Daimler Truck created capacity for 2,000 battery-electric trucks in 2022, but the lack of charging infrastructure stunted deliveries.
Class 8 truck backlogs enter 2023 in healthy shape despite three consecutive months of lower orders after a record September.
Supply chain chaos has helped increase the cost of a new car by 25%. The automotive industry won’t let go of those profits anytime soon.
Freightliner powertrain parts thefts threaten the livelihood of drivers stranded with little hope of getting a replacement part.
Daimler Truck North America is trying to solve thefts of semiconductor-rich powertrain control modules from its tractors.
Class 8 truck orders fell to a seven-month low in April as manufacturers continued to restrict bookings over supply chain uncertainty.
Sky-high used Class 8 truck prices are not falling with lower freight rates as an undersupply of equipment continues to alter buyer behavior.
The pandemic and the supply chain crisis was a one-two punch for United Road Services, the car hauler that moves 4 million vehicles a year.
Sandeep Kar, chief strategy officer at Noregon Systems, joins FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week to talk about major changes and challenges facing the automotive industry.
It took a delicate dance by truck manufacturers and fleets in January to keep Class 8 orders from adding to the industry’s huge backlog.
Class 8 equipment orders are impacted by customer cancellations and OEMs bound by the turning of calendar pages.
Like the doorman at a posh nightclub who decides who gets in, truck manufacturers are choosy about what Class 8 orders they’ll accept.
Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter focusing on autonomous, connected and electric innovations in the trucking ecosystem for fleets.
Cummins Inc. deals with multiple short-term supply chain glitches, but it could take two years to fix chip shortages, CEO Tom Linebarger says.
With order backlogs exceeding 14 months, manufacturers are accepting few new orders, frustrating fleet demand.
Daimler Truck estimates the revenue loss from a persistent shortage of microchips will cost billions in lost revenue.
Fleets and individual truckers buying at today’s elevated prices
assume a big risk when the used equipment market normalizes.
Engine maker Cummins reduces its outlook for the full year amid the supply-constrained inability to meet elevated demands.
Governments at the G20 meeting are pulling together to address supply shortages caused by freight transportation backlogs.
In its last quarter as part of Daimler AG, Daimler Truck reported higher unit sales but lower revenue.
Traton Group is optimistic for future quarters as it posts solid nine-month results with recently acquired Navistar included for the first time.
Companies stymied by the chip shortage have figured out a way to keep operating while cutting their losses.
Paccar made up for the loss of 7,000 deliveries in Q3 through record parts profits and higher prices for used trucks.
Class 8 truck orders skipped a beat in September as supply shortages delayed the typical order season with fewer new trucks booked.
“There are significant inventories of already produced vehicles where essential parts are lacking.”
Demand usually drives heavy-duty truck production forecasts, but the delta variant and a constrained supply chain are wrecking projections.
Trailer makers have connectivity advancements in the pipeline as they navigate supply shortages hampering production.
Grace Sharkey and Sebastian Blanco talk about continued shortages hitting the auto industry on this episode of Transmission.
Higher prices for used trucks are expected to last into 2022 and when they fall, it will be from a lofty place.
Rising container rates and the semiconductor shortage could hurt electric vehicle startups Arrival and ELMS, but not enough to dampen the outlook, according to the analysts at Cowen.
The last time demand was this high for new Class 8 trucks, fleets placed record orders. Not this time because manufacturing capacity is limited.
Peterbilt, Kenworth and DAF Trucks are sold out globally for 2021 as the global semiconductor shortage leaves 6,500 trucks awaiting parts.
Pollution credit sales are less of a factor as vehicle profitability at Tesla shifts to overdrive in Q2.
Daimler Truck sold more vehicles in Q2 than the previous quarter but warned that supply shortages threaten second-half financials.
Volvo makes no mention of the UAW strikes but smaller sibling Mack Trucks delivers more units in Q2 as the industry recovers from year-ago pandemic shutdowns.
Fleets still want and need trucks but move to sidelines until manufacturers open their order books.
A double whammy of few new trucks and fleets wanting upgraded equipment in a booming freight market is driving prices to a post-Great Recession peak.
A new supply chain task force emerges from the Biden administration’s 100-day review.
From a shortage of truck production workers to parts depot staff, Daimler Trucks North America is trying to keep up with blistering demand.
Slowdowns in deliveries of new trucks are driving prices of newer used trucks up in the double digits both at dealerships and in auctions.
After calling off a 13-day strike at Volvo Trucks North America, the UAW rank and file repudiated its leadership by rejecting a new five-year contract.
Nikola exposes battery-electric Class 8 Tre to 25 fleet customers and gets first firm order for delivery late this year.
Engine maker Cummins absorbed $105 million in freight costs to get microchips needed for engines during the trucking boom.
The United Auto Workers took down picket lines Friday after a 13-day strike at Volvo Trucks North America.
Ford and GM say the chip shortage could cost the automakers more than $1 billion in earnings during 2021.
Despite supply chain constraints, Tier 1 driveline supplier Dana beat analyst expectations for Q1 and raised full-year estimates.
PACCAR puts up strong Q1 numbers, including record parts sales that suggest the new truck backlog is boosting aftermarket sales.
The growing backlog of new truck orders has supercharged pricing for newer used models at auctions, with retail traffic also high.
Daimler Truck AG, soon to be a stand-alone business, showed a modest recovery from the pandemic-impacted year-ago first quarter.
UAW calls walkout after 30-day extension fails to result in agreement. No new talks until at least April 26.
The U.S. must help secure domestic semiconductor manufacturing, truck manufacturers tell the Biden administration.
You know that your corner of the automotive industry isn’t exactly niche anymore when mainstream media outlets start encroaching on the topic.
March Class 8 truck orders fell slightly from February, but still added to an industry backlog that manufacturers are struggling to reduce.
Kenworth and Peterbilt avoid downtime from semiconductor shortage by parking unfinished trucks and getting back to them later.
Largely spared the automotive industry impact from semiconductor shortages, truck manufacturers are starting to take downtime.
Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter where FreightWaves adds context, commentary and color to industry news and trends.
Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter where FreightWaves adds context, commentary and color to industry news and trends.
A global semiconductor chip shortage continues to affect auo factories on both sides of the United States-Mexico border.
New Class 8 truck orders are piling up, leading fleets to turn to used equipment to add capacity in a consumer-driven freight market.
Class 8 truck orders have exceeded 30,000 a month for six consecutive months, more bookings than in the previous 18 months combined.
Workhorse Group built just seven electric delivery vans for the second consecutive quarter. Production systems and supply chain problems hamper the company.
Truck Talk, is a weekly newsletter where FreightWaves adds context, commentary and color to industry news and trends.
Biden’s executive order seeks short-term and long-term review of critical supply chains.
Driveline and thermal management supplier Dana Inc. has $700 million in new business from auto and truck makers. Half of it is in electrification contracts.
General Motors is extending temporary shutdowns at three assembly plants, including one in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
Rush Enterprises sold Class 8 trucks at a level reflecting the industry’s overall COVID-impacted decline in 2020. It expects better results in 2021 and beyond.
Welcome to FreightWaves Truck Talk, your Friday look at industry news with context, perspective and a bit of commentary. You can get Truck Talk delivered via email by subscribing at https://www.freightwaves.com/truck-talk.
Engine and power systems maker Cummins Inc. destroyed analyst estimates for Q4 as the loosening of COVID-19’s grip in China pushed record sales.
Weathering the COVID pandemic drove Volvo Group sales lower in 2020, but market share was stable and new orders are pouring in.
Despite strong Q4, Daimler Trucks likely to miss analyst consensus on sales and profits based on parent company’s forecast.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, the U.S. DOT has laid out its strategic plan for safely deploying autonomous trucks and passenger vehicles. Plus, LTL volumes stayed strong in December, and XPO names the head of its logistics spinoff.
As car plants curtail production because of a global semiconductor shortage, suppliers and truck makers try to discern what to expect amid near-record Class 8 truck orders.
