Trucking’s Top 5 News Stories from the Summer of ’24

As summer winds down, here’s a quick rewind of the biggest trucking stories from the summer of 2024:

1. Major Truck Recall A massive recall hit Kenworth, Freightliner, International, Peterbilt, and Western Star trucks due to experimental steering components that could fail, causing drivers to lose control. Fleets have been issued a “Do Not Drive” warning until the defect is fixed.
2. Pushback Against Electric Trucks At the ACT Expo, J.B. Hunt and Ryder System voiced concerns about the high costs and decreased efficiencies in battery-electric trucks, highlighting that the technology isn’t yet at par with diesel, despite its potential.
3. Diesel Fights On Cleaner and greener diesel engines continue to be developed for post-2027 regulations, with new models released from Peterbilt, Kenworth, Cummins, and Volvo, showing diesel’s staying power in trucking.
4. Hydrogen ICEs in the Spotlight Liquid hydrogen engines are gaining attention as a potential replacement for diesel in long-haul applications, with Bosch, Volvo, and Cummins all working on hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines.
5. Marijuana and Drivers With marijuana now legal in more states, the trucking industry is divided on whether drivers should be allowed to use it off-duty. While some advocate for change, concerns about safety remain a major barrier.

Stay tuned, as these stories continue to unfold in the coming months!