Technology
Commercial freight transportation businesses rely on data, intelligence, and novel solutions for operational efficiency. Transport Topics technology coverage investigates available technologies, real-world applications of business solutions, and the strategies necessary for advancement. News topics focus on the latest applied science, and issues range from autonomous vehicle and robotics innovations to management software, tracking and transparency, data analytics, blockchain, and the internet of things.
Senate Panel Reaches Bipartisan Deal on Highway Funding Package
A group of senators said it reached a bipartisan agreement on highway funding a day after Republicans rejected the Biden administration’s trimmed-down $1.7 trillion infrastructure proposal.
Cummins to Build Hydrogen Equipment Factory in Spain
American industrial giant Cummins Inc. plans to build in Spain one of the world’s largest manufacturing facilities for machines that produce hydrogen from electricity.
Looking Ahead to Autonomous Trucking
Although autonomous trucks are still in their infancy, the continued development and eventual deployment of these vehicles represents a new frontier for the freight transportation business. As this technology advances in the coming years and decades, fleet operators that adopt self-driving trucks will encounter a new management challenge: finding the best ways to combine automation with human labor.
When Will Trucks Drive Themselves?
The road to autonomous trucking is long and littered with obstacles, but developers of self-driving systems for commercial vehicles are making clear and tangible progress in their mission to bring this technology to market.
Some Self-Driving Truck Developers Make Case for Supervised Autonomy
While most developers of Level 4 autonomous truck technology are targeting driverless operation, some see near-term business cases for highly automated, self-driving trucks with a driver still in the vehicle.
US Seeks Sharing of Chip Supply Information to Ease Crunch
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the Biden administration is exploring how to help semiconductor producers and buyers share supply chain information to alleviate the global chip supply crisis, and urged Congress to swiftly pass legislation to fund domestic production.
Securing Your IT Network
Protecting your trucking company’s computer network from the latest cyberthreats is an even greater challenge in 2021 given the stubborn persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to security pros.
Germany Takes Step Toward Autonomous Driving on Public Roads
German lawmakers agreed to allow some driverless vehicles on public roads, a first step toward enabling autonomous driving in Europe’s biggest economy.
Likely Growth in Drone Deliveries Prompts NTSB to Expand Its Purview
The expected increase in commercial drone operations such as delivery flights is prompting accident investigators to expand the types of aviation crashes they plan to review.
Roads Busy Again After Pandemic Bring Risk, Experts Say
The nationwide lockdowns brought on by the pandemic cleared the roads of many passenger vehicles and helped truckers keep goods moving. However, as passenger cars gradually return, industry experts are considering how those pandemic-era roads affected safety and how drivers will respond once they start getting crowded again.