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The brass 16MF219A Mack fuel tank cap has not been available for some time.

Daily News / December 11, 2014 Turkey-based heavy truckmaker Ford Otosan signed a deal on December 9 with Kaliningrad-based Avtotor Holding for the production of heavy commercial trucks in Russia. Production is set to begin at the end of December. Ford Otosan is a joint venture between the Ford Motor Company and Koc Holding. Ford Otosan is targeting Russian state-run companies, such as Gazprom, which currently operate Russian trucks. By producing Ford Cargo heavy trucks in Russia, Ford Otosan can avoid the 10 percent tariff placed on imported trucks by Russian authorities. “The Ford Trucks brand will move one step further with this deal. We have invested in Russia, the largest truck market in Europe, to increase our competitiveness and to manufacture trucks in Kaliningrad,” said Ford Otosan CEO Haydar Yenigün. Initially, Ford-Otosan will assembly heavy trucks from SKD (semi-knocked down) kits, and then transition to CKD (completely knocked down) production using a growing amount of locally-sourced parts as soon suitable suppliers can be identified. With Kaliningrad designated as a free trade zone, Ford Otosan will also be able to enter two new country markets, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Yenigün said. “The biggest advantage for us to have production in Russia will be to avoid the 10 percent import tax, which Russia charges for heavy commercial truck imports. Moreover, we will be able to sell heavy trucks to huge state-run companies in Russia, including Gazprom, which have to date purchased Russian brand trucks,” he said. Ford Otosan aims to sell over 7,000 units in Russia annually by 2020. Avtotor Holding, Russia’s first private vehicle manufacturer, has a 20 year history, said Avtotor CEO Valeriy Gorbunov. Avtotor has an annual production capacity of 15,000 heavy trucks. Ford Motor Company sold its European heavy truck unit to Iveco in 1986, and U.S. market heavy truck unit to Daimler in 1996. However, Ford continued to produce trucks in Brazil and Turkey. With a Ford relationship dating back to 1928, Ford Otosan began producing Ford F-600 based conventional models in 1960, low-cab-forward D-Series in 1966, and Cargo Series commercial trucks from 1983. Under the Global Cargo Agreement between Ford and Koc Holding, Ford Otosan is responsible for Ford's international market heavy truck development, production and sales. Ford Otosan exports Ford vehicles to 106 countries around the world, including Ford heavy trucks to over 30 countries. Ford Heavy Truck (Turkey): http://www.ford.com.tr/agir-ticari-araclar Ford Heavy Truck (Russia): http://www.ford.ru/Heavys Ford-Otosan - 2013 Annual Report: http://www.fordotosan.com.tr/downloads/yatirimciiliskileri/2013_Annual%20Report_.pdf .

Fleet Owner / December 4, 2014 A new white paper compiled by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) indicates that truck driver demographic trends are rapidly approaching an alarming “cliff” as too few younger workers are on hand to replace a driver population rapidly approaching retirement age. ATRI’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found that the trucking industry is disproportionately dependent on employees 45 years of age or older, many of whom are expected to retire in the next 10 to 20 years, complicated by a simultaneous sharp decrease in the number of younger drivers, particularly those 35 and under. “There’s not a lot of time between where we are now and the cliff,” Rebecca Brewster, ATRI’s president and COO, told Fleet Owner. “This industry has relied on a loyal cohort to stay behind the wheel because we as an industry still haven’t figured out how to backfill the [driver] population with younger folks.” While this is not a new problem, Brewster argued that it is one rapidly reaching a tipping point of sorts as rising freight demand is colliding with trucking capacity limits. “Now however we have U.S. Census data to back this up,” she added. ATRI’s white paper, written by Jeffrey Short, a senior research associate with the group, noted that while the U.S. labor market has nearly recovered from the Great Recession, employment gaps still remain. Of the 155.9 million people in the U.S. civilian labor force, 146.9 million are employed and 8.9 million are unemployed – with 92.5 million additional persons not in the labor force, a figure that has grown by nearly 2 million people over the past year, according to ATRI’s analysis of Census data. Out of the total U.S. labor pool, approximately 7 million persons hold trucking-related jobs with 3.2 million employed as truck drivers. With freight volumes on the rise, however, American Trucking Associations (ATA) data indicates that the industry is suffering a shortage of between 30,000 and 35,000 drivers right now, which could grow to 240,000 drivers by 2022 when aligned with freight growth forecasts. “On average, trucking will need to recruit nearly 100,000 new drivers every year to keep up with demand for drivers, with nearly two-thirds of the need coming from industry growth and retirements,” noted Bob Costello, ATA’s chief economist. On top of that, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 21% from 2010 to 2020 – faster than the average of all other occupations. "The average age of our current driver workforce is 52 and we're noticing fewer and fewer younger individuals applying for jobs in recent years," noted Keith Tuttle, the founder of Motor Carrier Service, Inc. and a member of ATRI's research advisory committee, in a statement. "If the industry doesn't collectively figure out how to recruit younger drivers, we may not have anyone left to haul freight in the coming decade,” he stressed. “With more and more of the nation's freight being hauled by trucks now and in the future, this is a piece of the puzzle we have to solve." Short’s analysis indicates that perhaps the single biggest obstacle to enticing younger workers to become truck drivers is the federal requirement that interstate commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders be aged 21 or older. “The resulting three-year post-high school gap precludes many from considering a career in truck driving,” he wrote. “There are additional institutional limitations on how old you must be to participate in certain sectors of the industry as well. Examples include hazmat or long-haul trucking, where 25 years of age is a common insurance-based expectation.” Yet ATRI’s Brewster pointed out that other trends – particularly the rapid escalation of college costs and student loan debt – may help trucking companies start tackling that “gap” more effectively. “This is where we need to make a point, particularly as the idea of the vocational education [path] is revisited across the country,” she explained. “From that standpoint, the industry needs to get more ‘irons in the fire’ in the vocational area, especially in high schools. We need to show that driving a truck is a great career option for them.”

New Acco range adds some contemporary touches to a classic design Australasian Transport News / December 10, 2014 Iveco has unveiled its new, modernised range of Acco trucks designed specifically for the local market. The new Accos come in 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 configurations, and feature a number of practical and aesthetic improvements. "While Iveco engineers have introduced many new improvements in the latest release, certain aspects about the Acco – qualities that have worked year after year – remain unchanged. The model’s low tare weight is the most competitive in the market and cabin entry and egress is completed with minimum effort required – an important consideration for the driver that’s in and out of the cabin all day," Iveco product manager Joel Read says. The new Acco retains the basic cab shape of its classic 1972 predecessor, but has borrowed some newer design elements from other Iveco truck ranges. On a practical level, a number of exterior components have been improved such as the addition of side deflectors, bumper-encased indicators and a three-piece steel bumper. Unlike the rest of the range, the agitator variant of the Acco will also feature electronic stability control (ESC). "We’re very pleased to have begun introducing ESC to the Acco range. We identified the rollout would start with the 8x4 agitator specification and will evolve to other models in the future. Agitator owners can now rest assured that they have this important additional safety feature," Read adds. Iveco says that the agitator spec was given priority for this feature because of its higher centre of gravity. Power output remains mostly the same as previous models, with power options ranging between 280hp (209kW) and 340hp (254kW). Under the hood is an 8.9-litre, Euro 5 engine that uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Further, the Acco range uses a fully automatic, 6-speed Allison generation 5 transmission. Iveco says that a key advantage for the Acco range is designed and built locally, and that over 85 per cent of its componentry is from Australian sources. "The flexibility offered through local manufacturing has made the ACCO a favourite platform for body manufacturers to work with," Iveco national key accounts manager Lloyd Reeman says. "Over 78,000 Acco units have been produced at the Dandenong factory since the first model was released commercially (by International Harvester) in 1961." .

Overdrive / December 10, 2014 Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. announced the addition of trailer roll stability protection from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems as a standard base specification on its 3000R refrigerated trailer. The Bendix TABS-6 Advanced with Bendix Trailer Roll Stability Program (TRSP) system combines anti-lock braking with trailer sensors and is available in single-channel and optional multi-channel configurations. Utility says it is the first trailer manufacturer to include roll stability as standard on its refrigerated trailers. “Trailer roll stability systems can dramatically improve a fleet’s safety, and we believe that the technology is ready to begin integrating this specification as a standard and not as an optional feature,” said Craig Bennett, senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We will begin by adding this important safety component on our base model reefer trailers beginning with orders received in January 2015.” http://www.bendix.com/en/products/absstability/trailer/trailer_1.jsp http://www.bendixvrc.com/itemDisplay.asp?documentID=6300

Transport Topics / December 9, 2014 Diesel will average $3.07 a gallon next year, the Department of Energy said Dec. 9, lowering its most recent forecast by 31 cents. Trucking’s main fuel, which has averaged $3.86 per gallon this year and is now about $3.53, will slide under $3 next spring, DOE said in its monthly short-term energy outlook. The price will bottom out at $2.97 in April and May before climbing slowly to $3.17 by the end of 2015, the report said. The declines will be led by lower crude oil prices, the department said, cutting its forecast by $15 to an average $62.75 per barrel next year. DOE’s Energy Information Administration, which releases the outlook, said it “expects global oil inventories to continue to build over the next year, keeping downward pressure on oil prices.” Gasoline will drop even more precipitously, to an average $2.60 next year from its current national average $2.68, EIA said. Gasoline has averaged $3.45 this year and its pump price averaged below $3 in November for the first time in almost four years.

Prime Mover Magazine / December 9, 2014 Iveco Trucks Australia has introduced an upgraded version of its Iveco Acco series range, which has undergone a number of enhancements. Chief among the improvements has been the introduction of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to the 5.1 metre wheelbase 8x4 agitator variant. According to Iveco, the ESC is planned for a roll out across all models and that the initial adoption of the ESC system using Knorr-Bremse components was regarded as a priority due to the high centre of gravity of agitator applications. “There are many things to like about the new Acco range,” said Joel Read, Iveco Product Manager. “The development and testing phase has been extremely thorough and we are very confident that the latest range will take the Acco’s performance to a new level in terms of functionality, reliability and safety.” The range of available Cummins engines remained unchanged with 280HP, 320Hp and 340HP specifications available. Despite the same power ratings the engines have had calibration revisions to eliminate the occasional idle “hunting” that affected some earlier models following the introduction of the Euro 5 engines. There are a number of suspensions available – including the Hendrickson Haulmaax HMX460 rubber block suspension that delivers a number of advantages in suitable applications. Not only 45 kg lighter than others, it is rated at 46,000 lbs, which is 6,000 higher than alternatives. The Haulmaax suspension has been designed to reduce load transfer during braking and provides 17 inches of articulation. The cab exterior now comes with the three piece steel bumper from the Trakker off road trucks and headlights from the Stralis which are protected by steel mesh and feature a swing out design for easy maintenance. Inside the cab the steering wheel has been changed to one similar to the Iveco Eurocargo, which incorporates the same, stalk control and trim panels. Dual control models for the waste industry have also benefitted from upgrades to the mitre box that now uses a sealed roller bearing that replaced the previous needle bearing to provide better lubrication and lower friction. .

Update: http://www.abc2news.com/news/region/anne-arundel-county/anne-arundel-county-pulls-fire-apparatus-out-of-service?hpt=us_bn8

Bloomberg / December 9, 2014 The U.S. government is trying to give truckers a break, doing away with a 62-year-old paperwork rule that was costing the industry as much as $1.7 billion annually. Truck drivers will no longer have to file daily reports after routine pre- and post-trip inspections if there aren’t safety defects or maintenance concerns, the U.S. Transportation Department said. A final regulation being issued today will take effect Dec. 18, ending a requirement implemented by the Interstate Commerce Commission during the Truman era in 1952. President Obama challenged federal agencies in a 2011 executive order to identify rules that are “outmoded, insufficient or excessively burdensome.” The reports on trucks without safety problems fit the target of red tape and waste, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in an interview. “This is one of the leading paperwork regulations in government right now,” Foxx said. “We have put this rule through the paces, and we’re satisfied there will be no reduction in safety.” About 95 percent of the current inspection reports indicate no safety concerns, according to the Transportation Department. Truck drivers spend about 46.7 million hours a year completing those reports, the department said. The time saved would be worth about $1.7 billion a year to the industry, according to the department. Free from filing the reports, drivers should be able to stay focused on their jobs and the safety of everyone else on the road, Scott Darling, acting chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said in a statement. Data Recorders The American Trucking Associations, while supportive of the effort, questioned the estimated economic benefit. About 40 percent of the 600,000 to 800,000 electronic data recorders in use by the industry have the means to file driver reports electronically, the Arlington, Virginia-based trade group said. About 35 percent of the group’s members said they would continue filing reports even without a regulation, saying they help to maintain effective maintenance. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a Washington-based watchdog group, urged the Transportation Department to continue to require the reports as a daily reminder to drivers to be on the lookout for potential maintenance problems. “We have to make sure, where there are rules that are burdensome and don’t add to the bottom line on safety, that we’re clear-eyed enough to be in a position to relieve those burdens,” Foxx said. Commercial drivers who operate passenger-carrying buses will still have to file the inspection reports in all cases, even if there’s no defect or maintenance issue.

Scania Opticruise AMT transmissions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gw5K8XNBHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ5Qn5FOdlw

I’m glad to see this is becoming an industry-wide available feature. There’s a lot of fuel savings available here. Scania introduced it back in 2011 – Scania Active Prediction System. In countries where topographical data is lacking, Scania Ecocruise is available, adapting the cruising speed to the topography by sensing the load on the engine. Both systems are used in conjunction with Scania 8-, 12- and 14-speed Opticruise AMT transmissions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1nqKakM74w http://www.scania.com/images/Scania%20Active%20Prediction%20-%20Presentation_tcm40-287549.pdf http://www.scania.com/Images/P13303EN_Opticruise_tcm40-358169.pdf

Fleet Owner / December 8, 2014 Detroit Diesel Corp. is making its Intelligent Powertrain Management (IPM) system standard on all Detroit DT12 automated manual transmissions paired with any heavy-duty Detroit engine, beginning in March 2015. IPM helps the powertrain operate as efficiently as possible, based on the truck’s momentum generated by the terrain. It integrates pre-loaded terrain maps and GPS into engine and transmission functions to know the route ahead, up to one mile. The main goal of IPM is to use the momentum of the truck most efficiently to reduce fuel consumption, Detroit said. It achieves this by preventing unnecessary shifts, predictively engine braking and fueling, shifting optimally, and precisely controlling eCoast events. IPM is automatically ‘on’ once the driver engages cruise control, so benefits of IPM are variable based on the percent of time the driver operates in cruise control, and the variably of the route traveled. Since Intelligent Powertrain Management uses the momentum of the truck to most efficiently move down the road, a route with varied topography (but no extreme change in elevations) provides the optimal opportunity for IPM to improve fuel economy, the company said. “Intelligent Powertrain Management technology employs many of the same behaviors that an experienced driver uses behind the wheel, but in many situations take actions that even the most experienced driver would be unable to employ such as engaging eCoast before cresting a hill. Ultimately actions like this will help all drivers achieve greater efficiency with less fatigue,” said Brad Williamson, manager, engine and component marketing for Daimler Trucks North America. “We want to give our customers the most advanced technologies available to lower to their ‘Real Cost of Ownership’, and IPM is a key part of that strategy.” For example, when approaching a grade, IPM will increase road speed to allow the vehicle to climb the hill with the fewest downshifts possible. IPM will also engage eCoast or stop fueling the engine before cresting a hill, using the truck’s momentum instead. When heading down a hill, IPM plans for this by automatically accelerating to increase the truck’s momentum, based on the approaching terrain. IPM will also keep eCoast engaged for longer periods of time with fewer interruptions, further benefiting fuel economy. .

Heavy Duty Trucking / December 8, 2014 With Congress up against a December 11 deadline to pass an appropriations bill, trucking interests and safety groups are battling over an amendment that would suspend the current 34-hour restart provision of the hours of service rule. American Trucking Associations and its affiliate, the Truckload Carriers Association, are challenging assertions of the safety groups that oppose the amendment. And Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx registered his “strong objection” to the amendment. At issue is the provision in the 2013 hours of service rule that requires drivers to take two periods off between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. during their 34-hour restart, and limits use of the restart to once a week. ATA contends that the provision reduces productivity for some carriers and may increase risk by putting more trucks on the road during Monday morning rush hour. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says the provision will improve safety because nighttime sleep is more restorative than daytime sleep. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has championed ATA’s effort to suspend the provision and revert to the pre-2013 restart, which does not contain those restrictions. Under her amendment to the appropriations bill, FMCSA would study the restart by comparing the work schedules and fatigue of drivers who operate under the old restart and the new one. The study also would compare five months of work schedules and safety critical events, such as crashes and near-crashes, for fleets of all sizes and types of operations. As decision time approaches this week, safety groups have been pressing Congress to reject the amendment. In a letter to congressional leaders, Advocates for Highway Safety and other groups described the suspension as an “assault” on truck safety that would significantly increase working hours for truck drivers. “While the proposed change to the HOS rule has been portrayed as a ‘minor tweak’ to the rule, it is, in fact, a major change,” said Jacqueline Gillan, president of Advocates and numerous other signatories to the letter. “Working and driving hours will increase from 70 to 84 hours.” ATA responded with a letter to the same leaders saying that the safety groups are attempting to mislead Congress. “This language does not, as critics suggest, eliminate use of this rest provision,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Instead, it would suspend unwarranted restrictions on the use of the provision while FMCSA conducts a mandated study of the net safety impacts of them.” Over the weekend, the Truckload Carriers Association joined the fray with a call for a grassroots effort to support the amendment. Meanwhile, DOT Secretary Foxx registered his strong objections to the amendment in a letter to Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., chair of the Appropriations Committee. “The provision at issue is a central element of a comprehensive rule that ensures that truck drivers have adequate rest,” he said. “The evidence clearly shows that truck drivers are better rested and more alert after two night of sleep than one night, and that unending 80-hour work weeks lead to driver fatigue and compromise highway safety,” he said. FMCSA wants to keep the provision in place while it conducts the study that Collins called for in her amendment. More details about the appropriations bill will come clear this week as the Thursday deadline nears.

Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / December 3, 2014 The special Kenworth T880 carrying this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree ended its trek Tuesday when the 75-foot white spruce cut down in Minnesota last month ended its 2,700-mile trip to D.C. The tree was lit during a ceremony Tuesday evening led by U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner. The Capitol Christmas Tree’s journey, which was sponsored by the Truckload Carriers Association, PeopleNet and other trucking-related groups, made 30 stops on its three-week tour. The truck was driven by owner-operator Elwood Higdem of Wille Transport. A Wille company driver, Ken Lundgren, drove alongside Higdem in a Kenworth T680 Advantage, carrying a van load of handmade ornaments to adorn the tree and 70 other smaller Christmas trees bound for federal buildings in Washington. .

The Morning Call / December 3, 2014 Mack Trucks is adding 18 jobs at its Lower Macungie Township assembly plant after closing a facility in Jacksonville, Fla. Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner said Wednesday the Jacksonville facility produced kits of "completely knocked down" (CKD) or disassembled trucks (SKD - semi-knocked down) that are shipped to Australia and Venezuela for final assembly. The Jacksonville operation, which was closed Sunday, was moved to the Lehigh Valley to "increase efficiency," Heffner said. The move to the Lower Macungie plant allows for a reduction in inventory and saves logistics costs, he said. Eighteen positions were created in Lower Macungie as a result of the move, Heffner said. Six employees from Jacksonville have transferred to the plant, he said.

Fleet Owner / December 5, 2014 Truck and engine maker Navistar is rolling out a new fuel efficiency package for its International ProStar highway tractor, dubbed the ProStar ES – a designation that stands for “efficiency specification.” Available for order later this month, Navistar said its new ProStar ES will come with a “full aerodynamic package” combined with several drivetrain options and low rolling resistance tires. In a conference call with reporters, Jodi Presswood, VP of the heavy-duty truck product line, said the new ProStar ES package offers up to 11% better fuel economy versus a 2010 ProStar model equipped with a 13-liter MaxxForce engine and 10-speed manual transmission. “The ProStar ES represents the next level of fuel efficiency,” he explained. “We’re calling this an ‘ecosystem’ if you will to enable the most fuel efficiency possible.” Presswood added that pricing is based on the combination of features a customer selects within the ProStar ES package offering. “But it’s more than just a product spec,” he stressed. “This is not a ‘static’ offering – what we’re rolling out today is what’s best available today. We’ll be continually upgrading this spec.” He also noted that a three-year subscription to Navistar’s OnCommand system is being made part of the ProStar ES package as well: the OEM’s predictive diagnostic system that includes a portal that monitors vehicle performance in real-time to ensure maximum operating efficiency. Presswood also noted that Navistar’s performance engineering team, which developed the ProStar ES, can be tagged to help further optimize the package with customer-specific specifications based on vehicle application and duty cycle. Aaron Peterson, Navistar’s chief performance engineer, noted that the ProStar ES package addresses the three top areas of highway tractor operation where fuel economy losses are the largest: aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, and engine mechanical losses. He said the OEM worked with NASA at its Ames Research Facility to conduct wind tunnel tests on the aerodynamic package, in particular to ensure the aerodynamics delivered fuel savings even at greater wind “yaw angles,” mirroring the effect of crosswinds on the highway. Several component offerings are being made available with the ProStar ES package, he added: The Eaton Cummins SmartAdvantage powertrain, which pairs the 15-liter Cummins ISX15 with the Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated transmission (AMT), to provide a 3% to 6% fuel efficiency improvement;Navistar’s proprietary 13-liter N-13 engine will also be offered with the Eaton Fuller Advantag10-speed AMT, again offering a 35 to 6% fuel economy boost;Low rolling resistance tires;Several axle configurations, including two 6x4 models – the Meritor 14X and Dana AdvanTek 40 – along with the Meritor FuelLite 6x2 model.Presswood added that the ProStar ES will feature an “ES” badge on the hood as an identifying mark for the package. “We have customers already running this spec today and they say it outperforms every other truck in their fleet, including other makes,” he pointed out. “We are confident in the performance of this vehicle, and that the ProStar ES will serve as an ever evolving and improving platform for the industry’s best fuel efficiency components and technology.” .

I'm curious myself. In Sept 2012, Navistar said Loadstar production would begin in the second half of 2013. In October 2013, Navistar announced that they had transitioned all their models to SCR........but didn't mention the LoadStar. I imagine the protoypes are rusting outside at their R&D center. Speaking of the plant, Navistar is hung with a 10-year lease. This news from last year is enlightening. ____________________________________________________ Rail Car Plant Runs Full Circle, Back to Rail Cars Business Alabama / April 2013 From rail cars to real crisis to truck line and back to rail cars. It’s taken several years, but the massive plant built by National Alabama in the Shoals will finally be used for its originally designed purpose, building rail cars. Just before the recession hit in 2007, National Alabama — subsidiary of a Canadian rail car maker — built the plant to make rail cars for the U.S. freight market. When the bust came, those who helped finance the plant in support of jobs for the Shoals — chiefly the Retirement Systems of Alabama — were left with a plant instead of their expected return on investment. Last year, RSA announced that it had leased the plant at last, not to a rail car maker but to truck maker Navistar, which already has operations in Huntsville. And Navistar announced plans for a new model, the LoadStar — a multi-purpose workhorse that looks sort of like a garbage truck. But Navistar never really geared up for the LoadStar. Then, in February, Navistar announced that it has subleased part of the plant, hoping to count some of the sublessee’s employees toward the 900 Navistar needs to reap $7.67 million worth of incentive benefits. Navistar has 180 working there now, the Florence Times Daily reports. Bringing the plant full circle, the company subleasing from Navistar is FreightCar America, which expects to build about 7,000 freight cars a year with a workforce of 200 by the end of this year and 400 by the end of 2014.

Fleet Owner / September 28, 2012 Back in May of this year, Navistar announced it had reached agreement to purchase EZ-Pack. EZ-Pack, for those that don’t know, is a refuse body manufacturer. They do nothing more, nothing less. But, to date, the company has been able to garner only about 7% of the refuse body market that is dominated by McNeilus and Heil. Many wondered why Navistar wanted to get itself into the refuse-body building business. Some of those answers came this week at the Navistar Vocational Boot Camp in Tooele, Utah, and they make a strong case for why this could be a good fit for customers of both companies. “EZ-Pack may be one of the smallest [refuse] body makers in the industry, but the capabilities are there, and what we can do with it are there,” Jim Hebe, executive vice president-North American sales for Navistar said. Jim Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing and one of the owners of EZ-Pack, sees a perfect fit. “The best asset Navistar has is the dealer network…yet it appears nowhere on their balance sheet,” he said. “The dealers at Navistar are very good at selling to municipalities. Now we hope when they call on municipalities, they’ll sell them a garbage truck.” In fact, refuse was a hole in Navistar’s vocational lineup for many years. It took steps to rectify that when it introduced the Loadstar at Mid-America this past spring. Set to launch in July of next year, LoadStar will be available with a Cummins ISL G natural gas engine to start. According to Rogers, that is a perfect engine for the refuse market. In fact, Rogers said, 1 in 4 garbage trucks sold in North America this year will be sold with alternative power. That number was just 10% three years ago and could be as high as 50% within two years he said. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the arrangement, Rogers pointed out, is the dealer network – giving EZ-Pack customers not only nearly 800 potential service outlets, but also a “one-stop shop” of a dealer that that is equipped to address all vehicle issues, from chassis to body. Rogers said the average maintenance cost on a refuse truck is between $20,000 and $25,000 per year, meaning a strong dealer network can be vital to enhancing the productivity of the vehicles, which can run as much as $250,000 apiece. By integrating the EZ-Pack refuse body with the LoadStar and utilizing Navistar’s Diamond Logic electrical system, maintenance issues can be quickly identified and rectified at one dealer. The integration of the products is also part of a new business model Rogers hopes will help EZ-Pack cut into the market lead of McNeilus and Heil. “We’re creating not only a new truck, but a new business model,” he said. “We’re going to build them the best service network this country has ever seen for trash trucks.” And the best part of the arrangement, perhaps for customers, is that you don’t have to purchase a LoadStar with an EZ-Pack body. Customers who prefer other models will still be able to put different bodies on the LoadStar or put an EZ-Pack body on a Mack, Peterbilt or Autocar if they prefer. That’s a win-win for everyone, it would seem. And with the reach of International (the company has more than 26% share of the severe service market), gives EZ-Pack access to customers it has never had access to before. .

LAS VEGAS – May 1, 2012 — Today at the Waste Expo trade show in Las Vegas, Navistar, Inc. unveiled the International LoadStar, a light-weight low cab forward truck specifically designed for the waste/refuse industry. The new LoadStar is a refuse truck reimagined. Designed from the ground up with input from drivers and fleet managers, the LoadStar was also built to serve customer needs specific to the waste market, but with versatility to meet needs in concrete pumping, airplane refueling and other key vocational markets. LoadStar is equipped with numerous customer-friendly features: • Industry’s first stainless steel cab to minimize corrosion and increase durability • Vocationally designed variable depth frame rails for maximum durability • Ergonomically designed cab interior, including excellent control placement • Navistar’s Diamond Logic® multiplexed electrical system with capabilities that provide seamless body integration for increased safety and ease of operation • Integrated powertrain powered by MaxxForce®, featuring CleanBurn™ Emissions Technology or optional natural gas version in early 2013 “We talked to drivers to better understand their needs, what is missing from the trucks they drive, and re-imagined a better solution,” said Jack Allen, president of Navistar’s North American truck group. “To fit driver needs, we optimized the space in the cab, increased seat and steering wheel movement, and adjusted joystick placement to deliver an outstanding ergonomic and customizable work environment. The exterior boasts the signature appearance and design of the International Truck brand.” LoadStar’s high performance and durable design features the industry’s first stainless steel cab-over design, creating a high-strength, long-lasting and corrosion-resistant cab. The truck also has variable depth frame rails designed for vocational usage offering maximum durability for users. Featuring a tilt/telescoping steering column and 10-inch fore/aft and 6.5-inch up/down seat travel, LoadStar’s settings provide for unprecedented belly room. A wide 90-degree door opening and easy 18-inch first step height were also included to provide drivers with maximum comfort. With outstanding driver visibility and superior wall-to-wall turning radius, the LoadStar delivers excellent maneuverability. In conjunction with the launch of the LoadStar, Navistar recently acquired certain assets and intellectual property from E-Z Pack Manufacturing, LLC, a leading manufacturer of truck bodies for the waste and refuse industry. Through the E-Z Pack acquisition, Navistar will offer the LoadStar as a fully integrated cab/chassis/body. “This is another example of how Navistar is growing our business by leveraging what we have and what others have built,” Allen added. “Building integrated refuse bodies gives us another opportunity to provide an integrated, one-stop shop for waste haulers and helps expand Navistar’s industry-leading portfolio of purpose-built products.” The International WorkStar and International LoadStar waste/refuse trucks will still be offered to mount with all other body companies in the industry based on customer preference. In addition, E-Z Pack will continue to mount bodies on chassis manufactured by other OEMs. LoadStar will also feature Navistar’s Diamond Logic® system, which helps decrease downtime and improves productivity by enabling control of and communication between vehicle components and body equipment. This unique system increases safety and optimizes maintenance. Combined with MaxxForce CleanBurn™ Emissions Technology, the industry’s only no-hassle emissions solution, drivers get a versatile, urea-free work truck without the burden or unnecessary complexity of competitive SCR systems. The truck will be available with diesel powered 10-, 11- or 13-liter MaxxForce engines, and a Cummins Westport ISL-G compressed natural gas engine available in Spring 2013, for increased versatility. “The new LoadStar delivers a reimagined solution for the refuse industry,” said Allen. “With industry-leading innovation customer-focused features, LoadStar addresses the realities of today and stands ready for the needs of tomorrow.” LoadStar will be available for orders in October 2012 through International dealers in the United States and Canada.

At the 2012 Waste Expo and Mid-America Truck Show, Navistar displayed the low cab forward “Loadstar” (never mind that the original Loadstar was a conventional). By the end of 2012, the Loadstar was removed from Navistar’s website. In March 2012, Navistar announced it would build its International LoadStar truck in Barton, Alabama and create 2,200 jobs. In June 2012, Navistar said the truck’s refuse body also would be built at the plant (Navistar was in talks to acquire EZ-Pack Manufacturing, and did so in March 2013). The Barton plant was built after the July 2007 announcement that the National Alabama railcar plant would operate there and bring at least 1,600 jobs. A weak economy and other problems thwarted those plans, causing The Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), which invested more than $600 million in the project, to take over ownership of the plant. Navistar took over the nearly mile-long plant in Barton Riverfront Industrial Park on January 1, 2012 and signed a ten year lease. At the end of 2012, there was some activity at the plant with 150 full-time workers engaged in fabrication operations. At that time, Navistar’s director of communications Karen Denning refused to say when refuse truck production would get under way. The Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) is providing financing for Navistar’s operation at Barton. The Shoals Industrial Development Committee unanimously agreed in 2012 to transfer the incentives committed to National Alabama to Navistar. The action allowed Navistar to qualify for up to $23 million in incentives if the company meets specified employment thresholds. The company had about three years remaining to meet those thresholds. Navistar had to reach and maintain 900 workers in order to qualify for any incentive money, which would be $7.67 million at that level, according to the Shoals Economic Development Authority. Navistar has until December 31, 2015, to reach 1,800 workers to qualify for the full incentive package. Navistar never confirmed the number of workers it would hire for the plant, but Gov. Robert Bentley said it would have 1,800 workers. Officials said the plant could produce as many as 2,200 jobs when spin-off jobs are taken into account. State officials who helped put together an incentive package for Navistar said as many as 2,200 workers could be affiliated with the plant within four years. .

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 9, 2009) – Navistar today showcased an addition to its line-up of International trucks, a vehicle based on an existing American LaFrance low cab-over engine (LCOE) platform. While Navistar, Inc. and American LaFrance, LLC continue to work toward a definitive agreement on a joint venture to develop, manufacture and support LCOE vocational trucks, the two companies were eager to show the waste industry what a potential end-product could look like. The two companies plan to work collaboratively to make enhancements to the existing LCOE chassis. While these modifications may appear seamless to customers today, over time, the joint venture will help produce more noticeable changes, including the integration of MaxxForce engines and Advanced EGR technology to meet EPA 2010 emissions requirements. The joint venture will build upon the engineering platform of American LaFrance and further enhance the product offering with proprietary Navistar components. Navistar’s MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines will be incorporated within the product offering, providing a clear advantage for the new line of trucks heading into the 2010 EPA emission requirements. The International LCOE truck will be the only LCOE chassis on the market without a urea-based SCR (selective catalytic reduction) system. “We believe the strengths of our vocational line are exponentially enhanced when combined with the proprietary components, engines and distribution of Navistar,” said Patriarch Partners Chief Executive Lynn Tilton. “This will be an exciting journey to build a broad global product offering and we are honored to combine the talents and names of Navistar and American LaFrance.” The initial product focus will target the waste and construction segments with future products planned for additional vocational markets. Through the venture, the American LaFrance Summerville, SC, manufacturing facility will become the manufacturing hub for the new products. “Working with American LaFrance is another example of Navistar’s strategy of growth through leveraging our own assets and those that others have built,” said Jack Allen, president of Navistar’s North American Truck Group. “This relationship provides us with a new opportunity to further grow our business and meet the needs of customers through a new line of vocational vehicles.” The companies have commissioned teams to focus on truck and engine opportunities. The initiatives contemplated by the Term Sheet are subject to completion of due diligence, execution of definitive agreements and regulatory approvals.

At Waste Expo 2009, Navistar and American LaFrance jointly displayed a Navistar-badged Condor featuring an International powertrain. With the closing of American LaFrance in January this year, Navistar, though cash strapped, could have purchased all the Condor production tooling for a modest amount of money at the August auction, which would instantly make Navistar a player in the refuse industry thru its acquisition of the Condor's market share (small, but a beginning point to work with). Daimler subsidiary Freightliner acquired American LaFrance in 1995. In 2001, the Condor refuse truck was introduced under both the Freightliner and Sterling brands, and sold thru 2008. http://www.freightlinertrucks.com/Trucks/Models/Legacy/Condor/ Condor production continued after New York-based private equity firm Patriarch Partners LLC purchased American LaFrance from Daimler-Chrysler in December 2005. Condor production took place in South Carolina.

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Fleet Owner / December 3, 2014 The Mack Trucks Historical Museum up in Allentown, PA, celebrated its 30th anniversary last month – a non-profit entity formed back in 1984 – and for truck junkies like me, the place offers an endless supply of classic iron and related components to investigate. [It’s also most helpful that admission to the museum is free, with the facility open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.] I’ve visited Mack’s museum a few times (and you can sift through some photo galleries resulting from those stopovers here and here) as it is connected to the Mack Customer Center, which used to serve as the OEM’s research and development facility. The performance roadways surrounding the museum and customer center are still put to good use, too; a prime location for customers and journalists to test drive Mack’s products, as you can see here. The OEM noted that nearly 6,000 people from all parts of the world visit its museum each year, with Mack enthusiasts from Australia and the Netherlands the most frequent foreign visitors. “We also receive thousands of requests about specific vehicles,” added Don Schumaker, the museum’s curator. “If you have a vehicle identification number, chances are pretty good that we have information in our archives.” [Schumaker has by far forgotten more about trucks than most people know. You can view his encyclopedic truck brain in action in the video interview below, shot back in April this year.] The museum also helps host “Trucktoberfest,” an annual “appreciation event” for the antique truck club organizations that support the museum, with more than 300 people and 100 vintage trucks taking part in the festivities. [Below is a glimpse of the “parade of power” taken during this year’s celebration, with a collection of trucks circling the former test track surrounding the museum and customer center buildings.] Perhaps not surprisingly, Mack also helps support another museum, one devoted more broadly to the history of transportation – called “American on Wheels” – that is located in downtown Allentown. Needless to say, if you’re a gearhead that loves old trucks and motor vehicles, both of those placed need to get put on your travel itinerary. .

Economic Times / December 1, 2014 Indian truckmaker Ashok Leyland today reported a 44 percent jump in total sales at 7,732 units for November, 2014, as against 5,375 units in the same month last year. Sales for its medium and heavy commercial trucks increased by 92 percent at 5,204 units in November as against 2,715 units in the year-ago period. .