kscarbel2

From the white star on the front and what looks to be registration numbers on the side of the hood, it appears to be Army surplus.

Cummins is warming up to reducing the depth of Cummins' U.S. engine production and bringing in product from China (TPP) and other overseas locations. NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) was signed in 1994 between the US, Canada and Mexico. Post-Nafta, the US lost nearly 700,000 jobs, and over 60% of the lost jobs were in manufacturing. The sales pitch for NAFTA to the gullible masses was a complete fabrication, a brilliantly played out distraction from the truth. NAFTA was the idea of big business (the Bilderberg Group), a way for them to produce in low-labor-cost Mexico, and then import to the US without tariffs (which would otherwise evaporate the labor savings). I can appreciate US companies searching for a solution to rising US labor costs. But the government should craft a solution that keeps production in America. Obama feels we need an agreement like TPP, before China creates a similar agreement (first man there wins). What's the point of the WTO (World Trade Organization) membership if countries are allowed to, at the same time, bypass it and create FTAs (free trade agreements). We can only do one OR the other.......we can't have both because one short-circuits the other. If America once more has broad-based industry, again becoming the global industrial leader, the benchmark for innovation and technology, the world will once more come to purchase our goods (not just iphones).

Cummins Chairman & CEO Tom Linebarger on the benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to the U.S. economy and American businesses of all sizes. .

Trade Agreements Offer Benefits for U.S. Employers and Employees The following op-ed was authored by Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc. and Chair of the Business Roundtable International Engagement Committee; and Mike Bertsche, the President & CEO of Camcraft. After years of negotiations, the 12-nation trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership is facing its toughest challenge yet: election-year politics. The fact is, TPP and U.S. trade agreements overall, offer tremendous benefits for U.S. employers and employees alike. Consider a few numbers: trade-related jobs grew 3.1 times faster than overall employment between 2004 and 2014, and nearly half of all U.S. goods exports to the world in 2014 went to just the 20 countries that the United States has free trade agreements with. Unfortunately, the facts are being distorted by rhetoric on the presidential campaign trail, with candidates alleging that U.S. trade agreements like NAFTA have suppressed wages and cost American jobs. In fact, U.S. trade with NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico supports nearly 14 million U.S. jobs, according to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study. Moreover, contrary to the campaign rhetoric, U.S. jobs tied to trade also pay more than other jobs. According to a report by the Commerce Department, manufacturing jobs pay 18% more on average when tied to exports. The report also notes that foreign tariffs — like those TPP will eliminate — reduce the earnings of U.S. workers by as much as 12%. We have to put politics aside and recognize TPP as an opportunity to support U.S. economic growth and high-quality American jobs. The agreement will create opportunities to sell more U.S. goods and services to 11 Asia-Pacific countries. This region is already critical to America’s exports: TPP nations accounted for some 45% of all U.S. exported goods in 2014. All told, TPP will eliminate more than 18,000 foreign tariffs on U.S. goods, opening markets to U.S. export growth. And because five TPP countries currently lack trade agreements with the United States, the deal will also open entirely new markets for American firms. Just as important, the trade pact will put in place strong, enforceable rules for fair trade that actually improve on NAFTA and other past U.S. trade agreements. TPP is the first modern trade agreement that addresses the realities of our interconnected global marketplace. For example, it will establish intellectual property protections for American companies and inventors and raise foreign labor and environmental standards. It also will discourage other countries from using government procurement and state-owned companies to put American firms and workers at a disadvantage. In short, TPP will open access to millions of customers for U.S. goods and services while boosting foreign investment throughout the United States. The resulting U.S. exports and international investment here will expand U.S. economic growth and jobs. To understand how trade supports companies of all sizes, consider the relationship between our two companies. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, Cummins’ 25,000 U.S. employees design, manufacture and distribute engines and related products that are powered by diesel and natural gas. In 2014, we exported approximately $3 billion in U.S.-made products. These foreign sales don’t just benefit Cummins and its U.S. employees; they also help our 2,500 domestic suppliers, such as Camcraft. Camcraft is a small company based in Illinois. Its 330 employees manufacture high-precision components used in Cummins engines. As leaders of manufacturing companies large and small, we know how important trade and U.S. trade agreements like TPP are to the success of our companies and to businesses and farms across the United States. The relationship between our two companies shows how exports ripple through the U.S. economy in a supply chain generating billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs. Previous U.S. trade pacts offer evidence: America’s current trade partners purchase 13 times as many U.S. goods per capita than countries with which we don’t have trade agreements. Those purchases support U.S. jobs. When Congress takes up TPP, members should look beyond the divisive campaign rhetoric and seize the opportunity to support growth and jobs in their home states. By approving TPP this year, Congress will enable American workers, businesses and farmers to sell more in international markets — reaping the benefits before our foreign competitors do. Editor’s Note: The op-ed above also appeared in the following publications The Indianapolis Star – Trans-Pacific Partnership is good for U.S. workers The New York Daily News – TPP is good for American manufacturers and the people they employ The Post and Courier – Election Rehtoric Sells Trade Agreements Short

Navistar Extends Engine Supply Agreement with Power Solutions International School Bus Fleet / October 19, 2016 Navistar has extended its engine supply agreement with alternative-fuel power systems supplier Power Solutions International Inc. (PSI) to run through 2021. The agreement, originally set to run through 2018, covers PSI's supply of 8.8-liter propane and gasoline engines for Navistar's subsidiary, IC Bus. "We're very excited that Navistar has chosen to extend our supply agreement well into the future," said Gary Winemaster, PSI's chairman and CEO. "We look forward to a long and successful partnership as bus fleets and local school districts continue to embrace the growing market trend towards alternatives to diesel engines." Navistar began partnering with PSI in 2014 in an effort to expand its IC Bus product line with alternative-fuel offerings to meet growing market demand. In November 2014, IC Bus launched its PSI-powered, CE Series Type C propane school bus at the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) Summit in Kansas City, Missouri. Since production started, IC Bus has over 450 in-service units powered by PSI's propane engine, according to PSI. Deliveries of note include 149 buses to Waterbury (Conn.) Public Schools and 100 buses to Indianapolis Public Schools. Additionally, 63 buses have been operating in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) City Schools since early 2016. "We are mindful of the many operational needs of our school bus customers and we take pride in offering them powertrain options that meet those needs while delivering on our promise to build reliable, safe, and efficient buses," said Persio Lisboa, president of operations at Navistar. "We are excited to continue our partnership with PSI in providing high-performance, alternative-fuel engines in our buses." In July, IC Bus showcased a PSI-powered, CE Series Type C gasoline school bus at the School Transportation News (STN) Expo in Reno, Nevada. The gasoline-powered CE will also be on display at the upcoming NAPT trade show in Kansas City, Missouri, on Nov. 8. Full-scale production of the CE gasoline school bus will be announced at a later date. Both school bus models are powered by customized PSI 8.8-liter engines, designed to deliver diesel-like performance and drivability with savings on fuel and maintenance, according to PSI.

Chicago Daily Herald / October 19, 2016 Navistar has extended its engine supply agreement with Power Solutions International to run through 2021. The agreement, originally set to run through 2018, covers PSI's supply of 8.8-liter propane and gasoline engines for Navistar's subsidiary, IC Bus. "We're very excited that Navistar has chosen to extend our supply agreement well into the future," said Gary Winemaster, PSI's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The decision not only demonstrates the strength of our relationship, but also the satisfaction and confidence Navistar has in our ability to deliver high-performance products that help them achieve their strategic goals. "We look forward to a long and successful partnership as bus fleets and local school districts continue to embrace the growing market trend towards alternatives to diesel engines," he added. Lisle-based Navistar began partnering with PSI in 2014 in order to expand its IC Bus product line with alternative-fuel offerings to meet growing market demand. In November of that year, IC Bus launched its PSI-powered, CE Series Type C propane school bus at the National Association for Pupil Transportation Summit in Kansas City, MO. Since production started, IC Bus has over 450 in service units powered by PSI's propane engine. Significant deliveries include 149 buses to Waterbury Public Schools in Waterbury, CT, 100 buses to Indianapolis Public Schools in Indianapolis and 63 have been operating in Tuscaloosa City Schools since early 2016. "We are mindful of the many operational needs of our school bus customers and we take pride in offering them powertrain options that meet those needs while delivering on our promise to build reliable, safe and efficient buses," said Persio Lisboa, Navistar president of operations. "We are excited to continue our partnership with PSI in providing high-performance, alternative fuel engines in our buses."

Medium-Duty Orders Rise 19% in September Heavy Duty Trucking / October 18, 2016 Customers ordered 20,400 medium-duty vehicles in Classes 5 to 7 in September, which represents a 19% increase from August. Medium-duty ordering strength continues in contrast with a softening Class 8 market, which booked 13,900 units during the same period. Analyst say that because of its limited exposure to the freight economy, the Classes 5-7 market continues to distinguish itself from the Class 8 market. Rising 2% year-to-date, medium duty net orders are exemplifying the solid, sustainable growth that has been typical of the consumer during this economic cycle. .

Fleet Owner / October 19, 2016 Meritor announced an expansion of its wheel-end portfolio to include Opti-Lite brake drums. The Opti-Lite drum is designed for linehaul and weight-sensitive applications such as tanker/trailer and freight. “Developed on the same platform as our established STEELite X30 brake drums, the Opti-Lite drum maintains the high quality associated with its genuine product heritage and offers similar weight and fuel savings,” said David Reid, senior product manager, aftermarket for Meritor. “The lower price of the Opti-Lite will appeal to customers in search of an economical drum option produced in the United States.” “Opti-Lite drums do not require welded-on weights and offer an optimized balance spec for smoother performance on the road,” Reid added. For ease of identification and ordering, the Opti-Lite brake drums will carry the same base nomenclature as the genuine STEELite X30 offering with the number 50 included as a prefix for product clarification. The prefix 50 is associated with all Opti-Lite series part numbers. Opti-Lite brake drums are covered by Meritor’s standard aftermarket warranty. For more information about the drums and specification details, visit Literature on Demand on meritor.com and search for publication number SP-16169. .

Transport Topics / October 19, 2016 Josh Switkes, President and CEO of Mountain View, California-based truck platooning system designer Peleton Technology, talks about the concept. . .

Navistar Simplifies Core Exchange Process Management Heavy Duty Trucking / October 19, 2016 Navistar has launched the Core Advantage Program, which is designed to help fleet owners reduce costs by helping them manage their core and remanufacturing activity. Through new tools like the Navistar Core Management System software, fleets can streamline the process of tracking the turning in of used cores, such as engine blocks. “Core [return] is a key part of the business and the Core Advantage Program demonstrates our commitment to provide the best tools in the industry for our fleet customers and help them reduce their operating costs,” said Joel Larsen, vice president, parts product management, Navistar. “The program will increase our product and service offerings, including Navistar’s private label brand Fleetrite parts and our OnCommand suite of value-added services. A good ‘core return’ program is key to a successful ‘reman’ program.” Cores are employed to remanufacture a returned part and restore it to a “like new” condition. Remanufactured parts have the features and functionality of a new part and come with a warranty. Navistar said that with its Core Advantage Program, fleets can have an account number and location codes within CMS, allowing it to see and run reports on purchases, return history, core eligibility, and core fallout rates across multiple locations. Fleet owners can use the system to answer questions that include: Which locations have the most fallout? Are we buying the correct part? Which core eligibility will expire soon? “The Core Advantage Program was built and designed by Eddie Wessler and his team, who run Navistar’s core operations and have over 100 years of combined experience in remanufacturing and core,” said Chintan Sopariwala, general manager of core and remanufacturing operations, Navistar. “The whole idea is to reduce the burden of managing cores for our customers." To learn more about this program, fleets can contact Navistar Core Operations at 1-800-758-3771 or email corecustomerservice@navistar.com.

Fleet Owner / October 19, 2016 Navistar announced the launch of the Core Advantage Program, a new approach for core life cycle management. The Core Advantage Program helps fleet owners reduce their overall costs by helping them to manage their core and remanufacturing activity through new tools like the Navistar proprietary software Core Management System (CMS), Navistar said. Cores are used or failed parts that have been returned by the customer at the end of its product life. “Core is a key part of the business and the Core Advantage Program demonstrates our commitment to provide the best tools in the industry for our fleet customers and help them reduce their operating costs,” said Joel Larsen, vice president, Parts Product Management, Navistar. “The program will increase our product and service offerings, including Navistar’s private label brand Fleetrite parts and our OnCommand suite of value-added services. A good ‘core return’ program is key to a successful ‘reman’ program.” Cores are employed to remanufacture a returned part and restore it to “like new” condition. Remanufactured parts carry the same features and functionality as new parts and come with the same warranty. “Remanufacturing is great for the environment and great for business,” said Chintan Sopariwala, general manager of Core and Remanufacturing Operations, Navistar. “Remanufactured parts offer a low cost alternative to new parts without sacrificing on product quality or warranty. Last year alone, Navistar recycled over 70 million pounds of used truck components and we have even more aggressive plans to increase this number.” With the new Core Advantage Program, fleets can now have their own account number and location codes within CMS, which streamlines their ability to see and run reports on purchases, return history, core eligibility and core fallout rates across multiple locations, according to Navistar. Estes Express Lines Parts Manager Jim Cliborne, who was part of the pilot program, added, “The new program from Navistar has worked well for us. It’s been instrumental in increasing recovery on end-of-life trucks and reducing our maintenance costs.” Sopariwala added, “The Core Advantage Program was built and designed by Eddie Wessler and his team, who run Navistar’s core operations and have over 100 years of combined experience in remanufacturing and core. The whole idea is to reduce the burden of managing cores for our customers and the Core Advantage Program does just that.” Under this new program, Navistar will also work with fleets and end customers to help manage end of life, wrecked trucks, buses and surplus components. To learn more about this program, fleets can contact Navistar Core Operations at 1-800-758-3771 or email corecustomerservice@navistar.com. .

I agree, if it's a glider kit. Do you have the MH's model and serial number?

Merriam-Webster defines the word arrogance as the "the demeanor of people at Caterpillar, Allison and Paccar".

When you called Watt's Mack (provider of the BMT website) at 1-888-304-6225 with your truck's model and serial number located on the vehicle identification plate attached to the driver's door, what did they say ?

Understood. I'm sorry that my information ended up not being of any help.

New Caterpillar CEO Faces Tough Decisions as Company Digs Out The Wall Street Journal / October 19, 2016 Jim Umpleby’s first months at the helm could require difficult calls as he cleans up after a bad bet on mining Among Jim Umpleby’s first tasks as Caterpillar Inc. ’s chief executive will be cleaning up the fallout from his predecessor’s expansion plans. Doug Oberhelman, who is leaving the top job at the end of this year after big money investments ran afoul of the global commodities bust, has embarked on a cost cuts aiming to pare 10,000 jobs, $1.5 billion in annual expenses, and up to 20 plants through 2018. Mr. Umpleby will preside in his first months as CEO over a downsizing expected to last through next year. The 58-year-old Caterpillar veteran also faces contract negotiations ahead of a March 1 deadline with the equipment maker’s United Auto Workers union. Those cutbacks and negotiations will set the stage for decisions on how aggressively Caterpillar will chase the next boom in construction and mining, or whether it will narrow the equipment giant’s focus to less-risky projects and higher-profit business lines. Caterpillar’s sales of bulldozers, excavators, mining shovels and huge dump trucks have declined for four consecutive years. Many analysts expect them to fall again in 2017. Caterpillar faces a tougher set of competitors in China and Japan that are ratcheting up product lines and quality in expectation of a market rebound. Since 2013, Mr. Umpleby presided over Caterpillar’s engines business: a low-profile division that recently has been Caterpillar’s most profitable. Engines have accounted for up to two-thirds of the company’s annual operating profit in recent years and 40% of its equipment sales. Identifying pockets of strength in Caterpillar’s cyclical markets likely will define Mr. Umpleby’s tenure, particularly if demand for Caterpillar’s earth-moving and mining equipment remains soft. In its engine business, “they could identify opportunities that are not immediately obvious now,” said Joe O’Dea, an analyst for Vertical Research Partners LLC. Despite 35 years at Caterpillar, Mr. Umpleby isn’t well known at the company’s Peoria, Ill., headquarters because he spent most of his time in San Diego and overseas. His ascent was a surprise to some. Mr. Umpleby wasn’t available for comment. A Caterpillar spokeswoman declined to say whether he would speak with analysts next week after the company releases its third-quarter results. The spokeswoman said Mr. Umpleby will be reviewing the company’s strategy with Caterpillar’s leadership team in coming weeks. “You should expect to hear more about the strategy in early 2017,” she said in an email, noting Messrs. Oberhelman and Umpleby will remain in their current positions through the end of the year. “We’re all focused on finishing the year strong.” Colleagues described Mr. Umpleby, son of a steel mill foreman in Highland, Ind., as a methodical manager and careful listener. Don Ings, a former Caterpillar executive who has known Mr. Umpleby for more than 30 years, said the company’s fortunes may turn up during his tenure. “Doug was dealt a deck of cards,” Mr. Ings said of Mr. Oberhelman. “Jim’s going to be lucky enough that his deck of cards is going to include the upcycle [for machinery] and Caterpillar is very, very-well positioned to achieve greatness during that cycle.” Mr. Umpleby joined Caterpillar in 1981 through its acquisition of Solar Turbines, a subsidiary prized for its high margins. He later served as the San Diego-based business unit’s president. The oil-price decline has damped Solar’s sales recently, but the division hasn’t slipped as much as other units. “Those gas turbines continue to operate on offshore facilities, oil and gas pipelines,” Mr. Umpleby told investors at a conference in August. “We’re pleased with where we are at this point in the year.” Mr. Umpleby will report to Dave Calhoun, an executive at private-equity firm Blackstone Group LP who will replace Mr. Oberhelman as board chairman at the end of March. It is the first time Caterpillar will have a separate chairman and CEO in 26 years. “If I had to pick a chairman of any company that needed turning around, I’d pick Dave,” said Jim Kilts, former Nielsen Holdings chairman when Mr. Calhoun was its CEO.

Timmy, did you look for the Mack 4QK part number stamped on the top of the "T" on the main leaf?

Cat Trucks spearhead grain operation CAT Trucks Australia / Navistar Auspac Press Release / October 21, 2016 CAT Trucks' biggest prime mover, the heavy duty CT630HD, has been chosen to spearhead a large grain operation in Western Australia. As the western harvesting season begins, the 130 tonne road train spec Cat Truck is hauling large payloads of bulk grain in the Nicoletti Group of Company's operations, mostly centred in the heart of the WA wheat belt. Eight Cat Trucks in the combined fleets are meeting the demands of the Nicoletti operation. Principal John Nicoletti says today his family-owned operation is farming around 300,000 acres in the central wheat belt. "We have 40,000 hectares of crop and run 12 harvesters. We have to shift the grain in a hurry because if it gets down-graded it costs us money. You can't get contract trucks at harvest time so we run our own fleet,” Mr Nicoletti says. The Nicoletti business model is vertically integrated, giving full control of the production and marketing process to the Nicolettis, from planting seed stock to marketing on a global scale. Transport is an important link in that complete integration. However Julie Nicoletti says successful vertical integration is not for everybody. "You've got to be big to make it work. To own big trucks you have to have the capability of having (grain) storage so that trucks can work all year round,” Mrs Nicoletti says. The Nicolettis also own and run a chain of agricultural implement dealerships selling and supporting tractor, harvester and the farming machinery required in the wheat belt. Two Cat Trucks run in the dealership operation, including a brand new, second CT630HD that is used on heavy lifts of machinery the length and breadth of Australia. John Nicoletti has been running Cat Trucks for six years. "We bought a couple of the first ones and they have been performing really well. All I can say to you is that if you are happy with something you stick with it. And we are happy with them and they are reasonably priced. They are reliable,” Mr Nicoletti says. Part of the reason for investing in Cat Trucks, John Nicolettis says, is the support fromWestern Australian distributors, WesTrac, and in particular truck salesman Peter Calligaro. "We've been dealing with Peter for a long time, WesTrac does a great job, the trucks are reliable and for what we do, they work well,” he says. The Nicolettis were among the first to embrace the payload advantage of the heavy duty Cat Truck, the CT630HD. "Ninety tonne just doesn't do it any more,” says Mr Nicoletti, "our furthest haul is 150 kilometres. If you're going to haul grain that far, it pays to have three trailers rather than two. So we need a 130 tonne rated truck. It's going really well, we've got no complaints.” WesTrak's Peter Calligaro is excited about the advantages that the heavy duty truck offers operators. "The CT630HD gives us the tonnage we've never been able to claim before with its 131 tonne rating. This truck gives the grain guys the opportunity to be able to utilise the C Train. With the previous 90 tonne ratings, we couldn't get into that field. This truck has been a big asset to us in the West,” says Peter Calligaro. John and Julie Nicoletti started married life in Merredin a generation ago with, as Julie puts it, "Two hundred dollars in our pockets and a dream. John had a dream to have 100 thousand acres and 20 thousand sheep.” The Nicolettis were to go on and quadruple that seemingly unattainable dream to become the biggest grain growers in Australia. In spite of recent 'down sizing' of their property interests, the Nicolettis are still major players in grain growing. As part of the complete integration of the operation, the Nicolettis have invested heavily in grain storage allowing flexibility in working the market and keeping trucks busy throughout most of the year rather than just at harvest time, a period measured in weeks. "We've had good truck drivers over the years and to keep them we need to keep them busy all year round. Grain storage and our trucks work vertically together and we have been delivering grain down to various flour mills around Perth, keeping the whole operation ticketty boo!” .

Power Torque Magazine / October 2016 Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) has today launched the 50 year anniversary Brisbane Truck Show, to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 May 2017. HVIA Chief Executive Brett Wright said the major milestone is a great reflection on the innovation and resilience of the Australian heavy vehicle industry. “The show has come a long way from its humble beginnings when twenty-one truck, trailer and component manufacturers and suppliers came together at Haulmark Trailers’ premises in Rocklea in 1968.” Brett said. “The 2017 Brisbane Truck Show is the fourth that will be held at BCEC, and will feature up to 300 exhibitors displaying the latest trucks, trailers, components, equipment, accessories and technology.” Mr Wright announced a series of new features and improvements for the 50 year anniversary show. “As part of the celebration HVIA will be featuring an innovation, manufacturing and workforce development display on the Plaza level,” Brett said. “Our focus is always on making the event a great experience for visitors and exhibitors. The improvements we’ve made for the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show range from online ticketing to the exhibition layout.” “As previously, visitors can enter BCEC from any of three points however the main foyer entry will no longer interfere with visitors moving between the main halls and the upper floors.” Other innovations and reforms include: VIP ticket holders will gain exclusive show access from 10:00am on Thursday 25th May 2017 with the show opening to the general public from midday. Exhibitors and HVIA members will be able to purchase VIP tickets through the Brisbane Truck Show Exhibitor Portal. The Brisbane Truck Show opening breakfast will commence at 7:30am and run to 9:00am. The breakfast now precedes the official truck manufacturers’ media tour which will run from 9:30am until midday. This will streamline both events and ensure their timing does not conflict. The show awards have been reformed to recognise and reward excellence in innovation, safety and productivity. Attendee registration will be introduced creating opportunities for exhibitors and attendees to more effectively interact during and after the show. Introducing online ticketing for purchase directly from the Brisbane Truck Show website. The popular Apprentice Challenge will now be a truly national event with competitors being represented from each of the HVIA regions including the Eastern Region of Queensland, NSW and ACT; the Southern Region of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania; and North-western Region of Western Australia and NT. HVIA looks forward to welcoming you to celebrate our 50 year anniversary Brisbane Truck Show, Australia’s premier event, run by industry for industry” Mr Wright said. Exhibitors should contact National Events Manager Noelene Bradley (07) 3376 6266 or visit the show website for further show information. www.brisbanetruckshow.com.au About the Brisbane Truck Show Organised by HVIA, formerly the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland, since its inception in 1968, the Brisbane Truck Show is recognised as the premier event for the Australasian transport industry. Originally known as the Queensland Truck Show, the 1968 and 1969 shows were held at Haulmark Trailer’s premises, Ipswich Road, Rocklea and featured twenty-one industry exhibitors. The Show moved to the Rocklea Wool Stores in 1970 and was an annual event until 1979 when the industry decided that the show should run every two years. In 1983 the show relocated to the Royal National Association Showgrounds (RNA) where it remained for almost thirty years before its move to our current home at the world class Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC). The BCEC was voted 2016 World’s Best Convention Centre by the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC). The Brisbane Truck Show also plays an important role supporting the Queensland economy. Over its duration, the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show attracted 56.5% of its visitors from outside of Brisbane, whilst 28% of those transited from interstate and 14.5% internationally. Even more impressive is the huge impact the show contributed to the local and State economy, generating: The equivalent of 269 full time employment positions or 18.7 million in paid wages and salaries. Adding an additional expenditure of over 70.1 million dollars in output into the Queensland economy Contributed a boost in the Gross State Product (GSP) of 34.5 million dollars The 2017 show will host up to 300 exhibitors and attracts upwards of 35,000 visitors over the four show days. *About HVIA: Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) represents and advances the interests of the entire industry involved in the design, manufacture, importation, distribution, modification, sale service and repair of on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle mass or aggregate trailer mass over 3.5 tonnes as well as their components equipment and technology. HVIA seeks to work with government and industry stakeholders to promote an innovative and prosperous industry that supports a safe and productive heavy vehicle fleet operating for the benefit of all Australians. .

Drivers warned against electronic braking complacency Steve Skinner, Australasian Transport News (ATN) / October 19, 2016 Some are pushing trucks fitted with electronic stability control to the limit, experts say The experts say that electronic braking and stability technologies are about control, rather than absolute stopping distances. They say the technologies are great for already-safe drivers who might encounter a sudden emergency situation, and of course there are plenty of those possibilities with idiot car drivers alone. However advocates of electronic braking acknowledge there is a risk that drivers will become complacent and push the envelope, thinking the technology will save their bacon if they go too hard. "It’s the guy behind the wheel 9 times out of 10 who controls the destiny of the vehicle, not the technology," says the Australian Trucking Association’s Chris Loose. "And what we are tending to find is there is a small group of guys who will drive to the limit of the technology. So by having the technology, it’s fantastic, but physics is physics, it will not save them all the time, we still have to ensure that they have the skills." Isuzu’s Romesh Rodrigo joined Loose in also warning about driver complacency at this year’s Comvec technical conference in Melbourne. Rodrigo says drivers need education in the new electronic wizardry. He says while in some applications there have been less rollovers with stability control, there’s also been more wheel end damage. "The drivers are now just driving to the limit, pushing these vehicles, and there’s a light flashing there but ‘Oh, gee, my truck hasn’t rolled over yet, so that’s a great thing’," says Rodrigo. "But we’re not teaching the drivers that if that light is flashing, if that (ESC) plug falls out, that truck will be on its side."

Automotive Business / October 18, 2016 A two week long strike which has curtailed Volvo's truck and bus chassis production in Brazil since Tuesday, October 4, has ended. The workers at the plant in Curitiba accepted the offer of reconciliation made by Volvo and voted in secrecy. The workers will each receive a net allowance of R $ 5,000 to offset the increase of only 50% of inflation measured by the INPC, National Index of Consumer Prices. They also agreed to postpone the discussion of the base date for September 2017 and accepted the increase of 9.62% in food stamps (R $ 419 to R $ 460). The strike began because the workers had at first refused the adjustment of 50% of the INPC. Volvo’s Curitiba plant employs about 3,200 workers, with 1,800 in production. According to the union, the plant was producing around 35 heavy trucks, 12 medium trucks and 5 buses every day before the strike. .

Peter Minnis, Truck Magazine / 1985 Just about everyone, it seems, has a cousin, brother-in-law or friend who has run out to the Middle East. But the great days are over, and far fewer trucks now drive out to Turkey and beyond. One small company still in the game is Stanway Transport, based in East London. The great days of the Middle East run are long over. Back in the seventies, when the ports of the Arabian Peninsular were chock-a-block with Western imports, shippers were desperate for trucks to make the trip. Throughout most of Europe, there can have been very few haulage companies, from one-man bands to the largest fleets, which didn’t at least consider putting Tehran, Baghdad, Riyadh and Jeddah onto their schedules. The rates seemed attractive, but profit was easily wiped out by delays and difficulties. The work seemed glamorous, but drivers used to Europe’s motorways were often reduced to pathetic helplessness when hit by minor problems beyond the Turkish border. Some people made a lot of money. Many more lost the few thousand pounds they’d invested in trucks that weren’t up to the job. And in between the two extremes, others, through common sense and professionalism, made a steady if unspectacular living. Kenny Snooks from Purfleet, Essex made his first run to Tehran, the capital of Iran, back in 1972. He’s still on Middle East work today, 13 years later. He currently drives a big Cat-engined White Road Commander 2 for East London-based Stanway Transport. He’s seen the wild enthusiasm of the gold-rush days give way to the quiet, get-on-with-the-job attitude that is the hallmark of the successful Mid-East haulier in the mid-eighties. The volume of freight traffic heading east has declined considerably, and the notorious, miles-long queues of trucks waiting to get through border crossings have vanished. But in their place, other delays have appeared, caused, particularly, by security arrangements introduced in the wake of the Iran/Iraq war. On balance, Kenny thinks, the job hasn’t got any easier. “A lot of effort has been put into improving roads, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t seem to have made a lot of difference. Okay, the roads in Yugoslavia are better, a lot better. And they’re building some good roads in Turkey now, but they take so long to do it. And meanwhile, their older roads are just falling apart.” “There’s a 300 kilometer stretch in Turkey heading for Iraq that I used to be able to do in six hours. Now it takes me 14.” “Last winter, there was a lot of snow and rain. It just ruined a lot of the roads.” There are several reasons for the falloff in Middle East road freight traffic; the drop in the price of oil, the improvements to ports in the area (particularly in their ability to turn round big container ships quickly), and, of course, the Gulf war. When the war began, there was something of an overland mini-boom when shipping in the Gulf was threatened, but the overall effect has been negative. Money that used to be spent on a vast range of Western imports is now being squandered in trench warfare that everyone loses. Iraq is full of part-completed, cancelled development projects. The sudden diversion of funds into the war effort nearly ruined Stanway Transport. A lot of their work used to be for a company supplying water treatment equipment to Iraq. Overnight, the Iraqis stopped paying, the project ground to a halt, and most of Stanway’s work dried up. The boss, Dave Stanway, has weathered setbacks before though, and with a lot of hard work he managed to find other work to take up the slack. “You’d think the war would have sharpened the Iraqis up a bit,” says Kenny. “But they seem to be as disorganized as ever.” “If you’re tipping in Baghdad, they stick you in a park out in the desert till they’ve cleared the paperwork. There’s absolutely nothing there and it’s miles from anywhere. No facilities, nothing.” “You drive all that way to their country, and they just don’t seem to want to know. I can’t understand it.” Other countries in the area have obviously become a lot more security-conscious because of the war. “If you’re tipping in Saudi.” Explains Kenny, “you drive straight in once you’ve cleared customs. But if you’re going through to Qatar or the Emirates, they take you in convoy.” “They just hold you there till there’s enough trucks to make up a convoy. I can usually clear the Kuwait border in 12 hours, but last time I was there six days waiting for a convoy to build up. And then they only took us 180 kilometers to the TAPline road, where we had to wait two more days for another convoy to join us from the Jordanian border. There’s nothing you can do about it - they’ve got your papers.” “The thing is, the whole convoy idea is a farce. Once it gets going, everyone just puts their foot down and the whole thing gets strung out. By the time I reached the Qatar border, the slowest trucks were about six hours behind the leaders. And we all had to wait till the tail-enders arrived before they would let us through.” Kenny’s White is not the most luxurious to drive over bad roads. The springs are short and the ride is harsh, although the air suspension seat does help. It does, however, have one big advantage: the aerodyne-style sleeping compartment. Adequate space makes all the difference on a long run. The sleeper, in fact, is the only one of its kind. When boss Dave Stanway ordered it back in 1979, he specified a factory-built aerodyne sleeper, together with items like red leather upholstery, aluminium wheels (“We had to get rid of them – they broke up”) and stainless steel stacks. At that stage, Dave was out on the road himself. He’d only been going a few years (he started by hauling cages of racing pigeons with a Ford D1000), and he wanted a truck that was both sturdy and comfortable to do Middle East work. He was furious was the White arrived from the States – minus all the extras he had ordered. So he went to Locomotors of Andover, who built the aerodyne sleeper for him to his design. It wasn’t a cheap job, but the results have lasted well. And in other respects, Dave still has reason to be pleased with his purchase. The Cat 3406 engine (280 bhp) and the Fuller nine-speed box have proved sturdy enough, and the aluminium cab has lasted far better than a steel one. The one disappointment was the Eaton drive axle, which suffered from a spate of seized bearings. It’s now been replaced by a Volvo F89 axle – a common modification to European-based Whites. According to Dave, rates on Middle East work are no better than they were half a dozen years ago, while expenses have increased dramatically. But he’s happy to carry on with the job, feeling that he can make it pay where others can’t. “Any firm is only as good as its drivers, and my four are all first-rate. It’s only due to their hard work and professionalism that the job can pay.” The heyday of the Middle East may be over, but there’s clearly still room for companies and drivers who have the right approach. .

The Washington Post / October 18, 2016 Last month, the Obama administration announced an eye-popping $38 billion security assistance deal with the Israelis, to be disbursed over ten years starting in 2019. That caught us off-guard. It seemed like a ton of money. But as we looked into the deal, and others like it, we began to realize how little we knew about the U.S. government’s assistance budget, which ranges from programs combating HIV/AIDS to those directly funding other nations’ armed forces. Using the State Department’s request to Congress for a 2017 budget, we compiled what we thought was a comprehensive look at the U.S. foreign assistance budget. That budget request is a complex stew of programmatic acronyms, thickened by confounding numerical overlaps and an endless roster of government agencies. You can see that first attempt here. In response, numerous representatives of those same agencies, as well as academics and analysts, got in touch. “You guys are on the right track,” they said, “but there’s much more to this than you’ve got here.” We hope what follows can stand as a more exhaustive explanation. At the top of this page, you’ll see what a tiny fraction of the entire federal budget is devoted to foreign assistance — just about 1 percent. As we pointed out in the previous post, most Americans vastly overestimate this number in surveys. In a Kaiser Family Foundation study published in early 2015, the average respondent thought that 26 percent of the federal budget went to foreign aid. Unsurprisingly, more than half the respondents thought the United States was spending too much on foreign aid. In the breakdown above, we have laid out where the $42.4 billion will go in 2017. The money comes from the State and Defense departments and a slew of other agencies. But it would be wrong to think that “security assistance” comes entirely from the DoD. Security assistance is a broader term than so-called military aid because this financial support is often extended to other types of security forces such as anti-narcotic or trafficking units. [The money comes from American taxpayers] Actually, only about half the security assistance budget is provided by the DoD. That mostly derives from programs directly tied to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, such as the Afghan Security Forces Fund and the Iraq Train and Equip Fund. Deals like last month’s with Israel, on the other hand, come from the State Department. In that case, the U.S. government is essentially financing Israel’s military purchases. Under the current agreement, Israel can spend 26 percent of that money on military equipment produced in Israel, but the new deal, which starts in 2019, gradually phases out that stipulation. Then, like every other country, Israel will have to spend all the assistance money on American defense contractors. In other words, U.S. foreign military financing is essentially a way of subsidizing its domestic defense industry while strengthening the military capabilities of its strategic allies. Economic and development assistance is almost entirely provided through the State Department’s budget. This includes the budgets for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Peace Corps, reserve funds for disaster relief, funds geared toward specific objectives, such as preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and bilateral economic assistance packages. This is the first of three cartograms, which is a fancy word for a map specifically geared toward a comparative display of statistics. Since American economic and development assistance is spread out among more than 100 countries, the cartogram vaguely resembles a normal map. Nevertheless, seven African countries feature among the top-10 recipients of economic assistance. Most of the money given to those countries is funneled toward health initiatives, particularly HIV/AIDS treatment and research. The biggest recipient, however, is Afghanistan, where the United States is hoping to win over hearts and minds with all kinds of development assistance after 15 years of military quagmire there. As opposed to the broad dispersal of economic development funds, the security assistance cartogram demonstrates the targeted nature of the American national military strategy. A swath of countries from Egypt to Pakistan — excluding Iran, of course — receive the vast majority of U.S. security assistance. The biggest individual, non-bilateral program in the security assistance budget is the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF). The DoD describes the program thusly: “For DoD to provide assistance to the security forces of Afghanistan to include the provision of equipment, supplies, services, training, facility and infrastructure repair, renovation and construction, and funding.” Security Assistance Monitor, the nonprofit organization that provided much of the data on which this article is based, says on its website that the ASFF’s ultimate goal “is to produce an independent, self-sufficient armed forces for Afghanistan.” The security assistance budget also includes “train and equip funds” for allied forces in Iraq and Syria. Those funds go toward the Iraqi army, as well as Kurdish peshmerga troops and other militias the U.S. cooperates with in both countries in its push against the Islamic State. Israel and Egypt are the biggest recipients of U.S. military financing. Israel receives about $3.1 billion in annual financing currently, and that number will increase to $3.8 billion after 2017. Egypt has received major financing ever since it agreed to an American-brokered peace with Israel in the Camp David Accords of 1978. Put all together, the top-10 list of U.S. foreign assistance recipients are as follows: (image 5) But if the U.S. assistance budget demonstrates where the American government has strategic interest, then where are some of our biggest allies on the cartograms above? Saudi Arabia, NATO members, Japan, South Korea and India are all conspicuously absent. The answer is that those countries simply buy arms from the United States rather than receive large-scale assistance. Many have their own established defense programs. The cartogram below shows U.S. arms deliveries worldwide for 2015, which amounted to $21.9 billion. The U.S. sells arms to nations that surround its main adversaries, China and Russia, as well as to countries playing active roles in the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, which includes most of the Gulf states. The massive scale of assistance the United States provides to nations around the world is a reflection of its ubiquitous presence on the world stage, and the sheer size of its economy. The United States provides far more assistance than any other country in the world, and in terms of arms sales, it controls at least half the global market. However, the United States gives less as a percentage of its gross national income than other countries. U.N. resolutions have set 0.7 percent of GNI as an unofficial benchmark that developed countries should contribute to foreign assistance. According to 2015 OECD statistics, the U.S. contributes about 0.17 percent of its GNI, which is below the 0.3 percent that is the average for developed nations. Only six countries, all in Europe, have reached the U.N. benchmark: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden. Sweden stands out, contributing almost 1.4 percent of its GNI to foreign assistance. Data - https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/which-countries-get-the-most-foreign-aid/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_foreign-budget-655pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory