TeamsterGrrrl

If you'd bother to actually look up the immigrations laws in USC you'd find that crossing the border without stopping at customs is a misdemeanor, an offense at the level of a parking ticket. And as anyone who's tried to park in the downtown of a big city knows, totally legal parking is just about impossible, especially with a big truck. In both cases we have broken systems with unrealistic laws in need of reform, and neither zero tolerance enforcement of immigration or parking laws is going to solve the problem. This is why we need immigration reform- Legalization and a path to citizenship for non criminal undocumented immigrants, and swift deportation for any criminal undocumented immigrants.

Automated Manual Transmission. In North America Volvo and Mack brands are offering lift pusher axle 6 by 2 tractors, but only in a package with the AMT.

Now that I don't need it, I can take public college and university course for free here in Minnesota, and if I want credit the tuition is a measly $10 to $20 a credit, about a tenth of what students under age 62 pays. If the state can afford to give me free or darn near free college, why not extend the priviledge to the young folks that really need it?

Back in the 70s I took a six month full time training program in our local public technical college, total tuition was under $300. I couldn't have afforded to pay much more, and were it not for that program that led to a three decade long career in the trucking business, Instead of being retired with a pension and keeping the local car and motorcycle dealers in business I'd probably be on welfare. So maybe a few breaks for the young folks just gettin' started in a career ain't so dumb an idea?

Part of it is bad experience with dead axles that didn't lift back in the 50s and 60s, causing truckers to demand tandem drive on everything. Part of it is the warranty situation- buy a single drive tractor and convert it yourself to a lift axle tandem, and the manufacturer may deny warranty coverage for any failure of the frame, rear suspension, and drive axle. Their are also issues with making the ABS work with a DIY lift axle. The air lift pusher axle Volvo and Mack brands are offering looks like it should work, but I suspect forcing the buyer to take it in a package along with their AMT will hold down market share.

Sad that Ford can't or won't take advantage of an improving North American market- When Ford sold out their heavies nearly two decades ago we had 7 competitors driving margins down. Now with only 4 truck makers left here and less competition, Ford could probably turn a profit in heavy trucks. Then again, I ran across a report the other day that shows big for hire fleet's mileages going down, they're putting on only 500k miles instead of the 700k miles they used to during a 5 year ownership cycle. That suggests that these big fleets that drive the new heavy truck market could stretch out their ownership cycle to 10 years or so, which would mean a huge reduction in new truck sales.

Good management strategy, Rowdy... Explains why you're still in business while most OOs have gone under.

Thanks for filling some gaps in my Cargo knowledge. So perhaps Ford could build a class 6-8 conventional off the upcoming H62X platform at the Ohio plant?

And the 33' trailer is an oddball that won't fit well on trains or ships. Better to lobby for double 40' trailers, the 40' box is the world's most common trailer/container size. Double 40s will fit around the freeway interchange loops while single 40s are very manueverable for city work.

250 million $$$ is enough to set up a lne for a new medium/heavy truck or develop an engine, but not enough to develop a new car or light truck platform from scratch. A new conventional cab just for class 6 and above would be a questionable investment, given that the break even point for a mass production platform is around 100,000 units a year and the whole North american market is only 400,000 units in a good year. Perhaps they're thinking of developing a new "world truck" platform, with conventional and cabover variations to adapt to markets anywhere?

I was referring to the article in Commercial Motor. Other possibilities could be a class 8 conventional or...?

I noted in the Detroit News article that the Ohio plant that just got the medium trucks is slated to get another product... Could this be why the Cargo is suddenly getting so much exposure in english speaking markets?

Here we go again... For the record, the 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010 EPA diesel emmissions standards were set in stone before Obama ever took office. Same with "Obama phones". And "Obamacare" is actually based on a republican health care proposal!

We needed a little comic relief, gettin' much too serious here.

Who you callin' a "liberal"? I had an electric car owner call me a "hater" recently because I told him he should't get a tax credit for buying an electric car!

Communism is a whole different economic system than socialism, and while communism is becoming a historical artifact socialism is in some ways found in almost every country... You do drive on government funded highways, don't you?

Sounds like you want to blame the president that happens to be black, but IIRC the EPA was authorized under Nixon. As far as "commies" go, it's getting to the point where you have to go to a museum to find them.

Actually, you can influence EPA and their regs- By federal law every new regulation has to go through a review and comment period before it can be adopted. Just make an intelligent argument for your position and send it off to the EPA before the comment period is over.

EPA exists because Congress authorized and funds it, about all the president can do is threaten a veto. In fact, the EPA is pretty much doing what Congress told them to do, i.e. clean the air, water, etc.. Problem is that Congress didn't tell them when to quit...

I tend to agree- Euro4/EPA2004 was a good compromise that every manufacturer could actually meet... Note how many Manufacturers had to pull out of the market when EPA2007 and 2010 came into effect, and VW had to cheat to affordably meet the standards. Governments always need to recognize that air pollution is largely a local problem- For example, North Dakota has coal fired power plants and thousands of old diesel trucks and tractors, but due to the low concentration of these sources Fargo has the cleanest air in the nation. Meanwhile, with 20 million plus people jammed into the bowl that is southern California, after a half century of increasingly tighter emmission controls they still have air quality problems.

The trucking industry lost because they can't even agree on what they want- The bulk carriers want heavier weights, the LTL carriers want longer doubles, and the truckload carriers are opposed to both. Compare this to the railroads who got a delay in implementing Positive Train Control- the whole industry, even the publicly owned passenger railroads, spoke with one voice and got the delay they needed. No wonder that trucking has become the bottom feeder of transportation modes!

I suspect Mack is loosing a lot of sales due to the restricted number of models and options. Instead of Volvo trying to spec the trucks and force them down the customers throats, Mack's offerings should be like a veritable erector set with set forward/back axle options, multiple BBC and sleeper sizes, engine options including Cummins, same with multiple transmission and axle options. In short, let the customer choose between any compatable combination of hoods, cabs, sleepers, axles, powertrain, etc..

You don't NEED to go 74 MPH, NY speed limit on rural interstates is only 65 MPH and you've got several miles of 55 MPH limit roads to even get to the interstate. So sounds like you WANT to be able to run with the fool "big dogs" and cats and Cummins and Detroits out there supporting the state of New York with their speeding fines. Besides the MR is a great truck, but an aerodynamic disaster area... You ain't gonna get no 10 MPG at 74 MPH! The exhaust brake may be doable though, and has safety and maintainence benefits too- I'd look into it, So you got a great Mack at hopefully a bargain price... It is what it is, work with it's limitations and assets, and you'll be more than happy with it.

BTW, checked the Mack website and it says that the 6 speed gathered ratio Maxitorque is still available. Wonder if that's a change of policy or another part of the Mack website that hasn't been updated? If it's for real, for on highway hauling at 80k pounds or less the 6 speed with the MP7-395C would be a great combination. Why gamble on the unproven M-Drive when you can have reduced shifting and million mile reliability?

Old news... CARB is already regulating trailers.