Technology

INDIANAPOLIS — Alternative fuels and green technologies will continue to evolve and secure their roles within the trucking sector, but diesel is still the most efficient and cost-effective fuel and will be for some time to come, Kary Schaefer, general manager of marketing and strategy for Daimler Trucks North America, told attendees at the Green Truck Summit here last week.

ATLANTA — Industry experts explored a variety of approaches for developing and deploying autonomous trucks and examined the evolving regulatory framework for this technology here at the annual meeting of the Technology & Maintenance Council.

Along a rural stretch of sunny farmland in south-central Florida, a heavy-duty truck drove itself for seven miles on a public road with nobody on board the vehicle.

Although trucking is undergoing rapid advancements in technology, Jeff Harris, the new general chairman of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council, said the industry needs to get “back to the basics” when it comes to repairing equipment amid a massive industry shortage of technicians.

ATLANTA — Truck-Lite Co. announced two developments with its Road Ready trailer telematics system at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting here — a partnership with five industry suppliers and an installation app.

Several lawmakers are calling for an extension of the electronic logging device waiver granted to livestock haulers, who were given temporary reprieve from the mandate in late December.

ATLANTA — Navistar Inc. is expanding its line of remanufactured components for its trucks and its private-label, all-makes parts line as its parts business has experienced double-digit growth in the past five years, according to the company.

ATLANTA — A combination of better equipment, increasing governmental pressure and improving economics is aligning to make a case that alternative-power options can make practical sense to meet the trucking industry’s growing last-mile delivery needs, experts said.

Dyson Ltd., best-known as a manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, hand driers and air filters, posted a surge in revenue driven by demand from Asia, and revealed a growing shift toward developing autonomous products.

ATLANTA — Volvo Trucks said it has begun rolling out its Remote Programming feature for over-the-air vehicle software updates to help customers streamline maintenance and prevent vehicle downtime.