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.
How a Technological 'Tsunami' Is Shaking Up the Supply Chain Industry
Technological advances are hitting the industry like a giant wave, Paul Dittmann, executive director of the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee, said.
Federal Highway Administration Partners With Inrix to Measure, Monitor, Report Health of Road Networks
Traffic data from Inrix Inc., a Kirkland, Wash.-based global provider of car services and transportation analytics, will soon be helping to shape the federal government’s thought process on highway and driver issues.
How Mercedes Plans to Recapture Its Early Lead in Robo-Cars
Three decades ago, an experimental Mercedes-Benz van managed to steer, brake and accelerate on its own. But after the technology was refined enough to put an S-Class sedan through its paces on a highway around Paris in 1994, it was largely set aside as commercially unviable.
Editorial: Growing Pains From Progress
With East Coast ports beginning to welcome the largest containerships capable of passing through the recently expanded Panama Canal, trucking will soon feel the effects of this new era in shipping.
June 5, 2017Tire Makers Work to Develop Product Lines That Promote Greater Fuel Efficiency
Tire makers say they continue to develop more fuel-efficient products ahead of tighter greenhouse gas emissions standards.
Waymo Working on Self-Driving Truck
Alphabet Inc.'s self-driving car unit, Waymo, is working on developing self-driving trucks, the company said June 1.
Japan to Finalize Strategy for Self-Driving Trucks, Delivery Drones
TOKYO — Japan aims to finalize on June 9 plans to allow package delivery by drone sometime around 2020 and the commercialization of self-driving trucks by 2022, as it scrambles to breathe new life into its corporate sector, sources told Reuters.
Ryder Launches App to Track Freight in Real Time
Ryder System Inc. has launched a new cloud-based app available on iTunes and Google Play called Ryder NaviShare that allows trucking professionals and others in the supply chain to track freight in real time.
May 31, 2017Opinion: Urbanization’s Effect on the Supply Chain
For the first time in almost 100 years, the rate of urban population growth has outpaced suburban growth. Americans are flocking to urban areas in large numbers — especially younger workers, or millennials, who view city living as a way to reduce commuting time and transportation expenses. At the same time, we are seeing the deindustrialization of center cities and changes to consumers’ lifestyle preferences.
May 29, 2017Telematics Providers Going Mobile to Expand Capabilities Outside of Cab
The mobile device revolution, started by the release of the first Apple iPhone 10 years ago this summer, has transformed the way fleets communicate with their drivers. For many years, fleet telematics relied solely on proprietary, fixed-mount units in the cab to serve as driver interfaces, but today many telematics vendors offer fleets the ability to communicate with their drivers through mobile devices, ranging from personal smartphones to proprietary tablets that can be easily removed from the cab.