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Canada blindsided by GM Oshawa closure, workers walk out in protest Allison Martell & Allison Lampert, Reuters / November 26, 2018 Hundreds of workers walked off the job and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed “deep disappointment” after General Motors Co on Monday announced the closure of its Oshawa plant, catching governments and employees by surprise. Canadian officials, briefed on the plan on Sunday, promised to aid those affected by the December 2019 closure, part of a wider restructuring plan that will cut production of slow-selling models and slash its North American workforce. GM said the closure affects 2,973 assembly line jobs in the Ontario city, out of a Canadian workforce of 8,150. “I spoke with GM (Chief Executive) Mary Barra to express my deep disappointment in the closure,” Trudeau tweeted on Monday. “We’ll do everything we can to help the families affected by this news get back on their feet.” GM told the provincial government nothing could be done to keep the plant about 37 miles (60 km) east of Toronto open, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said. “The first thing I said is, ‘What can we do? What do we have to do?’” said Ford, referring to a Sunday call with GM Canada’s President Travis Hester. “He said the ship has already left the dock.” Ford later added: “We’re disappointed in GM. We supported GM years ago when they were in trouble.” The Canadian and Ontario governments joined the United States in supporting GM with billions of dollars in aid after the automaker filed for bankruptcy protection during the 2009 global economic downturn. The closure dealt a blow to an industry which has struggled to attract new investment in recent years. However, the new trade agreement struck by the United States, Mexico and Canada in September leaves significant room for Canadian plants to grow exports duty-free. USMCA, as the new NAFTA is called, is expected to be formally signed this week. Canadian Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said that GM “only made this official announcement to us yesterday.” A former Canadian auto executive said it would be difficult for Canadian government officials to entice GM to keep the plant open. “The government has done everything they could to keep them afloat. Obviously incentives by themselves don’t keep a car plant open,” said the executive, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. “It’s all about getting a product mandate,” or a commitment to produce a specific vehicle. Members of Unifor, which represents GM assembly workers, walked out of the Oshawa plant “in protest,” ahead of a meeting with GM about the announcement, a union spokeswoman said. “I’ve moved my family twice for this company and they do this to me. It’s terrible,” a tearful worker told CBC TV as he left the plant. A 2015 study commissioned by the union estimated that shutting the plant would eliminate 4,100 direct jobs and reduce Ontario’s gross domestic product by C$1.1 billion.

Seriously, it is, isn't it.

'Impatient' Barra reawakens spirit of crisis at GM Michael Wayland, Automotive News / November 26, 2018 On December 2014, nearly a year into her tenure as CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra said GM basically does "one thing": "We build cars, trucks and crossovers." She has spent the years since then trying to defy that bland characterization, moving GM aggressively into emerging segments such as electrification and autonomous vehicles — costly technologies with unproven business models. It's a sign of how much the industry has changed, and how much that first year affected Barra, 56, Automotive News' 2018 Industry Leader of the Year. Weeks after shattering the industry's glass ceiling as the first woman to head a major car company, she became the public face of a crisis, a massive recall of GM small cars to fix an ignition switch with a deadly defect. She was berated during congressional hearings in Washington and forced to confront a pattern of indecision, complacency and incompetence — laid bare in a 276-page report by outside investigators — at a company where she had spent her entire career. Not only did she survive the ordeal, she used it as a catalyst to reshape the now-110-year-old automaker's infamously siloed operations and culture. And as she approaches the five-year mark of her appointment as CEO, she's calling on those crisis-management skills and lessons again to help drive the company and its work force of 180,000-plus through its next transformation and further from the shadows of "old" GM. Since that first year, Barra said this month at The New York Times' DealBook Conference, "I've become much more impatient about how we do things and how quickly we do things." The impatience shows. Under Barra and her executive team, GM has moved decisively to exit unprofitable or slow-moving markets and has redirected those resources to emerging technologies and alternative revenue opportunities, with a more inspiring call to action: "Zero crashes. Zero emissions. Zero congestion." GM is considered a fast mover in future technologies such as electrified and autonomous vehicles, and in using its stockpile of consumer and vehicle data to generate new revenue. Yet the shadow of old GM, and its ignominious federally backed bankruptcy, has proved tough to outrun. Despite GM outperforming Wall Street's expectations for 14 consecutive quarters, its stock price has traded near or below the 2010 initial public offering price of $33 through much of Barra's tenure. And so, Barra drives forward with even more urgency, determined to get ahead of the inevitable cyclical downturn and any other headwinds that might impede its progress. "Right now, she is doing the right thing by right-sizing the company before a possible recession hits," said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader. "She's also done well in terms of preparing the company for the future." ‘One day closer' No one, not even Barra, pretends to know when the next downturn will occur. "All I know is we're one day closer," she said Nov. 1. That unknown and the demands of leadership in electrification and automation have led GM to continually fine-tune operations, including exiting Europe and working to cut costs. Hours after posting blockbuster third-quarter profits, GM last month offered voluntary buyouts to roughly 18,000 salaried employees in North America and most global executives with at least 12 years of experience. "Today, our structural costs are not aligned with the market realities nor the transformational priorities ahead," she said in a letter to employees at the time. "We must take significant actions now to address this while our company and the economy are strong." Those cuts, which could include layoffs if not enough employees take the buyouts, are in addition to GM achieving at least $6.5 billion in cost efficiencies from 2015 to 2018. Wall Street has lightly cheered such moves, but GM still has a tough sales job to sustain that interest and patience as the emerging businesses take time to, well, emerge. For example, GM is widely considered a leader in autonomous vehicle development, alongside Waymo, and was expected to begin testing its autonomous vehicles this year in New York. But testing hasn't started, and Barra last month said GM is focusing its efforts in San Francisco. Reuters also reported last month that unexpected technical challenges — including the difficulty that GM's Cruise cars have identifying whether objects are in motion — could make GM's plan to launch a driverless ride-hailing fleet on U.S. roadways next year "highly unlikely." She and other executives have consistently said the plans remain on track for 2019, but they stress that safety will be the determining factor for when the robotaxi service launches. "She set a course for the company, and that is so important to have a plan and have everyone marching toward that plan," Krebs said. "The big challenge is when is the payoff? They're investing in areas that no one knows when the payoff will occur." A similar test of patience awaits GM's plan for electric vehicles, including a new EV platform in 2021 that GM says will make the vehicles profitable. The platform is part of the automaker's target to launch 20 new battery- or hydrogen fuel cell-powered EVs globally by 2023. So far, it has announced two for China, where the government is heavily supporting the vehicles. In the U.S., meanwhile, GM is close to maxing out on federal tax incentives for purchases of its EVs. Barra was unavailable for an interview. ‘Hard choices' Heading into 2019, declining sales in the U.S. and China and excess production capacity will pose more near-term tests of GM's resilience and Barra's resolve. GM faces what are expected to be contentious contract negotiations with the UAW and could look to the union for help in cutting costs on the plant floors — something the UAW hasn't always been so open to considering. GM has the poorest plant utilization rates in the U.S. Its assembly plants represented about 1 million of the 3.2 million units of underutilized capacity through October, according to Kristin Dziczek, vice president of industry, labor and economics at the Center for Automotive Research. "They've got problems, big problems," she said. "They've got some hard choices to make, regardless of what expectations are for the membership." Barra last month used GM's surprisingly strong third-quarter earnings as evidence that the company is up to the challenges. But she acknowledges there's more to be done to prove she's not running the same old GM that talks fast but moves slowly. "A lot of people lost confidence in us," Barra said during a conference last month in Detroit. "So we have to work doubly hard to earn that respect and trust back, that we can be a company that not only innovates and grows, but leads." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barra's 5-year track record Notable events since Mary Barra became CEO of GM in January 2014: 2014: Weeks after Barra assumes CEO post, GM embarks on ignition switch recall, triggering a crisis involving millions of vehicles and dozens of deaths. An independent report finds patterns of failures at GM; company implements compensation program for victims and begins overhaul of engineering department to improve quality and safety 2015: GM largely exits Russian market and announces it will cease production of GM-branded cars in Indonesia, while concentrating on other emerging markets with a $5 billion investment in a new family of global vehicles 2016: Barra is elected chairman of GM. The company begins an aggressive expansion into mobility with the acquisition of Cruise Automation, launch of Maven mobility brand and $500 million investment in Lyft Inc. 2017: GM sells Opel/Vauxhall and GM Financial's European operations to PSA Group and restructures international operations; sells South Africa operations to Isuzu; ends sales in India; and ends production in Australia. GM announces plans to deploy self-driving vehicles into a ride-hailing fleet in 2019 and release 20 new all-electric vehicles globally by 2023. 2018: GM Korea restructures with expectations of returning to profitability by 2019. SoftBank Vision Fund announces plan to invest $2.25 billion in GM Cruise, followed by $2.75 billion from Honda over the next 12 years

GM has come a long ways in a short time. Now, rather than capitulate/surrender to foreign aggressors and shut down, why not build better (leading edge) vehicles that more people would want to buy ?

GM may close up to 5 plants in North American restructuring in 2019 Michael Wayland, Automotive News / November 26, 2018 DETROIT -- General Motors said it will significantly cut its salaried workforce and could close up to five plants in North America, including three assembly plants, as part of an overhaul of its operations in 2019. The automaker on Monday said Lordstown Assembly in Ohio, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan and Oshawa Assembly in Canada will not be allocated any products beginning in 2019. Propulsion plants in Maryland and Michigan also will not be given any product. All of the products currently being assembled at those three plants are expected to stop being produced by the end of 2019. GM expects the announced actions to annually contribute to $6 billion in cash savings by 2020, including $4.5 billion in cost reductions and $1.5 billion in lower capital expenditures. GM shares rose 2.2 percent to $36.72 in early trading. Not allocating product doesn’t mean the plants will close, but it puts their future and the jobs of roughly 6,300 hourly and salaried factory employees -- 3,300 in the U.S. and 3,000 in Canada -- at risk heading into contract negotiations with the UAW in 2019 and Canadian union Unifor in 2020. GM also announced it will close two unidentified assembly plants outside of North America by the end of next year and restructure its salaried workforce. The salaried workforce restructuring includes cutting 15 percent of its 54,000 salaried employees in North America, including slashing global executives by 25 percent. It was expected that GM, which announced the overhaul Monday, needed to address underutilization of its plants. The announcement comes ahead of negotiations with the UAW in 2019 and Unifor in 2020 is uncommon. GM represents 1 million of the 3.2 million units of underutilized capacity in the U.S. through October, according to the Center for Automotive Research. The manufacturing overhaul follows recent cost-cutting measures by GM such as offering buyouts to 18,000 salaried employees and exiting or restructuring unprofitable markets such as Europe and South Korea. Oshawa currently has two assembly lines. The flex line produces the low-volume Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala while the truck line produces the light- and heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. It employs 1,542 employees, including 1,348 hourly union workers. Detroit-Hamtramck currently builds the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Impala, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6. U.S. sales of the Impala were down 13 percent through September. Lordstown, which has dropped from three shifts to one in recent years, exclusively produces the Chevrolet Cruze. Sales of the compact car were down 27 percent through September, GM said.

The Truth About Killer Robots: the year's most terrifying documentary Zach Vasquez, The Guardian / November 26, 2018 In a cautionary film, director Maxim Pozdorovkin lays out the many ways that automation could affect us in the long term from labor to sex to psychology When it comes to the dangers posed to us by automatons, film-maker Maxim Pozdorovkin wants us to start thinking beyond what Hollywood has warned us about. “This idea of a single, malevolent AI being that can harm us, the Terminator trope … I think it’s created a tremendous blind spot,” he said to the Guardian. “[It gets us] thinking about something that we’re heading towards in the future, something that will one day hurt us. If you look at the effects of automation broadly, globally, right now, it’s much more pervasive. The things happening – de-skilling, the loss of human dignity associated with traditional labor – they will have a devastating effect much sooner than that long-distance threat of unchecked AI.” That isn’t to say that robots can’t also just reach out and crush us. In his new documentary, The Truth About Killer Robots, Pozdorovkin traces all manner of dangers – economic, psychological, moral and, yes, mortal – posed to our species by automation and robotics. At the center of his film lies the question: “when a robot kills a human, who takes the blame?” Pozdorovkin had long sought to make a film on automation, but he had a difficult time figuring out a way to approach the subject given its scope, as well as the many misconceptions surrounding it. It wasn’t until he heard about a case in Germany, where a manipulator arm crushed a line worker at a Volkswagen plant to death, that he knew he had his way in. Using science-fiction author Isaac Asimov’s First Law of Robotics – “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a being to come to harm” – as a jumping-off point, his documentary covers a sampling of deadly incidents involving automated machinery, including a couple driverless car accidents that resulted in fatalities, as well as the first intentionally lethal use of a robot by American law enforcement. In describing how his film came to fruition, Pozdorovkin recalls, “I went [to Germany] to investigate, to talk to the workers. Most of them were forbidden from talking about the accident. But a lot of them talked about the perils of automation, the way that their work environment was made worse as the result of robots. I’m using the tropes of science fiction and true crime to make a film that investigates some of the philosophical and economic problems that automation brings with it.” The film distinguishes itself from other science documentaries thanks to its holistic approach: rather than speaking exclusively to the people behind the tech – CEOs, programmers, engineers – Pozdorovkin also interviewed members of the global labor pool – truck drivers, factory workers, gas station attendants, Swat team snipers – those whose lives and livelihoods have seen the most immediate effects of automation’s disruption. Given the dire nature of those effects, such as the hollowing-out of entire labor sectors and the rise of global inequality, you would think automation would be public enemy number one among the middle and lower classes. Yet, as a political issue, it remains on the margins. Pozdorovkin believes it’s because “we’re still feeling it in qualitative ways.” He continues: “A lot of things that you see, like the rise in suicides amongst older white men in America, has to do with the way labor has been stripped of dignity and existential value.” Meanwhile, “anti-immigrant and anti-globalization rhetoric covers up a lot of the structural damage done by automation. It goes back to the qualitative/quantitative distinction. The economy is elastic, so way before massive job loss will be a period of broadly sucking out the skills from the labor that’s involved.” Our fears over the rise of machines therefore tend to take a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic bent, a la The Terminator. Those fears are exacerbated by examples where Asimov’s First Law is blatantly violated, such as when the Dallas police strapped C4 on to a robot (a bomb-detecting robot, ironically), sent it into the corner of the library where they had mass shooter Micah Johnson cornered, and triggered it, effectively killing Johnson. In the aftermath, many observers wondered if we’d entered a new stage of weaponized robotics for domestic use. Pozdorovkin doesn’t think that there was anything that problematic about the use of the robot in this particular case. “Ultimately, had the sniper, who we interview in the film, shot [the suspect], as he had done many times before in other cases, there wouldn’t be any problem. [But] sending a robot to go in and kill someone feels uncomfortable. You can’t quite pinpoint it, but it touches into some kind of fundamental, uncanny, discomfort.” That sense of the uncanny is not limited to lethal examples. One of the most memorable segments in his documentary centers on Zheng Jiajia, a Chinese engineer who married a silicone sex robot that he designed himself. The rise in robotic pleasure dolls was something that Pozdorovkin knew he had to cover, but he wanted to avoid a sensationalized approach. “I’ve watched and read hundreds of reports, articles, etc, about sex robots and silicone dolls. And every single one was predicated on the question of whether the sex was any good. This sounds like the most interesting thing, but it’s by far the least interesting. The most interesting questions are ‘what are the social factors that will bring this into the mainstream?’ The obvious answer is demographics. It’s just a fact that certain people will not have mates. This is exacerbated in China because of the one child policy, but it will be true around the world as inequality skyrockets.” If the results of all this new uncanniness were as simple as law enforcement using robots to supplement legally sanctioned police manoeuvres or giving lonely people a new form of emotional and physical reprieve, there wouldn’t be that much to fear. But Pozdorovkin worries about the effect it will have on our individual and collective empathetic abilities. That, more than anything, may be what’s truly at stake. Pozdorovkin lays out a thought experiment: “Picture yourself driving on the highway. You decide to switch lanes, and in your sideview mirror you see a car going really fast. You don’t veer over and cut off that person, because you project fallibility on to them. They could be distracted, they might have a death in the family, they could just be reckless. You’re just going to let them pass and then go. But when you see that there’s a robot next to you, you will drive like the biggest asshole, because the machine is programmed not to bump into you. “And the kicker is this: once there’s enough of these entities which we treat without any ethical regard, without projecting possible fallibility unto, the way we interact with them will spill over and we will be ruder, more aggressive, more inconsiderate to humans. This argument applies to sex dolls, it applies to a lot of things that we see.” Have we already crossed the point of no return? Is the current political climate throughout the west the result of this degradation of empathy, stemming perhaps from the way we communicate with each other online, where we can automate personal exchanges via a retweet, like, or eye-roll emoji – to say nothing of the way we spread vitriol? “I think that a lot of the sheltering and toxicity that you see online is ultimately part and parcel with the shielding mechanism that the anonymity of social media permits,” he says. Ultimately, it’s just one of the ways in which the takeover of machines is well under way. Even as we continue to reel from the pace at which it is happening, those in charge of, or with access to, the technology – the corporate owners, the military, the police – will not hesitate to use it. Nor will they concern themselves with “the philosophical consequences and complications of breaking Asimov’s Law”. And what about his own field: the movies? Can the people in front of and behind the camera expect to lose their jobs to robots, the same way those in manufacturing and the service industry have? Pozdorovkin thinks it entirely plausible. “Artists have become shameless in promoting our absolute immunity from this. But if you look at the economic data, the exact same thing that happened to all of these other industries is happening to the arts.” Rather than attempt to fight against this new paradigm, The Truth About Killer Robots embraces the inevitability, using an android robot (originally designed to read the news on Japanese television) and automated narrator as its face and voice. “It’s cheaper, easier, more flexible. But most importantly, it’s a way for us to be honest about the process. The worst thing that we could have done was hire a James Earl Jones sound-alike to add human gravitas to the story.” It’s a fitting choice, considering that the medium of film – like the broader story of this moment in history – no longer belongs first and foremost to humanity. · The Truth About Killer Robots premieres in the US on HBO on 26 November and in the UK on Sky Atlantic on 2 December .

Isuzu copied the Chinese.

The round insulator is a 9QM142. The rectangular insulator is a 35RC178 (molded FOMOCO) because Ford used it too.

That is a 55MX26. But he should confirm by model and serial number.

General Motors plans to close Canadian assembly plant Reuters / November 25, 2018 TORONTO - General Motors is planning to close all operations at a plant near Toronto and an announcement is expected on Monday. The plant closure in Oshawa in the province of Ontario is expected to affect thousands of high-paying jobs. The plant has been in operation since 1953 and has built models for Pontiac, Chevrolet and Buick. Currently, Oshawa builds the Cadillac XTS, the Chevrolet Impala, the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra. The plant closure is part of global restructuring. A Canada-based GM spokesman refused comment. GM employs about 2,500 union staff and roughly 300 salaried employees in the Oshawa area. GM has other operations in Canada, including a plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, where it assembles Chevrolet Equinox. The Canadian union Unifor said in a statement on Sunday that.General Motors is set to make a major announcement on Monday that will affect its global operations. “Unifor received notification today from General Motors that the company will make a major announcement tomorrow that will impact its global operations. While the union does not have complete details of the overall announcement we have been informed that, as of now, there is no product allocated to the Oshawa Assembly Plant past December 2019. Based on commitments made during 2016 contract negotiations, Unifor does not accept this announcement and is immediately calling on GM to live up to the spirit of that agreement. Unifor is scheduled to hold a discussion with General Motors tomorrow and will provide further comment following the meeting.”

The RS hood roller mounting arrangement can not be compared with an R-model, 1975 non-air ride or later air-ride cab. The parts are different. When you contacted Watt's Mack with your model and serial number, what did they say on availability?

Bigland will steer Ram again in FCA management overhaul Michael Wayland, Automotive News / October 1, 2018 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Mike Manley’s new executive leadership team will be a mix of American and European executives, as he looks to complete an aggressive five-year plan orchestrated by his late-predecessor, Sergio Marchionne. He announced the executive appointments, effective immediately, in a letter to employees on Monday: Reid Bigland, 51, will once again lead the automaker’s Ram [Dodge Trucks] brand. He previously led Ram in 2013-2014. Bigland will retain his roles leading our Canadian operations and U.S. sales. Bigland came to Chrysler in July 2006 from Freightliner. · 2014 - current, Head of Alfa Romeo Brand, FCA - North America · 2014 - current, Board of Directors, FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler Group LLC) · 2013 - President and CEO, Ram Truck Brand · 2011 - current, Senior Vice President - U.S. Sales, FCA - North America · 2011 - current, GEC, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (formerly Fiat S.p.A.) · 2011 - President and CEO, Dodge Brand, FCA US · 2006 - current, Chairman, President and CEO FCA Canada Inc. (formerly Chrysler Canada Inc.) · 2005 - President, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation · 2002 - General Manager Dealer Operations, Freightliner LLC · 2001 - Director Vocational Sales, Freightliner LLC · 1999 - Director U.S. Sales, Western Star Trucks · 1997 - Director Human Resources, Western Star Trucks

Bigland is now again head of Dodge Trucks (aka. Ram). .

http://dieciochoruedas.blogspot.com/2018/11/nuevo-volvo-vnlvnr-tiene-un-aprobado.html http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/04/if-you-have-noticed-swift-trucking.html

India has officially selected Russian firm Rosoboronexport as the winner for Indian Army’s $1.5 billion Very-Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) program. India's Ministry of Defense said the VSHORAD contract will Russia will have no impact of U.S. sanctions on Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) because India will make payment in Indian rupees. The Indian Army floated a restricted global tender in 2010, with requests for bids from Saab of Sweden, Rafael of Israel, MBDA and Thales of France, Raytheon of United States, Rosoboronexport of Russia and LIG Nex 1 of South Korea. Rafael, Thales and LIG Nex 1 did not qualify the technical evaluation while Raytheon did not participate in the competition. Following a technical evaluation in 2012, MBDA, Rosoboronexport and Saab were selected for trials. In a Nov. 19 meeting with the three finalists — Rosoboronexport, MBDA of France and Saab of Sweden — officials from India declared the Russian firm’s Igla-S system the winner.

Laura Cork, Transport Engineer / November 23, 2018 Gloucestershire-based Creed Foodservice has specified its first Carrier Transicold Iceland Twincool engineless refrigeration systems for 12 new DAF LF rigid trucks, declaring the system “perfectly suited” to its fleet operation. Creed Foodservice chose the Iceland undermount units because of their ability to run on power derived from the truck’s Euro VI diesel engine via Carrier Transicold’s Eco-Drive power module, which uses a hydraulic pump connected to the truck engine’s PTO. The variable displacement pump drives a generator, which delivers electrical power to the unit and provides 100% refrigeration capacity even when idling – a frequent occurrence on the urban routes from Creed’s Gloucestershire, Ilkeston and High Wycombe depots. In addition, removing the need for a separate diesel engine for the refrigeration unit helps to reduce emissions, boosting the fleet’s green credentials. “These new trucks help to future-proof our fleet and ensure we are using the latest transport refrigeration technology with a much smaller environmental footprint,” said Richard Frost, operations controller at Creed Foodservice. “When we took into account the benefits of Carrier’s multi-temp, engineless solution, it became clear that this system was perfectly suited to our fleet requirements. The results so far have been fantastic; moving forward I expect we’ll be looking to roll out the same Carrier Transicold systems to any new vehicle in our fleet.” The new vehicles will be on the road six days a week and will cover an average of 80,000km a year, delivering chilled and frozen produce on multi-drop routes to Creed’s customers throughout the UK. .

Laura Cork, Transport Engineer / November 22, 2018 Basildon-based waste and recycling operator Waste-A-Way has taken delivery of 14 new Mercedes-Benz Arocs, declaring the robust model to be “ideally suited” to its operations. Supplied by dealer Sparshatts Truck & Van, the new additions are all double-drive Arocs 2648 models, with BigSpace cabs and 12.8-litre, straight-six engines producing 476bhp. The order comprises 10 replacements and four additions; all were supplied with funding from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. They join a 38-strong tractor fleet, pulling walking floor trailers. The operator collects commercial and domestic waste from transfer stations in Essex and Kent, transporting it to recycling centres. Sometimes vehicles go to landfill sites, so all but three of its tractors are 6x4 variants and the latest vehicles are built to N3G (off-road) specification. Waste-A-Way’s director Ian Whitehair says: “With Sparshatts’ support, Mercedes-Benz trucks work really well for us, particularly the Arocs, which is impressively strong and robust, so ideally suited to our kind of work.” The new arrivals have a higher rated engine than others on the fleet, says Whitehair: “The extra bit of power for hills seems also to be resulting in slightly better fuel efficiency – we’re getting 5.8-6.2mpg, which is excellent for this job, not least because the tractor units power the hydraulics for tipping.” The trucks are inspected and maintained under Mercedes-Benz Complete Service contracts at Sparshatts’ workshops in Dartford and Sittingbourne. .

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/robert_lafreniere_miron_mobile_equipment02.html https://www.flickr.com/photos/83724340@N05/albums/72157631139389322

Caterpillar Press Release / November 2018 Caterpillar continues to expand its mining truck offering to give mining companies the flexibility to choose what meets their needs and preferences. Following the successful introduction of the 794 AC 291-tonne (320-ton) capacity truck at MINExpo 2016 and investments to further advance the 797F 363-tonne (400-ton) mechanical-drive truck, Caterpillar is now introducing the 798 AC and the 796 AC. The new electric-drive 798 AC features a 372-tonne (410-ton) payload and will join the fleet of over 1,000 Cat® mechanical-drive 797s in the 400-short-ton class. The new electric-drive 796 AC delivers 326-tonne (360-ton) payload and will be offered in all regions. The 795F AC, in the same size class, will continue to be offered in regions where engine emissions are less regulated. Both trucks will be available in second quarter 2019. The design of the new trucks focuses on delivering class-leading payload, high reliability and simple serviceability. These attributes are built on the frame and chassis design proven in 18 million hours of legacy truck operation and now used by the Cat 794 AC. The AC powertrain of each of the two new trucks draws from about 5 million hours of Cat 795 AC and Cat 794 AC truck operation. Cat AC electric drive is developed and manufactured by Caterpillar, the single source for the entire powertrain. The Cat C175-16 diesel engine powers both of the new trucks. With more than 21 million hours of operation in mobile equipment and power generation, the reliable engine can be configured to meet US EPA Tier 4 emissions regulations and offers a choice of 2610 kW (3,500 hp) or 2312 kW (3,100 hp) to meet the mine’s needs. To further adapt to the mine, simple software changes can adjust system power to help meet production targets or to work smoothly in mixed fleets. High productivity and lower cost per ton The 796 AC and 798 AC are built for efficient production. Both truck models are designed to minimize empty machine weight, as configured in the field. The design enables the 798 AC to carry its class-leading payload of 372 tonnes (410 tons) and to haul more material each cycle on 59/80R63 tires. The new trucks feature four-corner, oil-cooled disc brakes as well as dynamic retarding for stable handling and confident stopping. Superior retarding capability, blended braking and the Cat Traction Control System help boost productivity while enhancing safety. The Cat AC drive is a high voltage system (2,600 volts) that operates at lower current than the most other competition. When combined with Cat’s total integration and design of the truck and drive system the result is higher efficiency, lower heat generation, smaller and lighter components, and longer component life. The Cat High Efficiency (HE) Body is sized and configured to meet the specific needs of the mine, dictated by fragmentation, abrasion, cohesion and the loading tool. The curved floor, front, and canopy strengthen the entire body, which is integral to the truck. The body is sized to meet the payload requirements without compromising vehicle balance, braking or control. Open engine access and service platforms ease maintenance tasks. The modular design allows for easy removal and installation of components. The engine, traction alternator, motors, inverter, grid and final drives can be removed independently. Traction alternator and optional inverter platforms allow for easier inspections, diagnostics and component swaps. The result is less service time and greater uptime. .

If mankind wasn't perpetually side-tracked with power, greed and violence, we could be in high gear developing the technology to ensure the survival and defense of our planet, and developing the means for advanced means of space travel (we may in fact already be there).

Bob, I fully expect to see the 5.1-litre 4-cylinder A05 here. It replaces the 6.4-litre 5-cylinder J07. The A05 follows the trend in the segment from 6- to 4-cylinder powerplants (that the China market started) on the heels of the Isuzu 5.2-litre 4HK1-TC and 5.1-litre Detroit Diesel DD5 (aka. Mercedes-Benz OM934).

Hino says new 500 Series Standard Cab the cleanest ever Trade Trucks AU / November 22, 2018 Hino is claiming that its new 500 Series Standard Cab will have the cleanest exhaust emissions of any Japanese-built medium duty truck in Australia, equivalent to Euro 6, when it is launched towards the end of November. Hino believes this is a significant step forward on exhaust emissions in this class of truck. It adds that all models within the new Hino 500 Series Standard Cab range will comply with Japan’s stringent post-Post New Long Term (pPNLT) exhaust emissions standard, which is comparable to Euro 6. Daniel Petrovski, Hino Australia’s manager of product strategy says there’s an understandable global push for ever-cleaner trucks. "In Australia we have many customers who have their own environmental impact reduction targets, so by complying with pPNLT early, our new product range is ahead of the game providing a significant advantage for these customers. "While discussions regarding the introduction of the next exhaust gas emission regulations by the Australian Government are ongoing and the timeline uncertain, it is expected that the European (Euro 6) or Japanese (pPNLT) emissions standards will be two of the acceptable solutions," Petrovski says. "With the all-new 500 Series Standard Cab, Hino Australia will comply with the expected new Australian emissions regulations, years ahead of their introduction." The exhaust gas after-treatment unit in the new Hino 500 Series Standard Cab contains a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system and Diesel Particulate Reduction (DPR) system. "These two proven exhaust emissions solutions have been used by Hino in the Australian market since 2011 in thousands of vehicles," Petrovski explains. The exhaust gasses enter the SCR system first, where this system converts oxides of nitrogen (NOx) into nitrogen and water through a chemical reaction with a reducing agent (urea) that is absorbed into a catalyst. "The new model uses a very small percentage of AdBlue, with the AdBlue tank requiring to be refilled approximately one time for every three diesel tank refuels. When compared to the current model, Hino expects fuel consumption savings on the new model to be greater than the AdBlue consumption in many applications. "The current cost per litre of Adblue at service station pumps of approximately $1 per litre is significantly less than the cost per litre of diesel, which further helps SCR make a positive impact on our customers’ environmental and financial targets," Petrovski says. The DPR component of the exhaust after treatment comes after the SCR and as with the previous 500 Series Standard Cab, the DPR captures the unburnt Particulate Matter (PM) within the DPR filter. The DPR filter accumulates PM and actively regenerates to clean the filter. "When compared with our current Hino 500 Series Standard Cab model range, the all-new 500 Standard Cab range will have improved performance, improved fuel efficiency, improved drivability, and the cleanest exhaust emissions of any Hino truck yet," Petrovski says.

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