kscarbel2

I don't know the man personally, but I agree with a lot of his thoughts shared on those videos. Some people here don't care for him, but I thought all deserved to know that he was a veteran, and a decorated one at that. I just thought to throw in that FYI about him. Now changing gears a bit, did you read this? I'm just sharing. Whereas Stone walked into the Army recruiting office, enlisted and requested combat duty in Vietnam, it appears "suspect" that Trump, like many sons of wealthy and connected parents, was found a way out of it. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html Back in 1968, at the age of 22, Donald J. Trump seemed the picture of health. He stood 6 feet 2 inches with an athletic build; had played football, tennis and squash; and was taking up golf. His medical history was unblemished, aside from a routine appendectomy when he was 10. But after he graduated from college in the spring of 1968, making him eligible to be drafted and sent to Vietnam, he received a diagnosis that would change his path: bone spurs in his heels. The diagnosis resulted in a coveted 1-Y medical deferment that fall, exempting him from military service as the United States was undertaking huge troop deployments to Southeast Asia, inducting about 300,000 men into the military that year. The deferment was one of five Mr. Trump received during Vietnam. The others were for education.

The story we're getting doesn't add up, on the surface of things. I suspect what actually happened is a different tale. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “The contacts that our Russian ambassador was making and continues to make, I can say only one thing: Ambassadors are appointed to maintain relations with the host country,” says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “Relations are maintained.” . Russia's top diplomat at center of Trump controversy Associated Press / March 2, 2017 The Trump administration's back-to-back controversies over its Russian ties now have at least one thing in common: Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Moscow's top diplomat in the U.S. has become the Kevin Bacon of the Trump White House's Russia imbroglio. A Washington fixture with a sprawling network, he has emerged as the central figure in the investigations into Trump advisers' connections with Russia. In a matter of weeks, contact with Kislyak led to the firing of a top adviser to the president and, on Thursday, prompted calls for the attorney general to resign. Separately, a White House official confirmed Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn met with Kislyak at TrumpTower in December for what the official called a brief courtesy meeting. Flynn was pushed out of the White House last month after officials said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he and the ambassador had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia in a phone call. At issue Thursday were two meetings between Sessions and Kislyak — one in July and another in September, at the height of concern over Russia's involvement in hacking of Democratic officials' emails accounts. Intelligence officials have since concluded Moscow ordered the hacks to tilt the election toward Trump. In his confirmation hearing, the Alabama Republican denied having contact with any Russian officials, neglecting to mention the meetings with Kislyak. Although the White House dismissed the revelation as part of a political witch hunt, Sessions' former colleagues took the omission seriously. At the urging of some in his own party, Sessions recused himself from the Department of Justice's investigation. Still, Democrats called for him to step down. Observers note Kislyak is a somewhat unlikely figure to cause controversy. Over the course of a long diplomatic career, he's led the life of a somewhat typical global envoy — making himself a reliable presence on the circuit of receptions, teas and forums that make up the calendar of any ambassador. Kislyak, who was appointed to his post in 2008, is regularly spotted walking around town, heading to and from meetings. Early in his tenure, he often opened the doors of the Russian Embassy, hosting dinners for foreign policy professionals, Pentagon officials, journalists and Capitol Hill staffers. Those who have attended the events describe him as a gracious and amiable diplomat, although perhaps not as polished — nor as confrontational — as his more famous boss, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In 2015, when Kislyak invited a group of Washington-based journalists, including one from the Associated Press, to the Russian Embassy for tea, he used the meeting to push warmer relations between the two nations — despite the conflict over Russia's seizure of Crimea and the crisis in Ukraine. Kislyak framed U.S.-Russian relations as salvageable and hoped specifically to combat what he considered cartoonish, anti-Russian depictions of his government in the American press. At a press conference where he recused himself from the investigation into the Trump campaign's ties with Russia, Sessions said he discussed a number of things with Kislyak, including counterterrorism. He said the meeting became confrontational when the discussion turned to Ukraine. Kislyak, 66, has bounced between the United States and Russia for most of his long career. His first foreign posting was to New York where he worked at the Soviet delegation at the United Nations in the early 1980s. He spent the following years as the first secretary and then councilor at the Soviet Embassy in Washington before returning to Moscow in 1989, where he took a succession of senior jobs at the Foreign Ministry. He did a stint as Russian ambassador to Belgium and simultaneously served as Moscow's envoy at NATO. He then returned to Moscow to serve as a deputy foreign minister, overseeing relations with the United States and arms control issues before being sent to Washington. Kislyak's contacts have sparked questions about his role or involvement in the hacking, questions that are difficult to answer. The U.S. and Russia, along with many other countries, have made it a practice to separate their top diplomats from espionage activities, although it is not uncommon for an intelligence agent to operate under the cover of a senior-level diplomat. Foreign diplomats to the United States likely expect that their activities will be monitored by U.S. authorities in the same manner that American diplomats are monitored in countries like Russia. Russian ambassadors most likely are aware of the intelligence agents operating under diplomatic cover, but are not believed to part of the security services themselves. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday ridiculed the claims of Kislyak's involvement in espionage as "total disinformation" and part of efforts to sway public opinion. "I'll open a military secret for you: It's the diplomats' jobs to have contacts in the country they are posted to," she said sarcastically. "It's their obligation to meet with officials and members of the political establishment."

Trump Administration Plans Reconsideration of Auto-Emission Standards Bloomberg / March 4, 2017 The Trump administration plans to open the door to a possible reconsideration of greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks [medium/heavy trucks?] that has been sought by automakers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the final days of the Obama administration decided to lock in the emissions standards through 2025 that had been negotiated with the industry in 2011. That decision will be withdrawn for reconsideration as early as next week. It will be one of a series of actions taken by the Trump administration recently to reconsider or reverse Obama-era regulations opposed by industry. On Thursday, the EPA effectively abandoned work to develop a rule clamping down on methane releases from oil and gas wells and the Department of Transportation (DOT) suspended work on a regulation requiring airlines to disclose fees for checking bags. Trump also just directed his agencies to rescind and rewrite an Obama-era environmental rule governing water pollution, after criticism from ranchers, farmers and developers. Eighteen auto industry executives sent a letter to Trump last month, asking him to reinstate the review of fuel economy regulations. The EPA’s decision in January to end the review came more than a year before deadline, which automakers say prematurely ended a promised debate over standards that they argue are costly and could jeopardize employment amid low gasoline prices and limited sales of hybrids and electric cars. The companies and then-President Barack Obama had struck a deal in 2011 to double average fuel economy of vehicles to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, with the caveat that a mid-term review would determine whether the standards for the final years of the program were feasible. Just a week before Trump took office, the EPA said it had concluded its review more than a year ahead of schedule and the rules didn’t need to be changed. Automakers disagreed, saying falling gasoline prices have squelched demand for the most fuel-efficient vehicles, making achieving the standards more difficult. The plea from the executives came after Trump made the auto industry a major focus of his first days as president. After a Jan. 24 meeting with auto executives, Trump vowed to ease regulatory burdens to lure more car factories to the U.S., calling environmental rules “out of control.” Mid-term Evaluation The withdrawal could come as early as next week in the form of a joint notice from EPA and the Transportation Department. As a result, a “midterm evaluation” of the efficiency standards through 2025 would resume, potentially leading to relaxation of the standards sought by automakers. If the EPA revisits the mid-term review, it won’t necessarily come to a different conclusion than the one reached in Obama’s final days in office. That decision was the culmination of an evaluation that began last summer with the publication of a more than 1,200-page Technical Assessment Report that examined costs, technology effectiveness and other aspects of the standards. Association of Global Automakers spokeswoman Annemarie Pender said the trade group, which represents 12 automakers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai, has not received a formal response to its Feb. 21 letter asking the EPA to withdraw the decision. Environmental Push Earlier Friday, a coalition of environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council and Union of Concerned Scientists issued a joint statement urging the vehicle standards be maintained. “EPA’s clean car standards are driving unprecedented reductions in carbon pollution and saving drivers money at the pump,” Natural Resources Defense Council President Rhea Suh said in a statement. “Strong standards have been a critical factor in the auto industry’s recovery from financial distress, so it makes no sense to reverse this progress. EPA should stay the course and look to the future, to protect our climate and the workers developing clean car technologies.” To change the standards, EPA must produce a new rule to replace the current one including notice and comment and raising the potential of a court challenge by environmental groups.

"Business as usual is just not an option anymore," Chao said. "Everyone can agree that our country can no longer take decades to build a new bridge or a new road, a new highway or airport." So in another words, Washington wants to persuade the American people to give up on a properly functioning government which is capable of using our tax dollars to build a bridge in an efficient and timely manner. Chao wants us to accept that our government is broken and irreparable, thus we must go for "Plan B", that being public-private partnerships. Evidently, after channeling our money to overseas "foreign aid" (e.g. $38 billion to Israel), financial support for undocumented (aka. illegal) immigrants living in the US, and a wide range of pork barrel projects, there's not enough of our tax money left to build any bridges and roads.

Transportation Secretary Chao Calls for Private Infrastructure Funding Bloomberg / March 2, 2017 U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said her office was exploring new ways to finance President Donald Trump’s proposed $1 trillion infrastructure upgrade, including through public-private partnerships. Speaking at an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials event in Washington Wednesday, Chao offered no specifics about the type of projects that would be prioritized by the administration, or how they would be funded. But she said the department was exploring ways to unleash private investment, and said barriers that hinder public-private infrastructure partnerships need to be removed. "Business as usual is just not an option anymore," Chao said. "Everyone can agree that our country can no longer take decades to build a new bridge or a new road, a new highway or airport." Chao’s second speech since taking taking office on Jan. 31 echoed infrastructure themes of Trump’s congressional address Tuesday night. He reiterated a campaign trail pledge for significant infrastructure investments, saying "the time has come for a new program of national rebuilding." Trump said he would to ask Congress to approve a plan for $1 trillion in infrastructure spending financed by public and private capital. Chao also urged officials to streamline permitting, environmental reviews and other hangups that can slow projects. The Transportation department plans to "revisit" a number of proposed and final rules as part of the president’s bid to cut red tape, she said.

Caterpillar sued by shareholder after federal raid Reuters / March 3, 2017 Caterpillar Inc was sued on Friday for allegedly deceiving shareholders about its business, one day after federal law enforcers raided three of its buildings in connection with a probe into the heavy machinery manufacturer's offshore tax practices. In a complaint filed in Chicago federal court, Jacob Newman accused Caterpillar of defrauding him and other shareholders in regulatory filings by touting its commitment to good ethics, while concealing how it "unlawfully used foreign subsidiaries" to avoid paying billions of dollars of U.S. taxes. Shares of Caterpillar fell 4.3 percent on Thursday, wiping out more than $2.4 billion of the Peoria, Illinois-based company's market value. The company said it believed the raid by officials from agencies including the Internal Revenue Service's criminal investigation division, the Department of Commerce and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp was connected with an IRS probe related to a Swiss parts unit, Caterpillar SARL. Caterpillar has been fighting an IRS demand that it pay $2 billion in taxes and penalties for shifting profit to the Swiss unit to lessen its U.S. tax bill. Newman is seeking unspecified damages in his proposed class-action lawsuit on behalf of Caterpillar investors from Feb. 19, 2013 through March 1. The lawsuit also names Caterpillar Chief Executive Jim Umpleby, Chairman Douglas Oberhelman and Chief Financial Officer Bradley Halverson as defendants. Oberhelman preceded Umpleby as chief executive. The case is Newman v. Caterpillar Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 17-01713.

If you want good quality seats that incorporate the latest technology, specify Sears seating. They are a Mack brand factory option. http://www.searsseating.com/product-category/truck-seats/ In a Paccar product, specify Grammer - http://www.gramag.com/

Prime Mover Magazine / March 2, 2017 Melbourne-based bulk haulage specialist, Burdett's, has expanded its operations, adding new equipment to its fleet for a new service partnership with horticulture materials manufacturer, Van Schaik's Bio Gro. According to Burdett's Group Managing Director, Andrew Burdett, the transport company will be running the Victorian section of Bio Gro's transport operations, hauling raw materials such as growing and mulching mediums, soil amendments and biological growth stimulants. "It is proving to be a great partnership with another proudly family owned, Australian company," Burdett said. To carry out the work, Burdett's has purchased three high volume B-double tipper combinations with a 130m3 capacity from Bio Gro, and upgraded two prime movers to new Mack Superliners from CMV Truck and Bus in Dandenong. The new Burdett's Superliners run on the MP10 engine, boasting 685hp and 2,300 lb-ft torque, and are among the first to be commissioned with the new Mack air suspension, disc brakes and the new Mack [Volvo*] 2370 axle. "The new suspension gives us a better ride quality and for the first time we have a full Mack drivetrain from bumper to bumper," said Burdett. "We've always bought our Macks from CMV Dandenong, which understands our bulk haulage task and helps us make sure we get the right gear to get the job done. "We will be upgrading more of our trailers over the next month with new high volume B-doubles to keep pace with Bio Gro's growing business." * Volvo 2370A axle - http://segotn12827.rds.volvo.com/STPIFiles/Volvo/FactSheet/RTS2370A_Eng_05_1858096.pdf Volvo 2370B axle - http://productinfo.vtc.volvo.se/files/pdf/hi/RTS2370B_Eng_02_1128920.pdf .

Daimler Press Release / March 1, 2017 Three digital solutions in one sweep: launch of Truck Data Center, Mercedes-Benz Uptime and FleetBoard Manager from March 2017 Truck Data Center: the brain of the connected truck Mercedes-Benz Uptime: significant increase in vehicle availability thanks to connectivity, extensively piloted since 2013 New FleetBoard Manager: useful information on the vehicle fleet available at any time from an app – simple, fast and free Stuttgart – The Truck Data Center launches on 1 March 2017, thereby allowing the introduction of new digital services from Mercedes-Benz Trucks: the revolutionary service product Mercedes-Benz Uptime and the new FleetBoard Manager app. Both services require installation of the Truck Data Center in the truck. Unveiled at the 2016 International Motor Show for Commercial Vehicles, the "Truck Data Center" connectivity module will in future form the brain of the connected truck across all brands at Daimler Trucks. It continuously monitors the status of the vehicle systems, in addition to sending and receiving data in real-time. From 1 March 2017, it will be available in all heavy-duty trucks from Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz Uptime represents the intelligent and, above all, predictive connectivity of vehicle, Mercedes-Benz Service and the customer's transport company. Fully automatic in-service diagnostics continuously monitor the status of the vehicle systems in real-time and allow the early detection of critical states. This makes it possible to prevent breakdowns and other unscheduled repairs while further optimising scheduled workshop visits. The service will be available both individually and in combination with all other Mercedes-Benz service contracts. The new FleetBoard Manager app will in future offer all Mercedes-Benz customers a simple, fast and free entry into connectivity. The app for smartphones provides useful, free information on the vehicle fleet, such as its capacity utilisation over the course of a week or the positions of individual vehicles, and also identifies potential cost-savings. Truck Data Center: the centrepiece of the connected truck Approximately the size of a DIN A5 sheet, the Truck Data Center connectivity module will in future be installed across all brands at Daimler Trucks on the basis of the internationally standardised electrics/electronics architecture. The module is installed as standard in the Mercedes-Benz Actros. It receives data from the truck's sensors, cameras, etc. and analyses this information for many different applications. As the interface for all connectivity services, it is also responsible for the truck's external communications: like a modern smartphone, the Truck Data Center communicates in real-time via Bluetooth, 3G signal or GPS with the infrastructure, other vehicles and other entities involved in the logistics process. Standardisation of the Truck Data Center is combined with maximum adaptability to regional customers' requirements by means of the software and apps: in future, the Truck Data Center will form the basis for existing connectivity solutions from Daimler Trucks as well as the telematics systems of FleetBoard and Detroit Connect. Mercedes-Benz Uptime: significant increase in vehicle availability thanks to connectivity Ahead of the launch, Mercedes-Benz Uptime was extensively piloted in a three-year trial in 1400 trucks in 16 fleets in Germany, Great Britain, Austria and Poland. Mercedes-Benz Uptime continuously monitors the status of the vehicle systems in real-time via the new Truck Data Center. Within a matter of seconds, the data are interpreted, critical states detected and specific action recommendations issued. If they signal a need for maintenance or repair, Mercedes-Benz Service immediately assists the customer with a tailor-made solution optimally matched to the current trip planning and vehicle condition. For the customer, this makes it significantly easier to plan workshop visits and vehicle availability. Prevention of breakdowns: When a truck is at an acute risk of breakdown, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center (CAC) in Maastricht, Netherlands, is informed immediately. The CAC then phones the specified contact at the customer's company. The employees at the CAC inform the customer of the identified repair needs and the necessary actions in order to prevent a breakdown. If an immediate repair is required, the CAC will help to arrange a workshop appointment optimally matched to the customer's vehicle route and transport assignment. The CAC first checks that the required resources are available at the workshop so that the vehicle can be repaired without delay. This prevents a possible breakdown, the vehicle is quickly repaired and the transport assignment can be completed on schedule. Efficient repair and maintenance management: Identified at an early stage, maintenance and repair requirements are automatically reported to the Mercedes-Benz service partner selected by the customer. The personal customer adviser bundles the upcoming maintenance and repair needs and actively contacts the customer with a suggested date for the work. Real-time transparency on the condition of the vehicles allows the workshop to make ideal preparations for the customer's visit - ordering the required parts in good time, scheduling workshop capacity and writing out the repair job. Real-time support for customer’s service works: information and specific action recommendations for upcoming repairs that the customer can easily carry out for themselves are always made available to the customer in a timely manner via the Mercedes-Benz Uptime customer portal. The fleet manager or driver can intervene immediately to avoid unnecessary workshop visits and repair costs. Since the 2016 International Motor Show for Commercial Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Uptime has been available for all new Actros, Arocs and Antos trucks in twelve European markets (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland). Further countries will be added in the course of time. From 1 March 2017, vehicles will be delivered to customers with the Mercedes-Benz Uptime service activated. The service requires installation of the Truck Data Center. New FleetBoard Manager: useful information on the vehicle fleet available at any time from an app – simple, fast and free From 20 March 2017, FleetBoard will offer Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers a simple, fast and free entry into connectivity. This is made possible by the new FleetBoard Manager. Use of the app requires installation of the Truck Data Center in the Mercedes-Benz Actros. The FleetBoard Manager provides customers with useful information on their fleet, such as the total number of kilometres driven in the past seven days as well as a comparison with the previous seven days. It also shows which vehicles have driven the longest and shortest total distances. This data enables customers to see exactly how fleet capacity has been used over the course of a week. Alongside the number of kilometres driven, it also shows the fleet's average fuel consumption. It also shows the vehicles with the highest and lowest fuel consumption. This gives customers an insight into the spread between mileage and fuel consumption between the vehicles. At fleet level, the app also shows the percentage of how economically the vehicles perform when on the road. The overview is shown in the form of a simple cluster of scores that is very straightforward to understand. FleetBoard uses these data to calculate the percentage saving in fuel that could be achieved across the whole fleet by targeted driver training – important information that can help to identify further potential cost-savings. The app also reveals how eco-friendly the fleet is, as well as the level of its CO2 emissions. This is where predictive driving plays an important role in highlighting ways in which to lastingly improve fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The FleetBoard Manager also enables customers to see the positions of individual vehicles. Further features, such as the Mercedes-Benz Uptime lite-Widget, will gradually be added to the FleetBoard Manager by regular software updates. Mercedes-Benz Uptime lite will be available free of charge to all customers and provides information on necessary service operations on selected operating fluids and wear parts on the vehicle (e.g. oil level, bulbs, air filter, brake pads, etc.). This information provides an initial idea of how vehicle connectivity can facilitate the repair and maintenance management of a fleet. The FleetBoard Manager app will be available free of charge from 20 March 2017 for Android (Google Play Store) and iOS (App Store). .

Scania Group Press Release / March 2, 2017 . .

Mack brand Press Release / March 2, 2017 TransPremier expands 14 miles of the I-4 highway in Orlando, Florida with 65,000 tons of asphalt. .

UAE to get 1,085 refurbished MaxxPro MRAPs IHS Jane's Defence Weekly / March 1, 2017 The US Department of Defense announced on 28 February that it has awarded a USD440 million contract to Navistar Defense to "reset and upgrade" 1,085 surplus MaxxPro mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAPs) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The work is expected to be completed by 31 March 2019. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in September 2014 that the UAE had requested 3,360 [free] MaxxPro MRAPs in various configurations, 1,150 BAE Systems Caiman MRAPs, 44 Oshkosh MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs), and 15 MRAP recovery vehicles of an unspecified type. The DSCA's Excess Defense Articles database states that 488 Caimans, 29 MaxxPros, and 15 MRAP recovery vehicles were subsequently delivered.

Your dealer is right, but you have to also weigh in the dramatically higher parts pricing level policy of the Volvo regime, as that is going to haunt you.

Have you contacted your Mack dealer? In the days of Mack Trucks, they would order you the correct book from Mack Service Publications.

Transport Topics / March 2, 2017 The business world could evolve in an orderly, incremental fashion over the next dozen or so years, or it could bound off unexpectedly in a way that startles and flummoxes most people. Navistar International Corp. Chairman and CEO Troy Clarke said here that he has a sneaking feeling it will be the latter option, and he urged a group of fleet maintenance directors to prepare for that possibility. “How do we claim a piece of the future, no matter what it is? I think the changes we see are not going to be small and incremental,” Clarke said in a March 1 speech to the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations. Navistar’s CEO since 2013, Clarke said he sees several freight transportation trends converging in North America and Europe and that companies that can master those changes should do better than those that don’t. More people are moving to cities or large metropolitan areas and insist upon a certain level of clean air, he said. Therefore, he anticipates the growth of heavily populated low or zero-emission zones that will need a lot of goods. Related to population growth, Clarke said in his 28-minute speech, highway congestion will continue to increase, wasting ever-larger chunks of people’s time. He cited some congestion figures from ATA. A third important trend is the expectation that electricity will remain plentiful with a stable price that might even dip a little. Combining these three thoughts, Clarke said it is quite possible that electric trucks will play a much bigger role in U.S. transportation. “Are we rapidly reaching an inflection point for electric trucks?” Clarke asked. By 2030, he said, we could see highly automated and efficient diesel-powered trucks making linehaul moves among major regional hubs. After freight is offloaded at a hub, it would be transferred to smaller hybrid-electric or pure electric trucks for final delivery. Much of this will be helped, he said, by expected improvements in lithium-ion batteries. Clarke warned about the dangers of entrenched success, saying it leads to protectiveness of the status quo and resistance to necessary change. Once there were great manufacturers of wind-powered cargo ships, steam engines and horse-drawn buggies, and what were the names of these great companies, he asked. “Nobody knows and nobody cares,” he said. While mainly looking forward to 2030, Clarke also looked back to 2004, noting the powerful force of disruption the world has seen. Some of the most important names then were BlackBerry, Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson. In contrast, he said, some firms that were not well-known or performing a different service then were Google, YouTube, Netflix and Facebook.

Overdrive / March 2, 2017 The 35th annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition will be held May 18-20 in Tulsa, Okla., with a theme of “Titans of Tulsa,” Shell announced. The event will be held at the Exchange Center at Expo Square, located near I-44, Highway 51 and Highway 244. The SuperRigs competition is open for active working trucks to compete for cash and prizes upwards of $25,000. Twelve drivers at the event will have their trucks selected to be featured in the 2018 Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar. Judging will take place between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 18 and 19, and between 7:30 and 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 20. Judging takes about 20 minutes and contestants do not need to be present to win. Trucks will be judged in four categories – Best of Show, Tractor, Tractor-Trailer Combo and Classic. In addition to the truck show, there will be the annual truck parade, along with a fireworks show and live entertainment, the Rotella Road Show, a barbecue pit and more.

Volvo’s Euro Efficiency Concept Truck Now Boasts Hybrid Power Heavy Duty Trucking / March 2, 2017 Sweden’s Volvo Trucks has developed its first hybrid truck designed for long-haul applications— a concept vehicle based on its European-spec Volvo FH cabover tractor powered by Volvo’s own D13 Euro 6 emissions-compliant diesel engine. The diesel-electric hybrid powertrain combined with the Volvo Concept Truck’s other efficiency improvements yields a total reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 production of around 30%, according to the OEM. When first rolled out in May 2016, the Volvo Concept Truck featured extensive improvements in aerodynamics, rolling resistance and reduced weight. It was developed via a similar public-private initiative as the SuperTruck program that Volvo has participated in with the U.S. Department of Energy. The Volvo Concept Truck came about via the Swedish part of a bilateral research project involving the Swedish energy authority Energimyndigheten and the U.S. Department of Energy. Volvo Trucks said the Swedish concept’s hybrid powertrain works by recovering energy when driving downhill on slopes steeper than 1% or when braking. The recovered energy is stored in the vehicle's batteries and used to power the truck in electric mode on flat roads or low gradients. In addition, an enhanced version of Volvo Trucks' driver support system I-See has been developed specifically for the hybrid powertrain. It's used to analyze upcoming topography to calculate the most economical and efficient choice between the diesel engine and the electric motor-- as well as the optimal time to use the recovered energy. In long haul transportation, it is estimated that the hybrid powertrain will allow the combustion engine to be shut off for up to 30% of driving time, according to Volvo Trucks. The OEM estimated that will save between 5-10% cent in fuel, depending on the vehicle type, specifications and drive cycle. It also offers the ability to drive in full electric mode for up to 10 kilometers (just over 6 miles), so the truck can run with zero emissions and low noise for short stretches. "We strive to be at the forefront of electromobility and to constantly push the limits when it comes to reducing fuel consumption and emissions," said Volvo Trucks CEO. "Over the coming years, as society moves more and more towards renewable energy, we strongly believe that electromobility and hybrid technology will become increasingly important. The powertrain in our concept truck has been developed to improve transport efficiency and thereby help the industry towards sustainable transport. With the concept truck we will gain valuable knowledge and experience, which will help us develop the technology further." The Volvo Concept Truck is “a platform for verifying several new technologies for increasing transport efficiency," said Åke Othzén, chief project manager, Volvo Trucks. "Some of these developments have already been introduced to our trucks, and some will be introduced in the near future. The hybrid powertrain is partly based on knowledge and experience from Volvo Buses' hybrid and electric buses."

Meritor EX+L Air Disc Brakes Offered on International LT Heavy Duty Trucking / March 2, 2017 Meritor’s EX+L air disc brakes became available on International LT series trucks starting in February. The EX+L is designed to deliver better braking power that meets federal FMVSS 121 reduced stopping distance regulations. The brakes are also made for better in-line braking stability for safer, smoother stops and feature reduced brake fade resistance. "Demand for air disc brakes is growing among North America fleets that are increasingly concerned about safety and reliability, and our market-leading brake products address these issues," said T.J. Reed, general manager, front drivetrain for Meritor. "EX+ will offer Navistar's customers superior performance and easier serviceability." EX+ air disc brakes are engineered from the ELSA line of European air disc brakes. EX+L brakes feature a gear-synchronized twin piston design that transfers torque to both brakes simultaneously, resulting in better performance and uniform pad wear, according to Meritor. The entire assembly is designed for faster pad changes and quicker inspection time. A standard mechanical visual wear indicator gives fleets quick-check capability of remaining pad life without taking the vehicle out of service to remove the wheel.

U.S. authorities raid Caterpillar's Illinois facilities Reuters / March 2, 2017 Federal law enforcement officials conducting a criminal probe of heavy machinery manufacturer Caterpillar Inc searched three of its facilities on Thursday, prompting a sharp sell-off in the company's stock. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney Office for the Central District of Illinois, Sharon Paul, confirmed that federal law enforcement officials conducted searches at locations in Peoria, East Peoria and Morton, Illinois, but did not say why agents raided the three facilities. Caterpillar, in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, said it believed the search was part of an Internal Revenue Service investigation related to profits earned by a Swiss parts subsidiary, Caterpillar SARL, or CSARL. It said that "while the warrant is broadly drafted, we believe the execution of this search warrant is regarding, among other things, export filings that relate to the CSARL matter first disclosed in Caterpillar's Form 10-K filed on February 17, 2015, and updated in Caterpillar's most recent Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 15, 2017." Agencies involved in the search included the IRS' Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security's Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s Office of Inspector General, Paul said. Officials at the agencies could not be reached for comment. Caterpillar shares fell 4.3 percent to close at $94.36 on the New York Stock Exchange after trading as low as $92.84. IRS SEEKS $2 BLN; CATERPILLAR CONTESTS The apparent escalation of the government's tax dispute with Caterpillar comes as the Trump administration and leaders in Congress have said they want to launch a broad overhaul of the corporate tax code, lowering rates and designing the system to encourage companies to keep jobs and profits within the United States. Caterpillar has also had a prominent place in the Trump administration's effort to promote U.S. manufacturing. The company's outgoing chief executive, Douglas Oberhelman, met with President Donald Trump at the White House last week. Caterpillar is fighting an Internal Revenue Service demand that the company pay $2 billion in taxes and penalties for profits assigned to its Swiss parts distribution subsidiary, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That subsidiary was also the subject of a 2014 Senate committee report that concluded Caterpillar shifted billions in profits abroad and had $2.4 billion in taxes deferred or avoided from 2012. "As a result of those licensing and servicing agreements, over the next thirteen years from 2000 to 2012, Caterpillar shifted to CSARL in Switzerland taxable income from its non-U.S. parts sales totaling more than $8 billion, and deferred or avoided paying U.S. taxes totaling about $2.4 billion," the report said. It said the arrangement resulted in Caterpillar paying an effective tax rate of only 4 percent to 6 percent. Caterpillar, in its 2016 annual report, said it is "vigorously contesting" the IRS demand. "We believe that the relevant transactions complied with applicable tax laws and did not violate judicial doctrines," it stated. The Senate committee report also criticized Caterpillar's accountants, PwC, saying that the firm's roles as auditor and tax consultant represented a conflict of interest. PwC on Thursday said it had no comment. In testimony before the Senate in 2014, PwC partner Thomas Quinn said the firm believed that its "tax advice and Caterpillar’s tax positions were correct under applicable tax laws. In sum, PwC’s provision of tax services to Caterpillar as our audit client was entirely appropriate." Caterpillar also disclosed in its annual report that it had received grand jury subpoenas from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois seeking documents and information related to the movement of cash among U.S. and non-U.S. subsidiaries, and the purchase and resale of replacement parts by Caterpillar Inc. and non-U.S. Caterpillar subsidiaries, including Caterpillar SARL. Caterpillar said it is cooperating with the investigation and did not believe it would have a material impact on its finances. PARTS BUSINESS; TAXES The facility in Morton, according to the company’s website, is responsible for receiving and shipping replacement parts to parts facilities and Caterpillar dealers worldwide. Caterpillar reported sales fell 18 percent in 2016 to $38.5 billion and since late 2015 it has shrunk its workforce by more than 16,000 employees and consolidated or closed 30 facilities. Caterpillar cut 12,300 jobs in 2016, including 7,700 in the United States. It said it was considering closing two more major production facilities, including one in Aurora, Illinois, and also announced it was moving its corporate headquarters from Peoria to Chicago this year. Last week in Missouri, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence toured Fabick CAT, a family-owned company that is one of the largest U.S. distributors of Caterpillar equipment. "You are the strength in the American economy, and you're going to lead an American comeback," he told workers there. Pence said the Trump administration wants to simplify the U.S. tax code. "I'll guarantee there isn't anyone here who can make sense of America's tax code, including me. There's an old joke that says the tax code is about 10 times the size of the Bible but with none of the good news," he said. "Our country's tax system these days penalizes success. It makes it far too hard for hardworking people and small businesses to achieve the American Dream."

Federal Agents Search Caterpillar Locations The Wall Street Journal / March 2, 2017 Federal agents on Thursday searched three Caterpillar Inc. facilities near the construction- and mining-equipment giant's Illinois headquarters, according to the company and a law-enforcement official. The search appeared to escalate an investigation into tax issues related to Caterpillar's parts business and financial transactions involving one of the company's subsidiaries in Switzerland, a person familiar with the situation said. Caterpillar has previously said it received subpoenas from a federal grand jury seeking information related to the Swiss subsidiary, known as Caterpillar SARL. The company has said that it was cooperating with the investigation, which is being overseen by the U.S. attorney's office for the Central District of Illinois. A spokeswoman for the attorney's office on Thursday said agents from the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the U.S. Department of Commerce searched facilities in Peoria, East Peoria and Morton. No arrests were made, the spokeswoman said. The search included Caterpillar's Peoria headquarters, according to people familiar with the matter. "Law enforcement is present in various Peoria-area Caterpillar facilities executing a search warrant," a Caterpillar spokeswoman said. "Caterpillar is cooperating. She wouldn't comment further. An IRS spokesman said agents "were on site on official business," but declined to comment further. Caterpillar shares fell about 5% to $93.66 in midday trading. The Securities and Exchange Commission also began investigating Caterpillar's Swiss subsidiary in 2014, after a U.S. Senate subcommittee described the unit as part of a strategy by Caterpillar to reduce its U.S. tax exposure on sales of replacement parts outside of the U.S. Caterpillar said the SEC notified the company in late 2015 that it had concluded its investigation without recommending a penalty. A report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found that Caterpillar's U.S. operations had bought parts from suppliers and resold them to independent dealers overseas. Profits from the sales were assigned to the Caterpillar Swiss subsidiary, effectively eliminating Caterpillar's U.S. operations from the transactions and lowering the company's U.S. taxes, according to the report.

The Financial Times / March 2, 2017 Caterpillar shares suffered their biggest one-day drop in eight months after law enforcement authorities searched the company’s headquarters and two other facilities in Illinois as part of a tax investigation. Shares of the heavy machinery maker fell 4.3 per cent on Thursday after the company and law enforcement officials confirmed that agents of the Internal Revenue Service, the US Commerce Department Office of Export Enforcement and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had conducted searches at three Caterpillar facilities. Caterpillar said in a statement that a search and seizure warrant was executed, and documents and electronic information collected, apparently in connection with a long-running tax investigation into financial transactions involving CSARL, a Caterpillar subsidiary in Switzerland. Caterpillar said it was “co-operating with law enforcement”. Last month the company said in its 2016 10-K filing that it had received a grand jury subpoena from the US district court for the Central District of Illinois on January 8 2015. “The subpoena requests documents and information from the company relating to, among other things, financial information concerning US and non-US Caterpillar subsidiaries (including undistributed profits of non-US subsidiaries and the movement of cash among US and non-US subsidiaries). “The company is co-operating with this investigation,” Caterpillar said. “We currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.” Caterpillar said the warrant executed on Thursday was broadly drafted but “we believe the execution of this search warrant is regarding, among other things, export filings that relate to the CSARL matter” first disclosed in a 10-K filing in 2015 and later updated in the most recent 10-K filing. The US Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations said in a 2014 report that Caterpillar had adopted “a tax strategy that shifted billions of dollars in profits away from the United States and into Switzerland, where Caterpillar had negotiated an effective corporate tax rate of 4 to 6 per cent”. According to the report, Caterpillar bought parts and resold them to dealers overseas, assigning the profits to the Swiss subsidiary and lowering its US taxes. Caterpillar, hit by a prolonged slump in global demand caused by weak commodity prices that have hurt its customers, has been one of the companies singled out by industrial analysts as likely to benefit from any infrastructure spending boost from President Donald Trump. Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar’s departing chairman, met Mr Trump last week at the White House where the president joked about his fondness for Caterpillar bulldozers.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul marched to the House side of the Capitol Thursday morning, knocked on a locked door and demanded to see a copy of the House's bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which he believed was being kept under lock and key. Aides in the room told the senator that there was no bill to see. "This should be an open and transparent process," Paul said. "This is being presented as if it were a national secret, as if this was a plot to invade another country, as if this were national security. That's wrong." Paul decided to visit the House Thursday afternoon after reports surfaced that House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee were being granted an opportunity to review the current draft of the Obamacare repeal legislation and ask questions behind closed doors. Opposed to the House legislation's principles, Paul said he wanted to see the bill himself. "I'm not allowed to read the working product so I can comment on it?" he asked. .

Trump promises 12-carrier Navy Associated Press / March 2, 2017 President Donald Trump promised Thursday to grow the Navy's aircraft carrier force to 12 in a short speech aboard the Gerald R. Ford which is expected to join the fleet this spring. The Navy, which has been required by law to have 11 carriers, has been operating with ten for several years – with Congress' approval – but will be back to 11 when the Ford is delivered. Enlarging the fleet to 12 can take years and would depend on funding and the ability of Newport News Shipbuilding to ramp up to take on another carrier. The shipyard is the sole builder of all U.S. carriers. In a 15-minute speech that mostly lauded the Navy and the shipyard's workforce, Trump reiterated his plans to increase the Navy's fleet and was urging Congress to end cap on defense spending, known as sequestration, but he did not specify how he would finance the larger force without increasing the national debt. "By eliminating the sequester and the uncertainty it creates, we will make it easier for the Navy to plan for the future and thus to control cost and get the best deals for the taxpayers, which of course are important" Trump said. "Right? If we don’t make a good deal I’m not doing my job... The same ship for less money. The same airplane for less money. That’s what we’re doing." The $12.9 billion Ford, which is the first of a new class of larger carriers, is billions over budget and years behind schedule. The shipyard and Navy have said they anticipate future Ford-class carriers will be less expensive. The next is the John F. Kennedy which is 25 percent complete and scheduled to be delivered in 2022. When asked about the prospect of ramping up carrier production, shipyard spokeswoman Christie Millers said in an email, "We look forward to working with the new administration, the Navy and our supplier base of 5,000 companies in 50 states across the nation to continue building the most effective and affordable warships. We are focused on reducing costs in all of our shipbuilding programs." U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Newport News Democrat whose district includes the shipyard, did not attend Trump's speech. Scott said in a statement that he welcomed the president's push for increased shipbuilding but was critical of the lack of details. "So far, all I’ve heard is that he intends to cut taxes, raise defense spending, and propose draconian cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. That means deep cuts to programs that support education, rebuild our infrastructure, ensure clean air and water, and protect workplace safety and public health," Scott wrote. "I hope that in the next days and weeks the President and his administration will provide more concrete details on his proposals.” Trump, who favors a 350-ship Navy noted in his speech that today's 270-plus ship fleet is the smallest since the end of World War I. At that time the fleet was about 245 ships. But Trump over promised on how large the fleet might become. "Don’t worry, it’ll soon be the largest it’s been," he told the cheering crowd. "Think about it." The Navy's largest fleet was in World War II when the U.S. had several thousand of ships. "We will give you the tools you need to prevent wars and, if required, to fight war and only do one thing. Do you know what that is?" Trump asked the assembled sailors. "Win. Win" The Navy's fleet, including the Ford, can "project American powers in distant lands," Trump said. "Hopefully it’s power we don’t have to use. But if we do they’re in big big trouble." .

Well, I can tell you the 14QK373 was designed for the MH Ultra-Liner steer axle. Apparently, Volvo is superceding the old numbers to anything that will physically fit, never mind that it's not valved appropriately for the application. In the days of the former Mack Trucks, an R-700 never called for a 14QK373. And 14QK2133M2, that's a metric number ("M") introduced with the MH/RWI/CH. When you called the great folks at Watts Mack (provider of the BMT website) at 1-888-304-6225 to buy a pair of shocks, what did they say?

If your Mack brand dealer's price is acceptable, why don't you just buy them? Why do you need the part number?