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EPA locks in 2025 fuel efficiency rules Reuters / January 13, 2017 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy on Friday finalized a determination that the landmark fuel efficiency rules instituted by President Barack Obama should be locked in through 2025, a bid to maintain a key part of his administration's climate legacy. Major U.S. and foreign automakers have appealed to President-elect Donald Trump, who has been critical of Obama's climate policies, to review the rules requiring them to nearly double fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2025, saying they impose significant costs and are out of step with consumer preferences. As part of a 2012 regulation, EPA had to decide by April 2018 whether to modify the 2022-2025 model year vehicle emission rules requiring average fleet-wide efficiency of more than 50 miles per gallon. In November, the agency moved up the timetable for proposing that automakers can meet the 2025 standards. McCarthy said in a statement her determination, a legally binding decision to maintain the fuel efficiency rules, rests on an extensive technical record. "At every step in the process, the analysis has shown that the greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks remain affordable and effective through 2025, and will save American drivers billions of dollars at the pump while protecting our health and the environment," she said. Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade association representing General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Volkswagen AG and others, criticized the decision. "Our fundamental priority remains striking the right balance to continue fuel economy gains and carbon reduction without compromising consumer affordability and vital auto-sector jobs," she said. Automakers hope to work with regulators and California, Bergquist said, "to see whether we can find a prudent compromise path forward that avoids an unnecessary and counterproductive regulatory collision." “The Obama Administration today just made new cars and trucks thousands of dollars more expensive for America’s working men and women," NADA CEO Peter Welch said in a statement. "Expensive and unaffordable new cars will drive Americans into less efficient, less clean and less safe used cars -- undermining the very goals of this policy. We urge the incoming Trump Administration to withdraw today’s action, and we look forward to working with the new Administration to ensure that working families can choose the cleaner, safer new cars and trucks they need at prices they can afford.” Legal experts have said it will be more difficult for the Trump administration and Congress to undo the determination than to unwind other regulatory actions issued by the Obama administration during its final months in office. The 2025 determination is not a new regulation, so the EPA, under Trump, would likely have to go through an extensive process before withdrawing the determination, and could face lawsuits from environmental groups if they took that step.

Big Rigs / January 13, 2017 There are blokes who say the trucking industry isn't what it used to be, then there are operators like Victoria-based Steve Cook who are proof it's still a great way to earn a crust. "It's a good game, I mean a lot of people bag trucking now, but I believe it's a good group of blokes trying to have a crack and make a living,” Steve told Big Rigs. After running and building a successful fleet of ten trucks, Steve recently decided to sell up and take on a one truck owner-driver contract for Fulton Hogan Transport carting bitumen. "I started up my own business about 6 years ago, then built it to a fleet of 10 trucks in the produce area. "I got bought out and then got the opportunity at Fulton Hogan as a subby; I had a couple of mates that worked there and knew they were good to work for.” This meant Steve needed a new truck suited to the job of moving bitumen around Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. " I wanted a Kenworth but I didn't want to go to a 909, it was a bit big, so I went for the T409,” he explained. (http://www.kenworth.com.au/trucks/t409/) "The 409 has a set back front axle, for access into the tighter stuff, and it's tare weight is great. "I worked with Danny Ohara from Kenworth Trucks Hallam to get it setup as a bitumen tanker, but we sat down and tried to make the truck adaptable for other work - it can pull a 34 pallet b-double if need be. "It's got the E5 Cummins engine rated at 540HP, Meritor diffs, an 18-speed automatic, 36-inch bunk, and everything else I'll need.” Steve had nothing but good things to say about Fulton Hogan Transport, who took him onboard as one of their own. "This company treats you like a family. "I'd done gas tankers but never bitumen and they trained me right up for the job. "With Fulton Hogan we're home Saturday and Sunday, but with my fleet it was around the clock, so It's freed up time for my family.” The dream of owning a truck and working for yourself is still a possibility according to Steve, who says even though sons aren't necessarily learning the trade from their fathers like they used to, there are ways to break in and succeed. "I reckon there is a lack of drivers, good quality drivers. "I know my son is more into computers, yet you used to get the father and son follow-on, I think that's going away. "I think if guys do their homework on who they want to get a contract with, then do their homework on what truck will fit. "Everyone wants a nice big flash truck, but it's about doing the due diligence then finding the equipment to suit the job.” .

Rivet rises from the ashes of McAleese Australasian Transport News (ATN) / January 13, 2017 New incarnation sees slimmed down version emerge McAleese has died but been resurrected as a three-segment group under the name Rivet (http://www.rivet.com.au/). The services are heavy haulage, specialised transport, logistics and lifting and the segments are Rivet Mining Services, Rivet Energy and Refuel International, according to the new Rivet website to which the previous McAleese web address leads. These corresponding roughly to the main services rescued from its previously listed incarnation. Mark Rowsthorn is the MD and CEO, while former McAleese realignment project director and was appointed of the Oil and Gas Division general manager Philip Tonks, once of Toll and Asciano, is chief operating officer. The development follows deals over deeds of company arrangement (DOCAs) that were agreed to before Christmas. There is no mention of linehaul or general freight, the diversification McAleese undertook two years ago when buying WA Freight Group. It is understood WA Freight Group was a going concern as part of the pre-Christmas negotiations. Refuel International is the former Sunshine Refuellers and was not part of the DOCAs’ process. The aviation refueling vehicles and systems developer based in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine exists in the new firm under the new name. The Australian Financial Review quoted McGrathNicol administrator as confirming the restructuring was complete ahead of time and that it had been a "very efficient process with a good outcome". The newspaper states that the heavy haulage and lifting businesses would not be kept. But the Rivet website contains a related image and Rivet Mining Services section includes them. "Our new operating structure provides us with the ability to diversify our offering (commodity, customer, geography) as we now have the ability to partner and offer additional value added services such as crane hire, heavy haulage services, fuels, road maintenance, stockpile management, quarry services," it says. ATN is awaiting responses to its calls from Rivet. .

I'm not that old. But the fact that the "L" series cab (CA31) was reintroduced says a lot. Still, as we all know, the fleets overwhelmingly chose the CA21 or CA27 (contour). At the time, the CA21 had the feeling of being a newer, sleeker, more modern cab that the CA31, which it in fact was.

McNeilus plant back to work after Wednesday explosion Owatonna / January 12, 2017 Workers were back on the job Thursday at McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing, one day after an explosion that severely injured several employees. The Dodge Center manufacturing plant, which was evacuated after the blast Wednesday morning in a paint booth, is owned by Oshkosh Corporation. Oshkosh Vice President of Global Branding and Communication Bryan Brandt said most operations have now resumed. “Beside the building being impacted, the rest of the team members returned to work today,” he said. In the damaged paint building, McNeilus is working with investigators from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, the Deputy State Fire Marshal and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Brandt said. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. After the explosion, two workers were airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with severe burn injuries, and two others were transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus, in Rochester with other serious injuries. Brandt declined to comment further on their status. “We’re not ready to say anything, due to the sensitivities of the families,” he said. McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing produces concrete mixer and garbage truck bodies. It is one of the major employers in Dodge Center.

Owatonna / January 11, 2017 An explosion injured at least six workers, some seriously, and shut down production Wednesday at the McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing plant in Dodge Center. According to Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose, the blast occurred in the plant’s final paint building and was first reported to 911 at 10:32 a.m. “Law enforcement, medical and fire responded, and determined the explosion took place in the paint booth of that building,” Rose said. “At this point, the origin of the blast is unknown. We have the gas company on the scene as well as the fire marshal and investigators from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.” Two workers with reported severe burns were airlifted by Mayo One and Mayo Three to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, and two more workers who were hit by objects were transported by ambulance to Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Mary’s Campus, with unspecified serious but non-life-threatening injuries, Rose said. Two more workers were treated for minor medical needs on-site. “All employees are accounted for. They did a head count right away to make sure they have everyone accounted for in the building,” said Rose, who added family of all the injured workers had been notified as of 1 p.m. The blast apparently was powerful enough to damage doors at both ends of the long, thin paint building, and Rose said the four seriously injured workers are believed to be the only ones in the building at the time, with the burn victims working next to the paint booth where the blast occurred. Still, it was a stroke of luck that so few workers were on hand, he said. “It sounds like the majority of the employees that would have been in that area were gone for training, so I think we’re fortunate that we didn’t have more injuries because of this incident,” Rose said. After the blast, the plant was closed down for the remainder of the day, and police temporarily shut down Highway Street E and other nearby roads except for employees leaving the area. Rose said McNeilus would have further information by Thursday. No information was available from the company Wednesday afternoon. He said there have been no past police calls for safety concerns at the plant, and that his office has a good working relationship with the company. At his press conference, Rose praised the many fire, ambulance and police agencies that responded as well as McNeilus officials for their response to the explosion. “We’re a small community, and this is not the type of incident that we normally would deal with here,” he said. “Between working with the MTM officials and their safety people, and then all the law enforcement, fire and medical that responded, as well as the [Department of Transportation], everybody did a great job handling this event.” McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing (https://www.mcneiluscompanies.com/) is owned by Oshkosh Corporation and produces concrete mixer and garbage truck bodies. It is one of the major employers in Dodge Center. In addition to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and Mayo helicopters, agencies responding to the explosion include Dodge Center, Kasson and West Concord Fire Departments; Dodge Center, Hayfield, West Concord and Gold Cross Ambulance Services; and Kasson Police, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota State Patrol. .

The generous U.S. taxpayer is giving Israel US$38 billion in military aid over the next ten years, even though the federal deficit is in excess of US$500 billion ($587 billion in FY2016). It's not like we could use that money to revitalize our infrastructure here in the United States. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/09/14/fact-sheet-memorandum-understanding-reached-israel

Defense News / January 11, 2017 Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday it will acquire 200 FMTV tactical trucks from Oshkosh Defense in a contract valued at $200 million. The order, concluded in recent days between the Ministry’s New York purchasing mission and the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based firm, follows months of field testing on an initial six trucks to ensure the firm’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) meets Israeli requirements. In its Jan. 11 announcement, the Ministry noted that the $200 million contract likely will be followed by additional orders as the Israel Defense Force’s Technology and Logistics branch moves to replace its nearly 60-year-old tactical truck force. “We’re talking about an initial deal, after which the defense establishment is expected to decide to acquire hundreds more trucks until our entire antiquated fleet is replaced,” MoD noted in its statement. Itzik Levy, deputy head of purchasing for ground systems, said deliveries will begin in the current year, with the 200th truck expected to arrive by mid-2018. The deal, which will be paid for with United States Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant aid, will include logistics and maintenance services in Israel, according to the ministry. .

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / January 12, 2017 .

Renault Trucks Press Release / January 12, 2017 A team of Renault Trucks engineers and designers is working on an additive manufacturing process – metal 3D printing – that is set to boost the performance of engines. Technology of the future is fast becoming a reality, as can be seen from the complex parts that have already been successfully tested inside a Euro 6 engine. The Renault Trucks Lyon Powertrain Engineering department has focused on using metal additive manufacturing as a future engine manufacturing process. A prototype DTI 5 4- cylinder Euro 6 step C engine has been designed exclusively using 3D printing. Although the complete engine was already designed virtually, rocker arms and camshaft bearing caps were manufactured by metal 3D printing and successfully bench-tested for 600 hours inside a Euro 6 engine. "The aim of this project is to demonstrate the positive impact of metal additive manufacturing on the size and weight of an engine. This process has enabled us to reduce the weight of a 4-cylinder engine by 120 kg or 25%", explained Damien Lemasson, project manager at Renault Trucks. "The tests we have carried out prove the durability of engine components made using 3D printing. It's not just cosmetic." Metal additive manufacturing opens up new development opportunities for thermal engines. This printing process, which works by adding materials layer after layer, can be used to create complex organic forms, as well as optimizing the sizing of parts and reducing the number of assembly operations and therefore the number of components in an engine. "Additive manufacturing releases us from constraints and unlocks the creativity of engineers. This procedure is a source of disruptive technology for the engines of tomorrow, which will be lighter and more functional, thereby offering optimal performance," Damien Lemasson added. The number of components in the DTI 5 engine has been reduced by 25%, making a total of 200 fewer parts. For haulage companies, metal 3D printing carries a number of advantages. They will be able to optimize the overall operating costs of their fleet of vehicles, as a reduction in engine volume will lead to greater payloads and lower fuel consumption. In the short-term, this manufacturing procedure can be used for highly specific applications or small runs. Following on from these successful initial tests, engineers at Renault Trucks will be continuing their work on this manufacturing process to further increase the performance and functionality of truck components. Picture captions: Pictures 01 and 02 : On the left,the starting point, the Renault Trucks DTI5 Euro 6 engine, 841 parts. On the right, the same engine exclusively designed using 3D metal printing to reduce weight ans number of components. Picture 03 : On top, a Renault Trucks Euro 6 DTI5 rocker arm ; above, a rocker arm manufactured by 3D printing on a bench test inside a Euro 6 engine. .

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Now, Volvo headquarters moves its headquarters Göteborgs-Posten / January 12, 2017 Volvo Construction Equipment announced today that it is moving its global headquarters from Brussels, Belgium to Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo said it desires to have a better interaction with the rest of the group, and be able to use the skills and resources available in Gothenburg. “It allows us an opportunity to be physically closer to the Volvo business and will facilitate closer cooperation and exchange of expertise”, says Martin Weiss Burg, Volvo CE president and Volvo Group board member. Volvo CE currently has 4,000 employees in Sweden, and has plants in Eskilstuna, Arvika, Hallsberg and Braås. The new headquarters will be operational in the third quarter of 2017.

Volvo CE to move the headquarters to Gothenburg Dagens Industri / January 12, 2017 Volvo's business in construction equipment, Volvo CE, moves this year its headquarters from Brussels to Gothenburg. The move will enable closer cooperation with the Group's other business areas, according to a press release. Volvo CE’s headquarters should be fully relocated to Gothenburg during the third quarter of this year. Volvo's second largest shareholder, Swedish hedge fund manager Christer Gardell (the Carl Icahn of Europe) who owns Cevian Capital, told Bloomberg News last October that Volvo Group should focus on trucks and dispose of Volvo CE.

Volvo Group Press Release / January 12, 2017 Volvo Construction Equipment [aka.Volvo CE or VCE] has today announced that the company’s global headquarters will move from its current location in Brussels, Belgium to Gothenburg, Sweden. The relocation will facilitate closer cooperation with the Group’s other business areas and allow for better usage of competence and resources of the whole Group. “Our Brussels location has served us well since the office opened in the 1980s and this move comes at the right time for Volvo CE as we continue to adapt our Company to changing global business dynamics. It allows us to be physically closer to the other Volvo business areas and it will facilitate closer cooperation and sharing of best practices,” states Martin Weissburg, President of Volvo CE and Member of the Executive Board of the Volvo Group. “Sweden is also home to approximately 4 000 Volvo CE employees and where some of our largest manufacturing, commercial and technology sites are located,” adds Weissburg. The Volvo CE headquarters will be operational in Gothenburg in the third quarter of 2017 .

Dakar 2017: Trucks drive straight to bivouac as Stage 9 is cancelled Iveco Trucks Press Release / January 12, 2017 The world’s toughest Rally Raid is suffering from the harsh Summer weather on the South American mountains. The organisation is forced to cancel at least part of a stage in most Dakar Rallies, but in this year’s edition, 1,395 kilometres have been already lost, and all of them in just five of the nine stages. An avalanche on Route 9, in the liaison section for the Caravan race in the province of Jujuy, has blocked the road so that vehicles and assistance could not make it to the bivouac in Salta. The Dakar organisation did not have any choice and cancelled the special, so that drivers and teams are making their way safely to the camp in Chilecito. With only 57% of the race run, Gerard de Rooy’s IVECO Powerstar remains in contention for the lead and is in third place on the podium, just 2m20s behind leader Dmitry Sotnikov. This gap can change dramatically in only one special, so Dakar’s last winner is confident he can repeat his win this year. “I am third, two minutes behind. That’s hardly any time at all,” stated Gerard de Rooy after finishing yesterday’s shortened stage. Ton van Genugten’s and Wuf van Ginkel’s IVECO Trakkers are fighting hard to move up into the Top 20, after losing more than six hours for having been stuck in mud a couple of stages ago. They have the perfect truck to reach their goal before the finish in Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, Federico Villagra with a second IVECO Powerstar, remains among the Dakar’s best five drivers, but he still aims to win a stage and finish in the best possible position. If the organisation follows its normal course, Stage 10 will link Chilecito and San Juan. Overall Classification – Dakar 2017 1. Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz) 17h52m20s 2. Eduard Nikolaev (Kamaz) +1m46s 3. Gerard de Rooy (IVECO) +2m20s 4. Federico Villagra (IVECO) +29m06s 5. Pascal de Baar (Renault) +45m34s ----------- 21. Ton van Genugten (IVECO) +6h04m25s 23. Wuf van Ginkel (IVECO) + 7h18m17s . .

Dakar 2017: Gerard de Rooy keeps fighting for the lead Iveco Trucks Press Release / January 11, 2017 Bad weather conditions are having a negative effect in 2017 Dakar Rally. For the third day of racing in a row, the organisation is forced to cancel part of a stage. The Truck category was the most affected, with its race finished after the first control point. As a consequence of the heavy rain, Route 9 in Jujuy was blocked by an avalanche and the caravan had to stop on its way to the biouvac in Salta. Ton van Genugten was the man of the day for the PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO Team, as he finished just 3m49s behind Martin van der Brink, winner of the stage. The Dutchman in the #507 Trakker is maintaining a good pace in the toughest roads of South America, but regrets the six hours lost in the mud a couple of specials behind, which is keeping him far away from the leaders in the overall classification. Gerard de Rooy suffered another puncture and lost the first place in the general. Yesterday’s setback was not big: he arrived only seven minutes behind the leader, falling back to the third place with his #500 Powerstar, so that he is only 2m20s away from the lead. Wuf van Ginkel finished very close to the Top 10, 10m42s behind the best time of Stage 8. The #525 Trakker is looking to move up in the overall standings to enter the Top 20 of the race. Federico Villagra placed the best IVECO truck of the day in second place after battling head to head with Martin van der Brink, who beat him by 17 seconds. The Argentine driver takes advantage of Mardeev’s delay to advance to fourth place overall. The organisation will try to solve the complications with the avalanche that blocked the caravan in Route 9 to keep moving along on the path to Buenos Aires. In first instance, 406 kilometres are programmed for the ‘Super Belén’ between Salta and Chilecito. Stage 8 Results – Dakar 2017 1. Martin van der Brink (Renault) 1h55m20s 2. Federico Villagra (IVECO) +17s 3. Eduard Nikolaev (Kamaz) +42s 4. Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz) +2m42s 5. Ton van Genugten (IVECO) +3m49s ----------- 9. Gerard de Rooy (IVECO) +7m13s 11. Wuf van Ginkel (IVECO) + 10m42s Overall Classification – Dakar 2017 1. Dmitry Sotnikov (Kamaz) 17h52m20s 2. Eduard Nikolaev (Kamaz) +1m46s 3. Gerard de Rooy (IVECO) +2m20s 4. Federico Villagra (IVECO) +29m06s 5. Pascal de Baar (Renault) +45m34s ----------- 21. Ton van Genugten (IVECO) +6h04m25s 23. Wuf van Ginkel (IVECO) + 7h18m17s .

Detroit Diesel Corp. Press Release / January 11, 2017 .

Detroit Diesel Corp. Press Release / January 11, 2017 .

On the Russia issue, i.e. lobbying..............Tillerson's response is unbelievable.

Some feel, the current and oncoming regulations are escalating by design to force the extinction of the internal combustion engine by a planned date. Likewise, all the major country governments are head-over-heels pushing for autonomous driving ASAP, even though the population is NOT asking for it. No government has asked its people if they want to be removed from driving. Autonomous driving is being rammed down everyone's throat.

Volvo braking-related recall affects more than 6,000 trucks Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / January 12, 2017 Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) is recalling more than 6,000 trucks because the electric air dryers on certain models are not set to the correct specifications, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The company says the parameters for the dryers were set too low, at one-third of the required volume, which can cause oil and water to contaminate the brake system and affect brake performance in cold weather. In total, Volvo is recalling 6,271 trucks manufactured between April 11, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2016. Affected models include certain 2013-2017 VNL, VNM and VNX trucks. Volvo says the repair will involve reprogramming the trucks’ vehicle control modules with the correct parameters and replacing the air dryer filters. Dealers were alerted of the recall on Dec. 22, and truck owners bill be notified by Feb. 17.

Chao Pitches Private Infrastructure Investment in Confirmation Hearing Heavy Duty Trucking / January 11, 2017 During her Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 11, Elaine Chao unequivocally signaled her willingness to cooperate with Congress to enact the trillion-dollar infrastructure investment plan floated by President-elect Trump if she is indeed confirmed as the next secretary of transportation. In her written testimony and in reply to questions posed by Senators from both sides of the aisle, Secretary Chao advocated strongly for “unleashing the potential for private investment in our nation’s infrastructure.” Chao also affirmed that safety would remain DOT’s “primary objective” on her watch and asserted that, in her view, regularity decisions should be “based on sound science with solid underlying data.” From start to finish of her three-and-a-half hour appearance before the Senate Commerce Committee, Chao was poised and certain in her remarks, as might be expected from someone who has already held Cabinet rank. Chao served as secretary of labor throughout both terms of President George W. Bush; she received her first major executive appointment as deputy secretary of transportation under President George H.W. Bush. Members from both side of the aisle on the committee, which is known for its bipartisan bonhomie, lobbed little more than softballs at Chao and were largely satisfied with her oft-repeated response to one concern or another that she would “look forward to working with you on that if I am confirmed as secretary.” Early in the hearing, Chao said she would form a task force to implement the “Trump vision for infrastructure.” She had no details to share on the Trump infrastructure plan. However, Chao stressed that she would seek to have DOT work with Congress to “develop the details” of that still nebulous plan. More significantly, Chao emphasized the “significant difference between traditional program funding and other innovative financing tools, such as public-private partnerships.” Chao said getting private capital flowing into infrastructure projects will require “incentivizing” equity firms, pension funds, and endowments to invest in “a bold new vision” for building highways and other infrastructure. She spoke of creating “a mix of practical solutions—both public and private-- that provide the greatest cost-benefit to the public. It’s also important to recognize that the way we build and deliver projects is as important as how much we invest. We want to seek your advice in identifying and addressing unnecessary bottlenecks" that affect transportation projects. Referring to DOT’s primary goal of ensuring safe transportation, Chao said that necessary regulations needed to be “derived from sound science and data with risk-based analysis that prevents accidents before they happen” and that weighs both costs and benefits. Chao also commented on emerging transportation technologies. She applauded the private sector for driving such innovative developments as drones and both autonomous cars and trucks. She said DOT should work with Congress “to position the federal government as a catalyst for safe, efficient technologies, not as an impediment.” Summing up, Chao said she sees DOT as being responsible for “modernizing our transportation systems, strengthening our country’s competitiveness, and improving our quality of life.” “To my colleagues, I would say that, if you were to imagine an ideal candidate to tackle these challenges, it would be hard to come up with a more qualified nominee than the one before us,” said Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) in his opening remarks at Chao’s hearing.

Fleet Owner / January 12, 2017 Well connected nominee breezes through confirmation hearing Trucking didn’t get much of a preview of industry-specific priorities for the Trump administration but, if the Senate confirmation hearing for the Transportation Secretary nominee is any indication, whatever the incoming occupant of the White House wants in terms of planes, trains, and automobiles will be capably delivered to Congress by a smooth and well regarded insider. Indeed, space transportation—and even the relayed well-wishes from Chao’s “dear friends,” several senators’ wives—got more floor time than trucking issues in the Commerce Committee’s three-hour chummy chat with nominee Elaine Chao on Wednesday. That the hearing provided a platform for committee members to roll out their own transportation wish-lists rather than to challenge Chao’s credentials and President-elect Trump’s plans comes as no surprise: Chao led the Labor Department under George W. Bush and she has held other high-level political appointments. And she’s married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-KY), who introduced Chao at the hearing. In short, she’s the “ideal candidate” to lead the DOT, as Commerce Chairman John Thune said to open the hearing. For her part, Chao outlined broad goals but offered few details of how DOT under her leadership would achieve them. “The U.S. Department of Transportation has a rare opportunity to shape the transformation of our critical infrastructure,” she said in her opening statement. “First and foremost, safety will continue to be the primary objective.” Chao emphasized that infrastructure is the “underpinning” of the U.S. economy—yet the nation’s prosperity is jeopardized by “infrastructure in need of repair, the specter of rising highway fatalities, growing congestion, and by a failure to keep pace with emerging technologies.” Regarding Trump’s promised trillion-dollar construction program, Chao spoke several times of the need to “unleash the potential for private investment” and to supplement direct federal funding with “innovative financing tools” such as public-private partnerships. She assured the committee that she would keep Congress informed on the administration’s infrastructure plans through “continual and constant dialog,” and that such an ambitious program would be a “heavy lift” requiring bipartisan cooperation with the White House. As for regulations, federal rules “should be rooted in analysis derived from sound science and data, with risk-based analysis that prevents accidents before they happen, and considers both the costs and the benefits of new rulemakings.” For trucking specifically, Sen. Deb Fischer pointed to the FAST Act reforms of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration—designed to make the regulatory process “more transparent, responsive, and open to input from stakeholders—and questioned Chao on “the best way” to keep passengers and freight moving across the transportation system, and to prevent DOT regulations from becoming “a burden.” “The great challenge for all regulators is to balance the ultimate goal of safety, but also to make sure the regulations are based on sound science and true data, and that the underlying analysis is solid,” Chao said. Fischer added that she looked forward to working with Chao to find solutions to problems such as the truck driver shortage. With regard to the Trump administration’s position on greenhouse gas regulations, such as the recent Phase 2 regulation of heavy-duty truck emissions, Chao said she was “not very familiar” with current DOT vehicle emissions initiatives and climate change issues. Not discussed in the hearing, but featured in her questionnaire for nominees, Chao emphasized the “first step” importance of identifying and hiring “the best people possible” for the positions that will be open in incoming administration. With the transition, several top leadership roles at FMCSA are now open and awaiting political appointees. According to the Plum Book, a directory of administration positions, those top jobs include Administrator, Chief Counsel , Director of Communications, and Director of Congressional Affairs. FMCSA Spokesman Duane DeBruyne confirmed for Fleet Owner that Deputy Administrator Daphne Jefferson, who serves as the Agency’s senior-ranking career employee—and absent of any temporary executive staffing appointment by the new administration—would automatically assume the both the duties and the full responsibilities of the FMCSA Administrator. “There is a clear and well established protocol for ensuring a seamless continuity of operations during a change in executive leadership,” said DeBruyne, who has served under four of FMCSA’s five Senate-confirmed administrators since the agency’s establishment in 2000. “Come Monday morning, Jan. 23, 2017, everyone in headquarters and in our service centers and in our field offices will be back at work – focused on truck and bus safety, reducing injuries and saving lives.”

Transport Topics / January 12, 2017 Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) is recalling 6,127 of its model year 2013-2017 VNL and VNM trucks and model year 2017 VNX trucks with faulty software to prevent possible contamination of the brake system. The vehicles have incorrect software for controlling the electronic air dryer and that may result in oil and water contaminating the brake system, VTNA said. The recall is expected to begin Feb. 17, and VTNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the vehicle control module and replace the air dryer filter, free of charge, the truck maker said. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1608. Volvo Trucks North America is a unit of Sweden-based Volvo Group.