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WikiLeaks to release 'significant' Clinton campaign data Reuters / August 24, 2016 WikiLeaks founder and editor-in-chief Julian Assange said on Wednesday his organization planned to release "significant" information linked to the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton before the Nov. 8 election. Asked if the data could be a game-changer in the election, the Assange said, "I think it’s significant. You know, it depends on how it catches fire in the public and in the media.” WikiLeaks released files in July of what it said were audio recordings pulled from the emails of the Democratic National Committee that were obtained by hacking its servers. That release, during the Democratic National Convention where Clinton was officially named the party's presidential nominee, was the second batch in a series that deeply rattled the party and prompted the committee's chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to step down. "I don’t want to give the game away, but it’s a variety of documents, from different types of institutions that are associated with the election campaign, some quite unexpected angles, some quite interesting, some even entertaining," Assange said when asked how the next revelations would compare with those in July.

It's sad that, although Hagerstown produced E9 engines thru 2003, Volvo has made a decision to discontinue E9 customer support. If you aren't willing to offer 20 years of "reasonable" support.................

Mack brand spokesman Christopher Heffner has worked for Volvo since August 2014. Previously, he was a “senior communications associate”, “community relations associate”, “communications associate” and lab tech at Dow Corning. Chris, who graduated from college in 2004, has zero background in the truck industry.

Rickard Lundberg Vice President and General Manager – Lehigh Valley Operations (aka. LVO, Macungie Assembly Operations) Volvo Group subsidiary Mack Trucks, Inc. October 2016 – ? Vice President, Köping plant Volvo Group Trucks Operations October 2013 – October 2016 (3 years) Manager, Volvo Production System and Deputy Plant Manager Volvo Powertrain September 2010 – October 2013 (3 years 2 months) Manager Assembly Volvo Powertrain January 2007 – August 2010 (3 years 8 months) Material control manager Volvo Powertrain April 2004 – December 2006 (2 years 9 months) Purchasing Manager Volvo Powertrain January 2001 – April 2004 (3 years 4 months)

Navistar recalls 3,952 ProStars over faulty fuse terminals Land Line (OOIDA) / August 24, 2016 Navistar is recalling 3,952 2014-2017 International ProStar trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. Affected trucks have an electrical issue with the battery fuse terminals. ProStars manufactured from June 11, 2013, to May 19, 2016, may have an issue with fuse terminals. According to NHTSA, “the battery mounted cube fuse terminal connection on certain ProStar model trucks built with the battery box mounted between the frame rails may possibly break resulting in loss of power to the cab.” Vibrations at the battery cable and terminal interface are the likely cause of the cube fuse terminal failure. Cab lights may flicker or gauges may become erratic before cube fuse failure. The recall was first discovered in March with several more reports received by May. Navistar officially declared the recall in July 18, and it was recently made official by NHTSA. Affected trucks will have the cube fuse replaced with a chassis-mounted power distribution module (PDM) inside the battery box. PDMs are not subject to the same vibrations. Customers affected by the recall should be receiving a letter from Navistar around Sept. 16. Owners can contact NHTSA at 888-327-4236 or visit SaferCar.gov.

I'm not going to answer your question....exactly. In the U.S. market, most 4x2 tractors always ran 23,000lb drive axles. Rockwell sold thousands of (single reduction) R-170s. But you will of course break leaves and damage axles by attempting to carry a 6x4's load. In the European Union, most single drive axles and suspensions (e.g. Scania ADA1300) on 4x2 tractors are rated at 28,660lb (13 metric tons), and they pull tri-axle trailers. (The U.S. should allow 97,000lb GCWs like the EU, with 6x4 tractor/3-axle trailer combinations equipped with "road friendly" air suspensions) The former Mack Trucks used to offer the superb 29,000lb-rated RAD29 single drive axle equipped with the dual reduction CRD118 carrier assembly. For those wondering, the RAD29 weighed 671 pounds more than the standard Mack RAD23 equipped with the CRD117 dual reduction carrier.

Jon Harris, The Morning Call / August 24, 2016 There will soon be a new Mack Trucks boss in town. Mack on Wednesday announced that Rickard Lundberg has been appointed vice president and general manager of its Mack Lehigh Valley Operations plant. Lundberg will start Oct. 1. Lundberg is now vice president for powertrain production at the Volvo Group's plant in Koping, Sweden, a position he has held since 2013. Volvo Group is Mack's parent company. Lundberg first joined Volvo in 1989. Over the years, he has held positions in production, logistics, purchasing and quality. Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner* said Lundberg was not available for a phone interview Wednesday. Heffner said Lundberg will be based in the Lehigh Valley. Lundberg will succeed Wade Watson*, who left Mack earlier this year after less than a year in the role of vice president and general manager. * http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44866-local-mack-boss-out-volvo-confirms/#comment-330687 Mack confirmed Watson's departure [ousting] in mid-April, one day after announcing a $70 million investment at its plant in Lower Macungie Township. Citing company policy, Mack has declined to provide a reason for Watson's departure. Antonio Servidoni, vice president of production systems for Volvo Group Commercial Vehicle Assembly, has been the acting plant manager for Lehigh Valley Operations. Lundberg will join Mack at an interesting time. In early October, the existing contract with United Auto Workers Local 677, which represents the Mack workers, expires. Heffner said negotiations are still ongoing. And, a little more than two weeks later, there will be a weeklong shutdown at the Lower Macungie plant during the week of Oct. 17. With heavy truck demand sagging, Mack has several weeklong production shutdowns scheduled this fall. The shutdowns, or temporary layoff weeks, will idle a significant portion of Lehigh Valley Operations' approximately 1,500 employees. Mack's 1-million-square-foot plant in Lower Macungie is where all Mack trucks built for the North American market and export are assembled. Heffner said no changes have been made regarding Mack's planned down weeks in Lower Macungie. "We will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust to meet demand," he said. Demand was not strong in the second quarter for Mack — at least compared with the peak year the company benefited from last year. Mack delivered 5,588 trucks worldwide in the second quarter, a 22 percent decline from the 7,160 it sent out during the same period in 2015. That was the weakest second quarter for Mack since 2011, when it delivered 5,099 trucks during the period, Volvo reports show. The decline is not unexpected. Volvo and Mack have consistently said that demand would weaken in 2016. To meet the expected reduced demand, Mack announced in December it would lay off about 400 people at Mack Lehigh Valley Operations, which took effect in late January. .

Heavy Duty Trucking / August 2016 Navistar has declared that it wants to build trucks that drivers want to drive. That includes the new HX vocational series, unveiled early this year at an extravaganza in Las Vegas. I’ve been wanting to drive one since I saw several of the new HXs at that event, which began with a mock televised police chase involving a red dump truck stolen from downtown Vegas. It roared onto a dirt lot near The Strip, followed by the wailing police cruisers. The truck drifted right and left as it entered the lot, then ran around the area several times before black-and-white cruisers surrounded it and cops arrested the suspects. Drifting in the dirt was not in the script, an insider said later, but you couldn’t blame the guy behind the wheel. Like I said, this is meant to be a driver’s truck and he drove it. That red dump truck is the very truck you see here, according to Chad Semler, HX product marketing manager. He was my guide at the Navistar Proving Grounds in northern Indiana, west of South Bend. You can bet that I didn’t do any drifting or anything else overly enthusiastic because we were being observed by the grounds’ chief engineer of operations, Brian Jacquay, who shadowed us in a Ford SuperDuty pickup with a Navistar-built V-8 diesel. He clearly was serious about safety. Besides, many years ago I learned respect for equipment and don’t like to beat on trucks. I followed Semler’s directions as I steered the HX over a gravel trail and pavement with rumble strips and other rough surface features. One is an “undulating” asphalt course originally laid out by engineers from Studebaker Corp.*, the car and truck maker that established the track in 1926. Early last year, Navistar bought the 675-acre facility from Bosch, its most recent owner, and has moved formal course testing formerly done at the old technical center in Fort Wayne to this sprawling complex. It’s only a 90-minute drive from the company’s headquarters in Lisle, west of Chicago, and not much farther from the engine works at Melrose Park, Ill. * http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40066-navistar-buys-668-acre-indiana-proving-grounds-from-bosch/#comment-290400 While most truck builders like to spotlight their own diesels, Navistar is perfectly fine with featuring a Cummins diesel, in this case a 14.9-liter Cummins ISX15. Renewed availability of 15-liter power (after previous Navistar management banished it from the International lineup) enabled a re-entry into the “premium” vocational market, current executives have said. The return of Cummins diesels and use of its exhaust aftertreatment systems for Navistar engines has helped the truck maker increase truck sales, cut deep losses and return to modest profitability. Better financial performance also gave the company the means to buy the proving grounds. The huge facility is a profit center for Navistar, and fully 70% of the testing here is classified as “outside,” Jacquay said. That includes military contracts and operations by component suppliers and other truck builders. The HX620 and another long-hooded model in the HX series use the big Cummins. With a 500-hp rating, this engine was way more than adequate to propel the truck and its load of about 10,000 pounds of gravel. The engine ran through an 18-speed automated Eaton UltraShift Plus, which handled much of the work of driving the truck. I noticed that the UltraShift let the engine rev to 1,900 and 2,000 rpm in the lower gears, so I used the up arrow on the selector pad to prompt earlier upshifts. Semler explained that the transmission was programmed for vocational duties, and most customers prefer higher revs for better performance over rough terrain and while climbing grades. A quick explanation of the labels: HX means “Heavy eXtreme,” for the anticipated duties the vehicles will see. The “6” in this truck’s designation means a setback steer axle, and the “20” denotes a 120-inch bumper-to-back-of-cab measurement. The other ISX15-powered model is the HX520, with the same BBC but a set-forward steer axle, indicated by the “5.” Their long hoods are needed to accommodate the big-block engine. Two shorter-hooded models are the HX615, with a setback axle and 115-inch BBC, and the HX515, with the same BBC and a set-forward axle. Both use Navistar’s 12.4-liter N13 diesel. Basic styling for all HXs is big and bold, with a large nose similar to the recently departed Cat Truck, which was built for Caterpillar by Navistar using the International PayStar as the starting point. (Semler said no one at Navistar knew that Cat planned to cancel its CT series, and “we learned about it at the same time everyone else did.”) The HX, too, is based on the PayStar, and will replace that venerable model, which will soon be phased out. Even with their roomy aluminum cabs, PayStars I’ve driven in the past have been bare-bones trucks, and I’ll bet drivers of dumps, mixers and other heavy work trucks will be happy to see the nicer HXs show up in their fleets. Semler said the first HX delivered to a customer went to a logger in British Columbia, Canada. The chassis includes 12-inch-high by ½-inch thick main rails with 3¾-inch webs, which is stiffer than many frames using reinforcements, he noted. One Cat Truck feature used in the HX is the combination speedometer and tachometer. Navistar also used a similar two-panel wrap-around dashboard, as well as an overall upscale theme. This HX620 was very nicely appointed, with chrome and other polished-metal pieces brightening up the exterior. Inside it had a deluxe trim package that included leather-covered seats, brightly rimmed gauges and attractive paneling on doors, walls and ceiling. A simpler package is also available. Noise was well dampened, especially during loops around the 3-mile oval track where we cruised at 65 and 70 mph, and even as we banged and bounced over the endurance courses. Air-ride seats and twin airbags at the cab’s rear corners insulated us from much of the jolting. Wiring was not the Diamond Logic multiplex system but a less complex “point-to-point” setup, Semler said. You’d expect a setback steer axle to allow good maneuverability, and the one on this HX620 did. Wheels cut by up to 40 degrees in left and right turns, even with wide 425-series tires supporting its 20,000-pound rating. This means the truck can ably move through sharp corners and around obstacles on job sites. The tandem drive axles rode on a Hendrickson HaulMaxx mechanical suspension, which is standard on the HX; the ride was acceptable, but probably would’ve been better with one of the air-rides available. A single pusher axle added capacity to the 10-wheeler; this “tri-axle” configuration is the norm in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Alabama and certain other states. This driving experience was shorter than others I’ve done, but covered a variety of terrain and showed what the HX is capable of. I saw solid, agile handling, good maneuverability, decent comfort and ride quality, and commendable quietness. And that big hood is very easy to open and close, thanks to long shock-type supports, and a triangular rib on top serves as an aiming stake to line up the truck with the right edges of the pavement. Premium is as premium does, and it appears that International has done things right with its HX series. Specifications Truck International HX620, conventional-cab vocational straight truck, aluminum cab, Metton hood, BBC 120 in., w/ 12 x 3¾ x ½-in. main frame rails & 150,000-lb. front tow pin Engine Cummins ISX15, 14.9 liters (912 cu. in.), 500 hp @ 1,800 rpm, 1,650 lb-ft @ 1,200 rpm, w/ engine brake Transmission Eaton UltraShift Plus FO-18E318B-VXP (Vocational Extreme Performance) automated 18-speed double overdrive Front axle 20,000-lb. Meritor FMS-20-133A w/ Sheppard M100/M80 dual steering, on 20,000-lb. parabolic leafs & shock absorbers Lift axle 20,000-lb. Watson & Chalin SL2065 Tru-Track steerable pusher Rear axles 46,000-lb. Meritor RT-46-160P w/ 4.10 ratio, on 46,000-lb. Hendrickson HMX 460-54 mechanical Wheelbase 232 in. Brakes Meritor Q-Plus S-cam w/ Bendix ABS Tires & wheels 425/65R22.5 Continental 465 front, 11R22.5 Continental 491 rear, on polished aluminum discs Fuel tank Single 100-gal. 26-in. diameter polished aluminum Body 22-yd. Ox 19-ft. smooth-side Ultra-Lite steel dump .

Transport Topics / August 24, 2016 Navistar International Corp. is recalling 3,952 ProStar trucks from model years 2014 to 2017 for a defect affecting power to the cab. The trucks were manufactured between June 11, 2013, and May 19, 2016. “The battery-mounted cube fuse terminal connection on certain ProStar model trucks built with the battery box mounted between the frame rails may possibly break resulting in loss of power to the cab,” according to the recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Lisle, Illinois, truck maker adds that when the cube fuse terminal begins to fail, the lights in the cab could flicker and the gauges could become erratic. Navistar learned of the problem in March and received approximately two dozen complaints before the end of May. The company discontinued the battery box design and battery stud-mounted cube fuse June 1, according to the recall notice. Navistar will mail notification letters to all dealers by Sept. 16 with instructions on how to replace a new cube fuse with a chassis-mounted power distribution module in the battery box.

I personally am in no rush to enter the US market. Why? Because margins there are very low. There are too many players versus the size of the market. Now having said that, I'd have no problem with cooperating with Navistar, selling them engines and other technology. The US customer wants the latest technology, but has a price expectation below European and global customers. That is why US customers get, versus the global customers, what amounts to being "decontented" trucks. The US market trucks are just now getting "some" tech that was launched in the global market 3 to 5 years ago. At any rate, entering an already crowded market as a new independent brand (e.g. Scania) simply doesn't amount to a solid business case. Personally, I don't want to upset Paccar and Navistar, our country's last "American" truckmakers. Under the right conditions (if we bought Mack from the financially struggling Volvo), I'd love to see Scania in the US, because Scania is light years ahead of Volvo. I already have an ad slogan planned........"There be V-8s here".

Associated Press / August 24, 2016 A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy is charged with fatally shooting his grandmother because he didn't want to go to school. Hunter R. Reeser, of Harborcreek Township, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder. Authorities say he shot 60-year-old Sandra Orton with a .22-caliber rifle on Tuesday. He then called her husband and claimed he found her wounded. But he later called 911 and confessed to killing her. Police found Orton dead in her vehicle, shot in the head. Reeser later told police that he didn't want to go to a school meeting. In Pennsylvania, children must be charged as adults in murder or homicide cases. Defense attorneys can later try to move the charges to juvenile court. Erie County prosecutors say they plan to oppose that. Reeser is being held without bond. .

Associated Press / August 24, 2016 A Mississippi man who tried to travel to Syria with his fiancee to join ISIS was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison on federal terrorism charges. US District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Muhammad Dakhlalla, 22, after he pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization. He was also sentenced to 15 years of probation. Dakhlalla faced up to 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and lifetime probation. His fiancee, 20-year-old Jaelyn Young, was sentenced earlier this month to 12 years in prison and 15 years' probation, including mandatory mental health treatment. Prosecutors say Young, who converted to Islam while studying at Mississippi State University, was the mastermind who talked Dakhlalla into going along. However, prosecutors said, Dakhlalla ultimately agreed to the plot. Young and Dakhlalla attracted the FBI’s attention after making social media posts in support of ISIS. The two were arrested in August 2015 before they could board a flight from Columbus, Mississippi, with tickets for Istanbul, Turkey. The couple had contacted undercover FBI agents posing as ISIS contacts in May, seeking online help in traveling to Syria. Both have remained jailed in Oxford, Mississippi, since their arrests. Dakhlalla is a 2015 psychology graduate of Mississippi State University who grew up in the college town of Starkville. His father, a native of Bethlehem, West Bank, is a prominent figure in the town's Muslim community and an occasional prayer leader at the mosque across the street from the family's house. .

I see it as a way to ward off lawsuits. If you save them, you're their hero until you drop them off on dry land. But if they slip and hit their head on the railing of your boat, you, the city and state are potentially facing a lawsuit. My friends, as someone who travels extensively all over the world, I can tell you that the United States has more lawsuits taking place than any other country in the world.......by FAR. It's sad really. If you look at a thin-skinned person the wrong way, or if you call a spade a spade in the workplace, you're facing a lawsuit that can potentially destroy your life. My observation is this took firm root in the late 1990s. Frankly, this should be a presidential election issue. America's now normal culture of suing each other is one element that is killing the country.

Solar and wind power have proven their relevance throughout the world today. I just don't want the U.S. taxpayer paying for it. I don't recall the US taxpayer subsidizing Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? They took chances, wined and dined venture capitalist, invested, came up with the right mouse trap and earned a fortune. At the nice rate with which battery technology is progressing, electric cars will be mainstream within 10 years. And with their breathtaking acceleration, you'll have a ball driving them. Range-extended (micro-turbine) electric trucks, or fuel-cell powered, are a "possibility" (there's always an all-new seemingly more viable technology around the corner).

That's a Volvo concocted bulletin, from people who know and care nothing about Mack-designed product.

This is a fine example of what irks me about Volvo. If they truly respected and valued the customer, the Mack Service Bulletins, and Product Improvement Bulletins (PIDs) would be available for all to read.

Buy a used Mack TS442 repair manual off of Amazon. You can't own a Mack without it.

Vlad, this is a long time ago. I know we finally cut off Structofab completely in May 1990. But I believe we began phasing in the Rene product before that, to make sure they could satisfy us before cancelling Structofab altogether. You guys have me recalling a lot of old Mack history.

You're looking at a European Union spec variant. If it was spec'd for Brazil, Australia, South Africa or.........the U.S. market, it would probably be more to your liking in terms of aesthetics. Now remember, when going for the ultimate in aerodynamics, which the truckmakers in this next go around are doing, aesthetics (beauty) will suffer slightly. GM admitted the new Bolt pure electric car has less range than they intended, because they compromised to ensure sales, putting aesthetics ahead of aerodynamics (the opposite of the Prius). Jim, you are looking at the best engineered, most technically advanced heavy truck in the world today. Volvo's "New FH", for example, doesn't even come close. And the new interior, absolutely brilliant in form and function. When you gaze at that breathtaking instrument panel, you can see why Scanias have always been a driver's truck. You can spend hours and hours behind the wheel because of all the considerations to driver comfort. With the "SCR only" 13-liter engines and legendary 16.4-liter Mack-Scania V8s, Scania has the best truck engines in the world........bar none.

Vlad, our original hood supplier had inconsistent quality due to old manufacturing processes. The dealers returned quite a few defectively manufactured hoods. The plant, dealers and customers painted and mounted hoods, only to discover defects. And regarding the parts distribution centers, shipping and the dealers, the wood crating was poor. But then we switched suppliers, and both the quality and packaging became very good. The original supplier's hoods were light gray in color, while the second supplier's hoods were dark gray, almost black. The first supplier was Structofab, and we replaced them in May 1990 with the vastly superior Rene who used the latest manufacturing processes. I just remembered all this, as we'd touched on it relating to that plant fire. I haven't thought about these things in MANY years (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/39396-mack-production-line-fire/#comment-284274).

Up thru 1981, the R-model used a 1QM5480B hood (pre-CMCAC). From 1982, with the advent of the CMCAC-equipped R-model, the hood changed to the 1QM5556. CMCAC - Chassis Mounted Charge-Air Cooling

Why don't you contact Barry again at Watts Mack with your truck's model and serial number and order another new air reservoir? I'm sure that he'd work with you on price. You'll probably be challenged to locate a used MH air reservoir that isn't similarly corroded.

In related news............... Florida schools issuing “Pledge of Allegiance” waivers WCTV / August 23, 2016 “This is a response to a Florida law voted on by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Scott,” said Chris Petley, the spokesman for Leon County Schools (www.leonschools.net) in Tallahassee, Florida. Specifically, he is referring to Florida Statue 1003.44. That law dictates “to all school districts in Florida that, ‘each student shall be informed by a written notice published in the student handbook or a similar publication pursuant to s. 1006.07(2) that the student has the right not to participate in reciting the pledge.” “We are required to comply with the law,” he replied. The Pledge of Allegiance waiver states: “I understand my rights as a parent and I request that my child, noted above, be excused from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. This request includes standing and placing his/her right hand over his/her heart.” Tuesday, the school district issued a statement saying: “Leon County Schools values patriotism, civic responsibility, and the pledge of allegiance. A change to Florida law this year requires all school districts to publish in the student code of conduct booklet the students’ right to not participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance. In complying with the change in law, our staff developed a form for parents to use to exercise that right.” The opt-out has been available in Florida since 2000. .

Florida schools issuing “Pledge of Allegiance” waivers WCTV / August 23, 2016 “This is a response to a Florida law voted on by the Florida Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Scott,” said Chris Petley, the spokesman for Leon County Schools (www.leonschools.net) in Tallahassee, Florida. Specifically, he is referring to Florida Statue 1003.44. That law dictates “to all school districts in Florida that, ‘each student shall be informed by a written notice published in the student handbook or a similar publication pursuant to s. 1006.07(2) that the student has the right not to participate in reciting the pledge.” “We are required to comply with the law,” he replied. The Pledge of Allegiance waiver states: “I understand my rights as a parent and I request that my child, noted above, be excused from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. This request includes standing and placing his/her right hand over his/her heart.” Tuesday, the school district issued a statement saying: “Leon County Schools values patriotism, civic responsibility, and the pledge of allegiance. A change to Florida law this year requires all school districts to publish in the student code of conduct booklet the students’ right to not participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance. In complying with the change in law, our staff developed a form for parents to use to exercise that right.” The opt-out has been available in Florida since 2000. .

BBC / August 24, 2016 A 21-year-old British woman has died after she was attacked by a radical Islamist with a knife in front of 30 people at an Australian backpacker hostel. A 30-year-old British man was also severely injured in the attack in Queensland state. He remains in Townsville Base Hospital in a critical condition with stab wounds. A dog was also killed in the attack and a local man sustained minor injuries. Police are investigating the possibility that the attacker was motivated by extremist views. The 29-year-old French attacker yelled the Arabic phrase "Allahu akbar" (God is Great) during the attack. "We are not ruling out any motivations at this early stage, whether they be political or criminal," said Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski. "Investigators will also consider whether mental health or drugs misuse factors are involved in this incident." The stabbing took place at Shelley's Backpackers in Home Hill, a small town located about 100km south-east of Townsville that is a popular place for backpackers to pick up agricultural work. Police said the French attacker was in Australia on a temporary visa and was not known to authorities.