kscarbel

One aspect to ponder, is that the Germans are by nature perfectionist. Cars for example. BMW and Mercedes-Benz simply don't build a car with the same mindset that GM builds Cadillacs and Toyota builds Lexus. Thus with Freightliner (and Detroit Diesel) owned by Daimler, you're going to see some of that Germanic cultural thinking coming through. They're extremely particular people about doing things the right way (as they preceive it).

The USPS started out with MCs. When the MC was cancelled, Mack created a similar MR replacement.

The USPS's MC 6x4s (that I'm familiar with) had Reyco suspensions and Rockwell rears.

The export market MC sleeper cab is what you want.

..

At this point, we know that Ford announced medium truck production will transfer to Avon Lake in 2014.

At this point, I doubt that medium truck sales are a high priority at Ford. They're no longer a high volume segment for the company, and I doubt the business is particularly profitable. Looking at the big Ford truck picture, I'm sure that Ford Brazil and Ford Ottosan (Turkey) are much more profitable that the modest quantity of F-650s and F-750s that are sold annually in North America. But if Ford was to get back into the heavy truck business, things could get interesting.

Selling off the HN80 range, all-new cutting edge heavy trucks that had what it took to make Ford a serious player again, was surely one of the company's most poorly calculated business moves.

Penske Wins Contract to Manage Kroger’s Indiana Distribution Center

Transport Topics / August 2, 2013

Penske Logistics said it won a contract to manage Kroger’s 600,000 square foot refrigerated food distribution center in West Shelbyville, Indiana.

Penske said it hired all 816 existing workers including those represented by the Teamsters.

“We’ve continued to diversify our portfolio of customers over the last several years to include warehousing and distribution center operations for leading food, beverage and grocery customers in North America, Europe and Asia,” President of Penske Logistics, Marc Althen said in a statement.

Penske Logistics ranks No. 30 on the Transport Topics Top 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

Trailer/Body Builders / August 1, 2013

Truck-Lite high-visibility LED headlamps are now standard on all Freightliner Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution truck models.

The OEM said the long-lasting LED lights-- custom-engineered by Truck-Lite for the Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution-- offer superior nighttime driver visibility and enhanced safety, resulting in improved object recognition at night.

Freightliner said the LED beam pattern reduces eye-strain for drivers and minimizes harsh headlight glare to oncoming traffic.

LED lights also reduce the draw on the vehicle’s electrical system, freeing up power for other uses and resulting in a 50-times longer lighting system life than conventional halogen technology. The headlamps underwent “vigorous field testing in a variety of extreme weather conditions.”

“We want every component on our products to not only be cost-efficient, but to enhance vehicle safety and productivity,” said Mary Aufdemberg, director of product marketing for Freightliner Trucks. “The Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution are industry leaders in safety, driving experience and lowest total cost of ownership, and LED headlamps further enhance the products.”

In January 2013, Freightliner Trucks offered the custom headlamp as an aftermarket and factory-installed option for the Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution, and is now offering it as standard equipment “due to positive customer response to the benefits delivered.”

Freightliner also announced that its 2014 Cascadia Evolution model has surpassed more than 15,000 orders since the start of production in March. “The Cascadia Evolution is pacing the industry in terms of order intake for long-haul applications that demand the highest level of fuel efficiency,” declared the OEM.

According to Freightliner, powered by the newly designed Detroit DD15 engine (Mercedes-Benz OM472), the Cascadia Evolution “features aerodynamic and efficiency improvements that deliver up to an additional 7%improvement in fuel economy over an EPA 2010-compliant Cascadia, and up to 5% improvement in fuel efficiency over the 2013 Cascadia with first-generation aerodynamic enhancements.”

"Surpassing 15,000 orders highlights the demand from our top customers to acquire today's vehicle benchmark in terms of fuel efficiency," said David Hames, general manager, marketing & strategy for Freightliner’s parent, Daimler Trucks North America.

"The Cascadia Evolution provides the industry a truck that pays immediate dividends by dramatically reducing overall total cost of ownership," he added.

Bloomberg / August 2, 2013

Canada’s government has begun a search for investment banks to sell its stake in General Motors Co.

The government hasn’t decided on the timing of any sale, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. Canada has asked investment banks to make pitches in coming days for the share-sale mandate.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in December Canada doesn’t intend to be a long-term shareholder in Detroit-based GM.

The federal and Ontario governments together hold 140 million common shares, or a 10 percent stake, valued at $5.1 billion at the current stock price.

Canada is the third-largest shareholder, behind the U.S. Treasury and the GM-UAW Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association.

“The government of Canada remains committed to exiting from ownership of GM as quickly as feasible, while maximizing the value of the government’s interests for Canadian taxpayers,” said Kathleen Perchaluk, a spokeswoman for Flaherty.

In December, GM said the U.S. Treasury planned to sell its entire holding in the automaker within 15 months. GM, whose stock has gained 11 percent following an initial public offering in November 2010 that raised more than $20 billion at $33 per share, rose 1.7 percent to $36.48 at 11:52 a.m. in New York and has gained 27 percent this year.

Canada GEN Investment Corp., the agency that oversees the holdings for the two Canadian governments, had hired investment bank Rothschild Canada Ltd. to advise on the GM holdings. Two-thirds of Canada’s stake is held by the federal government and one-third by the Ontario government.

Canada and the province of Ontario agreed to invest $9.5 billion in GM as part of the car company’s bailout in 2009. They sold 35 million of their 175 million shares in the IPO.

“Like any shareholder, it is their decision on when to sell their shares in our company,” said Tom Henderson, a GM spokesman in Detroit for the largest U.S. automaker.

Transport Topics / July 29, 2013

NTEA, the Association for the Work Truck Industry, has announced location and date information for its annual Work Truck Show for the next two years.

The show will return to Indianapolis — site of the last three events — in both 2014 and 2015, the association announced. The show will take place at the Indiana Convention Center.

Next year, the show will be held from March 5–7, preceded by educational programs and the annual Green Truck Summit on March 4.

In 2015, it will take place from March 4–6, NTEA said. Educational programming, including the Green Truck Summit, begins March 3.

NTEA said the show has grown in size and attendance since moving to Indianapolis in 2011. Previously, the event rotated among cities. The March 2013 event drew the second highest number of attendees in history, topped only by the 2012 show, NTEA said.

“We’ve had a lot of success in Indianapolis and are fortunate to be able to confirm dates there through 2015,” says Steve Carey, NTEA executive director.

The Work Truck Show boasts annual attendance of around 10,000 fleet managers, equipment buyers, manufacturers, maintenance personnel, distributors, and dealers. The show floor contains 500,000 square feet of the vocational trucks, vans and equipment, plus three days of educational sessions and a ride-and-drive event, NTEA said.

Fleet Owner / July 31, 2013

Although today natural gas-powered trucks only make up 1% of Class 6 through 8 power units, “we see a clear path to mid to high single digit [market share] in the next few years,” said Mark Lampert, sr. vp of sales & marketing for Daimler Trucks North America.

Preparing for that growth, the manufacturer has announced a number of new products and programs, including an NG-fueled Freightliner Cascadia with a 48-in. sleeper, aerodynamic treatments for NG fuel tanks, a proof-of-concept vocational truck, and a development partnership with the largest fleet user of over-the-road NG trucks.

Having launched a production-line NG Cascadia 113 day cab in May, the company will now add a sleeper model powered by a 400-hp. rating of the Cummins ISX12 G. It will be offered with both compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel tanks that will provide up to 190 diesel equivalent gallons (DGE) when it goes into production in October, according to Robert Carrick, Freightliner’s NG sales manager.

Theoretical range for either the day cab or sleeper model could be up to 800 mi. depending on tank configurations, the company said at a press conference held here.

Freightliner has already built over 75 NG Cascadias with 350-hp ratings of the ISX12 G and Allison 4000 automatic transmissions. With availability of the new 400-hp version, both day cab and new sleeper models will also be offered with a manual transmission, Carrick said.

The company also expects to begin production-line installation of CNG and LNG fuel tanks early next year. Currently they installed off-line by the tank providers.

Along with the sleeper model, Freightliner said it will release new aerodynamic fairings for its NG trucks that will improve fuel economy up to 3%, extending truck range between fueling.

Starting in the middle of next year, the day cab NG Cascadia will be available with the roof and side fairing package developed for the Cascadia Evolution. The sleeper model will be fitted with the standard Cascadia fairings. In both cases, it will be the first time saddle and back-of-cab NG tanks will be fully enclosed for optimum aerodynamics, according to Carrick.

The aerodynamic treatments were developed in conjunction with Saddle Creek Logistics Services, a regional distribution fleet with over 100 NG tractors already in service. The fleet has ordered 10 Cascadia 113 day cab models with the new fairings and a new lighter, more compact 120-DGE CNG fuel system.

The new trucks will also carry the more powerful 400-hp Cummins NG engine and should achieve a practical 700-mi. range between fueling, according to Mike DelBevo, president of Saddle Creek Transportation.

Already said to be the largest over-the-road NG tractor fleet in the country, Saddle Creek expects to take delivery of another 90 NG Cascadias with the same new specs once it completes testing of the initial 10.

"We worked closely with Freightliner engineers and Agility Fuel Systems to design this system," DelBovo said. "We have been able to provide our customers with remarkable benefits with each generation of our existing Freightliner CNG tractors, and we look forward to bringing them even better results with this latest tractor."

Also on display at the media event was a proof-of-concept vocational Freightliner 114SD powered by the Cummins Westport ISX12 G. Fitted with a set-back axle, it carried a roll-back body and will be used to test NG in higher-horsepower vocational applications. The 114SD with the 9-liter Cummins ISLG NG engine is already available and being fitted with refuse, crane, mixer and other vocational bodies, Carrick said.

This is former Paccar VP Bill Kozek getting down to business at Navistar.

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31266-bill-kozek-named-to-head-navistars-north-america-truck-and-parts-business/?hl=kozek

Fleet Owner / July 31, 2013

Navistar International Corp. today unveiled enhancement to International Advantage, the OEM’s owner- loyalty program. Benefits now include advanced fleet management tools, 24/7 dedicated concierge service and exclusive offers on vehicles, parts and service. The company said the programs tools aim to benefit small- and mid-sized fleets.

“We understand that our customers have a choice when it comes to purchasing their next vehicle, and we recognize the importance of providing value above and beyond the vehicle itself,” said Mike Cerilli, Navistar’s vp, truck marketing. “The International Advantage program was designed to provide our customers with the best service available.”

A major component of the enhanced program is the new International Advantage online portal, which includes expanded capabilities and features for users. The portal hosts a suite of fleet management tools-- including the ability to track an entire fleet online with customized communications and reminders for service.

“An essential part of providing a quality product is continuing to support that product after it’s sold,” added Cerilli. “Fleet management resources within the portal and 24/7 dedicated support are designed to minimize unscheduled downtime, keeping vehicles on the road and generating revenue for our customers.”

The International Advantage loyalty program is available for new and existing International Truck owners at no additional cost.

For more information, go to https://www.myinternationaladvantage.com

Overnite Transportation ran thousands of 237-powered F-785ST tandem tractors all over America. They performed superbly and delivered impressive fuel economy. Founded by the legendary Harwood Cochrane, Overnite's success was built on the back of the 237 engine. You'll be fine. I sold ex-Overnite F-785STs that were overloaded to 90,000-95,000 pounds..

Commercial Motor / February 2, 1968

Another turbine on trial for trucks

A prototype gas-turbine power unit for commercial truck use has been unveiled by the International Harvester Co. of America. The unit is installed in an International CO-4000 6x4 tractor designated the “Turbostar”, and shown as part of a "triple-bottom" combination—an artic hauling two further semi-trailers converted to drawbar units with dollies.

The gas turbine is being developed by the IH Solar Division of San Diego, but road tests have been conducted by the truck division which has developed compatible chassis and transmission components. It is expected that the experimental turbine—named the Solar B—would replace diesel engines for appropriate applications in the range above 300 bhp.

Development of the International Harvester gas turbine began 13 years ago— the Solar Division was formed from Solar Aircraft Co. which International took over in 1960 and which continued work started by International in 1954.

At 1,585 pounds, the gas turbine in the Turbostar weighs about half as much as a comparable diesel. The basic engine is 50in. long, 41in. high and 36in. wide—compact enough to fit under short-dimension tilt cabs. Turbine speed is 34,000 rpm, this being geared down to 4,000 rpm at the output shaft.

Among the important features claimed for the two-shaft, free-power-turbine engine is its stationary heat exchanger. This is of the recuperator type which takes waste heat from the exhaust to improve fuel economy especially at part-load operation. IH selected the stationary recuperator—rather than a rotary regenerator—"because it is inherently rugged, has low maintenance and is highly durable". Work on fabricating stainless steel parts (such as honeycomb structures) solved the problem of high efficiency in a compact stationary heat exchanger and it is said to be the first practical design for a stationary heat exchanger integral with the turbine.

Other features of the power unit include variable-geometry nozzles which are reported to have brought fuel economy of the turbine much closer to that of a diesel.

IH considers that the time is approaching when fuel economy of a gas turbine added to its lighter weight, smaller size, lower maintenance and higher reliability will "make it a tough competitor for the diesel in long-haul applications". The company is confident that "gas-turbine truck engines will be commercially feasible in the early 1970s".

No specific cost estimate for the experimental engine has been revealed by IH but it is pointed out that it requires only a five-speed transmission instead of the 10-speed needed with a comparable diesel. This, plus the absence of radiator and attendant cooling system contributes to lower initial cost of a turbine-driven truck.

With the ability to vary the speed of the power turbine, the unit has built-in retarder characteristics and low inertia of the rotating parts provides for good acceleration.

Transport Topics / July 30, 2013

European truck maker MAN SE’s second-quarter profit fell 67% on higher costs and declining truck demand.

Operating profit fell to about $95 million from about $290 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 3.6% to $5.3 billion, while orders edged up 0.6%. Munich, Germany-based MAN reports its earnings in euros.

MAN has scaled back its production as companies hold off on vehicle purchases amid recessions in Europe.

VW, which owns 75.03% of MAN’s voting rights, has made an initial offer to MAN shareholders as part of its bid for full control. Investors who don’t accept a cash offer will receive a guaranteed annual dividend of 3.07 euros (about $4) per share.

Volkswagen rearranged its truck operations’ management last year after a six-year effort to get MAN and Sweden-based truck manufacturer Scania to work together,

Transport Topics / July 30, 2013

Oshkosh Corp.’s fiscal third-quarter income nearly doubled on higher access-equipment sales.

Net income rose to $148.4 million from $77.1 million a year ago, the specialty truck maker said.

Earnings per share rose to $1.67 from 84 cents, and sales for the fiscal quarter ended June 30 rose 2.1% to $2.2 billion.

Oshkosh’s access-equipment division sales rose 15.6% to $941.5 million on replacement demand in North America.

Commercial segment sales rose 10.5% to $194.7 million on higher demand in the concrete-mixer market.

Defense sales declined 8.2% to $879.6 million, and fire and emergency segment sales declined 11% to $204.3 million.

The company boosted its full-year earnings outlook to a range of $3.60 to $3.70 per share from a range of $2.90 to $3.15.

Trailer/Body Builders / July 30, 2013

Thanks for the discount, Id say the hats are a bit over priced and they really don't last long if you wear them daily. The discount helps the price and all , thanks again

The Mack hats that Mack Trucks sourced years ago (Louisville Manufacturing) were made to last. But the hats sold now, besides being significantly higher in price, just aren't the same quality.

Wall Street Journal / July 30, 2013

Cummins Inc.'s second-quarter earnings fell 12%, but the engine maker raised its sales outlook on rising demand for exhaust-treatment systems from truck maker Navistar International Corp.

Cummins, the world's largest engine manufacturer by sales, expects 2013 revenue will be flat with last year's $17.3 billion, an improvement from its April forecast for flat to 5% lower.

Cummins left its pretax margin projection unchanged at 13% to 14% of sales, implying earnings per share of $8 to $8.60. Analysts had been expecting a profit of $7.90 a share on sales of $16.9 billion.

Cummins has been hurt by falling engine demand from heavy-duty truck makers and manufacturers of mining and construction machinery. Cummins is the largest supplier of heavy-duty truck engines in North America, accounting for about 40% of the market. Shipment volume of such engines in North America dropped 19% in the second quarter.

"It's a tough business," said Richard Freeland, president of Cummins's engine business, during conference call Tuesday with analysts, "There are a lot of people fighting in a flat market."

Engine sales for off-road equipment slipped 11% during the quarter because of lower demand from mining and construction machinery makers. Cummins said engine sales to the global mining industry fell 38% as mine operators pulled back on equipment spending in response to lower prices for commodities.

China's construction machinery market remains weak. Industrywide sales of excavators were down 12% in the first quarter from an already dismal year-earlier level. "China is the most perplexing," said Tom Linebarger, Cummins's chief executive. "It's not getting a lot worse, but it's not getting a lot better either."

Cummins's strongest business during the quarter was its parts segment, where sales increased 8%. That business has been helped by rising demand for replacement parts and Navistar's orders for exhaust-treatment systems. Navistar is installing Cummins systems on its heavy and medium-duty trucks since last year when the truck maker abandoned efforts to develop its own treatment system for complying with a federal mandate to reduce nitrogen oxide in diesel-engine exhaust.

Overall for the quarter, Cummins reported a profit of $414 million, or $2.20 a share, down from $469 million, or $2.47 a share, a year earlier. Sales edged up 1.6% to $4.53 billion.

Whos that?

Edward R. Murrow's reporting, beginning in World War II, opened an all-new chapter of journalism. He literally brought the Battle of Britain into the livingrooms of Americans from the rooftops of London during the "blitz". Murrow was legendary, and widely respected in the industry. He was the benchmark used by all the famous journalist of the 1960s and 1970s.

Definitely different I like it .

Shame Mack didn't have a big enough motor of their own to power the Mack Pack though . (Ya I like my 2 Stroke Detroits but not in a bulldog )

Mack market research at the time indicated that prospective customers were more inclined towards the Detroit Diesel. And Detroit was already the popular powertrain for higher tonnage Mack off-highway M-Series (M-35X and larger), up to the 700hp 16-71T-N75 (Cummins also being availanble, up to the 700hp VTA-1710C.

The MP-404X MACK-PACK, a 4x4 articulated bottom dump, was an interesting diversification for the Mack off-highway product range.

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30224-your-mack-off-highway-truck-line/

Here is one still in the employ of the Oswego County Highway Department.

Thank you for sharing. A properly-maintained Scania 2-Series will run forever.

Now you are really stretching for things to complain about!

Actually, if you take a moment to look at the links I provided to the Scania "shop", and view the wide range of high quality items, you'll hopefully realize that my thoughts are fact-based. Did you ever purchase from the Mack Shop during their heyday in the 1970s and 1980s?

Naturally, Scania's offereing are adapted to different global regions, For example, here are the offerings for Australia (I suspect close to what America would get)

http://www.scania.com.au/Images/pdf-Scania-Selection-Merchandise_tcm51-358122.pdf

.

Automotive News / July 29, 2013

Penske Automotive Group Inc. plans to acquire commercial vehicle distributor Western Star Trucks Australia from Transpacific Industries Group for about $200 million ($219 million Australian) in the third quarter.

The transaction is expected to generate $420 million to $460 million in annual revenue for Penske.

Western Star Trucks Australia distributes Western Star, Dennis Eagle and MAN medium- and heavy-duty trucks through more than 80 independent dealers in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

The company has customers in industries including logistics, mining, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and waste and refuse collection.

Penske, of suburban Detroit, ranks No. 2 on Automotive News’ list of the top 125 dealership groups in the United States with retail sales of 180,764 new vehicles in 2012.

"Western Star Trucks provides us with an attractive gateway to enhance our global business profile," Penske CEO Roger Penske said in a statement. "We believe that our existing relationships with heavy- and medium-duty truck manufacturers and our experience in operating distribution and dealership-related businesses provide us with a unique opportunity to expand our business while potentially providing a steppingstone to Southeast Asian markets for other parts of our business."

Penske says it holds 172 franchises in 18 states and Puerto Rico, and 160 franchises outside the United States, mostly in the United Kingdom.

Penske owns one of the largest commercial truck buyers in North America, Penske Truck Leasing, which maintains more than 200,000 vehicles for customers in North America, South America, Asia and Europe, Western Star said.

It was terrific of Barry and the good folks at Watts Mack to negotiate a 25 percent Mack Shop discount for BMT members.

But having said that, the Mack Shop is not the quality nor size that it once was. For example, men's clothing and outerwear. The selection can best be described as sparce, with mediocre quality.

Now for comparison, let's look at the impressive "shop" of another truckmaker. Note the vast selection and high quality of the presentation.

http://webshop.scania.com/Webshop/CategoryStartPage.aspx?Catalog=GB-Catalog&Category=Scania%20Selection(ScaniaBaseCatalog)

http://np.netpublicator.com/netpublication/n63787915

http://np.netpublicator.com/netpublication/n18560331

http://www.scania.com/products-services/webshop/