Fuel News

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?

Biofuels created by recycling used cooking oils are being tested by ocean-going ships in pilot trials around the world. Such biofuels may even be gaining acceptance by ocean-shippers, freight forwarders and ship operators.

The systems are nowhere near ready but several panelists at the big CERAWeek meeting see advantages for hydrogen in heavy-duty transport.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Also this week: another hint at what IMO2020 might do to prices; more signs that the OPEC cuts are real and are taking hold.

Funding announced as investment heats up for low-carbon fuel technology.

Truck stop-travel center operator returned to core business in q4, CEO said.

If IMO 2020 boosts demand for LNG bunkering, the U.S. isn’t ready to take advantage.

Stockpiles in the country are building up. Also: more hints on the price of fuel in a post IMO2020 market; Russia’s lack of assistance to OPEC

Wireless charging could be key to making electric trucks viable for the long-haul sector.

Largest ocean freight forwarder sees fuel bills increasing as much as 50 percent based on current price spreads.

Congress is handing out $93 million in federal grants for improvements at the nation’s top 15 container ports.

Positive Train Control isn’t just about safety anymore as the railroads revisit how the technology can generate capacity and save money.

Two major agencies see a supply/demand balance that is tightening on the back of steep cuts coming out of OPEC.

Tax incentives that make for cheaper diesel fuel ran out in 2018, and the trucking industry is looking for a vehicle on which to extend it. Could it be the border wall?

Little Rock, Ark.-based company trying to make fuel card processing less costly for truck stop operators.

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.

Message from NATSO: Technology trends will force truck stop owners to reevaluate how they serve their customers.

Crude prices are stuck in a $50-$55 range for WTI, as news that would drive prices higher inevitably gets offset soon after by something pushing it lower.

Lots of ideas for federal funding of infrastructure at Capitol Hill hearing, but the “pay-for” question still looms.

Green New Deals are the rage in Washington, with benefits – and costs – for trucking.

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.

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

Also in this report: a rebound in the market helped by OPEC production cuts; ExxonMobil grows big on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

It was only one trade and the comparisons to diesel prices are less than perfect. But there now is an actual transaction that reflects a value for now of what fuel might do under IMO2020.

The Congressional Budget Office revealed the latest deficits it tracks for the Highway Trust Fund as Congress plans to debate new ways to pay for infrastructure.

The Congressional Budget Office reveals latest stats on the diminishing Highway Trust Fund as Congress plans to consider new ways to pay for highway infrastructure.

Three key agencies have completed their January forecasts and they are all reasonably confident about OPEC’s ability to balance oil markets this year.

The biggest hurdle to making an infrastructure plan work is figuring out how to pay for it. A Washington D.C. think tank says Congress is ready to consider mileage-based user fees.

There are numerous reasons why electric trucks may continue to take a backseat when private transportation fleets and for-hire carriers are developing their truck procurement strategies.

The EIA becomes one of the first major forecasters to put a price per gallon estimate on what is going to happen to diesel prices when the new rule kicks in.

It’s a long road from the wellhead down to the fuel going into a truck. Who makes money along the way?

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.

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.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce president Tom Donohue threw down $25,000 for ideas on how to pay for infrastructure. And told Washington to open back up.

A strong economy led to more CO2 emissions from industry and from buildings, offsetting the move away from coal.

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

A new rule in Mexico will boost demand for ultra low sulfur diesel. Also: the Saudis pull back from the U.S. and why it isn’t a big deal.

Hedging all those barrels coming out of the ground in the U.S. is creating downward pressure on prices.

Traders look at the ratio between gold and oil. What did it say in 2018?

It was a great week if you are an oil buyer, but if you produce it, it was one to forget as oil prices break substantially below $50.

The Nikola Motor tractor is powered by a hydrogen-electric engine and has earned the company Number 24 on the FreightWaves’ Research Institute Freight.Tech 25.

Volvo will put an electric powertain in its popular VNR regional tractor. Test vehicles will begin operating next year and commercial units will be available in 2020.

Fleets are increasingly focused on reducing theirs and cutting fuel usage. Electric vehicles, particularly medium-duty trucks and those vehicles used in e-commerce and last-mile delivery, represent prime opportunities to achieve both goals.

Tyson Foods will be testing a tractor that will utilize Achates Power’s opposed-piston engine technology that is said to reduce NOx emissions by 90% from current standards.

The National Academies of Science has identified seven core research areas that it said could help DOT determine possible changes to truck size and weight.

Is e-commerce making traffic congestion in urban areas worse? Gas demand plummets in South Korea; a state DOT seeks solutions through art; turnkey logistics in Asia and more.

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission has enacted an executive order by Gov. John Hickenlooper committing the state to low emission vehicle standards.

Even though the Department of Energy’s reported diesel per gallon price has risen 27% since early 2017, carriers have seen their net fuel expense per mile remain largely neutral.

With the ongoing, high-profile negative news surrounding Tesla, there is still interest in the company’s electric semi. Albertsons Companies, which operates well-known food and drug retailers across the country, has purchased 10 Tesla Semi all-electric trucks.

FedEx is expanding its alternative-fuel vehicle fleet with 1,000 electric vans from Chanje Energy, to be delivered over the next two years.

Net-zero carbon emissions from the transportation sector is possible by 2050 if industry starts to make changes now, says a new report.

There is no timeline for implementation of any new NOx rulemaking, but there are a couple of key questions that must be answered: What will the limits be and how much will this cost?

The year 2018 has been a big one for Nikola Corporation, and investors continue to line up to support the hydrogen-electric truck startup. Next year might be even bigger.

In a surprise move, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced the Cleaner Trucks Initiative (CTI), which will try to rein in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from commercial vehicles.

While transportation was not a front-of-the-ticket issue for politicians in the midterm elections, there were some significant developments when it came to funding projects across the country.

As it continues work toward disrupting the traditional diesel-powered truck market in North America, Nikola Motor Company is eyeing another continent for its hydrogen-electric tractor: Europe.

Surge in low-sulfur fuel use by ships could usher in two to three year period of uncertainty in refining industry.

We take a look at August’s Class 8 natural gas truck retail sale numbers.

Will the combination of oil prices, refinery cracks and scrubber economics result in easing of fears of tight supplies? Two reports chime in.

Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE, spoke last week at the Meritor/P.S.I. Fleet Technology Event, telling the audience that one of the lessons he learned from NACFE’s Run on Less program in 2016 was that drivers still have plenty of influence over fuel economy, despite technology advances.

Major drayage operator at U.S. busiest port complex looks to all-electric truck to hit emissions reduction goal.

Latest round of fuel surcharges aimed at guiding expectations on IMO 2020 costs.

Volvo Trucks will introduce an all-electric truck in California next year before making them commercial available in North America in 2020, the company said.

How good is the technology and powertrains on modern tractors? A group of journalists driving similarly spec’d Mack Anthem sleeper models, achieved over 8 mpg – even as high as 10.5 for one day – with the trucks on a three-day run from Asheville, NC, to New Orleans.

The scenario laid out by a leading energy economist is that the market needs a way to soften the blow of higher oil prices that would be spurred by the new environment rule.

Container shippers face surcharge one year prior to actual start of new low-sulfur emissions rules.

World’s largest shipping company outlines new surcharge stemming from switch to low-sulphur fuel.

A lack of crews and a slowdown in system operations is squeezing intermodal capacity and shutting off an alternative for those looking to move away from trucks.

Delta bought a refinery to hedge its exposure to the jet fuel market, and now it wants some partners to help share the burden of other fuels.

After remaining flat in 2015-16, the average fleet fuel economy for the nation’s top fleets improved in 2017, according to research conducted by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).

A mileage-based user fee pilot program using Azuga technology is helping to prove the viability of mileage-based vehicle taxes.

Toyota has unveiled its second-generation hydrogen-electric truck, which builds upon the success of the first model that has been hauling live loads in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Realizing the need for its customers to have easy access to and use of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the future, Penske Truck Leasing has joined the global Charging Interface Initiative e.V. association.

Workhorse Group, a technology company focused on offering sustainable mobility solutions, announced a new public offering of its common stock to raise additional funds as it works towards profitability.

Revenue growth for the ocean and air 3PL was strong, but margins at Expeditors tightened.

In today’s pickup, CEOs on analysts calls don’t see a peak and see better driver retention for their companies. Also: OPEC output and a change in Chinese scrap policy.

Cummins Inc. announced record earnings for its second quarter this morning, and that news was immediately overshadowed by an engine recall that has already impacted 230,000 vehicles and now will encompass an additional 500,000 heavy-duty truck models.

Toyota Motor has been testing a Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell truck in port operations in California, but yesterday it took that program to the next level with introduction of Version 2 of the truck with more range and other features.

Fuel remains among the largest costs for both carriers and shippers but based on the current practice of using a fuel surcharge to mitigate volatility in pricing, both parties remain at risk of ending up on the losing end of the deal.

Heather Mueller from Breakthrough Fuels will look at the best fuel strategies for the trucking industry.

Solar power may not be the cure-all for reducing fuel costs, but it can provide assistance and achieve payback in relatively short time if used in the right applications.

Third-party supply chain provider NFI along with Penske Truck Leasing will take delivery of and test Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA) electric vehicles.

A united retail fuel industry thanked EPA and the Trump administration for hearing and responding to their concerns and proposing renewable fuel obligations.

Most may not associate the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with freight movement, but the organization is working hard to change that and the industry, launching a new transport decarbonization tool on Wednesday.

Vnomics is changing the way fleets look at fuel efficiency by leveraging connected sensors, machine learning, and data modeling to automatically deliver actionable and meaningful insights on fuel efficiency.

Anheuser-Busch will purchase up to 800 Nikola Motor Company hydrogen-electric trucks as part of a plan to convert its dedicated fleet to alternative fuel by 2025.

Nikola Motor has sued Tesla for patent infringement on its Nikola One, at left. The Tesla model is at right. Nikola claims Tesla violated patents on door placement, wraparound windshield and the fuselage.

Volvo Trucks has now formally entered the all-electric push with the announcement that its FL Electric vehicle has been introduced in Europe.

Hinting that it has just received a large contract with “one of the most recognized and valuable brands in the world,” Nikola Motor Company announced last week that it will be refunding all monies paid as part of a reservation to receive a Nikola One hydrogen-electric truck.

The Uber Freight Plus fuel card provides up to 20 cents off per gallon at TA/Petro fuel stations for users, who also will receive maintenance and phone discounts in the program.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) is pushing a vehicle miles tax in Washington as the solution to funding road and infrastructure improvements rather than raising fuel taxes.

The Tesla Semi has finally hit the road. Tesla founder Elon Musk posted a picture of two Tesla Semi’s leaving the company’s Gigafactory in the Nevada mountains for a trip to California.

“By defining what excellence is, you can share in its success,” said Carlton Rose, UPS’ president of global fleet maintenance & engineering.

Changes could be coming soon to the SmartWay Transport Partnership program, and they may include a number of new designations, including recognition of day cabs in the program for the first time.

The Starship is a futuristic-looking, but completely road legal, Class 8 tractor-trailer unit built through a collaboration between Shell and AirFlow Truck Company.