User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: August 2013
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Aug 29, 2013

* Europe - TRUCKMAKERS NEWS: Iveco & Renault: New contruction range trucks

* Italy - Iveco will present the new range of Trakker, starts at Matexpo

Turin,Italy -Truck and Business, by Astrid Huyghe -30 July 2013: -- Iveco will present the new range of IVECO Trakker, at Matexpo 2013 site. The vehicle has a cabin extensively redesigned outside and inside... The brand will exhibit a straight truck 6x4 with a hook for container crane behind cabin. This vehicle is the type Trakker AD260T36, powered by a Cursor 8 engine of 360 hp... The Iveco stand will also host a second selected in the range IVECO Daily vehicle. A double cab chassis (6 1 people) with simple mounting rear wheels and a 2.3 L engine developing 126 HP... The big news for Iveco Matexpo 2013 will be the demonstration site where the brand will introduce the new Trakker 6x4...


* France - Renault Trucks will present its new range construction Matexpo 


(Photo: A Renault Truck
K 460 6x4 with day cab and Optidriver) 
Paris,France -Truck and Business, by Astrid Huyghe -1 August 2013: -- From September 4 to 8, Renault Trucks will be at Matexpo 2013 to present two new vehicles following construction... Renault Trucks presented in June its new Euro 6 range, including a completely new set of construction vehicles. The manufacturer now offers two separate in the construction segment ranges: range C, available in two widths cabin offers a large payload, low fuel consumption and comfort comparable to road vehicles. The rugged K Renault Trucks offers the best angle to attack the market. Both series have a completely new powertrain, a unique cabin and Euro 6 new, identical to those of the long distance range engines...

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TRILER MAKERS NEWS * Europe

* Belgium . Van Hool will manufacture trailers tipper semi-round

Koningshooikt,Belgium -Truck and Business, by Hendrik Despiegelaere -25 July 2013: -- The manufacturer of semi-trailers Van Hool will debut at Matexpo the building exhibition. "We will be presenting some semi-trailer and semi-loaders in execution 'construction'", explained Stefan Dhont Van Hool. Therefore can not yet see the new bins manufacturer of Lier. Van Hool has indeed begin manufacture of trailers tipper semi-round two and three axles. Several versions of doors and rear parts are available. This is a concept of clean production to the firm, which intends to establish a foothold in the construction sector...

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TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * Europe

* Turkey - Operational leasing set to increase in 

(Image by Jenna Krajeski: Trucks wait in Turkey to cross into Iraq) 
Istambul,Turkey -Fleet Europe, by Tim Harrup -26 July 2013: -- A new report by consultants Frost  and Sullivan shows that operational leasing is rapidly taking hold in the Turkish market. The company’s ‘Strategic Analysis of the Turkish Fleet Leasing Market’ predicts that sales to operational leasing companies, which were at 69,000 last year, will almost double to 123,000 by 2018. According to Frost and Sullivan’s transport analyst Hikmet çakmak, it is a combination of the ‘service’ benefits of operational leasing, and higher vehicle taxes, which is pushing fleet buyers in this direction. As in other parts of Europe, the leasing industry is also trying to reach out to SME’s with its products, which will give a further boost to the operational leasing segment. However, Hikmet çakmak also points out that there is a lack of legislation in this domain in turkey, which needs to be addressed. Restrictions on leasing LCV’s are an example of one of the problems...


* Belgium - Ecocombis pilot project in Flanders soon a reality

(Photo: écocombis test in Flandre)
Flanders,Belgium -Truck and Business, by Astrid Huyghe 22 July 2013: -- About a year ago, the Flemish government approved a decree that would allow the establishment of a pilot project in Flanders ecocombis (vehicles with a maximum length of 25m25 and a maximum weight of 60 tons)... The Flemish government has approved the project and the particular presented to the State Council for review... In this pilot project, a contractor can not perform a maximum of 10 trips with EcoCombi and that, under certain conditions. Borrowing roads off the motorway network will be limited by such a very strict way...

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Aug 28, 2013

* USA - TRUCKERS JOB - Being a truck driver is simply not lucrative, Graves said

* Texas - Trucking hasn't done well in driver pay, Graves tells industry executives

(Photo: Bill Graves, ATA President and CEO )
Dallas,TXS,USA -The Trucker, by LYNDON FINNEY -22 Aug 2013: -- Trucking has not done well in compensating its drivers, American Trucking Associations President and CEO, Bill Graves, told a room full of fellow industry executives Thursday morning... “This will be one of the key factors we will have to face if we are going to overcome the driver shortage,” Graves said during an address at the Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference under way here in conjunction with the Great American Trucking Show... “But no one wants to hear about it” ... Being a truck driver is simply not a lucrative job, Graves said in presenting a series of facts that showed the situation surrounding the driver shortage, which the former two-term Kansas governor emphasized to the executives “is real” ... Since truck drivers are paid by the mile, that impacts their bottom line, Graves reminded the executives...

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* USA - TRUCKERS' HEALTH - Largest proportion of deaths, 48% for those 65 and older...

* Georgia - CDC report: Older workers more prone to highway-related fatalities

Atlanta,GA,USA -Fleet Owner -Aug. 27, 2013: -- A new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that “older” workers defined as aged 65 and above are more than three times as likely to die in a highway-related incident compared to those between the ages of 18 and 54... The agency analyzed a total of 11,587 U.S. workers aged 18 and older who died in occupational highway transportation incidents between 2008 and 2010... Of that group, 3,113 or 26.9% were aged 55 and older but overall, fatality rates were highest among workers aged 65 and older (3.1 deaths per 100,000 full-time-equivalent or “FTE” workers) followed by those aged 55 to 64 years (1.4 deaths per 100,000 FTE workers) and way above the fatality rate for those between the ages of 18 and 54 years (0.9 per 100,000 FTE workers)... Higher proportions of deaths involving tractor-trailers, however, were observed for workers aged 18 to 54 years and 55 to 64 years; some 31% and 37%, respectively... According to the research the largest proportion of deaths in each age group: 43% for those aged 18-54; some 43% to those aged 55 to 64; and 48% for those 65 and older...


* DC - Truck-driver fatigue rule survives challenge in federal court

Washington,DC,USA -The Digital Journal, by Brian Timothy Meyers -August 24, 2013: -- Earlier this month, a federal appeals court in Washington D.C., upheld - with one small exception - the new hours-of-service (HOS) regulations that govern truck drivers and how long they are permitted to drive without taking a break. This particular decision concludes the most recent chapter of the on-going feud between federal regulators and trucking companies regarding the controversial HOS rules... Specifically, the new HOS regulations added several safety-enhancing limitations to trucking hours... 

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* Germany - City deliveries in Hamburg

* Germany - Navigating the ‘chaos’ of Hamburg in a big rig

Hamburg,Germany -Fleet Owner, by Brian Straight -Aug. 27, 2013: ... What also struck me was the number of commercial trucks that had to work their way through this traffic, the pedestrians, the bicyclists, the double parked cars. Perhaps people here understand the traffic patterns – they sure seem to – but to an outsider, it looked like chaos at times, including one incident where we witnessed a car come down a narrow street wide enough for only one vehicle at a time due the vehicles parked on either side, reach the end of the road at a three-way intersection of sorts, make a u-turn, and travel back down the same road from which it just came, followed closely by a mother on a bike and her young child, also on a bike, close behind... And yet German truck drivers, just like their American counterparts, must make the deliveries. And they do this throughout this “chaos” that is downtown Hamburg... What I realized is that if I had to make city deliveries in Hamburg, I would be moving to America...

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Aug 27, 2013

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * USA: Volvo's new truck

* North Caroline - The Volvo's new Quester

Greensboro, NC,USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -Aug. 26, 2013: -- A new day is dawning, of sorts, for UD Trucks– a Japanese truck maker formerly known as Nissan Diesel America and now a subsidiary of Sweden’s Volvo Group. And this “new day” is rising in the form of an all-new multi-model truck line dubbed the “Quester” that’s being aimed at the heart of Asia’s ever more lucrative commercial vehicle markets... Joachim Rosenberg – chairman of UD Trucks and Volvo’s executive VP-group trucks sales and marketing in Asia – said in a statement that the Quester is “designed especially for growth markets” and shall make its debut in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia this year... This new truck comes at a good time for the OEM, as it stopped production of cabover medium-duty trucks in Japan aimed for the North American market at the end of 2012 – a move that came just two years after its North American division celebrated its 25th anniversary serving the U.S. market and after several efforts spent trying to reinvigorate its product line for commercial operators in this country... UD’s Rosenberg added that a production system for completely built-up UD Trucks is under development in Thailand, India and China; a system obviously designed to expand on demand should the Quester spark interest among Asian truck owners...
* Washington - Oilfield Trucking Solutions receives first Kenworth powered by natural gas engine

(Photo: A Kenworth T800 Extended Day Cab with AutoShift) 
Renton,WASH,USA -layover -23 Aug 2013: -- Kenworth celebrated the production and customer delivery of its first full-production truck powered by the new 400-hp Cummins Westport ISX12 G natural gas engine during a special roll-out ceremony Tuesday before employees at the Kenworth assembly plant in Renton, Wash... Kenworth's initial 400-hp ISX12 G engine went into a Kenworth T800 Extended Day Cab...


* Tennessee / USA - Home-grown cargo van customization

Smyrna,TN,USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -Aug. 27, 2013: -- Nissan Commercial Vehicles recently held an interesting national contest designed to highlight how its new NV200 cargo van can be customized any number of ways to meet the needs of small business owners... And what better way to figure it all out than to have small business owners take a crack at the customization process themselves? ... Conducted March 27 through July 1 this year and dubbed the “Design Your Ride” contest, entrants submitted modification ideas for the NV200 and entries were judged based on creativity (worth 35% of their final score), originality (25%), content (25%) and usefulness (15%)...

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Aug 24, 2013

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA

* Virginia - Dealing with drivers 

(Photo)
Arlington,VA,USA -Fleet Owner -23 Aug 2913: -- A growing shortage of truck drivers will force the trucking industry and the shippers it serves to rethink the pay scales and working environment of commercial vehicle operators in the very near future, according to several industry experts... Data compiled by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) indicates that in less than a decade, annual freight demand will require the services of some 2 million truck drivers, yet if the current shortage persists, only 1.7 million will be working in trucking – a shortage of some 300,000 personnel... Right now, ATA thinks the bulk of the shortage is confined to long-haul, over-the-road TL carriers, but that private fleets and LTL carriers may begin to experience difficulty finding, hiring and keeping drivers, too, as regulatory changes to hours-of-service and Compliance Safety Accountably program; all in combination with the industry growth, retirements and drivers leaving the industry, will exacerbate the shortage... And focusing on driver health and wellness plans are also an industry-must – not in the least because poor health is reducing the lifespan of the average trucker to 61 years, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) – 15 years below the national average...

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* USA - TRUCKERS´ FATIGUE

* Virginia - Doubling up on safety technologies 

Blacksburg,VIR,USA -Fleet Owner, by Brian Straight -Aug. 16, 2013: -- Research conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) indicates that fleets can greatly reduce the risk associated with driver drowsiness and fatigue through the use of multiple technologies within the cab... Combating fatigue and drowsiness is just one area of concerns to fleets. Also on the radar of fleets managers are issues such as driver distraction. But while there are technologies such as cell phone blocking, lane departure and forward collision mitigation systems, it really is a carrier’s willingness to set standards associated with poor driving behaviors and follow through with enforcement of said policies that lead to reduced risk...

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* Germany - TRUCKMAKERS' Corruption

* Germany - Volvo Cars Chief to pay $668,000 to settle MAN SE probe

(Photo by Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg - MAN SE agreed to pay 150 million euros in 2009 to resolve an inquiry into possible bribes paid by its truck and turbo units) 
Munich,Germany -Bloomberg, by Angela Maier -Aug 22, 2013: -- Volvo Cars Chief Executive Officer, Hakan Samuelsson, will settle a German investigation into corruption allegations linked to his tenure as MAN SE’s CEO by paying 500,000 euros ($668,000) to charity... The probe was opened last September in Munich after the former head of MAN’s audit department testified in a related trial that he had informed Samuelsson in a 2006 meeting about “possible corrupt practices” regarding business in Slovenia... MAN, Europe’s third-largest truckmaker, agreed to pay 150 million euros in 2009 to resolve an inquiry into possible bribes paid by its truck and turbo units. Investigators raided 59 company sites and seven private homes looking into allegations of illegal conduct from 2002 to 2009. The probe yielded several indictments against employees and managers...


* Japan - New short-narrow-body FUSO Canter Eco Hybrid brings optimized solution for customers

Kawasaki,Japan -Automotive World (UK) -23 Aug 2013: -- Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, today announced it has launched a new body variant for its world’s most fuel efficient...  The hybrid truck now with a shorter and narrower body variant brings optimized solution for customers in Japan by reduced annual vehicle inspection and vehicle insurance fees, further supporting customers and their businesses in terms of overall Total Cost of Ownership... 

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TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * Canada: The largest model of a water tank

* British Columbia - Western Star adds tank truck

(Photo: Tank Truck Transport Western Star & dry bulk tanker) 
Kelowna,BC,Canada -Transport Topics -Aug 2013: -- Western Star Trucks announced that it will offer a new tank truck through an agreement with equipment maker Klein Products... Western Star said it will offer a 6,500-gallon water tank body made by Klein on its 4900XD model heavy-duty vocational truck. The truck is designed for construction, quarry, and mining applications, Western Star said, and is available in a day cab configuration. The Klein K650 water tank is the largest model the company makes for Class 8 trucks, which can help operators reduce the number of refill trips needed for spraying mine roads, waste rock dumps and other surfaces... Available engines include Detroit’s DD15, DD16 or DDC 60 Tier III diesels. The truck features outboard cab mounts and up to 20,000 lb. front and 70,000 lb. rear suspensions...


* Oregon - Freightliner offers factory-installed roof fairing, starts 122SD production

Portland,ORE,USA -Fleet Owner -Aug. 23, 2013: -- A new factory-installed roof-fairing for the Cascadia highway tractor and the start of full-produce for the 122SD vocational truck model are the big announcements coming from Freightliner Trucks this week at the Great American Trucking Show... Freightliner – a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC – said a factory-installed roof fairing is now available as standard on Freightliner Cascadia Evolution 72-inch mid-roof XT models and as an option on Freightliner Cascadia 72-inch mid-roof XT trucks, to help further contribute to the aerodynamic profile of those trucks and thus boost fuel economy...

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ELECTRIC TRUCK MAKER * USA - Smith's Vehicles in Taiwan

* Missouri - Smith Electric Vehicles to form JV in Taiwan

Kansas City,MO,USA -Fleet Owner -Aug. 23, 2013: -- Smith Electric Vehicles has signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture with Taikang Technology Corp. in Taiwan. The venture will produce 5,000 electric vehicles in the country over the next three years, Smith said... Taikang has expertise in upfitting specialized municipal commercial vehicles... The agreement covers assembly and distribution of all-electric vehicles in Taiwan. The vehicles will be Smith Electric branded... The initial trucks will be Newton and Edison model vehicles configured for garbage pick-up and transport...

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ENGINE MAKERS * USA - 2015 pick ups Nissan with Cummins engines

* Tennessee - Nissan aims at truck relevance with Titan-Cummins diesel deal

Franklin,TN,U.S.A -Forbes -21 Aug 2013: -- It didn’t take Nissan long to turn its poaching of Fred Diaz from Ram into a daring gambit on the product side. With his bid to use a diesel engine and a co-branding relationship with Cummins to provide new relevance to the tired Titan pick-up truck line, the new U.S. chief of Nissan sales and marketing has wasted no time in going after one of his old employer’s most important franchises... Diaz already struck a deal with Cummins to provide a 5.0-liter, V-8 turbodiesel engine that will be offered as an option on the overhauled Titan that Nissan plans to introduce for the 2015 model year... It’ll take a lot more than a Cummins engine and logo on a Titan for Nissan to make its pickup-truck brand relevant, even in a rising market, because each of the Detroit Three seems to be taking full advantage of the new lease on life being enjoyed by the pickup segment. But if Nissan has a shot, Diaz certainly is the man to take it...


* Indiana - Engine maker Cummins to 
add 500 jobs at Indiana plant

Columbus,IND,USA -News Sentinel -August 20, 2013:
-- Engine maker Cummins Inc. says it will add 500 jobs over several years at its Columbus Engine Plant to build V8 turbo diesel powerplants for Nissan Motor Co.'s next generation Titan pickup truck... The Columbus-based company said Tuesday its V8 program is planning to add to its current 300-person workforce over the next several years and eventually expects to employ about 800 workers... Cummins says it's also developing a version of the V8 turbo diesel for commercial vehicle customers...


* Massachusetts - American Power Group receives additional EPA approval for dual fuel systems 


(Photo - Wisconsin natural gas trucking pioneer Paper Transport, Inc. runs a 2008 APG-converted Detroit Diesel DD15 engine in this 2009 Freightliner Cascadia tractor. Note rail-mounted CNG tank) 
Lynnfield,MASS,USA -Fleet Owner -Aug. 16, 2013: -- American Power Group Corp. has received notification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that its recent clean alternative fuel vehicle and engine conversion submissions have been approved for additional engines, including Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines... Depending on the age and mileage of the targeted engine year to be converted, APG performs either an on-road emissions test to meet the OUL requirements or tests on an engine dynamometer for the more difficult intermediate useful life requirements, the company said. An EPA engine family approval allows APG to commercialize that specific engine model conversion in the market without further emissions testing...

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Aug 23, 2013

FATIGUED TRUCKERS CONTROLS * USA

* Washington - Fatigued truckers targeted by law enforcement agencies

(Photo: Patrols on the Tumwater Truck Route)
Olympia,WASH,USA -Fleet Owner, by Deborah Whistler -Aug. 22, 2013: -- Law enforcement agencies in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia are partnering to target truck drivers who are running over allowable hours of service... In an attempt to reduce the number of fatigued commercial vehicle drivers, the Washington State Patrol’s (WSP) Commercial Vehicle Division (CVD), will step up enforcement efforts focused on commercial vehicle driver’s hours of service... Officers will stop and cite drivers who exceed their maximum allowable time behind the wheel, according to a Washington State Patrol press release... During the emphasis, Washington will open all truck scales throughout the state as staffing allows, and conduct roving patrols to inspect trucks and drivers who attempt to avoid the inspection sites by traveling on bypass routes... Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia will share data and information during the emphasis to help verify the hours of service of drivers suspected of exceeding their time behind the wheel or altering their driver log books...

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TYRES MAKERS * UK

* Family owned distribution company hit 600,000 plus kilometres on Goodyear Regional Haul tyres
 
Warwick,UK -MHW Magazine -21 August 2013: -- The UK's only dedicated truck tyre supplier and service provider has been keeping costs low for Wixey Transport. The logistic solutions company, whose trucks cover the whole of the UK and Ireland, has been consistently impressed with the mileage they're able to gain out of their Goodyear tyres with some sets reaching an impressive 600,000 kilometres... Wixey Transport, is a family owned business that provides domestic transportation services to companies up and down the country. Established in 1972, the vehicle fleet is made up of 15 tractor units and 30 trailers...

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* India TRUCKMAKER TATA Motors': New overinsurance for trucks

* India - Tata Motors launches first of its kind ‘Triple Benefit Insurance’ across its range of trucks

Mumbai,Maharashtra,India -Automotive World (UK) -20 Aug 2013: -- Tata Motors has launched a new premium ‘Triple Benefit Insurance’ across its range of M and HCV, ICV and LCV Trucks and Tippers, yet another first from Tata Motors in the Indian commercial vehicle space. Designed specifically to minimize the financial impact to Tata Motors CV customers, the new premium ‘Triple Benefit Insurance’ maximises peace of mind, to the extent of full protection from loss of time and income, caused due to accidents. 

 * Depreciation waiver / Zero Depreciation Coverage: In the event of Partial loss, Insurance companies generally do not pay 100% of the claim. Instead the claim amount is reduced as per Standard Policy Deductible and depreciation on replaced parts, which ranges from 5-50%. However under the Depreciation Waiver / Zero Depreciation coverage, the Insurance Company will not deduct any depreciation amount from the claim. 

 * New Vehicle Replacement Coverage: In the event of total loss of a vehicle, insurance companies generally pay the Insured Declared Value (IDV) of the policy, which is always lesser than the replacement value of a new vehicle, as a result customers have to bear the difference in amount. However, under the New Vehicle Replacement Coverage, at the time of purchase of a new replacement vehicle, of a similar make and model, the customer would be paid the current ex-showroom price of the replacement vehicle. In addition, the customer would also be paid the current cost of insurance and registration, subject to adjustment of refunds. 

 * Loss of Income/ Vehicle Hire Cost: A commercial vehicle is a source of livelihood for the operator and any accident / total loss of a vehicle, has an adverse impact on the income of the vehicle operator. Under the Loss of Income / Vehicle hire cost cover, reimbursement would be provided to the customer (subject to policy conditions in all cases).

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TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * China: The biggest pickup truck

* China - Great Wall Wingle 6 concept is a big pickup truck for 
Shanghai,SH,China -Car News China, by Tycho de Feijter -Originally published April 21, 2013: -- This is the new and giant Great Wall Wingle 6 pickup truck concept, it debuted earlier on the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show in China. The Wingle 6 previews a new large pickup truck that will be launched on the Chinese car market in 2014. The Wingle 6 will be the biggest pickup truck under the Great Wall brand so far... There will be three engines available in the production version: 2.0 petrol, 2.0 turbo petrol and a 2.4 liter turbodiesel. The Wingle 6 is even bigger than expected, size: 5340/1800/1755, wheelbase yet unknown. The market for large pickup trucks is growing in China. Many car buyers from rural areas have much more money to spend than only five years ago and are perfectly willing to spend it on bigger cars. Price for the Wingle 6 will start around 130.000 yuan (21.000 U$S) and will end around 180.000 yuan... 


* Australia - Giant trucks more popular than ever


(A driverless Komatsu 930E-AT. Komatsu’s 930E range have a maximum payload capacity over 300 tonnes)
West Perth,Western Australia -The AJM Online, by Oliver Probert -Aug 21, 2013: -- The biggest trucks are now among the most popular in the resources industry, according to intelligence specialists IntierraRMG... A new report from IntierraRMG shows that, in 2012, 640 ‘ultra-class’ trucks (defined as having a payload of over 290 tonnes) were delivered around the world... That represented over 25% of delivered truck capacity in 2012... The new deliveries brought the total number of ultra-class trucks in operation worldwide to 3004 – representing 16% of global truck payload...


* China - Foton Motor to build truck factory in Brazil 

China -IANS/EFE/SME Times -16 Aug, 2013: -- China's Foton Motor plans to invest 250 million reais ($108 million) to build a truck factory in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, the state government said... Under the terms of the agreement between Foton Aumark Brasil, subsidiary of the Chinese automaker, and the Rio Grande do Sul government, the factory will be built in Guaiba, a suburb of the regional capital of Porto Alegre... The Chinese company expects annual output at this Brazilian plant of as many as 21,000 trucks with carrying capacity of between 3.5 tonnes and 24 tonnes...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:20 AM  0 comments

TRAILER MAKERS NEWS * USA

* Indiana - July trailer orders fail to meet expectations 

Columbus,IND,USA -Fleet Owner -Aug. 22, 2013: -- Net trailer orders for July have come in below expectations, said ACT Research. According to ACT’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report, July’s orders came in at 12,739 units, down 17% month over month... “July net orders at a seasonally adjusted annual rate were a disappointing 201,000 units,” said Frank Maly, director-CV Transportation with ACT Research. “As we noted last month, production levels continue at rates well above new order intake. While the manufacturers did adjust their build rates in July, without some additional order support, further modification could be needed to keep the backlog to build ratio at an acceptable level#... Maly noted that order cancellations continue to be on the low side, which indicates that the order numbers are for trailers are “truly needed” by the industry...


* Ohio - East debuts lightweight aluminum flatbed

Randolph,OH,USA - Fleet Owner -Aug. 20, 2013: -- East Manufacturing has announced a new all-aluminum flatbed trailer with narrow-neck design. The trailer is a combination of East technology and Sliding Systems Inc. (SSI) all-aluminum curtainside trailer, resulting in a lightweight flatbed product... The flatbed trailer, van configuration, has a 106-in. clear height – just 4 inc. short of a van – and 101-in. inside load width. It also accommodates up to 50,000 lbs. concentrated load in 4 ft. on a 48-ft. spread axle trailer. The flexibility of the curtain side offers load access from both sides as well as the rear door...


* Indiana - Lowbed trailers designed specifically for oil and gas industry

Rensselaer,IND,USA -Fleet Owner -Aug. 22, 2013: -- A new line of lowbed, heavy-haul trailers designed specifically for the oil and gas industry has been released by Talbert Manufacturing... The models in the oil field trailer series include features for fast and efficient equipment loading, Talbert said... There are three trailers in the series, a 3-axle, 35-ton step deck; a 4-axle, 60-ton fixed-gooseneck trailer; and a 5-axle, 65-ton, fixed-gooseneck trailer. Because oil extraction requires frequent relocation of skid-mounted equipment such as generators, housing units, compressors, oil rigging equipment and pipe sections, Talbert said it designed this series specifically for that purpose...


* Fontaine adds options to heavy haul lowbed trailer

  -Fleet Owner -Aug. 15, 2013: -- Fontaine Heavy-Haul is expanding its Magnitude 60 Class product line to include a 2-axle bogie and the all-new EQ2 hydraulic equalizing spreader... Magnitude 60 Class advanced technology lowbed trailers are the lightest in their class handling 60 tons in just 12 ft... The modular design of the trailers means operators have the option to run in 2+2, 3+1 or 4-axles close coupled... The EQ2 spreader is features a patent pending “C-link” mounting system and can easily convert from a 14 ft., 7 in. to 16 ft., 1 in. axle spread in a matter of minutes. Other features of the trailers include quick connecting and disconnecting of the removable gooseneck, two convenient built-in storage compartments that feature lockable covers for greater security and a wide variety of accessories are available...

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Aug 22, 2013

AUTOS' RECALLS * Ford fines wrong publicized

* DC - NHTSA reviewing policy on publicizing automakers' recall fines 

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 22, 2013: -- The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the agency is reviewing its policies on publicizing fines that automakers pay for not recalling vehicles in a timely fashion... NHTSA decided in June not to publicize a large fine imposed on Ford Motor Co. for failing to recall more than 400,000 vehicles in a timely fashion after it had publicized the five previous fines issued to major automakers over recalls since 2010. The fine was posted on a government website but went unnoticed until the Wall Street Journal reported the news more than a month after Ford agreed to pay the fine... Ford paid NHTSA a $17.35 million fine after the agency said the automaker did not notify customers of a defect in a timely manner after it recalled 423,000 2001-04 Ford Escapes and Mazda Tributes in July 2012, the maximum fine under current law. Ford did not admit any wrongdoing... At an event at the Washington Auto Press Association last week, NHTSA head David Strickland said he would take another look at whether the agency should make formal announcements of fines...

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CARMAKERS NEWS * South Africa: Strikes

* South Africa - Strike brings car-maker assembly lines to standstill

Johannesburg,SA -Reuters/Business Day Live, by Karl Gernetzky -19 August 2013: -- Workers in the automotive manufacturing sector downed tools at factories across the country on Monday, the first day of a nationwide strike... The strike, which could involve 31,000 assembly line workers, was called last week by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) after wage negotiations deadlocked in July... Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation chief negotiator Thapelo Molapo, said on Sunday employers would again meet Numsa on Monday to seek a halt to strike action that will affect BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, General Motors (GM), Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and some truck manufacturers...


* South Africa - ‘Will pay heavy price’ for automotive sector strike

Johannesburg,SA -Business Day Live, by Mark Allix and Karl Gernetzky -August 20, 2013: -- Labour experts warned on Monday that lost production and revenue estimated at R700m a day in the automotive sector would outstrip any material gains of striking workers as up to 30,000 of them downed tools across South Africa. In addition, the country would suffer debilitating reputational damage as much of the vehicle production was for export to overseas markets, in line with the government’s industrial focus. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) said the strike was in "full swing" and production had halted at all of the seven major motor manufacturers represented in the country... This meant that vehicle output of about 3,000 units a day in South Africa had been affected. Numsa said one of the truck manufacturers, MAN Truck and Bus SA, had tried to break the strike through the use of "scab labour" and the police, but its spokesman said workers had walked off production lines and operations had halted. The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa had estimated losses to be about R600m a day, which included the negative effect on downstream manufacturing, including automotive components...

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Aug 17, 2013

* USA - CARMAKERS NEWS: The future Cadillac

* Michigan - GM concept hints at Cadillac's future. Features of Elmiraj may be used in new 'top of range' model

(Photo from GM: Cadillac reveals the Elmiraj Concept Thursday, August 15, 2013 in Carmel, California) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -August 15, 2013: -- General Motors Co.’s, Cadillac brand, Thursday showed off a new Cadillac grand coupe concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Carmel, Calif., cues of which could come in a new “top of the range” car Cadillac is developing... Cadillac says the rear-wheel drive Elmiraj is its next evolution after the luxury brand showed its touring Ciel Concept, a four-door, four seat convertible, at Pebble Beach two years ago... The blue Cadillac Elmiraj is equipped with a a 4.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine that puts out an estimated 500 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque. The coupe has a long front profile and long wheelbase, and features Cadillac’s signature vertical headlamp and tail lamp... Inside, the vehicle features high-performance seats, including rear bucket seats and uses hand-picked Brazilian rosewood and titanium trim that is back lit...


* Michigan - Lincoln gets boost with Black Label premium line

(Photo from Ford - The Center Stage theme for Lincoln Black Label is inspired by fashion and theater. The exterior color is Black Tie, which is exclusive to Lincoln Black Label) 
Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Detroit News. by Karl Henkel -August 15, 2013: -- Lincoln Motor Co. previewed Thursday the next step in its reinvention, showing off Black Label, a line of ultra-premium options that aim to boost the prestige of owning a Lincoln and profit margins for the Ford Motor Co. luxury brand... The premium options, which include Alcantara-brand suede, Venetian leather and ziricote tropical hardwood, will soon be available on all Lincoln models. They will be combined with “elevated customer services,” Lincoln announced in Pebble Beach, Calif... Lincoln previewed Black Label on the new MKZ sedan and the MKC compact concept crossover. It is not immediately known when Lincoln Black Label will be available as an option for consumers nor how much extra it will cost. But Black Label is similar to special uplevel models from other luxury brands, which cost more and also come with performance enhancements that are not included in Black Label packages...

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