At Mack plant, Biden checks out big rigs, chats up workers

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JOSH BOAK

MACUNGIE, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday checked out half-built big rigs and chatted up workers at a Mack Truck plant in Pennsylvania as his administration pushes new “buy American” efforts and advocates for government investments and clean energy as ways to strengthen U.S. manufacturing.

Biden toured the Lehigh Valley operations facility, hoping to connect with the plant’s 2,500 workers. Biden has made manufacturing jobs a priority, and Democrats’ political future next year might hinge on whether he succeeds in reinvigorating a sector that has steadily lost jobs for more than four decades.

The administration is championing a $973 billion infrastructure package, $52 billion for computer chip production, sweeping investments in clean energy and the use of government procurement contracts to create factory jobs.

On the visit, Biden heard about Mack’s electric garbage trucks.



President Joe Biden reacts as Mack Trucks President Martin Weissburg, left, speaks during a tour of the Lehigh Valley operations facility for Mack Trucks in Macungie, Pa., Wednesday, July 28, 2021. UAW Local 677 Shop Chairman Kevin Fronheiser is at center. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-government-and-politics-business-health-3bfa727e9b844216bc984fb30c82a895

[NQAS]

1. Okay

That is a goofy look, but it's not even close to TFG pretending to do god knows what in that photo of him behind the wheel of something. Pretending to toot toot or something.

And, to be fair to Joe, I think any non-truck guy - me included - would have the same reaction to a really, really big rig.

What say our DU truckers? Too goofy or a not unreasonable reaction.

I think it's pretty funny, and I think if anyone suggested that I attempt climb abroad, I'd definitely have the same reaction and then ask for a ladder.

[Best_man23]

3. Biden's Picture at Mack is more Presidential

Than this one. On top of IQ45's reacting like a four year old on Christmas Day, did I mention this Fire Engine stayed on the WH grounds through the rest of its stay in the Oval Office?

[rsdsharp]

5. Twisting the steering wheel back and forth while shouting

vroom-vroom. But it’s Biden who is senile.

[lagomorph777]

11. VROOOMMM! VROOOMMMMM! WHHHEEEEEEEEEEE!

Fucking toddler.

[NCjack]

2. I miss my MACK B29. After 3 months of driving the dog, I left

it to enter university.

[Worried2020]

8. I remember the B-20, but not a B-29

.




Yup - that's the Company I was working for back in the 70s


B-61

I well remember the sensation when the turn signal light met up with the family jewels more than once while I was crawling around under the hood

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



W

[NCjack]

9. I remember having to lock the steering wheel in place with

my belly while I shifted both gear boxes without the clutch. I will never forget the 250-rev split between gear positions and the 1800 to 2100 rev range for the engine. With my Dad shouting out "boy, I don't think you will ever get down shifting without the clutch -- you better get your butt back into college -- you ain't no Mack driver." That just made me mad, and suddenly, I began getting my gear changes under control.

Now, I'm 80y and that was 55 year ago. I still dream of the shifts I missed going up mountains, loosing momentum, and crawling in low gears to the top. And, there was that sign "Danger -- no trucks" that I missed and had hot brakes going through a little town in WV. Lucky me -- it was about 2AM on a Tuesday.

I moved on to become a scientist. Much less stress.

[Worried2020]

10. I hooked my left elbow thru the steering wheel for that

.

I was too slim for that belly trick - back then . . . times change -

70 year old retired Heavy Duty Diesel Auto mechanic here . . .

bit of a rolling stone - worked on just about anything/anywhere with an engine - well - those that stay on the ground anyways

Oh one more thing -

Remember the ones with vacuum wipers?

If you had to put the pedal down to climb a hill, engine had no spare vacuum - and the wipers could stop dead cold, and ya had to back off a wee bit every now and then to make them work.

I sorta miss them old days when I could fix just about anything -

Then computers got into the mix . . .

oh well.



W

[lagomorph777]

12. Ow, My Balls!

[OneCrazyDiamond]

4. I Love the idea of Mack going electric.

Keep it up.

[XanaDUer2]

6. Look at Joe's face

I love him

[The Jungle 1]

7. Biden spoke to the UAW UNION workers at the Mack plant!

The workers who are earning an living wage with good healthcare and a pension.
The workers who fought Mack trucks union busting tactics for years and finally came to a compromise that benefited both sides.
Average hourly wage for a production worker 21.