Temporary fix to avoid ACI penalties

Mack Honors Fallen Military Members at Ride for Freedom Rally

Photo: Mack Trucks

Mack Trucks employees will participate in the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom Rally during Memorial Day weekend to pay tribute to America's fallen military members.

This year, Mack's Ride for Freedom truck is a custom-built crew cab called Jack Mack, named after John “Jack” M. Mack, one of the founders of Mack Trucks.

The 30th annual rally takes place in Washington D.C., and Mack Lehigh Valley Operations and Mack Customer Center employees will travel from Pennsylvania by truck and motorcycle to Hagerstown, Maryland for a special memorial ceremony at Mack's Powertrain Facility.

Hagerstown employees will then join their colleagues following the ceremony as they continue to the nation's capital for the Ride for Freedom event.

The Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom Rally was started in 1987 by Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, two Vietnam veterans. Many participants are veterans and many ride motorcycles as a demonstration to honor the country's fallen military members and those captured or missing in action.

For more information on the rally, click here.

Related: House Bills Seek to Ease Veterans' Path into Trucking

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Stoughton Names Kachidurian, McMaster to Leadership Positions

Luke McMaster Photo: Stoughton Trailers

STI Holdings and Stoughton Trailers recently named Jim Kachidurian as STI Holdings senior vice president of sales and marketing and Luke McMaster as vice president of sales and marketing, dealer for Stoughton Trailers.

Kachidurian will lead sales and marketing strategies across STI Holding's business portfolio, including Stoughton Trailers, Stoughton Parts Sales, Stoughton Rental & Lease and Stoughton Finance.

He has held several executive positions within the equipment sales, leasing and financing industry, and was previously the senior vice president of customer experience at Donlen Corp., and senior vice president of corporate lending at GE Capital.

McMaster is tasked with growing and improving Stoughton Trailer's dealer network and leading the dry van dealer sales team.

“We are pleased to have both Jim and Luke on board at STI Holdings and Stoughton Trailer,” said Bob Wahlin, Stoughton Trailers president and CEO. “Jim's extensive and diverse sales and operations background will be an asset across all our businesses. While Luke's strong dealer management experience will allow us to grow and improve our dealer network to further meet our growth objectives.”

Related: Stoughton to Install TopKit Aero System on Rental, Lease Trailers

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Several off-season events have spawned a theory in Boston that Tom Brady may retire sooner than most people realize

We are just four months removed from the New England Patriots winning their fifth Super Bowl and...

Economic Growth: GDP Not as Weak as First Estimated; Factory Activity Slows

Growth in the U.S. economy during the first quarter didn't slow as much as first estimated, according to government numbers released Friday, while separate reports showed weaker factory activity but continued high consumer sentiment.

The Commerce Department reported the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 1.2% in the first three months up the year, the weakest performance since the first quarter of 2016.

The latest reading is up from a pace of 0.7% that it reported a month earlier. but down from a rate of 2.1% in the final quarter of 2016.

Adding to this slightly better performance was higher growth in consumer spending while inventory investment slowed.

While this updated performance isn't as good as many were hoping, some analysts believe the Federal Reserve remains on track to push interest rates higher again.

“On balance, data to-date, [the numbers] remains consistent with our expectation that overall GDP growth bounced back to a solid 2.9% rate in the second quarter and, combined with further tightening in labor markets, is consistent with our expectation that the Fed will hike the fed funds target range by another 25 basis points (.25%) in June,” said Nathan Janzen, senior economist at RBC Economic Research.

Meantime, a separate Commerce Department report showed new orders for factory-made goods designed to last at least three years fell for the first time in five months during April along with a decline in shipments.

New orders for durable goods fell 0.7% from the month before, less than analysts expectations, and following a upwardly revised March increase of 2.3%. Shipments slipped 0.3% following a March drop of 0.1%.

Also, a key indicator of business investment, orders for non-defense capital goods minus aircraft, remained flat for the second straight month.

“The March factory orders report showed a 0.5% increase in core ...Read the rest of this story

Inframe Engine Kit Designed for Navistar DT466 EGR

Reliance Power Parts' inframe engine kits and service components are designed for the Navistar DT466 EGR engines used in medium-duty trucks.

Reliance is offering four new engine kits and service components as an expansion of its Navistar engine parts offering. The inframe kits contain one-piece aluminum pistons and provide coverage for DT466 engines from model years 2004 to 2006 with serial numbers between 2,000,000 and 2,999,999.

This engine is referred to as the I-313, utilizes four valves per cylinder, G2.9 injectors, and an EGR exhaust system.

Cylinder kits feature:

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Air Compressor Offers Lightweight Option for Ford Transit

VMAC has launched the Underhood 30 Air Compressor for the Ford Transit EcoBoost commercial van. This Van Series air compressor offers up to 30 CFM at 100% duty cycle, designed for operators using air tools for light-duty applications, according to the manufacturer.

Weighing 62 pounds, the VMAC Underhood 30 rotary screw air compressor is lightweight and compact. Made for light-duty applications, the compressor provides 50% more output than a bulkier standalone air compressor at a fraction of the weight, according to VMAC.

It can be installed quickly as there is minimal vehicle modification required, with the air compressor running off the van's own belt. VMAC works closely with van manufacturers to ensure vehicle warranties remain intact with the installation of Underhood air compressors.

The VMAC Underhood 30 Van Series air compressor also addresses several unique safety challenges that traditional standalone air compressors present. With the Van Series air compressor safely stored under the hood of the vehicle, operators aren't exposed to toxic exhaust in the cargo area, or at risk of gas fires.

"We've seen tremendous growth in the commercial van industry in North America, as businesses introduce vans into their fleets", said Mike Pettigrew, VMAC's Marketing Manager. "VMAC has responded to our customers' evolving demands by producing the Van Series of Underhood 30 Air Compressors for Ford, GMC, Chevrolet, RAM, and Mercedes-Benz models. The Underhood 30 Air Compressor for the 2013-2017 Ford Transit EcoBoost is the latest addition to this popular Van Series."

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