Just reading through some of your comments on here about your thoughts on diferent aspects of the volvo vs Mack issue,I noted in particular the story about the guy who came into someones workshop and took a look at an older truck with twin stick transmission and no ac etc and dissapearing out of the door thinking he'd just had a bad dream, and another about Mack using volvo cabs, these comments rang a bell with me because I use volvos in work and they along with the other european truck builders have obviously been trying to build trucks that any idiot can drive e.g electronic transmission, e.b.s, a.b.s, sat nav, constant satelite monitoring because they don't trust the driver to obey speed limits or tell the controler where they are when asked on the cell phone,digital tachographs that don't let you blink or breathe without recording it and boy do the law enforcers love that one, they are making a fortune out of it, a fine for this a fine for that, fines for absoloutly anything and everything and not just a few pounds either but serious money. the transport industry here seems to not want the long service professional guy any more, they seem to want short service disposable drivers to go with their short life disposable trucks, speaking for myself I no longer feel the sense of belonging to a profession wich had it's own strong culture that had developed over many years, and with long experience and a good work record a driver would gain respect in the industry, the don't want that any more because they think that it costs too much, they can get two cheap guys that won't be with them long enough to need a pension to drive the new ugly plastic electronic volvo's that all but drive themselves for the price of one good experienced truck driver that gets his or her professional satisfaction from driving more conventional trucks and doing a good job,and knowing that not everyone could do or would want to do his job, and is happy to put up with more basic comforts and not rely on electronics and technology to drive his truck for him thinking it knows better.The more I think of it the more i'm convinced that this Mack - volvo situation kind of says it all really, where Mack represents all that was strong,good and impresive about the trucking industry and culture volvo and some others represent the rot that has set in to it over recent years, I've been a lorry driver 24 years, I won't be doing 25, I wish Mack all the best of course but times are changing