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Peterbilt Delivers First Electric Cabover Truck to Frito-Lay Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / October 16, 2019 Peterbilt Motors has delivered the first Peterbilt Model 220EV to PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. Frito-Lay will use six of the battery-electric medium-duty trucks as part of its Modesto, Calif., Zero- and Near-Zero-Emission Friehgt Facility Project announced earlier this month. “Peterbilt continues to lead the charge in electric commercial vehicle development. With Frito-Lay's Model 220EV, Peterbilt will have 15 battery-electric trucks in three applications — city delivery, regional haul, and refuse — in customers' hands running real routes and collecting real world validation data,” said Jason Skoog, Paccar vice president and Peterbilt general manager. The zero-emission 220EV is powered by two battery packs with a total capacity of 148kWh and a Meritor Blue-Horizon two-speed drive eAxle. It features a range of more than 100 miles and a recharge time of one hour, making it ideal for local pick-up and delivery operations. “Frito-Lay is continuously exploring current and emerging technologies for our freight equipment as we work toward reducing PepsiCo’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030,” said Michael O’Connell, vice president of supply chain, PepsiCo. “PepsiCo and Frito-Lay have a longstanding relationship with Peterbilt, and are excited to partner in the advancement of electric vehicles within our fleet and to be the first customer to put the Model 220EV in service in our delivery operations.” Peterbilt’s Model 220EV was introduced at CES in January 2019 and now joins the Models 579EV and 520EV in customer field trials. In addition to customer testing, Peterbilt is engaged in validation testing at the Paccar Technical Center (PTC) in Mount Vernon, Wash., where trucks are stringently tested in a variety of scenarios to ensure the highest levels of quality and performance. .

Transport Topics / October 16, 2019 U.S. retail sales of Class 4 through Class 7 trucks rose 5.8% in September compared with a year earlier, and included large gains in Freightliner sales of Class 7 vehicles. Overall sales reached 20,278 compared with 19,173 in the year-earlier period, WardsAuto.com reported. Class 7 sales rose a leading 25.2% to 6,543, or a gain of 1,319 trucks compared with a year earlier. And 66% of the gain came from Freightliner alone, as its year-over-year sales increased by 878 to 2,912. International, Ford, Peterbilt and Kenworth also reported year-over-year gains in Class 7. Freightliner is a brand of Daimler Trucks North America, which reported supply constraints are easing, and more trucks are being delivered now. In a recent survey of Freightliner dealers, several responded that strong demand this year from construction, utility and government customers is driving their year-over-year increase in medium-duty sales. Overall, dealers expect medium-duty truck sales to increase low single-digits on average in 2019, which is in line with their outlook in our prior [quarterly] survey, the survey indicated. Notably, a few dealers had customers report that the fuel economy for DTNA’s proprietary DD8 engine is impressive. Meanwhile, an industry anayst said he expected production next year to slow down, as “we [will be] burning off inventory as we roll through 2020.” Production started abating in July. “So demand is softening and I think that is the bigger issue, and that’s just in line with the general economic tenor of what is going on right now,” he said. “It’s not a concrete slowing in that portion of the business, as it is a sentiment. You have a higher concentration of small business owners in the medium-duty marketplace, and I think they are just unsure what the near-term future holds.” Class 6 sales fell 9.7% to 5,519 compared with 6,110 a year earlier, according to Wards. That included a nearly 1,000-truck decline in sales at Ford. “We had a lot of demand from the lease-rental fleets in the 2017 and 2018, and that diminished in 2019, and will likely in the 2020 time frame, too,” he said. Sales of Class 4 through Class 5 trucks climbed 4.8% to 8,216.

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Ford GT race stint ends after 4 years, 19 wins Michael Martinez, Automotive News / October 12, 2019 Ford Motor Co. had a singular goal when it resurrected the GT race program in 2016: win at Le Mans to honor the 50th anniversary of the company's legendary victory there over Ferrari in 1966. It did that — and won 18 other races to boot — over the course of a four-year campaign that ended last week at Petit Le Mans in Atlanta. Aside from its success on the track, executives say the revived GT race program helped validate technologies and features that have made their way down Ford's lineup to F-150s, Mustangs and other vehicles. "The GT program was intended to be a halo for the company in terms of what we do and what we're capable of doing," Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance motorsports, told Automotive News. "The race car element is the pinnacle of that, allowing us to put cars in front of fans around the world and prove we can compete against the best companies and win races and championships." The GT's on-track success was further validation for Ford's EcoBoost-branded line of turbocharged engines. The car was powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine, the one found in F-150 pickups, although uniquely tuned for the track. Beyond that, Rushbrook said, insight gained on lightweighting and aerodynamics also have informed decisions on production vehicles. "There's a direct link between what a customer buys in the showroom and what we race on the track," he said. "This program gave us the opportunity to tell that story directly." Early troubles, then victory The GT's first event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in January 2016, ended in disaster. Both vehicles Ford entered suffered from a faulty gearbox actuator and other problems that caused them to pit numerous times. The No. 66 GT finished seventh and the No. 67 GT finished ninth of 11 cars in the GTLM class. "It was so emotional that this can't be happening," Rushbrook said. "But nobody blinked an eye, and that really cemented how strong the team was." Ford ran into trouble at subsequent races, including a crash at the 12 Hours of Sebring, but began to iron out its issues as the racing season continued. One of Rushbrook's favorite memories, he says, was the GT's first victory at Laguna Seca in May 2016. "It really made a statement to win that early in the program with a brand new car," he said. "What the team really needed was something to pick up their spirits and keep everybody fighting to go to Le Mans after that." Roughly a month later, with Executive Chairman Bill Ford and then-CEO Mark Fields watching, Ford placed first, third and fourth in its class at Le Mans. Ferrari finished second. Rushbrook said he remembered Ford, Fields and other executives popping in during the 24-hour race even in the early morning hours, which he saw as a sign of their commitment to the program. The end of the race, he said, felt surreal. "For me, we were so focused on the task, you're not paying attention to anything else that's going on around you," he said. "When you do deliver it, the relief and the joy of celebrating with team members that have been along on the journey was one of the best moments of this whole program." What's next Ford will continue to make road versions of the GT through the 2022 model year, or until production of the allotted 1,350 cars is complete. On the racing side, Ford will continue to compete in NASCAR and other series. "Our focus is not to be in racing just to be in racing," Rushbrook said. "Our focus has been to be on the track in the series and championships that matter and are important, and to win those." He said that as the industry transitions to electric vehicles, Ford will look to that technology in racing as well. Does that mean the next GT, whenever it's resurrected again, will come with a battery instead of a gas engine? "It's honestly too early to say," he said. "There's a lot of technology developments out there. Any of those decisions will be based on what we think the best tech is and the right time to introduce it."

At this time of the year, with Mack brand sales slowing, Volvo will consider the strike a blessing in disguise. When you observe the late model tractors on U.S. highways, Freightliner accounts for 40-45 percent, Paccar (Kenworth and Peterbilt) 40-45 percent, Navistar International 5-10 percent, Volvo 3-6 percent, Mack 2-5 percent and Western Star 1 percent. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/56885-mack-trucks-market-share-continues-decline/?tab=comments#comment-421305

Scania Group Press Release / October 8, 2019 Ekonovus, the waste management company entrusted with operating in Vilnius, has invested in a compressed gas Scania L 340 refuse truck. With its low-entry cab and outstanding driver visibility, the truck has been specifically designed for tight and congested cities. Featuring a rich diversity of buildings, the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. From its medieval foundation, Vilnius has influenced Eastern European architecture and culture over several centuries. The Vilnius historic centre has been largely preserved, delighting residents and tourists alike. But its narrow streets make refuse collection challenging. Alternatively fuelled trucks for sensitive areas “The first compressed gas trucks will serve the densely populated and most environmentally sensitive areas, such as Vilnius Old Town. In the future, we will use alternatively fuelled trucks in all such areas,” says Andrius Murnikovas, Director, Ekonovus Logistics and Technical Department. An ambition to provide efficient waste management services, as well as to minimise emissions, prompted Ekonovus to invest in the new Scania model. “We will see far more of these trucks as the fuelling infrastructure now rapidly expands. Here in Lithuania, we’re pioneers in adopting next-generation refuse trucks inspired by similar trucks in neighbouring countries.” “We will later invest in more trucks for more cities” Ekonovus plans to invest in more Scania low-entry trucks for deployment across the country. “The first gas refuse trucks will serve Vilnius and Klaipeda residents,” says Ekonovus’ CEO Romas Draskinis. “We will later invest in more trucks for more cities.” The Scania L 340 has a body with a crane and compactor for emptying Molok waste containers, which partially lie underground. During the emptying process, the lid is removed, and a lifting bag is pulled from the well. After positioning the bag over the compactor, the bottom of the bag opens, and the content is released. .

Scania Group Press Release / September 30, 2019 In the Netherlands, waste and recycling company SUEZ and logistics provider HAVI have both been providing services to McDonald’s for a quarter of a century, constantly working to improve sustainability in the logistics waste chain. In addition, Scania and HAVI are working together to reduce the ecological footprint of McDonald’s logistics. In 2017, they signed an international agreement to reduce the number of diesel-powered vehicles by switching to hybrid or gas-driven vehicles. Introducing Scania’s hybrids marks the next step for both partnerships. .

The U.S. doesn't need to import any oil at all now. However, it still does, unfortunately, because certain American and foreign businessmen profit more from doing so.

Fuso Starts FE180 Gas Cabover Production Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / October 10, 2019 Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. (MFTA) announced that production of its Class 5 cabover gasoline-powered work truck began at Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) plant in Gaffney, S.C. FCCC is a sister company within Daimler Trucks. This truck adds to the lineup of Fuso's Class 4 gasoline models introduced in 2018. The Fuso FE180 Gas, which offers 11,855-pounds in payload capacity, was first introduced at the NTEA Work Truck Show in March 2019, where the first prototype was unveiled. Full production of the Class 5 work truck will share the production line with the lighter Class 4 versions. “North American market data shows that demand for gasoline-powered work trucks is increasing and in some areas outperforming conventional diesel-powered trucks,” said Justin Palmer, president and CEO, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. “We attribute this market shift to the maintenance requirements of diesel trucks due to the increasing sophistication of diesel emission components. Our Fuso Gas trucks eliminate this additional burden while still providing the long-run durability of the engine and its performance.” The Class 5 Fuso FE180’s 297 hp PSI-General Motors V8, 6.0L gasoline engine achieves a standard 361 lb.-ft. of torque. Fuso coupled the engine with the commercial grade Allison 1000 Series 6-speed automatic transmission. To improve fuel economy, Allison FuelSense 2.0 technology with DynActive shifting is included as a standard feature. The increased payload capacity with the FE180 Gas truck is best suited for deliveries with a traditional dry van body. Add a refrigerated body, and this truck is perfect for fresh food or frozen food deliveries. Because of the higher Class and gross vehicle weight, the FE180 Gas can also enter other vocational markets such as landscaping, tree care, vehicle recovery, and construction, just to name a few examples. “The introduction of the Fuso FE180 Gas Class 5 work truck offers customers a powerful, hefty work truck that reduces the operational complications that its diesel counterpart faces today,” said Greg Baker, director of Product Management, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. “We’ve designed this truck with the customer’s wish list in mind by giving it the power, torque and comfort drivers want in a work truck.” Pricing available through Fuso dealerships. With production under way now, the FE180 Gas truck is expected to arrive at dealerships beginning in November.

The all-new Autocar DC-64. #FrontEndFriday #Badass #AutocarDC #AlwaysUp .

Yes, it's plowing season already in the Dakotas. Back in 1941 the Town of Pomfret, New York was proud to show off their new Autocar C8044 (four-wheel-drive) truck with optional "Tropicaire" heater. With about 100" of snow a year, that 11 foot wing got plenty of use. Thanks, Mike Lusher. Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

Matt Cole, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / October 10, 2019 One of the largest fleets in the country, Stevens Transport, announced it is shuttering its Dallas, Texas-based oilfield tanker fleet, effective Tuesday, Oct. 15, according to a notice submitted to the Texas Workforce Commission. The closure will put more than 550 truck drivers out of work. Stevens Tanker Division, a subsidiary of Stevens Transport (No. 38 on the CCJ Top 250), submitted a WARN notice to the state of Texas on Sept. 26 stating it would be ceasing all operations at all 12 of its locations in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety Measurement System, Stevens Tanker has 576 drivers and 853 trucks. The WARN notice indicates 586 employees will be laid off at nine Texas locations – the majority of which (367) are employed at the company’s Stockdale, Texas, facility east of San Antonio. It’s unclear how many employees will be affected at two Louisiana and one Oklahoma location. Attempts to reach Stevens Tanker for comment on the closure have not been returned as of Wednesday afternoon. A photo circulating on social media of a purported memo to Stevens Tanker employees states the oil and gas industry has slowed down since December 2018, adding that the company has seen a 65% reduction in sand orders since Sept. 20. Stevens Tanker Division has hauled water and sand for oil and gas companies in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico. Stevens is the second major fleet this month to announce a downsizing effort. Roadrunner Systems (No. 31 in the CCJ Top 250) announced late last month that it was downsizing its dry van division and would lay off 450 drivers. Likewise, multiple large fleets this year have abruptly shuttered operations.

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / October 9, 2019 UPS will purchase more than 6,000 natural gas-powered trucks beginning in 2020 and running through 2022. This three-year commitment represents a $450 million investment in expanding the company’s alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle fleet as well as supporting infrastructure. Roughly 25% of vehicles purchased by UPS in 2020 will run on alternative fuels, said Juan Perez, chief information and engineering officer, UPS. The new vehicles will be equipped with compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel systems provided under an exclusive agreement with Agility Fuel Solutions, a provider of clean fuel solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. As of October 2019, UPS has agreed to purchase 230 million-gallon equivalents of RNG over the next seven years, making the company the largest consumer of RNG in the transportation industry. Vehicles equipped with CNG fuel systems can interchangeably use RNG and conventional natural gas. Since 2016, Agility Fuel Solutions has provided natural gas fuel storage and delivery systems to more than 1,700 UPS trucks. Over the past decade, UPS has invested more than $1 billion in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations to help meet its target of reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 12% across its global ground operations by 2025. UPS has continued its relationship with TruStar Energy to design, manufacture and install five new CNG fueling stations in Lathrop, Visalia and Moreno Valley, Calif., Houston, Texas, and Cleveland, Ohio. UPS will deploy the new CNG vehicles on routes to utilize the new CNG stations as well as adding to existing natural gas fleets in other UPS locations. By the end of 2019, UPS will be operating 61 natural gas fueling stations strategically located across the U.S., and outside the U.S. in Vancouver, Canada, and Tamworth, United Kingdom.

Fleet Owner / October 9, 2019 Volvo Group North America's Mack Anthem can already achieve an impressive 10.4 MPG at the high end, leveraging engineering innovations powered by its MP8HE engine and Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmission [rebadged Volvo D13 and I-Shift). Adding new optional extended fairings to the chassis channels air more smoothly around the rear axles and leads to as much as a 0.5% increase in fuel efficiency, the company said “The cost of fuel is among the biggest expenses our customers face, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit of ways to improve efficiency,” said Roy Horton, Mack Trucks director of product strategy. “The extended chassis fairings are another tool we have to boost efficiency and help lower our customers’ total cost of ownership.” Besides saving on fuel costs, the fairings act as steps to improve driver access to the back-of-cab area to access and connect or disconnect trailer air supply lines. .

Studied a 6500 4x4 up close. While the front suspension is an acceptable modern parabolic taper-leaf design (and long in length), the rear suspension is a cheap looking short multi-leaf with narrow leafs that explains complaints about poor ride (slapping over expansion joints). The frame doesn't impress me either. I see some of the Navistar dealers, who in the end will sell the most, have "finally" received a few units.

Red, yellow, or fluorescent green? Who's to say what's the best color for a #firetruck, as long as it's an #Autocar. This 1990 Autocar ACL64B tanker first served the West Chester, PA Fame Fire Co. as No. 53, then as Good Will No. 52. Thanks to Kevin Burress for sharing. Always Up - Autocar Trucks .

EPA Rates 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel at 32 MPG Highway Eric Stafford, Car & Driver / October 7, 2019 The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel earns up to 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, according to the EPA. That's for the 2WD model. Half-ton Ram trucks equipped with the diesel engine and all-wheel drive are rated at 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. The base Ram 1500 with the EcoDiesel engine starts at $38,585, making it the cheapest light-duty diesel in its class. While many expected flying cars to be a thing by now, who thought full-size pickup trucks would be able to exceed 30 mpg? Well, kids, the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is the latest light-duty pickup truck to make that once unthinkable feat a reality. Now that the diesel 3.0-liter V-6 has returned to the Ram 1500 lineup, the EPA has released its fuel-economy estimates. The rear-drive version is expected to earn 22 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg combined. Models with all-wheel drive are rated at 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined. We tested the AWD model on our 200-mile fuel-economy route before its EPA certification and saw 24 mpg highway. While that number is obviously short of the government's rating, it's still 6 mpg better than the V-8 Ram we tested. The 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel isn't the only truck in its class that offers these notable EPA ratings. Both the half-ton Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra with the optional Duramax diesel 3.0-liter inline-six are in the 30-mpg club. In fact, the oil-burning Chevy one-ups its Ram counterpart by earning up to 33 mpg on the highway, 23 mpg in the city, and 27 mpg combined. Still, the Ram's EcoDiesel powertrain edges out the Power Stroke diesel 3.0-liter V-6 that's available on the Ford F-150. For comparison, the Blue Oval's downsized diesel is rated at up to 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway for the 2019 model. The EcoDiesel also owns the all-important torque crown with 480 lb-ft of twist, which is 40 more than Ford's Power Stroke and 20 more than GM's Duramax. What's more, the diesel Ram 1500 generates 70 lb-ft more than the brand's 5.7 Hemi V-8. The Ram's new EcoDiesel engine will be available on all 2020 body styles and trim levels. That even includes the off-road-oriented Rebel model for the first time. Those looking for the most stump-pulling power from a 2020 Ram 1500 can have it for under $40k since EcoDiesel-equipped versions start at $38,585. That makes it several thousand dollars less expensive than its diesel-powered half-ton competitors. .

Trailer-Body Builders / October 8, 2019 Vanair recently unveiled plans to introduce a new, patent-pending Integrated Separator Tank. The newly designed separator tank features integrated manifolds containing a minimum pressure valve, thermo-valve, thermistors, transducers, pressure regulators, oil filter, ultrasonic oil level sensors and optional cold-weather oil heater, the company said. It also features SAE O-Ring and JIC connections, helping eliminate leak points associated with conventional galvanized pipe fitting designs. The tank is shipped fully assembled and ready for final mounting, reducing installation time by approximately two hours, Vanair said. The result of these innovations is a 60% reduction in leak points compared to competitive tank designs. Vanair said another first is a new optional redundancy provision feature for thermistors and transducers. “Just like a sophisticated aircraft, this option provides backup if a fault exists on the primary transducer and thermistor,” said Ralph Kokot, CEO of Vanair. “It virtually eliminates potential downtime due to failed primary transducers and thermistors, allowing for uninterrupted operation.” A cold-weather oil heater is an additional option Vanair offers on the Integrated Separator Tank. This feature preheats the compressor oil using engine coolant while driving to the job site. The benefits include increased oil flow in frigid temperatures while reducing emulsification in system, Vanair maintained. The new tank also will feature a redesigned coalescing element with 50% greater surface media, doubling the design life up to 6,000 hours. “The life of the coalescer will typically last beyond the vehicle life cycle, meaning most customers will never have to change the element, which equates to substantial cost savings over competitive designs,” Kokot said. “Vanair is always pursuing advanced engineering designs for increased reliability, durability and the lowest cost of ownership for those we seek to serve. These are the most advanced improvements in the tank design in our 48 years of history. “Vanair ingenuity means lower operating cost, with greater dependability.” .

Trailer-Body Builders / October 3, 2019 Marmon-Herrington, a Marmon Highway Technologies/Berkshire Hathaway company that makes axles and transfer cases for commercial vehicles, recently introduced a new wheel-end option and a conversion that minimizes cab height increase. The wheel-end option is compatible with 11.25-inch bolt circle wheels on the company’s MT22 double-reduction planetary front-drive steer axle. Marmon-Herrington says the option supports customer requests for commonality between the front and rear tires, and minimizes potential downtime, while maintaining the 5G high dynamic shock load capability that defines the axle. The MT22 with 285-milimeter wheel end will come standard on all Marmon-Herrington AWD conversions, and will be offered as standard to all MT22 customers for all approved applications, the company said. It also will continue to manufacture and support the 385-milimeter bolt circle option for OE production and AWD customer. “Our customers asked for it and we are excited to deliver the new 285-milimeter wheel end,” said Dan Souhan, sales and marketing director for Marmon-Herrington. “This product launch delivers the standard fit and wheel commonality our fleets need. This expands our product line offering to our OE customers and allows for in-house Marmon-Herrington AWD conversions to use the wheels that originally come with the truck.” The company’s proprietary new AWD conversion minimizes cab height increase by utilizing newly designed Marmon-Herrington sub-frames, step-frames and front suspension configurations, reducing reduces cab height increase from 10 inches to only 5 inches. The conversion is available for Class 7 and 8 trucks (14-22k front axle weight ratings) and is available across various truck models based on specific engine and transmissions configurations, Marmon-Herrington said. The new sub-frame and step-frame designs were developed to achieve an overall decrease in cab height for supporting the latest generation of aerials with a Marmon-Herrington double reduction planetary front drive axle. The design allows the axle’s input torque to be distributed across the entire axle, as compared to single reduction axles. Torque splitting in the double reduction planetary axle allows for the use of a compact ring and pinion gearset, the company maintained, reducing the size of the center section and increasing ground clearance while also achieving “unparalleled” durability and lower cab height increases. “We have combined several new strategies with our MT-Series planetary drive axles to achieve remarkable height reduction,” Souhan said. “Marmon-Herrington provides our customers with best-in-class rigid axle AWD power and durability, as well as industry-leading ground clearance and low cab height. “We understand the importance of multiple performance characteristics when evaluating an AWD conversion and continually work to ensure Marmon-Herrington offers our customers the very best in every category.” .

You’re welcome. I aim to please.

Ford Trucks International Press Release / October 5, 2019 Ford Trucks are now in Western Europe! We have just opened our first facility in Lisbon, Portugal! #FordTrucks #Portugal #Lisbon #SharingTheLoad #NewBig #FMAX #IToY #WesternEurope #EU .

Ford Trucks International Press Release / October 6, 2019 Hello to everyone from Spain or "Hola"! We continue our Western Europe expansion with incorporating Spain into our family. #SharingTheLoad #Spain #WesternEurope #FordTrucks #FMAX #EU .