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Renault Press Release / July 9, 2015 Renault Trucks has been voted Best supplier of the year 2015 by the Fraikin Group, Europe’s leading industrial and commercial vehicle renters. After a detailed in-house survey of some 50 staff members, it was the quality of its customer relations and fulfilment of its commitments that enabled Renault Trucks to stand out from 23 other chassis or equipment suppliers. Renault Trucks has been declared winner of the Best supplier of the year for 2015 award by the Fraikin Group, Europe’s N°1 industrial and commercial vehicle rental company. The candidates for the title were judged on the basis of several criteria: their ability to provide the Fraikin Group with support both before and after sales, their responsiveness to customers’ commercial and technical demands, respect for commitments to delivery lead times and product conformity plus their ability to offer innovative products corresponding to market and customer needs. Competing with 23 other international chassis and equipment suppliers, Renault Trucks was able to stand out for the quality of its “customer relations” and its performance in all other areas. “We wanted to reward Renault Trucks teams’ high motivation, as well as the quality support the brand provides to our Group,” explains Arnaud Perard, the Group’s purchasing director. “In particular, Renault Trucks gave our teams an excellent technical grounding when EURO VI was introduced, enabling us to optimise vehicle handovers to our customers and also guarantee efficient maintenance. This is why we decided to give them the Best supplier of the year 2015 award.” In order to discern its best international suppliers, the Fraikin Group carried out an in-house survey involving some 50 staff members. These assessed each brand based on a number of different criteria, which were subsequently backed by quantitative data gathered within the company. By means of this survey and award ceremony, which took place during the company’s annual convention, the Fraikin Group aimed to improve its methods of analysis and its suppliers’ performance. Renault Trucks makes up 10% of the Fraikin Group’s total fleet. The company operates 4,900 of the brand’s vehicles in 14 European countries. About the Fraikin Group: With 70 years of experience and an annual revenue of €643 million, the Fraikin Group, Europe’s leading industrial and commercial vehicle rental company, operates the continent’s largest multibrand and multi-function vehicle fleet (55,000 vehicles, of which 49,050 are owned and 6,000 managed). It also boasts the largest dedicated and integrated network with 180 agencies throughout Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia and Saudi Arabia). Offering much more than just a vehicle rental service, Fraikin, with its 2,800 strong workforce, helps its clients define solutions adapted to their needs and enables them to benefit from its extensive expertise which allows the company to meet their demands in terms of swift response and flexibility. Find out more at: www.fraikin.fr .

Land Line / July 9, 2015 The recent release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Phase 2” environmental standards for heavy trucks and trailers has prompted a U.S. representative from Tennessee to file legislation that would make sure glider kits remain exempt. For one thing, glider kits are not technically “new” trucks, says Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn. Black’s congressional district includes Byrdstown, Tenn., home of Fitzgerald Glider Kits (https://www.fitzgeraldgliderkits.com/). Black filed an amendment to the House version of an annual spending bill, known as an appropriations bill, which covers the Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. Every year, Congress must sign off on a dozen appropriations bills for various departments (another of which is transportation) that keep the government running in day-to-day operations. Her amendment says that no funds shall be used to finalize, implement or enforce greenhouse gas regulations on glider kits and glider vehicles. The proposed EPA standards contain language that could, if implemented as a rule, force glider kits to meet certain standards to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions. Black spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 8. “I recently toured a business in my district that manufactures these kits. For those who don’t know, a glider kit is a group of truck parts that can include a brand-new frame, cab, or axles, but does not include an engine or transmission,” Black said, educating her colleagues about the kits. “Since a glider kit is less expensive than buying a new truck and can extend the working life of a truck, businesses and drivers with damaged or older vehicles may choose to purchase one of these kits instead of buying a completely new vehicle. Unfortunately, the EPA is proposing to apply the new Phase 2 standards to glider kits, even though the gliders are not really new vehicles.” Black’s amendment passed by a voice vote and was added to the appropriations bill. The fact that the Senate has passed its own version of the Department of Interior appropriations bill means there are now two different versions of the bill. For a bill to pass and become law, the language needs to be reconciled – matched up – so it can move on to the president’s desk for signature. Black reiterated that the glider kit provision in EPA’s Phase 2 proposal would unfairly target the glider kit industry and consumer choices. “Under this ill-advised rule, businesses and drivers that wish to use glider kits would be effectively forced to buy a completely new vehicle instead,” she said on the House floor. “Reducing glider sales would also end up limiting consumer choice in the marketplace.” The recent release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed “Phase 2” environmental standards for heavy trucks and trailers has prompted a U.S. representative from Tennessee to file legislation that would make sure glider kits remain exempt.

Felixstowe-based container haulier James Kemball has added 10 Renault trucks to its 120-strong fleet of Mercedes, Scania and Volvo units – the first in its 42-year history. "After gaining the title of International Truck of the Year and hearing about the improvements to the new Euro 6 vehicles, we felt the time was right to take a fresh look at Renault Trucks and in particular the new Range T," explains general manager Chris Abbott. Supplied by local dealer Renault Trucks Felixstowe, the Range T460 6X2 Euro 6 tractor units, plated at 44 tonnes have joined James Kemball's fleet on a two-year lease deal through BRS under a full R&M contract including tax and tyres. "The demonstrator performed exceptionally well in fuel evaluation trials and we felt that the new cab is now on a par with its major competitors by including microwaves and TV/DVD players," comments Abbott. "This, together with first-class back up support from our local Renault Trucks' approved dealer, and a competitive leasing deal from BRS, cemented our decision to go with Renault Trucks," he adds. The Range Ts are now being used for long-distance operations, transporting containers from Felixstowe Port across the UK for shipping lines, freight forwarders, and logistics companies. .

Low revs high torque Diesel News Australia / July 9, 2015 New engine technology is claimed to make a new engine the most efficient truck engine in the world. Mercedes Benz has unveiled the next generation of its 13 litre engine range in Europe. The latest iteration of the OM 471 engine is based on the same basic engine block as other 13 litre Daimler engines around the world, including the Detroit DD 13. This evolution of the OM 471 comes four years after its introduction at the European launch of the new Actros, due in Australia next year. The Euro 6 compliant engine sees each of the various technologies included in the modern engine enhanced for improved performance. The initial launch of the new Actros in Australia will be fitted with the Euro 5 version of this engine, so we can expect to see this latest enhanced technology appearing later this decade. Power ratings now go up to 530 hp, the X-Pulse fuel injection system has been improved, a new EGR valve has been introduced, as has an asymmetric turbo system. Mercedes Benz is claiming considerable fuel economy improvements for the new engine and is talking about oil change intervals out to 150,000 km. New torque performance has been achieved, as a result of introducing the enhanced technology. The lower powered versions of the new engine will see torque topped up by an extra 200 Nm when the truck is in top gear. This should reduce down changing, thus decreasing fuel use, by enabling the truck to hang on to top gear longer. Maximum power will be available from 1450 to 1800 rpm on the new engines and maximum torque, at 2600 Nm (1918 ft lb) on the top power engine, is on tap from 900 to 1450 rpm. Even at idling speed, at 600 rpm, the engine is still producing 1600 Nm of torque. X-Pulse injection uses a common rail fuel system boosted with extra pressure by the injectors. Pressure in the rail will now increase to 1160 bar and injection pressure is to rise to 2700 bar, giving more precise control of injection event timing. As part of the fuel saving strategy, the new engine is being offered in a truck with a rear axle ratio of 2.533. In this set up, with the truck running at 65 km/h the engine is still below 900 rpm but can use the 2200 Nm of torque to maintain performance. The new EGR exhaust valve has been repositioned and can now be used to control both the level of exhaust gas recirculation but also the amount of exhaust gas redirected to the turbo, when a power boost is needed. The engine also uses asymmetric injection strategies when regenerating the DPF. The EGR rate is increased as high as 50 per cent in to increase exhaust gas temperature flowing through the particulate filter. In order to avoid a high level of unburnt fuel, cylinders one to three get reduced fuel while four to six get a full fuel flow. Benz claim this strategy does not compromise power output or emissions levels.

Prime Mover / July 9, 2015 Cummins Filtration has announced the release of the Fleetguard LF14000NN lube filter as a standard for new Cummins ISX diesel engines. LF14000NN uses NanoNet media, a patented polymeric nanotechnology-based synthetic media originally developed for the company’s Fleetguard fuel filter applications. “Many of the characteristics that make NanoNet media so successful in fuel filter applications translate well to lube filters,” said Brad Long, Senior Engineering Technical Advisor, Cummins Filtration. “By pairing NanoNet with our proven StrataPore synthetic media, we can offer a lube filter that’s suited to meet the needs of today’s advanced engine platforms and lubricants as well as those coming in the near future.” The NanoNet media in lube filtration removes and retains 98.7 per cent of all particles as small as 12 microns. In the case of LF14000NN lube filter, the NanoNet and StrataPore media structures work together for improved particle removal, capacity and cold-flow ability. “Our NanoNet media structure enables much higher cold-flow ability than competitors while retaining its high efficiency characteristics in filtering lube oil,” Long said. “High cold-flow ability means less restriction and faster oil lubrication during cold start-up, and lubricating and protecting the vital engine components. Filter efficiency, capacity and cold-flow ability are all improved.”

Prime Mover Magazine / July 9, 2015 North Queensland carrier, Blenners Transport, has taken delivery of its 200th Australian designed and built Kenworth truck. Managing Director of PACCAR Australia, Mike Dozier handed-over the Kenworth K200’s keys to Blenners Transport’s Managing Director, Les Blennerhassett (pictured), at a recent ceremony held at the Kenworth Bayswater plant in Melbourne. “We got our first Kenworth – a T650 – back in 1988. That was the start of our relationship with Kenworth and with (Kenworth dealership) Brown & Hurley,” Blennerhassett said. “We now have a mix of Kenworth models; some K200s on B-doubles, and T609s and T409s on linehaul and road train work. “They’re a strong, proven truck,” Les said of his 27 years of operating Kenworths. “Our customers demand reliable, scheduled deliveries, which means we must operate the best possible equipment available. The drivers love ‘em and Brown and Hurley are very professional people to deal with.” Blenners’ milestone Kenworth K200 features a 550hp Cummins ISXe5 engine and a factory-installed Brown and Hurley 50th Anniversary detail package. Dozier added, “The production and delivery of Blenners Transport’s 200th Kenworth marks a tremendous milestone for the Blennerhassett family, the Blenners Transport organization, and for Kenworth.” .

Transport Topics / July 9, 2015 Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) introduced legislation that would raise federal fuel taxes by 10.1 cents per gallon, and index the new rate to inflation as a way to ensure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The bill also would establish an income tax credit for individuals as a way to cover the additional taxes the average driver will have to pay annually. “Our Highway Trust Fund isn’t funded and cannot be trusted,” said Rice, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “The uncertainty this trust fund creates stifles investment from states and industry, and makes American businesses less competitive.” The bill “will fund much-needed new roads on our congested highway system and will ensure that the condition of our highways will improve, encouraging investment and creating good-paying jobs. Additionally, improvements to the system will reduce accidents and improve safety,” he added. The trust fund is used to back many highway and transit projects, and its funding authority expires July 31.

The Wall Street Journal / July 9, 2015 Ford Motor Co. has announced its Wayne, Michigan plant that assembles its small Ford Focus and C-Max wagon will end production of those vehicles in 2018 in a new setback to efforts to create a market for small cars made in the U.S. Production of the Focus will be moved outside the U.S. The move could put pressure on the United Auto Workers union to temper demands for wage increases in upcoming contract negotiations. Ford, General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), although profitable, are struggling to keep pace with lower-cost Asian auto makers that now have the added advantage of weaker currencies compared with the U.S. dollar. Small cars like the Focus deliver far lower profit margins than the pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles the Motor City is best known for, but they are essential to helping car makers meet stringent fuel economy mandates. Auto makers won concessions from the UAW before and after the financial crisis to dramatically lower labor costs. Those agreements helped usher in a return of U.S. small car production. GM now makes the subcompact Chevrolet Sonic in Lake Orion, Mich., and Ford its Focus in Wayne, Mich. Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, which employs 4,400 workers, builds gasoline, electric and hybrid versions of the two cars. It previously built light trucks and SUVs there and the decision to shift to the smaller vehicles was helped by gasoline that once cost $4 a gallon. Ford earlier had split production of the Focus between factories in Michigan and Mexico. In a statement, the nation’s second-largest auto maker said it is “actively pursuing future vehicle alternatives” for the Wayne facility. Ford builds the Focus at plants in Germany, Argentina, China, Vietnam and Thailand. It is unclear where the next generation U.S. models will be built. Ford Fiesta subcompact cars sold in the U.S. are built in Mexico, which is becoming a production hub for global auto makers [who are leveraging the country’s low labor costs to supply the US car market more profitably, owing to the NAFTA loophole created by politicians tied to big business]. Tens of billions of dollars in new production capacity is underway or planned in Mexico by Ford, Generals Motors and Fiat Chrysler. Toyota is shifting production of its Corolla compact to Mexico in coming years after three decades of building it for North American customers in Canada. Honda last year began shipping its compact Fit to the U.S. from Mexico. Mazda is now building its U.S. market Mazda 3 and Mazda 2 small cars in Mexico. The loss of Focus production move deals a blow to the Obama administration’s attempt to encourage U.S. auto makers to make more fuel efficient vehicles domestically. Government-backed programs, including billions of dollars in Energy Department financing lent to Ford and Treasury Department bailout funds given to GM, helped pave the way for more U.S. small car production. Ford received a $5.9 billion U.S. loan commitment to retool 11 factories in five states to deliver fuel-efficient technologies. The UAW enters negotiations with the Detroit Three aiming to win higher pay packages amid what has been a trend of annual profit-sharing checks that auto makers prefer over fixed increases. As Detroit car makers’ profits increase, union members have grown increasingly discontent with a wage scheme that pays entry-level workers about $19 an hour, or $9 less than workers hired before the financial crisis. While the roughly $57-an-hour wage and benefit costs Ford spends per UAW worker is less than the $75 an hour it was spending a decade ago, it is still between $8 and $20 an hour higher than Honda or Volkswagen, according to Ann Arbor-based researcher Center for Auto Research. How much is Ford or their lobbyist paying the center for Auto Research to lie ??? $57-an-hour ??? U.S. auto workers averaged $28.38 (25.63 Euros) per hour last year. The average hourly pay in Japan was $33.17 (29.96 Euros). The highest in the world is at Volkswagen in Germany, at $53.59 (48.40 Euros) per hour). VW’s labor costs are far higher than Ford. Ford can build the Focus in Germany at a cost of over $50.00 per worker per hour, but Ford can’t build the Focus in America for the American market at a per-hour worker cost around $28.00 ??? (and worker benefits in Germany exceed those in the US)

Bloomberg / July 10, 2015 A U.S. Senate panel unveiled a plan to roll back protections consumers get when renting cars with potentially lethal safety defects, something a safety advocate called a step backward. Under a bill introduced Thursday by Senator John Thune, a South Dakota Republican who is chairman of the Commerce Committee, rental-car companies would be able to offer vehicles with unresolved flaws as long as they disclose the defects in writing to the renter. (A US senator wants to allow big business to bury a danger declaration in that long-worded agreement form, legal speak that many people would miss. No requirement to verbally tell the unsuspecting customer, just include it in the intentionally confusing fine-printed contract that would take 15 minutes to read. Transparency in government? Hardly. Politicians go to the highest bidding lobbyist. Elected representatives displaying no morals and ethics should be promptly impeached) Consumer groups have pushed for laws to prevent rental of defective cars. Legislation such as the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act was considered by the Senate committee as recently as 2013 but never became law. The panel this year switched to Republican control. (Why would your government intentionally want to block the recall of rental cars to resolve dangerous defects that have killed hundreds, e.g. the Takata air bag fiasco, GM ignition switch, ect. ????) “This is going backward,” said Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, a safety group based in Sacramento, California. “This would be worse than existing practices for 95 percent of the industry.” The Senate Commerce plan would let rental-car companies ignore the steps taken voluntarily by the largest companies, like Hertz Global Holdings Inc., Avis Budget Group Inc. and Enterprise Holdings. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is supporting Thune’s legislation, arguing that less than 10 percent of recalls sought by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were deemed serious enough to recommend that consumers stop driving until their cars are repaired. NADA and car dealers have been working with Senator Charles Schumer, the bill’s sponsor, on changes that would mitigate the economic impact on consumers and small businesses. (In other words, business profits outweigh your safety) Alliance Chief Executive Officer Mitch Bainwol, who lobbies on behalf of General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and 10 other automakers, said at the 2013 hearing legislation to stop renting defective cars would be harmful to consumers (a fairy tale) because dealerships would repair the rental cars before their customers’ vehicles. The Houcks -- Raechel, 24, and Jacqueline, 20 -- died in a 2004 crash involving a rented Chrysler PT Cruiser. The car had been subject to recall for a defective power-steering hose that hadn’t been repaired. The women lost control after the hose caught fire and the car collided with a tractor-trailer. “The promise of life my talented daughters held was snuffed out in a matter of seconds,” Cally Houck, the women’s mother, told the commerce committee in 2013. “Why didn’t the rental car company fix this defect before renting out a vehicle that was a ticking time bomb?”

Pennsylvania man sent to prison in rape plot to conceive child Reuters / July 9, 2015 A Pennsylvania man convicted of raping his wife's teenage daughter in an effort to conceive a baby the couple could raise as their own was sentenced on Thursday to up to 27 years in prison. Gary Machinshok, 29, of Wilkes-Barre was sentenced on Thursday to first-degree rape and other charges related to the abuse of the 15-year-old girl and her 11-year-old sister. Prosecutors said the girls' mother, Misty Machinshok, 33, was unable to have another child and wanted the 15-year-old girl to become pregnant so she could raise the baby. The mother assisted in the rape by pushing the teenager onto her husband and suggesting the best positions for getting her pregnant. Prosecutors said Machinshok testified against his wife, who was sentenced in April to 15 to 30 years in prison. She pleaded guilty in January to charges including rape, assault, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy. Gary Machinshok was sentenced on Thursday to 13-1/2 to 27 years in prison. The abuse came to light when one of the girl's friends alerted a teacher who called police. The girl was raped more than once in 2013 after the couple met through a website called onlinebootycall.com. .

Cummins hasn't been "slightly years ahead of everyone else" in years. The engine technology of every global truckmaker is far ahead of Cummins, beginning with Daimler (Detroit Diesel). The DD13, DD15 and DD16 (OM 471, OM472, OM473) are cutting edge. One can't put Cummins and "cutting edge" in the same sentence. Their (SCR) emissions systems are the industries worst, and the ISV in the new NIssan pickup is an embarrassment. Due to an inabiity to compete, Cummins lost the global truck market beginning with Europe (Cummins was the leader there in the day). The best they can do is build their old models in India.

Sadly, we live in a new era where very few real truck salesmen, and customers that are truck people, still exist.

No more problems now, since Navistar went with SCR for its engine range. But you are right, in offering Cummins ISBs, it reduces self-branded engine sales. I'm concerned about the future of Cummins. The engine maker is innovating at a snail's pace. For every one step forward, global diesel engine makers are moving ahead two to three steps.

First of all, today's reality is there are no more Mack trucks to be bought. Today's Mack-badged truck is a Volvo under the 27-year-old legacy cab.. Complaining? ............. I simply believe that a foreign truckmaker profiting in the United States market should not, at the same time, be profiting by selling trucks to our enemy's military. That the foreign truckmaker involved (Volvo) also owns America's most iconic name (Mack) is all the more demeaning. You are clearly a very sharp individual, and would thus recall the 1979 U.S. Embassy siege in Iran, and the hostage crisis. That government, which Volvo is selling to, remains in place today.

Video - http://us.cnn.com/2015/07/08/politics/iran-nuclear-talks-obama-deadline/index.html Note the Volvo FH 6x4 prime movers on parade two-thirds of the way through, the tank transporting prime mover of choice of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Volvo didn’t have the integrity to stop selling to Iran until 2013! http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/29989-volvo-finds-exit-ramp-from-iran-market/?hl=iran Now, just 2 years later, and although UN sanctions have not been lifted, Volvo is doing business in Volvo again. http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40409-volvo-shifts-into-reverse-on-iran-sanctions/?hl=iran If a foreign company (ie. Volvo Group) wants to do business in America, and owns an American icon, it would act ethically, and with respect to United States foreign policy. The government of Iran, and its military, remain a foe of the United States of America. .

ABC News / July 8, 2015 Former President George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at a charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and former First Lady Laura Bush collected $50,000 to appear a year earlier, according to officials of the Texas-based Helping a Hero charity. The former President was also provided with a private jet to travel to Houston at a cost of $20,000. The charity, which helps to provide specially-adapted homes for veterans who lost limbs and suffered other severe injuries in “the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said the total $170,000 expenditure was justified because the former President and First Lady offered discounted fees and helped raise record amounts in contributions at galas held in 2011 and 2012. “It was great because he reduced his normal fee of $250,000 down to $100,000,” said Meredith Iler, the former chairman of the charity. However, a recent report by Politico said the former President’s fees typically ranged between $100,000 and $175,000 during those years. One of the wounded vets who served on the charity’s board said he was outraged that his former commander in chief would charge any fee to speak on behalf of men and women he ordered into harm's way. “For him to be paid to raise money for veterans that were wounded in combat under his orders, I don’t think that’s right,” said former Marine Eddie Wright, who lost both hands in a rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004. “You sent me to war,” added Wright speaking of the former President. “I was doing what you told me to do, gladly for you and our country and I have no regrets. But it’s kind of a slap in the face.” Former U.S. Presidents have turned the speaker’s circuit into a major source of income for their post-presidential years. Ronald Reagan faced criticism in 1989 for accepting $2 million for speeches in Japan. Bill Clinton has brought in more than $100 million in post-presidential speaking fees. Bush, similarly, recognized the opportunity, reportedly telling author Robert Draper he planned to "replenish the ol' coffers" on the lecture circuit. But as the commander-in-chief responsible for the prosecution of two bloody wars, Bush has faced a unique dilemma when it has come to addressing military veterans groups. A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton said he "has never received" a speaking fee for addressing a veterans' group. A spokesperson for former President Bush’s father, George Herbert Walker Bush, said it has been several years since the elder Bush had given a speech, but said that he did not recall a fee being requested for charity events. On a “handful of occasions” Bush Sr.'s appearance may have been underwritten to cover costs for the charities, spokesman Jim McGrath said. H.W. Bush reportedly appeared at a Helping a Hero event in 2008. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was the featured speaker at last year’s Helping a Hero charity fundraiser and did not charge a fee. A representative for former President Jimmy Carter said he does not have a specific policy but often donates his honoraria to the Carter Center. A lawyer for Helping a Hero, Christopher Tritico, said he could not answer why former President George W. Bush did not speak for free. “I think it's a valid question for the former President,” he said. “It's not a valid question for a charity who raised an extra million dollars.” According to the charity’s yearly reports to the IRS, it raised about $2,450,000, after expenses, from the 2012 gala where President Bush spoke. The following year, the gala netted the charity substantially less, about $1,000,000. Speaking and traveling fees for the former President were paid by the charity, but the amount was underwritten by a private donor, the charity lawyer said. A spokesperson for the former President, Freddy Ford, confirmed the payment but declined to comment on the criticism over the $100,000 speaking fee from the veterans' charity.

Australasian Transport News / July 7, 2015 The harmonisation and reform of the oversize and overmass (OSOM) regime nationally is making progress, the Queensland Transport Association (QTA) has indicated. The push has so far identified 21 existing state and transitional notices and 42 permit-based schemes that need to be tackled. "Some of these notices cover multiple vehicle types and would need to be sliced apart to extract the relevant OSOM clauses," the association tells members. "The NHVR has initially split the project into more manageable phases to provide an earlier, intermediate benefit to industry whilst the complex task of harmonisation progresses. This first phase has the prime objective of reducing the number of permits by replacing existing period permits and permit-based schemes under a notice. "This will provide direct, immediate benefit to industry with the potential of removing an estimated 20,000+ permits each year, and will increase the transparency and highlight the differences between jurisdictions. "It is proposed that the next phase will address the differences and work towards harmonisation." The QTA notes that The NHVR has decided make a separate oversize (OS) and overmass (OM) notice as opposed to a single combined notice. "The pros and cons of this approach should be considered and included in any comments forwarded to the NHVR," it advises. Details regarding the notices include: They only cover Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South AustraliaAustralian Capital Territory has not advised of any period permits or policiesNHVR is working on a separate intermediate solution for Tasmania that will cover their current unique situationIn place of a Queensland entry in the oversize notice, NHVR proposes an amendment to Form 4 to remove the need to obtain Letters Of No Objection (LONOs). The Tasmanian situation has already sparked concern at permit delays from at least one operator, Tasmanian Heavy Haulage, while moves in Victoria earlier this year were welcomed by state industry.

Owner/Driver / July 8, 2015 South Australia offers to host trial of mass-distance-location charging scheme for trucks. Trucks should be charged based on where they travel and the weight they are carrying, according to South Australia’s premier, who has offered to trial the scheme before it is introduced. Jay Weatherill fronted the National Press Club today with a bold proposal to reshape heavy vehicle charges to ensure road funding keeps pace with community needs and expectations. Weatherill says it is getting harder for governments to fund projects from general tax revenue and that billing trucks individually based on mass, distance and location could alleviate cost pressures. "I therefore propose that we establish a national heavy vehicle road-user charging system run by the Commonwealth," he says. "Under this plan, state-based registration and federal-based fuel excise charges are replaced by a charging system based on mass, distance and location (MDL) — a system that reflects actual use of the road network." Weatherill says the Federal Government will then reinvest the revenue it earns into road infrastructure. "In order to fully explore and test this proposition, South Australia would be willing to trial different elements of heavy vehicle road-user charging. The intelligence and data we collect across our state would then inform the introduction of a national charging scheme," he says. "Such a scheme has the potential to result in better roads, with users paying for the roads they’re actually using and the roads that can support higher-productivity freight vehicles." The now disbanded Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment (HVCI) group recommended MDL for trucks, but the country’s transport ministers would not support the measure. At this year’s Trucking Australia conference, National Transport Commission (NTC) CEO Paul Retter warned that Australia faced a "looming crisis" if it did not overhaul the existing road pricing structure. In comments similar to Weatherill’s, Retter told the conference funding constraints were hampering road infrastructure investment. There is support within the Federal Government for MDL, which was proposed in a recent review of Australia’s competition policy framework. However, MDL supporters have a task ahead of them to convince the trucking industry about the merits of the scheme. The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) is vehemently opposed to MDL and wants a fuel-based charging system introduced instead. But in his speech at the Press Club, Weatherill touted MDL as the answer to funding road projects. "It’s getting harder for governments to meet the demands of road users from general taxation revenue, and roads remain a sector that relies heavily on taxpayers to fund new projects," he says. "My plan has the potential to reduce pressure on government budgets, as the efficient use of revenue from user charges would cut the cost to taxpayers of the construction and maintenance of roads." Weatherill also echoed the thoughts of the rail freight sector, which believes the existing charging framework advantages the trucking industry. "This initiative would also put rail and road on a more even playing field, which would encourage more efficient allocation of the freight effort between road and rail," he says. Weatherill’s MDL proposal was one of four reforms he advocated, with the others covering education, health and housing. He also called for greater cooperation between governments and for the states and territories to have more of a say on important policy areas. "Now is the time for all government leaders to put aside ideological differences and forget about petty point scoring," he says. "It is now time to start a serious and constructive conversation about the society we want and the new economy we must have."

Fleet Owner / July 8, 2015 It’s not every day one stumbles upon a tank in the woods, much less at a commercial vehicle proving grounds facility. But that’s exactly what our intrepid reporter spotted this year while traversing one of the off-road courses at Navistar’s recently purchased proving grounds site outside New Carlisle, Indiana. This Bradley M2/M3 tracked armored fighting vehicle, or AFV, is used to rescue trucks and other equipment that might get stuck along the muddy trails favored by engineers seeking tough challenges for vocational chassis to navigate. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40066-navistar-buys-668-acre-indiana-proving-grounds-from-bosch/?hl=navistar

Today’s Trucking / July 8, 2015 A unanimous decision by an Ontario court puts former workers at a now closed Navistar plant in Southwestern Ontario significantly closer to getting millions of dollars in pension money they claim they are owed. In a decision released Friday, the Divisional Court of Ontario dismissed an appeal by the truck and engine maker of lower court rulings that there should be a broad group of workers participating in the windup of the pension plan. It ruled members of Unifor union Locals 35 and 127 who left Navistar, for whatever reason, between Feb. 1, 2009 and July 28, 2011, should be in the windup group. Production at the plant stopped in June 2009, with the company announcing the plant's permanent closure in July 2011, leading to a partial windup of the pension plan. "This is an incredible victory for Navistar workers and their families," said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. According to the union, this means that all such workers in the windup group aged 55 or older and with at least 10 years of credited service will be entitled to, at a minimum, a special early retirement benefit. Also any worker in the windup group with a certain level of combined age and service will be able to "grow into" a special early retirement benefit. The court also determined that all laid off or disabled workers should get a supplementary of nearly a year of credited service. When contacted by Today’s Trucking for a reaction to the court’s ruling, Navistar Spokesperson Steve Schrier said, “We are reviewing the divisional court decision and will determine next steps in the weeks ahead.” Despite the ruling, Unifor said the court decision does not resolve all matters, but is a big step forward Friday's decision means an estimated $28 million for retirees from the plant, which once employed about 1,000 workers and office staff. The actual windup of the plan will determine how much each worker gets, and there is still a closure agreement to be negotiated, covering such issues as severance. "We urge Navistar to return to the table and close all outstanding matters for their employees and our members,” said Unifor National Representative Jim Mitchell.

Fleet Owner / July 8, 2015 International Truck has started production of its first International WorkStar vocational trucks powered by the Cummins ISB6.7 engine, the company announced. Both the WorkStar and the International DuraStar medium-duty truck are available with the ISB6.7 as an engine option. "Production of the WorkStar with Cummins ISB6.7 is an important milestone in meeting the needs of vocational customers by providing a comprehensive offering of proven components," said Jeff Sass, Navistar senior vice president, North America truck sales and marketing. "The WorkStar with Cummins ISB6.7 gives customers a winning combination of performance and strength." According to the company, the WorkStar boasts multiple-frame rail options, a double-sided galvanized steel cab protected by an extensive five-step corrosion protection process, and comes standard with the Diamond Logic electrical system. The addition of the Cummins ISB 6.7-liter engine expands the WorkStar model's extensive powertrain options, which include Navistar's proprietary 9.3-liter and 13-liter offerings. WorkStar is also available with a suite of traditional manual and automated-manual transmission offerings from Eaton and fully-automatic offerings from Allison. The Cummins ISB6.7, rated up to 325 horsepower and 750lb.-ft. torque, features flexible horsepower and torque ratings, with higher ratings specifically for fire and emergency applications, the company said. "The International WorkStar with Cummins ISB6.7 is the right truck for a large portion of our vocational customers," said David Hillman, vice president and general manager, International Truck Vocational Product Line. "Customers don't have to compromise. They can have it all—efficiency, comfort, capability, and now the proven Cummins ISB6.7 engine."

Navistar Plans Foundry Update at Indianapolis Foundry Management & Technology / April 21, 2011 Navistar International Corp. is expanding operations at its iron foundry in Indianapolis, planning to recall 150 workers by this summer and aiming to hire 100 more by 2014. The company, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of diesel engines, indicated the nearly 80-year-old operation is capable of supplying any diesel engine manufacturer. Details and cost for new investments in the operation have not been released. Long known as Indianapolis Casting, the foundry casts gray and ductile iron engine blocks, and some sources indicate that Navistar intends to begin producing compacted graphite iron (CGI) there in the future. CGI is a lightweight alternative to gray iron and aluminum that is gaining popularity for automotive engine production. Most of Navistar’s MaxxForce family of diesel engines are built from CGI blocks that Navistar sources from other foundries. In 2009, Indianapolis Casting was marked for closure but a five-year labor agreement with the United Autoworkers in July 2010 preserved the operation on a scaled-down basis. Now, the plant operates as a unit of PurePOWER Technologies, a company Navistar acquired in 2009 from Continental Diesel Systems US LLC, to strengthen its research and development program for diesel power technology. “The Indianapolis foundry is a vital part of our efforts to maintain manufacturing capabilities and technical skills in the United States,” stated Navistar Engine Group president Eric Tech. “As a result of our investment to make the Indianapolis foundry a state-of-the-art facility, we will make the company more competitive to meet the global demands of the diesel engine industry.” Navistar said the Indianapolis project is part of its plan to make PurePOWER Technologies “a world-class supplier of engine components.” (And then, they shut it down) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Navistar Now Producing Engine Blocks, Heads in CGI Foundry Management & Technology / January 25, 2012 Navistar’s PurePower Technologies LLC now confirms the long-expected news that it is producing diesel engine blocks and cylinder heads for cars and trucks in compacted graphite iron (CGI), using SinterCast AB’s process control technology. CGI is a specialty grade of cast iron that has greater tensile strength, stiffness, and fatigue strength than gray iron or aluminum, and has gained wide popularity among engine manufacturers seeking to reduce weight, noise, and emissions for their designs. Within the Navistar group, PurePower Technologies is an R&D and manufacturing division for diesel power and emissions control products. It has research centers in Columbia, SC, and Bowling Green KY, an engine components plant in Blythewood, SC, and foundries in Indianapolis and Waukesha, WI. Navistar has been producing diesel truck engines in CGI for several years, though castings for those products have been produced by other metalcasters. The PurePower operation in Indianapolis is the gray and ductile iron foundry long operated by Navistar as Indianapolis Casting Corp. PurePower Technologies is a company Navistar acquired from Continental Diesel Systems US LLC in 2009, to strengthen its research and development program for diesel power technology. Indianapolis Casting was marked for closure that year, but a new five-year labor agreement changed the outlook. Last year, Navistar announced a five-year effort to update the plant as part of its plan to make PurePower Technologies “a world-class supplier of engine components.” The value of the capital investment has not been reported. "Building on more than 10 years of CGI product development and production experience within Navistar Inc., PurePower Technologies has the experience, the facilities, and the team to be a world-class provider of high-quality CGI engine components to the passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle industries," stated Rick Bacon, director, PurePower Technologies Metalcastings. "We have brought the Indianapolis casting facility on-stream in record time to meet the increased demand for heavy-duty CGI blocks,” Bacon continued. “We now look forward to bringing our CGI design and manufacturing experience to OEMs around the world as demand grows for GCI head and block casting technology using SinterCast process technology." Stockholm-based SinterCast developed the CGI production process that is used by automakers and engine manufacturers worldwide. Recently, SinterCast reported over 46 different components are being cast in series production using its process control technology. "The commitment by PurePower Technologies to install CGI capability further demonstrates the growing demand for CGI engine components, particularly in the commercial vehicle sector," noted SinterCast president and CEO Dr Steve Dawson. Noting the new placement provides high-volume CGI cylinder block and head production capability in the domestic U.S., Dawson added, "the global footprint of Pure Power Technologies and its parent company, Navistar, improves our combined ability to support the growing demand for CGI product development and production." PurePower is operating the SinterCast System 3000 system, the latest generation of the control technology. It performs measure-and-correct feed forward control of CGI production, and automated feedback control of the base treatment. System 3000 also logs data from the melting, molding, and shakeout operations at Indianapolis, for quality control and traceability of the casting process. The SinterCast license covers both PurePower foundries: The company has an option to install SinterCast control systems on both iron-casting lines at Waukesha. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Navistar Will Close Indianapolis Foundry, Citing Costs, Efficiencies Foundry Management & Technology / December 16, 2014 Navistar International Corporation will close its Indianapolis iron foundry by the third quarter of 2015, eliminating approximately 180 jobs but reducing the truck and engine builder’s operating costs by about $13 million/year. The company took an $11-million Q4 2014 charge against earnings to cover employee separation benefits, pensions and other “post-retirement contractual termination benefits,” inventory reserves, and other costs. Navistar reported a loss of $72 million for Q4, including the restructuring and other costs (e.g., product warranties), more than analysts expected, though it also reported sales for the quarter rose 9% to $3 billion. In addition to the Q4 restructuring costs, Navistar estimated up to $40 million in additional charges during Q1 and Q2 2015, for accelerated depreciation related to the closing and related impacts during the first half of 2015. The Indianapolis plant has been operating since 1939, casting 250,000 tons/year of engine blocks, cylinder heads, housings, front covers and other parts for the adjacent Navistar truck plant, and for other locations. It had been marked for closing in 2010, but a new, five-year labor agreement with the United Steelworkers and a change in strategy preserved the operation. Navistar reduced the payroll and then operated it as a unit of PurePower Technologies, a diesel technology and emissions control company Navistar acquired in 2009. Subsequently, the foundry licensed SinterCast technology and initiated compacted graphite iron production for engines, adding that option to its gray and ductile iron products. (Navistar had a license to have American workers produce CGI engine blocks and heads, but chose to support Brazil’s economy instead by sourcing from TUPY) "Over the last two years, we've taken a number of steps to strengthen our business and position the company for a return to profitability and long-term success," stated Persio Lisboa, Navistar's president of operations. "We've determined that leveraging our suppliers for these components will reduce our engine costs, improve our overall manufacturing capacity utilization, and free up additional resources to invest in our core North America truck and parts business." Navistar stated it would source its casting requirements “from the supply base.” The company continues to cast commercial vehicle and engine parts in ductile iron at a foundry in Waukesha, WI. "Closing a facility is a difficult decision because of its impact on the many great people who've been part of our company," according to Lisboa, who promised Navistar would “treat people with dignity and respect throughout this process."

Foundry Management & Technology / May 11, 2015 The Waukesha, Wisconsin, ferrous foundry long operated by Navistar International Corp. has been sold to a team of local investors, called Renaissance Manufacturing Group (RMG). The buyers, represented by brothers Paul and Phil Knoebel, confirmed the April 30 sale and that the foundry’s workforce numbering over 200 would remain in place. RMG, which has no previous presence in the metalcasting market, named Todd Martin as president and Bobby Carr as vice president of its new RMG Waukesha division. “We are really looking at this to reinvest with our people, our plant, our processes,” Todd Martin told local reporters. “So this isn’t an equity group that is going to buy it and turn and sell it. What we are really wanting to do is build a long-term legacy around a legacy company.” Neither Navistar nor its PurePower Technologies subsidiary that managed the foundry has commented the sale, and no value has been listed for the transaction. A local news report noted that the buyers had been negotiating the purchase for three years. Navistar announced late last year that it planned to close the PurePower Technologies foundry in Indianapolis in Q3 of this year. With that closing and the Waukesha sale, the diesel engine and truck manufacturer will have exited the metalcasting industry. The Waukesha foundry, which was established in 1896 and acquired by International Harvester (later Navistar) in 1946, has been mainly a ductile iron operation since the early 1980s. It also produces austempered ductile iron, high-temperature and abrasion-resistant ferrous alloys. Since 2011, Navistar’s Waukesha foundry held a license (in common with the Indianapolis foundry) from Sintercast to produce compacted graphite iron (CGI). The Waukesha foundry also began lost foam casting in 2011. (Navistar had a license to have American workers produce CGI engine blocks and heads, but chose to support Brazil’s economy instead by sourcing from TUPY) The foundry has two pouring lines with flask sizes up to 24X32 in., for castings weighing 5-150 lb. Total production is estimated at 250,000-300,000 tons/year. Cast products from Waukesha are supplied for light and heavy truck, combustion engine, railroad, construction, agriculture, and pump/compressor manufacturing.

FYI: Hillary Clinton fired after Watergate investigation Democrat Jerry Zeifman, a counsel and chief of staff of the House Judiciary Committee, who supervised Clinton on the Watergate investigation. Zeifman’s 2006 book, “Hillary’s Pursuit of Power,” states that she “… engaged in a variety of self-serving unethical practices in violation of House rules.” Zeifman said, “Hillary Clinton is ethically unfit to be either a senator or president — and if she were to become president, the last vestiges of the traditional moral authority of the party of Roosevelt, Truman and Johnson will be destroyed.” Specifically, Zeifman contends that Rodham and others wanted Richard Nixon to remain in office to bolster the chances of Sen. Ted Kennedy or another Democrat being elected president. Zeifman said that in 1974 a young lawyer who shared an office with Clinton came to him to apologize that he and Clinton had lied to him. The lawyer, John Labovitz, is quoted as saying that he was dismayed with “… her erroneous legal opinions and efforts to deny Nixon representation by counsel — as well as an unwillingness to investigate Nixon.” Zeifman charges that Rodham regularly consulted with Ted Kennedy’s chief political strategist, a violation of House rules. Hillary Rodham’s conduct, according to Zeifman, also was the result of not wanting Nixon to face an impeachment trial because Democrats worried that Nixon might bring up abuses of office by President John Kennedy. Zeifman — ironically, a consultant to a member of the Judiciary Committee that impeached President Bill Clinton — said Democrats feared putting Watergate break-in mastermind E. Howard Hunt on the stand. Hunt, Zeifman said, might report on his knowledge of nefarious activities in the Kennedy administration “including Kennedy’s purported complicity in the attempted assassination of Fidel Castro.” Zeifman also asserts that Rodham joined Burke Marshall, Ted Kennedy’s chief counsel in the Chappaquiddick affair and Rodham’s former law professor; special counsel John Doar; and senior associate special counsel (and future Clinton White House counsel) Bernard Nussbaum in trying to gain enough votes on the Judiciary Committee to change House rules and deny counsel to Nixon. In order to pull this off, Zeifman said that Rodham wrote a fraudulent legal brief, and confiscated public documents. After the Nixon impeachment investigation was finished, Zeifman fired Rodham and said he refused to give her a letter of recommendation. Zeifman said he regrets not reporting Rodham to the appropriate bar association.

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