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Man kills his 2 step-children and wife in murder-suicide Associated Press / July 22, 2015 A Georgia man has killed his two stepsons, his wife and himself. The two children were shot to death in their beds. Matthew Fields, 32, arrived at his home Wednesday morning and shot his wife, Rebecca Manning, and her 8- and 9-year-old boys, Jared and Jacob Smith. He also critically wounded Manning's father, Jerry Manning, who lived with the family at the home in suburban Atlanta. Before Fields killed himself, he called his mother acknowledging what he had done and said he was going to take his own life. .

No need to apologize. I respect you thoughts.......we’re all extremely concerned at the direction our country has taken. We went off course some time ago, but owing to our childhood indoctrination, we all naively assumed the government would ensure that we never deviated too far from the right course, and ultimately would get back onto the right course. Now, we’ve all reached an age that we view matters from a different perspective. We’re able to see through the veil of mistruths and illusions, and realize the actual “state of the union”. As proud and dedicated Americans, we find our situation sad indeed. Morals and ethics are far below where they should be. Directly correlating to the low level of morals and ethics, crime is rampant. The status of the “dumbing down of America” is full speed ahead (The government apparently attaches value to that). Our government doesn’t enforce the laws it created......illegal aliens are invited to stay while respectable law-abiding aliens attempting to immigrate legally wait in line. Our apparent “open door” policy has only served to trigger the arrival of thousands more low caliber illegal aliens that put a incalculable burden on the American taxpayer (The UK, France and Sweden are going broke supporting all their illegal aliens). Donald Trump is correct in saying that undocumented immigrants are all criminals, because they committed a federal offense by entering our country illegally. What’s not to understand there? Why are these illegals not rounded up, finger-printed and pushed back over the fence, and forbidden to ever immigrate to the US as their punishment? I personally welcome respectable immigrants, because their forerunners made our country great. However, we don’t need to add willful law-breakers to our population. An EPA staffed with unqualified leadership has costs American individuals and companies billions. There’s no argument about using advanced technology, as it evolves and is proven, to better protect our environment.......this being the only world we currently have to reside on.......but we must forge a path based on rationality. Our interstate system in collapsing.......literally. That the United States of America does not have modern high-speed rail service is both a disservice to all Americans, and a national embarrassment. You speak of change in our government. That is a very interesting point. Has the basis of our government changed since 1776? I would argue.....no. Let me explain. The founding fathers of our country were amongst the small group of wealthy and schooled individuals, the aristocracy, in the thirteen British colonies that felt the uneducated commoners were unqualified to participate in government. This is why the Electoral College was created, to avoid allowing the mass population to vote directly. The Electoral College, overseen by the founding fathers, would ensure behind the veil that a proper choice was made for president and vice-president. The founding fathers enticed the commoners (mass population) of the English colonist to join together in a revolutionary war for independence by promising them the ability to participate in government. However they didn’t really mean it and, at that time, were quite concerned that should they gain independence, the commoners would hold them to their promises. Much to their relief, that never happened. Under the illusion that they had a say in government, the ignorant commoners for the most part fell in line and allowed the founding fathers to run the show. (To gain an accurate picture of our beginning, I encourage you to read "Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free", by John Ferling - http://www.amazon.com/Independence-Struggle-Set-America-Free/dp/1608190080/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437620048&sr=1-1&keywords=independence) Fast forwarding to today, our basis of governance has not changed much at all, has it?

Nikkei Asian Review / July 23, 2015 More than 50% of Japanese autoparts would be imported to the U.S. without tariffs immediately if the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact takes effect. U.S. and Japanese negotiators appear to have found some common ground in the items considered unlikely to trouble U.S. manufacturers. They also are considering eliminating tariffs on the majority of the remaining types of autoparts within 10 years. Japan exports to the U.S. about 100 types of autoparts including tires and seat belts. The figure grows to about 300 with the inclusion of screws and other items also used for nonautomotive devices. Such exports total about 2 trillion yen ($16 billion) a year, so the current tariff of 2.5% represents around 50 billion yen in levies. But differences remain. The U.S. seeks a longer protection period for transmission, gear box and other items specified by manufacturers, while Japan wants more types of autoparts subject to the swift tariff relief. Negotiators have agreed to give the longest phaseout period for a 2.5% tariff on fully assembled Japanese automobiles. The period likely will exceed 10 years, possibly reaching 20 to 30. The two countries are about to finalize the design of a dispute-settlement system for trade issues attributable to Japan. A ministerial meeting is set for the end of the month in Hawaii, where the two nations aim to settle all lingering concerns including the level of Japan's tariff-free quota for U.S.-grown rice.

Fleet Owner / July 22, 2015 After a nearly two-year research process, United Parcel Service (UPS) is making collision mitigation technology a standard feature on every new Class 8 tractor it orders from this point forward – including the 2,600 units ordered and expected to be deployed by the parcel carrier this year. “For us, this technology really validates the intense training received by our drivers,” Emilio Lopez, the company’s health & safety manager for the southeast region, told Fleet Owner here at a demonstration event hosted by UPS and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, which is supplying the Wingman Advanced collision mitigation package the parcel carrier is deploying on its tractors. “If the system goes off, it’s telling the driver something has significantly changed around them and gets them to refocus immediately on the situation,” Lopez said. “You almost can’t put a dollar value on avoiding or reducing the severity of a crash. [This technology] gives us an opportunity to reduce risk not only for our people but the general public as well. So why not go do this?” UPS said the Wingman package it is adding to all of its new Class 8 tractors include: Bendix’s AutoVue lane departure warning system; electronic stability control (ESC) through Bendix’s electronic stability program or “ESP” offering; Blindspotter side detection radar; and a forward-view radar system for collision mitigation and avoidance. The Wingman system UPS is installing also features adaptive cruise control, which will maintain a constant distance between its tractors and vehicles in front of them via brake activation and engine de-powering. Secondary benefits of active cruise include reducing the accordion effect caused by traffic and, from that, enhanced fuel economy, Bendix noted. Each new UPS Class 8 tractor will also feature automated manual transmissions (AMTs), the parcel carrier noted, as eliminating the need to shift gears provides the driver with greater opportunity to implement its defensive driving techniques – techniques taught via a rigorous training program. Two veteran UPS drivers were on hand at the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk where Bendix provided them and reporters the chance to ride along in and test drive trucks equipped with the Wingman system – including the latest version, Wingman Fusion, which UPS is currently evaluating. Paul Savill (at left), a 17-year veteran driver with UPS Freight – the parcel carrier’s LTL division – and an America’s Road Team Captain, explained to Fleet Owner that he expects collision mitigation technology to serve as a “second set of eyes” for him while plying his routes in Cincinnati, OH. “I’m not relying on this technology to make my driving decisions; in fact I never plan on ever using it,” he stressed. “But once a vehicle is on the road, if some completely unexpected situation happens, this system can act as another layer of safety for me and the other drivers around me.” Savill also compared the collision mitigation technology to the “reserve parachute” used in airborne operations. “You never expect to use that parachute but it is there if something goes really wrong,” he emphasized. Bill Lazarski, a 39-year UPS veteran who has operated everything from parcel vans to highway tractors during his career at Big Brown, believes the ultimate benefit of the parcel carrier’s adoption of collision mitigation technology is in the reinforcement and sustainment of good driving habits. “Our Chicago hub got 10 of these trucks to test and at first some of the systems, like lane departure warning, seemed annoying,” he told Fleet Owner. “But what it’s really doing is refocusing you on your driving habits.” As an example, Lazarski (at right) noted the lane departure alert went off his right side along one particular turn he encounters two or three times while piloting his proscribed route. “What I found after refocusing is that my normal line-of-sight on that turn is hindered and that, as a result, the path I took around it departed from the lane – and I didn’t know it,” he said. “That’s where I see the value in this system: it assists me to help make me an even better driver. It’s not end-all/be-all technology, but it’s a great help especially when I am operating in busy traffic areas.” UPS added that several government studies are encouraging the broader adoption of collision mitigation technology, pointing in particular to a special report compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that said “collision warning systems, particularly when paired with active braking, could significantly reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes.” “Safety is of the utmost importance to UPS. We’re investing in technology that provides UPS drivers with opportunities to increase visibility of their surroundings in constantly changing environments,” noted Randy Stashick, president of engineering for UPS, in a statement. “The safety benefits of these technologies make incorporating them into UPS’s fleet the right thing to do for our employees and fellow motorists,” he added. .

Hackers take control of a Jeep Cherokee and crash it into a ditch by gaining access through the entertainment system Daily Mail / July 21, 2015 Hackers took control of a car and crashed it into a ditch by remotely breaking into its systems from 10 miles away whilst sitting on their sofa. In the first such breach of its kind, security experts cut out the engine and applied the brakes on the Jeep Cherokee - sending it into a spin. The US hackers said they used just a laptop and mobile phone to access the Jeep’ s on-board systems via its wireless Internet connection. Over 470,000 cars made by Fiat Chrysler are at risk of being attacked by similar means. The breach was revealed by security researchers Charlie Miller, a former staffer at the NSA, and Chris Valasek. They worked with Andy Greenberg, a writer with tech website Wired.com, who drove the Jeep Cherokee on public roads in St Louis, Missouri. In his disturbing account Greenberg described how the air vents started blasting out cold air and the radio came on full blast. The windscreen wipers turned on with wiper fluid, blurring the glass and a picture of the two hackers appeared on the car’s digital display to signify they had gained access. Greenberg said that the hackers then slowed the car to a halt just as he was getting on the highway, causing a tailback behind him - though it got worse after that. Greenberg wrote: ‘The most disturbing maneuver came when they cut the Jeep’s brakes, leaving me frantically pumping the pedal as the 2-ton SUV slid uncontrollably into a ditch. ‘The researchers say they’re working on perfecting their steering control - for now they can only hijack the wheel when the Jeep is in reverse. ‘Their hack enables surveillance too: They can track a targeted Jeep’s GPS coordinates, measure its speed, and even drop pins on a map to trace its route.’ The hack was possible thanks to Uconnect, the Internet connected computer feature that has been installed in fleets of Fiat Chrysler cars since late 2013. It controls the entertainment system, deals with navigation and allows phone calls. The feature also allows owners to start the car remotely, flash the headlights using an app and unlock doors. But according to Miller and Valasek, the on-board Internet connection is a ‘super nice vulnerability’ for hackers. All they have to do is work out the car’s IP address and know how to break into its systems and they can take control. Independent security expert Graham Cluley said: ‘Note that the researchers believe that, although they’ve only tested it out on Jeeps, the attacks could be tweaked to work on any Chrysler car with a vulnerable Uconnect head unit.’ The incident is the latest hacking episode which shows just how vulnerable we are to modern technology. It comes after the FBI claimed a US hacker took control of a passenger jet he was on in the first known such incident of its kind. Chris Roberts plugged into the plane’s computer systems through the electronics box under his seat - and briefly moved the aircraft sideways. After being contacted by the hackers nine months ago, Fiat Chrysler released an update to its car systems. In a statement to Wired.com Fiat Chrysler said: ‘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. ‘We appreciate the contributions of cybersecurity advocates to augment the industry’s understanding of potential vulnerabilities. However, we caution advocates that in the pursuit of improved public safety they not, in fact, compromise public safety.’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, would you provide a vehicle for your wife and children that had electric power steering (EPS) and a wireless internet connection? With the days of hydraulic steering are coming to a close, you'll soon have no choice but EPS. The automakers don't want to add additional cost to vehicles by adding anti-hacking protection, which like your computer's anti-virus software requires daily updating and is never 100 percent effective. The ramifications of a large scale vehicle hack are staggering. .

On Wednesday January 8, 2014, Ford global marketing chief Jim Farley said: "We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when you're doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what you're doing.” Farley was speaking at a panel discussion about data privacy at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where he tried to describe how much data Ford was able to collect on its customers and how its uses the data to avoid privacy issues. .

CT680 Website - http://www.drivecat.com/trucks/ct680/

Under fire for inaction, Obama orders flags lowered for Chattanooga victims The Washington Post / July 21, 2015 President Obama, facing growing criticism from conservatives and some veterans, ordered all American flags on federal grounds to be lowered to half-staff for the remainder of the week to honor the five service members killed at a naval reserve center in Chattanooga, Tenn. The move was announced Tuesday, five days after the shooting rampage and just minutes after Obama delivered a speech here at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in which he defended his Iran nuclear deal, called for more military spending, and criticized Republicans for relying too heavily on military force and threats instead of diplomacy. Standing before a crowded hall of aging veterans, Obama eulogized each of the four Marines and the one sailor killed by a gunman in Chattanooga. Tom Sullivan was “everything that a Marine should be,” Obama said. Skip Wells was so devoted to the Marine Corps that he wore his dress blues to his home town’s Fourth of July parade. David Wyatt led with courage in Afghanistan and mentored comrades with post-traumatic stress disorder. Carson Holmquist loved his wife, Jasmine, and their 2-year-old son. Randall Smith, the lone sailor, was a high school baseball star with two young daughters he called “little princesses.” But even as he spoke, the president faced stinging criticism that he hadn’t acted swiftly enough to honor the dead by lowering the flag at the White House and federal buildings around the country. “Oh one more thing, lower the FLAG!!!!!!!! Sir,” former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, author of the best-selling book “Lone Survivor,” wrote on his Facebook page. That critique was then echoed on Capitol Hill, where House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) moved quickly to lower the flag to half-staff on the Capitol grounds. The midsummer tempest highlighted how Obama — six years into his tenure as commander in chief — continues to be pressed to defend his patriotism, his support for the military and his toughness. Those questions have grown especially pointed in the wake of the agreement with Iran to limit its nuclear program. Republican critics of the deal have blasted it as too weak and conciliatory, and insisted that tougher sanctions and threats of force would have been more effective in bending Iranian will. In his VFW speech, Obama fired back, saying his more measured and diplomatic approach had produced results. “Instead of chest-beating that rejects even the idea of talking to our adversaries — which sometimes sounds good in sound bites, but accomplishes nothing — we’re seeing that strong and principled diplomacy can give hope of actually resolving a problem peacefully,” Obama said. Obama also sought to demonstrate his toughness. In one of the speech’s most striking moments, he said he would not hesitate to use force against those who threatened the United States, and then he read off a list of al-Qaeda leaders killed on his watch. “Osama bin Laden is gone,” Obama said. “Anwar Awlaki, a leader of the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen, gone. Many of al-Qaeda’s deputies and their replacements, gone. Ahmed Abdi Godane, the leader of the al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, gone. . . . The list goes on. If you target Americans, you will have no safe haven.” The VFW crowd applauded heartily for that list, but the reception overall was cool, if respectful. Obama also struck a hawkish pose in blasting Republicans for backing automatic cuts — known as sequestration — that would pare back defense spending. He accused the Republicans of “trying to fund our military with gimmicks” that would “shortchange national security programs like counterterrorism” and “increase risk to our troops.” “I’ve got a better idea, which is to end sequestration, increase the defense budget, invest in America’s strengths,” Obama said. “We shouldn’t be playing partisan politics when it comes to national security.” “These mindless cuts have to end,” he said. Obama vowed to veto any “bill that locks in” the automatic cuts. That sets up a clash with Republicans who have pressed for more defense spending — without the matching increases to domestic programs that Democrats are demanding. Republicans believe those domestic spending hikes are too costly. On the issue of lowering the flags, Obama seemed to hear the mounting Republican criticism and respond to it. There are no clear or consistent rules that apply to lowering flags to half-staff. Obama ordered flags lowered after the mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009 but didn’t lower them when a gunman struck last year at the Army post in Texas. He has lowered flags almost immediately after mass shootings in Tucson; Aurora, Colo.; Newtown, Conn.; Oak Creek, Wis.; and the Washington Navy Yard. He has ordered flags to half-staff after the deaths of American icons such as Neil Armstrong, Edward Kennedy, Dorothy Height and Frank Buckles, America’s last surviving World War I veteran. But he didn’t lower the flag after last month’s shooting in Charleston, S.C. Obama focused most of Tuesday’s VFW speech on defending his foreign policy record and detailing improvements made to the Department of Veterans Affairs after last year’s scandal in which VA officials were found to have falsified records to cover up the long waits that many veterans faced to get basic medical care. VA is now handling millions more appointments, and waiting times for veterans have fallen, Obama said. But he also acknowledged that VA continues to struggle with a surge of aging veterans as well as younger veterans of the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “You put it all together, and in some places, wait times are higher than they were last year,” he said. The best way to honor all veterans, Obama said, was through a foreign policy that focused first on diplomacy and turned to war only as a last resort. “I’m hearing echoes of some of the same policies and mind-set that failed us in the past,” Obama said. He said the critics of the Iran deal include “some of the same folks who were so quick to go to war in Iraq . . . [who] said it would only take a few months.” Although Obama did not mention former president George W. Bush, Obama said past administrations were guilty of “rushing into war without thinking through the consequences.” “Who paid the price?” Obama asked. “Our men and women in uniform.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Per the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Flag shall be flown at half-staff when the entire nation is in mourning. These periods of mourning are proclaimed either by the president of the United States, for national remembrance, or the governor of a state or territory, for local remembrance, in the event of a death of a member or former member of the federal, state or territorial government or judiciary. The heads of departments and agencies of the federal government may also order that the flag be flown at half-staff on buildings, grounds and naval vessels under their jurisdiction. On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation’s battle heroes. In the early days of our country, no regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff and, as a result, there were many conflicting policies. But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times. The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after the death of the president or a former president. It is to fly 10 days at half-staff after the death of the vice president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, or the speaker of the House of Representatives. For an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former vice president, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, or the minority leader of the House of Representatives the flag is to be displayed at half-staff from the day of death until interment. The flag is to be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels in the Washington, D.C., area on the day and day after the death of a United States senator, representative, territorial delegate, or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It should also be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in the state, congressional district, territory, or commonwealth of these officials. Upon the death of the governor of a state, territory or possession, the flag should be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in that governor’s state, territory or possession from the day of death until interment. The president may order the flag to be flown at half-staff to mark the death of other officials, former officials, or foreign dignitaries. In addition to these occasions, the president may order half-staff display of the flag after other tragic events. The flag should be briskly run up to the top of the staff before being lowered slowly to the half-staff position.

Arizona mother sentenced to life in prison for killing 5-year-old daughter Reuters / July 17, 2015 An Arizona mother was sentenced on Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for abusing and then murdering her five-year-old daughter, whose body was never found despite a massive search. Jerice Hunter stared straight ahead as her fate was read by Judge Rosa Mroz at the Maricopa County Superior Court. Her daughter, Jhessye Shockley, disappeared in October 2011 and is presumed dead. The 41-year-old was convicted in April of child abuse and first-degree murder after a three-week trial in which a county jury heard how she starved and beat the child. An older sister told the trial how the girl could hardly walk at one point, and how their mother kept the girl locked in a closet. A large blood stain was found in the closet which probably came from the girl, jurors heard. After the child was killed, prosecutors said, Hunter stuffed her body in a suitcase and tossed it in a dumpster. Mroz, who took into consideration Hunter's four prior felony convictions for child abuse in California, said she agreed with the jury there was "substantial" evidence that she killed the girl and then "dumped her like yesterday's trash." Hunter herself initially reported the child missing, and a search organized by authorities drew national attention. Hunter said at the time her daughter disappeared after she left the girl with her three older siblings while she ran an errand. The woman was arrested a month later, but was then released without charge as investigators searched a landfill south of Phoenix. Their fruitless efforts there ended after 96 days, having sifted through about 9,500 tons of garbage. Hunter was arrested again in September 2012 and charged with murdering her daughter. .

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) truck assembly plant - Mount Holly, North Carolina

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.