Adoption of air disc brakes for trailers is slowly trending upward as some fleets look beyond the tractor to improve stopping power and enhance safety, industry experts said.

Automated steering capabilities are coming soon to commercial vehicles, suppliers of truck steering systems said.

Shaving off weight has become a central objective of truck component design, and nowhere is that “lightweighting” trend more apparent than on the front axle.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Cummins Inc. has unveiled a concept truck with an all-electric powertrain, highlighting the diesel engine manufacturer’s commitment to electric power as an important part of its future.

Nikola Motor Co. founder and CEO Trevor Milton said he has figured out electric power for longhaul trucks with his upcoming Nikola One, due in production in the 2020 timeframe.

Nanofiber technology, already used in premium fuel filters, also is appearing in oil and air filters to help prevent maintenance problems on modern truck engines. Although nanofiber media offer improved performance, it comes at a cost.

Fleets that have adopted the latest in active safety technologies, such as adaptive cruise and electronic stability control and, most recently, collision mitigation, report that there is little additional maintenance associated with these complex electronic systems on trucks.

Without a doubt, hauling hazardous materials can be a headache, according to some for-hire carriers involved in the highly specialized trucking segment.

To slow the speed of the engine at cruise — called downspeeding, in which every 100 rpm slowed equates to 1% fuel savings — axle ratios are getting numerically lower. To wring the most miles from a gallon of fuel, some fleets are increasingly spec’ing direct-drive instead of overdrive transmissions, which is driving the trend to lower numerical final drive ratios.

Being one of the few CDL holders with an autonomous endorsement to drive a truck with “self-driving” capabilities is a dubious claim to fame. But there it is. And why, if the truck drives itself, is there a need for a credential?