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Ram intros 'new generation' of chassis cab work trucks Trailer-Body Builders / February 11, 2019 Ram Trucks says its newly introduced 2019 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cabs will usher in a “new generation of work trucks” with “never-before-offered comfort and technology.” The cab-and-chassis trucks, designed for “unforgiving” duty cycles, efficiency and upfitter friendliness, boast a segment-leading towing capacity up to 35,220 pounds, the highest Gross Combined Weight Rating of 43,000 lbs and payload up to 12,510 lbs. The new line of halo-capability trucks also offers an optional comfort level with the new Limited model, exclusive in-cab features, and all the latest driver-assistance technology, including adaptive cruise control, Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), and AEB with trailer brakes on all trim levels. “Ram Chassis Cab operators work their trucks at maximum capability in the harshest drive cycles every day,” said Reid Bigland, head of Ram Brand for FCA. “By offering 35,220 pounds of towing capacity, 12,510 pounds of payload and a Gross Combined Weight Rating of 43,000 pounds, our 2019 Ram Chassis Cabs take segment leadership in areas most important to customers and upfitters alike. “With the Chassis Cab Limited, we’ve also created something the segment has never seen, surrounding owners in premium materials and technology with the highest quality interiors, active safety systems, and of course, our award-winning Uconnect technology.” The standard Ram Chassis Cab engine is a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with up to 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. The 3500 employs exclusive Fuel Saver Technology (FST) cylinder deactivation for increasing fuel economy. When paired with the optional Aisin AS66RC six-speed automatic transmission with Power Take-Off (PTO), FST functions under light load while in stationary PTO mode to reduce fuel consumption. In the Ram 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab, the 6.4-liter HEMI V8, paired with the AS66RC electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission with optional PTO capability delivers 370 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. A revised Cummins 6.7-liter inline-six turbo diesel is optional on all three models. Paired with the Aisin AS69RC electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission with optional PTO capability, the Cummins engine delivers 360 horsepower and the highest available torque in Class 4 and 5 at 800 lb-ft. Changes to the Cummins engine include a cylinder block made from compacted graphite iron that is stronger and better able to dampen vibrations. A new cast-iron cylinder head builds on the new block with changes that include new exhaust valves and springs, and new rocker arms driven by a hollow camshaft, contributing to the weight savings. The Chassis Cab trucks come in four industry-standard frame lengths measured in inches from the cab to the rear axle (CA): CA 60, CA 84, CA 108 and CA 120. Frame rail width also follows industry guidelines at 34-inch spacing. All 2019 frames are built with up to 97% high-strength steel and eight separate cross members. With upfits in mind, Ram Chassis Cab rear frame sections feature a C-channel design with flat mounting surface—zero component interference above the rails, making upfit and accessory design/installation easy, cost-effective and reliable. Additionally, pre-drilled holes are designed throughout the structure to route upfit lines or mount hardware related to the upfit. Light-weighting efforts include an aluminum hood, which contributes to an overall weight reduction of 120 pounds. The cab back panel area is clear for ease of upfit. Ram Engineering provides instructions to create a pass-through cab for emergency vehicles. The 2019 Ram Chassis Cab lineup uses tuned powertrain mounts and C-pillar body hydromounts to reduce NVH and improve ride quality. Within the mounts, the viscosity of the fluid and the rubber itself have been tuned to Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and payload capabilities, enhancing isolation regardless of load or tow capacity. A best-in-class Vehicle System Interface Module (VSIM) is capable of communicating between aftermarket modules and various factory control modules. The VSIM upfitter interface module features more than 70 inputs and outputs, including lighting controls, door position, and throttle and transmission position. Ram expects its 2019 Chassis Cabs, built at the Saltillo truck assembly plant in Coahuila, Mexico, to be available in the second quarter of 2019.

NEMF and 10 related subsidiaries declare bankruptcy John Schulz, Logistics Management / February 11, 2019 It is another sad day in the trucking industry as another storied, unionized, less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier has gone under and taking tons of capacity away from shippers in the Northeast. In a financial development that shocked the trucking industry, 101-year-old New England Motor Freight and 10 related subsidiaries (including truckload giant Eastern Freightways) voluntarily filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark on February 11. Privately held NEMF, which competes mostly in the high-cost Northeast region, ranked last year as the 17th-largest LTL carrier in the country with revenue of just over $400 million. As a private company, NEMF did not release profit or loss numbers. NEMF said it “intends to use these proceedings to facilitate an orderly wind-down of its operations.” NEMF was a unionized carrier, mostly covered by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, whereas nearly all the other LTL unionized bankruptcies involved Teamsters-related companies. NEMF’s cessation underscored the brutal nature of the thin-margin trucking industry. NEMF’s exit leaves only a handful of Northeast regional LTL carriers with significant capacity – YRC unit New Penn, Pitt Ohio, A. Duie Pyle and Ward Trucking, among them. In an interview with LM last month, Myron P. Mike Shevell, chairman of the Shevell Group, hinted at changes when he described his freight demand as “very light right now.” But that is somewhat a normal condition for January in trucking. “The LTL market is changing dramatically with computerization and different shippers changing modes,” the 83-year-old Shevell said. “There’s more shippers going to warehousing and shipping direct via crossdock or from the manufacturing point. That’s all changing.” In that interview, Shevell warned, “Nobody can afford the cost of equipment sitting idle and people taking advantage of that. There’s a lot of hiccups. There are a lot of problems. There’s going to be a point where you’ll just have to wait and see.” Vincent Colistra, senior managing director with Phoenix Management Services, and chief restructuring officer said in a statement, “We have worked hard to explore options for New England Motor Freight, but the macro-economic factors confronting this industry are significant.” Phoenix is serving as NEMF’s restructuring advisor through Vincent Colistra as the CRO. Colistra declined comment when contacted by LM. NEMF said after two years of losses, and with “continuing and unsustainable rises in overhead” as well as a severe industry shortage of drivers, it concluded that NEMF “has no choice but to proceed with an orderly wind-down of operations” in a Chapter 11 proceeding. Knowledgeable observers of the LTL industry said NEMF’s reliance on a few large big box retailers left it vulnerable to rate cutting in order to stay afloat. “I am not that surprised,” Satish Jindel, principal of SJ Consulting, which closely tracks the LTL sector, told LM. He called it a “sad day” in the trucking industry as one of the industry’s grand old names was calling it quits. “Mike Shevell built this company from the ground up,” Jindel said of NEMF’s chairman. “My heart goes out to him.” Jindel said he didn’t think NEMF’s financial difficulties were that serious but “apparently they were,” Jindel added. Jindel took polite issue with NEMF citing “macroeconomic factors” in the LTL industry as reason for its demise. “While they state the macroeconomic factors are significant, I believe they are not being open with what caused this problem,” Jindel said. “It is not the macroeconomic problem in the industry.” Jindel, whose company compiles the annual Top 50 trucking lists for LM, disclosed that this year’s listing will show nearly all the top carriers have posted year over year revenue increases of 10% to 12%. “If you got that revenue, and didn’t just your cost your freight properly, shame on you,” Jindel explained. Privately, industry insiders said the challenge NEMF faced is what happens when it became too reliant on one or two large retail customers and must accept rate decreases in order to keep its trucks filled. “If you let one customer get too big and that customer dictates what you have to do, that’s bad,” one industry source said. “It’s a Catch-22. You can’t say no, but if you say yes, you find yourself digging a hole.” NEMF said only “upon the recommendation of its advisors,” it determined that a Chapter 11 proceeding was the “best mechanism to maximize the value of its assets for the benefit of its employees” and various creditor constituencies. Besides Shevell and other NEMF employees, the biggest losers are going to be the shippers in the Northeast. They face an ever-dwindling supply of reliable, large LTL carriers. And with NEMF out of the picture, Jindel said those Northeast shippers can expect double-digit rate increases as capacity tightens. Overall, the Shevell Group companies ranked as the 70th-largest trucking conglomerate in the country. Its units ran more than 1,550 company trucks and nearly 4,000 trailers. The timing could favor YRC Worldwide. Not only does YRC own New Penn, one of the remaining large Northeast carriers, but it has a contract coming up covering 24,000 Teamsters that expires at the end of March. “Here’s another union company folding—that’s not good for the Teamsters,” Jindel noted.

New England Motor Freight Files for Bankruptcy Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / February 11, 2019 LTL carrier New England Motor Freight and its subsidiaries have voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New Jersey, intending to facilitate an orderly wind down of its operations. The Elizabeth, New Jersey-based company had fallen on hard times, recording losses in consecutive years as well as “unsustainable rises in overhead,” according to Vincent Colistra, a senior managing director for Phoenix Management Services and chief restructuring officer for the company. Colistra also placed blame on a severe shortage of available drivers in the trucking industry. Just a week prior to filing, NEMF had implemented a 5.4% general rate increase saying that it was faced with increased costs associated with regulatory mandates, insurance premiums, new equipment and technology advancements. As a result, the company determined that Chapter 11 would be the best way to maximize the value of its assets for the benefit of its employees and various creditor constituencies. “We have worked hard to explore options for New England Motor Freight, but the macro-economic factors confronting this industry are significant,” said Colistra. “We have concluded that the Company has no choice but to proceed with an orderly wind-down of operations in a Chapter 11 proceeding.” .

Neil Abt, Fleet Owner / February 10, 2019 Orders for new trucks dropped significantly in January, but the overall market remains healthy, according to two industry research firms. FTR said preliminary North American Class 8 orders for January were 15,600 units, the lowest since October 2016. That figure was 26% below the previous month and down 67% from January 2018. The report said the low total was not unexpected, as the great majority of fleets already have all their orders in for 2019. Class 8 orders for the past 12 months have now totaled 402,000 units, and backlogs remain about 70% above year-ago levels. "There were record breaking orders placed last July and August, and this is the payback for that volume,” said Don Ake, FTR vice president of commercial vehicles. "Even with the weak January numbers, over 330,000 trucks have been ordered in the last nine months, so demand for trucks in 2019 remains strong." He added: “the fundamentals of the economy and freight growth remain solid, so there is no reason to panic." In a separate report, another industry analyst said the industry booked 15,800 units in January, down 26% from December and 68% from year-ago January. "We view this January’s order softness as having more to do with pulled-forward orders and a very large Class 8 backlog than with the current supply-demand balance. Softening freight growth and strong Class 8 capacity additions suggest that the supply-demand balance will become a story in 2019, but January seems a premature start to that tale,” he said. The report also said Classes 5-8 orders were 23,400 for the month. “While up sequentially, January’s orders had the ignominy of being compared to one of the best order months in history, January 2018: Classes 5-7 net orders fell 24% year-over-year, the first negative comparison in 16 months,” he said.

Front axle capacity 3,500kg / 7,716 lb Rear axle capacity 10,460 kg / 23,060 lb Gross Vehicle Weight (Mass) 13,960 kg / 30,777 lb

I agree with you that, since they were building the later 3rd generation D-Series cab in Mexico, Argentina with smaller volumes (than Chrysler Mexico) built the older 1st/2nd generation D-Series cab. They didn't have two sets of tooling.

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Planeta Camion In 1960, the first national Chryslers began to be manufactured in Argentina. These were the D-400 trucks equipped with locally produced engines and gearboxes. In 1978, Chrysler makes its last effort to try to adapt to a market that demanded increasingly powerful trucks. The old formula of the Perkins diesel engine no longer worked, and Chrysler decided to follow the new trend of offering turbocharged diesel engines. At that time, the only engine option in Argentina was the German Deutz engine, thus the Dodge DD-1000 was born. It’s components consisted of a rubber floor mat with insulation, turns signals, emergency flasher light, armrests on both doors, heater and defroster, adjustable vent windows on both doors, a hydraulically-suspended driver’s seat, radio, vinyl upholstery and basic instrumentation. The DD-1000 was produced from 1978 to 1980. On May 5, 1980, the purchase of Chrysler-Fevre materialized, resulting in Volkswagen Argentina. As a result, the Dodge truck line was discontinued. Dodge DD-1000 / Specifications Chassis: riveted ladder with "U" section stringers. Reinforcement: "L" section. Bodywork: truck on frame, two-door Engine: Deutz BF6L913, lateral camshaft controlled by gears. Cycle: Diesel 4-stroke, valves at the head Feeding: turbocharged, turbo-cooled. Cylinders: 6 in line. Displacement (cm3): 6128 Diameter x Stroke (mm): 102 x 125. Power (HP-SAE): 175 to 2,650 rpm Torque: 50 Kgm at 1,600 rpm Compression ratio: 18: 1. Fuel system: direct injection Injector pump: commanded by gears to the camshaft. Transmission: 4 × 2 to the rear wheels by tubular cardan. Clutch: Mechanically driven dry monodisk, diameter 330mm (13 "). Gearbox: EATON 542 SMF Speeds: 5 forward (synchronized from 2nd to 5th), and 1 of recoil. Rear axle: floating with hypoidal conical gear. Capacity: 11460 Kg. Differential: Eaton 18, 2-speed electro-pneumatic drive. Ratio: 6.14 / 8.38. Front suspension: semi-elliptic leaf springs with binoculars, double-acting telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers. Rear suspension: semi-elliptic springs of variable capacity with auxiliary load and radial blade. Brakes: Air, independent circuit for each axis, drum in the 4 masses by "S" cams, rear with self-adjustable "guitars". Parking brake: Pneumatic drive by valve from the board. Direction: Screw and endless, semi-reversible. Optional: Hydraulically assisted. Tires: 5-spoke gunners, 8J x 20 ". Tires: 11.00 × 20 ". Gas-Oil tank: 140 liters. PBC (tow cap) at 50 km / h: 41500 Between axes (mm): 4440/5000 .

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/30848-bigland-takes-over-as-president-ceo-of-ram-truck-brand/?tab=comments#comment-178533

Never in the history of commercial trucks has a vehicle produced in such small numbers enjoyed so much popularity.

Ford Trucks International / Sharing The Load It takes strength to succeed in construction. And Ford Trucks has what it takes. The Ford Trucks Construction Series. Engineered for the world's toughest driving conditions. .

Jim, we offered just such a Maxitorque transmission for those who wanted it with the Maxidyne high-torque rise powertrain.....the 7-speed TRDLG1070.

Note the use of Chinese Kuka robotics. .

Diesel News Australia / February 2019 There seems to be no stopping the Isuzu bandwagon, as the company prepares to celebrate 30 years as the top selling brand in Australia, it just keeps pushing further ahead. Diesel News checks out the new N Series range from the Japanese truck maker. A truck brand doesn’t end up being the dominant brand in a truck market for a period as long as 30 years without doing quite a bit right. In the case of Isuzu, the company is constantly pushing itself to keep ahead of the curve and challenges competitors to keep up. There is also an efficient system for channeling the feedback from the truck buyer on the ground back to the decision makers specifying the next iteration of a particular model. Knowing what the customer wants and delivering it are vital if you want to stay number one. This introduction of a renewed N Series range of light duty models illustrates these points very well. Innovations keep Isuzu ahead of the game and adjustments have been made to satisfy customer needs. There’s also been some consideration of the comfort of those customers with the introduction of an independent front suspension on some of the NNR models at the lighter end of the range. These are the trucks which buyers are often moving up to from cars or utes and the IFS provides the kind of ride quality which could be described as car-like. Another car-like feature is the introduction of two pedal operation on the NPS 4×4 models in the new range. The automated manual transmission (AMT) has been calibrated to take the grief out of gear changing in difficult conditions where four wheel drive is needed. As is common in just about every new truck launch these days, the audio visual entertainment system gets an upgrade, bigger, with a new operating system and many more features. With their competitors all running modern entertainment systems, Isuzu just go one step further. On the engine front, the power and torque available continue to creep up, but the complexity actually goes down. Improvement to the engine’s design means the 5.2 litre 4HK1 engine no longer needs a diesel particulate filter, which can be problematic during the regeneration cycle. The diesel particulate filter (DPF) has been replaced by a maintenance-free diesel oxidisation catalyst but still meets Euro-5 emission limits. “We are always looking to develop and implement the most appropriate technology to empower Australian businesses to improve both operational efficiency and functionality,” says Phil Taylor, Director and CEO at Isuzu Australia. “We believe we are continuing to achieve that goal for our customers. Isuzu continues to have the most comprehensive truck range on the market in Australia today.” .

Power Torque Magazine / February 2019 There’s something very special for any fleet when a new truck arrives, and PowerTorque was privileged to join in the celebrations as Sydney-based Gear Shift Haulage commissioned its latest combination with a special tribute. Formed in 2013 by managing director Lee Fahey as an offshoot of a civil construction business, Gear Shift continues to become a dominant player in heavy earthmoving equipment transport from its company base in Ingleburn, south-west of Sydney. Drawing on the success, experience and infrastructure already in place, Gear Shift Haulage transports heavy machinery and plant to all areas of the Sydney basin, as well as regionally within NSW and interstate. At any time, the scope of work for Gear Shift may span hauling small equipment such as remote trench rollers, up to 45 tonne compactors, dump trucks or crushers. Currently the workload is split, with 85 percent attributed to external customer requirements and the remaining 15 percent catering for internal company movements. Kyle Bunning is the transport manager for Gear Shift Haulage and explains the company’s business philosophy. “The machinery movement business can be extremely delicate, and you need to be on your A-game all the time,” he said. “Service is a big thing. Realistically, customers do not necessarily remember all those little jobs you managed to complete on their behalf at the last minute in order to keep their jobs on track. They do, however, remember if a truck doesn’t turn up, or you might have previously said that it was not possible to handle a specific job, so we are extremely customer focused. “We find now that a lot of our clients are searching us out to do work for them, even if they traditionally have ties to other transport carriers. We don’t actively chase other company’s clients as that is not the way that we operate. However, if they come to us and request a job because another service provider can’t get a job done for them, we’ll try to help them out”. Prior to the early part of 2018, Kyle handled all the operational planning and allocations himself. It was at this stage that the decision was made to employ Rick Sookee, to take responsibility for allocation. “My phone never stopped ringing, ” said Kyle. In another bid to streamline operations, Gear Shift implemented a single email system for contact, using Excel Online. This informs several staff members of the whole process of booking jobs, relieving a lot of the burden from any single staff member. “It helps share the operational load more evenly and keeps all concerned well and truly in the loop, in real time,” Kyle said. “This game can also be a bit hit-and-miss with workloads. One day you can be flat out and be dreaming of another couple of trucks available in the fleet, and the next there is the risk that they might all be sitting in the yard with no work, so we have to carefully plan our equipment purchases”. The latest prime mover to join the Gear Shift fleet is a Kenworth K200, bringing the total number of trucks operated by the company to six. In addition to the new flat roof K200, the fleet comprises two Volvos in the form of one FM and One FH, together with a K200 Aerodyne and a Kenworth T359 tilt tray. Finally, working on back-up duties predominantly in the yard is an older K104 model. The fleet also comprises three trailers − two deck-widening, steerable quads, one 3 x 8 full widener and a bogie axle step-deck used behind the smaller FM Volvo. Another K200 Big Cab and accompanying Drake trailer with a gooseneck dolly are scheduled for arrival in the first quarter of this year. Kyle said the delivery of the new Drake trailer and gooseneck dolly would enable the company to accommodate loads of up to 60 tonnes. Whilst the latest acquisition is from the Kenworth stable, the existing Volvo trucks in the fleet play an equally important role in the company’s success. “The little FM Volvo with the bogie axle, step-deck trailer is a great little unit and is perfect for tight city jobs. It can take payloads of up to 27 tonnes, and with its tight turning circle and 12-metre length, it is right at home on these jobs. The FM can get to most places a tilt tray can access, with the added benefit of increased payload over a 6×4 truck,” Kyle said. “The driver we have in the FH Volvo was offered the Kenworth to drive, but remained content to stay with the big Volvo”. Gear Shift Haulage handles all its own maintenance requirements within the company from its Ingleburn workshop, with the excess workload picked up by local company RV Mobile Truck and Trailer Repairs. Within the broader scope of the company group, Kenworth has a strong presence among the trucks, explaining Lee Fahey’s allegiance and loyalty both to the brand and the local dealership, Suttons Arncliffe. Whenever new vehicles are required, the company evaluates the various options from different manufacturers and dealerships. For now, though, the dice seems more often than not to roll back to Kenworth. Suttons Sales Manager Michael Maranda handled the latest purchase, working with Lee to optimise specifications for the new truck. The flat roof K200 is kitted out for heavy work with an X15 Cummins engine at 605 hp (450 kW) utilising an Eaton UltraShift PLUS automated manual transmission. The final drive ratios are 4.56:1 and the wheelbase spread is 4250 mm. Heavy duty aluminium guards were fitted, incorporating toolboxes in the empty space between the guards, and dual intake pipes and exhaust stacks add a bold stance to the appearance. The K200 was ordered intentionally without cab side wings at the recommendation of Kyle, who believes it gives a little bit of old-school class to the truck. When questioned about the names on the side of the truck and the significance of the title “Ted’s Shed” on the front of the cab, Kyle explained: “The truck was ordered and specced up by Lee, but I wanted to do something a little bit special with this one. I wanted to keep it on the quiet, and surprise Lee. “I liked it when there were a lot of owner/drivers out there with the family names on their trucks and thought that might be a nice touch. “Without Lee knowing, I got in contact with Adam Blair of Blair’s Signco Pty Ltd. at Heathcote and devised a plan to have the names of Lee’s kids and a tribute to his dad, Ted, hand-painted onto the truck. “As Adam is an old mate of Lee, and with Lee being very hands-on in his management style, it was a real struggle to keep him from seeing the truck before our official unveiling, which took place in front of the whole family at a job site. I even had to go as far as to instruct the satellite tracking installers not to activate the tracking on this truck until I gave the go-ahead, because I knew if Lee could find out where the truck was, he would head out to check up on its progress,” laughed Kyle. Orchestrating the unveiling of the new truck to Lee was a difficult affair. Lee was requested a few days prior to attend a worksite, and had been told by Kyle to wear his best Gear Shift shirt. This immediately got Lee wondering what was going on. Lee’s wife Melissa was in on the secret and also arranged to bring out Lee’s parents, Ted and Ruth, and daughter, Sarah. PowerTorque was also present to capture the unveiling and hand-over of the new truck. The truck was driven out by Kyle connected to the company’s three-week-old Drake quad-axle trailer. For authenticity, Komatsu at Ingleburn lent a refurbished 20-tonne excavator for the day. In an industry fast becoming dominated by big business and multinationals, the transport game could do with more old-fashioned family value displays such as this offered by a transport manager to his owner. Lee and the extended family were treated to quite the surprise upon arriving at the work site to view the truck and its signwriting. A nervous few minutes passed with Kyle not knowing if Lee would approve of his use of company funds to spring the surprise, or whether he had to look for a new job. It didn’t take long for the smiles to kick in as the family took in the small, yet humbling, gesture. .

Diesel News Australia / February 2019 Heading out of Cairns early morning to avoid what passes for a rush hour in the north Queensland city, we were out on the road with the new Scanias. We have now reached a point where it is a no-brainer to let the truck drive itself as much as possible. The driver simply needs to handle the steering and, occasionally, take over on the accelerator and the brake. They can use all of their attention to look at what’s going on and make sure everybody in the truck and around the truck are safe and travelling as efficiently as possible. This test drive included two trucks, the 620hp fitted with a V8 engine and a 500hp running the 13-litre in-line six engine. These are both prime movers which are likely to pull B-doubles. The 620 can expect to work this hard day-in-day-out, but the 500 is more likely to pull a variety of combinations, including a B double. This engine reaches maximum power at 1900 rpm but it’s maximum torque at 3000 N metres is available from 950 to 1400 rpm. On these roads in northern Queensland, which are generally flat, the tachometer needle rarely moves outside that maximum torque band. These trucks have adaptive cruise control (ACC) and with this comes an active prediction topographical interface. The topographical data is rarely needed on these flatter roads, but the ACC is ideal. The truck is travelling along a two-lane highway with traffic coming on and off it regularly. The ACC ensures the truck stays away from slower vehicles and can simply be switched off if an opportunity to overtake and get back up to 100 km an hour comes along. As the truck passes through the smaller towns on the route it is very easy to get into a rhythm of engaging the retarder as you approach a slower speed limit. The Opticruise transmission understands there is a need to slow down and will change it down a cog or two to keep the revs high. Once up to cruise speed, the eco-roll function starts to come into its own. These kinds of system are becoming more common on trucks, so we now have to look at the subtle differences between the different applications of this idea. They can often be too conservative and only wait until the conditions are absolutely perfect before disengaging the clutch. Others may be a little too aggressive and disengage the clutch when perhaps it would have been better to retain that element of control within the driveline. Driving the truck in manual along an undulating section of the road, the truck’s coaching system will give tips to back off on the accelerator at a certain point and get the driver to make the conditions right for eco-roll to automatically come on and neutralise the clutch. This is the point to which we have come with the modern electronic truck. We are not talking about whether or not we want automatic transmission, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and so on. Instead, we are comparing all of these systems being fitted by the different truck manufacturers. In essence, the differentiating factors will be those of the software design used, effectiveness of any sensors involved and which parameters the manufacturer chooses to go with. We can only judge the overall effectiveness of all of these different systems, especially when they are all working at the same time together, by the smoothness of the ride and the interaction of the automated systems. The driver has to remain alert at all times and in doing so should be saying to themselves, ‘the truck should be going up a gear or down a gear at this point, the accelerator should be backing off because of this car in front’, and noting whether the system does what is safe and effective at the right time. One of the takeaways from this drive is how seamlessly all of the electronic control systems seem to work together, as one. All of the different systems are combining, talking to each other and assessing the situation to ensure safety, efficiency and effective driving. .

Prime Mover Magazine / February 6, 2019 The first stage of the planned works anticipated as part of an ambitious expansion for commercial vehicle manufacturer, Paccar, has recently taken place at a groundbreaking ceremony at its Bayswater site in southeast Melbourne. A 1,500 metre factory extension that includes a new onsite warehouse and incorporates improved layouts and upgraded facilities will be part of a planned three year expansion program. Completion of the project in 2021 is set to coincide with Paccar’s 50th year of manufacturing in Australia. The facility currently produces up to 15 Kenworth prime movers a day. In 2018 it also commenced assembling DAF trucks locally. Present at the ceremony was Craig Membrey from Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire, Daniel Crawford General Manager of Hallam & Bayswater Truck Centres, Paccar Australia Managing Director Andrew Hadjikakou, Paccar Australia Operations Manager Tom Cooper and Paccar Australia operations Project Manager Graeme Clementson. In August last year the company announced its plans to double the size of its facilities. Hadjikakou said the investment for the company’s more than 1200 employees meant a vote of confidence in their abilities and a commitment to their future. “We will be able to build more trucks with higher levels of quality and even better safety,” he said. “One thing is certain, investment in the plant, equipment and training to make this day possible will impact our future in many ways we cannot yet imagine,” said Hadjikakou. The ground-breaking ceremony took place on Friday 25 January. .

This extended footage of a head-on collision in the Pilbara shows the moments before the crash, in which the lights of an oncoming road-train travelling in the opposite direction are seen in the driver's window. .

Volvo Trucks Australia / January 28, 2019 On the open road in the Pilbara, an in-cabin camera captured live footage of Volvo’s safety features in action. It records the moment one of our Volvo FH16 60 metre Quad Roadtrain trucks travelling at 85km/hr collides head on with a detached trailer from a road-train travelling in the opposite direction. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a live crash has been captured globally in a Volvo truck. The driver demonstrated exceptional professionalism and respect for other road users by alerting other operators by radio of the impending danger they were approaching, including the detached trailer. The driver stayed alert and was able to walk away from the incident unharmed. .

Scania Australia Press Release / January 29, 2019 Charter and tour operators will love the new Scania Touring 57-seater, two-axle coach. It’s a Scania from bumper-to-bumper so there’s only one point of contact. At 12.3 m long, 3.8 m high and 2.5 m wide, it’s ideal for school and short and long-distance charter work. And with 9 cubic metres of luggage space, no suitcase gets left behind. .

Like any new technology, the AMT has improved over time. Today, most function extremely well. While there are some I like over others, none are bad. I run semi-dump around Chicago (lots of stop and go and bumper to bumper traffic) In your application, I would consider paying up for the Allison. It's worth the investment, and then there's the higher resale value.

Parties are nothing more than a distraction for elected officials, who should be 100 percent focused on their place in government. Simply stated, parties should be banned. I have never encountered a "party" that was good for "the people" and/or the efficient execution of government.

Paul, I'll say it again......"Cultural decay and declining standards of behavior". The government is the only entity tall enough to lead society in a healthy direction, but Eisenhower was the last respectable president actively doing it. So now, decades later, we have this. Maybe they're from Detroit.

What has happened to the America I used to know ?