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DOE Commits $137M to Advance Fuel-Efficient Tech Heavy Duty Trucking / August 17, 2016 The United States Department of Energy (DoE) is announcing up to $137 million in investments for two programs designed to develop next-generation fuel-efficiency technologies in commercial and passenger vehicles, including more funding for SuperTruck II. The program is designed to advance environmental and innovative technologies for heavy- and medium-duty vehicles while accelerating technology advancement for passenger cars and lighter trucks. One of the initiatives, SuperTruck II, will fund four projects to develop and demonstrate cost-effective technologies aimed at doubling the freight efficiency of Class 8 trucks. Through another initiative, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Vehicle Technologies Office Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement selections, 35 new projects will receive $57 million to develop and deploy an array of cutting-edge vehicle technologies. These technologies include advanced batteries and electrical drive systems to reduce carbon emissions and petroleum consumption in passenger cars and light trucks. “These investments will accelerate the development of innovative vehicle technologies that will save businesses and consumers money at the pump, cut carbon emissions, and strengthen our economy,” said David Friedman, acting assistant secretary. “SuperTruck II builds on the successful SuperTruck I program, which has already led to more than 20 fuel-saving technologies that have reached the commercial market.” Announced in March, the SuperTruck II initiative is a continuation of the SuperTruck program that was launched in 2010 to improve heavy-duty truck freight efficiency by 50%. For SuperTruck II, the Energy Department has selected four SuperTruck II teams for projects of $20 million in federal funding with each recipient matching that amount dollar-for-dollar. The four companies tapped participating in SuperTruck II are Cummins, [Germany’s] Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar, and [Sweden’s] Volvo Technology of America. Cummins will design and develop a new more-efficient engine and advanced drivetrain and vehicle technologies. Daimler Trucks North America will develop and demonstrate a tractor-trailer combination using a suite of technologies including active aerodynamics, cylinder deactivation, hybridization, and the electrification of accessories. Navistar will design and develop a vehicle and powertrain with electrified engine components that can enable higher engine efficiency and a significantly more aerodynamically reengineered cab. Volvo Technology of America will develop and demonstrate a tractor-trailer combination with a lightweight cab that achieves the freight efficiency goal using alternative engine designs and a variety of system technologies. For more information on both programs, click here.

Volvo introduces new factory-fill engine oil Fleet Owner / August 19, 2016 Volvo Trucks North America will offer a new factory fill engine oil for the Volvo D11, D13 and D16 engines, meeting new Volvo VDS-4.5 engine specifications. “Volvo models running the new VDS-4.5 will be able to travel for longer intervals between oil changes, saving customers money on service costs and increasing uptime,” the company said. Volvo VDS-4.5 is the same viscosity (10W30) as today’s factory fill, Volvo said. However, according to the company, “it will have enhanced performance for oil oxidation and oil aeration control. VDS-4.5 is compatible with and can be used in older, previous emissions-level engines.” For engine oil and filters, the new recommended maintenance intervals add extra miles to the previous life of an oil change for each of the three duty cycles – long haul, regional haul and heavy haul – as defined by fuel consumption. Those intervals were increased to be 55,000 miles for long haul, 40,000 miles for regional and 30,000 miles for heavy haul applications. “Assuming a 600,000 mile vehicle life in over-the-road applications, the new engine oil intervals will allow truck owners to skip between four and 16 oil drains, depending on duty cycle, compared with the prior maintenance schedule,” said John Moore, Volvo product marketing manager – powertrain. “In oil costs alone, that represents a savings of hundreds of dollars per year, even for the lightest duty cycles. Those savings would be substantially larger for operations that do not perform preventative maintenance in-house.” For owners that decide to use the current Volvo VDS-4 oil, current lower mileage oil change intervals will remain. If engine idle time is greater than 30%, operators should use the next shorter drain interval, Volvo explained. Volvo VDS-4.5 will be available beginning in October.

Volvo Offers Low-Viscosity Oil Fill for New Engines Heavy Duty Trucking / August 18, 2016 Volvo Trucks North America will offer a new factory fill engine oil for the Volvo D11, D13 and D16 engines meeting Volvo’s VDS-4.5 engine specifications and exceeding API's new CK-4 oil specification. Volvo models running oils meeting the VDS-4.5 oil spec will be able to travel for longer intervals between oil changes, saving customers time and service costs, the company says. For engine and oil filters, the new recommended maintenance intervals are longer for each duty cycle, including long haul, regional haul and heavy haul, as defined by fuel consumption. Those intervals were increased to 55,000 miles for long haul, 40,000 miles for regional and 30,000 miles for heavy haul applications. Volvo VDS-4.5 underwent analysis and testing to ensure changes met Volvo’s reliability and performance standards. VDS-4.5 is compatible with and can be used in older, previous emissions level engines. The new oil will be available beginning in October. For owners who decide to use the current Volvo VDS-4 oil, current lower mileage oil change intervals will remain. If engine idle time is greater than 30%, operators should use the next shorter drain interval. “Assuming a 600,000-mile vehicle life in over-the-road applications, the new engine oil intervals will allow truck owners to skip between four and 16 oil drains, depending on duty cycle, compared with the prior maintenance schedule,” said John Moore, Volvo product marketing manager – powertrain. “In oil costs alone, that represents a savings of hundreds of dollars per year, even for the lightest duty cycles. Those savings would be substantially larger for operations that do not perform preventative maintenance in-house.”

Car & Driver / August 2016 The former auto executive at BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and GM, retired Marine Corps Captain and Douglas A-4 “Skyhawk” pilot, chats about his life, his cars, and his beloved but "doomed" automotive industry. C/D: Are you flying these days? BL: Still fly my Aero Vodochody L-39 fighter/trainer and my MD-500E helicopter. I must be the oldest pilot in the world to still fly a tactical military aircraft. C/D: What might save Lincoln? BL: In the time left for the automobile as we know it, it won’t be possible to make Lincoln a truly aspirational brand. The new Continental, while not as good as the concept, is a design language cribbed from Bentley. Which is fine, because if you’re gonna steal, rob from a bank and not a grocery store. But cars don’t matter much anymore—it’s crossovers that count. Will Lincoln ever again inspire an image of superiority, where your friends say you bought a cool car just because they admire the brand? Probably not. C/D: Will Tesla still exist 20 years from now? BL: As it is presently, no. As they say, “Socialism is great until they run out of other people’s money.” Tesla burns cash. It’s not a car company, it’s a cult of fanatics who think Elon Musk can do no wrong. But financially, it doesn’t work. C/D: What car are you most proud of? BL: Everybody laughs, but the Volt—the most difficult to accomplish in a corporate environment. So much advanced engineering in a car we knew we’d sell at a loss. C/D: Because automakers eat so much capital, will we eventually see only four or five remaining? BL: It’s likely. With autonomous cars, you’re gonna see more consolidation. Once we have transport modules, you order off the phone and brands won’t matter anymore. When brands don’t matter, the auto industry ends. It’s got another 20 years. C/D: How goes the VLF Destino supercar? BL: We’ve started delivery. Carlos Santana has his, I have mine. We had no more than 25 people on the project, so I was gratified at the refinement we achieved. We’ll produce 100 per year and sell them at former Fisker dealerships. C/D: What’s in your garage? BL: The Destino. My dad’s ’52 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage, an Autokraft Cobra, a ’34 LaSalle, a ’62 Buick Skylark convertible, my Cunningham roadster, and a ’71 Monteverdi 375 High Speed coupe. C/D: What’s to be done with Chrysler? BL: De-emphasize the automobiles and find partners to concentrate on Ram and Jeep only. The amazing thing about Jeep is that no one thinks of it as an American brand—it’s nationally neutral. A Jeep Grand Cherokee goes to owners of Audis and Benzes, where it’s considered the family car. Those buyers wouldn’t say that about a Ford Explorer or a Chevy Traverse. C/D: Your greatest influence? BL: The Marine Corps taught me commitment, courage, focus, and a value system that can easily suffice for people like me who aren’t religious. Then, also, Lee Iacocca, who taught me leadership via a balance of force, intimidation, kindness, understanding, humor, and being fatherly. He told me I wasn’t sufficiently humble, which I wasn’t. After the famous TV ads featuring Lee, he became like Musk—people bought the cars because they thought Lee was a visionary. C/D: What’s your take on car companies competing in F1? BL: Total waste of time. It provides nice outings for execs to visit hospitality suites, but it doesn’t sway purchasing decisions. The percentage of the public that gives a damn is dwindling. C/D: Is it possible that Ferdinand Piëch might be responsible for VW’s Dieselgate? BL: Yes. Employees have to be able to say to the CEO, “We figured it couldn’t be done, but we tried our best for you, and now we know it can’t be done.” But with Piëch, if you failed, it was, “Off with their heads.” People who fear losing their jobs start lying. C/D: What’s the most important thing you learned in Europe? BL: The overriding importance of product excellence. When I was at Ford of Europe and Opel, they were always gunning for best in class. Meanwhile, the mother ship in America’s motto was, “We don’t have to do good cars, just good enough.” C/D: Of the Big Three you worked for, which was the most thorny? BL: Ford, a very tight, finance-driven culture with everything quantified. Plus, there were elected execs and the Ford family, all meddling, yet we still had to serve the shareholders. C/D: Anything you’d have done differently? BL: I’d have paid more attention to my personal life and had fewer divorces. And I regret never being the CEO of a major auto company. If I’d not frequently treated Lee Iacocca with such disdain, I think there’s a good chance I’d have been CEO at Chrysler. But I was sort of a smartass, and I’d take on Lee in big meetings. His message after that was “ABL”—Anybody But Lutz.

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The Wall Street Journal / August 21, 2016 Donald Trump’s campaign suggested Sunday that the Republican presidential candidate is prepared to soften his stance on immigration. Trump has made a tough stand on immigration a signature issue of his campaign, pledging among other things to create a “deportation force” to rapidly remove some of the country’s estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. On Sunday, his new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, dialed back on that pledge, suggesting the deportation force might not be set up after all. Asked Trump would mobilize this deportation force in the White House, Conway responded: “To be determined.” She added: “What he supports is to ensure that we respect the law. He will lay out the specifics of that plan.” Trump tried this past week to reach out to minority groups, in part by holding a meeting on Saturday with his Hispanic Advisory Council at Trump Tower in New York. Trump has angered many Hispanic leaders during the campaign, due to his comments about Hispanic immigrants being “rapists” and his plan to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The meeting produced a tangle of reports that indicated Trump told the gathering that he was open to changing his view. Any retreat on immigration policies, which have been a signature issue for Trump, could be politically risky. On the one hand, GOP leaders have urged the campaign to soften its rhetoric in an attempt to improve Trump’s poor standing with the rapidly growing universe of Hispanic voters, who will make up an estimated 12% of eligible voters this year. But Trump’s fervent backers are counting on a continued tough line on immigration, including a promise to build a wall to keep immigrants from Mexico and Central America out of the U.S. Alabama Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, a key Trump adviser, was asked on Sunday whether the candidate still planned to quickly deport the 11 million people if he won the White House. He was noncommittal. “What I’m certain about is that he did not make a firm commitment yesterday, or the meeting the other day, about what he will do with that,” Sessions said. “But he did listen, and he’s talking about it.” Sessions emphasized that Trump isn’t backing off his plan for “extreme vetting,” or ideological assessments, for those coming into the U.S. “The American people clearly support the idea that if you can’t vet somebody from a dangerous area of the globe, they should not be brought into the U.S.,” he said.

RT / August 21, 2016 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened that his country could leave the United Nations, after the organization urged the Philippines to stop executing and killing people linked to drug business and threatened that “state actors” could be punished. "I do not want to insult you, but maybe we'll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations," Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday. "Why do you have to listen to this stupid?" “I don't give a sh*t about them,” he added. “They are the ones interfering. You do not just go out and give a sh*tting statement against a country.” Calling the UN “inutile", Duterte said the Philippines could invite China, African nations and other countries to create a rival international body. He went further, slamming the UN’s response to other global issues. “Look at the iconic boy that was taken out from the rubble and he was made to sit in the ambulance and we saw it," Duterte said. The picture of Omran Daqneesh, a five-year-old Syrian boy has recently gone viral around the globe. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160818142212-05-omran-daqneesh-aleppo-syria-super-169.jpg "Why is it that the United States is not doing anything? I do not read you. Anybody in that stupid body complaining about the stench there of death?" The Philippine leader also attacked the US for more members of the public dying as a result of police violence. "What do you think the Americans did to the black people there? Is that not rubbing off also? And critics say what?" The angry tirade at the news conference in Davao City came after the UN’s special rapporteur on summary executions, Agnes Callamard, urged the Philippines to stop extrajudicial executions and killings, saying “state actors” could be punished for the “illegal killings.” About 900 people have been killed by unidentified attackers since May, when Duterte was elected, and another 665 died at the hands of security forces, according to the national police chief. Duterte, however, has vehemently denied these accusations, and said that the police only fired in self-defense, while he also lashed out at the UN. He shrugged off the prospect of repercussions that could follow as a result of his remarks. "I don't give a shit about them. They are the ones interfering,” Duterte said.

(Please don't call me Mister........I work for a living) It was custom-built by Rowe Motors in Tauranga, New Zealand from a Western Star tractor for the purpose of pulling oversize loads. It has a Hino motor mounted low between the frame rails paired with an Eaton 13-speed tranny. http://www.rowemotors.co.nz/index.html .

Hillary Clinton top aid Huma Abedin worked years at a radical Muslim journal Paul Sperry, The New York Post / August 21, 2016 Hillary Clinton’s top campaign aide, and the woman who might be the future White House chief of staff to the first female US president, for a decade edited a radical Muslim publication that opposed women’s rights and blamed the US for 9/11. One of Clinton’s biggest accomplishments listed on her campaign website is her support for the UN women’s conference in Bejing in 1995, when she famously declared, “Women’s rights are human rights.” Her speech has emerged as a focal point of her campaign, featured prominently in last month’s Morgan Freeman-narrated convention video introducing her as the Democratic nominee. However, soon after that “historic and transformational” 1995 event, as Clinton recently described it, her top aide Huma Abedin published articles in a Saudi journal taking Clinton’s feminist platform apart, piece by piece. At the time, Abedin was assistant editor of the Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs working under her mother, who remains editor-in-chief. She was also working in the White House as an intern for then-First Lady Clinton. Headlined “Women’s Rights are Islamic Rights,” a 1996 article argues that single mothers, working mothers and gay couples with children should not be recognized as families. It also states that more revealing dress ushered in by women’s liberation “directly translates into unwanted results of sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility and indirectly promote violence against women.” In other words, sexually liberated women are just asking to be raped. “A conjugal family established through a marriage contract between a man and a woman, and extended through procreation is the only definition of family a Muslim can accept,” the author, a Saudi official with the Muslim World League, asserted, while warning of “the dangers of alternative lifestyles.” (Abedin’s journal was founded and funded by the former head of the Muslim World League.) “Pushing [mothers] out into the open labor market is a clear demonstration of a lack of respect of womanhood and motherhood,” it added. In a separate January 1996 article, Abedin’s mother, who was the Muslim World League’s delegate to the UN conference, wrote that Clinton and other speakers were advancing a “very aggressive and radically feminist” agenda that was un-Islamic and wrong because it focused on empowering women. “‘Empowerment’ of women does more harm than benefit the cause of women or their relations with men,” Saleha Mahmood Abedin maintained, while forcefully arguing in favor of Islamic laws that have been roundly criticized for oppressing women. “By placing women in the ‘care and protection’ of men and by making women responsible for those under her charge,” she argued, “Islamic values generate a sense of compassion in human and family relations.” “Among all systems of belief, Islam goes the farthest in restoring equality across gender,” she claimed. “Acknowledging the very central role women play in procreation, child-raising and homemaking, Islam places the economic responsibility of supporting the family primarily on the male members.” She seemed to rationalize domestic abuse as a result of “the stress and frustrations that men encounter in their daily lives.” While denouncing such violence, she didn’t think it did much good to punish men for it. In a 1996 article, Saleha Mahmood Abedin wrote “Among all systems of belief, Islam goes the farthest in restoring equality across gender.” She added in her 31-page treatise: “More men are victims of domestic violence than women . . . If we see the world through ‘men’s eyes’ we will find them suffering from many hardships and injustices.” She opposed the UN conference widening the scope of the definition of the family to include “gay and lesbian ‘families.’ ” Huma Abedin does not apologize for her mother’s views. “My mother was traveling around the world to these international women’s conferences talking about women’s empowerment, and it was normal,” she said in a recent profile in Vogue. Huma continued to work for her mother’s journal through 2008. She is listed as “assistant editor” on the masthead of the 2002 issue in which her mother suggested the US was doomed to be attacked on 9/11 because of “sanctions” it leveled against Iraq and other “injustices” allegedly heaped on the Muslim world. Here is an excerpt: “The spiral of violence having continued unabated worldwide, and widely seen to be allowed to continue, was building up intense anger and hostility within the pressure cooker that was kept on a vigorous flame while the lid was weighted down with various kinds of injustices and sanctions . . . It was a time bomb that had to explode and explode it did on September 11, changing in its wake the life and times of the very community and the people it aimed to serve.” Huma Abedin is Clinton’s longest-serving and, by all accounts, most loyal aide. The devout, Saudi-raised Muslim started working for her in the White House, then followed her to the Senate and later the State Department. She’s now helping run Clinton’s presidential campaign as vice chair and may end up back in the White House. The contradictions are hard to reconcile. The campaign is not talking, despite repeated requests for interviews. Until now, these articles which Abedin helped edit and publish have remained under wraps. Perhaps Clinton was unaware she and her mother took such opposing views. But that’s hard to believe. Her closest adviser served as an editor for that same Saudi propaganda organ for a dozen years. The same one that in 1999 published a book, edited by her mother, that justifies the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation under Islamic law, while claiming “man-made laws have in fact enslaved women.” And in 2010, Huma Abedin arranged for then-Secretary of State Clinton to speak alongside Abedin’s hijab-wearing mother at an all-girls college in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to a transcript of the speech, Clinton said Americans have to do a better job of getting past “the stereotypes and the mischaracterizations” of the oppressed Saudi woman. She also assured the audience of burqa-clad girls that not all American girls go “around in a bikini bathing suit.” At no point in her long visit there, which included a question-and-answer session, did this so-called champion of women’s rights protest the human-rights violations Saudi women suffer under the Shariah laws that Abedin’s mother actively promotes. Nothing about the laws barring women from driving or traveling anywhere without male “guardians.” If fighting for women’s rights is one of Clinton’s greatest achievements, why has she retained as her closest adviser a woman who gave voice to harsh Islamist critiques of her Beijing platform? Note: Huma Abedin is, surprisingly, still married to pervert and disgraced congressman (sexting scandal) Anthony Weiner.

Wonderful. Giving free money to foreign aggressor Volvo, of Sweden, so that they can better profit in.......the United States. Odd, I don't recall the referendum in which United States taxpayers voted in favor of providing free money to foreign aggressors.

If the US was certain that these prisoners were guilty of killing one or more Americans in the US or abroad, they should have been discretely interrogated, and then executed, without it being made public knowledge.

C'mon guys, let's keep this in perspective. The Iranians paid a hefty deposit for additional Grumman F-14s. They didn't get them. They wanted the airplanes, or their money back. The U.S. side provided neither. The international tribunal in The Hague ruled that Iran should get their money back. We were compelled to comply with the ruling, since we're always pushing other countries to observe the rule of law (and because we're pushing China to comply with the Hague ruling on the South China Sea). But, Obama refused to let the cargo plane with money depart Switzerland for Iran until he was sure that the hostages were released and airborne. Any one of us would have done the same thing, and felt wise for doing so. It wasn't a ransom. It was a prudent move.

Those parts are going to be hard to find. What did your Mack Australia dealer in Tasmania say when you called them? If they weren't helpful, try calling Mack Australia directly at 1300 69 6225.

And behold, a revised video is presented today. The video........has no sound. The bizarre and unattractive green glob background is a mystery. .

Bendix Offers Remedy for Recalled Parking Brake Valve Heavy Duty Trucking / August 15, 2016 Bendix has released a repair kit in connection with the voluntary recall of around 200,000 of its SR-5 trailer spring brake valves. The no-cost permanent remedy kit, Bendix part number K140496, fixes an issue with the SR-5 valve that allowed an internal leak to develop in the unit, resulting in slow application of spring brakes when parking a trailer. The leak is heard if observed at the supply gladhand when uncoupled from the tractor, or if coupled, from the exhaust of the park control valve. Bendix is directing owners of the affected trailers to work through their vehicle OEM or an authorized Bendix parts outlet to obtain the remedy kit. Back in May, Bendix notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the start of a voluntary safety recall for the SR-5 valve. The recall includes all Bendix SR-5 trailer spring brake valves manufactured between Jan. 1, and Mar. 4, 2016. The SR-5 is made for trailers only, and could affect any trailer that uses the valve. The action does not impact SR-5 valves manufactured prior to or after the stated dates. These valves were made available through vehicle OEMs and the aftermarket. As part of the reporting requirements, OEMs will indicate which of the trailers they manufactured – identified by year and model number – are among the trailers containing valves reported by Bendix as a part of this voluntary action. Bendix Product Action Center representatives are available to assist vehicle owners with questions about this voluntary recall Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, toll-free at 1-877-345-9526, or by email at SR5campaign@bendix.com. Information is also available at the online Product Action Center under the Services & Support tab on bendix.com

Mack gives Dave prize of a lifetime Big Rigs / August 15, 2016 In December last year, Mack Trucks Australia vice president Dean Bestwick called Dave Martin to tell him he was the lucky winner of the 'Win a Mack for a year' competition, and that he'd better start thinking about what Mack he'd like. For Dave, whose company D & A Martin Transport hauls bulk stock feed to the dairy and beef farms in Victoria's Gippsland region, the choice was easy; a 600hp Mack Super-Liner equipped with an mDRIVE AMT (automated manual transmission). Last week Dave was given the keys to his brand new 600HP Super-Liner, and as you can probably see in the photo, he was stoked! "I've been dreaming of this moment ever since getting that call from Dean," Dave said. "To jump up into the drivers' seat and fire her up for the first time was absolutely magical. "I'll remember this day for a very long time." Dean Bestwick says Dave defines what Mack is about as a brand, making him a deserving winner. "Honestly, there couldn't have been a more deserving winner than Dave," he said. "Dave is exactly what Mack is all about. "He is your typical salt-of-the-earth transport operator out there having a go. "He's got a great business running a few trucks around here, but this new Super-Liner in his fleet is going to make a huge difference. "The MP10 and mDRIVE is a dream combination for his bulk-haul work in the hilly Gippsland region." Dave has been a long-time fan of Mack trucks, having previously owned a Super-Liner and Trident. "I've been eyeing off the new Super-Liners for a little while now, so when the Mack Heartland Tour rolled into town, Jason from CMV suggested I come down and have a drive," Dave said. "That's when the guys suggested I enter the competition to win one for a year. I wasn't going to bother because I'm not the luckiest bloke, but I'm bloody glad I did - take a look at this truck!" Dave's re-acquaintance with the Mack family started in June with a tour of Mack's production facility in Wacol with his son, Cameron, where they got to see his Super-Liner being assembled. "I've always known the Macks are bloody tough trucks, but I have a whole new level of appreciation for their quality after seeing them being built with my own two eyes," he said. "Last time I saw this truck it was still just chassis rails, engine, a cab - all spread out over the factory. The guys have done a great job with the truck, it looks a million bucks." After spending the afternoon with Mack product trainers, Dave is confident his drivers know how to get the most out of the Super-Liner. "The technology is constantly changing, so it's been great to be taught exactly how to use it properly. "Mack Telematics will be really helpful for the contracts that require GPS tracking. "I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after-all. "I can't thank the guys at Mack enough. "This whole experience has been amazing, and I can't express how grateful I am. "The addition of a new Mack Super-Liner to the fleet means really big things for our business." .

Steve Brooks, Trade Trucks AU / August 15, 2016 Final details being negotiated but direction is compelling After almost a year of protracted negotiations and barring any last minute corporate hiccups, it now appears just a matter of weeks before Iveco will be officially announced as the Australian distributor of International trucks. If everything goes ahead as planned, International’s versatile ProStar model could be on sale at Iveco outlets around the country by late this year. More likely, however, is that it will be early 2017 before trucks are widely available here. Right now, everything hinges on the final details being agreed by International parent Navistar in the US and Iveco holding company, Case New Holland Industrial (CNHI). According to CNHI’s head of corporate and external affairs for the Asia-Pacific region, Ron Grasso: "It is not yet a done deal but it is very close and there is every likelihood that Iveco will soon acquire distribution rights for International trucks in Australia. "We are working through the final details with Navistar and it’s entirely possible that we are just weeks away from making a joint announcement. "Like I said, it is very close and we have communicated that to Iveco staff." Speaking at the launch of Iveco’s new Daily 4x4 range, Grasso emphasised the strong relationship that exists between International and Iveco, stretching back to Iveco’s formation in 1992 of International Trucks Australia Ltd until the change to Iveco Trucks Australia Ltd in 2000, which saw the relatively short-lived reintroduction of several International models to the Australian market. "There is an entrenched association between the two brands," Grasso commented, "and there’s a lot of excitement within Iveco about the prospect of having the International brand back in the company."

Truck Engineer / August 12, 2016 Construction material supplier Gleeson Quarries has taken delivery of two Renault Range C trucks, the first of this marque to join its 40-strong fleet. Supplied by distributor Surehaul Commercials, the Tipperary-based operator’s new additions are Renault model C380 10x4s, both fitted with Gleeson Steel half-pipe bodies to deliver stone, wet mix, sand and gravel to its customers in Ireland. http://www.gleesontruckbodies.co.uk/Tippers/E100-Half-Pipe-Tipper-Body The new Range Cs have a specially-fitted fifth pusher axle, allowing the trucks to handle an increased payload of up to 24.45 tonnes. Renault’s five-axle combinations, with complete vehicle type approval, meet the demand for heavier applications without the need or expense of retrofitting an additional axle, and come with full warranty and aftermarket support to deliver lower operating costs in the long run. Peter Gleeson, Gleeson Quarries’ managing director, says Renault was the only marque able to offer a pusher axle of this type: “Other manufacturers could only offer us a tag axle... Having the fifth axle in the centre is better suited to our particular operation and it is far more versatile – for example, tipping into paving machines for road works.” The trucks are supplied on a five-year warranty. .

Despite adjustments, Kenworth remains optimistic for 2016 and beyond Truck News / August 12, 2016 Kenworth Truck Company and Paccar held an editor’s event at its office in Kirkland, Wash. Aug. 12, where it highlighted several company initiatives, including the launch of the more fuel efficient T680 Advantage Day Cab, bidding adieu to an old favorite and how the year has been shaping up so far. Mike Dozier, general manager of Kenworth and vice-president of Paccar, said the first half of the year has been profitable. “We feel very good about the first half,” Dozier said of Kenworth and Paccar’s 2016 numbers. “We’ve capped off 111 years for Paccar of very superior performance and our 77th year of net profit.” The company has generated $8.7 billion in revenue during the first half of the year. Dozier said the company’s year-end sales numbers have been adjusted to better reflect the current market, with estimates going into 2016 between 260,000 to 280,000 units sold being downgraded to between 220,000 to 240,000. Kenworth also made a number of adjustments on the manufacturing side to be ‘well positioned’ to fit production with where the market sits. Dozier said fleet profitability has continued to be positive, despite not being on the same level as 2015. “I think we’re certainly looking at 2016 as a good year,” he said, “but requiring more focus than perhaps last year did. With the year overall, we’re looking at a good year. Certainly things have come off slightly since last year, but from a standpoint when we look at the metrics, fundamentals, GDP growth through the second quarter, we do have growth…we have an economy that continues to grow.” Part of the growth, Dozier said, is thanks to positive performance in the construction sector. Freight tonnage also continues to climb, but rates can be a concern for some. “We noted freight rates in yellow,” Dozier said. “That’s one thing we hear from customers, that the common theme is freight pressures. That highlights that it’s so important to be close to the customer and understand their businesses and how we can help them be more successful, because those rate pressures obviously translate into the overall success of their businesses.” With the release of the T680 and T880 models a few years back, Dozier, who was chief engineer at the Kirkland location prior to relocating to Australia until his return to the Kirkland location in April, said he was proud to see the project he worked on come to fruition. “It’s not often in a career in this industry you get to see an entirely new product platform come to life,” Dozier said. “The growth of those products to essentially 80% of what we build today, being those 680 and 880 platforms…it’s something we’ve very proud of.”