Equipment
Commercial freight transportation is a machine-based business. Highly technical equipment and advanced engineering are at the center of supply chain and require constant innovation. Transport Topics equipment coverage focuses on the machines and other physical assets that make delivery possible. It looks closely at available truck, trailer, and chassis models, developments in the engineering space, and maintenance innovations and best practices.
November Trailer Orders Near Year’s Best
U.S. trailer orders surged in November to 31,000, down from 39,645 a year earlier, ACT Research reported, citing manufacturers’ initial data that will be finalized soon.
Trucking Industry M&A Activity Surges During 2021
2021 was an especially busy year for trucking in terms of acquisitions, with various factors creating an ideal market for buyers and sellers.
GXO Announces Expanded Use of Robotics in UK Warehouses
GXO Logistics is deploying 6 River Systems or 6RS collaborative robots, also known as cobots, on multiple mezzanine floors in one of its distribution centers in Milton Keynes, England.
December 15, 2021Singapore Air Picks Airbus Freighters to Renew Cargo Fleet
Singapore Airlines Ltd. signed a letter of intent with Airbus SE for seven A350 freighters with an option to take five more as the carrier phases out its aging cargo fleet.
Aurora, Uber Freight Collaborate on Texas Pilot
Autonomous vehicle technology developer Aurora Innovation Inc. will launch a pilot program with Uber Freight to move goods in Texas.
Medium-Duty Sales Spotty in November
U.S. retail sales in November of Classes 4-7 commercial vehicles revealed the two lighter segments propping up the medium-duty market, with overall sales in the segment rising 1.7% to 18,637 compared with 18,318 last year, WardsAuto .com reported.
Bluewire Aims to Save Carriers’ Reputations
A data-driven approach to reputation management that could help trucking companies counter plaintiffs’ attorneys’ attacks in trials involving crashes is under development.
Spot Market Bounces Back After Thanksgiving Slump
Spot freight volumes fell Thanksgiving week, but they have more than recovered.
VW to Spend $2.3 Billion on Battery Hub, Sets Up New Unit
Volkswagen AG will invest 2 billion euros in a planned battery hub in Germany as part of a decision to create a dedicated company for the carmaker’s battery business.
DHL Doubles Robots as Humans Alone Can’t Handle Holiday Crunch
DHL’s supply chain unit doubled its use of robots in the U.S. this year and now has about 1,500 picking robots at its warehouses around the country, on top of adding 15,000 seasonal workers, Oscar de Bok, chief executive of the unit, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV Dec. 10.