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.
Canadian Company Tests System That Converts CO2 Into Fuel
A Canadian startup is testing a system that sucks carbon dioxide from the air and converts it into fuel for cars and other vehicles.
Ford Refuses to Rush Into Robo-Taxis, Even After GM, Waymo Deals
General Motors Co. and Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo rocked the auto industry last week with self-driving deals that will have each deploying thousands of robo-taxis onto U.S. roads over the next 18 months. Ford Motor Co., meanwhile, will continue biding its time.
Defining Driver Responsibility When Trucks Begin to Drive Themselves
As truck makers and technology developers work toward introducing vehicles with some level of automated driving features in the years ahead, it will be essential for drivers to have a clear understanding of what those systems can and cannot do and how much they can rely on them.
June 8, 2018The Eyes of Autonomy
Advances in sensor technology will play a key role in the development of increasingly sophisticated driver- assist systems and the eventual deployment of self-driving trucks in commercial fleets.
Website Not Encrypted? Google Soon Will Add Warnings That Could Turn Visitors Away
Come July, Google Chrome will add stark security warnings that could turn business away from your website if it’s unencrypted. Specifically, Google will brand your site as “not secure” in the address bar of its popular web browser if it senses you’re operating without encryption. “Users presented with this warning will be less likely to interact with these sites or trust their content,” so it’s “imperative” that site operators get their websites encrypted, said Patrick Donahue, security engineering product lead at Cloudflare, a web services provider.
The Future Is Autonomous, Not Jobless
If autonomous vehicles are the future of the trucking industry, what is the future of the truck driver? On the surface, it might appear to some casual observers that automation could soon spell the end of the truck driving profession, but that perception quickly falls apart when examining the current limitations of the technology and the stark realities of trucking’s labor needs.
Roadside Repairs by Fleets Rose 21% in 1Q, Study Says
RALEIGH, N.C. — Fleets saw their roadside breakdowns increase by 21% in the first quarter this year compared with the fourth quarter of 2017, according to the Truckload Vertical Benchmarking Study from American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council and FleetNet America.
Sacramento Begins Experiment With Digital License Plates
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The digital license plate on display outside Sacramento City Hall on June 4 does a lot of things other technology can already do.
Cyberattacks Called a Growing Threat to Trucking Industry
RALEIGH, N.C. — The threat of cyberattacks to the trucking and logistics industries is real, the number of attacks are growing and each attack has the potential to cripple a company, according to a panel of experts June 6 at the Fleet Data Management and Cybersecurity Conference here.
Freightliner Unveils All-Electric eCascadia, eM2 Models
PORTLAND, Ore. — Freightliner Trucks introduced the first all-electric versions of its heavy-duty Cascadia and medium-duty M2 models here, a major step toward bringing a full lineup of electric trucks to the North American market.