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Transport Topics / August 31, 2015 Allison Transmission, which makes the only fully automatic transmission for heavy-duty trucks in the United States, said that fleets using its TC10 automatic gearbox report a 5% improvement in fuel economy over manual transmissions or automated manuals. Chairman and CEO Larry Dewey said during media day at headquarters here that the fully automatic transmission shifts more efficiently than either manual or automated manual gearboxes. Dewey, also Allison’s president, said that fuel is wasted when the power is interrupted during gear shifts with manuals or AMTs. “With the TC10, power goes to the wheels continuously,” he said. This increases fuel efficiency, particularly when there is more start-and-stop driving. When a manual or AMT shifts gears, the engine slows and has to come back up to driving speed. Dewey also said that automatic transmissions increase productivity and make driver recruitment and retention easier. Trucks with automatic transmissions accelerate more quickly from a stationary position, so they can move more quickly in urban traffic and merge into traffic more quickly. Dewey said that means that, over the course of a day, trucks arrive at their destinations sooner, so productivity goes up. Automatic transmissions help fleets expand the pool of drivers that can be hired by making driving easier. “The training period is significantly reduced,” Dewey said. “Drivers have to learn how to handle the big truck, but they don’t have to learn how to shift.” Allison, which celebrates its centennial this year, began production of its TC10 automatic in 2013. The company said its units are being used by about 140 fleets but would not disclose how many it has sold. Revenue totaled $2.127 billion in 2014. Transmissions used in over-the-road tractors account for 7% to 10% of Allison’s entire business, Dewey said. The company also makes transmissions that are used in buses, refuse trucks, delivery trucks, motor homes and a variety of vehicles for applications including agriculture and mining. The company was founded by James Allison, who also was one of the founders of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1915, he started the Indianapolis Speedway Team Co., and four years later his team won the Indy 500. Today, Allison Transmission is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. In addition to its main plant in Indianapolis, Allison has manufacturing facilities in Hungary and India and regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil. Besides truck and coach transmissions, the company has made aircraft engines, automatic transmissions for military tanks and hybrid propulsion systems.

Truck News / August 31, 2015 Every time I have the opportunity to drive Kenworth’s T880, the truck has evolved in some way, usually with the addition of new features and options that add to its versatility. The T880 was launched in 2013 as an alternative to the T800, a truck that generated an extraordinary amount of fanfare over its 25-plus-year run as the workhorse in the Kenworth stable. The truck maker continues to offer both models, but has already converted over most of its customers, with the T880 now representing 65-70% of the T800/T880 combined build. On a recent visit to Kenworth’s home base in Kirkland, Wash., I had the chance to drive a T880 up to the Paccar Technical Center in Mount Vernon, Wash., to see what it is about the T880 that’s winning over customers. The truck I drove had the newest available sleeper cab – a 76-inch mid-roof sleeper that will go into production in September on both the T680 and the T880. Ideal for tanker, flatdeck and lowboy applications, the new sleeper is 22 inches shorter and about 100 lbs lighter than a high-roof sleeper cab. Inside, it is both functional and roomy. If you don’t require an upper bunk, Kenworth provides ample storage along the back wall. Popular features such as the swivel passenger seat are retained to offer a highly livable space. There’s still plenty of headroom, allowing a driver up to 6’8” to stand upright. The longer sleeper cab offers more opportunities for customization. Beacon lights can be placed in several positions on the roof and you can also install roof-mounted horns. A side-of-cab exhaust option is available for those wanting to chrome up the truck. I was pulling a traditional van trailer loaded up to nearly 80,000 lbs, but you’d normally want to hook this truck up to a lower profile trailer for better fuel economy. My T880 had the Paccar MX-13 engine under the hood rated at its maximum 500 hp and 1,850 lb.-ft. or torque. It was sufficiently powered for any of the hills encountered on the drive to Mount Vernon and I was comfortably and safely able to pull out and pass slower trucks that were struggling on the hills. The transmission was Eaton’s MXP (Multipurpose Extreme Performance) UltraShift Plus, designed for vocational applications. The T880 has a more modern exterior design than the T800, but it has retained a bold, heavy-duty appearance. It is said at Kenworth that ‘Every great truck starts with a great grille.’ The T880’s wire aluminum mesh grille with stainless steel surround is distinctive and durable. It has an integrated bug screen and provides ample protection for the cooling module. A new box bumper – both chrome and painted – will soon be available, which is a popular option in Canada, according to Kyle Kimball, vocational marketing manager with Kenworth. Quarter-inch and 3/8” inch versions will be offered. The headlights on the T880 were built for vocational environments. The halogen bulbs are easy to replace without tools and can be found at pretty much any automotive retailer, including department stores. A thick polycarbonate lens provides extra protection from rock chips. The forward lighting system was designed to give good performance down field, but also produces 50% better lighting at the immediate front of the truck to improve safety while working at dark job sites. The front end was designed with reparability in mind. The five-piece Metton hood can be easily repaired and the fender can be removed by pulling 15 bolts in about an hour. Exterior air cleaners aren’t available on the T880, because its wider 2.1-metre cab won’t allow it. However, you can spec’ optional pre-cleaners that reject dirt and debris out the intake before they enter the air cleaner, extending air cleaner life in dusty environments. The hood can be lifted with just 35 lbs of effort, Kimball said, and it opens to 85 degrees for easy access. All the under-hood items that must be examined as part of the pre-trip inspection have been clustered together on the driver’s side to simplify inspections. Inside the cab, there’s a pre-trip inspection switch that cycles through all the lights, allowing the driver to check them with one lap around the truck. Inside, the T880 offers excellent forward visibility through a one-piece windshield that’s 50% larger than on the T8. Kimball explained Kenworth also lowered the crown of the hood by three inches, which can provide up to five feet of extra visibility immediately in front of the truck. Mirrors on the T880 are cowl-mounted, a key differentiator from sister company Peterbilt’s answer to this truck, the Model 567, which has door-mounted mirrors. Kimball said Kenworth prefers cowl-mounted mirrors because they’re more structurally stable, noting they can support 350 lbs without any risk of flexing the door or straining its hinges. The mirrors also stay in position better when the doors are frequently opened and closed, he added. Kenworth gives drivers options for getting in and out of the truck, with two handles on the inside of the door and optional handles available on the exhaust or side of the cab. They’ve even reinforced the map pocket to support 350 lbs, knowing some drivers grab it when climbing into or out of the cab. A new feature in the T880 is an electric-over-air system, in which all switches on the dash are electric, their communications funneled through the cab electronic control unit (ECU). “By going through the cab ECU, it looks at what the rest of the truck is doing and will allow or not allow switches to happen,” Kimball explained. For example, it won’t allow the operator to raise a dump body when the truck’s travelling down the highway. When the T880 hit the market, Kenworth realized it would take time to add all the options currently available on the T800, but in just two years, it now has about 95% of T8 options available, Kimball said. Some highly specialized options are all that’s currently lacking on the T880 and eventually, those will be available as well. There are still some T8 faithful who are reticent to make the switch to the more modern T880 but Kimball said once drivers get behind the wheel, they quickly see the benefits. There are no imminent plans to discontinue the T800. “Right now, the plan is to continue (offering both models),” Kimball said. “We’re definitely trying to convert people over to the T880 because of the features, the extra cab room and cab functionality, but we’re still offering the T800. We have a good success rate of converting people over once they get a chance to drive it.” I have nothing disparaging to say about the T800, but in terms of drivability and amenities, the T880 is an upgrade. Interestingly, one of the T880’s greatest attributes, its versatility, is landing the truck in some unexpected applications and even eating into the on-highway model T680’s turf. The vocational truck has found a following among on-highway customers who prefer the T880’s heavier-duty look. “Some lighter-weight stuff, 12,000- and 13,000-lb front axles are a good portion of T880 sales,” Kimball said. “A lot of people are still spec’ing it for on-highway applications. They want that heavy-duty truck. It still fits well, but to get the most bang for your buck, the T680 is the aerodynamic leader, so we’re trying to push people towards the T680 for on-highway. But a lot of customers want that heavy-duty look and feel to it as well.” Of course, for Kimball, having some unexpected demand from outside the T880’s anticipated market segments is a problem I’m sure he can deal with. Related photographs - http://www.trucknews.com/equipment/driving-kenworths-ever-evolving-t880/1003067485/

Jeep May Finally Build Wrangler-Based Pickup Car & Driver / August 31, 2015 The oft-teased idea of a pickup version of the Jeep Wrangler has gotten a new lease on life, according to a recent report in Automotive News. Springing from Fiat-Chrysler’s recent dealer meeting, the report says that a Jeep-branded mid-size pickup “could begin production in 2018,” depending on what happens with the Toledo, Ohio, factory that has long been the home of the Wrangler. The report also says the truck would have a short bed and make use of Wrangler suspension bits and powertrains. Jeep fans have long memories, and they have not forgotten the 1981–85 Scrambler, which was based on the CJ. The Scrambler featured a stretched wheelbase, a removable roof, and (naturally) four-wheel drive. Jeep itself has certainly been guilty of stoking the fires with a series of Wrangler-based pickup concepts. The most recent was the J-12 (which we drove) that additionally featured the retro goodness of the early ’60s Jeep J-series/Wagoneer front end. Back in 2005, we saw the more straight-up Wrangler pickup notion in the form of the Gladiator concept shown above. Its production-ready appearance and sweet-looking side-mounted spare had the faithful salivating, but the project never went anywhere. Then there was the Wrangler JT concept, which wowed crowds at the annual Jeep Easter Safari in Moab in 2009. Yet another two-door Wrangler pickup, this one was built on the four-door Wrangler Unlimited chassis. To fill the void, conversion and aftermarket companies have stepped in, such as AEV and its awesome Brute. Enough already. With a new Wrangler on the way in 2017, Marchionne and friends need to figure out a way to add a pickup variant. There’s a reason this idea just refuses to die. .

Michigan woman murders newborn Reuters / August 31, 2015 A Michigan woman pleaded not guilty on Monday at her arraignment on charges of first degree murder in the death of her newborn son, who was found sealed in a plastic bag and stored in a tote near her desk in March. Kimberly Pappas, 26, of Wyandotte, was found competent to stand trial in July on charges of felony murder, premeditated murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of the newborn, the prosecutor's office said. In court on Monday, Pappas stood quietly, while a plea of not guilty was entered by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Morrow. There is no provision for bond when a defendant is charged with first degree murder, said Maria Miller, spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, in an email. Prosecutors said Pappas gave birth to a full-term infant in the bathroom at her workplace in Redford, Michigan, on March 31. An employee alerted the Redford Fire Department, which attempted to resuscitate the child, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The next hearing in the case was set for Oct. 5 at 9 a.m. Prosecutors say Pappas’s actions after delivering her baby at work constitute murder. Pappas initially told police that she'd miscarried and put her baby boy's body in a bag. But medical examiners have determined that the boy died of asphyxiation. The details of the case are graphic. Prosecutors allege Pappas, a temporary employee at CEVA Logistics in Redford Township, gave birth in the bathroom at work March 31. Pappas then put the baby in a plastic bag, which she placed inside her desk drawer before continuing to work. "She said no one helped her with the delivery; she did it on her own," said Detective Sgt. Kevin Crittenden of the Redford Township Police. "An employee was in the room with her for a short time and said she didn't notice anything unusual." Co-workers discovered blood in the restroom and called 911. Responders tried to revive the newborn. “The baby was still warm when rescue personnel found him,” but by then it was too late. The boy was pronounced dead at an area hospital shortly before noon. Although Pappas at first told police that she'd miscarried, she later admitted that she'd felt the baby moving right up to when she delivered him. The full-term infant lived approximately 30 minutes before he died of asphyxiation, a Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office report said. .

On Sunday, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush criticized Trump's policy proposals for dealing with immigration. "He wants everyone deported, which would tear family lives asunder," calling Trump's plans "unconstitutional." "It's not conservative and it's not realistic and it does not embrace American values," Bush added. Similarly, on Trump's signature idea of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, Bush charged that the proposal is likely impossible. "What Donald Trump is proposing is a wall that can't be built, and if it was, it would cost hundreds of billions of dollars." Bush added that "right now the number of Mexicans crossing the border is basically flat," suggesting that Trump misunderstood the immigration issue. Bush charged that "the immigrants that are crossing legally or illegally in both cases are from Central America now." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Illegal immigrants are inherently criminals, individuals who have chosen to break U.S. immigration laws. They all need to be fingerprinted, deported and blocked from returning. Law-abiding immigrants, who respect and enter into the United States thru our established immigration process, are welcome.

Mother drowns her twin toddler boys in bathtub Associated Press / August 31, 2015 A 22-year-mother has been arrested for drowning her 2-year-old twin sons in a bathtub on Sunday, police said. Mireya Alejandra Lopez was arrested on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide after her sons were found unresponsive in the family's home. Lopez told officers that she intentionally drowned both of her twin boys in the bathtub, said Sgt. Brandon Busse of the Avondale, Arizona Police Department. "Mireya also stated to investigators that she also attempted to drown another child in the home but she was stopped by family ...," said Busse. Officers were called to a home near 115th Avenue and Yuma Street shortly before noon about reports of an ill person, Busse said. The boys' grandmother called 911 about noon. When first-responders arrived at the home, they found the two boys lying unconscious on a bed, Busse said. Police and firefighters administered CPR and both children were taken to hospital, where they died. .

Navistar Trail Magazine

Tieman’s tanker-building business bought back Australasian Transport News / August 31, 2015 The family behind Tieman Industries has retained ownership over a key part of the business. The Melbourne-based trailer manufacturer was placed into voluntary administration earlier this month, with restructuring consultancy KordaMentha charged with selling on its three distinct businesses: the bulk road tanker manufacturing; tail lift production; and a repairs and service offering. Last week, it reported the sale of the service business and fleet to Wastech Engineering. But the company has now confirmed the flagship tanker manufacturing business will stay in the family’s hands, with brothers Dale and Colin Tieman purchasing it as a standalone entity. "The Tieman family are pleased to announce that their 62-year-old tanker business has survived, saving approximately 90 jobs at Campbellfield in Melbourne," the company says in a statement. "The recent announcement [of the administration] has meant a most difficult time for all stakeholders and the Tieman family and the company wishes to move forward and support their tanker customers, associated industries and suppliers into the future. "The industry and customer support has been humbling and the new focus on a tanker-only business will assist in building stronger partnerships and alliances for mutual long term benefits into the future." It is understood, the third business remains for sale and is continuing to trade under the administrators. A representative of KordaMentha did not respond to ATN’s enquiry by deadline.

The Engineer / August 26, 2015 Two European manufacturers have teamed up to create a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) suitable for use on heavy trucks. Skeleton Technologies and Adgero SARL have designed a hybrid system, optimised for intermodal road transport operations, that they claim can reduce fuel consumption and associated CO2 emissions by up to 25%. How it works… The Adgero Hybrid System is an intelligent operation comprising two control units: one on the tractor unit and one on the trailer. During acceleration, the tractor unit communicates with the trailer to manage the boost provided by an electrically-driven axle on the trailer. Power is stored in a bank of high-power ultra-capacitors. During braking, the motor becomes a generator, recovering kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as heat and storing it in the ultra-capacitors. Its manufacturers said it will pay for itself within three years in reduced fuel consumption, realising savings of between 15% and 25% depending on terrain and traffic conditions. The system has been designed to exceed the typical 10-year lifetime of a trailer. “Road haulage accounts for over a fifth of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, so fuel-efficient solutions are crucial. We are beginning to see regenerative braking systems in automotive applications, but the market clearly needs a similar solution for articulated lorries,” said Mack Murray, CEO of Adgero SARL. “By partnering with Skeleton Technologies, we are putting the world’s most advanced ultracapacitors at the heart of our system. This will give us a powerful competitive edge in a demanding industry where energy density is a key metric.” Skeleton Technologies uses a patented graphene material in its ultracapacitors that allows for greater conductivity and higher surface area. In the past year, the company has worked with Adgero to adapt an 800V ultracapacitor power module that is proving successful in the motorsport industry to meet the needs of road freight vehicles. In recent months the Adgero hybrid system has been through rigorous testing procedures including vibration, shock and immersion testing. On-road trials will begin in 2016 with Altrans, a French logistics company that is part of a trade organisation that represents 11,000 vehicles across Europe. Adgero and Skeleton Technologies then plan to ramp up production, with the objective of producing 8,000–10,000 units annually by 2020. Related reading: http://skeletontech.com/skeleton-technologies-and-adgero-unveil-kers-system-for-road-haulage/ http://adgero.eu/ .

Transport Topics / August 28, 2015 Mack Trucks has become the fourth major truck manufacturer to bow out of the 2016 Mid-America Trucking Show, joining sister company Volvo Trucks, as well as Daimler Trucks North America and Navistar Inc. “Mack has decided not to participate in the 2016 Mid-America show,” spokesman Chris Heffner told Transport Topics Aug. 28. “With a lot of the other manufacturers having already announced their plans not to go, there was some concern about attendance and also a diminished return on our investment from participating in the show.” Mack has not yet made any decisions regarding its plans for MATS beyond 2016, he said. Mack and Volvo are both part of the Volvo Group. Prior to Mack’s statement, DTNA, Volvo and Navistar all announced in recent months that they would skip next year’s show, scheduled for March 31-April 2. Despite the withdrawal of most of the industry’s original equipment manufacturers, the 2016 edition of MATS “continues to see strong demand for exhibit space from other industry segments and we are already experiencing a supply crunch for hotel rooms . . . all leading us to believe that the 2016 show will be a successful 45th anniversary for MATS,” said Toby Young, president of Exhibit Management Associates, which owns and operates the event. Young said some truck dealers have contacted his firm to express interest in reserving exhibit space that was released by the OEMs. “We hope to work directly with them and their supporting manufacturers to have trucks on the show floor in 2016, as we have every year since the show began,” he said. MATS, held each year at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky, is billed as the largest annual heavy-duty trucking event in the world. This year’s edition, held March 26-28, drew a record 81,768 attendees. After sitting out next year’s show, DTNA, Volvo and Navistar have all said they intend to return to MATS in 2017 and would like to see the show move to a biennial schedule. Young, however, said MATS will continue to take place at the Kentucky Exposition Center every year through at least 2020 under the terms of its contract with the venue and the city of Louisville. “MATS has long provided an unmatched environment for attendees to stay up-to-date on important industry issues, connect with manufacturers and suppliers, and look for new products,” he said. “Even with the truck OEM announcements, this environment will continue to exist and thrive. Given the ever-changing nature of the heavy-duty industry, the need for this annual forum is as strong as ever.” The only major North American truck makers that have yet to announce their plans for MATS are Kenworth Truck Co. and Peterbilt Motors Co., which are both part of Paccar Inc. Preston Feight, general manager of Kenworth Trucks, said Aug. 26 the company has not decided if it will exhibit at MATS. He said the company has been in contact with show organizers and that a final decision should be made “in the next few weeks.” Peterbilt has not yet made any public comments regarding MATS. Ken Hastings, head of investor relations at Paccar, also said on Aug. 28 that the company has not yet determined whether or not it will attend MATS next year. Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40797-volvo-becomes-second-oem-to-pull-out-of-mats-next-year/?hl=mats http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40008-daimler-trucks-pulls-out-of-mid-america-trucking-show-in-2016/?hl=mats

This amounts to Belgium-based SMT Group (http://smt-group.com/companies/companies/smt-nigeria/), which is a distributor in some African regions for Volvo construction, marine and trucks, being asked to peddle the Mack brand (what's one more sign on the building?). And there's no activity in South Africa, the continent's largest country market............go figure.

Boy, 17, charged with raping a family friend, 9 Associated Press / August 29, 2015 A 17-year-old boy has been charged with raping a nine-year-old family friend. Jonathan Fleming was arrested at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. An investigation by the Crimes Against Children Unit states that Fleming has been sexually abusing the girl since she was about three years old. The girl told police that Fleming has forced her several times a year to engage in sex acts, including intercourse. Fleming has been charged with second degree rape, second degree sexual offense, perverted practice, fourth degree sexual assault and second degree assault, and is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center on $500,000 bond. Police have said additional charges are possible. .

Mother murders her infant child Associated Press / August 30, 2015 A mother of two faces murder charges after she killed her baby and lived with the infant’s lifeless body in her apartment for three months. Christina Colantonio, 28, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her daughter at her apartment in Batavia, about 45 miles from Buffalo, New York Investigators believe Colantonio killed the newborn shortly after she gave birth. Police launched an investigation into the tot's death after a friend of Colantiono called 911 and said that she had found a baby's body. Officers arrived at a home on 208 Liberty Street last Thursday and found the dead baby. Batavia Police Detective Sergeant Todd Crossett said the baby's corpse had been kept there for three months. Colantonio, who has two other children, lived alone in the apartment where the baby was found. She was arraigned Saturday at Batavia City Court and ordered to be held without bail. Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Friedman said investigators 'had enough evidence to come to a conclusion it was intentionally caused.'

19-year-old murders three family members in Tennessee Associated Press / August 30, 2015 Police were called to a home in eastern Tennessee and found a grizzly sight - three people were killed and a child was injured during a shooting spree on Saturday. Sullivan County sheriff's spokeswoman Leslie Earhart says the shooter, Robert Seth Denton, was wounded during the rampage and was taken into custody a short time later in a nearby driveway. Two women with gunshot wounds were found in the kitchen when authorities arrived Saturday evening, he said. They were pronounced dead at the scene. An adult male was found on the porch suffering from gunshot wounds, but he later died at a hospital. A half-dozen children were in the home during the shooting spree and one girl was injured, Sheriff Wayne Anderson said. Denton, who is related to the victims, walked up the driveway of the home with a long-gun and opened fire when he reached the house located near Bristol, Tennessee. 'From what I've seen and heard, he just took `em by surprise,' Anderson said. 'It just all happened real fast.' The 19-year-old male has been charged with three counts of first degree murder, aggravated assault and felony reckless endangerment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press / August 31, 2015 Outfitted in camouflage and armed with a high-powered rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition, Robert Seth Denton fatally shot his mother, stepfather and grandmother while six children witnessed the carnage in the family's double-wide mobile home in eastern Tennessee, a sheriff said Monday. The 19-year-old suspect then went outside, laid down his weapon and camouflage jacket and walked to a neighboring trailer, where he told his grandfather he needed to call 911, Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson said. The grandfather, Curtis Rose, had been making repairs to the trailer, and the din of power tools drowned out the gunfire. Rose went next door and found the horrific scene. He called 911, put the children in a bathroom, grabbed a gun and went after his grandson, the sheriff said. Climbing into a van, Rose caught up to the fleeing Denton at the end of a long driveway. Rose fired once, wounding his grandson in the arm, Anderson said. Denton didn't go far before calling 911 to report he had been shot and to give his location, the sheriff said. Denton was taken to a hospital for treatment and then taken to jail. Denton was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated assault and felony reckless endangerment. Denton made his initial court appearance Monday, and attorney Lynn Dougherty was appointed to represent him. Denton's bond was set at $1 million and his next court appearance was set for Sept. 8. Dougherty did not immediately return a call Monday evening seeking comment. Authorities were still trying to piece together what caused the teenage suspect to allegedly turn on family members. Most of the children in the trailer lost parents. "We have gained a lot of information that he has hated his mother for most of his life," Anderson said. "He had made statements ... over the years that he wanted to kill her." He didn't offer details about the cause of the enmity. The information was based on police interviews with relatives and others who know Denton, the sheriff said. Killed were Denton's mother, Toshya Millhorn, 39; his stepfather, James Millhorn, 36; and his grandmother, Lena Rose, 57. Authorities found Rose and Toshya Millhorn inside the home with gunshot wounds, the sheriff's office said. Both died at the scene. James Millhorn was found near the front door with gunshot wounds, and he died later at a hospital. The children, ages 2 to 12, were in another room but witnessed the shootings, authorities said. Investigators have interviewed two of the children. "These kids, they saw everything that went on," Anderson said, his voice shaking with emotion. "They've got to live with that for the rest of their lives, all six of them. It was the worst horrific scene that I've seen." Five of the children are children or stepchildren of Toshya and James Millhorn, and they are staying with family members, authorities said. The other child was visiting. One youngster, a 7-year-old girl, was injured when a fragment struck her hip, Anderson said. The suspect did not turn the gun on her, he said. The sheriff has described the assault as a surprise attack. Denton parked his vehicle away from the residence and made the long walk up the hilly driveway to the home, Anderson said. Denton apparently entered the trailer through a back door. A neighbor, Darrell Grey, said he heard a barrage of 10 to 12 gunshots and screams. The rampage lasted less than a minute, he said. "We heard somebody, they said, 'Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,'" he said. Authorities said Monday they don't know why the suspect spared his grandfather. "Why he didn't shoot his grandfather and went out there and told him is beyond me," the sheriff said. Investigators had not uncovered any prior local criminal record for Denton, the sheriff said. Authorities said the suspect had served a short stint in the Army, but didn't provide any details about his work history outside the military. As a child, Denton had lived in the trailer where the shootings occurred, but most recently lived in a Bristol apartment, the sheriff's office said. No charges are pending against Curtis Rose for opening fire on his grandson, the sheriff said. .

17-year-old drowns pregnant girlfriend's nephew Associated Press / August 30, 2015 An East Texas teenager is accused of pushing his pregnant girlfriend's three-year-old nephew into a pond so the boy would drown to make room for the unborn child to live at their home. Bobby Woods, 17, faces a charge of capital murder of a person under age six. Woods told authorities that he wanted Mason Cuttler to die because his girlfriend was pregnant and he wanted to make room in the home for his unborn child. Mason's dead body was found on August 18 in a pond near Lufkin, a day after he was reported missing while playing outside as his parents cleaned their home, investigators have said. Woods' pregnant girlfriend is the aunt of the boy. Woods was booked as an adult after his arrest Friday and remained in the Angelina County jail without bond Saturday. Sheriff Greg Sanches said Woods was a member of one of three families living at the house. Woods told sheriff's deputies he was aware of Mason's age and that the boy could not swim. He said he pushed the child into the pond, then turned his back and made no effort to rescue the boy as he cried for help. .

About Fitzgerald in general, I believe what's special is the ability to purchase a new truck in year 2015 with a pre-emissions engine. Aside from the Icon, which doesn't do anything for me either, they have a wide range of brand and model offerings.

Diesel News Australia / August 27, 2015 The government of South Australia’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) has released a safety video for truck operators on how to handle the long steep descent into Adelaide on the South Eastern Freeway. The issue is, with the set of traffic lights directly at the foot of the grade, an out-of-control truck arrives right in the middle of suburban traffic, and deaths have resulted from this. It’s a long way back up the hill to the last safety ramp where runaway trucks can get off the highway safely. The descent is over seven kilometres (4.35 mile) long and has some deceptive sections where it looks like it is levelling out, but actually continues even steeper. Truckies need to be aware of the descent and be prepared for it when they arrive at the summit, this video talks them down the grade and offers advice to the unwary. As an older truckie, my thoughts go immediately to questioning why an operator would let a driver who didn’t have good experience and knowledge at heavy masses drive down to Adelaide on this route. Then I remember the fact some modern trucks do not even flinch at descending a grade like this at a relatively high speed. The time when all grades needed to be approached with caution, when engine brakes were laughable and drums could over heat real quick are in the past. We have become a little blasé about descents like this, using retarders and compression brakes to enable us to get down these hills at a set speed without fuss. The video reminds us how these descents should be treated with respect and we do need a strategy if the retardation suddenly stops working. For something a little lighter, here is an safety video made in Queensland, asking drivers to respect the issues of outback driving. It’s good to see the cops joining in!

Overdrive / August 27, 2015 Fitzgerald Glider Kits (https://www.fitzgeraldgliderkits.com/) announced Aug. 27 it has added the the Kenworth Icon 900 and the Western Star 4900 to its glider kit offerings. The announcement came at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, Texas. The Kenworth Icon 900 was unveiled in March at the Mid-America Trucking Show and is a modern take on Kenworth’s classic W900 tractor. Fitzgerald is offering three 2006 and older engine choices for the Icon 900: a 12.7 liter Detroit 60 series, a Cummins N14 or a Cat 6NZ. All engine choices can be spec’d with a 10-,13- or 18-speed Eaton Fuller reman transmission. The Western Star 4900 will be available in three configurations: An over-the-road day cab, a heavy-haul configuration and the 4900EX 82-inch high-top sleeper. Fitzgerald says it ordered 100 Icon 900 gliders and 300 Western Stars.

Fleet Owner / August 27, 2015 Asked to forecast truck sales for 2016, Kenworth Truck general manager and Paccar vice president Preston Feight pointed out that current high Class 8 numbers in the U.S. and Canada would be hard to exceed. Citing recent Paccar estimates of 2015 industry sales totals at 270,000 to 290,000 units, Feight said: “With sales at such high levels, I don’t know where we can go from here.” Without offering a number for 2016, Freight said he expects Class 8 sales to be “solid” as both general economic and industry-specify indicators are all positive except for continuing driver shortages. “People are doing well and freight will need to be hauled, so customers will continue to buy trucks.” Surpassing current levels by any significant amount would put Class 8 sales near the record numbers seen in 2006, “which seems a bit unrealistic,” he said. Sales that year were driven by strong pre-buy pressure to avoid the cost and complexity of new emissions systems arriving in 2007. There are no similar pre-buy pressures on the horizon, and current sales reflect more organic drivers such as the need to replace an aged fleet with significantly more fuel efficient models. As for Kenworth’s performance in the strong Class 8 market, Feight said it had increased its Class 8 market share from 12.15 in 2010 to 14.7% this year. Its new T680 and T880 models, introduced in 2012 and 2013, respectively, now account for 75% of the company’s production, and its proprietary 13-liter DAF MX series engine is now installed in 40% of its trucks. Early next month, Kenworth will expand the T680 model line up with a 76-in. mid-roof model intended for tanker and flatbed applications. A second proprietary engine, the 10.8 liter DAF MX-11 rated from 286 to 435 horsepower, is also scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 2016.

Fleet Owner / August 27, 2015 Responding to what it said is the “latest in a series of baseless and defamatory editorials, letters and columns published by” The New York Times on Saturday, Aug. 22, American Trucking Assns. (ATA) President & CEO Bill Graves lashed out at “several falsehoods, both implied and intentional” in an op-ed submitted to the Times. According to ATA, the Howard Abramson-penned op-ed, entitled, “The Trucks Are Killing Us,” misrepresented the safety focus of the trucking industry. Graves’ op-ed submission was rejected by the Times, ATA said. Abramson is a former publisher and editorial director of Transport Topics Publishing Group, which is a unit of ATA, working with the group from 1998 through January 2014. “It is unfortunate that the Times ran an opinion column this Saturday titled ‘The Trucks are Killing Us,’ without properly vetting the statements contained in it,” wrote Graves in the rejected op-ed. “Despite the author’s implied credentials, there are several falsehoods, both implied and intentional, in the text that deserve a response.” In his op-ed, Abramson wrote that Congress has “pursued a number of steps to roll back safety improvements ordered by federal regulators,” including suspension of the restart mandate that required drivers to take consecutive 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. rest periods as part of a 34-hour restart. The 34-hour restart was not suspended. Abramson also criticized efforts to allow longer trucks, allow a pilot program to test an 18-year-old interstate driving age, and said Congress is discouraging FMCSA from “investing in wireless technology designed to improve the monitoring of drivers and their vehicles.” In Graves’ unpublished response, entitled “Despite Fearmongering the Trucking Industry is Safe and Getting Safer,” he writes that “Mr. Abramson says Congress has ‘eliminate[ed] the requirement that drivers take a two-day break each week.’ This isn’t just an implied falsehood – it is simply and totally wrong. What Congress has done is almost exactly the opposite – it is allowing drivers to take more than one two-day break each week should they need or want to – and easing an onerous restriction that these breaks include two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration admitted to Congress it never studied the potential consequences of these changes, consequences we now know – thanks to an American Transportation Research Institute analysis – include increased daytime truck traffic and likely increases in crashes as a result of more congested highways during daylight hours.” Graves also noted that Abramson’s claim that Congress wants truck drivers to work 82 hours a week, an increase over the current 70 over eight days, is also wrong. “FMCSA itself has said such an extreme work schedule would only be possible in ‘an imaginary world of perfect logistics.’ In the real world the average driver works 52 hours in a week – a reasonable total when compared to the average American workweek in today’s modern economy,” Graves wrote. Many, ATA included, have noted that 18-year-olds are currently allowed to hold CDL and drive intrastate commerce, but not cross state lines. Under the current rules, an 18-year-old could travel hundreds of miles within a state’s border, but not “the three miles between Philadelphia to Camden, N.J,” Graves wrote. Graves added that “the pilot program Congress is currently proposing would not only fix this illogical inconsistency and provide states the ability to restrict these younger drivers in many ways; it would take a huge step toward a graduated commercial licensing system – the same type of system that has long been heralded by safety minded organizations, including ATA.” In his op-ed, Abramson wrote that the trucking industry is opposed to safety. “All of these concessions to the trucking industry have gained traction in Congress even though the industry has consistently resisted safety improvements,” Abramson wrote. “The death toll in truck-involved crashes rose 17 percent from 2009 to 2013. Fatalities in truck-involved crashes have risen four years in a row, reaching 3,964 in 2013, the latest data available. Those crashes are killing not only car drivers but also, during 2013 alone, 586 people who were truck drivers or passengers.” According to Graves, the claim of little to no concern for safety is false. “ATA has pushed for a review of truck crashworthiness standards and has supported mandates for both electronic stability control (finally enacted this June) and improved braking systems. ATA has also been at the forefront of pushes to electronically limit truck speeds and better electronic monitoring of driver hours-of-service – a pair of regulations we hope will be issued soon,” he wrote. In addition, Abramson said that “more people will be killed in traffic accidents involving large trucks this year than have died in all of the domestic commercial airline crashes over the past 45 years, if past trends hold true. And still Congress continues to do the trucking industry’s bidding by frustrating the very regulators the government has empowered to oversee motor carriers.” Graves said the implication is that the trucking industry is responsible for all highway deaths involving trucks. This is not true, he wrote. “Per the most recent federal data available, upwards of two-thirds of all serious crashes involving large trucks are caused by the actions of someone other than the professional driver. Speeding, impaired driving and other aggressive behaviors by non-commercial drivers cause far more truck crashes than do fatigue or other issues cited by the author. This is why ATA supports highway safety programs like America’s Road Team and Share the Road where our professional drivers educate the best ways for trucks and autos to interact on the roadways safely,” Graves said. “ATA has also been at the forefront of pushes to electronically limit truck speeds and better electronic monitoring of driver hours-of-service – a pair of regulations we hope will be issued soon,” Graves added. Graves concluded his op-ed submission summarizing what he said is the safety-conscious approach of the trucking industry. “Improving safety is also at the core of ATA’s support for modest increases in trailer length for some trucks. With a simple increase in trailer size from 28 feet to 33 feet, studies have shown we can eliminate the 6.6 million trips to deliver the 69% of the American economy that trucks move, and that would reduce the number of truck miles traveled by 1.3 billion. Those trips not taken and miles not driven will result, based on crash rates, more than 900 crashes not had,” he wrote. “At the end of the day, there is no silver bullet, no magic gadget that will make roads entirely safe. But through education, by reducing crash risk through sound rules, safety technologies and tighter enforcement, we can continue the long-term improvements in truck and highway safety. Over the past decade, through the industry’s diligence and professionalism, as well as improvements in vehicle technology and enforcement, the number of truck-involved fatal crashes has fallen by a third. “This is good news that some choose to ignore, but it is also a call for all of us – the industry, government regulators and motorists to look at the true roots of crashes and not use the politics of fear to impose counterproductive ‘solutions,’” he added. http://fleetowner.com/safety/trucks-are-killing-us-not-so-says-ata-s-bill-graves

I mentioned that: "Buying Oshkosh’s HEMTT A4 8x4 would have been a wise decision, proven vehicles that would have allowed interoperability with U.S. armed forces, Canada’s key ally" The bottom line is, Canada has been dragging on this purchase for years, and finally decided to go cheap rather than pay up for a Oshkosh HEMTT or Rheinmetall unit. As for the Eurofighter, I'd much rather bet on the latest version of Saab's Gripen (http://saab.com/air/gripen-fighter-system/gripen/gripen/).

In a desperate "Hail Mary" play for points, Hillary in Cleveland yesterday compared Republican presidential candidates who hold conservative views on abortion and women's reproductive rights to "terrorist groups." This proves to me at least that she has a lot to learn about who the terrorists actually are. And she wants to sit in the captain's chair.............hmm.

You only have one life and it is an all-too-short one. It doesn't cost much to travel unless you want it to. After having worked hard for many years, you owe it to yourself to do something for yourself.....a little payback time. Certainly, stepping outside the box (the US) will open you mind and expand your horizons in so many ways (as our lad Tim is now realizing).

????? Where did my post mention religion?