When the Trucks Stop Running

14 Comments on "When the Trucks Stop Running"

Roger on Sat, 2nd Jul 2016 9:07 pm 



Thanks! Ms Friedmann definitely knows her stuff (though we disagree regarding natural gas supplies). Worth a listen.

Boat on Sat, 2nd Jul 2016 9:45 pm 



Report Finds New Oil Blends Could Improve Fuel Efficiency Up to 1.5%

Two new low-viscosity oil lubricants set to come onto the market, CK-4 and FA-4, will improve fuel efficiency in heavy-duty trucks between 0.5% and 1.5%.
The report recommends carriers with Class 8 fleets switch their oil from a 15W-40 heavy-duty blend to the new CK-4 variant of the lighter 5W/10W-30 when it becomes available at the end of the year. Eventually NACFE would like to see carriers switch to FA-4 variant with 2017 diesel engines, which could add another 0.4% to 0.7% in fuel savings.

http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=42393&page=1

Mr. Pockets on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 1:46 am 



lol @ 1.5%

Apneaman on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 4:01 am 



After global neo liberal capitalism crashes and burns and money, yet again, becomes worthless, it will be time to go old school.

The world’s oldest paycheck was cashed in beer

“Perhaps it’s no surprise that one of the earliest known examples of writing features two basic human concerns: alcohol and work. About 5000 years ago, the people living in the city of Uruk, in modern day Iraq, wrote in a picture language called cuneiform. On one tablet excavated from the area we can see a human head eating from a bowl, meaning “ration”, and a conical vessel, meaning “beer”. Scattered around are scratches recording the amount of beer for a particular worker. It’s the world’s oldest known payslip, implying that the concept of worker and employer was familiar five millennia ago.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2094658-the-worlds-oldest-paycheck-was-cashed-in-beer/

Davy on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 6:41 am 



We are in a deflationary cycle of overcapacity and debt. When looking at any economic issue today this should be the underlying foundation for discussion. As much as we would like to think we are in the world we grew up in we are not. We are in a world experiencing decline and decay. Decline and decay have different realities than growth. We may not be in a quantifiable decline and decay period just yet but decline and decay appears to be the trend. It is the movement that matters more so than where you are at. Life does not sit still. When looking at reality we should look at a moving target.

“Morgan Stanley Explains One Big Reason Why Central Planners Can’t Generate Any Inflation”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-02/morgan-stanley-explains-one-big-reason-why-central-planners-cant-generate-any-inflat

“As China continues to weaken the Yuan, it’s important to note the impact that it has on the inflation expectations of other economies, namely the US, Japan, and Europe. As central planners aggressively try to boost inflation, and in the meantime have created a stunning $11.7 trillion in negative yielding debt, China could be hindering that effort quite a bit.”

“MS goes on to note that the overcapacity in Asia (something we have discussed often) and a weaker currency will continue to lead to lower export prices, and thus dampen future inflation expectations, which can be seen in the US 5y5y inflation expectations. MS also observes that developed market inflation behavior is led by movements in Chinese prices, and the rally in global bonds will continue to push the USD higher, putting further downward pressure on prices.”

“MS concludes by saying that deflationary pressures are likely to remain in place as overcapacity persists.”

Davy on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 6:59 am 



We often forget about the boring insurance and pension industries but they are very much a part of our lives whether you have a pension or insurance. These industries are part of the economic foundation and they are not healthy. They are in an economic compression just as the asset markets are near highs. Such divergences can’t end well.

“This Is The Capitulation Phase” – Why Treasury Yields Are About To Really Plunge”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-02/capitulation-phase-why-treasury-yields-are-about-really-plunge

“early Friday both 10Y and 30Y US Treasury yields plunged to new all time lows, a signal which at any other time would suggest a deflationary tsunami is about to be unleashed, but in this case simply meant that another bout of central bank generosity was coming to prop up risky assets in the aftermath of Brexit.”

“The problem is that while stocks can – for now – ignore this historic divergence, which has pushed the S&P back to just shy of all time highs while bond yields are at all time lows, one major market participant can no longer pretend to not notice what is going on. We are talking about pension funds, who according to Bank of America are about to “throw in the towel” and capitulate on the de-risking of their portfolios, unleashing the next major buying spree on the long end, in the process likely pushing the 10Y to 1% or even much lower.”

“bull flattening of yield curves is rarely good news to anyone – but defined benefit pension plans are most leveraged to this pain. According to the most recent Milliman estimate, the average funded ratio of the top 100 US corporate defined benefit pension plans already had dropped to 77% by end of April. Since then, 30y rates dropped another 50bp and corporate spreads have tightened.”

“For the rates market, the significance of this acceptance phase by pensions cannot be understated, in our opinion. A $3 trillion industry running a $500 billion funding gap and a significant duration gap waking up to reality is likely to have major implications for the market. The nature of the de-risking is less important but could amplify the impact. In the simplest de-risking scenario, pension managers would stop underestimating the perceived lower bound for US rates and be more aggressive in using rate sell-offs to close duration gaps.”

“What all of this means in simple, numeric terms for the two securities everyone is most familiar with, namely the 10Y and the 30%? It means look for the 10Y Treasury to drop under 1% while the 30Y plunges to 1.50% or lower, as the entire world slowly but surely turn Japanese,”

dissident on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 8:53 am 



The discussion around minute 35 about electrifying rail is inane. The problem is that even if the diesel locomotives are 7% more efficient than electric ones (based on power plant efficiency basis) they are burning a rapidly depleting resource. Nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, hydro power could run the railway system if it was electrified.

Kenz300 on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 9:48 am 



Electric cars, trucks, bicycles and mass transit are the future…..fossil fuel ICE cars are the past…………..

Think teen agers vs your grand father…………………. cell phones vs land lines…….

NO EMISSIONS……..climate change is real………

Save money……no stopping at gas stations…..no oil changes……..less overall maintenance……

Survivalist on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 5:48 pm 



I believe UK will go medieval before Japan.

Davy on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 7:15 pm 



Survivalist, going medieval is not an either or thing anymore. It is all or none.

Survivalist on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 9:01 pm 



Yes I know. Don’t ever talk to me again. You’re an idiot.

dave thompson on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 9:44 pm 



Great book and author interview as I sit here on this july 4 bullshit sellybration.

makati1 on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 10:39 pm 



Dave the 4th is now just about selling fireworks, hot dogs, beer and flags. Many younger folks probably couldn’t tell you why it is celebrated. It is just a party holiday.

dave thompson on Sun, 3rd Jul 2016 10:43 pm 



Yes makati, it is a celebration of white man supremacy, land theft, slavery and genocide. ALL in the name of profit for the few.