Fleet Equipment News

About Equipment News...

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.

Business, Equipment, Safety

Mississippi Fleet Preps Young Drivers for Road Ahead

John Stomps, CEO and founder of Total Transportation of Mississippi, said the need for drivers caused him to look into a new strategy in January 2018 — one that involves training those between the ages of 18 and 20 to haul freight interstate.

Jim Stinson | Staff Reporter
May 24, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Fuel, Top 100

Biodiesel, Mudflaps Help Improve Emissions

Although large gains have been made in cleaning up new diesel engines, nearly two-thirds of all commercial trucks don’t meet the latest emissions standards. As of 2017, some 36% of all commercial trucks (Classes 3-8) in the United States rely on the newest generation of diesel engines — a 6% increase over 2016, according to the Diesel Technology Forum, which cited the latest data.

Roger Gilroy | Senior Reporter
May 22, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety, Autonomous

TuSimple Self-Driving Trucks to Haul Mail for Postal Service in Two-Week Pilot

Self-driving trucks operated by startup TuSimple will haul mail and packages across the Southwest in a two-week pilot program with the U.S. Postal Service.

Seth Clevenger | Managing Editor, Features and Multimedia
May 20, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety, Autonomous

NTSB: Autopilot Was in Use Before Tesla Hit Semitrailer

DETROIT — A Tesla Model 3 involved in a fatal crash with a semitrailer in Florida on March 1 was operating on the company’s semi-autonomous Autopilot system, federal investigators have determined.

Tom Krisher | Associated Press
May 17, 2019
Business, Equipment

April Trailer Orders Slide Amid Scarce Production Slots

U.S. trailer orders in April dropped 40% to 13,200 compared with a year earlier as open production slots in 2019 remained scarce, FTR reported, citing trailer makers’ preliminary data.

May 17, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety, Autonomous

Unmanned Truck Operates on Public Road in Sweden

An unmanned, self-driving truck now is hauling cargo on a short stretch of public road in Sweden.

Seth Clevenger | Managing Editor, Features and Multimedia
May 17, 2019
Business, Equipment, Logistics

Spot Rates for Vans, Reefers Slip in April

April saw strong volumes and abundant capacity in spot market truckload freight, according to DAT Solutions’ monthly report.

Jim Stinson | Staff Reporter
May 16, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Autonomous

Robots Take the Wheel as Autonomous Farm Machines Hit the Field

Robots are taking over farms faster than anyone saw coming.

May 16, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Fuel, Autonomous, TCA

Startup Valqari Aims to Prepare Mailboxes for Drone Delivery

You can build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door, Ralph Waldo Emerson noted in the late 19th century. More than 100 years later, Ryan Walsh is building a better mailbox so the world’s goods can be delivered to your door.

Suzanne Baker | Naperville (Ill.) Sun
May 15, 2019
Business, Technology, Equipment, Safety, Autonomous

Britain Is Falling Behind in Employing Robots

The U.K. is falling behind in employing robots as firms make do with older machines or hire human workers.

May 15, 2019