Blockchain is more than just a tech industry buzzword; it’s a digital tool that could transform how business is conducted in a variety of fields, including transportation. While its use in trucking has not gained widespread traction yet, behind-the-scenes developments are well underway to advance blockchain applications and governance.

When winter weather arrives, what also comes with it is the use of road salt, which exacerbates truck corrosion.

A huge swath of the United States lies ­within the “salt belt,” which is the states that use large amounts of salt during the winter to control snow and ice on roadways. These states primarily are located in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest portions of the country.

Winter weather brings one of the trucking industry’s greatest simultaneous friends and foes: road salt. Salt prevents and melts ice, making road surfaces safer for travel, but it also significantly speeds corrosion of a truck.

Voice-activated digital assistants such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa are all the rage in consumer electronics right now, and some developers are beginning to apply this technology to the trucking industry to enhance safety and efficiency.

Preventive maintenance on the pneumatic system of brakes is essential to keeping Class 8 trucks on the road.

Traditional truck telematics systems offer fleet managers a lot of data on the performance of their drivers and vehicles, but integrating onboard cameras can provide valuable information that those systems can’t capture on their own, according to technology suppliers.

Technology is rapidly evolving and continuously emerging across many facets of the trucking industry, and tires are no exception. Tire manufacturers report that the connectivity and digital capabilities they provide offer improved efficiencies, cost savings and reduced maintenance for their fleet customers.

The new tire market for medium- and heavy-duty trucks continues to be dominated by familiar names such as Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Yokohama, Firestone and Continental. But an outside force has been making inroads into the domestic truck tire business in recent years, an industry analyst said.