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Jim Park - Today's Trucking / March 17, 2015 For-hire trucking could learn a few things from the airlines, because they have finally figured out how to make money in a deregulated environment. Love 'em or hate 'em, commercial airlines are the most time- and cost-effective way -- even comfortable if you compare an Airbus A320 to a cattle truck -- of moving people back and forth across the country. While passengers may be unhappy with being nickeled-and-dimed to death, they are paying the endless list of fees and surcharges, and the airlines are racking up record revenue increases. The Associated Press reports that U.S.-based airlines hauled in $3.4 billion in baggage fees in 2010, a 24-percent increase over 2009. By the end of the third quarter 2011, 17 major U.S. airlines had collected $2.6 billion for checking luggage. Not bad for something that used to be free. Rather than face an uprising over fare increases, the airlines downloaded the problem to the passengers, who must now duke it out in the cabin to see who gets their humongous suitcase into the overhead luggage bin first. The airlines are actually a great example of how to recover otherwise lost revenue by tacking on fees and surcharges where they are warranted. Want a beer? Seven bucks. A sandwich? Eight bucks. You won't get a free lunch anywhere else, so why should you expect one on an airplane? The airlines use a complex pricing system called "yield management," which is rather concisely defined by Wikipedia, as the process of understanding, anticipating and influencing consumer behavior in order to maximize yield or profits from a fixed, perishable resource (such as airline seats or hotel room reservations). The term was coined by Robert Crandall, former chairman and CEO of American Airlines, who called it, "the single most important technical development in transportation management since we entered deregulation." Back in the days when the Interstate Commerce Commission actually enforced tariffs, trucking had the luxury of charging customers based on a menu of service offerings. Today, flat-rate pricing is the norm -- especially when dealing with freight brokers -- and that limits our ability to charge for certain services, or to recovers costs incurred in providing such services. You Want it When?I'll grant that there are differences between an aircraft in scheduled service leaving the gate with unsold seats -- that's lost revenue -- and a truck running down the road for an agreed-to flat rate. But when you consider all we do that's above and beyond getting freight from one loading dock to another, I think we're leaving a lot of money on the table too. There are the obvious examples such as inadequate fuel surcharges and unbilled detention time, but what about things like cancelled loads, deliveries to remote destinations, day-of-the-week or time-of-day load/unload premiums? You know delivering in Los Angeles on a Friday means a weekend layover. How might you convince your customer to load a few days early so you can deliver on Wednesday? Charging a premium for delivering on a day, or time of day, that limits your reloading potential would be a good way of influencing the customer's decision. Ever had a load cancelled once the truck is en-route to the pick up? The driver has begun his or her workday and has started the 14-hour duty cycle. Diverting or sitting that truck is going to cost the driver and the carrier something. Why shouldn't the customer pay for its lack of foresight? Weight is another big issue. In the truckload world, a load is a load. A to B = X dollars. If you're dragging a van around, it doesn't matter how many boxes are stuffed into the trailer, what matters to the carrier is weight. How many carriers (and brokers, for that matter) charge a flat rate for a truckload whether the weight is 10,000 pounds or 50,000? Weight sure matters to the guy paying for the fuel. The customer should pay accordingly. Tons of other extras spring quickly to mind that carriers could and should be billing for, such as driver load or unload, special handling, destinations where reloads are difficult, scheduled appointments, team service, temperature-controlled service, multiple-drop, re-consigned loads, weekend deliveries, residential deliveries, security fees, paperwork preparation, scale tickets ... The list of possibilities is a long one indeed. Many carriers are now charging what have come to be known as accessorial charges, but many are not. I hear carriers that do levy accessorial charges are having varying degrees of success at collecting those charges, but that's another story. My question is, why would you not charge extra fees for legitimate services? It apparently hasn't hurt the airlines. Shippers would still have choices if motor carriers were to charge for everything they do. Shippers that choose to move trucks in and out promptly would not have to pay delay fees. Shippers that insist on 3 a.m. delivery appointment should have to pay for the lost time between the delivery and a potential reload during normal business hours. Loads that deliver to out-of-the-way locations should pay a location charge to cover the deadhead miles back to civilization. We can offer our customers choices too. Pay me now, upfront, or pay me later when I've finished tallying up all the extra charges for things I had to do to get your load delivered. If trucking adopted the airline pricing model, I think $3.4 billion in recovered revenue would be drop in a bucket. There's a great description of Yield Management in this article on Wikipedia, if you care to dig a little deeper into the mechanics of this revenue preservation tool.

CBT Online (Malaysia) / March 17, 2015 When your service is a common one – in this case, haulage and logistics – there are precious few ways to set yourself apart from the competition. What Jasa Bumi Logistics has done is to concentrate on doing the little things well. Part of the greater Jasa Bumi group of companies, Jasa Bumi Logistics is a relatively young company, founded early in 2014 to handle the transportation of palm oil in its many forms, such as crude palm oil (CPO) and palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), to name but a few. Directors of Jasa Bumi Logistics Azmir Yahya and K.K. Ong both felt that there were areas in the logistics industry that left much to be desired, particularly in the upholding of quality and safety standards. Both agreed to use Dongfeng as the backbone of its transportation fleet; in fact Jasa Bumi Logistics’ fleet consists entirely of Dongfeng prime movers, currently 20 units strong and set to grow by another eight by the end of the month. “We are particular about quality,” says Ong, a sentiment echoed by his business partner Azmir. Ong adds that “cheaper is not necessarily worse”, because not only does Dongfeng undercut other makes on purchase price, but the trucks have also been found to be reliable and fuel efficient despite their relative affordabillity, according to the Jasa Bumi Logistics chief. Jasa Bumi Logistics is proud of its partnership with Dongfeng, displaying the truck manufacturer’s name on its trailer alongside that of its bodybuilder, Jithra, which constructs the gleamingly finished stainless steel tanks for Jasa Bumi Logistics. Of course, there is an element of perception behind the choice of finishing for the tankers. Where handling of food products is concerned, there will always be concerns for cleanliness, and here Ong likens his operation to the presentation of food itself: “It is like serving good, delicious soup with a good, clean ladle, rather than a dirty one,” says Ong. On that front, Jasa Bumi Logistics claims to be the first in the Malaysian food products transportation industry to use stainless steel tankers, where others have traditionally used mild steel tankers. The shiny facade seems to have drawn positive attention; Ong says some of the general public come up to the trucks at rest stops out of sheer curiousity, and there was once a representative of global procurement from one of Jasa Bumi’s customers who was so impressed with the trucks, she asked to have a group photo taken with the shiny tanker. There is also another innovation from Jasa Bumi Logistics, which was hitherto only seen on petroleum transporters – the hand rail-equipped tank. The hand rails deploy remotely at a push of a button, giving the truck personnel a steadfast grasp in addition to the safety harnesses used when checking of tanks is required. “Even if the harnesses are unavailable, our staff will still have some security from the hand rails,” adds Ong. Jasa Bumi Logistics’ staff charged with driving the prime movers are not merely called drivers. Ong says: “We call them pilots, and that gives them greater pride in their occupation.” His “pilots” are each given a familiarisation course at a Dongfeng centre before commencing driver duties with his company, to ensure optimal operation of the trucks. Ong wraps it up by saying that “if you don’t take care of your people, your people can’t take care of your company.” In the immediate future, Azmir and Ong aim to make Jasa Bumi Logistics the market leader in palm oil product transportation. Further ahead beyond the horizon, the duo plan to venture into transporting petroleum, which they are confident of doing because they are certain that their standards of practice have set them in the right direction. .

Fleet Owner / March 16, 2015 Over five years ago, when Mayor Buddy Dyer launched Green Works Orlando, his vision of an environmentally friendly community encompassed almost every aspect of life in the Central Florida city and its surrounding area. Taking up the challenge along with other city departments was the Fleet & Facilities Management Division. Daryl Greenlee, Orlando’s fleet manager, oversees an operation with 2,500 vehicles and pieces of equipment used by city departments. The division provides maintenance, repairs and replacement of trucks, police cars, fire apparatus, and a fleet of 79 front-line and 12 reserve solid-waste refuse units. “Over the next three years, all of our residential garbage trucks will be converted to hydraulic hybrid models,” Greenlee relates. “We’re in the process of replacing 30 residential refuse trucks with Autocar E3 models powered by Parker hybrid drive systems and fitted with Heil automatic side loader bodies. We’ve had nine of these units on the road for just over 18 months and nine more are scheduled to be delivered.” Supplied by Kenworth of Central Florida, the trucks feature the Parker RunWise Advanced Series hybrid drive systems along with a Cummins ISL9 engine, a proprietary power drive unit (PDU), hydraulic pump/motors, and composite bladder accumulators. Energy recovered from the vehicle’s braking system is stored and used to power the truck each time it accelerates. As the truck approaches highway speed, the PDU transfers from hydrostatic drive to mechanical drive, maximizing operating efficiency. “While the initial cost of the hydraulic hybrids is higher than that for traditional diesel-powered units, the premium is easily justified,” Greenlee says. “In our fleet, the Autocar E3s using the Parker RunWise hybrid system have been using up to 50% less fuel than our diesel units, which we’ve verified with telematics. Not only is that a substantial savings in fuel costs, the truck’s emissions are significantly reduced. “Some of the savings we’re realizing are also coming from lower maintenance costs,” Greenlee continues. “On our diesel trucks, we perform three or four complete brake jobs every year. At $3,000 each, that’s at least $90,000 over a 10-year service life. With the hydraulic hybrids, which use brake energy recovery to slow the vehicle, we’re projecting that we won’t need to replace any brakes until year 10.” Other savings contributing to the return on investment are longer service intervals, facilitated by having smaller engines to power the hydraulic hybrid system, and the elimination of a transmission. Additionally, with smoother deceleration, tire life appears to be better, lowering tire costs. No steer tires have been replaced on the Autocar E3s, Greenlee reports. Also, the majority of the hybrid trucks are only on their second set of drive tires, as compared to as many as three sets on the diesel units. There are productivity improvements as well. “After the initial deployment, we discovered that some routes using hydraulic hybrids are faster by an hour,” says Greenlee. “We actually had supervisors follow those trucks to see why and soon realized the faster times were due to the quicker acceleration with the hybrid systems. That can translate into longer routes with fewer trucks and the ability to serve new neighborhoods without increasing fleet size.” Green Works Orlando is a vision to transform the fifth largest city in Florida into one of the most environmentally friendly communities in the nation. And the city’s Fleet & Facilities Management Div. is fielding refuse vehicles that can help achieve that goal at the lowest possible cost. .

VW Group only last May finally gained control of Scania. So I suggest you're judgement is premature. The leadership at VW are car people. But they realize that, and hired Renschler away from M-B, who's a real truck guy.

In the US market, Volvo Group's namesake and Mack brands are the only ones still pushing unitized hubs. I don't care for them. Oil-lubricated ConMet hubs are the way to go (http://www.conmet.com/products/hubs/). FYI - ConMet (Consolidated Metals Co) started out in 1964 as the Portland-based aluminum foundry subsidiary of Consolidated Freightways, producing the company's aluminum truck components.

Fleet Owner / March 13, 2015 Over the last 10 years technology has struck in ever facet of our world from computers to electronic paper towel dispensers in the restrooms. I say give me back the lever, two pushes and I have enough paper. And I cannot stand the horizontal blow dryers. In effort to speed up assembly in the automotive world, they designed front hubs that are unitized for quick assembly. Lucky people who buy a new car may never really feel the pain of a front hub failure on their car. For some reason though, I have bad luck with right-side hubs failing. Not really the hub failing, but the wheel bearing, and normally it shows up as a ABS light indicator. I have had five such failures. In the past when a wheel bearing was making a noise is was simple to replace the $20 wheel bearings on a Saturday morning. It’s not quite so simple today, as we have traded quick assembly for easy wham, bam, done wheel bearing adjustments. Today the average price of a hub on a car is close to $300 and it’s a nightmare to change. No more Saturday morning, but rather all-day Saturday providing you have the right tools. So it’s back to the dealer, and two front hubs on a car are close to $1,200. Unitized hubs have now made the transition to our worlds of trucks for all of the same reason as above. They tend to last longer in miles because the bearings are larger and carry heavier load, but when we have one that fails the hub assembly is expensive. A good friend and a peer of mine talk every Sunday morning about maintenance issues as a way of communication and challenging each other with issues of the week. Front hubs became a huge topic of discussion because he recently experience two failures with no warning and I have had some unitized hubs fail with no warning as low as 20,000 miles in 20,000-lb. axles and 150,000 miles in 12 and 14,000-lb. axles. Oil hubs, on the other hand, did give us early signs. Failing is probably not be the right term as most of us understand that all parts have a predetermine life. What we wanted to figure out was why they were not delivering the life that we expected. In questioning the manufacturers, they told us that the hub has to be service from time to time. But with a unitized hub, I am not sure what servicing means except replacement. At the recent TMC meeting in Nashville I ask the question about whether shops jack up the front end of the vehicle to lubricate the components (I was really asking about checking front wheel bearings). More than half said they follow the manufacturers’ recommendation, which today is not to jack up the front end. When I asked how they check front wheel bearings then, the crowd was mostly silent, which means most do not know, some do not care, and some just wait for a failure to occur. One fleet said they checked during their annual inspections, which occur at about 120,000 miles. It was clear that most do not believe they have any failures, or at least not enough to look into their maintenance program. I do not believe a yearly inspection of front wheel bearings is enough and early detection from a leaky wheel seal is not a telltale any more with unitized hubs. My friend keeps his trucks a million miles, so we jointly decided that somewhere after 600,000 miles the hubs have to be changed on all of the trucks. That’s about $1,000 each. Of course you could wait, but why? Based on our experiences with unitized hubs, here are few suggestions for your PM Sheet: Raise the front end at each PM to lube font end components.Rotate, listen, feel for early signs of potential wheel bearing each PM.Remove the cap periodically for visual lube inspection.Lower the front end and lube as well.Determine when to change the unitized hub on a planned basis.Accept that the new hubs are much different than the old oil-lubed wheel bearings.Stay with oil front hubs if there is a choice for million mile trucks.Before we could spend $100 for new wheel bearings when they were close to the end of their life, but we now are in the dark as failures occur with no early signs. Now we’re talking about predicting failure, not something that I subscribe to except for unitized hubs on front steer axles. Determining the right mileage limit may seem difficult, until disaster strikes. This is a Maintenance Insurance decision; put it on your PM SHEET!

Heavy Duty Trucking / March 13, 2015 Ford has begun offering a heavy payload package with its 2015 F-150 pickup that increases the payload and towing capabilities for fleet and other commercial users. The Heavy-Duty Payload Package increases the truck's payload and towing capabilities with an eight-foot cargo box, upgraded springs, tires, and wheels, as well as a heavier duty leaf supension. The package is available for the regular cab or extended cab (SuperCab) models equipped with the 5.0-liter V-8 or 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. The package increases the truck's GVWR to 7,600 pounds for the XL trim and 7,850 pounds for the XLT and Lariat trim models. The package is paired with the Max Trailer Tow Package on the EcoBoost and the Trailer Tow Package on the V-8. The Heavy-Duty Payload Package retails for $1,500. The package increases payload to 3,300 pounds for the V-8 and 2,900 pounds for the EcoBoost. Without the package, the EcoBoost truck has a maximum payload of 2,230 pounds. Trailering capability for a SuperCab with the EcoBoost would increase to 11,800 pounds from 10,700, said Mike Levine, Ford's truck communications manager. The upgrade is designed for commercial users in the construction, landscape, and automotive parts industries, Levine said. The heavy payload package includes five LT245/70R17E BSW A/T tires for the XL; five LT275/65R18C OWL A/T tires for the XLT or Lariat; 17-inch silver steel heavy-duty wheels for the XL; 18-inch silver aluminum heavy-duty wheels for the XLT or Lariat; upgraded springs and auxiliary transmission oil cooler; and a 9.75-inch gear set with 3.73 electronic-locking slip axle.

Renschler's has just stated his plans rather clearly. One has to assume VW Group will purchase Navistar, as the acquisition of Paccar (DAF, Kenworth Peterbilt) would be rather costly, and European regulators would squawk over VW controlling three European truck makes. Further reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/38784-new-vw-truck-division-head-evaluating-us-acquisition/?hl=volkswagen http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/36531-paccar-no-merger-talks-with-vw/?hl=volkswagen

Wall Street Journal / March 12, 2015 Volkswagen AG needs to establish a strong truck business in the United States if it wants to be a global player, VW's new board member in charge of commercial vehicles told reporters on Thursday. Andreas Renschler was responding to speculation that VW's truck division could make a big acquisition in the U.S. in a bid to build the business. He said "to be a global player, you need to be in the U.S". Renschler didn't give any indication as to whether VW would make an acquisition to achieve that goal.

No, CVG stopped producing Navistar cabs in 2010. Navistar decided to insource the cab production that had taken place at CVG's Norwalk, Ohio plant to its own assembly facility in Escobedo, Mexico. The Norwalk plant was subsequently closed. Relating to what I mentioned above, the Norwalk plant for many years was a Sheller-Globe facility producing R, U and DM series cabs, which were shipped via rail on special cars to Allentown.

Bloomberg / March 11, 2015 MAN SE, Europe’s third-largest truck manufacturer, forecast “stable” earnings in 2015 as cost cutting offsets a recession in Brazil and slowing growth in China that’s hurting deliveries. Sales of commercial vehicles and power-engineering orders will be “slightly” below figures for 2014, the Munich-based division of German carmaker Volkswagen AG said Wednesday in its annual report. Orders fell 5 percent last year to 15.3 billion euros ($16.4 billion). MAN, which also makes buses as well as diesel engines for ships and power plants, scaled back its 2014 earnings forecast in October as stagnating economies in its home region and Brazil reduced orders, prompting the manufacturer to cut production. Parent company Volkswagen said last month that it can’t guarantee profit growth this year because of economic troubles in Russia and Brazil. “MAN sounded a cautious note in its outlook because truck demand remains uncertain and there are still problems in South America,” Frank Biller, a Stuttgart, Germany-based analyst at LBBW, said by phone. Even so, with earnings growth last year, “MAN’s position is fairly robust in a tough market.” Economists in Brazil this week forecast a steepening contraction in gross domestic product in 2015. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang set a 2015 GDP growth target of 7 percent a week ago, the slowest rate in more than 15 years, and expansion may already be lagging behind that goal. Earnings before interest and taxes at MAN jumped 24 percent last year to 384 million euros ($411 million), exceeding the 379.5 million-euro average of six analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Sales dropped 10 percent to 14.3 billion euros, and operating profit widened to 2.7 percent of revenue from 1.9 percent. MAN rose as much as 0.5 percent to 96.24 euros and was trading up 0.1 percent at 9:08 a.m. in Frankfurt. The stock has gained 4 percent this year, valuing the company at 14.1 billion euros. The manufacturer “has stepped up programs to increase efficiency and cut costs in all divisions in response” to unfavorable markets, Chief Executive Officer Georg Pachta-Reyhofen said in the report. “Our competitiveness is already being boosted by the procurement synergies” from being part of Volkswagen. Volkswagen, the world’s second-biggest carmaker and the largest in Europe, bought MAN and Swedish competitor Scania with the aim of taking on commercial-vehicle market leaders Daimler AG and Volvo AB. Wolfsburg-based VW has yet to reap significant savings from the strategy, and has brought in Andreas Renschler, a former head of Daimler’s truck unit, to push cooperation across the group. .

First shown in 2010, the Turbine long haul tractor concept from Czech Republic designer Josef Cadek is impressive. The Turbine is extremely aerodynamic and ergonomic, and is powered by a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled micro-turbine which supplies electricity to the truck’s electric drive motors like the Wal-Mart WAVE concept (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/35200-walmart-debuts-futuristic-truck-at-mats/?hl=wal-mart#entry240227) . The truck’s sleek aerodynamic profile is not unlike the bullet trains in service today around the world. Again as with the Wal-Mart WAVE concept, the driver is positioned in the center of the cab. The cab’s wedge-shaped profile, allowing for a drag coefficient of just 0.45, allows it to better slice through the air while also improving driver visibility. Cameras are used instead of mirrors, for expanded visibility and enhanced aerodynamics. Additional photographs: http://www.coroflot.com/josef_cadek/turbine .

Comin' On Strong With Mack's V-8 Thermodyne Diesel http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34567-comin-on-strong-with-macks-v-8-thermodyne-diesel/ Mack's V8-Powered "C" Series - Comin' On Strong http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34267-macks-v8-powered-c-series-comin-on-strong/ .

Scania Press Release / March 10, 2015 Today, the tenth of March, is International V8 Day – a time for the V8 engine to be celebrated around the world. Follow the festivities in social media using the #V8Day hashtag. On this day in 1932, the first Ford vehicle with a V8 engine motored out of the company’s factory. While it wasn’t the first V8 engine produced, a new casting method meant that Ford could now produce the engine at a lower cost and in higher volumes. It was the key turning point in the V8’s history. Since that time, V8 engines have been found in everything from luxury car, such as Rolls-Royces, and premium trucks, such as Scanias, to vessels, buses and motorcycles. What attracts enthusiasts is the V8’s sheer power and its unmistakable rumble. http://www3.scania.com/en/New-V8-truck-range/The-new-730hp-engine/?YoutubeMovieId=v52etw_qTQo .

I think it's important to be clearer here. While Cummins subsidiary Holset supplies advanced turbochargers to M-B and Volvo, they are not the same turbocharger. And obviously, we're talking about two entirely different engine architectures (the DD13 being the cutting edge one designed from the onset for the United States' EPA2010 emissions regulations). Perhaps you meant to say our Mack/Volvo turbos come in a Holset box, not a Cummins box. And Holset builds a great turbo, my preference over Honeywell, Borg Warner and IHI. As for the Adblue (DEF) system, Bosch's Denoxtronic 2.2 dosing system (http://www.bosch-mobility-solutions.de/specials/de/abgasnachbehandlung/en/subpage/Denoxtronic_2.html) found on Freightliner, Volvo and truck brands worldwide is the global benchmark in this technology and does a superb job.

There's no mistaking this DAF model XF prototype at the company's Eindhoven factory with a "topsleeper" configuration, a DAF option many years ago. But what would be the point in year 2015? Todays’ truck legislation doesn’t require such a solution. .

Australasian Transport News / March 10, 2015 ARTA’s Steve Shearer fears push for mandatory black boxes in trucks will cost a lot and deliver little. At least one industry representative has declared mandatory black boxes for trucks are anything but a "no brainer". South Australia Road Transport Association (SARTA) executive director Steve Shearer says the potential deterrence effects in particular have been overstated. "Only a small percentage (of truck drivers) might be deterred from speeding if they were being effectively monitored," he tells ATN. "Most others only speed rarely and inadvertently. "If they aren’t consciously doing something that they know is unsafe, you can’t deter them through monitoring." He adds that the minority of intentional speeders are also the most willing to deliberately interfere with black box technology. Shearer says the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ submission to the Senate Inquiry on road safety indicated a stereotyped, and incorrect, view of the transport industry. "In 75 per cent of fatal car-truck accidents, it’s the motorist that is at fault, according to government studies in South Australia and federally," he says. He says black box technology could provide a valuable and comprehensive data set for road safety bodies, but he doubted the ability or commitment of authorities to properly analyse it or implement truly data-based solutions. "It would only be valuable if governments did something they’ve never done before, and take a much longer-term view of road safety and the road environment," he says. Instead, he fears transport companies will be asked to pay the cost of black box technology in their vehicles, without any verifiable impact on road safety.

Transport Topics / March 10, 2015 The Teamsters union and two highway safety advocate groups have filed suit against the U.S. Department of Transportation over DOT’s recent decision to open the border to Mexican trucks. The suit was filed March 10 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers California and several other Western states. The safety groups are the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Truck Safety Coalition, the notice of the suit said. The suit, according to the Teamsters, contends the border opening was not warranted because DOT’s justification for opening it did not meet the specifications Congress set down when it agreed to a pilot program for Mexican truckers. The pilot ended in October, and DOT sent the required report on the program to Congress. But the report “violated” the federal Administrative Procedures Act because its conclusion that it was safe to open the border was “arbitrary and capricious in light of the admitted lack of significant data” from the pilot program, the Teamsters said. Only 13 Mexican carriers were in the pilot, a number that another report, this one from the U.S. Inspector General, said was insufficient to draw conclusions about whether Mexican trucks were safe enough for U.S. highways. “It is disappointing that the DOT has chosen to ignore the findings of the Inspector General and is moving forward with opening the border to Mexican trucks,” Teamsters President Jim Hoffa said in the union statement. “The Teamsters union will continue to fight for highway safety; the safety of our roads cannot be compromised based on this failed program,” he said. Duane DeBruyne, spokesman for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said: "As a matter of department policy, we do not comment on litigation." FMCSA oversaw the Mexican truck pilot program and is named as a defendant in the suit. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has said DOT had sufficient data from the pilot and from another DOT program to conclude the border could be safely opened. Under the second program, about 700 Mexican-owned trucking companies have headquartered in the United States and run under U.S. rules governing trucking operations. The dispute over Mexican carriers running in the United States dates back two decades to the North American Free Trade Agreement, under which the U.S. agreed to open the border to Mexican carriers. The opening, however, has been opposed by those suing and by some members of Congress, which lead the Obama administration to set up the now-ended pilot program. Although U.S. officials said the border opening this year finally brings the country in compliance with Nafta, Mexican trucking leaders recently told Transport Topics that they are still not being treated fairly. Representatives of CANACAR, the Mexican trucking industry trade organization, told Transport Topics that the trade group plans to file a complaint against the United States under Nafta because Mexican carriers are subjected to more mandatory safety inspections than are U.S. or Canadian carriers. The Teamsters said Hoffa has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman that calls on the administration “to protect highway safety and reopen negotiations over Mexican cross-border trucking as part of the ongoing Trans Pacific Partnership talks.”

Press Release / March 9, 2015 The town of Longyearbyen in Norway’s remote Svalbard archipelago lies less than 1,500 kilometres from the North Pole. It’s home to the world’s most northerly fire brigade, which, with its small but well-equipped fleet of Scania fire trucks, keeps this isolated settlement safe, year round. Longyearbyen is the administrative centre of Svalbard and its only large settlement. The town’s population is about 2,200 people, which is fewer than the number of polar bears in the archipelago. Svalbard’s Governor has assigned the town’s fire and rescue service, Longyearbyen Brannvern, the task of defending the life, health, property and environment of inhabitants. The emergency response team comprises 24 people, made up of three full-time and 21 part-time staff members, all of whom can be called into the centrally located station in less than five minutes. Better equipped Jann-Egil Gjerde is Deputy Brigade Chief. “We’re quite a vulnerable community due to our remote and isolated location,” he says. “Basically, we’re on our own if anything happens. That’s why our fire brigade has to be better equipped than those of other comparable communities.” The closest large settlement that can provide help if required is Tromsö on the Norwegian mainland, two hours south by plane. Like the rest of Svalbard, Longyearbyen has a polar desert climate. The city is covered in snow and icefor most of the year, with the exception of four months during summer when temperatures rise to just above zero. Permafrost means that no trees or bushes can grow here. It’s a legal requirement to carry firearms outside of the town boundaries as defence against polar bears. Fire hazard The air in Longyearbyen is very dry, which over time makes all inflammable materials highly combustible. The town’s houses are all made of wood and closely grouped together. Strong winds often come in from the east or west, increasing the risk that a fire will spread quickly. That’s why most buildings in Longyearbyen have smoke and fire detectors connected directly to the fire station – something that carries both advantages and disadvantages. “The majority of call-outs are to people who might have had a drink or two too many and have fallen asleep with a casserole on the stove or something burning in the oven,” says Gjerde. “This can, of course, be frustrating.” However, on Friday 7 December, 2012, the roof of the local power plant caught fire, forcing Longyearbyen’s fire brigade to undertake one of its most time-consuming and risky rescue missions ever. The power plant is the heart of this vulnerable society, and having this and the nearby back-up unit both out of action during winter would create a nightmare scenario. This would require the emergency evacuation of the entire population to the Norwegian mainland. “That would be the absolute worst kind of situation that we would have to deal with,” says Gjerde. Support from Scania Having to fight the fire on the power plant’s roof, some 30 metres above ground, led to the fast tracking of plans to purchase a new, larger crane truck. The very next year, Scania delivered a third fire truck, with a 32-metre Bronto lift (http://www.bronto.fi/sivu.aspx?taso=0&id=10). Another horror scenario for Longyearbyen’s fire brigade is a potential fire onboard the Queen Elizabeth II or one of the other giant cruise liners that occasionally visit Svalbard during the summer. “If you count both passengers and crew, there can be as many as 4,000 people onboard,” Gjerde says.“We have two helicopters, but they wouldn’t be able to do much in that type of situation.” Longyearbyen is a compact community and its road network extends only a few kilometres on each side of the village before ending in snow and ice. When the fire alarm sounds, the part-time firefighters can all be at the station within two to three minutes and can start extinguishing the blaze in under 10 minutes. Reliable and easy to drive “We live so close to each other that our fire engines don’t need to go fast or far,” Gjerde says. “The reason that we’ve chosen to work exclusively with Scania is that we need vehicles that are reliable and simple to work with. All 27 members of our fire brigade must be able to drive them.” Another factor is that the turn-over of part-time firefighters is relatively high in Longyearbyen. Every year some 20 to 25 percent of the staff leaves. However, the fire brigade has a good reputation and the part-time jobs are highly sought after. “We’re constantly familiarising people with the equipment and training is conducted throughout the year,” Gjerde says. “Everyone who starts here has to learn how to drive our fire trucks.” The Scania vehicles used by the world’s northernmost fire brigade include a 32-metre crane truck, a crew carrier, and a tanker. Scania has no distributor or service facility in Svalbard. When the vehicles in Longyearbyen need service or maintenance, Scania service technicians are flown in from Tromsö in Norway. Five facts about Svalbard The polar night runs from 26 October to 14 February each year. From 14 November until 29 January, there’s no discernible difference between night and day.The midnight sun shines from 19 April until 26 August each year.All of Svalbard is a polar desertthanks to the extremely low humidity.The village of Longyearbyen is home to more than 40 nationalities.The Austfonna ice cap – the world’s third largest after those in Antarctica and Greenland – is located in Svalbard.Photographs: http://newsroom.scania.com/en-group/2015/03/09/the-scania-at-the-top-of-the-world/

Heavy Duty Trucking / March 9, 2015 The Peterbilt Model 567 is available with an all-wheel drive option designed for heavy- and severe-duty applications, the company recently announced. It can be ordered now and will go into production in April 2015. The all-wheel drive option is available on Model 567s in a set-back front axle configuration. It includes the Marmon-Herrington MT22H front drive axle and the Dana Spicer DS4636 drive axle. The MT22H is rated at 22,000 pounds and the DS4636 is rated at 46,000 pounds. All-wheel drive can be ordered with several auxiliary components, including transfer cases or with a drive axle in place of the transfer case, based on preference. “The Model 567 was engineered to be a rugged, durable, workhorse,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt assistant general manager of sales and marketing. “The new, all-wheel drive Model 567 will help customers go off-road in tough conditions with ample traction, power and maneuverability they can rely on.”

Fleet Owner / March 9, 2015 The next-generation of air heaters from Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America were introduced at the NTEA Work Truck Show here. The Air Top Evo 40 and 55 offer greater comfort, safety and heating capacity for various applications on medium duty and commercial vehicles, the company said. The systems incorporate an automatic cold-start system, providing up to 10% more heating power to cabins and cargo spaces than previous models. They are also quieter and have lower power consumption due to state-of-the-art modern controls and a new fuel pump design. With low power consumption and higher efficiency these new heaters are ideal for continuous heating, Webasto noted. Multiple heaters can be combined in a modular fashion to allow for heating larger areas as needed. There is also an automatic altitude adjustment that leads to optimal operation up to elevations of 7,218 ft. above sea level. The Air Top Evo 40 has a maximum heat output of 13,650 BTU/h while the Air Top Evo 55 has a maximum heat output of 18,800 BTU/h. Both heaters are available in diesel (12/24 volt) or gasoline (12 volt) models.

Your question revived some old memories. Mack Trucks for many years purchased its well-made wiring harnesses from the good folks at Dill Products in dynamic Norristown, Pennsylvania. Dill Products evolved into Fargo Assembly of PA, still operating in Norristown to the present day. But they don't sell to individuals. The B-model main cab wiring harness (part number 41MR439) used to be around $300.

http://www.wattstruckcenter.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_71&product_id=374

The new (latest) Volvo global cab platform is shared between the FM, FMX and FH. The current U.S. market Volvo VN conventional cab is based on the now discontinued global market Volvo NH conventional, which shared commonality with the previous global market Volvo FH/FM cab architecture.

Australasian Transport News / March 6, 2015 Toll says high productivity vehicles (HPVs) and performance-based standards vehicles could provide at least one answer to Australia’s national road toll. In its submission to the ongoing Senate Inquiry into Aspects of Road Safety, Toll highlights the role that innovative technologies and vehicle designs can have in the fight to reduce road trauma. In particular, it says HPVs have "demonstrably better" safety outcomes when compared to conventional heavy vehicles. "But [HPVs] are under-utilised because of conservative permitting and access regimes," the company laments. "HPVs differ from other heavy vehicles in that they are designed around performance outcomes rather than built to prescriptive rules. "This allows designers to innovate and maximise freight productivity while conforming to safety and stability outcomes." Currently, HPV designs need to be approved on a case-by-case basis. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will also limit the vehicle’s use to a specified network of roads. Toll has at least four business units operating HPVs, including Toll Energy. The AB-triple pictured works a regular run between its site southwest of Alice Springs and Port Augusta in South Australia. Toll says there is a further need for a broader education campaign, to improve the on-road relationships between car and truck drivers. "Toll Group understands that the size of HPVs can discomfort other road users and supports ‘share the road’ campaigns designed to foster co-operation and mutual understanding between light and heavy vehicle drivers," it says. That cooperation, together with safer vehicles, drivers, and roads, will provide the best environment for a significantly lower road toll. .