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Truck TV Australia / March 22, 2018 The 2017 Rotary Castlemaine Truck Show, held on November 25 and 26, attracted the biggest and best rigs from Victoria and beyond. A huge number of trucks attended the Adtrans-sponsored 2017 Rotary Castlemaine Truck Show on November 25 and 26. Among the many truck owners and drivers in attendance, Owner//Driver caught up with Steve Dimit from Dimit's Orchard in Shepparton, who brought along a Kenworth Legend 900. Jake Howard from Shalyn's Transport in Lockwood and Graham 'Junior' Atherton from JJ Leech and Sons, Castlemaine, were also in attendance. Jake drove a 2016 Freightliner Coronado, while Graham was behind the wheel of a Kenworth K200. .

Owner-Driver / April 20, 2018 A dinner and road run at Gundagai in June will raise funds for a permanent truck museum. A Grey Ghost or two are likely to take part in the 2018 Sylvia’s Gap Road Run on Sunday morning, June 10. Old and new trucks and cars will leave from the showgrounds at Gundagai, New South Wales, and travel along Sylvia’s Gap Road before returning to the showgrounds. Bypassed from the Hume Highway in 1983, Sylvia’s cutting is now on private property, but the owners will open the gates for the run. The road run is held annually as part of the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC) Gundagai fundraising weekend which also includes a fundraising dinner on Saturday night, June 9. Bookings are essential for the dinner which will feature a guest speaker and an auction to raise funds for a larger, permanent truck museum at Gundagai. The ARTHC has chosen ‘Express Freight of Yesteryear’ for this year’s theme. All ARTHC supporters are invited to attend the weekend’s activities, but former express drivers will be especially welcome. Colin Southwell of Wyee, NSW, carted overnight express freight in the 1970s and plans to attend the Gundagai weekend. He joined Kwikasair in 1973 and spent six years driving Grey Ghosts, usually between Sydney and Yass. Produced at Kenworth’s Bayswater factory, the K125s were the first Kenworths built in Australia. The trucks and their drivers have earned a place in Australian trucking lore. "Apparently now we're legends," Colin laughs. "Some people hated us, but I think it was mostly jealousy because of the pay rate. We were getting pretty well paid and there was no physical work. When you got into the depot, you just got out of your truck." If the Grey Ghosts are restored in time, watching them drive through Sylvia’s Cutting will be a highlight of the ARTHC event. For more information about the ARTHC Gundagai weekend visit www.arthc.com.au or the ‘Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre, Gundagai – ARTHC’ Facebook page.

Owner-Driver / April 11, 2018 The inaugural two-day Calder Convoy Classic Truck Run will run from Calder Park to Red Cliffs from May 19. The success of events such as Crawlin’ The Hume and Haulin’ The Hume have inspired the Mildura-based Tractor Restoration and Appreciation Club of Sunraysia (TRACS) to launch the 2018 Calder Convoy Classic Truck Run. The inaugural Calder Highway event will take place over May 19 and 20, running between Calder Park and Red Cliffs near Mildura. Rob Mansell, one of six people which the TRACS committee designated to organise the event, says the Calder Highway previous travelled through towns such as Gisborne, Woodend, Kyneton and Malmsbury. "Market trucks especially used to run up and down the Calder Highway. A lot of them would then go north to Bendigo and Echuca or wherever," Rob says. "The freeway now is pretty well between Melbourne and Bendigo and all the towns have been bypassed." Rob says the Calder Convoy Classic Truck Run will depart the BP Calder Northbound BP, near the Calder Park Thunderdome, on May 19 around 9am. "We’ll travel through the towns that have all been cut off," he continues. "When we get to Charlton, around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, we’ll go to the showground where the footy club will have their bar open and they’ll put a dinner on for us that night." Rob says, after breakfast on the Sunday, the convoy will continue onto Red Cliffs where TRACS will put on an evening barbecue. "We’ll perhaps do something on Monday if there are enough people, or they can turn around and go home from Charlton." Rob says there are over 20 vehicles locked in for the convoy so far, with entries closing at the end of April. "We’re not expecting people to get their entries in until the last minute like they usually do," he says. "We’re thinking after Crawlin’ the Hume (April 14 to 15) is where we’ll get more. A lot of people will get that out of the way and get their entries in." Trucks participating must be 25 years or older, although newer trucks can take part providing they’re hauling a truck in the vintage category. Rob, however, is planning to have more than one truck in the convoy – a 1990 UD, a KB5 International as well as his R190 International. "I had to take the radiator out of the R190 to get it fixed and I’m hoping to get it in," he says. "Either way, I was going to take two trucks anyway. If I have the 190, which shouldn’t be a real issue, I’ll put my favourite trailer on the back, fully tarped with a few empty bins on it. "And I’ll put my KB5 International on the back of the UD." Rob says, depending on the turnout, the event could turn into a biennial or annual event. For more information on the Calder Convoy Classic Truck Run, click here.

Diesel News Australia / April 2018 Jim Miller, Executive Director of Statewide Refrigerated Transport (SRT) Logistics, one of Tasmania’s three largest truck operators, is a die-hard Caterpillar fan who is not afraid to declare he’d still be buying Caterpillar-powered Freightliner Argosys if this was a viable or, indeed, possible option. However, back in 2011, when the company needed extra trucks to service its new contracts with Woolworths and Statewide Independent Wholesalers, it was trialling some European brands, including a number of Scania R560 prime movers slotted into the mix. In something of a surprise to the SRT Logistics team, the V8-powered Scania matched or beat its rivals on key criteria such as on-road performance, fuel consumption, driver comfort and price competitiveness. Safety equipment and availability of a suite of advanced electronic systems such as Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Downhill Speed Control, plus the fully automated two-pedal Opticruise transmission and Scania retarder all helped sway the decision in Scania’s favour. Added to that was a high level of driver acceptance, which is a vitally important aspect for SRT Logistics. The upshot was that the company bought a batch of eight R560s in 2012 and a further two the following year. On the first aspect, SRT Logistics driver Tracey Johnson is happy to sing the praises of the R560 she drives between Hobart and Launceston. “I wasn’t aware of Scania’s in truck Driver Support system at first, but we had Scania driver trainer Allan McDonald over and he showed us how to use the system to improve our fuel economy,” says Tracey. “So I really set about using the training in the new truck. It is challenging and you have to be on your mettle because if you do something wrong, it takes one or two points off the driver’s score and then you have to do the right thing quite a few times before it adds a point. “My goal is 96 per cent, which is pretty hard because we have a lot of hills down here. It’s not so good in town because if you have to stop for a car or traffic light, your score’s gone. But out on the highway, you can really utilise it by backing off early before the crest of a long, steady downgrade and letting gravity glide you along.” Tracey’s hard work in keeping her driving score at 96 per cent is obviously paying dividends, with the R560’s fuel economy readout averaging 1.7km/l (58.8l/100km) pulling a B-double set with an average gross combination mass (GCM) of 50 tonnes. And as this is one of the newest trucks in the fleet with only 30,000km up, this figure should improve as mileage accrues. In fact, according to Jim, the original R560s that have done around 1.3 million kilometres are achieving up to 2.1km/l (47.6l/100km) doing the same work. .

Cost. Daimler learned how to create essentially the same performance without that added complexity.

I always liked the green and red parts packaging colors of the Bridgewater, New Jersey parts distribution center era. Sorry, I don’t have access to my old service bulletins which list the service pistons and their engine model application.

Western Star Press Release / April 13, 2018

Western Star Press Release / April 3, 2018

Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) Press Release / April 4, 2018 The Volvo D13TC has been completely redesigned to work at low engine RPM and provide maximum fuel efficiency through extreme downspeeding - giving you an engine that helps improve fuel economy without sacrificing performance. .

Peterbilt Motors Press Release / April 20, 2018 Model 520 Demonstration Vehicle with a fully electric drivetrain - emits zero emissions in a quiet manner, which is ideal for neighborhood communities where these trucks operate. .

DAF Trucks Press Release / April 18, 2018 The trucks of van de Brug, specialist in tanker transportation, have been driving through Europe for 55 years. The blue and white fleet consists mainly out of DAFs. "A strategic choice", says co-owner Evert van de Brug. "The quality of the vehicles and the service is great. And with the new generation CF and XF, DAF really sets the new standard." .

Liebherr Press Release / April 18, 2018 The Liebherr T 284 mining truck represents Liebherr’s advancement of the successful T 282 C. It continues to be the lightest (lowest empty vehicle weight) and most capable (highest payload) ultra-class mining truck, while offering reduced fuel consumption, delivering over 4,000 hp. .

Volvo Trucks Press Release / April 16, 2018 Our lightweight trucks deliver the best payload to all kinds of customers. Here’s just one example of how you can increase your profit by up to 25%. .

Volkswagen Clarifies Position on Navistar Takeover in SEC Filing Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / April 19, 2018 Volkswagen AG has cooled expectations that it is moving to take over Navistar International in an April 18 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, in the same statement, the Germany-based OEM left the door open for its Volkswagen Truck & Bus GMbH subsidiary to possibly acquire Navistar at some later date. The SEC form, signed by VW Truck & Bus CEO Andreas Renschler, was filed two days after media reports suggested that Volkswagen Truck & Bus was open to taking over Navistar International Corp. VW currently holds a 16.9% share in the U.S. company via a “wide-ranging strategic alliance," announced back in 2016. “On April 16, 2018,” stated VW’s SEC filing, “various news sources interpreted remarks, during a question and answer session, by representatives of VW T&B” to suggest that an acquisition of U.S.-based Navistar by the German firm was under consideration. “VW T&B is not," the statement continued, "reporting any changes to its plans or proposals [for Navistar]… although as previously disclosed, VW T&B continuously reviews its investment… [in Navistar] and may in the future determine to undertake various actions in connection with its investment, including the possible acquisition” of Navistar. On April 16, HDT contacted VW T&B for comment on whether or not the subsidiary was considering a full takeover of Navistar. In response, Julia Kroeber-Riel, head of Group Communications & Governmental Relations for Volkswagen Truck & Bus, told HDT that, “On our way to becoming ‘Global Champion,’ we keep all options open.” The reporting of April 16 also had it that VW T&B CFO Matthias Gruendler had indicated that U.S. law would require VW to issue a formal takeover bid for Navistar if it increases its stake above 17%. VW also sought to clarify that representation with its SEC filing, stating: “It was reported that a representative of VW T&B had stated that increases by VW T&B in its level of ownership of the Issuer [Navistar] above current levels would not be possible without VW T&B being required by Delaware law to make an offer to acquire all of the remaining outstanding shares of Common Stock not owned by it. VW T&B hereby corrects such statement by noting that neither U.S. securities law nor Delaware law includes such a requirement.”

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / April 17, 2018 Autocar Trucks will be the first North American refuse truck manufacturer to offer the new Cummins X12 engine. The 11.8-liter X12 diesel engine will be offered in ACX refuse trucks beginning in October when Cummins starts full production of the X12 at its Jamestown, N.Y. facility. Autocar will begin accepting orders for X12-powered trucks in June. According to Autocar, the X12 will net customers an additional 733 pounds of payload compared to the previous engine, the ISX12. The weight saving is achieved through an innovative sculpted block design, as well as weight reduction in the after-treatment system, power take-off, and other components. The X12 also offers improved low-speed torque, even with similar horsepower ratings. At 2,050 pounds dry weight, the X12 is the lightest engine in the market compared to existing 11-, 13-, and 15-liter engines. Integration of the X12 offers lower operating costs due to extended maintenance intervals, 25% fewer parts, and a 6% improvement in fuel economy. The fuel savings alone equates to $10,800 over the life of a typical garbage truck at current diesel prices, Autocar says. "Autocar is focused on bringing innovations to the market with real, tangible benefits to our customers," said Jim Johnston, president of Autocar. "This new engine puts more cash in our customers’ pockets, plain and simple. We’re gratified that Cummins trusts us to bring the X12 engine to the refuse market first." Cummins introduced the X12 to North America in August 2016, but development work began in 2013 in close collaboration China's Foton Motor Co. There it's known as the ISG. The version of the engine we will see here has been substantially re-engineered to meet North American emissions rules and customer expectations. "We are excited to continue our partnership with Autocar through the introduction of Cummins’ next generation X12 diesel engine in Autocar’s ACX chassis" said Brett Merritt, vice president of Cummins’ on-highway engine business. "Autocar is a key player in the North America refuse market and this introduction will further our current collaboration across natural gas and diesel platforms." The X12 engine was tested in diverse terrain across the United States and Canada. Over two million miles of field testing was conducted across the full spectrum of applications, Cummins says. Drivers will notice smoother operation with fewer downshifts and even more responsive torque at low speeds. “Built around improved uptime and reliability, the X12 will be in prime position to support Autocar’s vision of ‘Always Up’”, continued Merritt. Autocar will offer the X12 across all Class 8 severe-duty vocational applications. .

Ford claims 30 mpg F-150 diesel wins pickup mileage crown Michael Martinez, Automotive News / April 19, 2018 DETROIT -- The first diesel version of the Ford F-150 will be rated at 30 mpg in highway driving, making it the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup on the market when it hits showrooms next month. Ford had targeted 30 mpg earlier this year for the rear-wheel-drive version and announced the official EPA estimates for the pickup Thursday. It will be labeled with 22 mpg in city driving and 25 mpg combined. The four-wheel-drive version of the truck with a diesel engine, which is expected to be more popular among customers, is rated by the EPA at 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined, Ford said. The 2018 Ram 1500 diesel, the only other diesel offered among light-duty big trucks, has an EPA rating of 27 mpg on the highway. "Even a few years ago, customers wouldn't have imagined an EPA-estimated rating of 30 mpg highway would be possible in a full-size pickup, but our team of crazy-smart engineers rose to the challenge," Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's executive vice president for product development and purchasing, said in a statement. The 3.0-liter Power Stroke engine is part of the F-150's midcycle freshening. It's meant to appeal to customers who tow and haul more than usual. The diesel engine will have 250 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque, besting the only other diesel offering in the full-size segment, the Ram 1500. It also will have best-in-class payload capacity among diesel offerings: 2,020 pounds for XL and XLT fleet applications and 1,940 pounds for retail applications. It can tow up to 11,400 pounds, which also is best among full-size diesel light-duty pickups. The diesel engine will be mated to Ford's 10-speed transmission, which was introduced on the 2017 F-150. Ford said it expects the diesel engine to account for roughly 5 percent of retail sales. It will cost $2,400 to $4,000 more than other F-150 engines. Retail customers may get the diesel on the three highest F-150 trims: Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Fleet customers, may order a diesel in the less expensive XL and XLT trims. Although F-150 is the first full-size pickup to crack the 30 mpg barrier, the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup also achieves that mark.

Watt’s Mack? 4MF426AP4

Typically the starter relay is a 2MR338 with 1 small post, and the accessory relay is a similar looking unit (2MR350) albeit with 2 small posts. But then your V8-equipped RD8 has a 24-volt starting system. I’d want an experience Mack parts person to double check it.

I meant, what does the original look like?

UAW Press Release / April 17, 2018 Terry Dittes UAW Vice President and Director of the Heavy Truck Department issued the following statement Tuesday: “The membership at Daimler Trucks voted by a 98% margin to support a strike if sanctioned by the International Union. This strike authorization development is due to the fact that an agreement has not yet been reached on a contract that expires on Friday April 20th, 2018 for some 7,000 UAW represented Daimler Truck members.”

Richard Truett, Automotive News / April 17, 2018 The auto industry is finally getting traction on its quest to make 95 octane gasoline the new regular in the United States. In testimony Friday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's environment subcommittee, Dan Nicholson, General Motors' vice president of global propulsion systems, said making 95 octane the new regular aligns the U.S. with Europe and is one of the most affordable ways to boost fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. GM, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, working with the United States Council for Automotive Research, are seeking just one grade of fuel: 95. That would eliminate today's grades, generally 87 octane for regular, 88-90 for midgrade and 91-94 for premium. Even though premium gasoline costs about 50 cents more per gallon than regular, Nicholson says moving to 95 octane would cost consumers far less. Speaking during a panel discussion at SAE International WCX World Congress Experience in Detroit the day before testifying before the house subcommittee, Nicholson said a 3 percent fuel economy improvement could be attained for less than a 3 percent increase in the cost of fuel. "This will have customer value if it is done correctly. Don't think of the premium fuel that is available today," Nicholson said. "If it is done in the right framework, it could have a lot of value for customers at a low rate if we pick the right octane level. If you go too high, it'll get expensive. But if you pick the right one, it'll actually work for customers. They can get around 3 percent fuel economy improvement for less than 3 percent" cost. A 3 percent fuel economy improvement might not sound like much, but engineers struggle for every tenth of a percent gain as they design, engineer, test and calibrate vehicles. "Fuels and engines have always been a system. That's how you have to think about it. I think America deserves as good a gasoline as Europe," Nicholson said. Technologies such as downsized turbocharged, direct-injected engines -- Ford's EcoBoost line, for example -- stop-start systems, lightweight vehicle bodies and transmissions with eight, nine and even 10 speeds have boosted fuel economy. But moving the fuel economy needle now is very expensive. For example, Nissan Motor Co.'s new VC-Turbo (variable compression turbocharged) four-cylinder costs at least $3,000 more to produce than a standard 16-valve double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder. The new engine, available in the 2019 Infiniti QX50, delivers about 20 percent better fuel economy than the engine it replaced. Some of the cost savings from switching to 95 octane gasoline presumably would come from refiners gaining efficiencies from producing high volumes of one fuel for the U.S. Nicholson told me that it doesn't matter how the petroleum industry raises octane. Octane can be increased in several ways, such as by using more ethanol or by reducing heptane. David Filipe, vice president of Ford's powertrain engineering, appearing on the panel with Nicholson, said 95 octane fuel must be affordable. "That's been something that has been important to us. How do we do this without having a big impact on the customer?," Filipe said. "We don't want to put the burden onto the customer." Filipe said the cost must not add more than 5 cents per gallon. Higher octane enables engineers to raise an engine's compression ratio. That, in turn, increases horsepower and torque and helps the engine run more efficiently. Raising an engine's compression may be the most cost-effective -- and untapped -- way to improve fuel economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Increasing compression usually requires a modification to the pistons or the cylinder head's combustion chambers. "We have an opportunity to play a large role in offering consumers the most affordable option for fuel economy improvement and greenhouse gas reduction," Nicholson testified. "We believe a higher efficiency gasoline solution with a higher Research Octane Number (RON) is very important to achieving this. USCAR research shows that 95 RON makes sense from the viewpoints of both refiners and fuel retailers."

I've attempted to explain it before. In the way that the Europeans came out of WW2, it took them decades to claw their way back to the top. In an extremely hostile business environment, they developed an aggressive and merciless demeanor. We thought that we were the best, the benchmark for the world. And we were, coming out of WW2, for decades. Look at the great GM during the 1950s-1960s. But we began resting on our laurels from the 1970s, and with our head in the sand became soft. Now, look at us today. Foreign companies dominate our domestic market, and we have minimal heavy industry.

VW Truck Division Signals Possible Takeover of Navistar Transport Topics / April 16, 2018 Volkswagen AG’s heavy-vehicle division is open to a takeover of U.S. affiliate Navistar International Corp. as the German company seeks scale to compete with global leaders Daimler AG and Volvo AB. Volkswagen Truck & Bus, which is changing its structure to access capital markets in about a year, might consider boosting its existing stake of just less than 17% of Navistar, though that could trigger a mandatory takeover offer, Chief Financial Officer Matthias Gruendler said April 16 at a Munich press conference. Any purchase could be funded by parent Volkswagen and not depend on an initial public offering that the truck unit is considering, he said. A takeover “would theoretically be possible,” Gruendler said, outlining a potential price tag of about “3 billion to 4 billion,” without specifying dollars or euros. While he declined to comment on a possible time frame for a deal, he said cooperation between the manufacturers is developing well. Andreas Renschler, head of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, outlined global growth plans at the briefing that included adding sales in China and sharing costs across its MAN, Scania and Brazilian VW commercial-vehicle operations through joint procurement and development of parts. Volkswagen bought its holding in Lisle, Ill.-based Navistar in 2016 to gain a foothold in North America, where Daimler makes Freightliner vehicles and Volvo owns the Mack brand. Navistar shares jumped 7.3% to $39.75 as of 8:22 a.m. in New York, before regular trading. As of April 13, the stock was down 14% in 2018, for a value of $3.7 billion. Volkswagen shares fell 1.3% to 175.02 euros in Frankfurt. That pared the stock’s gain this year to 5.2%, valuing the German company at 87 billion euros ($108 billion). The Volkswagen truck division’s preparations for an IPO or a debt sale will take 12 months, and MAN’s Diesel & Turbo engine and Renk industrial-equipment units will be shifted from the business to parent Volkswagen, the executives said. “This comprehensive project will accelerate the transformation of our company” into “a true global champion, and will quickly make it ready for the capital markets,” Renschler said at the press conference. He reiterated that no decision has been made on an IPO. Bigger Payload The revamp of the heavy-vehicle division, which Evercore ISI estimates has as much as 30 billion euros in assets, marks the most significant structural shift so far for Volkswagen as the world’s biggest carmaker retools for massive change across its industry. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based manufacturer appointed Herbert Diess, head of its namesake auto brand, CEO last week, and he pledged to accelerate decision-making across the group to adapt to rapid shifts in technology and competition. An IPO for the truck and bus unit is just one option the division is considering to gain financing, Renschler said in an interview, adding that another would be to sell bonds. “It’s ultimately a decision for our shareholders,” he said. VW Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch told reporters as April 13 the auto manufacturer will retain a controlling stake in the commercial-vehicle business and that a share sale might not happen until 2019, as it still requires final approval.