Trucking Equipment

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.

Flashback Fridays previews the soon-to-open Freight Alley Haul of Fame and showcases four trucking companies that contributed to the history of trucking.

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

Protecting market share is part of the battle over longer trucks.

Lawmakers heard how costly fees and equipment shortages along the supply chain are hurting exports.

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.

Manual transmissions have almost disappeared from cars and light-duty trucks. But that isn’t the case in heavy-duty trucks. Read the pros and cons of manual and automatic transmissions in Class 8 trucks.

Hurricane Katrina was a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions during the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, but it also served as an early example of how useful crowd-sourcing and satellite imagery can be in disaster response.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Speed limiter regulations sat idling under Bush and Obama, so truck safety groups now look to Congress – and Trump – to put it in gear.

There aren’t too many signs of a slowdown in the class 8 order book, company officials said.

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.

Profitability will lag in high growth markets like Brazil and India, but aftersales services in NAFTA and the EU will drive profitability growth.

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.

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.

Truck drivers hauling in the state of New York will not see ELD enforcement until state regulators finish getting the rule on the books.

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

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.

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.

Hundreds of manufacturing firms in China seek to take advantage of the vast national investment directed at renewable energy and battery storage technology. This motivates China to capitalize on metal resources necessary for launching the electric vehicle industry.

Fatigue is a big driver-safety issue. SmartCap is wearable technology that helps drivers to monitor and manage their fatigue levels.

The numbers year-on-year are still way up, but there’s been a definite sign of some slowdown.

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

A company that once had problem after problem is turning things around on the back of the strong market for class 8 trucks.

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

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.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — A truck sales boom in Australia may have peaked this year. Although the year-to-date sales figures are up, the forward indicators are pointing toward a slowdown in 2019.

TRUX believes it has built the solution that will disrupt the construction trades and give these underserved markets the transparency and efficiency they are lacking.

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.

Glider kit investigations initiated by Democrats and Republicans are expected to be concluded in early 2019.

An Eaton clutch defect leads to a recall of International truck models and other OEMs may have to follow suit, plus Amazon Air takes off and intermodal growth being driven by inland ports.

New truck orders dipped in November, along with seasonal trends, but remain strong year-to-date with 468,000 units ordered so far in 2018.

Canadian province tackles stricter driver training and Chinese goods to Europe move along the world’s longest freight route. Plus Uptake takes innovation award and improving truck driving jobs.

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 tax changes of 2017 caused some fleets to consider leasing as opposed to buying, and new accounting rule changes could have a similar effect, says Fleet Advantage.

“We are completely certain the Cascadia will revolutionize Mexico.”

As any driver knows, parking is at a premium at truck stops, even during the middle of the day. A new survey is being conducted to get an update on the current parking situation.

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.

A Goldman Sachs report several months ago laid out the strengths of the app that matches loads, but does a lot more than that.

There are projections by the company of a leveling but it’s not imminent.

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?

U.S. Xpress CEO Fuller warns that a lot of companies are still working with 30-year-old technology.

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.

At Marketwaves18, Eric Berdinis said the industry can all benefit from a greater level of cooperation.

Penske Truck Leasing has added a major upgrade to its Penske Driver app, giving drivers the ability to quickly and easily call for roadside assistance without the need for a phone call.

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.

Trailer orders are booming for manufacturers, setting a record in September and nearly matching it in October.

International’s new CV Series of Class 4-5 trucks is designed to help smaller companies scale and give larger fleets the opportunity to expand their businesses with one truck maker.

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.

While most of the new trade deal with Mexico and Canada is an update to NAFTA, there is a paragraph inserted into the agreement that could disrupt cross-border trade via truck.

In celebration of its 60th anniversary this month, Pilot Flying J announced donations totaling $2 million at a Nov. 1 presentation at the company’s headquarters in Knoxville.  More than 20 nonprofit organizations will receive contributions.

Truck repairs are inevitable, but a new solution from Uptake that utilizes Geotab sensors and artificial intelligence aims to identify problems before they become extended downtime events.

FMCSA is allowing concrete pumper operators to work up to 14 hours in a day through a new exemption to the 12-hour workday for short-haul operators.

International Trucks has introduced a new spec package for its LT Series that it says will increase fuel efficiency by up to 8%.

Peterbilt Motor Company has added two additional ratings to its MX-13 engine family for the 2019 model year, both aimed at increasing uptime and improving fuel economy for truck owners.

Drayage to be test bed as OTR market remains out of EV reach.

Tennessee Tech has acknowledged that the results of its controversial glider kit study were “inaccurate.”

Daimler Trucks sold more vehicles in quarter three than a year ago, but its parent company, Daimler AG saw revenue flat for the third quarter at $45.8 billion (40.2 billion Euros).

Revenue forecasts were reached only because of a one-time tax event. But by almost any other standard, it was a strong quarter.

The FreightWaves Research Institute has announced the list of 55 voters who will be choosing the inaugural winners of the Freight.Tech 25 awards, and it’s who’s who of freight leaders.

From on-demand trucking to blockchain, loadboards and freight matching, the list of companies bringing innovative technologies to the freight industry is growing by the day, which makes the 100 that have made the cut to be honored by the FreightWaves Research Institute as part of its inaugural Freight.Tech 100 all the more special.

It started with an open nomination period, and after culling through hundreds of submissions, the FreightWaves Research Institute has announced the inaugural Freight.Tech 100 companies.

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Go ahead, whack your tires. Are they properly inflated? Do you really know? The manual way of checking tire pressure may be costing your fleet money.

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.

Long known for its automatic tire inflation system (ATIS), P.S.I. adding a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to its portfolio of solutions to help fleets more effectively manage tire maintenance.

Tri-state Truck Center in Memphis is part of a family-owned dealership chain. The Memphis location has historical significance, as it was built on the site of Martin’s Stadium, home of the Memphis Red Sox Negro League team for decades.

Rising driver wages and fuel costs pushed up the cost per mile to operate a commercial vehicle in 2017, according to an annual report released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). The group said it cost $1.69 per mile to operate a truck last year, up 6% from 2016’s cost.

“A well-spec’d long-hood conventional stands out in a crowd,” Kyle Cousins, vice president of operations of Fleenor Bros, said after receiving one of the first W990 model tractor from Kenworth.

On Thursday night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kenworth Truck Co. introduced its newest long-hood tractor, the W990.

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.

With ELDs in nearly every truck, it was only a matter of time before insurance companies started to utilize the devices. Progressive is among the first, launching a new discount program for truckers that provide Progressive access to their ELD data.

The underlying science of glider kit emissions was the topic of a hearing on Thursday in Washington, although opponents of glider kits were not part of the panel.

Schneider National has a Crisis Communications Team that is responsible for planning the safety of employees, equipment and customer freight during hurricanes and other adverse weather situations. Here is some of what they have learned.