User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: September 2016
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Sep 30, 2016

* India and * China: Stepping up their games

* Asia - GPS Technology means changes for road haulage freight and logistics in

--- A quick look at the latest advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and its relevance to the logistics industry sees serious advances in India with the first ever GPS monitored road haulage movement between India and Bangladesh. The initial trial of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement whereby vehicles can enter any of the four nations’ territory without the need to tranship goods from one country’s truck to another, has now been successfully undertaken... Earlier this month a truck arrived in Delhi having left from Bangladesh passing through the Customs posts en route without a hitch. The system saw the vehicle electronically tracked from Dhaka passing through West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, UP and Haryana until upon arrival at the Customs post in New Delhi. Under the protocols of the system the vehicle was sealed electronically with the authorities alerted every time the cargo doors were opened... 
(Photo: Shipping featuring new technologies)   --  New Delhi, India / Beijing, China - Handy Shipping Guide - 27 September 2016

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HAYPOST * Armenia / Europe - New trucking service

* Yerevan - HayPost launches new regular cargo and postal transportation service to and from Europe

--- The National Postal Operator of Armenia “HayPost” CJSC today announced the launch of an unprecedented service in the history of Armenia. Starting from the 1st of October 2016, HayPost will carry out regular scheduled mail and cargo transportations to and from Europe... The new service is meant to expand the connectivity of Armenia, by means of weekly mail and cargo transportations from Yerevan to the hub in Frankfurt and vice versa. This innovative reliable, fast and secure service facilitates the process of export and import of products to and from Armenia, enabling the Armenian companies to expand their business. At the same time, the new service will help to dramatically increase the volumes of the online commerce in Armenia... 
 Yerevan, Armenia - Public Radio of Armenia, by Siranush Ghazanchyan - 29 Sep 2016

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DEUTSCHE POST DHL * Germany: Snaps up UK Mail for $315.5 Million

* Frankfurt - Deutsche Post DHL agreed offer at 43% premium to British company’s stock price

--- Germany’s Deutsche Post DHL Group agreed to acquire UK Mail Group for 242.7 million pounds, ($315.5 million), bolstering its presence in one of Europe’s biggest e-commerce markets at a time of booming online orders for clothes, household goods and other merchandise... Deutsche Post, Europe’s leading parcel-delivery company, said the offer of 440 pence a UK Mail share represents a premium of around 43% to the British company’s closing price of 307.5 pence on Sept. 27... In January, Deutsche Post bought a 27.5% stake in France’s Relais Colis to strengthen its presence in Europe’s third-largest e-commerce market. In September, the German company expanded its parcel network to include ventures in Hungary and Slovenia, taking its presence to 19 European countries, a company spokesman said... 
(PHOTO: DEUTSCHE POST - Deutsche Post DHL agreed to acquire UK Mail Group for $315.5 million, bolstering its presence in one of Europe’s biggest e-commerce markets) -- Frankfurt, Germany - The WSJ (USA), by NATASCHA DIVAC and ULRIKE DAUER - Sept. 28, 2016

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NAVISTAR´s news - USA: * Super Truck improved freight efficiency by 104% - ** $9M settlement to end suit

* Illinois - Navistar SuperTruck doubles freight efficiency
--- Navistar announced today its SuperTruck demonstration vehicle, dubbed CatalIST, improved freight efficiency by 104%... That’s more than double what the US Department of Energy (DOE), which funded the project, had called for. The control vehicle was a 2009 International ProStar. Navistar says the SuperTruck achieves fuel mileage of 13 mpg and demonstrates 50.3% brake thermal efficiency... Predictive cruise control is one example of a significant technology developed through the SuperTruck project, the company says. It looks ahead of the vehicle and recognizes the terrain, selecting the most efficient speed and gear for optimal fuel economy... Through the project, Navistar also: improved integration of its N13 engine; reduced aerodynamic drag by replacing mirrors with cameras; used a new, smaller LED headlamp to reduce lamp size and improve aero; redeveloped the shape with a sloped windshield and wedged cab; used lighter-weight materials; developed a hybrid front suspension and lightweight rear suspension using composite materials; and improved trailer drag coefficient by more than 30%... 
(Photo: The International ProStar by Navistar)   --  Lisle, ILL, USA - Truck News - 28 Sept 2016


** Illinois - Shareholders suing Navistar say $9M settlement best way to end suit over low-emissions engine claims 

--- Truck maker Navistar has moved nearer the end of the road in a legal fight over whether it had misled investors about its chances to build a new truck engine both in line with federal emissions requirements and superior to those made by competitors... For years, according to the lawsuit, Navistar had promised investors it would roll out a new truck engine, referred to as the “Advanced Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)” model, which the lawsuit said would have represented “an engineering milestone” ... The assertions, the complaint said, pushed Navistar’s stock price to as much as $70 per share in 2011... However, the company in 2012 then backtracked, formally announcing its efforts to build the Advanced EGR engine had failed, and it would adopt the same technology used by its competitors to ensure its trucks met the emissions requirements. The news came after the company had announced losses in the preceding quarter... In light of such challenges, Navistar said the $9.1 million settlement, with $2 million for plaintiffs attorneys, represented the best possible outcome for class members and the best chance to avoid further costly litigation for both sides... 
Chicago, ILL, USA - Cook County Record, by Jonathan Bilyk - Sep. 29, 2016

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MACK TRUCKS' video * USA: "The Horn"

* North Carolina - Mack Trucks awarded for video

(Video from Mack Trucks - Oct 30, 2015: Whether you're a customer, driver, or just a big fan) 

--- Mack Trucks has been recognized for its film production with four bronze awards for its video ‘The Horn’ ... Selected from more than 13,000 entries from all 50 states and several countries, the 37th annual Telly Awards honored the video, which details a man’s love for trucks from a young age and his current career as a truck driver... The four awards Mack Trucks received included bronze for branded content and entertainment – business-to-customer; branded content and entertainment – promotional-to-customer; commercial – automotive; and commercial – campaign – promotional/branding... Around since 1979, more than 500 judges make up the Telly Awards’ panel, each accomplished industry professionals... 
Greensboro, N.C., USA – Truck News - September 27, 2016

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FOTON MOTOR's * China: Super Trucks models at the IAA 2016

* Beijing - Chinese truck maker teams with Daimler, Cummins to launch Global Super Truck line

--- Chinese truck manufacturer Foton Motor has launched three fuel-efficient trucks under the Super Truck line in collaboration with Daimler, Cummins and German manufacturers ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Continental AG and other members of the Super Truck Global Innovation Alliance... Foton launched three Super Truck models at the IAA Commercial Vehicle show in Hannover, Germany, including the heavy-duty Auman Energy Super Truck and the Aumark S super medium-duty and light-duty trucks... The Auman EST is primarily aimed at global logistics companies with long-haul freight needs, while the two Aumark S models are designed for urban use... 
(Photo: Foton Motors - The Foton Motors Auman EST super truck)   --   Changping, Beijing, China - TruckingInfo - September 27, 2016

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LEYLAND's "BOSS" * India: New truck range

* Chennai - The new boss of Leyland family

--- Leyland Boss is a vehicle that lives up to its name. An ideal mix of tradition and modern technology, the vehicle has proved that indigenous machines can live up to, or even excel imported vehicles... Even though Leylands were around since so many years, no other model from the truck maker's stable has been so complete. Now, the new Boss is around with additional loading capacity of one tonne and more facilities... 
 Rajaji Saalai, Chennai, India - Manorama, by Santhosh - 27 Sept 2016

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OSHKOSH's news * USA - 17,000 JLTVs for the Army and the Marine Corps

* Wiscosin - This truck maker could be setting up for a 15% gain

--- The past five days have been rough for investors in Oshkosh... Oshkosh has become a leading seller of specialty access equipment as well as commercial, fire and emergency, and military vehicles. It owns a bevy of brands (some acquired) including Oshkosh, JLG, Pierce, McNeilus, Jerr-Dan, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, and Frontline... With little direct competition, Oshkosh tripled annual sales between 2006 and 2010. And a government order for its M-ATV contributed nearly half of OSK's sales for 2010... In August 2015, Oshkosh staged a major coup when it edged out Humvee originator AM General and Lockheed Martin in a team with BAE Systems to bag a $6.75 billion order to start production of a replacement for the aging Humvee tactical vehicles. The contract covers 17,000 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) for the Army and the Marine Corps... 
Oshkosh,  WIS, USA - TheStreet, by Shubhankar Adhikari - Sep 27, 2016

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190,000 TRUCKS TO BE BUILT * USA: For the US Postal Service

* DC - Six manufacturers vie for $6.3 Billion USPS contract


--- The U.S. Postal Service has narrowed the list of contenders to replace its aging delivery truck fleet from a field of 15 vehicle manufacturers down to just six. Those companies now have about a year to develop a prototype truck for the mail delivery service to test, after which the USPS will put them through their paces for six months. It will then award one of them a $6.3 billion contract... The finalists which beat out such heavyweight vehicle manufacturers as Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and Nissan are: AM General, Karsan, Mahindra, Oshkosh, Spartan Motors' Utilimaster division, and VT Hackney... The USPS's current delivery truck is the Northrop Grumman Long Life Vehicle, or LLV, which came into service in 1987. They were originally intended to have a lifespan of 24 years, but that was extended to 30 years in 2009. Now, the mail carriers need a new truck, one that can meet the demands being put on the service today... The winner of the contract will end up producing some 190,000 vehicles that will have to remain operational for at least 20 years. The USPS said it will soon also issue an RFP for the supply of commercial off-the-shelf, right-hand drive delivery vehicles... 
(Photo: The U.S. Postal Service on works)  --  Washington, DEC, USA - Investopedia - September 27, 2016

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CARMAKERS TECHNOLOGY * Germany - For self-driving cars

* Frankfurt - German carmakers and technology firms form 5G telecoms association

--- German car makers Audi, BMW and Daimler on Tuesday launched an alliance with mobile telecoms network equipment firms Ericsson , Huawei, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm to accelerate development of the infrastructure needed for self-driving cars... The pact is another example of Germany's premium carmakers collaborating to build technology expertise necessary to take on new rivals like Uber and Google which are also working on autonomous driving technology... The new alliance, branded the 5G Automotive Association, will "develop, test and promote communications solutions, support standardization and accelerate commercial availability and global market penetration," the founders said in a statement...Last year BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen's Audi, joined forces to buy digital map maker HERE for 2.8 billion euros ($3.15 billion) from Nokia and this week will introduce a service that allows drivers to see for themselves what road conditions are like miles ahead using live data contributed by other vehicles... 
(Photo - Audi, BMW and Daimler alliance with Ericsson , Huawei, Intel , Nokia and Qualcomm, for 5G)  --  Frankfurt, Germany - Reuters/KFGO, by Harro ten Wolde / Ilona Wissenbach / Greg Mahlich - September 27, 2016

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TRUCKING's NEW ENEMY * Australia: The "vey dangerous" ASBFEO's Kate Carnell

* ACT - The only way forward for the industry is to switch to an hourly-based system. Paid per tonne, per load, is the root cause of present situation
--- Kate Carnell’s post-RSRT report shows she doesn’t get it and the industry has missed a chance because of it... The Interstater has had enough of "the very dangerous" Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO), Kate Carnell, and her "notion that legislating rates of pay is not the way to go to ensure greater safety within the trucking industry ... Well, if that’s the case, then she must know more about our industry than we do" ... "Ms Carnell, if you have a B-double, for example, and you are getting $3,200 to go from Melbourne to Brisbane, and it takes from Monday morning until Wednesday afternoon to get it delivered, and once all the costs are equated you have made as little as $100s for that load, you are not going to be able to keep the maintenance up to your vehicle. If that continues to be the trend over the whole month, then you are not only in a lot of financial trouble, you will soon be out of business." ... The Interstater says the only way forward for the industry is to switch to an hourly-based system... "What the ASBFEO and all the employer associations like the Australian Trucking Association, NatRoad, the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO) and state-based associations need to be pushing for is a new way of pricing and valuing the task that trucking does" ... "The only way to effect the financial security of trucking into the future is through hourly charging. The flow on effect of being able to also pay drivers hourly for all that they do will increase safety levels to never been seen before levels." ... "But Kate Carnell won’t do anything about this endemic problem trucking is living because her little organisation isn’t about trucking, or safety, or freight transportation. It’s about being seen to be doing something to justify the existence of the ASBFEO" ... Controversial Owner//Driver columnist The Interstater says !!! ...  
(Photo: "The RSRT was the first and last chance to increase rates into the future," The Interstater says)   --  Canberra, ACT, Australia  - Owner Driver - 28 Sept 2016

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TROUBLES IN TRUCKING * Australia - TWU: ATA and NatRoad are in denial

* ACT - It's time to find long-term solutions to problems in trucking

--- TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon says transport companies will continue to be bullied until enforceable standards are put back in place to stop clients from doing so... The Transport Workers Union (TWU) says the Australian Trucking Association (ATA’s) contract checklist does not address the issues facing the transport sector... The union accuses ATA and the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) of aiding and abetting forces that led to the escalation of certain problems in the industry, including late payments for drivers... "The association opposed enforceable standards which guaranteed truck drivers payment for work within 30 days," a TWU statement states. This system [the 30-day payment rule] would have made transport businesses more sustainable, allowing them to pay owner-drivers and employee drivers better rates and maintain their fleets" ... "Now it is trying to demonstrate it is doing anything for transport companies by coming up with a pathetic checklist for companies when signing contracts" ... "Pressure on trucking leads to fatigued drivers under pressure to take risks" ... "But even on this the ATA and NatRoad are in denial: they continually try to explain away the horrific number of deaths and injuries on the roads by comparing today’s statistics with statistics from over 30 years ago when many cars were not even equipped with seat belts" ... Sheldon says ATA "It must stop acting [as an] apologist for wealthy clients"... 
(Photo: Driver at Cropline Haulage)   --  Canberra, ACT, Australia - Owner Driver - 29 Sept 2016

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Sep 29, 2016

AMAZON vs. UPS & FEDEX * USA: Newest ambition, own delivery operations

* Washington - Amazon’s newest ambition: Competing directly with UPS and FedEx

--- To reduce shipping costs, Amazon is building up its own delivery operation, as some say the online retailer is preparing to go head-to-head with major shippers in the mainstream delivery business... Just before the morning rush hour on a recent Thursday, a brigade of vans rolled up to a low-slung warehouse near Los Angeles International Airport... Workers in bright green vests crammed some 150 Amazon.com packages into each truck before the fleet headed through the urban sprawl to customers’ doorsteps... This logistical dance wasn’t performed by United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. or the U.S. Postal Service, all longtime carriers for the online retailer. It was part of an operation by Amazon.com Inc. itself, which is laying the groundwork for its own shipping business in a brazen challenge to America’s freight titans... 
(Photo: To reduce shipping costs, Amazon is building up its own delivery operation, as some say the online retailer is preparing to go head-to-head with major shippers in the mainstream delivery business)   --   Seattle, WASH, USA - The WSJ, by GREG BENSINGER & LAURA STEVENS - Sept. 27, 2016

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NEW STARTUP for the TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA - To avoid inefficiencies from

* California - San Francisco-based startup arranges international freight shipments for small- and midsize companies

--- Flexport Inc., a San Francisco-based startup that arranges international freight shipments for small- and midsize companies... Flexport is one of a handful of technology startups that have emerged in recent years trying to use software to scrub inefficiencies from the logistics industry. Several of these are mobile apps that help shippers hire truckers to haul their products, a model that has come to be known as “Uber for trucking”... Others, including Israel’s Freightos and Flexport, offer software that helps shippers move goods by ship and plane, offering customs clearance and other services needed to move shipments across international borders, typically known as freight forwarding... Flexport has offices in San Francisco, New York, Hong Kong and Amsterdam and is opening a new location in Shenzhen, China. Ryan Petersen, the startup’s founder and chief executive, said he plans to use some of the new money to develop a way of efficiently rerouting shipments while they are in transit, which he described as a nut that the logistics industry has yet to crack... 
(Photo: The Lewinston Bridge)   --  San Francisco, CAL, USA - The WSJ, by ROBBIE WHELAN - Sept. 26, 2016

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DRIVERS' SHORTAGE * USA: FEMALE TRUCKERS 5,1 % of truck drivers

* DC - Number of female truckers slides as women face industry hurdles

--- Trucking has a lower percentage of women in the workforce, according to the federal government... Women made up 46.8 percent of all laborers 16 years or older last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But of the more than 2 million workers in the trucking transportation field, just 11.4 percent were female. And their ranks continue to shrink... Even as the overall number of active truckers in the U.S. swelled 1.8 percent year over year to 3.5 million in 2015, the cadre of female drivers shrank 10 percent, or 20,000, to 177,000, according to a recent report from the American Trucking Assns... The most recent count has women constituting just 5.1 percent of truck drivers — the smallest percentage since 2011... Ellen Voie, president of the nonprofit Women In Trucking organization said, female truckers want good relationships with their dispatchers and a sense of purpose, she said. And they need guidance... 
(Photo: Getty - Female trucker in the cab of a truck) -- Washington, DC, USA - Trucks.com, by TIFFANY HSU - SEPT 28, 2016

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TRUCKERS' SHORTAGE * USA - FMCSA: Pilot program for under-21, military-trained drivers

* DC - OOIDA, other trucking orgs mostly on board with pilot program for under-21 truckers


--- Trucking industry stakeholders and highway safety advocates are on different pages when it comes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed pilot program that would allow some under-21 truckers with military driving experience to operate across state lines... The pilot program will allow a limited number of military-trained drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate ... Several trucking and safety organizations submitted comments to the docket, with trucking organizations generally on-board with the proposal and safety organizations generally opposed to it... 
 (Photo: Military trucks in motor pool) --  Washington, DC, USA - Overdrive, by Matt Cole - September 26, 2016

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SOLVING FUEL THEFT * USA: Startup developed a “smart fuel cap” for 18-wheeler rigs

* Illinois - Modal Trigger Startup aims to relieve a $10B headache for trucking industry

 (Video by Fueloyal Technology - May 4, 2015: Fueloyal iCAP 1000 Product Presentation) 

---  Chicago-based Fueloyal has developed a “smart fuel cap” for 18-wheeler rigs called the iCap 1000. The 3G-networked gadget prevents thieves from siphoning diesel out of tanks — and, more importantly, prevents drivers from stealing it at the pump... “To be honest, the biggest problem is stealing by the truck drivers themselves,” said Fueloyal founder George Magoci, who has been developing high-tech truck software for the past five years. “Instead of putting fuel in their truck, they’ll use the company card to put it in another truck at a discount and take the cash” ... At Fueloyal, which wants to put a lid on the black market for diesel fuel, the iCap 1000 can precisely measure the gas going into the truck’s tank while checking it against what’s coming out of the pump through a real-time, 3G-networked connection... In addition, the $299 gadget — which requires a $39-a-month data plan — can scout out the truck stops with the cheapest fuel, automatically planning stops based on price, location and how much fuel is in the tank at any given time... Soal Trucking, a Bloomingdale, Ill., outfit that operates about 20 rigs across the lower 48 states, has cut its monthly fuel costs — which can run upwards of $10,000 per rig — by at least 2 percent to 3 percent since it installed the iCap 1000 several months ago, said Vice President of Operations Jonas Kaminskas... “Most truckers are good people, but we had three incidents last year,” Kaminskas said... In two cases, he says bystanders called him about truckers selling excess fuel at truck stops for cash... 
Chicago, ILL, USA - NY Post, by James Covert - September 27, 2016

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REDUCING FUEL CONSUMPTION * USA: With truck-platons

* New York - Two-truck platoons can reduce fuel consumption by 4%: NACFE

--- Two-truck platoons have the potential to reduce fuel consumption by about 4%, averaged across both vehicles. That’s the finding from the latest North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) confidence report, published today... The study looked at testing that has aolready been conducted. It then adjusted on-track test results to take into account real-world, on-road realities such as traffic congestion and the fact the two trucks will likely only be able to remain in platoon formation about 75% of the time. Track testing has shown the lead truck reducing fuel consumption by 4% while the following truck saves 10%... This is with a following distance of 40-50 feet, which NACFE’s Mike Roeth predicted will be the starting point as two-truck platooning is adopted.concept” ... Though platooning is not yet in use, many of the technologies that will enable it are already available, Roeth pointed out... 
New York, N.Y., USA -- Truck News, by James Menzies - September 28, 2016

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TRUCKER COSTS more than FUEL * USA: ATRI study 2015

* Virginia - Driver costs now higher than fuel costs, says ATRI

--- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) says due to lower fuel prices, the trucking industry’s operational costs declined in 2015... Releasing the findings from the 2016 update to ‘An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking", the ATRI said the average marginal cost per mile in 2015 was US$1.59, a 6% decrease from the US$1.70 in 2014... In addition to lower fuel prices, the decline in marginal cost per mile was attributed to a softening in the US economy late 2015. And, for the first time, driver costs represent a higher percentage of overall costs than fuel... 
Arlington, VA, USA - Truck News - September 26, 2016

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SMUGGLING GOLD & DIAMOND * South Africa

* South Africa - Trucker arrested for gold, diamond smuggling

--- A 45-year-old man has been arrested at the Beitbridge boarder while trying to smuggle diamonds and gold, police said on Tuesday... The truck was then escorted to the scanner. After a physical scan was conducted and undeclared goods were found the suspect offered a higher bribe of R800... Police said diamonds and gold were found covered with brown tape and toilet roll, said Ngoape. However, he did not say where the truck was from... “The suspect was immediately arrested for bribery and possession of precious stones” ... 
(Photo by Motshwari Mofokeng/INDEPENDENT MEDIA: Traffic at the Beitbridge border between South Africa and Zimbabwe) -- Beitbridge, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe- African News Agency/IOL (SA) - 27 September 2016

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Sep 27, 2016

CUMMINS' news * Germany - IAA Show 2016

* Hannover - Cummins launches new heavy-duty engines


--- Truck engine specialist, Cummins, has launched its new heavy-duty X15 and X12 engines at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Germany... According to Cummins the new engines meet 2017 EPA-GHG regulations in North America, and the 15L and 12L platforms also satisfy Euro VI equivalent regulations worldwide... Said Suzanne Wells, Cummins' Executive Director Components Marketing and Sales, “The technologies on show demonstrate Cummins’ distinguished global position to offer system solutions that meet increasing demands for efficiency and durability while optimising performance” ... 
 Hannover, Germany - Prime Mover (Australia) - 27th, September 2016

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VOLVO news * USA - Pushing for mandatory AIR BAGS FOR TRUCKS

* North Carolina - Truck driver’s widow pushes to make truck air bags mandatory

--- Although air bags are credited with saving the lives of thousands of passenger-vehicle occupants annually, traffic safety regulators don’t require the basic safety equipment in medium- and heavy-duty trucks... There’s no clear answer as to why relatively inexpensive air bags are not required on big trucks. But at least one manufacturer, Volvo Trucks North America, is moving forward with making them standard equipment in the US ... “Volvo Trucks has long been an industry leader when it comes to safety, which has been one of our core values since 1927, so it was natural for us to offer air bags as another way to help increase the safety of our drivers,” John Mies, spokesman for Volvo Trucks, told Trucks.com... According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, approximately 340,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks are involved in traffic crashes annually in the U.S., resulting in 600 fatalities and 20,000 injured truck drivers... 
(Photo: Volvo - Volvo Trucks worker installing an airbag)  --  NC, USA - Trucks.com, by CLARISSA HAWES - SEPT 26, 2016

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USED TRUCK SALES * USA: Up in August

* Indiana - August’s used Class 8 truck sales up 19%; down only 2% for year

--- Used Class 8 truck sales volumes continued to show volatility in August — yet remained on a positive trend highlighted by a 19 percent increase over July, according to analysts at ACT Research Inc... Enhanced by that monthly increase, long-term comparisons show 2016 being off by only 2 percent year-to-date, according to the latest release of the State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks, published by ACT Research... The report from ACT provides data on the average selling price, miles and age based on a sample of industry data. In addition the report provides the average selling price for top-selling Class 8 models for each of the major truck OEMs – Freightliner (Daimler); Kenworth and Peterbilt (Paccar); International (Navistar); and Volvo and Mack (Volvo)... 
Columbus, IND, USA - Trucking News - September 26, 2016

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UPS's DRONER DELIVERY * USA: The first major commercial one conducted via drone

* Massachussets - UPS uses drone to deliver package to Boston-area island

--- United Parcel Service Inc. said Friday it successfully used a drone to deliver medicine to an island near Boston, jumping into a race with competitors such as Amazon.com Inc. to test drone delivery inside the U.S. ... The delivery of an inhaler on Thursday was conducted in partnership with CyPhy Works, a drone maker in which UPS holds a stake. The delivery kicks off a wider test by UPS of using drones for commercial deliveries to remote or difficult-to-access areas... UPS’s delivery marks the first major commercial delivery conducted via drone in the U.S. since the Federal Aviation Administration implemented long-awaited rules in late August authorizing businesses to start using small drones. The company previously has tested drone use for indoor warehouses and international disaster or human-aid relief, which aren’t subject to the same regulations. UPS is on the FAA’s drone advisory committee... 
(PHOTO: REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER - A drone made by CyPhy Works carried a UPS package on Children's Island off the coast of Beverly, Mass., on Thursday) - Boston, MASS, USA - The WSJ, by LAURA STEVENS and GEORGIA WELLS - Sept. 23, 2016

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TRAFFIC CONGESTION * Australia: Costs almost $14 billion a year.

* New South Wales: Only Sydney bears brunt of $3.3B in losses to gridlock

--- Sydney is the official gridlock capital of Australia, according to new data that shows traffic congestion is costing businesses in the nation's biggest cities more than $3.3 billion a year... The Tom Tom Traffic Index Report has revealed that despite more commercial vehicles being registered in Melbourne, Sydney's congestion levels are the highest in the country... However, while the NRMA says the figures come as no surprise, it argues that major infrastructure projects currently under way offer some light at the end of the tunnel... The Tom Tom report says traffic congestion has risen 8 per cent in Sydney over the past eight years, making it the 30th most congested city in the world and costing Sydney businesses $980.79 million a year... Tom Tom rates the city's traffic congestion level at 36 per cent after estimating that Sydney drivers spend an extra 151 hours on the road each year due to delays...
 Sydney, NSW, Australia - The Business News. by Nick Nichols - 23 September 2016

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WOMEN IN TRUCKING * Australia: To alleviate truckers' shortage

* Western Australia - New truck features help a new group of young and ambitious female professionals
--- Although women make up around half the Australian workforce, they only account for five per cent of the roles in the transport industry. How can trucking become a career of choice for a largely untapped labour pool?... Australia’s road transport industry is changing. Gone are the days of clunky crash boxes, manually winding landing legs and strapping loads – most of these tasks can now be either automated or mechanically assisted as technology continues to evolve rapidly... With features like automated transmissions and dynamic steering becoming increasingly prevalent, modern heavy-duty vehicles are thus removing many of the physical entry barriers that have traditionally defined – and restricted – commercial road transport, opening it up for a new group of young and ambitious female professionals that have historically been left out... Acknowledging that providing Australia’s female workforce access to the industry may help alleviate the pressure, Volvo Group Australia President, Peter Voorhoeve, reacted by donating two brand-new prime movers to heavy vehicle driving academy, Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls (PHHG) – not only as an immediate measure to get women behind the wheel, but also as a symbol that the OEM is starting to take the problem in its own hands... Unsurprisingly, both vehicles were fitted with the latest in driver support technology...
Pilbara, WA, Australia - Prime Mover - September 2016

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PASSING DISTANCE * Australia: Between cyclists and trucks

* Queensland - To trial passing distance technology

--- The Queensland Government will trial technology to enforce the minimum passing distance between cyclists and motorists... According to Main Roads and Road Safety Minister, Mark Bailey, the State Government was putting safety first by seeking technology to help better understand compliance with the road rules... We want to identify available devices that can measure the passing distance between cyclists and motorists to help keep people safe while sharing the road,” he said... Minister Bailey said the rule was implemented following a successful two-year trial, which required motorists to provide one-metre distance when passing at 60km/h or less and a metre and a half over 60km/h...
Brisbane, QLD, Australia - Prime Mover magazine - 25th, September 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:24 AM  0 comments

SMALL TRUCKING PROTECTION * Australia: Against unfair terms in standard contracts

* ACT - ATA’s Contract checklist for small businesses

--- The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has released an exclusive contract checklist and supporting information about the new protections for small businesses against unfair terms in standard contracts... ATA says the checklist responds to lengthy payment terms faced by trucking businesses, as well as concerns that small operators lack the power and information to negotiate balanced contracts with their customers... It covers contract issues related to: 
 ° The Heavy Vehicle National Law and WA chain of responsibility (COR) contract requirements ° Pricing and payment terms 
° Liability for consequential loss 
° Indemnities, limitation and release clauses 
° Force majeure and more. 

  ... Some small trucking operators find themselves signing whatever is required to get a job, without being able to weigh what the contract could mean for their business, ATA chief executive Christopher Melham says... The new protections for small businesses against unfair terms in standard contracts will come into force on November 12... The protections will apply to businesses with fewer than 20 employees that agree to standard form contracts where the upfront price does not exceed either $300,000 or $1 million if the contract is for more than 12 months... 
(Photo: Owner-driver truckies converge on Parliament House in Canberra in protest at the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal)   --  Canberra, ACT, Australia - ATN - 26 Sept 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:14 AM  0 comments

NEW TRADE-EXCHANGE MONEY * UK - BITCOIN's BLOCKCHAIN ?

* England - Blockchain makes inroads in shipping

--- Marine Transport International Ltd., a U.K.-based freight fowarder, has started using blockchain to create real-time digital ledgers of shipping data for use by port officials, cargo owners and others along global supply chains, the company said Thursday... Blockchain, the technology behind the bitcoin virtual currency, has already captured the attention of bankers and financial firms, such as Nasdaq, J.P. Morgan Chase &Co., and Bank of America Corp., who are testing its use in logging and monitoring financial transactions... Blockchain technology works by creating an online record of transactions that can be shared among a distributed network of users. By using cryptography, it allows users within a network to securely add transactions to the ledger, without the need for a central authority. Instead, network users run algorithms to verify any changes before a new “block” is approved and added to the ongoing chain... MTI, which says it made its first public blockchain transaction on Sept. 1, is among only a handful of companies outside of the financial sector to deploy blockchain within its core operations. Others include Toyota Motor, which is using the technology to monitor its supply chain... The move, it says, seeks to replace cumbersome and costly legacy systems, such as logs, spreadsheets, data intermediaries and private databases, which cause delays and prevent carriers from making timely changes to services... These companies will be keeping a close eye on the financial sector’s use of blockchain, as it seeks to establish industry-wide standards... 
(Photo by Bob Riha Jr. / Reuters - Shipping containers sit at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., Feb. 6, 2015) --  Woking, EN, UK - The WSJ, by ANGUS LOTEN - Sep 22, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 5:52 AM  0 comments

TRUCKS ART * Pakistan: Decorated commercial vehicles

* Islabamad - Colorful artwork on trucks

--- It’s everywhere. Anything bigger than a pickup truck — from school buses to city mass transit buses to semi-trucks, even garbage trucks — are decorated on the front, the back and on both sides, with colorful artwork. In fact, I can’t remembering seeing a large truck that wasn’t fully decorated... Sometimes the artwork is painted directly on the vehicle. But most of the time there are huge panels attached to the sides of the trucks with multiple smaller panels painted in a variety of bright colors... It is clearly part of Pakistan’s cultural identity and a point of pride for many people in the country. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are parts of Karachi, my current location, that aren’t very pretty. It’s a city of 20 million people and a considerable segment of the population lives in extreme poverty... But in America, our big trucks can be a bit ugly, so Pakistan has that on America. It seems to be prevalent on privately owned as well as fleet trucks, and even has migrated to some smaller vehicles such as the three-wheeled taxis that dominate the streets or food vendor carts parked on the sidewalks... 
(Photo: Colorful decorations completely cover Pakistani trucks, like this one parked in the capital of Islamabad) -- Karachi, Pakisan - The Tribune (CO, USA), by Randy Bangert - 24 Sept 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 5:27 AM  0 comments

TRUCKERS' TROUBLES * Jordan: Border closures for trucks

* Amman - Border closures costing Jordanian truckers Millions


--- Jordanian truck drivers have lost approximately JD600 million (*U$S 845M) over the past five years due to the closure of borders with Iraq and Syria, the Jordanian Truck Owners Association said... The association’s president, Mohammad al Dawood, said overland journeys by truck drivers have plummeted by 80 percent since the border closures, which have forced merchants to ship their goods by more expensive sea routes instead... Due to the ongoing instability in neighboring Iraq and Syria that have served as corridors for Jordanian goods into other countries for decades, Jordan’s exports have greatly dwindled. Official figures reveal that in 2015 Jordan’s exports to Iraq dropped to $690 million from $1.16 billion the previous year... Currently Jordanian truckers have access to Saudi Arabia, which they use to carry goods into the kingdom or to transit through to Kuwait where the merchandise is shipped to Iraq’s Basra port. Some trucks are also shipped into Egypt where they then continue on their way across the country, while others go to the Port of Haifa to unload their goods... After recapturing the Trebil border crossing with Jordan this summer from ISIS, the Iraqi forces said they were trying to secure the road and reopen the crossing for trade. It is not clear though when that will happen and al Dawood stressed that trucks will not be making their way into Iraq unless the road is 100 percent secured...(*1U$S = 0,71 JDinars)
Amman, Jordania - Venture Magazine - Sept 25, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 5:11 AM  0 comments