Imagine that a half-loaded trailer sitting in a yard for five days could tell you that its right front outside tire had low air pressure. For a trailer equipped with telematics technology capable of powering itself untethered to a tractor, such a scenario is not only possible, but doable.

A survey conducted by American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council in March and April found that the COVID-19 pandemic had little impact on the readiness of the technician labor force for fleets and service providers.

As COVID-19 spread across the country and the number of cases began to spike, some trucking companies and truck dealers made significant operational changes in their maintenance shops to prevent exposure to the virus.

As engine oil suppliers develop new formulations to protect diesel engines and enhance their efficiency, some are paying particularly close attention to the performance of exhaust aftertreatment systems.

DHL Express, FedEx and other companies specialize in arranging transportation for large animals, including manatees, pandas and elephants.

Self-driving truck developers are putting a growing number of test vehicles on the road to refine their automated driving systems and pave the way for the commercial introduction of this technology.

In-cab monitoring systems can help fleets keep drivers out of danger, but technology should be just one part of the broader culture of safety within a company.

To provide more aggressive delivery options, retailers have been placing increasingly stringent delivery windows on suppliers and their trucking companies.

A downward trend in trailer orders this year is accompanying the softening freight environment in 2019, but also follows a banner year when motor carriers stocked up on equipment they think they’ll need to navigate the next several years, fleet and manufacturing executives said.