Always on the move
While electronic tools have been able to monitor compliance with Hours-of-Service (HoS) rules since the early 1980s (remember the Rockwell Tripmaster?), it seems some truck drivers and fleets still haven’t adjusted to the technology. Challenges even remained after the U.S. mandated electronic logging devices (ELDs) in December 2017. A lack of third-party certification processes left some of […]
There’s lot of talk about hydrogen as Canada’s fuel of the future. While there’s little doubt it will play a role in decarbonizing our economy, the pathway to hydrogen-powered transportation isn’t paved with soundbites or easy answers. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Stars, including the sun, are giant balls of hydrogen. […]
U.S. trailer orders in January decreased 9% year-over-year to 24,300 from 26,595 a year earlier, reported ACT Research. This comes a month after net trailer orders reached their second-highest level on record at 57,300. Also, orders dropped 58% from near-record results the prior month. ACT Research noted that results reflect a lower build rate. “Build-per-day decreased from […]
WASHINGTON – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced proposed changes to its Safety Measurement System (SMS) to reduce and prevent crashes. The SMS uses data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and investigations to identify and prioritize for intervention the motor carriers that pose the greatest risk to safety. As part of FMCSA’s commitment […]
Trailer orders nosedived in September, according to preliminary data from FTR, dropping 25% from August levels and down 56% year over year. Orders totaled 12,500 units, however, FTR notes manufacturers are still working through backlogs and are carefully managing production as component shortages continue to be an issue. “In the retail market, dealerships still can’t […]
Ritchie Bros. is reporting a 17% increase in the prices for Canadian used truck tractors during the three months ending in September, compared to the same time frame last year. While prices of used vocational trucks also rose during the same time period, they were up 6%. “There is still ongoing price inflation in the […]
U.S. for-hire truck tonnage grew 0.5% in September, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), boosting levels to the third-highest level ever and the best since August 2019. The latest gain came on the heels of a 2.1% increase in August. “This is another example of how the contract freight market remains strong despite […]
Class 8 natural gas truck sales in the U.S. and Canada are up 18% through August compared to the same period last year, ACT Research reports. But while retail sales are rising, fueling infrastructure is contracting, the industry analyst reported in its Alternative Fuels Quarterly. “Sales of natural gas (NG)-powered vehicles, as reported by the […]
Vans and step vans that represent about half the commercial vehicles on North American roads could be fully electrified using today’s technology, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has concluded. And electrifying all such vehicles in the U.S. and Canada would annually save nearly 18.9 billion liters of gasoline and 43.5 million tons […]
Daimler Truck says its independent subsidiary, Torc Robotics, is making significant progress towards automating trucking in the U.S. It has expanded testing in the U.S. to include surface streets, ramps, and turns at controlled intersections. “We are fully committed to autonomous trucking as it can benefit everyone,” said Daimler Truck CEO Martin Daum. “It will […]
