Latest Spireon product will let customers see what’s in the trailer
Previously, the camera images from its ITM system were available only to Spireon itself.
Commercial Trucking & Fleet Equipment Coverage
Throughout the pandemic, the commercial trucking industry struggled with a shortage of drivers. As the effects of the pandemic lessen and more drivers are hired, however, the industry is now facing a shortage of vehicles and other trucking equipment instead. Check back here for news and information related to trucking fleet equipment, plus insights and analysis on trends and issues impacting the trucking industry.
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Previously, the camera images from its ITM system were available only to Spireon itself.
Freightliner and Western Star will still exist, but sales will be reorganized toward end use.
Recent Volvo Truck innovations in the U.S., and a new truck line in Europe continue to focus on driver comfort and keeping vehicles and drivers productive.
Yokohama is expanding in the fast-growing 19.5-inch tire market with two new offerings for pickup and delivery and other Class 3-6 applications.
Fleet Advantage is adding predictive modeling to its ATLAAS platform, giving fleets a look at vehicle replacement cost savings at specific points in time.
Mack Trucks is adding Command Steer, a dynamic steering option to its Anthem tractors. The technology reduces driver effort to steer the truck by as much as 85%, the company said, reducing fatigue and muscle strain.
Wabash has combined innovative composite material with an electric refrigeration unit to produce a zero-emissions trailer.
MyTruckScales is eliminating paper scale tickets through wireless technology that will save time for drivers and lower costs for scale owners
Since launching its commercial series of tires two years ago, Cooper Tire has grown the line to include 11 tires that complement its growing national accounts program targeting fleets.
Goodyear is trying to move fleets into active management of their tire assets with a new cloud-based management program.
Wabco leverages its own intelligent antilock brakes and some help from other suppliers to create a connected and smart trailer platform.
Decisiv Marketplace combines the company’s Service Relationship Management (SRM) solutions and its SRM Ecosystem into a single, shared platform for customers.
Diesel-electric hybrids get less attention than pure electric Class 8 trucks, but niche leader Hyliion Inc. is selling them to Penske Truck Leasing with partner Dana Inc.’s Spicer Electrified components.
Michelin announced a new nationwide trailer maintenance program that will offer a single outsourced solution for fleets.
Several new products and services were announced ahead of the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting on Sunday in Atlanta. Alcoa Wheels, Mitchell 1, FlowBelow and Snap-on were just a few of the companies.
Phillips Connect Technologies has introduced a series of technologies that use data to reduce downtime and prevent improper trailer use.
vHub’s trailing repositioning and sharing marketplace is designed to increase trailer utilization and revenue through a community-based rental platform.
Winter weather can have a major impact on freight movement. Read meteoroligist Nick Austin’s article about winter weather conditions.
The Justice Department said the former owners of Road Tire Plus Corp. in South Florida avoided paying federal tax on tire imports.
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.
CalAmp introduces iOn Tag and iOn Vision solutions that will improve operations, provide long-term cost savings and enhance driver safety.
The bankruptcy of several trucking firms has impacted capacity and U.S. trailer availability in Mexico, forcing companies to look at different ways to keep freight rates low.
There are so many new features on the New Cascadia that it would take a book to explore them all. Suffice to say this very driver-centric truck is also a maintenance manager’s delight and a business owner’s best investment.
Market Expert Mike Baudendistel looks at the prospects for the truck original equipment manufacturers in 2020.
After consecutive years of record numbers, equipment orders have fallen to replacement cycle levels, making it feel like the industry has fallen off a cliff.
The key metric “net revenue per truck per week” is explained by Chris Henry.
Engine maker Cummins already was predicting a difficult 2020 before the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, where Cummins’ manufacturing operations are shuttered.
Power management company Eaton Corp. missed analyst estimates in the fourth quarter, partially because of weakness in the automotive sector and a $50 million warranty charge.
Startup XStream Trucking is in early talks with two major truck manufacturers about its aerodynamic drag-reducing TruckWings, but its first distribution deal makes them optional on compressed natural gas conversions by Agility Fuel Solutions.
Aptiv’s Q4 2019 U.S. revenue stood at $3.6 billion, a decrease of 1% year-over-year.
Ryder is learning more about how to meet demand for short-term truck and trailer sharing, allowing lenders to cover lease payments and put money back in their businesses.
Justice Department asserts separation will preserve competition in North America.
FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller writes about methods to lower diesel fuel expenses for large and small trucking companies.
After making four investments totaling $12 million in electric truck systems supplier TransPower, Meritor is acquiring the rest of the company.
Fleet failures and bankruptcies contributed to a 14% decline in prices in 2019.
Bulkmatic and Bulk FR8 have joined forces to offer dry bulk brokerage and capacity solutions
A slower year of trailer production is expected as the equipment backlog waiting to be built fell in 11 of 12 months in 2019.
Daimler Trucks is executing structural changes around the world because of sliding sales.
Mack Trucks has entered the electric vehicle space with its LR Electric refuse truck, but it may not be done. The engine, with modifications, may work well in other applications as well.
Chris Henry runs fleet profitability benchmarking and analytics for FreightWaves and facilitates the TCA’s TPP program. If you are interested in benchmarking your fleet’s performance with the best operators, join […]
Seth Holm of FreightWaves Freight Intel Group writes about the impact of nuclear verdicts on the trucking industry. Will 2020 be a tipping point for these huge awards?
The principles of Environmental/Social/Governance are going to be a factor in the future, according to Morgan Stanley
Add Werner Enterprises to the parade of companies testing battery-powered heavy-duty trucks in California.
Mack Trucks is recalling TerraPro models from 2019 and 2020 because the headlamps were not properly aimed during production.
Trailer orders move up and down but the overall industry is ending a decade of growth that is just beginning to slow.
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller writes about the issues the trucking industry dealt with in 2019 and what is ahead in 2020.
It is sort of a hostage situation. New truck orders are stalled until used truck prices go higher.
Latest round of DERA grants allots up to $4 million per project.
The electrification of commercial trucks is edging closer but the industry first must go through a “messy middle” that sorts out the future of diesel and other alternative fuels.
Volvo Trucks is building on sales of electric trucks for urban transport in Europe with battery-electric concepts for construction and regional distribution.
R&D investment delivers top-5 status among FreightTech 25.
The power and fuel efficiency of truck engines continue to rise as their size and weight shrink.
Manufacturers also call for the rapid roll-out of dedicated charging and refueling infrastructure to help reduce the share of trucks running on diesel.
Trevor Milton believes replacing diesel trucks with cleaner alternatives will improve the image of trucking and enable legislators to slash emissions.
Cummins Inc. is winding down its centennial anniversary as the trucking industry it serves also slows. But the company has a history of emerging stronger from downturns.
Engine maker Cummins will lay off 2,000 workers in the first quarter of 2020, the latest impact of a trucking sector recession that is claiming jobs up and down the supply chain.
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.
Darren Prokop writes about the need for a solution to repair and improve the nation’s highways and bridges. What are the options and is there the political will to develop a solution?
A few holdouts have yet to make the transition from AOBRDs to ELDs.
Ferrero USA, best known for being the maker of Nutella and Tic Tac, will deploy FourKites’ predictive supply chain technology for greater insight into its freight movements. Also, Canadian National workers strike and a Montana truck driver’s employer gives him a gift of a lifetime.
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.
Frank McGuigan, CEO of Transplace, in a wide-ranging discussion at FreightWaves LIVE Chicago, detailed Transplace’s current status, market conditions, and how technology is driving an outcome-based business.
In a recent auto awards function in Germany, Elon Musk outlined Tesla’s plans of setting up its fourth Gigafactory in Berlin.
Mark Rourke, CEO of Schneider National, right, told George Abernathy, president of FreightWaves, that a series of regulations hitting the industry will affect expenses or cut capacity, during his time on stage at FreightWaves LIVE Chicago.
The stagnation suggests that only the most die-hard ELD holdouts are still clinging to their old devices.
Hyundai Translead, the largest producer of truck trailers in North America, is recalling 34,960 dry vans because the beam clip of the air hose spring assembly may detach from the trailer, allowing the air hoses to drag on the ground. An air leak and the increased possibility of a crash could result.
A year after announcing a range of e-trucks for the U.S. market, Volvo Trucks has started selling all-electric models in Europe.
Omnitracs reported that 99.9% of its electronic logging devices (ELDs) affected by a four-day connectivity issue are working again, meaning truck drivers can stop manually tracking their movements.
Semi-trailer manufacturer Wabash National reported higher revenue and profits in the third quarter led by growth in its final mile and commercial trailer segments.
The traditional ordering season for new Class 8 trucks opened in October with the highest activity in 11 months. Still, the number of orders placed was the weakest for an October since 2016 — and 51% below October 2018.
Meritor is expanding its Blue Horizon brand of electrified products as it positions itself to be a leading supplier for electric and hybrid vehicle powertrain solutions.
Industry telematics leader Omnitracs is still chasing a fix for a connectivity glitch that caused some models of its electronic logging devices to stop reporting accurate time and location data on Nov. 2.
U.S. truck drivers possibly numbering in the tens of thousands are staring at non-working electronic logging device (ELD) screens after their Omnitracs’ systems shut down on Nov. 2. Omnitracs did not immediately confirm the outage.
While electric trucks, fuel cell tractors, electrification and e-mobility played a large role in the NACV show,, a number of companies introduced lower-profile products that are an important part of ensuring trucks stay on the road and trucking companies are profitable.
BorgWarner Inc., which makes engine components and drivetrains for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles, reported lower third-quarter earnings on slightly higher sales.
More carriers install ELDs as compliance deadline nears.
Bendix introduced several new products and updated a number of others at its press conference at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta.
Jacobs Vehicle Systems is introducing a new engine brake designed for lower rpms as well as two new technologies for improving fuel economy and reducing cabin shake upon engine shutdown. This specially wrapped truck will tour the country in 2020 to showcase the technologies.
Tribunal rules $6 billion class action against manufacturers DAF, Daimler/Mercedes, Iveco, MAN and Volvo/Renault can proceed.
Cooper Tire has added a long haul tire to its Pro Series, giving it a full complement of tires for each position on commercial vehicles. (Photo: Cooper Tire)
Meritor Inc. is expanding its electric axle line with two new models and announced that it has been chosen as one of seven suppliers for an electric vehicle project in South America,
The news this week that Hyundai Motor Company is planning a hydrogen-powered tractor for global markets, including the U.S., could be the beginning of a larger presence for the company into North America.
Sandeep Kar writes about how the ELD mandates in the U.S. and Canada are changing the trucking landscape.
Fleet Advantage says that data supports shorter trade cycles for trailers, allowing fleets to benefit from newer technology.
Hino’s XL Series of trucks will receive new cab configurations for 2021. The brand has renamed several of its trucks and added a host of new features in all its classes.
While Hyundai’s HDC-6 Neptune hydrogen truck concept garnered most of the attention on Monday at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta, it was not the only innovative product […]
Hyundai has unveiled a fuel-cell powered Class 8 truck, the HDC-6 Neptune, that it plans to launch at an undisclosed time in the future. It will be a global truck for multiple markets, including the U.S.
While technology helps improve fuel economy, the truck drivers (pictured here) that participated in the NACFE Run on Less Regional demonstration pointed out the important role drivers still play.
ZF is moving full speed ahead as it builds out its electrification and e-mobility platforms and believes its proposed acquisition of Wabco will allow it to offer full-system solutions to commercial vehicle operators.
Great Dane is gathering all the key issues trailers can have into an integrated platform to make it easier for drivers and fleets to see when something is amiss.
Dana is supplying its electrified powertrain to a terminal tractor designed by Lonestar Specialty Vehicles, offering a new chance for fleets to electrify their operations. The tractor has up to 22 hours of continuous charge and can be recharged in just two hours.
Engines in Australian trucks may have been modified to allow them to break speed limits. Australian police have been reading premises across the country. In other Down Under News: APE eats up AHG; new boss for Orcoda; mobile phone driving surveillance laws; broken bridges; accident black spots; corporate debt.
The impact of IMO 2020 on diesel prices will be the subject of the lead interview this weekend on FreightWaves Radio. Co-host John Kingston attended the Argus Fuel Oil conference […]
The number of carriers running AOBRDs dropped under 5% several weeks ago and has remained below that mark since, suggesting most carriers have already made the switch to ELDs.
Hyundai Motor Co. is expanding its fuel cell ambitions to heavy-duty trucks and trailers with a pair of concepts for next week’s North American Commercial Vehicle show in Atlanta.
Trailer orders in September were the highest since February, suggesting another strong year of production in 2020.
The carriers with the fewest trucks are also the least compliant, meaning the carriers with the most to lose are the same carriers that cannot afford to lose it.
Saudi Arabia eyes multi-billion dollar logistics project; a pot warehouse in ruin; China logistics activity rebounds
Accurate data and careful analysis enable fleets to reverse the trend of lower miles between unscheduled repairs.
SkyBitz has introduced a new sensor with camera that tracks available space and the condition of items inside a trailer. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)