Bitcoin futures blast off

Gemini CEO and co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss discuss whether Bitcoin could put the U.S. dollar out of commission.

Monsanto offers cash to U.S. farmers who use controversial chemical

Monsanto Co (MON.N) will give cash back to U.S. farmers who buy a weed killer that has been linked to widespread crop damage, offering an incentive to apply its product even as regulators in several U.S. states weigh restrictions on its use. The incentive to use XtendiMax with VaporGrip, a herbicide based on a chemical known as dicamba, could refund farmers over half the sticker price of the product in 2018 if they spray it on soybeans Monsanto engineered to resist the weed killer, according to company data. The United States faced an agricultural crisis this year caused by new formulations of dicamba-based herbicides, which farmers and weed experts say harmed crops because they evaporated and drifted away from where they were sprayed.

Boeing lifts dividend by 20 percent, sets new $18 billion share buyback

The world's biggest maker of jetliners said the raised dividend and the new buyback program were not in response to a Republican tax overhaul, which seeks to cut corporate taxes to 20 percent from 35 percent. Other U.S. corporations have said they would use the windfall from the tax overhaul to buy back shares, retire debt and other shareholder-friendly moves. The cash deployment plans reflect ongoing confidence in our financial strength and the long-term outlook of our business, Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said in a statement.

Meritor Launches First Products Through Mach Brand

Meritor has announced the availability of the first products under its new Mach value brand that includes approximately 2,000 part numbers for the company's driveline, drive axle and transmission offerings.

"Meritor introduced the Mach line to offer value part options to end-users without sacrificing quality," said Brett Penzkofer, vice president, aftermarket, North America for Meritor. "These products are the first in an expansive collection of affordable all-makes parts designed to industry standards and validated by Meritor engineers."

The Mach driveline portfolio contains a large selection of U-joints covering multiple applications. The Mach drive axle and transmission portfolio includes gears, shafts, bearings, seals, repair kits and hardware for a wide variety of commercial vehicle applications. These introductions cover a comprehensive range of products and meet the company's goal of parts availability for end-users before the end of 2017.

"We will continue to expand the Mach offering with additional product categories and components to further meet the demand for cost-effective, all-makes parts," Penzkofer added.

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Phillips 66 Offers New FA-4 and CK-4 Engine Oils

Phillips 66 and Kendall have added four new FA-4 and CK-4 spec low-viscosity diesel engine oils to its heavy-duty product portfolio.

These new 5W-30 full synthetic oils will deliver additional benefits to diesel trucks by increasing fuel savings without sacrificing engine protection, according to Phillips 66. While 15W-40 and 10W-30 viscosity oils are common in on-the-road trucking, the industry is calling for lower viscosity oils that support the latest engine technologies to deliver maximum results, the company said.

“The unique properties of this new generation of low viscosity oil will most benefit trucks rolling off the assembly lines this year and in the future,” said Tony Negri, commercial products director at Phillips 66. “In addition to improving fuel economy, the new oils extend oil change intervals, and provide the enhanced wear protection that our customers have come to expect.”

The new FA-4 5W-30 Phillips 66 Triton FE and Kendall SHP FE Diesel Engine Oils:

• Are formulated with the highest quality synthetic base stocks and a proprietary low-SAPS additive system to provide outstanding engine protection in on-highway diesel engines specifying FA-4
• Are OEM certified for Cummins CES 20087 and Detroit Diesel DFS 93K223
• Contain an enhanced additive system that provides increased engine protection of critical engine parts, despite lower HTHS requirements of FA-4
• Have the potential to increase fuel economy by up to 3.0%

The new CK-4 5W-30 Phillips 66 Triton Euro and Kendall SHP Euro Diesel Engine Oils:

• Meet API CK-4 performance requirements for use in modern low-emission engines designed to meet 2007 and later EPA on-highway exhaust emissions standards, and is backward serviceable for use in older diesel engines
• Meet ACEA E6, MB 228.51, CES 20086, DFS 93K222, and other OEM specifications
• Are specially formulated for compatibility with exhaust after-treatment systems using diesel particulate filters (DPF), diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) and/or selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
• Are a full-synthetic formulation and SAE ...Read the rest of this story

Magellan Targets Owner-Operators with ELD

Magellan has launched its own electronic logging device solution, specifically targeted to owner-operators looking for an affordable way to comply before and beyond the ELD mandate deadline.

Priced at $10 per month, an independent owner-operator will be able to access the simplified, FMCSA-compliant ELD device through their own smart-phone or tablet. Installation is simple - plug the ELD dongle into the J-Bus or OBD II port and download the ELD HOS app.

"We created this ELD HOS solution as an affordable option for independent drivers and smaller owner-operators who want to become compliant but don't necessarily need all of the robust features of other ELD solutions on the market," said Mark Perini, vice president of Fleet Business for Magellan. "We focused this ELD solution around affordability, great value, and a plug and play sensibility. We want to help all fleet operators become compliant before the mandate deadline, regardless of the size or complexity of their fleet."

Magellan's ELD solution offers automated logging tools, reports and alerts to keep drivers on time and in compliance. With Magellan's ELD solution, drivers are able to easily share their HOS logs with law enforcement straight from their mobile device. An HOS management web portal allows for efficient HOS and DVIR reports, while on-device data transfer and co-driver support can make roadside inspections run more smoothly and efficiently. The ELD keeps two weeks of logs saved on device, and up to six months saved in the cloud.

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California Looks Into Per-Mile Tax to Replace Fuel Tax

The state of California uses fuel taxes to pay for infrastructure improvement and repair – but could change that. Photo via CalTrans

The state of California commissioned a report by CalTrans to look into the viability of a mileage-based tax on all vehicles to eventually replace the tax on fossil fuels.

Earlier this year, the state passed its first fuel tax increase since 1994 to pay for the state's infrastructure costs. The measure added 12 cents in tax per gallon to gasoline and 20 cents on a gallon of diesel fuel.

Despite the increased revenue expected from updating the fuel tax, the state is already looking at a tax that is based on mileage instead of gallons, in order to counteract the drop in fuel taxes from increasingly efficient conventional and alternative-powered vehicles. While the new increase should be more than capable of funding the state's infrastructure costs for now, a recently released report from CalTrans shows that a gas tax will not be able to keep up in the future.

“When initially instituted, the gas tax methodology was an equitable revenue system, generally due to vehicles having comparable fuel consumption rates,” the report states. “However, as more fuel-efficient vehicles are entering the California fleet, the gas tax limitations have become more apparent.”

The study looked at data over a nine-month period from more than 5,000 vehicles ranging from passenger through heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Using a variety of manual and automated methods for tracking miles, the participants simulated the tax at a 1.8-cent-per-mile rate. The rate was based on a five-year average of the gas tax and represented a revenue-neutral option.

Overall, the report determined that a per-mile tax was a viable alternative to a gas tax or other methods. However, it acknowledged that there were issues that needed to be worked ...Read the rest of this story