Ford Recalls Transit Vans for Driveshaft Issue

Photo of Ford Transit van courtesy of Ford.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 370,630 2015- to 2017-model year Ford Transit vehicles in the U.S. so dealers can replace the driveshaft flexible coupling, the automaker said.

The recall affects Transit vehicles with medium, long and extended wheelbases and chassis cab/cutaways with medium wheelbases. If these vans are driven with a cracked flexible coupling, the driveshaft might separate. This could result in a loss of motive power while driving or unintended vehicle movement in park when the parking brake isn't applied, Ford explained in a released statement about the recall.

In addition, separation of the driveshaft from the transmission might cause secondary damage to surrounding components, including brake and fuel lines, Ford said. A driveshaft separation poses a safety risk, potentially raising the chances of a crash.

Ford noted, however, the company isn't aware of any accidents or injuries associated with this issue.

The vehicles at risk for driveline separation have logged at least 30,000 miles, field data indicate. Consequently, vehicles with under 30,000 miles — or vehicles that have had the driveshaft or driveshaft flexible coupling replaced within the last 30,000 miles — don't require an alteration or interim repair until the vehicle or the flexible coupling reaches the 30,000-mile mark. At that point, the vehicle owner should schedule an appointment for the interim repair, Ford advised.

The interim repair will consist of replacing the driveshaft flexible coupling every 30,000 miles until the final repair is available and completed.

Vehicle owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take the Transit to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the flexible coupling replaced immediately at no cost. When the permanent repair is available, owners will be notified that they may schedule an appointment for the installation of either a redesigned flexible coupling with a modified driveshaft bracket ...Read the rest of this story

How Navistar Says its Executive Changes Will Help Drive Growth

Navistar officials said they're optimistic that excitement about their new products and an overall industry bump in truck orders will help them meet their financial goals for the year, while some executive leadership changes announced Wednesday are designed to help keep the company moving into the future.

Bill Kozek, president, truck and parts, is moving on to an as-yet-unnamed position focusing on emerging business opportunities and disruptive technologies. Replacing him is 37-year Navistar veteran Michael Cancelliere. And a new role of vice president of export, along with president of Mexico and Global Operations, will be filled by Bernardo Valenzuela, who's returning to the company.

Cancelliere is reporting to Persio Lisboa, executive vice president and chief operating officer. Both spoke to trucking journalists on a conference call Wednesday morning following the announcement.

Asked about its forecast for Class 8 sales for North America for the rest of the year, Cancelliere said the company does expect Class 8 sales to pick up for the second half of the year, noting that Navistar's fiscal year ends in October. “As we look at the full year, we're in the 25,000 or so range,” he said. “We've seen strong demand from customers for our products, and some [factory assembly] slots are tightening up with ourselves as well as competitors, so the market is definitely showing signs of picking up.”

As it continues to fight its way back from its 2010 emissions missteps, Navistar has been redesigning, refreshing and renaming its entire product line.

“We're coming out with a new exciting line of products, which is giving us a lot of momentum in the marketplace,” Lisboa said, “and we want to build on that.”

He walked through that progression, starting with the HX premium vocational truck announced early last year, through the

On-Dash Mounting for Carrier Cab Command Controller

Bright display and intuitive operation are among features of Carrier's redesigned command unit. Image: Carrier Transicold

The Cab Command controller for Carrier Transicold's Supra truck refrigeration units has been redesigned for mounting on a truck's dashboard or in the instrument panel, providing greater convenience and versatility for users.

Retaining the functionality of its predecessor, the new controller sports an attractive, intuitive interface in a refined compact design that conforms to a universal DIN specification, enabling simple, clean installation in or on a truck cab's dash, said Scott Parker, product manager, truck products at Carrier Transicold..

“Operators like the Cab Command controller because of its ease of use and functionality,” he said. “Our latest version offers the convenience of in-dash installation or, when used with an optional surface-mount bracket, it can be located on an overhead console, or underneath or on top of the dash, giving users a wider range of placement options.”

The Cab Command controller features a bright, backlit LCD display that provides at-a-glance operating information, including setpoint, compartment temperature, operating mode and status, he said. A smooth tactile keypad has logically arranged buttons for adjusting temperatures, changing operating modes and more.

The redesigned Cab Command controller is now standard for single- and multi-temperature Supra units. It is also backward compatible to earlier models. Plug-and-play operation makes installation easy for Supra unit owners who need a replacement controller or simply want to upgrade to the new version.

For more information about the Cab Command controller for Supra truck refrigeration units, visit https://www.carrier.com/truck-trailer/en/north-america/service-support/#3.

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Continental to Raise Truck Tire Prices Again

Continental Tire the Americas LLC is increasing the prices of Continental, General and AmeriSteel-brand truck tires effective July 1.

In a letter to tire dealers, the company says it will raise prices "by as much as 7%" in the U.S. and Canada.

"The increase is the result of the continued escalation of raw materials, energy and logistics costs affecting the production and distribution of radial truck tires," the company said in a statement. The increase will vary by marketing line and/or size, and may include a change in the company's marketing programs.

This is the second price hike for Continental truck tires in 2017. The tire maker increased prices by 8% on March 1.

Related: Bridgestone Follows Goodyear in Second Round of Tire Price Increases

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