Autonomous
Autonomous technologies now drive significant change in trucking and freight transportation. Transport Topics autonomous coverage provides a comprehensive look at that change. It provides the latest details on deployment concepts such as advanced driver-assist systems, transfer hubs, teleoperations, platooning and off-road automation and latest analysis of the companies who are manufacturing, adopting and investing in these technologies. Readers can follow the impact such deployment has on everything from policy and infrastructure initiatives to highway congestion, fuel consumption, fleet management, driver management and business investment.
March Tonnage Increases 2.2% Amid Slow Economic Growth
Truck tonnage rose 2.2% in March on a year-over-year basis, reflecting slow economic growth and mixed freight trends, American Trucking Associations reported.
Traffic Costs Industry $49.6 Billion During 2014, ATRI Study Shows
Traffic congestion on the nation’s highways added more than $49.6 billion in operational costs for the trucking industry in 2014, according to a study released April 19 by the American Transportation Research Institute.
Mack Unveils 2017 Powertrain
AUSTIN, Texas — Mack Trucks celebrated Earth Day here by rolling out its 2017 powertrain designed to meet the second part of Phase 1 federal greenhouse-gas limits that start in January, including new technologies for its MP7 and MP8 engines.
Senate Panel Approves DOT Issuing Speed Limiters Proposal in Fiscal 2017 Transportation Bill
WASHINGTON — Legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to advance a proposal on speed limiters for trucks was approved by a Senate panel April 21.
Paccar Changes Kenworth, DAF Leadership
Truck maker Paccar Inc. shuffled the deck on the leadership of its subsidiaries, sending Preston Feight to the Netherlands to serve as president of DAF Trucks and bringing Mike Dozier home from Australia to succeed Feight as general manager of Kenworth Truck Co.
Capitol Agenda for the Week of April 19: Addition by Appropriations?
Trucking leaders have been pressing Congress to adopt a meal-and-rest-break proposal, as well as corrective language to an hours-of-service provision in a fiscal 2016 funding law. This week, Senate funding leaders might be listening. Here's the week ahead for trucking on Capitol Hill.
Cass Freight Index Dips 1.5% in March from 2015 Level
Cass Information Systems’ freight index, based primarily on trucking, dipped 1.5% in March on a year-over-year basis, but gained 1.4% from February of this year.
April 18, 2016Industry: Training Proposal to Worsen Driver Shortage
Many in the trucking industry say the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed entry-level driver training rule has the potential to exacerbate the nation’s driver shortage. The rule requires that students log at least 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training time.
Low Material, Commodity Prices Not Translating Into Discounts for Truck, Component Buyers
If fleets were expecting to see lower prices for trucks, trailers and components as the cost of raw materials continued their downward trajectory, they may be waiting for some time if comments from industry executives are accurate.
Introducing New Vehicle Specs Hinges on Successful Pilot Review
Truck equipment and technology continue to become more complex with every model change. That’s why smart fleet managers involved in buying trucks find it critical to build one truck to a particular specification and perform a pilot review of the new equipment to verify it is built as ordered and to confirm its quality.