Autonomous

About Autonomous News...

Autonomous technologies now drive significant change in trucking and freight transportation. Transport Topics autonomous coverage provides a comprehensive look at that change. It provides the latest details on deployment concepts such as advanced driver-assist systems, transfer hubs, teleoperations, platooning and off-road automation and latest analysis of the companies who are manufacturing, adopting and investing in these technologies. Readers can follow the impact such deployment has on everything from policy and infrastructure initiatives to highway congestion, fuel consumption, fleet management, driver management and business investment.

Business, Safety, Government, Autonomous

Trucking May Become Collateral Damage in New Container Rule

Truckers servicing U.S. seaports already experience delays entering the ports and making pickups or dropping off loads at terminals, but they’ll soon face yet another potential disruption.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
June 6, 2016

Daily Briefings from Transport Topics

Transport Topics has partnered with Spoken Layer to make one-minute daily briefings available on all your smart devices. Simply say “Alexa, play Transport Topics” or “Okay Google, talk to Transport Topics” to get the day’s biggest trucking headlines.

Business, Government, Autonomous

Schneider Acquires Watkins & Shepard

Truckload carrier Schneider last week announced the acquisition of less-than-truckload specialist Watkins & Shepard Trucking and final-mile delivery carrier Lodeso Inc. to capitalize on trucking opportunities related to fast-growing e-commerce.

Rip Watson | Special to Transport Topics
June 6, 2016
Business, Equipment, Government, Autonomous

Used-Truck Prices Dip; Inventories Stabilize

The price of a used Class 8 truck sold in April fell compared with a year earlier, but inventories stabilized after rising for the past year, analysts said.

Roger Gilroy | Senior Reporter
June 6, 2016
Business, Government, Safety, Autonomous

House Bill Allows TWICs to Access Military Bases

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a measure that would pressure the Department of Defense to let truck drivers use Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards to validate their identity for unescorted access at all of the nation’s 700 military installations.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
June 6, 2016
Business, Government, Safety, Autonomous

House Committee Keeps Provisions on HOS, Safety Fitness, Meal Breaks

A provision that would allow truck drivers to avoid a rest requirement of 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on consecutive days was kept in a fiscal 2017 transportation funding bill a House committee approved May 24.

Eugene Mulero | Senior Reporter
May 30, 2016
Government, Business, Safety, Autonomous

New Overtime Threshold Could Disrupt Payrolls, Revamp Job Classifications, Trucking Execs Warn

Across the trucking industry, companies should be prepared for some type of financial disruption due to the new Department of Labor rule on overtime pay, a senior official with American Truck Dealers told Transport Topics.

Eugene Mulero | Senior Reporter
May 30, 2016
Business, Safety, Logistics, Autonomous

Sponsors, Logo Revealed for 2016 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Help Inc., Velociti, U.S. Legal Services, SmartDrive and Trucker Path will be key sponsors for 2016 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, American Trucking Associations announced May 26.

May 27, 2016
Business, Government, Safety, Technology, Autonomous

Industry Groups Unite to Develop New App Aimed at Making Truck Parking Easier to Find

WASHINGTON — Industry groups announced they will launch a free truck parking smartphone app in August, joining several from the private sector already in place.

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
May 23, 2016
Business, Autonomous

Western Star Debuts Transforming Truck

MOUNTVILLE, S.C. — Western Star has launched an off-road truck capable of swapping truck bodies within minutes, enabling operators to use the same chassis for multiple applications.

Seth Clevenger | Editor, Features and Multimedia
May 23, 2016
Business, Technology, Autonomous

Kenworth Boosts Automation at Manufacturing Facility

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Gridiron rises on the roof of Kenworth Truck Co.’s assembly plant here as a new structure takes shape to automate the storage and retrieval of painted truck cabs, sleepers and hoods awaiting trim, while down below the company continues building trucks — but at a reduced rate since last year.

Roger Gilroy | Senior Reporter
May 23, 2016