Truck orders up, freight
still high
Aging fleets look to finally be refreshed. This article from HDT.com states:
“Orders for heavy and medium duty trucks were on the rise for the second month in a row in July, according to ACT Research's latest State of The Industry report… The report found that 30,103 Class 8 trucks were ordered in July and year to date orders are 33% higher than in 2013.”
HDT.com also reminds us that freight rates are still high. These are signs of a growing economy and signs of potential opportunity for Metalcasters.
Ag is a Mixed Bag
There has been a lot of reports of sever slowdowns in the Agricultural Equipment sector. These stories impact Metalcasters greatly. From what you blogger hears and sees, the impact is greatest on pieces of large equipment (combines, etc.). Other types of equipment seem to be doing fine, and now and then we are seeing news like this story:
“CNH Industrial N.V. is
investing $24 million to expand production in Burlington, Iowa, with the addition of the company's
crawler dozer production line.”
This is all part and parcel of what your
blogger thinks to be a soft landing in the Ag sector.
Things That Need to be Taught to Humans #7
The protocol of “Opening Doors” has been neglected for a long time (at least by me). When approaching a door, and especially an airlock enclosure in cold-weather places, you should exhibit some courtesy. I want to extend my thanks to Andrew from Pittsburgh, who referred me to the Art of Manliness website where I received a needed refresher course. The piece starts this way:
“There are two ways to mess up etiquette. One is too ignore it altogether. The other is to over-think it and overdo it, and thus make it weird and awkward. So keep that in mind as you read these guidelines; the most important thing to remember is simply to be natural and to use common sense! It’s definitely not too complicated; these guidelines are simply designed to allow you to be smooth …”
Read the whole thing please. Andrew will get a free lunch for his support.
Joe from Pittsburgh
Joe is a bright young engineer who designs railroad equipment. He looks great with his AP notebook (made in USA!). Joe will also get a free lunch to recognize his good taste in stationary. Remember, you can send me a photo of yourself with your AP gear for use on this blog and get a free lunch as well!
New AP University T-shirts
Boy, are these handsome! Many thaks to our friends are Dotson Iron Castings, Urick Ductile Solutions, Farrar Corporation, and Lethbridge Iron Works for making these shirts possible.
