Self-driving truck developer TuSimple has partnered with four major transportation companies to launch a logistics network for its highly automated trucks, marking a new phase in its push to bring its technology to market in the coming years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed 2020 into a challenging and unprecedented year for the trucking industry, but at least for now, Transport Topics' annual ranking of the largest for-hire carriers in North America remains fairly stable.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains and caused severe business challenges for many fleets, but it also will be remembered as a time when the trucking industry’s essential role within our society has never been clearer.

The introduction of electric-powered trucks will open up a whole new world for fleet maintenance. Although these zero-emissions trucks are only just beginning to hit the road through fleet testing, repair technicians eventually will need to learn how to work on these vehicles as they begin to penetrate the truck market in the years ahead.

The logistics business is evolving rapidly as companies invest in technology to boost efficiency and meet shippers’ rising expectations, but Transport Topics’ annual ranking of the largest third-party logistics companies in North America reveals few changes at the top this year.

Although demand for logistics services likely will increase in the decade ahead, freight brokers and 3PLs will need to adapt and evolve to remain relevant in this rapidly changing industry. Part of our 2020 Top 50 Logistics Companies rankings package.

LAS VEGAS — Even as automated vehicle developers tamped down inflated expectations for fully self-driving passenger cars at CES 2020, several companies continued to tout the market potential for highly automated commercial vehicles.

Highlighting the role of technology in freight transportation could broaden the industry’s appeal to a new generation of workers and entrepreneurs who just might consider careers in this essential business.

Daimler Trucks North America is reorganizing its business into two segments, on-highway and vocational, in an effort to better meet the needs of fleet customers in both categories.