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Death of Maryland boy pushed in swing for three days ruled homicide Reuters / June 30, 2015 The death of a 3-year-old Maryland boy discovered last month in a park swing where his mother had been pushing him for three days has been ruled a homicide, authorities said on Tuesday. The boy died of dehydration and hypothermia, according to a statement from Charles County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson. Officers found the boy, Ji’Aire Lee, around 7 a.m. on May 22 after witnesses reported seeing a woman pushing a child on a swing for an unusually long time at a park in La Plata, about 35 miles (55 km) south of Washington, Richardson said. When the officers arrived they found the 24-year-old mother, who has not been identified, still pushing the child, and realized immediately that he was dead. The boy and his mother had been at the park since Wednesday morning, Richardson said. Police found them Friday. The boy was alive Wednesday when he was placed in the swing where he stayed until police found him, Richardson said. Police did not give a time of death, but Thursday's temperatures were unseasonably cold, Richardson said. There were no obvious signs of trauma. The mother was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. No charges have been filed pending a review by the Charles County State's Attorney's Office.

Boy chained up with dead chicken around neck tells his story Associated Press / July 1, 2015 Handcuffed and shackled to a block of steel, the young boy would brace himself when he heard footsteps outside his bedroom door. He knew that once the grown-ups entered, the abuse would begin. For years, he was whipped with belts, his face was burned with electrical wires and his fingers were broken with pliers — all to "teach him a lesson." The abusers, who have since pleaded guilty, were his legal guardian — a supervisor with the Department of Social Services in Union County, North Carolina — and her longtime boyfriend, an emergency room nurse. The abuse ended in November 2013 after police discovered the boy in handcuffs, chained to the front porch of the house with a dead chicken hung around his neck. When police entered the roach-infested house "covered with urine and animal feces," they found something else: four other children, ages 7 to 14, who had been adopted by the couple over the years. They were removed and placed in protective custody. All were abused, but authorities say the boy bore the brunt of the couple's rage. "I was scared to death," the boy, now 13, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "I thought I wouldn't survive." The AP is not naming the boy because of the nature of the abuse. Three months after Wanda Sue Larson and her boyfriend Dorian Harper were sentenced, the boy is telling his story. Larson was released from prison in April, just nine days after pleading guilty to child abuse charges. Now, the boy wants everyone to know she didn't serve enough time. "I want her to be in jail longer," he says. His mother agrees. "It's ridiculous," his mother said. The AP isn't identifying the mother, to avoid indirectly identifying her son. Jeff Gerber is founder of the Justice for All Coalition, which organized protests against the plea deal that led to Larson's release. He said there is widespread outrage over Larson's lenient sentence. Harper, 58, was sentenced to up to 10 ½ years in prison after pleading guilty March 17 to maiming, intentional child abuse inflicting serious injury and assault with a deadly weapon. Two weeks later, Larson, 58, was sentenced to nearly 17 months in jail after pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse. But she was given credit for time served in jail after her arrest and was released April 9. She lives in the same county where the boy now lives. Telephone messages left for District Attorney Trey Robison were not returned Wednesday. Robison has said he agreed to the plea deals mainly to spare the child-victims from having to testify. Messages left for Larson's attorney, Robert Leas, were not returned Wednesday. At her sentencing, Larson expressed remorse for failing to protect the boy and the four others. She blamed most of the abuse on her boyfriend. The boy, however, says Larson not only knew about the abuse, but encouraged it. As he tries to recover, he worries that he might run into her at a neighborhood store, a mall. What would happen then? "That's why I want to tell my story," he said, softly. He now lives with his mother in a Charlotte apartment. Wearing a green Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt and blue gym shorts, he sat on a couch in his living room, patiently answering questions. Barely 5 feet tall and slender, with brown hair and brown eyes, he looked younger than 13. Court documents say he was put in foster care a decade ago after problems arose at the home of an aunt where he had been staying while his mother was moving from another state, and he ended up with Larson. When the boy's mother found out he was in foster care, she tried to get him back. But Larson said the boy had developed a bond with her family and he stayed with her. Eventually she became his legal guardian. The mother only got to see her son a few times a year at a neutral setting, and he said nothing about the abuse. Meanwhile, the boy says Larson told him his mother was sick and he couldn't visit her. "She'd say, 'Your mom is in the hospital. She's there because of your behavior. You're killing her,'" he says. Eventually, Larson and Harper pulled the children out of a Union County school, saying they'd school them at their secluded home where they also kept farm animals. The boy says he was handcuffed and chained to a steel anvil in his locked room where he slept on the floor. At times, they'd starve him and he'd have to beg for scraps. Sometime, the other children would sneak food to him and he'd hide the wrappers in a hole in the wall. Many nights, he wasn't allowed to use the bathroom. The boy says he was even shackled when he went outside. The only time they removed the chains was when he cleaned the house, or picked up animal feces. One time, he says Harper cut his left arm and poured salt in the wound. The scar is still visible. It reached a point that every time they entered his room, he'd pray: "I hope I don't get hurt." Then he'd think about his mother, that maybe they'd be reunited. He kept dreaming of escaping, and that kept him going. A few days before the boy was rescued, Harper blamed him for the death of a chicken and made him wear it around his neck — even at night. The police were responding to a call about a loose animal when they stumbled on him, chained up on the front porch. The boy is still recovering. His mother says it will be a long road. Her son goes to therapy twice a week. He's in summer camp and public school. Still, there are times he can't escape. He had a nightmare that Larson came to his house and took him away. He couldn't find his mother. "I woke up and I thought it was real," he said. "It was just a dream, but I couldn't go back to sleep."

No, no. For starters, Mack thought to share the block with them for greater economy of scale. This link will answer many of your questions - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34624-mack-scania-cooperation/ In its displacement class, today's Scania V-8 is arguably the best truck engine in the world.

U.S. probing whether airlines collude to keep airfares high Reuters / July 1, 2015 The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday it is investigating whether U.S. airlines worked together illegally to keep airfares high by signaling plans to limit flights. The Justice Department wrote to major U.S. air carriers demanding that they detail decisions to limit the number of seats they offer, and what they've said about those plans to investors, securities analysts and the public. Airlines contacted have been asked to provide “available seat miles on a regional and system wide basis” back to January 2010 and a raft of other data. The top four U.S. carriers American, Delta, United and Southwest control some 80 percent of the domestic air travel market. The four confirmed receipt of the regulator's letter and said they are cooperating fully with the investigation. News of the probe sent the Dow Jones U.S. airlines index .DJUSAR down 2 percent. Shares of the U.S. carriers have gyrated in recent weeks as investors questioned whether they were planning to add capacity at a pace faster than overall economic growth, which could put downward pressure on fares. Southwest fueled investor jitters about declining profit margins in May when it unveiled plans to boost capacity by as much as 8 percent this year from 2014, although it later revised the expected increase to 7 percent. But carriers have started taking flights off their fall schedules and postponing aircraft deliveries in response to Wall Street concerns that adding more flights and seats could erode fares and margins. Mergers, new fees imposed on passengers and caution about adding capacity have boosted U.S. airline earnings after a decade of bankruptcies following the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the past year, tumbling oil prices have helped the carriers post billion-dollar profits. The probe focusing on whether the top U.S. carriers are colluding domestically comes as some of the same airlines complain that foreign rivals are competing unfairly on some overseas routes. U.S. carriers have asked the Obama administration to freeze access to U.S. airports by three Gulf airlines for allegedly receiving state subsidies. The Gulf airlines deny that they have received subsidies in violation of trade agreements. The U.S. airlines also have fought plans by low-cost Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (NWC.OL) to expand its U.S. flights under an Irish subsidiary, with claims that it will undermine wages and working standards. Consumer advocates and some lawmakers praised the Justice department action focusing on domestic fares. "This investigation must be tireless and timely to save consumers from the onslaught of price increases in summer fares," U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a statement. The airlines and their defenders say ticket prices have fallen in 2015 while capacity this summer has reached a post-recession high. "Our members compete vigorously every day, and the traveling public has been the beneficiary," trade group Airlines for America said in a statement Wednesday. Separately, Connecticut's attorney general sent letters to the four carriers last week asking whether they have coordinated prices, citing recent statements at an industry conference held last month in Miami.

Scania utilized an individual cylinder head design (long popular in Europe), while Mack used a two-cylinder head design (four heads total).

US probing possible airline collusion to keep fares high Associated Press / July 1, 2015 The U.S. government is investigating possible collusion between major airlines to limit available seats, which keeps airfares high, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. The civil antitrust investigation by the Justice Department appears to focus on whether airlines illegally signaled to each other how quickly they would add new flights, routes and extra seats. A letter received Tuesday by major U.S. carriers demands copies of all communications the airlines had with each other, Wall Street analysts and major shareholders about their plans for passenger-carrying capacity. Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Pierce confirmed Wednesday that the department was investigating potential "unlawful coordination" among some airlines. She declined to comment further, including about which airlines are being investigated. Thanks to a series of mergers starting in 2008, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United now control more than 80 percent of the seats in the domestic travel market. During that period, they have eliminated unprofitable flights, filled a higher percentage of seats on planes and made a very public effort to slow growth in order to command higher airfares. It worked. The average domestic airfare rose 13 percent from 2009 to 2014, when adjusted for inflation, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And that doesn't include the billions of dollars airlines collect from new fees: $25 each way to check a bag and $200 to change a domestic reservation. During the past 12 months, the airlines took in $3.6 billion in bag fees and another $3 billion in reservation change fees. All of that has led to record profits for the industry. In the past two years, U.S. airlines earned a combined $19.7 billion. This year could lead to even higher profits thanks to a massive drop in the price airlines pay for jet fuel, their single highest expense. In April, U.S. airlines paid $1.94 a gallon, down 34 percent from the year before.

Ocala Star Banner / June 30, 2015 Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating the removal of more than $25,000 worth of equipment from businesses over the weekend. The first incident was reported Sunday at 484 Tire Service at 2160 SW County Road 484. A man told a deputy he left his 2006 freightliner parked there around 8:30 p.m. Friday. On Sunday, he said he found that someone had stolen the electronic control module (ECM), which is the computer for the vehicle’s engine. The vehicle will not start without the part, which was valued at approximately $4,000. Another trucker at the same location told authorities someone had broken into his 2002 Peterbilt and had taken the ECM. He said replacing the missing part would cost him about $5,000. On Monday, shortly before 9 a.m., a deputy went to Hay Movers LLC at 3383 W. County Road 326, where the owner said two of his semi trucks had the ECMs removed, probably between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning. They were valued at $3,200. As the deputy was taking that report, a deputy was called to Woody’s Truck Sales and Parts at 8985 NW Gainesville Road, where ECMs had been stolen from five semi trucks and six other engines. They were together valued at $14,400. The owner said he believes the burglary occurred between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Anyone with information can call MCSO at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, text a tip to 274637, or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.

Volvo AB Press Release / June 30, 2015 Volvo Group today celebrated the inauguration of its new one million square-foot Central Distribution Center (CDC) in Byhalia, Mississippi. The $70 million state-of-the-art facility supports the company’s Mack and Volvo truck brands, as well as Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta. Located 25 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, the new CDC represents another major investment in North America by the Volvo Group and employs 250 people. The facility is based near major transportation hubs and infrastructure, thus improving delivery performance and efficiency for dealers and customers. “The Volvo Group is pleased to officially open its new Central Distribution Center in Byhalia,” said Christer Svärd, senior vice president of Volvo Group Logistics Services. “The new facility represents the hard work and dedication of our community leaders, employees of the new facility and the Volvo Group. The CDC will enable us to more efficiently handle an increased volume of parts distribution, while also significantly improving customer service.” The CDC was designed to showcase the industry’s best logistics technologies and lean processes within a sustainable and environmentally conscious shell. The orientation of the facility was set to maximize natural daylight throughout the day and reduce energy consumption. Energy usage is kept minimal through the use of innovative building materials, state-of-the-art LED lighting and a comprehensive building automation system. Built in just over six months, the facility is now fully operational. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/35898-volvo-to-locate-main-us-parts-distribution-center-in-mississippi/?hl=byhalia

New Zealand Trucking / March 12, 2015 On looks alone, the Kiwi Mack Trident 8x4 is a winner with the raised cab, massive square chrome plated snout and external air cleaners. A big polished alloy bumper sweeps neatly as far as the wheel arches without looking obtrusive. It is unmistakeably Mack and that familiar chrome plated bulldog reminds us of a truck-building heritage now stretching back over 100 years. The unit on test had just clocked up two months of service in a demanding HPMV operation with Fulton Hogan in Christchurch. It is double-shifted, hauling aggregate to their inner city retail depot and back loading concrete rubble and demolition spoil to the quarries out of town. The Trident pulls a four-axle Adams and Currie tipping trailer with HPMV approval to operate this combination at 53.8 tonne gross on the agreed route. Tare weight of the Mack is 11,820kg and the trailer comes in at 6280kg providing a payload of over 35 tonne. We meet up with the new Mack and day shift driver Chris Findlay at Fulton Hogan's Pound Rd quarry. Chris's night shift colleague, known only as Rabbit, has scrubbed and polished the combination the night before and that familiar company livery of blue and white has come up a treat. What is not so impressive is a flat tyre on the trailer, the bane of all tipper operators, but the company's contracted Bridgestone tyre fitter soon has this changed. Everything is being done by the book here, wheel nuts being tightened with a torque wrench and two red plastic indicators fitted to remind the driver of the need to recheck it. It does give us time to have a closer look over the new unit and arrange a 'family photo' with two of its older brothers. That second steer axle lifts the manufacturer's GVM of the Trident from the 26 tonne of the six wheeler (tested last year) to a productive 30 tonne. The six wheeler Trident is offered in both 'axle forward' and 'axle back' configuration and this 8x4 version uses the later configuration with a second steer axle behind the cab. A non-load sharing set-up is standard for the New Zealand market and will suit most operators until NZTA offers an additional weight allowance for load sharing systems. The second axle is steered by a relay arm set-up and slave hydraulic cylinder on the right hand side. The standard wheelbase of the 8x4 Trident is 6435mm but the Fulton Hogan unit has been reduced to 5835mm to meet the requirements of the HPMV permit and retain manoeuvrability in tight situations. Availability of the Trident in 8x4 form has been instrumental in Mack's success at higher weights in New Zealand. Although the Granite and Trident share the same 1435sq in radiator, the raised cab and external air cleaners of the bigger bulldog provide greater cooling capacity and use of the 535hp/1920lb/ft rating of the MP8 engine. The Trident cab sits 200mm higher and uses a four point suspension system rather than the rubber bush/airbag setup of the Granite. Some will say this is a Volvo D13 but Mack's marketing folk prefer the term 'group engine' and regularly point out that it is made at Mack's Hagerstown plant in the USA. Whatever your thoughts, the MP8 is a proven performer and takes Mack through Euro 5 and on to Euro 6 when those regulations arrive here. In simple terms, it is not far behind the top rating of Mack's legendary Mack E9 V8 and a lot kinder on fuel and the environment. The MP8 meets Euro V by means of SCR reduction and a 125 litre DEF tank sits neatly between the batteries and hydraulic tank on the left hand chassis rail. That big bonnet flips forward easily after releasing four rubber toggles and daily checks can all be done from ground level. The additional airflow provided through the larger grille and under the cab is obvious when standing here. Engine access is good with the chassis rails splayed outwards above the front axle. Mack use a 300x 90 mm chassis for all models now with a different thickness to suit the application and in this case it is 9.5mm. Mack's own triple countershaft boxes and the ubiquitous Roadranger are still available but Mack's 12-speed mDRIVE is the most common choice. The mDRIVE is based on the Volvo I shift with the main difference being the dash-mounted controls in lieu of the shift lever. The day cab model is easy to access from the driver's side but a little more awkward on the passenger side where the muffler gets in the way of the first two steps. Once you're seated, there is ample room for larger drivers and an ISRI 'Big Boy" drivers seat to smooth the way. The walnut trimmed dash is classic American with the traditional parking/emergency controls on the left but with a Euro style trailer brake handle above them and rotary headlight switch on the right side. Controls for the mDRIVE transmission are now mounted horizontally at the top LH side of the dash and a large 'MaxBrake' engine brake button has been added. Mack's Powerleash engine brake can be engaged from here and gives up to 315kW of retardation at 2100rpm, down or up shifting as required. It can also be set to operate in conjunction with the cruise control, reducing the chances of exceeding the speed limit on a downhill grade. Vision from the driver's seat is good with the air cleaner pipes being largely hidden behind the A pillars and the twin vertical exhausts not protruding much beyond the cab. The mirrors are traditional West Coaster type, without bulky housings, and include a great 120mm diameter round spotter on each side as well as a kerbside mirror over the passenger door. A two-piece windscreen is standard on the Trident, no doubt to suit the Aussie market, but Mack will fit a single piece screen as an option. There is a storage console above the windscreen and a useful compartment between the seats, all trimmed in pleated burgundy leather with a Mack logo finishing touch. Once our tyre troubles are sorted, it is time to get loaded up for a run into the city and the company's 35 tonne Volvo L250G loading shovel soon has us loaded with 20mm aggregate. The skill of the operator and use of modern scales makes this task far more accurate than it used to be and we come in at 53,200kg on the weighbridge, slightly under the 53,800kg allowed. Chris explained there is no tolerance allowed on the HPMV permit and if overweight he would not be allowed to leave the site. He likes the new Trident and has quickly become a fan of the mDRIVE transmission despite having driven constant mesh boxes for decades. "Its easy, doing a better job than I could," Chris explained modestly, as we negotiated busy roundabouts and peak hour traffic congestion on our way into the city. He certainly knows his trucks, having started out on Thames Traders and S model Bedfords quite a few years back, served his time on livestock and fridge trucks and worked his way through to the 8x4 Mack Granite and trailer which preceded this combination. Even grossing 53 tonne, there is ample power from the MP8 engine and the transmission skip-shifts unless 'power' mode is selected. Chris also demonstrates the kick-down function, where holding the accelerator right down produces the same result. A brief spell on the southern motorway gives the Trident an opportunity to stretch its legs and it cruises at 90kph with little apparent effort at around 1500rpm. It runs 3.07 to 1 ratio Meritor 46,000lb rear axles riding on airbag suspension. Fulton Hogan and other contractors have a huge task ahead restoring the roadways of Christchurch once plumbing works are completed but the Trident seems to take the inner city potholes and temporary patching in its stride. Parabolic springs over both steer axles, cab suspension and air ride seats both sides all contribute and the cab and interior remain rattle free. There are a couple of tight turns to get into Fulton Hogan's 'retail' yard in Ensors Rd, Waltham, but Chris is well used to the routine by now. He quickly has the trailer tipped off into a storage bin and then jack-knifed around to unload the truck. This yard is busy with contractors dropping off broken concrete or soil and collecting material for backfilling. It saves them a trip out of town and having a crew waiting around for the delivery. Fulton Hogan backloads the dumped material out to its quarry where it will help with rehabilitation of the site. To deal with the backloaded material, this new eight wheeler Trident and the Adams and Currie trailer are fitted with Hardox steel rather than aluminium bodies. The Hardox bins add only about 400kg to the weight of the outfit compared with aluminium ones, according to Peter Laurenson from Adams and Currie, who did all the engineering calculations required for the HPMV permit. This permit is limited to a set route agreed with NZTA, the Christchurch council and Fulton Hogan. Our next couple of runs into the city are much the same except that we load AP40 road base from another quarry just up the road. Easier traffic conditions allow better progress outside peak hour and on a good shift Chris can do five or six round trips whilst his elusive offsider Rabbit gets a better run on the night shift. A little quick maths shows the 35 tonne payload of new combination soon adds up to 840 tonne of material being moved in a 24 hour period. We finally meet up with Rabbit (Shane Ratahi) that afternoon whilst the drivers are changing over. 'Rabbit' was a successful league player in his day, still enjoys playing the game but admits to having lost the on-field speed that earned his nickname. He is pleased with the new Trident and describes it as "way good" at moving the mountains of material needed for the rebuild task. Looking around Fulton Hogan's Islington depot we saw a range of Japanese and European makes, so we spoke to Transport Manager Jeff Barnes and Contracting Divisional Manager Tony Thompson to find out some background on the latest addition. It soon becomes evident Fulton Hogan is a large, diverse operation and the focus is on long term profitability and service. The company operates a large workshop and its own spray booth as well as an 'in house' employment agency. Geoff has been with the company 36 years and he clearly recalls his first day on the job, working on a road gang alongside company founder Bob Hogan. Tony has been there 'only' 31 years but his son is now working for the company and carrying on the family tradition. Tony's father Lex Thompson also worked for Fulton Hogan for 20 years as transport manager and regional manager in Central Otago. Whilst Japanese trucks have been found ideal for road sealing gangs and lighter tasks, in the HPMV particular application it finally came down to a choice between Mack and Volvo, with a well proven automatic transmission high on the shopping list. The SCR emissions system fitted to both makes was a preferred part of the specification, due to overheating problems encountered with an older EGR Granite. Neither had the ideal wheelbase ex factory but the lighter tare weight of the Mack finally turned the decision in its favour according to Tony. Whatever the reasoning, Fulton Hogan's newest Bulldog is delivering the goods needed for the Christchurch rebuild and proving its self "way good" in the HPMV role. Mack Trident 8x4 535 MP8 Tare: 11820kg (as tested) GVM: 30,000kg GCM: 70,000kg Wheelbase: 5835mm (front axle to centre of bogie) Engine: Mack MP8 SCR Euro 5 compliant Engine Capacity: 12.8 litre Maximum power 535hp (399 kW) from 1450 to 1900 rpm. ( SAE rating) Maximum torque 1920lb/ft (2600 Nm) from 1000 to 1450 rpm ( SAE rating) Clutch: Sachs CL801 single plate with automated operation Diameter: 430mm Transmission: Mack TmD12AD mDRIVE automated 12 speed. Rear axles: Meritor RT-46-160GP 20,900 kg capacity Ratio: 3.07 to 1 Chassis dimensions: 300mm x 90mm x 9.5mm Front suspension: Parabolic leaf springs. (x 4) non load sharing Front axles: Mack FXL (x2) Front axle group capacity: 13,200kg Rear suspension: Mack AP460 air suspension Steering: Sheppard M100P power assisted with slave cylinder for second axle Brakes: Full air S-Cam drums with ABS. Park brake: Spring operated on both drive axles. Auxiliary brake: Mack two stage 'Powerleash' engine brake. Wheels: 8.25 x 22.5 polished alloy 10 stud Tyres: 11R22.5 Michelin Electrical system: 12V Cab exterior: Mack Fusion day cab, meets ECE-R29 safety standard with four point cab suspension,mirrors heated and electrically operated, integrated spotter mirrors on both sides. Forward tilting fibreglass bonnet, polished alloy bumper bar. Cab Interior: Isri 'Big Boy" high-back multi adjustable air suspended seats with arm rests and integrated.3 point seat belts, pleated burgundy leather trim and woodgrain .

The "Flex End" front bumper option ($165 and a 26 pound weight benefit) was not a popular and long-running option. So regrettably, I doubt you will find one. It was a popular GMC Brigadier option with the fleets. When you contacted your Mack dealer providing your model and serial number, what did their parts people say? The 63" x 15" cutoff corporate bumper (without flex ends) was extremely popular, with a 33 pound weight savings in steel, and 66 pounds in aluminum.

A test pilot has some very, very bad news about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The pricey new stealth jet can’t turn or climb fast enough to hit an enemy plane during a dogfight or to dodge the enemy’s own gunfire, the pilot reported following a day of mock air battles back in January. “The F-35 was at a distinct energy disadvantage,” the unnamed pilot wrote in a scathing five-page brief that War Is Boring has obtained. The brief is unclassified but is labeled “for official use only.” The test pilot’s report is the latest evidence of fundamental problems with the design of the F-35 — which, at a total program cost of more than a trillion dollars, is history’s most expensive weapon. The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps — not to mention the air forces and navies of more than a dozen U.S. allies — are counting on the Lockheed Martin-made JSF to replace many if not most of their current fighter jets. And that means that, within a few decades, American and allied aviators will fly into battle in an inferior fighter — one that could get them killed … and cost the United States control of the air. The fateful test took place on Jan. 14, 2015, apparently within the Sea Test Range over the Pacific Ocean near Edwards Air Force Base in California. The single-seat F-35A with the designation “AF-02” — one of the older JSFs in the Air Force — took off alongside a two-seat F-16D Block 40, one of the types of planes the F-35 is supposed to replace. The two jets would be playing the roles of opposing fighters in a pretend air battle, which the Air Force organized specifically to test out the F-35’s prowess as a close-range dogfighter in an air-to-air tangle involving high “angles of attack,” or AoA, and “aggressive stick/pedal inputs.” In other words, the F-35 pilot would fly his jet hard, turning and maneuvering in order to “shoot down” the F-16, whose pilot would be doing his own best to evade and kill the F-35. “The evaluation focused on the overall effectiveness of the aircraft in performing various specified maneuvers in a dynamic environment,” the F-35 tester wrote. “This consisted of traditional Basic Fighter Maneuvers in offensive, defensive and neutral setups at altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 feet.” The F-35 was flying “clean,” with no weapons in its bomb bay or under its wings and fuselage. The F-16, by contrast, was hauling two bulky underwing drop tanks, putting the older jet at an aerodynamic disadvantage. But the JSF’s advantage didn’t actually help in the end. The stealth fighter proved too sluggish to reliably defeat the F-16, even with the F-16 lugging extra fuel tanks. “Even with the limited F-16 target configuration, the F-35A remained at a distinct energy disadvantage for every engagement,” the pilot reported. The defeated flier’s five-page report is a damning litany of aerodynamic complaints targeting the cumbersome JSF. “Insufficient pitch rate.” “Energy deficit to the bandit would increase over time.” “The flying qualities in the blended region (20–26 degrees AoA) were not intuitive or favorable.” The F-35 jockey tried to target the F-16 with the stealth jet’s 25-millimeter cannon, but the smaller F-16 easily dodged. “Instead of catching the bandit off-guard by rapidly pull aft to achieve lead, the nose rate was slow, allowing him to easily time his jink prior to a gun solution,” the JSF pilot complained. And when the pilot of the F-16 turned the tables on the F-35, maneuvering to put the stealth plane in his own gunsight, the JSF jockey found he couldn’t maneuver out of the way, owing to a “lack of nose rate.” The F-35 pilot came right out and said it — if you’re flying a JSF, there’s no point in trying to get into a sustained, close turning battle with another fighter. “There were not compelling reasons to fight in this region.” God help you if the enemy surprises you and you have no choice but to turn. The JSF tester found just one way to win a short-range air-to-air engagement — by performing a very specific maneuver. “Once established at high AoA, a prolonged full rudder input generated a fast enough yaw rate to create excessive heading crossing angles with opportunities to point for missile shots.” But there’s a problem — this sliding maneuver bleeds energy fast. “The technique required a commitment to lose energy and was a temporary opportunity prior to needing to regain energy … and ultimately end up defensive again.” In other words, having tried the trick once, an F-35 pilot is out of options and needs to get away quick. And to add insult to injury, the JSF flier discovered he couldn’t even comfortably move his head inside the radar-evading jet’s cramped cockpit. “The helmet was too large for the space inside the canopy to adequately see behind the aircraft.” That allowed the F-16 to sneak up on him. In the end, the F-35 — the only new fighter jet that America and most of its allies are developing — is demonstrably inferior in a dogfight with the F-16, which the U.S. Air Force first acquired in the late 1970s. The test pilot explained that he has also flown 1980s-vintage F-15E fighter-bombers and found the F-35 to be “substantially inferior” to the older plane when it comes to managing energy in a close battle. Related reading: https://medium.com/war-is-boring/fd-how-the-u-s-and-its-allies-got-stuck-with-the-worlds-worst-new-warplane-5c95d45f86a5

New Zealand Trucking / April 26, 2015 The Harrison family of Kaitaia over the past 20 years have used all manner of vehicles in their tourism operations, that extend to Cape Reinga and along the Ninety Mile Beach. It's an area blessed with stunning and varied scenery enjoyed by thousands of visitors from around the world looking for a genuine New Zealand experience beyond the ubiquitous souvenir shops and cafes. However, the Far North presents a challenging environment for vehicles with rough roads, changing beach conditions, abrasive sand and corrosion that results in sky-high maintenance costs and limited lifespan. The Harrisons have owned a succession of Toyota, Hino and Isuzu buses as well as Unimog 4x4s but despite having their own workshop and panel-beating facilities found none could be kept on the road for more than five or six years. An alternative approach began with the purchase of three 2004 model 8x4 Fodens that were ex-Fonterra milk tankers, all of which were mechanically sound despite all having more than a million kilometres on their clocks. Driveline components such as the Cat C12 engine, 18-speed Roadranger transmission and Meritor double drive axles all checked out, although these components are common to many heavy trucks and replacement units can readily be obtained. Basic but functional 36-seat bodies for two of the Fodens were constructed in Harrison's own workshop based on a wealth of experience gained from other manufacturers' designs. Simplicity, strength, safety and corrosion resistance were key objectives, met by a sturdy framework of zincalume coated box section steel covered by impact resistant aluminium composite sheeting. The build process was done in close cooperation with a local design engineer who oversaw construction and stability testing. The body sits on its own sub-frame with heavy rubber mounts allowing for chassis flex. It has a separate air-conditioning unit, powered by a three-cylinder Toyota diesel engine, and can be readily lifted from the truck chassis if needed. Building a bus on a heavy duty bogie drive truck chassis might seem overkill but seems to work well in this application. Murray Harrison pointed out the Foden single skin chassis will make it easier to keep rust at bay and the on-board lubrication system, originally specified by Fonterra, keeps sand out of critical components. The biggest changes needed involved the removal of the second steer axle and fitting of 'super single' 385/65R22.5 tyres on alloy wheels all round. These have raised the gearing slightly but this didn't seem to bother the 430hp Cat engine as we travelled on one of Harrison's Cape Runner day tours heading for the Cape. Trips to the Cape are based on tidal conditions on the beach and today we head up SH1 and will return along 'our best highway', as driver Jason Stanbury puts it. The Foden happily settles into a 90kmh cruise at around 1500rpm, managing most hills with just a slight deepening of the exhaust note in top gear. With an all-up weight of around 15 tonnes, Jason needs only about six of the 18 available forward ratios, with the Cat engine brake easily holding speed back on downhill sections. The landscape contrasts are surprising. Between Awanui and Waitiki Landing, it is largely flat with huge sand dunes on the western side leading down to massive peat bogs which contain the remains of ancient kauri forests, probably flattened by a massive tsunami or other tidal event over 40,000 years ago. The area is now home to huge pine plantations and despite some rough sections of tarmac road, the Foden bus delivers a comfortable ride for passengers. After a short detour to take in the stunning beauty of Houhora Harbour we call at the Te Kao store for ice creams and this gives an opportunity to find out more about the vehicle from Jason. He is actually a panel beater by trade, helped construct the two bus bodies, skippers the company's Jet Runner boat and turns his hand to any other jobs that are needed around the yard. It pays to be multi-skilled up here, yet a closer inspection of bodywork and underside of the frame reveals a standard of finish that any volume bus manufacturer would be proud of. What makes this application different is that it all has to be hosed out at the end of the day. Fancy carpets, seat finishes or electronic gizmos are not part of the equation. A side trip to Tapotupotu Beach for lunch demonstates that the Foden handles narrow corrugated metal roads readily. These would, no doubt, have been a regular feature of its previous life at much higher weights than we are running today. From Tapotupotu, it is a short run to Cape Reinga and completion of a personal ambition, set on my first visit here, to see New Zealand from end to end. Doing that journey in a Foden bus is an unexpected highlight. Our return journey takes us via the famous Te Paki dunes and stream for access to the Ninety Mile Beach. It is only 64 miles (102 kilometres) long, Jason explains, but must have seemed further to early travellers on horseback. On better sections of beach, the Foden sits readily on a governed 90kmh as we head southward a couple of hours after high tide. Jason points out that the six-wheeled configuration and big tyres fitted do not compact the sand as much as conventional four-wheeled buses we follow along the beach. Ample reserves of power from the Cat C12 reduces the need for gear changes on soft sections and the only time he requires low range and to lock up the drive axles is for our exit from the beach at Waipapakauri. From here it is a short run back to the Kauri Kingdom at Awanui where the bus is washed down with fresh water while passengers learn more about the famous forest giants. After passenger drop offs around Kaitaia township we catch up with Murray and Cheryl Harrison and their sons Tristran and Craig for a look over the company's workshops and a hospital transit bus currently under construction. Murray is pleased with the way the Foden buses are performing and has a third one set aside for conversion or spare parts. He believes being able to tilt the cab and remove the body for maintenance purposes will make inspections and major repairs a lot easier. Foden no longer builds trucks or buses but is one of the oldest names in road transport with a heritage dating back over 130 years. To find two proud survivors still enjoying the sunshine a long way from home is perhaps a fitting part of their final chapter. .

Prime Mover Magazine / June 29, 2015 Queensland Shadow Minister for Main Roads, Fiona Simpson, has begun a journey down the Bruce Highway to hear and see first-hand what is needed for this important piece of infrastructure. “The best way to understand what is needed for this highway is to travel it with those that do it every day. They have a unique and invaluable insight as to what works and what doesn’t,” Simpson said. Simpson’s journey south from Cairns began with Followmont Transport, and then picked up with Freshwayz Transport for the second leg and Rocky’s Own for the final leg. According to Owen Driscoll, National Manager Industry Relations at National Transport Insurance (NTI), the journey was organised with TruckSafe Accredited operators in order to ‘ensure the Shadow Minister was in the best of care’. “The Bruce Highway is a lifeline of our vast state as supplies are moved north and south every hour of every day. I am looking forward to hearing what each driver says and also to listen to the feedback from locals as we travel from postcode to postcode,” Simpson said. Simpson will also meet with key stakeholders to get their feedback on local concerns and to hear what they believe their priorities are regarding this major Australian highway. “It’s good to get somebody from the government to actually sit in a truck and see what the guys go through daily and see where the highways need to be upgraded,” Clynt Leeson from Followmont Transport said. Simpson said the LNP's 10-year action plan to fix the highway was showing results but there was a long way to go. "I can see areas where there has been significant work done but there needs to be a lot more done over the next 10 years," she said. "It's never going to be cheap but this is our most important highway - a lifeline as supplies are moved north and south every hour of every day."

Renschler Named Chairman at Scania Heavy Duty Trucking / June 30, 2015 Andreas Renschler, the former head of commercial trucks for Daimler who went to work heading up Volkswagen's commercial truck operations earlier this year, has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of Scania. The Swedish truck and bus manufacturer is majority owned by Volkswagen. A member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, Renschler earlier this year took over as head of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH, the holding company that coordinates the operations in the group’s commercial vehicles companies. The news comes just days after published reports indicate that German truck maker MAN, majority owned by Volkswagen, will cut 1,800 jobs at its main commercial vehicles division. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company will save about 850 million euros ($951 million) by realigning operations at its German plants in Munich and Salzgitter and plants in Austria and Poland. The revamp is part of a broader restructuring within Volkswagen, which is integrating the trucks businesses MAN and Sweden’s Scania AB to create a commercial vehicles unit under Renschler's leadership. The goal for Volkswagen is to combine Scania and MAN with VW's commercial vehicles operations in order to better compete in global markets against rivals Volvo and Daimler. There's speculation that at some point that will mean entering the North American market in some way, as well. .

Transport Topics / June 30, 2015 Andreas Renschler, head of Volkswagen’s truck division, has been appointed chairman for the global manufacturer’s Scania AB business unit. VW holds a controlling stake in Sweden-based Scania, which builds heavy trucks and buses. Renschler, born in 1958, began his role at Volkswagen’s truck division in February. Previously, Renschler was head of rival manufacturer Daimler AG’s global truck business until April 2013. Scania also said it appointed Per Hallberg as its CEO on June 26. Hallberg succeeds former CEO Martin Lundstedt, who is set to become Volvo Group’s next CEO in October, replacing Olof Persson.

Sources indicate GM, Navistar nearing partnership Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / June 30, 2015 General Motors exited its 2009 bankruptcy without a medium duty commercial truck segment and was greeted by a country in the throws of a recession, but all indications are the Detroit behemoth is set to come roaring back. Earlier this month the company announced a partnership with Isuzu, an arrangement under which GM will rebrand Isuzu’s N-Series trucks and sell them at Chevrolet dealerships nationwide. First reported by Forbes Tuesday, unnamed sources indicate GM is poised to reach a similar arrangement with Navistar International, who would manufacture Class 3 – 5 trucks for GM. A spokesperson for Navistar says the company has made no announcements and has no information to share. Messages to GM were not returned. Such an arrangement would not be unfamiliar territory to Navistar. Last year Ford formally broke off its relationship of more than a decade with Navistar. Under the Blue Diamond venture, Navistar built medium-duty trucks that were sold at Ford’s commercial-truck dealerships. Navistar (along with Cummins and Allison) was left behind when Ford elected to integrate its powertrain and bring manufacturing in-house beginning with the 2016 model year. A partnership with Navistar would allow GM to re-enter the segment just as the first generation of Ford-built F-650/750s are hitting the market, while also unlocking GM’s commercial truck dealership network to Navistar just as Ford emerges as a player in the segment. CEO Troy Clarke, during Navistar’s earnings call earlier this month, said the company is currently riding a wave of medium-duty truck replacement cycles. “And the good news is we are seeing growth in this important segment in 2015 due to increase in business investment and extension in the housing market,” he says. Clarke says he believes these conditions will remain favorable and forecasts North American sales of Class 6 through 8, including buses, in the range of 350,000 to 380,000 units this year. Navistar is also gaining medium-duty market share quickly, jumping six percentage points in the second quarter of 2015 from the first quarter.

GM Believed Ready to Announce Commercial Truck Venture With Navistar Forbes / June 30, 2015 With the nation’s steadying economy accelerating demand for all manner of commercial trucks, the truck-production landscape is evolving – and revolving – as former partners and rivals scramble for position in what is projected to be a boom period for truck manufacturing. Industry sources believe General Motors is close to announcing a new partnership with Navistar International to manufacture “medium-duty” trucks that cover the industry’s Class 4, 5 and 6 classifications. GM built medium-duty trucks for decades before exiting the business in 2009 amidst its bankruptcy reorganization and the recession. A spokesperson for GM said the company has made no announcements and had no information to share. A GM link-up with Navistar would be the second prong in a GM re-entry to the medium-truck business: earlier this month, the company announced a new venture with Japan’s Isuzu Motors to sell a version of Isuzu’s N-Series low-cab-forward (cab-over) light trucks (higher GVW versions fall into the lower end of the U.S. market medium truck range). Navistar, meanwhile, has considerable history with GM – and crosstown rival Ford Motor. Navistar and Ford last year severed their Blue Diamond venture that for a decade saw Navistar build medium trucks sold by Ford’s commercial truck network. As part of an agreement struck with the United Auto Workers union in 2011, Ford this year will begin in-house production of its medium-duty trucks, the 2016 F-650 and F-750, at a plant in the Cleveland suburb of Avon Lake, Ohio. A Wall Street Journal story last year pegged the Ford business as worth $400 million annually to Navistar. Navistar was a suitor when GM was shopping its money-losing medium-truck business in 2007, but in 2008 backed out of a deal to purchase the unit as the U.S. economy began to slip, pulling commercial-truck sales along for the ride. The recession marked the beginning of a bad stretch for the storied maker of heavy-truck diesel engines and its own International-brand commercial trucks – including the largest Class 7 and Class 8 highway haulers – capped by Navistar’s costly backing of a failed engine design to enable its engines to comply with new federal emissions standards. As GM neared the end of its in-house production of medium-duty pickups, the company was producing about 22,000 units annually, but then-CEO Fritz Henderson said the business was unprofitable. After being jettisoned by Ford, Navistar said it would strike out alone with its International brand, but the move comes as the company’s share of the medium truck segment dipped from 36 percent in 2011 to a current share of about 26 percent. Navistar said one plan to beat back former partner Ford and other rivals is to offer a wider range of engine and transmission choices in its medium trucks, but a team up with GM would markedly increase production volumes for the company, while GM would gain immediate access to Navistar’s portfolio and manufacturing capacity, enabling a swift reboot for its abandoned medium-truck presence – just in time to parry Ford’s new in-house truck lineup.

Motor Malaysia / June 30, 2015 Toyota has introduced a new line of turbocharged diesel engines with more torque, greater efficiency and lower emissions. The company said the new GD engines feature next-generation advanced thermal insulation diesel combustion to reduce cooling loss significantly. In-house trials showed the use of Thermo Swing Wall Insulation Technology (TSWIN) helps make the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV engine one of the most thermally efficient, with a maximum thermal efficiency of 44 percent, Toyota said in a statement. Despite smaller engine displacement in comparison to the current KD engine, maximum torque is improved by 25 percent and low speed torque improved by 11 percent, while fuel efficiency has received a 15 percent boost. Toyota will gradually phase out the current globally deployed KD diesel engines and replace them with GD engines. By 2016, production will reach approximately 700,000 units a year with introduction in approximately 90 markets, set to expand to at least 150 markets by 2020. The newly developed 1GD-FTV is available in the Hilux pickup truck, and Land Cruiser Prado (aka. Lexus GX, GX470). The same engine lineup includes the 2GD-FTV 2.4-litre direct-injection turbo diesel engine. Toyota’s new compact high-efficiency variable geometry turbocharger used by the GD engines is 30 percent smaller than its current equivalent, and features a newly developed turbine that improves efficiency, and a newly developed impeller that provides instantaneous acceleration response and produces maximum torque over a wide range of RPM. By reducing size and increasing efficiency, the newly developed turbocharger with the GD engine delivers approximately a 50 percent faster response in the rate of boost pressure increase.

General Motors representative Jimmy Diesel describes the various applications of Detroit Diesel engines. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/historical-brochures/Innovation_and_Technology/What_Do_GM_Diesels_Do.pdf

Australasian Transport News / June 29, 2015 Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA) has hit the wall and is in voluntary administration, 50 per cent owner McAleese and specialist accountancy Ferrier Hodgson have revealed. The high-profile heavy haulage logistics specialist is now under the control of Ferrier Hodgson partners Brendan Richards, John Lindholm, and Tim Michael but any move there may have to contend with legal issues. While McAleese some of the problems besetting HHA at the feet of an extremely difficult market making it unlikely the firm could handle its costs let alone make a worthwhile financial return, there appear to be deeper issues at play. "McAleese Group is considering its options for legal recourse against the vendor (and associated parties) of the company’s shareholding in HHA Group, in connection with the sales process and conduct after that time," McAleese, which bought the stake last November, says in a stock exchange announcement. The company expects to take a $17 million hit to its full year results relating to loans and interest and other receivables payable by HHA Group to it but insists it has no other exposure. Ferrier Hodgson says the decision to go into voluntary administration was made" in the best interests of protecting the considerable assets of the company and maximising the prospect for it to continue as a going concern". Richards, who leads Ferrier Hodgson’s logistics practice, expressed his disappointment in seeing another high-profile Australian transport business in distress. "This is indicative of the downturn we are seeing in the resources sector and the knock on effect it has and will continue to have on the transport industry," he says. "Unfortunately, HHA has a very high cost base and when revenues are challenged, it is left with little room in which to manoeuvre." "We will be working hard to try and achieve a strong outcome for all of the parties involved, but this is a tough time for Australia’s transport industry and heavy haulage businesses in particular." In the short-term, Ferrier Hodgson will continue to trade the business as normal while a buyer is sought and arrangements are made to protect the interests of the employees, customers, suppliers and creditors. "A clear strategy and direction for the business is expected to be established within the week," it says. Established in 1999, HHA specialises in 4,000-8,000 tonne haulage movements for infrastructure, mining and special projects. Its services include, transportation, cranes, electrical wire, haulage consultancy, storage services, SPMT trailers, heavy haulage fleet leasing and specialist haulage services for the oil and gas, power, rail, refinery and infrastructure sectors. HHA was also a prominent sponsor of V8 Supercars and the subject of the ‘Megatruckers’ series featured on Foxtel’s A&E Channel. Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA) - http://www.hhagroup.net/ http://www.hhagroup.net/services/heavy-haulage-transport/

Obama Signs Two Bills, Advancing Trade Plan Bloomberg / June 29, 2015 President Obama signed two pieces of legislation June 29 that together will allow him to move his trade agenda forward and continue negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. “This legislation will help turn global trade, which can often be a race to the bottom, into a race to the top,” Obama said. “It'll reinforce America's leadership role in the world, in Asia, and in Europe and beyond.” First, Obama signed the Defending Public Safety Employees’ Retirement Act (H.R. 2146). The bill was amended so that Title I of the bill gives the president trade promotion authority, or the ability to present trade agreements to Congress for an up-or-down vote. Obama also signed the Trade Preferences Extension Act (H.R. 1295) to provide trade adjustment assistance for workers who lose their jobs because of a free trade agreement. In a signing ceremony at the White House, Obama said he would not be signing these bills if he were not absolutely convinced that they were good for U.S. workers and businesses. UPS Inc. praised the approval of the legislation. “Trade is vital to the U.S. economy, supporting global growth and spurring job creation,” said David Abney, CEO of UPS. “The administration and Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress deserve great credit for finding common ground in legislation that will enhance U.S. leadership on global trade by opening new markets to American businesses and consumers as well as breaking down barriers to our exports.”

The Financial Times / June 29, 2015 General Electric made further progress in its withdrawal from financial services with deals to sell its fleet arm, taking it about a third of the way through its planned disposal programme. The US conglomerate sold its fleet businesses, which provide commercial vehicle financing and fleet management services, in the US, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand to Toronto-based Element Financial, for $6.9bn. Separately, it has also signed a memorandum of understanding for the potential sale of its European fleet businesses to Arval, a subsidiary of French bank BNP Paribas, for an undisclosed amount. The two sales will mean GE is disposing of businesses with “ending net investment” — the company’s measure of assets — of $8.6bn, and taking to about $63bn the value of the various deals it has agreed since the planned exit from financial services was announced in April. It plans to sell $200bn of assets in total. Keith Sherin, GE Capital’s chief executive, said the company was “on track” to reach a total of $100bn in assets sold by the end of the year. He added that GE expected “to be substantially done” with the disposal programme by the end of 2016. Two businesses that have been set as priorities for sale in the near future are healthcare finance and European acquisition finance, which Mr Sherin has said will benefit from a quick resolution of the uncertainty about their future ownership. Other business that are expected to be sold this year include GE’s US and global commercial lending operations and its international consumer business. Jeff Immelt, GE’s chief executive, has set a strategy of focusing on the group’s industrial manufacturing and service businesses, which are less volatile and generally more highly valued by investors. Once the disposal programme is complete, GE Capital, the financial services division that two years ago provided almost half of the group’s earnings, is expected to generate just 10 per cent of its profits. Deals announced already include the sales of a property portfolio for more than $26.5bn, Australian and New Zealand consumer finance businesses for $6.2bn, and US buyout lending operations for $12bn. In total the disclosed sale proceeds have now reached $51.6bn, although there are also a few deals for which the price has not been announced. One measure used by the company is the value of cash released from GE Capital to be paid to the parent group, which, with the fleet deals, has reached $9.3bn, a bit more than a quarter of the way to the target of $35bn.

Automotive News / June 29, 2015 Free-trade deals would roll back the tariff In the background of the free-trade debate that has raged in Washington this summer, a sacred cow of U.S. auto and trade policy is under threat. The 25 percent tariff imposed on imported pickups, vans and commercial trucks, known as the "chicken tax," stands to be significantly rolled back through big-ticket trade deals being hammered out with Pacific Rim nations and the European Union. With the legislative pieces now in place, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are closer to becoming reality. The Pacific Rim deal seeks to create a 12-nation free-trade bloc encompassing some 40 percent of the world's economy. The EU deal would lower trade barriers and seeks to align regulations between the U.S. and EU. Both would remove the chicken tax. Critics of the tax say it has priced imported trucks out of the market, shielding the Detroit 3's biggest profit machine from robust foreign competition. The tariff also has had other effects, experts say, such as stifling pickup innovation and motivating Japanese automakers to build U.S. factories. "It has provided a competitive advantage for the domestic pickup producers," says Daniel Ikenson, an economist and trade expert at the Cato Institute, a Washington pro-business think tank. "The response of the Japanese manufacturers has been to invest in production lines here in the United States." After months of heated debate, Congress passed a bill last week that would give President Barack Obama authority to negotiate and send free-trade agreements to Congress for an up-or-down vote, free of amendments. With the so-called fast-track authority ready for Obama's signature, the wheels on the Pacific treaty can shift into high gear, and a final version of the deal could go to Congress by the fall. The EU deal is expected to take longer to finish. Truck lovers have long hoped that removing the tariff would create a flood of new, smaller pickups that today are available only overseas. But trade watchers and auto industry experts agree that a barrage of new pickups would be unlikely. Free-trade deals would roll back the tariff gradually over several years, even decades, they say. Stifled innovation? While Nissan and Toyota have spent billions on their U.S. pickup operations, most brands from South Korea and Europe have stayed out of the U.S. pickup market. Just six brands offer pickups in the United States, compared with 19 that offer compact crossovers and 14 that sell midsize sedans. That contrast shapes the view of John Krafcik, president of TrueCar and former CEO of Hyundai Motor America, who says that the pickup segment "has the least competitive intensity of any segment in the industry." Krafcik says the U.S. would "definitely" get more pickups if not for the chicken tax. The tariff has all but required pickups to be assembled in the United States to be sold here, he said. The cost of installing pickup manufacturing capacity from scratch -- building a plant, paying for tooling, engineering the truck and producing it -- can cost from $2 billion to $3 billion, he said. Such a steep investment requires manufacturing at a large scale. As a result, Krafcik said, product planners create trucks to compete in the full-size segment, where they see the biggest chance of selling at volume. That means automakers can't afford to take a risk on small-volume trucks with different sizes, bed and cab configurations or experimental storage and packaging designs. "I think what is lost the most is low-volume experimentation and innovation in pickups," Krafcik said. "As soon as you get to that level of investment, the risks become so great that the solutions become fairly mainstream." Gradual change The two free-trade agreements would roll back the chicken tax affecting nearly 40 nations -- 11 through the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the 28 that make up the EU, through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. So would U.S. showrooms see an array of shiny new imported pickups? Probably not, at least in the near term, industry experts and trade watchers say, for these reasons: First, few countries involved in the talks have pickup assembly plants. Volkswagen builds the Amarok midsize pickup in Germany, but, a company spokesman said, "If you look at where we produce vehicles, to bring an Amarok from Hanover, even if the chicken tax were repealed, would be a bit of a stretch." Much midsize pickup production capacity outside the United States is concentrated in Thailand, but that country isn't involved in the TPP talks. In Thailand, Ford builds the recently redesigned Ranger, Mazda produces the BT-50, Mitsubishi assembles the L200 and Toyota makes the Hilux. But the country could be a wild card -- Thai officials have expressed interest in joining the TPP once the deal is completed, and the TPP is designed to allow other nations to do that. Second, the chicken tax is expected to be rolled back slowly. Obama administration trade negotiators have said the tariff with Japan would phase out on the longest possible timeline, as part of a bilateral U.S.-Japan side deal proceeding alongside the TPP talks, says Matt Blunt, the former Missouri governor who now runs the American Automotive Policy Council, a Washington trade group that represents Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors on trade issues. Blunt said it's only fair because barriers in Japan other than tariffs have effectively kept U.S. automakers out of the country. "We believe it could take as many as 25 years to open up the Japanese market given that it's the most closed market in the developed world today," Blunt said. Third, pickups sold overseas aren't designed to meet rigorous U.S. crash and emissions regulations -- partly due to the high upfront cost imposed by the tariff -- and they're unlikely to resonate with U.S. truck buyers, says Dave Sullivan, an analyst with AutoPacific. It's not uncommon to find Ford, GMC, Chevrolet and Ram pickups loaded with leather interiors, premium audio systems and high-tech features that push the sale price upward of $50,000 -- status symbols as well as cargo haulers. Trucks found overseas are Spartan by comparison, often sold with manual transmissions and turbodiesel four-cylinder engines without the hauling power of full-size American pickups. "When you look at how we treat our trucks and how people do around the world, a lot of them wouldn't be able to withstand some of the same things, and they're not designed with American needs in mind," Sullivan said. "We've come to have a very refined and sophisticated pickup truck buyer." Fourth, some automakers told Automotive News that the chicken tax is not the only barrier keeping their smaller pickups out of the United States. Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said the size of the Hilux would make it a "tweener" in the U.S., overlapping too much with the full-size Tundra and midsize Tacoma. A Volkswagen spokesman said the company, which has said the tariff was the biggest impediment to selling the Amarok in America, now also doubts whether the truck is the proper size for the U.S. And a Mazda spokesman said the BT-50 would be a mismatch for Mazda's sporty, affordable-premium U.S. brand identity. Despite the challenges, the prospect of fat profits might prompt automakers to adjust to a defanged chicken tax, Krafcik says. Over time, that could mean more competition. "I think it would take some time, but with clarity around that guideline, we would see opportunity for those products," Krafcik said. "You would certainly be creating the conditions for manufacturers with production facilities in [Pacific treaty] countries to provide low-cost compact pickups to U.S. truck buyers." Trucks you would see on the US market after the repeal of Lyndon Johnson’s Proclamation 3564 (aka. The Chicken Tax) > FORD RANGER The Blue Oval brand killed its compact pickup for the U.S. in 2011 but revealed an updated 2016 Ranger for overseas markets in May at the Bangkok auto show. The global Ranger is bigger and beefier than its U.S. predecessor. • Where it's made: Thailand, South Africa > VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK Volkswagen's U.S. dealers and fans alike have clamored for the Amarok, but it's unlikely to arrive stateside anytime soon. The first modern pickup from VW's commercial vehicles unit, the Amarok is roughly the size of a Nissan Frontier. • Where it's made: Germany, Argentina > TOYOTA HILUX The Hilux nameplate left U.S. showrooms in 1976, but it has been a mainstay around the world with some 16 million units sold globally in its nearly 50-year history. Toyota revealed the eighth-generation Hilux in May at the Bangkok auto show. In crew cab configurations, the redesigned Hilux has a few more inches in length and height than the 2015 Tacoma. • Where it's made: Venezuela, Argentina, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Pakistan > MAZDA BT-50 Mazda discontinued U.S. sales of its B-series pickup after the 2009 model year, when it was essentially a rebadged Ford Ranger. Overseas, Mazda's midsize truck is called the BT-50. • Where it's made: Thailand > MITSUBISHI TRITON Mitsubishi discontinued the Mighty Max in the mid-1990s and has not sold an imported pickup in the U.S. since. But the Triton, successor to the Mighty Max, has lived on overseas. • Where it's made: Thailand

Netherlands-based truck conversion company Veldhuizen Wagenbouw (http://www.veldhuizen.eu/) has introduced a DAF “FAD” 10x4 vocational chassis with a wide spread driven and steered drive axle bogie. Already available from Veldhuizen Wagenbouw for 8x4 Iveco Trakker vocational chassis the conversion, the rear drive axles are mechanically steered. .

This KamAZ model 4326 has a 920 horsepower 16.2-liter Liebherr D9508 V-8 engine. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/37840-the-formula-to-a-successful-race-truck-kamaz-4326/?hl=liebherr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xAZq8jrY4