load or in muck. Running light or empty you'll often find that 2nd high works fine.

Thanks, the registration data I looked at was the proportion pickups make of total registrations, I noticed the lower percentages in the northeast states. From what I understand a lot of this is due to the hassles of parking a pickup or cargo van in residential areas- A lot of HOAs and even cities considered pickups commercial vehicles and banned their parking in residential areas. Good that Ford is letting your dealer stock what sells in your market, and hopefully the Fusion will stay around- It's one of Ford's best sellers.

JB, I'd like your feedback on this: North America in general is becoming largely a truck, SUV, and crossover market. But I've noted in the registration data by state that pickups don't sell as well in the eastern seaboard states from Massachusetts down through Virginia, and cars and vans sell well there. Thus I suspect Ford and any other automaker needs to support dealers like yours with a full line of competitive vehicles including cars in at least a couple sizes. Does that make sense to you?

The Chinese seem to really value brands... If they buy Volvo trucks, they might just save Mack.

What strikes me is that Ford is pretty much talking about the North American market only, when they're a worldwide company... Is Ford going to prune itself down to a North American only company? If not, while the world market for crossovers is growing, most of the world thinks our body on frame SUVs and pickups are crude and want no part of them. So Ford could probably combine the Focus and Mondeo/Fusion platforms to save some money and sell more crossovers, but the F series doesn't have a lot of potential in Europe, China, etc.. And if Ford wants to be known as a truck company, that's kind of hard when your biggest truck is stuck with a pickup cab and they got no cabovers or tandems!

I'm not impressed... Ford Readies North America’s Freshest Lineup by 2020 with Onslaught of Connected New Trucks, SUVs and Hybrids Mar 15, 2018 | DEARBORN, Mich. Yet-to-be-named off-road small utility Building toward its vision of smart vehicles in a smart world, Ford is revamping its lineup, building on truck, SUV and commercial strengths, investing in new propulsion and delivering full connectivity to pave the way for over-the-air updates and the Transportation Mobility Cloud Ford brand targeting North America’s freshest lineup among full-line makers by 2020, replacing more than 75 percent of its current portfolio and adding four new trucks and SUVs All-in push on hybrid-electrics to bring new capability and features to customers on high-volume, profitable vehicles like F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Escape and Bronco; battery electric vehicle rollout starts in 2020 with performance utility and six BEVs by 2022 Ford announces Ford Co-Pilot360™, a package that includes standard automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning and other driver assist features Redesigned organization and product development system sharpening focus on customers and market insights to define bets; new tools and technology to improve speed-to-market by reducing sketch-to-showroom and changeover time, adding to the company’s bottom line DEARBORN, Mich., March 15, 2018 – Ford is revamping its lineup, building on truck, SUV and commercial strengths, investing in new propulsion and delivering standard connectivity on new vehicles, paving the way for over-the-air updates and the Transportation Mobility Cloud, an open platform that will empower tomorrow’s mobility systems. By 2020, Ford will offer North America’s freshest lineup among all full-line automakers, with its average showroom age dropping from 5.7 to 3.3 years as it replaces three-quarters of its lineup and adds four new trucks and SUVs. Ford is going all-in on hybrids, offering customers more performance and capability yet serving as a hedge against higher gas prices. All new Ford vehicles will have 4G LTE connectivity by the end of 2019. Ford is also introducing Ford Co-Pilot360, a new driver-assist technology package with standard automatic emergency braking and helps protect from the front, rear and sides. “Our passion for great vehicles is stronger than ever,” said Jim Hackett, Ford president and CEO. “This showroom transformation will thrill customers, drive profitable growth and further build toward our future of smart vehicles in a smart world.” Where Ford is Playing Ford is strengthening its position in the following segments: trucks, SUVs (including off-road and performance versions), hybrids, battery electric vehicles and commercial vehicles. Trucks: Since the 2014 debut of the new F-150 with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body, Ford has gained 1.3 percentage points of share in the full-size pickup segment. Average F-Series transaction prices lead the segment – up $6,700 per vehicle since 2014 – because of high-end versions like Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Ford’s F-Series revenues alone are higher than revenues of Fortune 500 icons such as Facebook, Coca-Cola and Nike. Ford’s truck business will continue growing as the company adds new models and powertrains with an eye toward continued growth in high-end trims. Some highlights include: 2018: New 3.0-liter Power Stroke® diesel engine for F-150, updated version of the popular F-150 Raptor 2019: Ranger returns to midsize truck segment; new F-Series Super Duty debuts 2020: New F-150 debuts with new hybrid powertrain featuring a mobile generator SUVs: By 2020, Ford estimates SUV sales could account for 50 percent of U.S. industry retail sales – one reason Ford is reallocating $7 billion in capital from cars to SUVs. By 2020, Ford plans an industry-leading lineup of eight SUVs – five of which will offer hybrid powertrains and one battery electric. Ford SUV sales are estimated to grow 20 percent – more than double the industry rate – to more than 950,000 by 2020, according to LMC Automotive, and surpass 1 million by 2021. After recently introducing an all-new model at each end of the SUV spectrum – the subcompact EcoSport and full-size Expedition – Ford’s next push is in the highest volume SUV segments. Entirely new versions of the Escape and Explorer debut next year; combined, these two models make up 70 percent of Ford’s SUV volume. Ford also plans to drive growth with two all-new off-road models: the new Bronco and a yet-to-be-named off-road small utility – both designed to win a growing number of people who love getting away and spending time outdoors with their families and friends. “Ford helped start the off-road phenomenon and has majored in off-road capability for decades – from the Bronco to the Raptor,” said Jim Farley, Ford president, Global Markets. “Now, we’re ready to reclaim our rightful place as the off-road vehicle leader.” Ford also will grow its lineup of performance SUVs. Two additions to the Ford Performance lineup include the all-new Edge ST later this year, and an Explorer ST will soon follow. These two new SUVs will help Ford Performance deliver on its promise of 12 new models by 2020, and will help extend the division’s growth, which has risen 81 percent in the last four years. Ford Performance sales are on track to grow another 71 percent by 2020, driven by SUVs. Next-Gen Hybrid Electrics: Part of Ford’s new strategy includes going all-in on hybrids to bring more capability to customers of our most popular and high-volume vehicles like F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Escape and Bronco – and serve as a hedge for customers against higher gas prices. Ford’s new hybrids will offer customers more space than today’s hybrids. On the F-150 Hybrid, Ford will lean in to capability, such as the low-end torque for extra pulling power and the fact it can serve as a mobile generator. Mustang Hybrid will be all about delivering V8-like performance with more low-end torque. “Hybrids for years have been mostly niche products but are now on the cusp of a mainstream breakout,” Farley said. “The valuable capability they offer – plus fuel efficiency – is why we’re going to offer hybrid variants of our most popular and high-volume vehicles, allowing our loyal, passionate customers to become advocates for the technology.” Ford’s new hybrid system is designed to be more efficient and less expensive than previous generations. These lower costs – achieved through supply base relationships, using common cell and component design and by manufacturing motors, transmissions and battery packs – with the intention of lowering cost of ownership for customers. Battery electric vehicles: Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represent more than a different powertrain – they represent a lifestyle change for consumers, especially for those who have never driven an electric vehicle. That is why Ford’s strategy includes rethinking the ownership experience so it is more seamless than with today’s gas-powered vehicles. That means making charging an effortless experience at home and on the road as well as offering full-vehicle over-the-air software updates to enhance capability and features. “Throwing a charger in the trunk of a vehicle and sending customers on their way isn’t enough to help promote the viability of electric vehicles,” said Sherif Marakby, vice president, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles. “In addition to expanding our electric vehicle lineup, we are redesigning the ownership experience to ensure it addresses customer pain points that currently hold back broad adoption today.” Ford’s BEV manufacturing plan will be more efficient. The company will halve floor space for final assembly operations and reduce capital investment 50 percent. A projected 30 percent improvement in labor efficiency will allow Ford to redeploy employees to do other jobs, including assembly of battery packs (which are normally expensive and complex to ship). Ford’s new performance battery electric utility arrives in 2020. It is the first of six electric vehicles coming by 2022 as part of the company’s $11 billion global electric vehicle investment. Commercial vehicles: Ford, the only full-line brand with offerings that stretch from Class 1 to Class 7, has a commanding 38 percent share of the U.S. commercial vehicle market. Last year, it sold more CVs than the second, third and fourth place competitors combined. To continue building on its commercial vehicle leadership, Ford plans to: Debut a new Transit with 4G LTE connectivity, coming in 2019 Extend production of its E-Series cutaway and stripped chassis into the 2020s Offer Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Driver Alert System and more on future E-Series, F-650, F-750 and F59 chassis products Ford earlier this year introduced new versions of its Transit Connect Cargo Van and Transit Connect Wagon, with both arriving at dealerships later this year. Designing a better PD system While delivering this new vehicle portfolio, Ford is continuously improving its operational fitness by increasing product speed to market, improving quality and further reducing complexity, and reducing cost. Driving improvements are the company’s new structure and new tools and technologies that drive even more human-centered designs. Ford’s new organization is designed to ensure company leaders view market and regional demands holistically to decide which vehicles and features customers value most. This drives more strategic and efficient investments, instead of trying to satisfy individual market requests. The efficiencies benefit the company and individual regions like North America. Ford also is moving to flexible vehicle architectures and more common parts across models, cutting new product development time – from sketch to dealer showroom – by 20 percent. This is helping Ford achieve its commitment to deliver $4 billion of engineering efficiencies. The company intends to have the most efficient Product Development organization among full-line automakers within five years. Ford’s five flexible vehicle architectures – body-on-frame, front-wheel-drive unibody, rear-wheel-drive unibody, commercial van unibody and BEV – are paired with module “families” that address the power pack, electrical pack and vehicle configurations. Seventy percent of each vehicle’s engineering will be driven from this new architecture approach, with 30 percent of content – including grilles, hoods, doors and more – customized for each vehicle. For instance, as more vehicles become connected, new analytics tools will show which vehicle technologies customers use most often. This new data-driven insight will help determine which features to grow and invest in and which to eliminate, reducing manufacturing complexity, improving pricing, reducing incentives and building revenue over time. Simplification is another key aspect of the plan. Ford already has reduced orderable combinations on Ford SUVs by 80 percent since 2014, including a 97 percent reduction on the new Edge coming later this year. New manufacturing tools and technologies: Increased use of augmented and virtual reality are helping reduce Ford’s plant changeover time by an estimated 25 percent, which adds an average $50 million to the company’s bottom line per changeover. Simulating various production processes and assembly line configurations in the virtual world helps identify potentially hazardous maneuvers and fine-tune workflows before construction even begins, saving an estimated 20 percent of tooling cost on each vehicle program. The company also is increasing its use of collaborative robots that can perform jobs quickly and repetitively, helping reduce the risk of injury to employees, freeing them up for more high-value jobs and improving the company’s bottom line. “We’re looking at every part of our business, making it more fit and ensuring that every action we take is driven by what will serve our customers in a way that supports our fitness and performance goals,” said Joe Hinrichs, president, Global Operations. Note: Average showroom age based on Ford internal estimates and Bank of America Merrill Lynch Car Wars 2018-2021 report. About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com. Building toward its vision of smart vehicles in a smart world, Ford is revamping its lineup, building on truck, SUV and commercial strengths, investing in new propulsion and delivering full connectivity to pave the way for over-the-air updates and the Transportation Mobility Cloud Ford brand targeting North America’s freshest lineup among full-line makers by 2020, replacing more than 75 percent of its current portfolio and adding four new trucks and SUVs All-in push on hybrid-electrics to bring new capability and features to customers on high-volume, profitable vehicles like F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Escape and Bronco; battery electric vehicle rollout starts in 2020 with performance utility and six BEVs by 2022 Ford announces Ford Co-Pilot360™, a package that includes standard automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning and other driver assist features Redesigned organization and product development system sharpening focus on customers and market insights to define bets; new tools and technology to improve speed-to-market by reducing sketch-to-showroom and changeover time, adding to the company’s bottom line DEARBORN, Mich., March 15, 2018 – Ford is revamping its lineup, building on truck, SUV and commercial strengths, investing in new propulsion and delivering standard connectivity on new vehicles, paving the way for over-the-air updates and the Transportation Mobility Cloud, an open platform that will empower tomorrow’s mobility systems. By 2020, Ford will offer North America’s freshest lineup among all full-line automakers, with its average showroom age dropping from 5.7 to 3.3 years as it replaces three-quarters of its lineup and adds four new trucks and SUVs. Ford is going all-in on hybrids, offering customers more performance and capability yet serving as a hedge against higher gas prices. All new Ford vehicles will have 4G LTE connectivity by the end of 2019. Ford is also introducing Ford Co-Pilot360, a new driver-assist technology package with standard automatic emergency braking and helps protect from the front, rear and sides. “Our passion for great vehicles is stronger than ever,” said Jim Hackett, Ford president and CEO. “This showroom transformation will thrill customers, drive profitable growth and further build toward our future of smart vehicles in a smart world.” Where Ford is Playing Ford is strengthening its position in the following segments: trucks, SUVs (including off-road and performance versions), hybrids, battery electric vehicles and commercial vehicles. Trucks: Since the 2014 debut of the new F-150 with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body, Ford has gained 1.3 percentage points of share in the full-size pickup segment. Average F-Series transaction prices lead the segment – up $6,700 per vehicle since 2014 – because of high-end versions like Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Ford’s F-Series revenues alone are higher than revenues of Fortune 500 icons such as Facebook, Coca-Cola and Nike. Ford’s truck business will continue growing as the company adds new models and powertrains with an eye toward continued growth in high-end trims. Some highlights include: 2018: New 3.0-liter Power Stroke® diesel engine for F-150, updated version of the popular F-150 Raptor 2019: Ranger returns to midsize truck segment; new F-Series Super Duty debuts 2020: New F-150 debuts with new hybrid powertrain featuring a mobile generator SUVs: By 2020, Ford estimates SUV sales could account for 50 percent of U.S. industry retail sales – one reason Ford is reallocating $7 billion in capital from cars to SUVs. By 2020, Ford plans an industry-leading lineup of eight SUVs – five of which will offer hybrid powertrains and one battery electric. Ford SUV sales are estimated to grow 20 percent – more than double the industry rate – to more than 950,000 by 2020, according to LMC Automotive, and surpass 1 million by 2021. After recently introducing an all-new model at each end of the SUV spectrum – the subcompact EcoSport and full-size Expedition – Ford’s next push is in the highest volume SUV segments. Entirely new versions of the Escape and Explorer debut next year; combined, these two models make up 70 percent of Ford’s SUV volume. Ford also plans to drive growth with two all-new off-road models: the new Bronco and a yet-to-be-named off-road small utility – both designed to win a growing number of people who love getting away and spending time outdoors with their families and friends. “Ford helped start the off-road phenomenon and has majored in off-road capability for decades – from the Bronco to the Raptor,” said Jim Farley, Ford president, Global Markets. “Now, we’re ready to reclaim our rightful place as the off-road vehicle leader.” Ford also will grow its lineup of performance SUVs. Two additions to the Ford Performance lineup include the all-new Edge ST later this year, and an Explorer ST will soon follow. These two new SUVs will help Ford Performance deliver on its promise of 12 new models by 2020, and will help extend the division’s growth, which has risen 81 percent in the last four years. Ford Performance sales are on track to grow another 71 percent by 2020, driven by SUVs. Next-Gen Hybrid Electrics: Part of Ford’s new strategy includes going all-in on hybrids to bring more capability to customers of our most popular and high-volume vehicles like F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Escape and Bronco – and serve as a hedge for customers against higher gas prices. Ford’s new hybrids will offer customers more space than today’s hybrids. On the F-150 Hybrid, Ford will lean in to capability, such as the low-end torque for extra pulling power and the fact it can serve as a mobile generator. Mustang Hybrid will be all about delivering V8-like performance with more low-end torque. “Hybrids for years have been mostly niche products but are now on the cusp of a mainstream breakout,” Farley said. “The valuable capability they offer – plus fuel efficiency – is why we’re going to offer hybrid variants of our most popular and high-volume vehicles, allowing our loyal, passionate customers to become advocates for the technology.” Ford’s new hybrid system is designed to be more efficient and less expensive than previous generations. These lower costs – achieved through supply base relationships, using common cell and component design and by manufacturing motors, transmissions and battery packs – with the intention of lowering cost of ownership for customers. Battery electric vehicles: Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represent more than a different powertrain – they represent a lifestyle change for consumers, especially for those who have never driven an electric vehicle. That is why Ford’s strategy includes rethinking the ownership experience so it is more seamless than with today’s gas-powered vehicles. That means making charging an effortless experience at home and on the road as well as offering full-vehicle over-the-air software updates to enhance capability and features. “Throwing a charger in the trunk of a vehicle and sending customers on their way isn’t enough to help promote the viability of electric vehicles,” said Sherif Marakby, vice president, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles. “In addition to expanding our electric vehicle lineup, we are redesigning the ownership experience to ensure it addresses customer pain points that currently hold back broad adoption today.” Ford’s BEV manufacturing plan will be more efficient. The company will halve floor space for final assembly operations and reduce capital investment 50 percent. A projected 30 percent improvement in labor efficiency will allow Ford to redeploy employees to do other jobs, including assembly of battery packs (which are normally expensive and complex to ship). Ford’s new performance battery electric utility arrives in 2020. It is the first of six electric vehicles coming by 2022 as part of the company’s $11 billion global electric vehicle investment. Commercial vehicles: Ford, the only full-line brand with offerings that stretch from Class 1 to Class 7, has a commanding 38 percent share of the U.S. commercial vehicle market. Last year, it sold more CVs than the second, third and fourth place competitors combined. To continue building on its commercial vehicle leadership, Ford plans to: Debut a new Transit with 4G LTE connectivity, coming in 2019 Extend production of its E-Series cutaway and stripped chassis into the 2020s Offer Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Driver Alert System and more on future E-Series, F-650, F-750 and F59 chassis products Ford earlier this year introduced new versions of its Transit Connect Cargo Van and Transit Connect Wagon, with both arriving at dealerships later this year. Designing a better PD system While delivering this new vehicle portfolio, Ford is continuously improving its operational fitness by increasing product speed to market, improving quality and further reducing complexity, and reducing cost. Driving improvements are the company’s new structure and new tools and technologies that drive even more human-centered designs. Ford’s new organization is designed to ensure company leaders view market and regional demands holistically to decide which vehicles and features customers value most. This drives more strategic and efficient investments, instead of trying to satisfy individual market requests. The efficiencies benefit the company and individual regions like North America. Ford also is moving to flexible vehicle architectures and more common parts across models, cutting new product development time – from sketch to dealer showroom – by 20 percent. This is helping Ford achieve its commitment to deliver $4 billion of engineering efficiencies. The company intends to have the most efficient Product Development organization among full-line automakers within five years. Ford’s five flexible vehicle architectures – body-on-frame, front-wheel-drive unibody, rear-wheel-drive unibody, commercial van unibody and BEV – are paired with module “families” that address the power pack, electrical pack and vehicle configurations. Seventy percent of each vehicle’s engineering will be driven from this new architecture approach, with 30 percent of content – including grilles, hoods, doors and more – customized for each vehicle. For instance, as more vehicles become connected, new analytics tools will show which vehicle technologies customers use most often. This new data-driven insight will help determine which features to grow and invest in and which to eliminate, reducing manufacturing complexity, improving pricing, reducing incentives and building revenue over time. Simplification is another key aspect of the plan. Ford already has reduced orderable combinations on Ford SUVs by 80 percent since 2014, including a 97 percent reduction on the new Edge coming later this year. New manufacturing tools and technologies: Increased use of augmented and virtual reality are helping reduce Ford’s plant changeover time by an estimated 25 percent, which adds an average $50 million to the company’s bottom line per changeover. Simulating various production processes and assembly line configurations in the virtual world helps identify potentially hazardous maneuvers and fine-tune workflows before construction even begins, saving an estimated 20 percent of tooling cost on each vehicle program. The company also is increasing its use of collaborative robots that can perform jobs quickly and repetitively, helping reduce the risk of injury to employees, freeing them up for more high-value jobs and improving the company’s bottom line. “We’re looking at every part of our business, making it more fit and ensuring that every action we take is driven by what will serve our customers in a way that supports our fitness and performance goals,” said Joe Hinrichs, president, Global Operations. Note: Average showroom age based on Ford internal estimates and Bank of America Merrill Lynch Car Wars 2018-2021 report. About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Good point- We need "interoperability" between vehicles and components! Instead too many big truck makers are building their own unique hardware and software... That works in cars and light trucks where you've got volumes in the millions. In big trucks where the whole North American market is two or three hundred thousands of vehicles a year and submarkets like heavy haulers in the low thousands, not so much. Volvo's use of the Cummins 15 liter instead of their own 16 liter is testimony to this, unfortunately Volvo hasn't figured out that they need to get there software and well as hardware ready to support Cummins engines too.

Sad to hear that so many Mack dealers are falling behind- Used to be that truck dealers of all brands serviced Cat, Cummins, and Detroit as well as their own brand's engines.

They're just now building the last of the Titans, that hood should be big enough for the 15 liter Cummins...

Another nail in Mack's coffin... While Mack's Granite has to make do with a 13 liter engine and only a tiny sleeper, it's Volvo VNX competitor gets all the good stuff.

BTW, the last month or so I've been seeing a lot of "product placement" of first generation Broncos in TV ads. This suggests that the upcoming Bronco will take it's styling cures from the original, and that Ford plans to develop the Bronco into an iconic brand like it's competitor, the Jeep Wrangler.

There's been a bunch of Maxidynes over the years- Mack 11 and 12 liter sixes, 14 and 16 liter V8s, a rare 9 liter six based on a Renault engine, and Volvo tried to emulate the Maxidyne with 11, 13, and 16 liter sixes. Volvo has now banished the 16 liter from the American market and dropped the wide ratio Maxitorque transmissions designed to work with the Maxidyne engines a couple years back. There are three generations of Maxitorque transmissions built from the 60s to the present, the basic transmission matched to a Maxidyne engine was a 5 speed or 6 speed in the last generation of Maxitorques. For vocational applications one or more low gears were added and some Maxidynes were given closer ratio 9 and 10 speed transmissions with lowered governor settings to improve fuel economy. Peak production years for the Maxidynes were from introduction in the mid 60s through the 80s when over the road truck buyers largely switched to conventional engines and 9, 10, or more speed transmissions in the interest of fuel economy. Maxidynes remained popular in vocational applications until recently as Volvo has been trying to force their less capable automated manual on customers.

Those front bumpers ain't easy to bend and they're functionally part of the frame assembly... Perhaps the frame was tweaked?

Agreed, the classifications are outmoded- For example, a 2 axle straight truck can bump in to Class 8 if it has heavy axles. The classes also take no account of trailer towing capability- For example, a class 7 tractor with a 30k# GVW rating could be used to pull triple trailers at over 100k# train weight. Clearly a new classification system is needed.

"Carding" is pretty rare and a waste of time, a Teamster official can just check the Titan database to see who is a member. Usually no need for that, just industry knowledge and a little common sense will tell you if a worker should be paying dues or not. Actually, it's more important to make sure all the members get to participate in union elections and contract negotiations. Got carded all of once myself in a half century of trucking, was temping for a couple days for a contractor serving 3M while laid off from another Teamster represented job. Steward asked nicely if I had a card, I showed him my card from a different local and we had a laugh.

Boyer Ford was the "big dog" Ford truck dealer in the Minneapolis area, started with a separate shop they built for trucks in the 60s, they ended up selling off the car dealership and expanding the truck dealership a couple times and added more locations. They transitioned to Sterling and by the time Daimler killed off Sterling they'd diversified into other brands and locations all over and around Minnesota. Some of the other dealers weren't so lucky, Towns Edge Ford in South St.Paul built a big dealership and haven't heard from them in years.

I know of one surviving GMC only dealer and I've heard there's a handful around the country. Here they hang on for nearly a decade with nothing bigger to sell than a one ton, and to reward them GM gives the new medium trucks to the Chevy dealer down the street?

Non-compete clause with GM? And wonder what VW Group thinks of all this?

Hino just held their presser and moved into classes 7 and 8: http://www.worktruckshow.com/WTS/WTSpressreleases/WTS18-press-conferences/Hino_Trucks_unveils_XL_Series__enters_into_Class_8_market_for_the_first_time_in_the_US.aspx With Hino and Chevy moving "upmarket", Ford better up their game!

Wrong Mack for the job.

It's sad that the U.S. truck market is so screwed up that we'll never see this truck in Ford's home country.