The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is again delaying a rule that many in the industry asked for – entry-level driver training. Also, a look at what life is like on the road for drivers, battery technology could extend vehicle range and UPS to add peak seasonal volume charges.
While Congress and the states kick around proposals to increase funding for infrastructure, Robert Atkinson, an opinion writer for The Hill, has backed the idea of charging big rigs taxes based on the number of miles they drive.
Volvo Group and recycling company Renova are testing a self-driving refuse truck in Sweden that uses sensors that continuously monitor the vehicle’s path and stops the truck immediately if an obstacle appears. Volvo released a video of the vehicle in action.
Good morning. Hope the roads are clear where you are today. As it turns out, that is not often the case for many of us. The American Transportation Research Institute reported that congestion on U.S. roadways cost the trucking industry $63.4 billion in 2015 and resulted in 996 million hours of lost productivity, which is equal to 362,243 truck drivers sitting idle for an entire year.
A Court of Appeals has granted a 90-day delay requested by EPA and NHTSA in a lawsuit brought by the Truck Trailer Manufacturer’s Association over the government’s Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas regulations. EPA requested the delay in part so that it can review the rule, throwing some uncertainty into implementation of the rule.
UPS conducted a drone delivery test in February in Lithia, FL, with Workhorse Group, an Ohio-based battery-electric truck and drone developer. Workhorse built the drone and the electric UPS package car used in the test. Read more about how last-mile delivery is changing: R2D2 may make your next delivery.
To show off its Project Portal prototype hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 tractor, Toyota recorded the vehicle in a drag race against a similarly equipped diesel-powered tractor.
Unlike autonomous vehicles, a driver remains in ultimate control of a truck while in platoon formation. Because of this, it is likely that two-truck platooning will be available to fleets later this year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been teasing audiences for months on the company’s secretive electric truck project. At a TED Conference in Vancouver, Musk posted this shadowed picture of what the truck may look like.
Much has been written about Tesla’s electric truck project and while opinions vary on the viability of a heavy-duty electric semi, some are wondering if the truck is only a vehicle to reach a different end game for Elon Musk.
Toyota Motor North America announced its Project Portal hydrogen fuel cell powertrain this week. The engine produces 670 hp. and can pull an 80,000-lb. pound, the company said. Vehicle tests will take place at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, hauling cargo between the two sites.
There is a lot of fear among drivers that they are being displaced by autonomous vehicles, and plenty of companies building these vehicles are looking to do just that. But one company is approaching the autonomous space with an eye on keeping drivers employed and improving their lives.
While most people assume that drones will someday be making home deliveries, there are other possibilities including droids and even mobile parcel lockers. Whatever method or combination of methods are chosen, though, last-mile delivery may never be the same.
Each week, the industry sees the introduction of new technologies and regulations along with information that affects how each carrier, shipper, and 3PL operates. Each Friday, FreightWaves will provide a look back at some of the industry’s top stories you may have missed.
A University of Michigan study found that only 9.7% of those surveyed said they have no concerns about fully autonomous vehicles. But what about driving alongside an 80,000-lb. autonomous big rig? These are already being tested on roads and could be operational within five years. Is the industry ready for the disruption autonomous trucks will cause?
In a world of volatile diesel fuel prices that rise and fall on a daily basis, the biggest operational variable for any trucking fleet is not within their control. Nikola Motor is promising to change that with its hydrogen-powered electric tractor. U.S. Xpress, is one fleet that believes the future may be hydrogen.
