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Jan 29, 2017

IVECO “Project of the Year” *Europe

* Austria - IVECO's first natural gas truck, voted “Project of the Year"
--- IVECO Stralis NP, the first natural gas truck for long-haul operations, has been voted “Project of the Year” at the European Gas Awards of Excellence 2017, during the European Gas Conference, the annual meeting for the European gas industry, held in Vienna (from 23 to 25 January 2017), which gathers more than 450 key representatives from regional governments and industry leaders and more than 80 gas producers, to address issues related to Europe’s energy future...
(Photo The Iveco Stralis NP 2017) -- Vienna, Austria - Fleet Point, by Maddy Price - January 26, 2017

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ISUZU TRUCKS news * South Africa

* Port Elizabeth - Isuzu Trucks in for long haul

--- Isuzu Trucks South Africa has emerged as a consistent driving force behind the country’s commercial vehicle offerings. It has started the year by dominating both the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segments, giving it a commanding share of the overall commercial vehicle market... Reflecting on its relatively short history as a Japanese original equipment manufacturer in South Africa claim the number-one position for Japanese OEMs in the country, which it had achieved in 2013... Uren said Isuzu Trucks fielded a solid performance at the end of 2014, exceeding the 4 000-unit sales mark for the second year in a row and remained the leader in the cab-over-chassis and medium commercial vehicle (MCV) segment with a market share of 12.8% of the total truck market... Uren said while last year had been a difficult year, the company had held onto its leading position for a fourth consecutive year and ended with a 14.6% market share from the total park of 3 952 units... 
(Picture: PRODUCTION LINE: Isuzu Trucks South Africa’s director and chief operating officer, Craig Uren, is bullish about the company’s 2017 prospects)  --   Port Elizabeth, South Africa - The Herald Live, by Shaun Gillham - January 26, 2017

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VOLVO's news * USA - ** Iran

* Virginia - In turnabout, Volvo cancels worker layoffs at Pulaski County plant

--- On Thursday, workers at the Volvo Trucks North American truck manufacturing plant in Pulaski County received good news: Their layoffs had been canceled... The jobs at the Dublin plant are highly sought because of the pay level. Employees commute from beyond the New River Valley, including the Roanoke area, farther Southwest Virginia and West Virginia. The average wage is more than $20 an hour for production workers.. The truck plant employs about 2,200 workers... 
(Photo: A Volvo truck drives past the company’s New River Valley manufacturing facility in Dublin)  --  Pulaski County, VIR, USA - The Roanoke Times, by Amy Friedenberger - January 19, 2017 
** Teheran - Volvo to make trucks in Iran
--- SAIPA Diesel a subsidiary of SAIPA, Iran’s second largest automaker, will start production of three new models of Volvo FM trucks in the coming months... The company has been producing several models of Volvo trucks in recent years. But according to the local automotive website, Persian Khodro, production of the FM series was halted five years ago... Volvo Trucks is a global truck manufacturer based in Gothenburg, Sweden, owned by AB Volvo. It is the world's second largest heavy-duty truck brand and a respected name in Iran... The website said SAIPA is set to produce three new models of the FM trucks namely D13B, D11C, and D13C... 
(Photo: The new models include the D13B, D11C, and D13C) -- Teheran, Iran - The Financial Tribune - January 26, 2017

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WAL-MART REJECTED TO PAY $80M * USA

* California - Judge rejects $80M penalty in Wal-Mart truck drivers lawsuit 

 --- (See WAL-MART FAILED PAY TO DRIVERS * 29/11/16) - A federal judge on Wednesday refused to force Wal-Mart to pay $80 million in penalties in a lawsuit alleging the retail giant failed to pay hundreds of truck drivers in California the minimum wage for certain tasks... Wal-Mart acted in good faith when paying the drivers and had reason to believe its payment policy aligned with California law, according to U.S. District, Judge Susan Illston, in San Francisco... A jury awarded the workers more than $54 million in back wages in November after finding that Wal-Mart didn't pay the drivers the state's base wage for inspecting their vehicles before and after trips and for taking 10-hour layovers and 10-minute rest breaks... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said its drivers earn among the highest salaries in the field and that the plaintiffs were "overreaching." The company has said its drivers earn from about $80,000 to more than $100,000 a year... Wal-Mart drivers are not paid by the hour. Wages are based on mileage and specified activities... The company argued during trial that it paid drivers for activities that included smaller tasks and could not have a separate payment designation for everything they did, some of which took just minutes... Wal-Mart pays drivers $42 for 10-hour overnight layovers as an extra benefit, but it does not control their time during that period, Scott Edelman, an attorney for the company, said during trial. Drivers are free to go to the movies, exercise or do other activities, he said... 
San Francisco, CAL, USA - AP/ABC News, by SUDHIN THANAWALA — Jan 25, 2017

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TRAFFIC JAMS * USA: Atlanta, the worst

* Georgia - The nation's truckers know Atlanta has worst traffic jams

--- The American Transportation Research Institute ranks I-285 at I-85 as the worst bottleneck for trucks in the country, something that Atlanta-area commuters are all too familiar with: traffic jams in and around the city can be the worst... The list assesses the level of truck-oriented congestion at 250 locations on the national highway system. The analysis, based on truck GPS data from more than 600,000 heavy duty trucks uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location... According to data from this year's list, trucks' average speed at the northbound juncture of I-285 and I-85 is 38 m.p.h., with that average dropping to 26 m.p.h. during rush hours... According to the ATRI, congestion on the nation's highways costs the trucking industry $49.6 billion a year. That cost comes from 728 million lost hours of industry productivity — the equivalent of 264,500 truck drivers sitting still for an entire year... While Atlanta's seven traffic hot spots was good for second-most, Houston actually has the most locations on the 2017 map with nine. But the Texas city's worst bottleneck comes in at only No. 8, one spot ahead of Atlanta's second entry on the list... 
Atlanta, GA, USA - Loganville Patch, by Doug Gross - January 26, 2017

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OCEAN FREIGHT, A NEW PLAYER: AMAZON * USA

* Washington - Amazon expands into ocean freight
--- Amazon.com Inc. is taking to the high seas... The online retail giant has begun handling shipment of goods by ocean to its U.S. warehouses from Chinese merchants selling on its site—taking on a role it previously left to global freight-transportation companies... The move marks Amazon’s latest step in a multiyear effort to build out its delivery business. The company doesn’t own or operate ships, but is openly acting as a global freight forwarder and third-party logistics provider, categories of companies that book space on ocean vessels and truck goods between ports and warehouses... Amazon has helped ship at least 150 containers of goods from China since October, according to shipping documents collected at ports of entry that were compiled by Ocean Audit, a company specializing in ocean-freight refund recovery for shippers... This month, Amazon started posting rates for new services such as sorting, labeling, and trucking shipments that traditionally are handled by global freight companies. The services and rates were posted under the name of its Chinese subsidiary, Beijing Century Joyo Courier Service Co., with Distribution-Publications Inc., a widely used platform for such information... Amazon declined to comment...
(PHOTO: REUTERS - Freighters and cargo containers in Long Beach, Calif. Amazon has helped ship at least 150 containers of goods from China since October)  --  Seatte, WASH, USA - The WSJ, by LAURA STEVENS - Jan. 25, 2017

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THE PILBARA HEAVY HAULAGE GIRLS * Australia

* West Australia - BIG PINK TRUCK: Grinding through the Pilbara heat
--- The Volvo prime mover is hooked up to three 45-foot trailers with empty waste bins on board. The trip is out to a construction site at Onslow where thousands of workers are housed... Three times a week the Volvo rig rumbles its 37-tonne tare weight the 350 kilometres west of Karratha, where the empty bins are delivered to the holding yard and full bins collected for a 95-tonne combination run back to Karratha for processing and recycling... It's January and it's hot! ... With Heather Jones at the wheel, the Volvo's 700hp and 3150Nm of torque never flinched. Heather is of course the well known personality who heads up Pilbara Heavy Haulage girls, and this pink Volvo prime mover is the result of Volvo and head honcho Peter Voorhoevre's support of the Pilbara group...

(Photo 2 - CHECKING THE LOAD: Heather Jones checks the chains and fasteners of the loaded bins before the run home to Karratha) 
 ... This is the situation that the pink Volvo and its great trailers were involved in, hauling bulk commodities out of WA's desert... So Heather supervises the loading and tying down of trailers for the run back to Karratha grossing 95 tonnes... The fully loaded industrial waste bins had to be placed to make sure each of the rig's 15 drive and trailer axles shared the weight evenly, legally and safely... Tie down chain and strap tension was critical given the high and gusting winds expected on the route, complicated by the tall, slab sides of the bins... Load and trailer trim is essential for fuel economy, tyre wear, safety and general wear and tear, but it's a tough job for truck and driver as Heather steers the big machine for the run home... And the road train, in its tragically pink paint job, grunts and begins the haul through the heat back to Karratha... Another day in the lives of the Pilbara Heavy Haulage girls, breaking the glass ceilings that hold women drivers from a job that is imminently suitable for the right working woman... 
(Photo 1: On the road with Volvo and Pilbara Heavy Haulage)   --  Pilbara, WA, Australia - Big Rigs - 27th Jan 2017

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Jan 27, 2017

TOYOTA RECALLS * USA: Pickup truck models

* California - Toyota recalls some pickup trucks
--- Toyota is recalling thousands of pickup trucks because of a rear bumper problem... Seventy-nine thousand Toyota Tundra pickup trucks from the 2016 and 2017 model years have to be fixed because the rear bumpers could break. The recall affects trucks sold in the US, Canada, and Central America... The trucks have steps in the back that are made with resin brackets and if the truck is backed into something, that could damage the step and someone could be hurt if they use the compromised step... Owners will get a letter starting mid-February and dealers will replace the resin brackets with steel... 
(Photo: The Toyota Tundra )  --  Chicago, ILL, USA - WLS-AM 890 News, by Jennifer Keiper/Jen DeSalvo - Jan 25, 2017

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MACK & VOLVO news * USA: Discontinues Titan model, 16-liter engine

* NC - Mack Trucks' lineup of heavy-duty vehicles is about to get a little lighter


--- Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner on Tuesday confirmed the company has decided to discontinue its Titan model and its 16-liter MP10 engine, which offers up to 605 horsepower and 2,060 pound feet of torque. The engine, the most powerful one Mack offered, came standard in the Titan... Heffner said Mack decided to discontinue the Titan because "many of the applications that the Titan served can be handled by Mack Pinnacle and Granite models equipped with the newer higher horsepower and torque outputs of the Mack MP8 13-liter engine" ... Mack's decision to discontinue the Titan is effectively immediately. But, Heffner noted, there are a handful of customers who have an unfulfilled order for the Titan, and Mack plans to complete those orders... 
(MACK TRUCKS / CONTRIBUTED PHOTO - Mack Trucks has discontinued its Titan model and its engine, the Mack MP10, because many of the Titan's applications can be handled by the Mack Pinnacle and Granite models)  --   Greensboro, North Carolina, USA - The Morning Call, by Jon Harris - 25 JAN 2017


** NC - Volvo Trucks to discontinue production, distribution of 16.1-liter D16 diesel engine

--- Volvo Trucks North America has informed its dealers through an internal sales bulletin that effective immediately it will cease production and distribution of its 16.1-liter D16 diesel engine... The D16 engine was available in Volvo VNL and VNX models... The VNL will continue to be available with the Volvo D11, D13 and Cummins X15 engines... In announcing the D16, VTNA said with plenty of torque, the engine is able to pull heavy loads up long grades without losing speed or needing to downshift, noting that the engine could propel the Volvo VT 880 up a 3 percent grade at 65 mph at 1,400 rpm while loaded to 80,000 pounds... 
(Photo Courtesy: VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA - Volvo Trucks said the decision to discontinue the D16 engine is the result of limited market demand and the long-term investment that would be required to maintain the D16 for the unique operating requirements of the North American market) -- Greensboro, NC, USA - The Trucker, by LYNDON FINNEY - January 24, 2017

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Jan 26, 2017

LONGER TWIN-TRAILERS NOT IN 2017 * USA: ATA

* Virginia - ATA says: List of legislative priorities excludes longer-truck efforts
--- The trucking industry does not plan to lobby in 2017 to extend the length of twin-trailers beyond their current legal limit of 28 feet each, according to the American Trucking Associations' (ATA)... The list displayed yesterday at the SMC3 annual winter meeting in Atlanta, has 19 issues identified by ATA as "strategic priorities" for the year did not include efforts to convince Congress or the Trump administration to support raising the limit on the length of twin trailers to 33 feet each... Supporters of the initiative, namely shippers and less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, said it would boost productivity and reduce the number of carriers on the road because each twin-trailer could haul more goods. The provision was mostly tailored to benefit LTL carriers looking to transport more e-commerce shipments. The 28-foot per-trailer limit has been in place since 1982... 
Arlington, VIR, USA - DC Velocity, by Mark B. Solomon - 24 Jan 2017

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ELECTRIC TRUCKS & BUSES * USA: A Yale's report

* Connecticut - As electric cars stall, a move to greener trucks and buses

--- Low gasoline prices and continuing performance issues have slowed the growth of electric car sales. But that has not stymied progress in electrifying larger vehicles, including garbage trucks, city buses, and medium-sized trucks used by freight giants like FedEx. But while the adoption of electric cars has been hindered by high prices, limited range, a lack of charging stations, and competition from cheap gasoline, heavier-duty models are undergoing rapid innovation for applications like battery-powered city buses, delivery trucks, freight loaders, and ferries. Experts say that these electric workhorses can play an important role in decarbonizing transport, and could spin off technologies that benefit electric cars, a far larger — and, from a carbon perspective, more important — market. The clang of garbage cans will still probably wake people way too early in the morning. But in Santa Rosa, California, at least, the roaring diesel engine will be quiet, replaced by a silent, electric motor. The electric garbage trucks scheduled to begin rolling there this summer may be less alluring than the sporty vehicles that engineer Ian Wright helped design as co-founder of Tesla Motors...
... And then there is the crucial issue of whether the electricity is being produced by fossil fuels or renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. Overall, the electric grid is growing greener, according to latest International Energy Agency report, which states that around 90 percent of new electricity production in 2015 came from renewable energy sources. Even China has cut its coal use by more than 10 percent since 2011. Still, nearly 70 percent of that country’s electricity is produced from coal. So, while electric vehicles generally have significantly lower emissions than conventional vehicles in places with relatively clean grids, like much of Europe, that is not the case in areas still generating electricity primarily from coal, like China, India, and Australia...
 (Photo by Josh Hittleman - 1. Wrightspeed’s new electric powertrain can be installed as a retrofit to a standard diesel garbage truck, doubling mileage and lowering emissions up to 68 percent) - (Photo - 2. BYD unveiled its first electric double-decker bus earlier this month)  --   New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. - Yale Enviroment 360, by CHERYL KATZ - MARCH 24, 2016

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TWO WOMAN IN TROUBLES * USA: By defraud trucking Cos.

1 - * Michigan - Woman gets prison for ‘cunning' embezzlement that closed trucking firm



---  A Grand Rapids woman convicted of embezzling from a Kent County trucking company that has since closed was sentenced to prison Tuesday, Jan. 24 for what the judge called a “cunning and sophisticated’’ crime... “The crime is one of some enormity; it was committed with a considerable amount of cunning and certainly was not a spur of the moment thing,’’ Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Johnston said...Ilderina Kajtezovic, 25, apologized for her actions, which played out over several months in 2015 at AA Transportation. The trucking company on Broadmoor Avenue SE lost more than $300,000, forcing it to close... Johnston sentenced Kajtezovic to between two and 20 years in prison for embezzlement and between 14 months and 7 years for using a computer to commit a crime. The sentences will run concurrent... She and her father were arrested last year, accused of submitting fraudulent invoices and transactions with a billing company in excess of $750,000. The pair worked at the trucking company at the time of the embezzlement...
 (Photo: Kent County Jail - Ilderina Kajtezovic sentenced to prison Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2016) -- Grand Rapids, MICH. -WZZM, by John Hogan - January 24, 2017


2 * Nebraska - Woman pleads guilty to stealing $222K from Carter Lake trucking company

--- A Waterloo, Nebraska, woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing $222,000 from a Carter Lake trucking business – which she will now have to pay back, plus more... Beth Beutler, 45, was charged with 39 felony counts of forgery – a class D felony – for stealing funds from McMullen Brothers Trucking in 2015... Beutler was also charged with first-degree theft and ongoing unlawful activity. Pleading guilty to amended charges, she received 25 years in jail, which was suspended... According to the police report, investigators were told by an employee at the business on Jan. 6, 2016, they believed someone had taken advantage of their checking system... The system, called T-Check, allows truck drivers to access authorized funds across the country through authorization codes, similar to Western Union... The funds are usually used for service payments, gas or other expenses... 
(Photo Beth Beutler) - Waterloo, NEB, USA - The Daily Nonpareil, by Mike Bell - Jan 25, 2017

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TAKATA's AUCTION * Sweden

* Stockholm - Rival alleges unfair treatment in Takata auction

--- A rival air-bag maker bidding for Takata Corp. accused the company of rigging a monthslong auction, ratcheting up tensions with the Japanese automotive supplier as it races to find a financial backer and settle significant debts stemming from a deadly safety crisis.-- Autoliv Inc., a Swedish-U.S. air-bag manufacturer, alleged earlier this month to a steering committee running Takata’s restructuring process that the Japanese company’s ...
Stockholm, SE, Sweden- Wall Street Journal - January 24, 2017

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TRUCKERS SHORTAGE * Japan - Shifting to trains to move freight

* Tokyo - Modal shift from trucks to rail for shipments of cargo on international trade

  (Video by zaaky98de Feb 12, 2015: In Japan, Volvo trucks running around) 

 --- Companies in Japan are switching from trucks to rail to transport freight over land. In some cases, competitors are cooperating in the venture... The moves from on emode of transportation to the other has been prompted by the chronic shortage of truck drivers... Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Ministry is supporting the move for its positive effects in reducing carbon emissions. CO2 emissions from trains is one-eighth of that emitted by trucks in Japan... Asahi Breweries Ltd. and Kirin Brewery Co., competitors in Japan’s beer market, are cooperating to transport products made in the Kansai region to their joint logistics center in Kanazawa, in containers transiting on the Japan Freight Railway Co. Their efforts take 10,000 truck trips off the road every year. The two companies are planning on expanding their cooperation in transportation and logistics... The logistics industry in Japan faces a serious shortage of truck drivers. Fewer young people are choosing the job, which also reflects a falling interest in automobiles among Japanese youth, according to experts. Meanwhile, those aged 50 or over now accounting for 40 percent of truck drivers in Japan... 
 Tokyo, Japan - Global Trade, by Peter Buxbaum - January 25th, 2017

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TRUCKERS' STRIKE * Africa - Fuel crisis looms in Kenya

* Kenya - Truck drivers go on strike over night travel ban
--- Kenyans are staring at a major fuel crisis after transporters of petroleum products vowed to continue their go-slow despite intervention by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum... Oil truckers had on Monday started the strike, protesting a directive by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) that requires them to operate between 6.30am and 6.30pm. This, according to the truckers, has affected their operations. They also claimed the new directive exposed them to harassment by the police... The businesses that operate trucks delivering petroleum products were however not happy with the move, arguing that the Government should have given them a notice to implement the directive... 
(Photo: Stationary trucks Man Eaters along Mombasa-Nairobi Highway) -- Nairobi, Kenya - Standard Media, by Macharia Kamau - January 25th 2017

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Jan 25, 2017

NAVISTAR RECALL * USA: 2017 International ProStar & LoneStar, 9900i

* Illinois - Navistar recalls heavy diesel trucks to fix battery cover latch defect


--- Navistar is recalling 294 heavy diesel trucks because a battery cover latch defect could increase the risk of a fire... The truck recall includes 2017 International ProStar, LoneStar, 9900i, and manufactured between June 13, 2016 and Dec. 8, 2016... The affected trucks are equipped with a metallic battery cover latch that, if unlatched from its anchor, could contact the battery jump start stud. As a result, an electrical short to ground could occur if the protective cover for the jump start stud is not being used... This situation could lead to fire... 
(Photo: A Navistar International ProStar, heavy duty semi truck)   --  Warrenville, ILL; USA - Trucks.com, CARINA OCKEDAHL - JAN 24, 2017

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FORD's * USA: New hybrid F-150

* Michigan - Ford F-150 Hybrid pickup truck while testing
--- Ford Motor Co. is pushing forward with plans to bring 13 new electrified Ford car and truck models, including a hybrid version of the Ford F-150 pickup truck, to the market over the next five years... It is already testing the hybrid version of the truck near Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., and from the look of these photos, a rechargeable, plug-in version of the F-150 could be coming... Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting a Ford Energi model, a version that will be able to run some distance just on electricity... 
(Photo, by Brian Williams/Trucks.com - Spy shots: Ford F-150 Hybrid pickup truck)  --   Dearborn, MICH, USA - Trucks.com - JAN 23, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 7:37 AM  0 comments

Wheels keep on turnin’ * USA

* Massachusetts - Survey: Trucks navigate Seaport 6,000 times daily

--- Container and delivery trucks are rumbling through South Boston and the Seaport 6,000 times a day on average, according to a new Massport survey, rattling the high-priced loft and condo tenants... The estimated truck traffic, culled from a survey of nearly 30 area businesses, comes as steam picks up on a proposal to overhaul Cypher Street in the Seaport, which officials and advocates say could not only help trucks weave through the busy neighborhood but serve cyclists and pedestrians as well... Massport officials surveyed 28 South Boston businesses and others, such as the Conley Terminal, Boston Fish Pier and the U.S. Postal Service, and determined trucks are making roughly 6,000 daily trips in and out of their facilities, including more than 900 alone out of Conley Terminal... The state has sought to address that, investing $75 million to build a freight corridor from the terminal to divert container trucks off of nearby West First Street... 
(Photo by Christopher Evans - BIG RIG: A truck turns onto Seaport Boulevard in Boston’s Seaport District)  --  Boston, MASS, USA - The Boston Herald, by Matt Stout - January 24, 2017

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Jan 24, 2017

FORD's news * UK - Testing electric van

* England - Ford launches test of electric commercial van


--- Ford Motor Co. will begin testing a fleet of 20 plug-in hybrid vans in partnership with commercial fleets serving London as part of the British capital’s efforts to lower vehicle emissions in its crowded center... The project will team Ford with Transport for London, the city transit agency, and a variety of private fleets, which will use prototypes of Ford’s recently announced plug-in hybrid Transit Custom vans... The Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, or PHEV, is one of 13 new electrified Ford car and truck models the automaker plans to introduce globally over the next five years. Another of those models is a standard hybrid (no plug) version of the F-150 pickup, slated for the North American and Middle East markets and scheduled to debut by 2020... Ford has said that retail versions of the Transit Custom PHEV will be sold throughout Europe starting in 2019... 
(Photo: Ford - Ford is working with London businesses to test plug-in hybrid vans running solely on electric power for the majority of city trips)  --   London, EN, UK - Trucks.com, by JOHN O'DELL - JAN 20, 2017

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OOIDA member news * USA: $ 1,000 saving in new kenworth trucks

* Missouri - OOIDA members can save on new Kenworth sleeper trucks
--- Kenworth and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) have teamed up for the 15th year in a row to provide a $1,000 savings to OOIDA members on qualifying purchases of new Kenworth sleeper trucks during 2017... Featured eligible Kenworth trucks are the Kenworth T680 or T880 with a 52-in. or larger factory-installed sleeper. The program also includes Kenworth T660, T800 and W900 glider kits equipped with a 72-in. or 86-in. factory-installed sleeper... According to Kenworth, buyers must show their OOIDA membership card to their Kenworth dealer at time of purchase in 2017... 
 Grain Valley, MO, USA - Fleet Owner - Jan 23, 2017

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TRUCKS SALES * Iran: To buy 5,000 cargo trucks

* Alborz - Deal to replace 5,000 aging cargo trucks in Iran

--- The Iranian government is moving to replace aging vehicles in its cargo truck fleet to cap fuel consumption and help contain the country's worsening air pollution... Based on a trilateral contract signed by the Roads Ministry-affiliate Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, Iranian Fuel Conservation Company and Mammut Industrial Group, 5,000 aging trucks will be replaced with new ones. The contract was signed in a ceremony in Mammut Industrial Group's factory located in Alborz Province on Sunday... There are 120,000-130,000 vehicles in Iran's cargo truck fleet with over 25 years in age on average... As part of an agreement between the ministries of roads and oil, the government is planning to replace 65,000 dilapidated trucks within five years... The old age of the fleet has resulted in excessive fuel consumption, while contributing to air pollution... 
 (Photo: The contract was signed in a ceremony in Mammut Industrial Group’s factory located in Alborz Province on Jan. 22)  --  Karaj, Alborz, Iran - Financial Tribune - January 23, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 11:09 AM  0 comments

Jan 21, 2017

MERCEDES BENZ VANS' * USA: New, mobile logistics base

* Nevada - Mercedes-Benz transforms its vans with robots for delivery goods
--- Mercedes-Benz Vans has transformed delivery vans into a mobile logistics base. Robots previously loaded with orders ensure delivery of the last meter... The Mercedes-Benz Vans manufacturer do present sidelines on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas... In cooperation with the young shoot Starship Technologies, the manufacturer of light commercial vehicles has changed one of its delivery vans, a sprinter, to accommodate 8 robots that will get automatically with the goods to the place of delivery, and return, even if the van has changed place. Their range would be 1.5 to 3 km... According to the manufacturer, these ground robots also have the advantage of having less restrictive authorizations than air delivery systems. Nevertheless, if the project seems interesting to save man time during the last meter, it remains to be seen how this installation can hold in real conditions in an urban environment... Even if Mercedes-Benz assures that infrastructure costs are low, the gains from Mothership should be measured and compared to more "classic" delivery. But for that, it will probably wait a little longer, given the youth of the project ...
(Image: Mercedes-Benz Vans transformed one of its delivery vans, a sprinter, to accommodate 8 robots that will be able to travel with goods within a range of 1.5 to 3 km)   --   Las Vegas, NEW, YSA - Logistics Magazine (France), by ELOISE LEYDIER - 11 JAN 2017

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CUMMINS' news * Australia: New X15 & X 12 in Oz

* Victoria - New Cummins engines set for Oz

--- CUMMINS has announced its engine line-up for 2017. The new X15 will hit our shores in Kenworths from January and in the new International shortly after... The first release X15 will have Euro V emission ratings although the Euro VI version will become available after its launch at the Brisbane Truck Show in May... Physically the X15 is the same as the current ISXe5 utilising the SCR/AdBlue emissions control system... Both the X15 and X12 will go on sale in Australia with SCR managed Euro V standard with the SCR / EGR hybrid ready for Euro VI whenever the Australian market demands it... 
(Photo: The Cummins X15 engine hooked up to an Eaton UltraShift, SCR emissions now Euro 6 in the future)  --   Scoresby VIC, Australia - Big Rigs, by Bruce Honeywill - 18th Jan 2017

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MAC DONALD's & UBER * USA: You too Mac... ?

* Florida - McDonald's,is testing at this time in 200 restaurants delivering at home, along with Uber couriers
--- According to the website of the American Business Insider information, McDonald's is currently testing home delivery. The service will concern initially that the consumers of Florida, and 200 restaurants (the brand in nearly 25,000 worldwide). It will rely on mobile UberEats, the eponymous VTC platform. For the fast-food brand, we will first check the capacity of these drivers to deliver in less than 10 minutes...

And in France ?

 If our colleagues in the Business Insider suggest the possibility of a deployment of this new offering in excess of US borders if successful, nothing is less certain in the case of France . Certainly, the Hexagon has already set up a mobile application for online booking and payment a few years ago (before the United States), but by which customers have to pick up their menu directly in one of the 1 300 French restaurants of the brand. One may wonder if home delivery gives the consumer a service sufficient to justify the additional cost of the benefit, and would limit the interest of the investment for restaurateurs, who, remember, under franchise in France... 
Paris, France - ACTU Transport et Logistique - 11 Jan 2017

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Unishippers Global will buy Worldwide Express * USA

* NC - Trucking freight brokers to merge under private-equity deal, combining companies into $1 billion third-party logistics provider

--- Ridgemont Equity Partners is acquiring trucking brokerage Worldwide Express and combining it with its Unishippers Global Logistics business, creating one of the largest third-party logistics providers in the U.S., with more than $1 billion in annual sales... As part of the deal announced Tuesday to buy Worldwide Express from private-equity group Quad-C Management, Ridgemont said it plans to merge the business with Unishippers, which it acquired in 2015. The new firm, Worldwide Express Global Logistics, will rank among the top 30 third-party logistics providers in the U.S., according to research group Armstrong & Associates... According to a source familiar with the matter, Ridgemont is paying between $680 million and $720 million to acquire Worldwide Express... 
(Photo: Worldwide Express and Unishippers act as brokers for trucking services and resell UPS parcel-delivery service to small businesses)  --  Charlotte, North Carolina - USA - WSJ, by ERICA E. PHILLIPS - Jan. 18, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 4:26 AM  0 comments

Jan 20, 2017

MINOR SPILLAGES ... only fines * Australia - It is a load of crap...

* New South Wales ... $550 for wee spills


--- Fines for minor spillages under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), towns complaining, arguments over liability for spillage between livestock carriers and primary producers... We're talking about effluent, that mix of faeces and urine - cow, pig and sheep shit! ... New South Wales is hitting livestock carriers hard with $550 fines for dropping small amounts of effluent... The future is clear, no matter how ridiculous it might be, effluent management systems for livestock hauliers are coming for all Australia, even if some years down the track for more remote regions... Industry associations like the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) and its state subsidiaries are jockeying to stem the surge towards national law by invoking the sharing of liability for effluent spillage "up the chain” within COR legislation... He said there is a need for transport operators, producers and livestock companies to work together to find a harmonious solution to this issue by having the cattle in the most appropriate condition, possibly after a curfew, before loading so keeping the best balance between livestock weights at the saleyard and the transport operator meeting the requirements of the law... The ALRTA is concerned that effluent is a prime vector of disease... For example in the case of a foot and mouth outbreak in Northern Australia, Mr Munro says that such an outbreak could cost the nation $60 billion... However effluent control and a simple alkaline or acid detergent wash at facilities could stop the spread of the disease... 
(Photo by Bruce Honeywill - STILL SAFE: Livestock transport across Northern Australia are still safe from effluent laws, but biosecurity might change all that)  --  Sidney, NSW, Australia - Big Rigs, by Bruce Honeywill - 16th Jan 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 12:41 PM  0 comments

DRIVERS' SHORTAGE * Japan - To subsidize pickup lockers to reduce parcel deliveries

* Tokyo - Online shopping, shrinking workforce pushing logistics industry to the limit

--- With the boom in internet shopping imposing a heavy burden on Japanese logistics providers, the government will start subsidizing the installation of pickup lockers at train stations and convenience stores, with an eye toward reducing repeat delivery runs... Small-lot deliveries in Japan surged 10% over five years to 3.7 billion in fiscal 2015, thanks to the growing popularity of e-retailers. But the rise in single-member and dual-income households means fewer people at home to receive the shipments. About 20% must be delivered again -- a task said to require an annual 90,000 workers, or 10% of those in the field... Logistics companies worry that the growing personnel shortage, coupled with an increase in online shopping, will make their delivery networks difficult to maintain. Parties including the ministries overseeing the economy, transportation and the environment are together supporting efforts to cut down on redeliveries... 
(Photo: Public funds will help pay for parcel pickup lockers to help cut down on unnecessary redeliveries)  --  Tokyo, Japan- Nikkei Asia Review - January 17, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 12:17 PM  0 comments

Jan 19, 2017

SINOTRUCK * Nigeria: JV with the Dangote Group

* Lagos - Dangote to establish multimillion dollar truck assembly plant in Nigeria

--- The Dangote Group recently announced the establishment of a $100 million truck assembly plant in Lagos, Nigeria. In a statement Sunday, the Dangote Group said it is partnering with National Heavy Duty Truck Group Company Limited (SINOTRUCK), China’s state-owned truck manufacturing company, to establish a truck assembly plant, according to Premium Times. Dangote Group Chief Corporate Communication Officer, Anthony Chiejina said, the plant has a capacity to produce 10,000 trucks annually and has been spending a significant sum on the importation of trucks to distribute its products both locally and across African countries. The partnership between the Dangote Group and SINOTRUCK was formed in 2014, with the Dangote Group owning a 60 percent stake in the assembly plant while the Chinese truck maker holds the remaining 40 percent... 
(Photo: Sino truck) - Lagos, Nigeria - Face Africa, by MARK BABATUNDE - January 18, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 11:33 AM  0 comments

TRUCKING COMPANIES * Europe - In large-scale emissions fraud

* Berlin - Report: Trucking firms using gadgets to heat on emissions

--- German public broadcaster ZDF reports that trucking companies in Europe may be using electronic equipment to commit large-scale emissions fraud... Tests commissioned by ZDF and freight industry organization Camion Pro found that one in five diesel trucks operated by Eastern European firms had suspicious emission levels... Experts at the University of Heidelberg concluded that the trucks were pumping out up to 14,000 metric tons of additional nitrogen oxide and evading millions in road toll fees... In a program airing Tuesday, ZDF claims that trucking firms may be using gadgets to fool on-board computers into thinking the driver has used a diesel exhaust fluid, known as AdBlue... AdBlue can significantly reduce emissions but represents an additional cost for the competitive freight transportation industry... 
(Photo)   --   Berlin, GERMANY - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ABC News - Jan 16, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:34 AM  0 comments

AMAZON's SELF-DRIVING TRUCKS + HIGHWAY NETWORK * USA

* Washington - Amazon patented a highway network that controls self-driving cars and trucks

--- Amazon was awarded a patent for a network that manages a very specific aspect of the self-driving experience: How autonomous cars navigate reversible lanes... In the patent, Amazon outlines a network that can communicate with self-driving vehicles so they can adjust to the change in traffic flow. That's particularly important for self-driving vehicles traveling across state lines onto new roads with unfamiliar traffic laws... 
(Photo: Amazon patented a highway network that controls self-driving cars and trucks)  --  Seattle, Washington, USA - CNBC, by Johana Bhuiyan - 17 Jan 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:18 AM  0 comments

*PLATOON" TRUCKS * USA: SC allowed

* South Carolina - Bill advances to allow trucks to “Platoon”

--- A South Carolina House subcommittee unanimously passed a bill Tuesday afternoon to allow trucks to follow each other much closer than they’re allowed to now, a process known as “platooning.” The bill would apply only to trucks with new technology that links them to the trucks they’re following... The new technology includes cameras, radar, and lasers, as well as the ability to link trucks’ accelerators and brakes. That way, if the technology on the lead truck spots a problem ahead, all the trucks would slow down or brake without the drivers having to take action... Following closer improves fuel efficiency, with proponents saying the technology could save up to 8 billion gallons of diesel a year nationwide when fully implemented...
(Photo: Trucks-on-highway)  --  Columbia, SC, USA - wbtw/WSPA, by Robert Kittle - January 17, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:06 AM  0 comments

DANGEROUS DRIVER on DANGEROUS ROAD * USA

* Utah - Scary dashcam video shows a truck cut off this snowplow, sending it straight into a canyon

  (Video from The Salt Lake Tribune - Jan 13, 2017: On Thursday, according to the Utah Department of Transportation, a semi truck driver tried to pass a snow plow in Spanish Fork Canyon — but clipped the plow and sent it over a 300-foot embankment in Spanish Fork Canyon)

 --- The driver of the snowplow, identified by UDOT as 59-year-old Terry Jacobson, survived the crash but suffered serious injuries. He was hospitalized with serious injuries in Provo’s Utah Valley Hospital; Jacobson has worked for the department for more than 23 years... “He says he doesn’t remember very much other than going through the rail and rolling down the hill,” Neil Lundell, a UDOT supervisor... Utah Highway Patrol Trooper, Jeff Toney, told KUTV that the truck driver that caused the accident is William Owens of Owens Brothers trucking, a company from Monroe, Utah... Toney said Owens confirmed he tried to pass the snowplow but couldn’t offer a reason why. Owens was cited for improper passing and failure to maintain a single lane of travel... 
Provo, Utah, USA - Rare - January 16, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 5:55 AM  0 comments