A fold-down ramp is just one of the innovations Morgan Corp. has introduced recently at it looks to build truck bodies to match the growing demands of e-commerce last-mile operations.

Navistar’s Steve Gilligan discussed several technological opportunities for truck makers, including autonomous and electric trucks, during this week’s ACT Research conference.

ACT Research is forecasting 335,000 truck orders in 2019, but a sharp dropoff in 2020.

Rate increases are slowing and could even turn negative later this year, although fleet profits should remain strong for much of the year.

There are plenty of conflicting data points on the direction of the economy, which might suggest that everything may be just fine in the near term.

Flip a switch. Seems easy enough, but for those fleets that think that’s all they have to do with their ELD come December 16, 2019, they may quickly find their truck driver sitting idle, which is why now is the time to start the transition from a legacy AOBRD.

Big data is opening up opportunities for shippers of all sizes, and used properly, it can help reduce shipping rates and improve customer service.

Heavy snow melt and rains have caused historic flooding in 16 states and the FMCSA has lifted certain regulations as a result.

Bendix is now making its advanced safety systems available for retrofit for models where it was not factory-installed. Plus, U.S. finds little support for postal rate changes, detention time increasing and air cargo boom may be over.

Joseph Lipsey III, the now former chief executive officer of Lipsey Logistics Worldwide, has relinquished his ownership shares in the company.

While propane doesn’t pack quite the punch diesel does, it does produce enough power to handle many of the tasks at a fraction of the overall cost, advocates say, so why is not a more popular fuel for commercial operations?

Revenues are falling at Roadrunner Transportation Systems, but management remains confident the company is heading in the right direction.

Volvo has started testing connected vehicle technology in California, plus Michigan governor pitches fuel tax hike, California legislator wants to phase out diesel engines and Alibaba buys into delivery company.

Technology is quickly turning vehicles into mobile communications devices and that always-on connectivity is driving new efficiencies for fleets of all sizes.

Modern transportation management systems (TMS) have lowered the cost while increasing the power of the solutions, opening doors for shippers of all sizes to benefit.

Thousands of people flooded the Indiana Convention Center this week to see the latest products and services being offered to vocational and other types of fleets. Dozens of new products were announced, here is a look at some of them.

Electric trucks dominated the vehicle conversations at this week’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, plus the cost of charging vehicles, overtime pay changes and another trucker protest planned.

Utilimaster has unveiled a new customizable cargo box for last-mile delivery. The box has separate compartments that can be individually temperature controlled.

An Indianapolis construction fleet has leveraged Verizon Connect’s telematics solution to drive more efficiencies in dispatching, maintenance and fuel tax rebates for off-road diesel use.

International and Mack both announced new service offerings designed to improve the customer experience and operational effectiveness of their respective vehicles.

Mitsubishi Fuso said that customers are demanding more gasoline models in medium-duty operations, so it is delivering with this Class 5 gas-powered cabover.

Innovations in last-mile delivery continue, but each faces challenges to widespread adoption, although UPS, which will trial Thor electric trucks, encourages fleets to test out new technologies.

Truck electrification is ramping up quickly, but a number of challenges remain that must be solved before they see widespread adoption.

Ford announced the F-600, a “right-sized” truck that sits between the F-550 and the F-650. It is part of a broad commercial vehicle lineup update the company announced.

UPS’ Carlton Rose, president of global fleet maintenance and engineering, said he expects electric power to be the long-term solution in medium-duty, but it isn’t there just yet.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is still in its infancy, but is making progress.

Technologies can help prevent rollovers, but a new startup company believes influencing driver behavior is the best approach to preventing rollovers.

Compliance issues can result in large fines for companies, which is why some companies find outsourcing compliance programs to experts can be a financial win.

As the U.S. government works to ease restrictions on where drones can fly, they could become an attractive target for hackers.

The Motiv EPIC all-electric chassis will be installed on Ford F-59 glider chassis at a Detroit Custom Chassis plant. Also, Colorado passes bill lowering the commercial truck driving age and the Port of Long Beach sees near-record volumes.

Sponsored by Redwood LogisticsThe deployment of technology solutions requires many steps, but using a provider that offers an open systems architecture approach can help ease the transition, eliminating both time and cost.

It is said that moving freight is all about relationships. If that is true, what value does a routing guide provide? A great deal, it turns out.

At least 40 percent of drivers are still using AOBRDs, and nearly 80 percent of those don’t plan to switch to ELDs until the second half of 2019, just ahead of the deadline.

An Amazon Prime cargo jet operated by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings crashed today near Trinity Bay near Anahuac, Texas, killing all three crewmembers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Hong Kong-based Lalamove promises same-day deliveries in under an hour. The company has just closed a $300 million round of funding to expand its geographic footprint further.

UPS has sued a pot delivery company in California saying the company is infringing on hits trademarks; also FreightWaves announces a War on Detention, Connecticut wants to add tolls, and Ford leaves South America.

Shippers responded to tight capacity and high rates in 2018 by turning to managed transportation providers, and if the predictions for 2019 come true, they will likely continue down this path.

Cargo thefts fell 19 percent in 2018 compared to the year before, according to SensiGuard. Plus, the EU cuts a deal on truck emissions and another trucker protest is planned for this week.

J.B. Hunt has closed its acquisition of Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery, adding the last-mile business to its Final Mile Services Division.

When Daimler Trucks North America introduced its 2020 model year Freightliner New Cascadia. all attention was focused on the eye-opening headline: it is a Level 2 autonomous truck. While that is the sexy part of the truck, an even sexier headline for fleets should be the advances in fuel efficiency in the new model.

The 2020 model year Freightliner New Cascadia features technologies that qualify it as a Level 2 autonomous, but drivers shouldn’t be scared off by that.

Trading of futures contracts can help market participants minimize their exposure to risk. Freight brokerage K+L Freight has launched a subsidiary, K-Ratio, to help its customers navigate the Trucking Freight Futures market when it launches on March 29.

California and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have filed petitions with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit challenging the preemption of the state’s meal and rest break rules for interstate truck drivers.

An intersection in New Jersey has been deemed the worst for truck bottlenecks, plus Nikola Motor may be adding a purely electric truck; GM and Tesla are working together, and FedEx Express signs on to a new cargo terminal.

Recruiting and keeping drivers remains a difficult task for carriers, but several experts said that a strong social media approach improves both tasks.

Fleets participating in the TCA Profitability Program (TPP) gain access to benchmarking data that can help them improve operations.

Marten Transport and other public truckload companies could make a good stock investment if historical trends hold, says an analyst from Stephens.

January new truck orders have fallen 26 percent from December, continuing a trend that has developed after record-breaking months last year.

Tesla’s acquisition Maxwell Technologies could have an impact on Maxwell’s fleet business, which counts more than 7,000 trucks using its products.

A new petition is seeking White House help to get two bills that would exempt most small trucking companies and owner-operators exempted from the ELD requirement reintroduced to Congress.

The United States Postal Service is deploying seven all-electric step vans in California, powered by Motiv’s EPIC system, plus living life on the road and the Polar Vortex causes crude troubles.

Convoy is now matching 100 percent of loads automatically in major markets, effectively eliminating the need for any person to call or communicate between the shipper and carrier.

With the growing complexity of supply chains, the technology advantage that managed transportation providers can provide becomes a key value-add for many shippers.

Small, yet powerful satellites can now be deployed for just a fraction of the cost of more traditional satellites, potentially changing the way logistics companies access location and other data for assets.

Electric vehicle makers can learn from some of the lessons that natural gas developers faced when introducing that fuel source to trucking.

The Commercial Vehicle Training Association is pushing for more states to adopt third-party testing to shorten wait times for those seeking to schedule CDL tests.

Uber Freight is giving drivers the opportunity to rate shipper facilities. The information can be used by both shippers to improve conditions and drivers, who will see the details of a facility before accepting a load.

New truck and trailer purchases currently include a 12 percent federal excise tax, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the purchase price. A new coalition is looking to lobby for the repeal of the tax.

Used truck pricing and volumes posted big gains in 2018 as a combination of factors, including a booming economy and limited availability of new trucks played a role.

KeepTruckin recently nabbed the talents of Jairam Ranganathan, formerly Uber’s senior director of product.

As of December 16, 2019, anyone running an AOBRD must switch to an ELD. There are steps that can be taken now to ensure the changeover will be painless.

One-quarter of carrier respondents to a new survey believe that driver pay will need to approach $100,000 a year before it makes a dent in driver turnover.

Port truck operators could potentially increase their wages by using a new service from NEXT that helps them run shorter runs and return to ports with empty containers. The company just secured $97 million in funding to help it expand.

David Rowan, founder and editor-at-large for Wired UK, will deliver a keynote address on Day Two of the upcoming Transparency19 conference.

For-hire truck tonnage posted its best yearly growth since 1998, but a decline in ATA’s Index at the end of the year indicated some softening.

Top supply chain trends and Rhode Island collects more in toll revenue than it expected, plus the growing scooter logistics sector and more container checks.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises is selling its interest in its Mexican cross-border operation, but the company is not abandoning the Mexican market, says its CEO.

The connected Smart Cities of the future require smart solutions that go beyond just autonomous vehicles.

How close are human drivers to interacting with autonomous vehicles on the roads? That is the answer a panel at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit tried to solve on Wednesday.

Walking the show floor at the Detroit Auto Show is an experience that transforms you from the here and now to visions of the future.

Autobon AI is building an aftermarket autonomous vehicle system that would allow any commercial truck to be turned into an autonomous truck.

The MOBi-ONE is large enough to move washers and dryers, and do so autonomously through the air, perhaps redefining last-mile drone delivery before it even gets started.

Manufacturing supply chains must deal with counterfeit parts. One company is hoping that its blockchain-based tracking solution can help solve that while also providing transparency in the freight supply chain.

Toyota’s Concept-i Ride vehicle is designed to help people navigate life, especially those that may have mobility issues.

The SureFly is just one of the products that Workhorse is working on. Additional projects include electric delivery vans and electric pickups.

The Quadrobot is a modular design autonomous delivery vehicle, launching this year in both China and the U.S.

Ford will build vans and midsize pickups under an alliance formed with Volkswagen, while tapping into VW’s autonomous and electric expertise.

The Volvo XC40 is part of a subscription-based car service the company offers, hoping to attract new customers not interested in a long-term lease or purchase option.

Auto shows are a great place for vehicle introductions, and when a new Mustang is being introduced, it will often overshadow some of its competitors.

The North American International Auto Show, also known as the Detroit Auto Show, opened its doors to the global press on Monday. Here is a sneak peak at some of the vehicles on display.

The Nissan IMs electric vehicle concept drew raves from those in attendance at the Detroit Auto Show, but it is only one of several concept electric vehicles on display.

Ram’s redesigned heavy-duty pickups feature towing capacity up to 35,000 pounds and payload capacity of over 7,600 pounds, making them ideal workhorses for commercial customers.

New car sales should remain strong next year, said the National Automobile Dealers Association, but one group is warning of trouble on the horizon.

Drivers most often commented on equipment issues, logistics, people, pay, and communication on the WorkHound platform in 2018. The platform compiles anonymous driver comments.

Fleets are increasingly turning to video to help exonerate drivers of wrongdoing and finding that a side benefit is the coaching opportunity video provides to improve risky driving behaviors.

Sponsored by Redwood LogisticsNo book can accurately define what “company culture” really is. It’s as much feel as it is philosophy. What experts do agree on, though, is that it needs to permeate all facets of the company.

Delivery robots, shifting supply chains due to trade wars, and automation slowing productivity in ports

Transflo used its slot during the MarketWaves 18 Demo Day to showcase how its app’s new user interface, along with the broader Transflo ecosystem can be used effectively to reduce time during the lifecycle of a load.

As administrators for the Black Smoke Matters group on Facebook worked to get a handle on the sudden explosion of members in the group, one administrator announced he is stepping away from the page and the group has posted what it is calling “Truckers Declarations for the 2019 Shutdown” on its website.

A port operator taps into funding for new natural gas tractors; birds and the federal shutdown could cause delays in Oklahoma bridge projects; Sears wants to liquidate; and air freight is flat in November

The udelv autonomous delivery vehicle, with an electric range of about 60 miles, will enter a pilot program with XL Parts in Houston.

While onboard with the group’s goals, not all truckers seem happy with the approach Black Smoke Matters is taking to achieve them.

ELDs have been required for the majority of the industry for more than a year now, but there are still some that do not have to comply until Dec. 16, 2019. A look back at ELDs, and what the next deadline means.

Black Smoke Matters, a group formed by truckers, is planning a nationwide shutdown on April 12 to protest several issues facing truckers.

Locating intermodal assets and identifying which of those assets is available for use is one of the key attributes of Phillips Connect Technologies’ Intermodal Smart Solution.

Bison Transport operates twin 53-foot trailers in Canada, and generally has lower rates of incidents than with single trailers.

FMCSA has ruled that California can’t dictate meal and rest break requirements that conflict with federal hours-of-service regulations.

Facial recognition will be tested next year on the Peace Bridge that connects the U.S. and Canada as a possible solution to speed up commercial border crossings.

Basic amenities such as snacks and a bathroom rank high among truck drivers as improvements shippers can implement at their locations to improve the driver experience.

Rising driver wages can’t slow driver shortage plus a Boston-based company receives funding for autonomous technology development for cargo vessels and more empty containers are leaving U.S. ports