Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/506679
12 | Overdrive | May 2015 VOICES Recently re-elected Israeli head of state Benjamin Netanya- hu made a 2009 turnaround in his view of the so-called "two-state solution" to long-term confl ict between Israeli Jews and Arabs in the semi-autonomous Palestinian territories. He surprised longtime supporters and watchers by off er- ing a qualifi ed measure of support for the notion of an independent Palestinian state. When Netanyahu in March commented to the contrary in an appeal to his base of support among the Israeli political right wing, a majority of Overdrive readers expressed views of a piece. Six in 10 showed no favor for an independent Palestine. One such majority voter in the poll above worried that an indepen- dent Palestine would be "yet one more location [for Iran] to base its soon-to-come nuclear arsenal," among other fears over security of the Israeli state and the American homeland. Among the minority was a commenter that called into ques- tion such views: "The American tradition, purportedly, is self-de- termination and secular self-gov- ernance. I have no problem with an Israeli state, but their displaced neighbors deserve the same even if they don't like us." PALESTINE PALESTINE Two-state solution in Israel gets called into question Should an independent Palestinian state exist alongside Israel? No 60% Yes 32% I'm not sure 8% HOT BUTTONS Don't 'help the lawyers' Owner-operators have spoken with a common theme when it comes to motor carrier liability insurance minimums: Any added cost via further regulation would be unwelcome. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking late last year to potentially hike those minimums. (You can hear small- fl eet owner-operator comments in a "mailbag" podcast by scanning the code with your mobile device or searching the title of this story at OverdriveOnline.com.) The current $750,000 liability minimum covers all but the most catastrophic of accidents, with only about 1 percent of all accidents exceeding the minimum in costs. More costs piled on by regulators, readers argue, only would serve to idle more trucks and boost crash settlements and attorney's fees. Another reader urged FMCSA and/or Congress not to "help the lawyers" by raising minimums but to lend a hand to small-busi- ness truckers by taking no action on insurance. What's this new diesel engine oil I'm hearing about? You are probably hearing or reading about a new API category in development for heavy duty diesel engine oils. This new category, currently referred to as Proposed Category 11 (or PC-11), is under development as you read this. So what is it and why are things changing? In simple terms, when engine technologies change we often see a new oil category introduced. This was true in October 2006 when the current API CJ-4 category was launched. At that time, we needed to work with new technologies like diesel particulate filters and the anticipated higher operating temperatures of some engines. In the past, changes were typically driven by reducing particulate matter and NOx emissions. However the driver for this round of changes is a little different. Truck manufacturers are adapting their technology to develop next-generation diesel engines to meet emissions, renewable fuel and fuel economy standards, as well as to meet CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions mandates due to be introduced in the next few years. PC-11 will be a significant undertaking for the industry not just in North America but also globally. The engine manufacturers have to respond to new regulation such as renewable fuels mandates, on and off-road exhaust emission and greenhouse gas emission standards. There are also changes to the hardware and operating strategies of engines which can introduce factors such as: increased power density, increased combustion and injection pressure, increased in-cylinder NOx reduction, higher oil temperatures and wear resistance coatings. As an industry we must keep pace with such developments and of course, give the market the products that it needs. This is why the American Petroleum Institute, Shell Lubricants and others in the industry are looking to provide changes in the new oils that include improvements in oxidation stability, aeration benefits, shear stability, biodiesel compatibility and scuffing/adhesive wear protection. This will mean developing new engine tests and modifying existing engine tests for deposits and oil. The development of this specification is well underway and the planned launch is early 2016. We'll keep you updated on developments for the new specification and the next generation of Shell Rotella ® engine oil products. By Dan Arcy Shell Lubricants The term "Shell Lubricants" refers to the various Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business. This monthly column is brought to you by Shell Lubricants. Got a question? Visit ROTELLA.com, call 1 - 800 - 231 - 6950 or write to The ANSWER COLumN, 1001 Fannin, Ste. 500, Houston, TX 77002.