Autonomous trucking developers slow their roll
Uber Freight and Volvo Autonomous Solutions are stressing patience over hype in working to digitally schedule loads for the truckmaker’s one-stop shop for all things autonomy.
Commercial Truck Manufacturers Coverage
In terms of the trucking industry, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) refers to parts made by the same company that makes the vehicle (as opposed to aftermarket parts, which are produced by different companies and designed to be compatible with as many vehicles as possible). While OEM products may cost more than aftermarket upfront, the price reflects the quality.
The biggest commercial truck manufacturer in the world is Daimler AG (better known as Daimler Chrysler), which produces the brands Mercedes-Benz, Western Star, Freightliner, Sterling Trucks, and Fuso, among others. Other leading commercial truck manufacturers include Volkswagen Group (which produces MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial-Vehicles), Volvo Group (which produces Volvo, Renault, Mack, Eicher, and UD Trucks), and Dongfeng Motor, China’s largest automaker.
Check back here for the latest news and updates related to OEM and trucking. You can also find additional commercial trucking news in our Trucking News archive.
Uber Freight and Volvo Autonomous Solutions are stressing patience over hype in working to digitally schedule loads for the truckmaker’s one-stop shop for all things autonomy.
Jonathan Randall has been named to the vacant North American presidency of the brand where he led sales and commercial operations.
Daimler Truck’s cellcentric joint venture with Volvo Group is a fuel cell truck first, but a big battery pack makes it a parallel hybrid.
After nearly a year of accepting only orders they were sure they could build, heavy-duty truck OEMs fully opened orderbooks in September.
Navistar is recalling 8,002 more trucks for a connecting rod defect discovered in 2020, bringing to 23,802 the number of trucks included.
Does a comfy ride that resembles what they drive off duty keep a truck driver happier? OEMs seem to think so.
Hood trim pieces on Western Star vocational trucks are coming unglued, similar to an earlier recall for side intake covers falling off.
Navistar’s S13 integrated powertrain will be the truck manufacturer’s last internal combustion engine as the trucking industry decarbonizes.
Western Star mashes up the off-highway ruggedness of its X-series with loads of luxury appointments on the on-highway 57X.
New leaders, an electrification push and Scania influence mark the first year after the Traton’s $3.7 billion takeover of Navistar.
Navistar spending more than $190 million for an integrated powertrain in Alabama for North America .
A safety recall by Daimler Truck North America inadvertently confirmed the next Western Star X-Series vocational truck.
Navistar is recalling thousands of trucks because their backup lights illuminate with the wrong shade of white.
With its new TX-18 automated manual transmissions, Paccar looks to make off-highway and severe service easier on the driver.
Navistar’s new CEO aligns with parent Traton Group in declaring batteries will be the ultimate solution to zero-emission transportation.
Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter providing perspective and context on autonomy, electrification and other technologies impacting the fleet ecosystem.
All Daimler Truck segments reported higher sales in 2021 as the recent spinoff posted its first numbers as a publicly traded entity.
Navistar and MAN SE leaders trade positions as Traton continues a makeover of Navistar’s executive team.
Truck manufacturer Navistar faces a data breach lawsuit after disclosing that sensitive information about 49,000 people may have been exposed in hack.
The semiconductor shortage takes a 7,000-truck toll on Paccar in Q3 with no sign of relief in sight.
Truck Talk is a weekly FreightWaves newsletter providing perspec on autonomous, electrification and other key issues in the trucking ecosystem.
Western Star advances a family makeover with the second entry into its X-Series of vocational trucks.
Peterbilt takes the convention audience to school on electric truck math while Volvo puts ist VNR Electric to work on its own plant deliveries.
Traton Group shuffles the executive deck at Navistar, replacing CEO Persio Lisboa with former Scania executive Mattias Carlbaum.
Cervus Equipment is set to be acquired by Brandt Tractor in a $240 million deal that will take the Canadian Peterbilt dealer private.
Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter adding perspective and context to trucking industry news.
Data apparently stolen from Navistar International appears on the dark web as an underground marketplace begins an auction for the heavy truck manufacturer’s internal files.
Ukrainian police arrest six alleged members of Clop, a notorious ransomware gang behind multiple cyberattacks on transportation and logistics companies.
A whistleblower filed a complaint in 2013 alleging pricing fraud by Navistar Defense that its parent company settled with no admission of wrongdoing.
An apparent ransomware attack has targeted Utility Trailer Manufacturing, one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of trailers for commercial trucks.
PACCAR puts up strong Q1 numbers, including record parts sales that suggest the new truck backlog is boosting aftermarket sales.
Canadian trucking giant Mullen Group wades into truck sales after acquiring a small Volvo and Mack dealership as part of the acquisition of British Columbia’s Bandstra Group.
Navistar reported a Q1 fiscal loss in its final earnings in 35 years as the public holding company for International Trucks and IC buses.
Roger Nielsen will need a new outlet for his electric and driverless truck passion as the Daimler Trucks North America CEO retires after a 35-year career.
The $3.7B merger of Navistar and TRATON Group drew nearer Tuesday when Navistar shareholders approved a $44.50-per-share buyout.
With the coming independence of Daimler Truck from Daimler AG, the North American subsidiary gets a new CEO when Roger Nielsen retires in April.
With 2020 in the rearview, there are promising signs that point towards industry growth if one crucial thing takes place: tight inventory levels need to be replenished.
Canadian electric truck and bus manufacturer The Lion Electric Company expects to list on NYSE and raise $500 million after combining with blank check company though a SPAC merger.
There is an ongoing race for EV domination as automakers across the globe push to be No. 1 in the EV market. Today’s focus? Tesla’s strategy to stay on top.
Daimler Trucks North America built the 700,000th truck in its medium-duty assembly plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina, marking 41 years of Freightliner production.
Detroit, like the rest of the U.S, is experiencing a resurgence of positive COVID-19 tests. However, the auto industry is projected to continue operations as normal thanks to effective virus protocols in place.
While critics who oppose the USMCA believe this deal will ultimately disincentivize automotive companies to keep manufacturing facilities in North America due to an increase in production costs, there are strong country-of-origin protections in place that we believe will intensify North American automotive production.
A car-crazed high schooler, Samatha Parlier learned long before becoming vice president of vocational market development for Daimler Trucks North America that even though both have wheels and engines, off-highway trucks are quite different from passenger cars.
Daimler Truck and Volvo Group expect to hit the ground running in their fuel cell joint venture. Volvo is buying Daimler’s expertise and helping offset the development cost of the zero-emissions technology while the rivals will compete in producing hydrogen-powered trucks.
Denny Slagle retired as Volvo Group executive vice president and Mack Trucks president in 2018.
Walmart Canada boosted its order of Tesla Semi trucks to 130 as it bets on Elon Musk’s electric heavy-duty vehicle to cut carbon emissions from fleet.
Canadian EV manufacturer Lion Electric plans to deliver its first battery-powered electric trucks in October as orders from Amazon and CN generate buzz.
The fallout at Nikola could place additional scrutiny on new public offerings and nontraditional special purpose acquisition companies.
Shares of electric truck maker Nikola Corp. sag 20% on the announcement its founder and executive chairman was stepping down, following the fallout from a short seller report questioning the company’s technology claims.
Late Sunday night, FreightWaves broke the story of Trevor Milton voluntarily stepping down from the Nikola Motor (NASDAQ:NKLA) board. A few hours later, Nikola Motor made the resignation official in […]
Sources close to the embattled fuel cell truck manufacturer are reporting that founder Trevor Milton has resigned as executive chairman of Nikola Motor (NASDAQ: NKLA) and has departed the company […]
Whether you’re an employer looking to fill freight-related positions or a job-seeker, Freight.Careers.com is the go-to website.
CN orders 50 electric trucks from Lion Electric Co. to support its intermodal operations in its largest urban markets in Canada.
Demand headwinds will place “downwards pressure on revenue and earnings likely into 2021” for trailer manufacturer Wabash National. This was part of the rationale behind credit rating agency Moody’s lowering its ratings on the company.
From 15,000 workers on furlough in April, Daimler Trucks North America has seen steady build activity to meet replacement demand into 2021 as its order backlog grows.
Navistar picks Detroit suburb near major electrification suppliers to locate its NEXT eMobility business unit as it prepares to make its first battery-electric trucks and school buses.
The California Air Resources Board has mandated a percentage of zero-emission Class 8 trucks must be built for sale in California. Darren Prokop’s commentary covers the ins and outs of this regulatory mandate.
Nikola Corp. founder and Executive Ehairman Trevor Milton says he is justified in threatening on Twitter to sue a reporter he accuses of lying about the startup electric truck maker to drive down its high-flying stock price.
Trevor Milton takes a $1 annual salary as CEO of newly public Nikola Corp., but his net worth on paper is approaching deca-billionaire status based on his 35% share of the battery electric and fuel cell truck startup’s shares.
Surging shares in electric Class 8 truck maker Nikola Corp. could help show the way for other high-tech transportation companies this year.
Daimler Trucks AG is creating a fuel cell subsidiary as a forerunner to a 50-50 joint venture with Volvo Group to make fuel cell-powered backup systems for data centers and eventually hydrogen-fueled heavy-duty trucks.
Daimler Trucks looked at the mileage data of 130,000 trucks it monitors and predicts mileage driven could reach pre-COVID-19 levels by the end of June.
Navistar included only one full month of impact from the COVID-19 pandemic in its loss-making second quarter. How bad will it be for manufacturers who report on a traditional April-June quarter?
Heavy-duty truck maker Navistar reported a $38 million loss in its fiscal second quarter, the first look at the financial damage from COVID-19-related manufacturing shutdowns.
Near-shutdown of Class 8 truck production in May resulted in stagnant orders as COVID-19 lockdowns took hold.
Battery electric and fuel cell startup Nikola Corp., which surprised the trucking industry by having a “blank check company” back its bid to go public, expects its shares to begin trading under its own name on the NASDAQ later this week.
Growing competition leads Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. to decide against selling medium-duty trucks in the U.S. and Canada after current inventory is sold. Parts and service pledged through 2028.
With a June 2 merger vote that would make fuel cell electric truck maker Nikola a public entity, the company’s book value has quadrupled to $12 billion in the last week.
Navistar extended CEO Troy Clarke’s contract until July as a buyout offer by Volkswagen subsidiary TRATON Group is on hold amid the cash-devouring coronavirus pandemic.
Interest is rising in Workhorse’s electric truck-based drone delivery system as the company seeks $40 million credit line to scale production.
Volkswagen truck holding company Traton Group urges a Euro-style “cash for clunkers” program to boost new truck purchases following lower first-quarter sales, profits and orders.
Uncertainty beyond loss-making second quarter concerns Daimler leaders, though robust supply chain and cash position suggest fast production ramp-up when economy recovers
Daimler AG revealed difficult first-quarter results, removing mystery from next week’s earnings report, which shows all segments struggling, including its truck manufacturing business.
PACCAR Inc. posted decent first quarter earnings despite shuttering its plants in late March because of the coronavirus pandemic. While truck orders cooled, parts sales set a record as the truck maker tries to build on 81 consecutive profitable years.
Electric and fuel cell truck maker Nikola gets its pick of candidates as job insecurity led so many to apply that Linked In briefly shut down CEO Trevor Milton’s account.
Navistar makes $300 million in across-the-board cuts to conserve cash but will repay employees with interest for their 10% to 30% pay reductions next March.
Nikola Corp. filled VectoIQ’s $230 million public shell company after former Wall Street analyst and General Motors executive Steve Girsky shopped more than 100 smart transportation companies and signed 75 nondisclosure agreements and six letters of intent.
Truck component supplier Meritor idles plants and cuts base salaries up to 50% to save the ship from rough seas.
All four major heavy-duty truck manufacturers now have suspended production for at least two weeks, with market leaders Daimler Trucks North America and PACCAR Inc. the latest to stop building trucks because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Supply chain disruption from coronavirus adds Navistar plant in Ohio to truck operations suspending production and pulling earnings guidance.
Volvo Trucks North America and its sibling Mack Trucks later this year will allow individual truck drivers to schedule over-the-air updates typically handled by fleet managers.
Market Expert Mike Baudendistel looks at the prospects for the truck original equipment manufacturers in 2020.
Daimler Trucks is executing structural changes around the world because of sliding sales.
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller writes about the issues the trucking industry dealt with in 2019 and what is ahead in 2020.
Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) is regaining chunks of market share in medium- and heavy-duty trucks, winning back customers who walked away several years ago because they could not rely […]
Navistar will cut 10% of its worldwide workforce even as it gained market share for the third consecutive year.
Volvo Trucks is building on sales of electric trucks for urban transport in Europe with battery-electric concepts for construction and regional distribution.
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 2,725 Western Star brand 4900 and 5700 sleeper cabs from the 2016-2020 model years. About 4% of the recalled trucks are suspected of having an improper adhesive that could allow the vent windows to detach and fall from the trucks.
Volvo Trucks North America will lay off about 700 workers in January, extending an industry pullback in production to match slowing orders of new Class 8 trucks.
Continental AG is looking to rapidly restructure its workforce and phase out production plants to catch up with new-age mobility options like electric and connected vehicles.
Volvo Trucks North America and the Western Star brand of Daimler Trucks North America will recall nearly 3,700 trucks between them for separate steering-related issues that could cause a crash. Neither issue has resulted in any crashes or injuries, according to postings on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
Preliminary orders for new trailers met expectations in October reached their highest level in 11 months, upholding expectations for a good, but not great 2020.
Navistar will book a $140 million hit to fourth-quarter revenue because of the six-week United Auto Workers’ strike at General Motors.
Western Star is recalling 2,546 heavy-duty trucks because the sleeper side door can detach while the truck is in motion, creating a risk of the falling door striking another vehicle.
The United Auto Workers voted 79% in favor of a new four-year contract at Mack Trucks following a 12-day strike that idled six facilities in three states and halted production at Volvo Trucks’ only assembly plant in North America.
Truck maker TRATON Group S reported higher revenue and profit for the first nine months of the year, but warned of a tougher 2020 with an accelerating slump in orders and global economic uncertainty.
The color of the Mack Trucks bulldog carries special meaning. Gold means all of the key components were homemade. Chrome says others’ parts are on board. Now, it comes in black.
BorgWarner Inc., which makes engine components and drivetrains for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles, reported lower third-quarter earnings on slightly higher sales.
Navistar is skipping the chase for incentives on demonstration electric trucks to consult with customers on custom-built zero-emission medium-duty models with total cost of ownership rivaling a diesel truck.
Daimler Trucks North America, the industry sales leader, is not sweating the loss of big chunks of heavy- and medium-duty market share trucks through the first nine months this year.