With publication of the Phase 2 federal greenhouse-gas final rule for trucks expected soon, 12 agencies from state and local government have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to quickly produce a national rule that would tighten nitrogen-oxide emissions from trucks.
July 11, 2016Fleets
Perspective, Business, Government, Safety, Logistics
Opinion: Mexican Logistics and Sorting Out the Border
The logistics industry in the United States is rapidly evolving. Thirty or 40 years ago, we worked within our own borders to manufacture and produce many of our own goods. In the 1980s and 1990s, this quickly shifted to China and India, because production costs and labor were much cheaper overseas. Even with the costs of transportation, the United States could manufacture goods much easier in China than in our own homeland.
July 11, 2016
Business
Truckload 1Q Turnover Declines Due to Softer Freight Economy
Truckload turnover declined in the first quarter because a softer freight economy limited shipment volumes, reducing drivers’ opportunities to switch to a new employer, American Trucking Associations reported.
July 11, 2016
Perspective, Business, Autonomous
Opinion: Pre-buying Could Cost Fleets in the Long Run
The trucking industry is notorious for pre-buying trucks before each Environmental Protection Agency-mandated change in heavy-truck engines. Many fleets do so because they are concerned about the reliability of the new technology, or they are trying to avoid the increased cost of new technology. Both are valid concerns.
June 27, 2016
Perspective, Business, Government, Autonomous
Opinion: The Truck Driver Shortage Is a Myth
Truck drivers, for the most part, don’t stay with one company for long. They go elsewhere quicker than they can be replaced.
June 20, 2016
Editorial, Business, Safety, Government, Technology, Equipment
Editorial: Collision Technology Proves Its Worth
Let us pause for a moment and consider the number zero. As in, during a recent test, 150 heavy-duty tractors racked up 3 million U.S. highway miles and there were zero rear-end collisions.
June 20, 2016
Equipment, Business, Fuel
Gearing Up for New Engine Oils
The heavy-duty engine oil specification that has been used for about 10 years is set to be replaced by two new ones: CK-4 and FA-4. The pair have been enhanced to withstand the rigors of lubricating hotter-running diesel engines and boost fuel efficiency better than the current offering, known as CJ-4 and marketed under many brands.
June 17, 2016
Equipment, Safety
Meritor Wabco smoke machine
Safety Systems Start With Anti-lock Brakes
Meritor Wabco smoke machine
Sales of active safety systems are rising and, as of next summer, the first versions will become mandatory on new U.S. heavy-duty tractors. Two of the largest suppliers to truck makers keep making the systems more capable, but no matter how sophisticated they get, they all start with anti-lock brakes.
June 17, 2016
Equipment, Fuel
Energy Efficiency at Facilities Brings Sizable Savings to Fleets, OEMs
Efficiency improvements and energy-reduction strategies at trucking facilities are saving fleets and original equipment manufacturers money and time. Even minor changes — such as conversion from older, high-intensity-discharge (HID) lights to skylights or to light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in offices and break rooms — result in lower electric bills, increased visibility and greater employee satisfaction, facility managers said.
June 17, 2016
Equipment, Business
TT File Photo
Gauging an Engine’s Life Expectancy Starts with B-Life Rating
TT File Photo
Engine makers are providing customers a gauge to help them determine how dependable and durable an engine is supposed to be, called a B-life rating. It’s regarded as the industry standard for measuring the life expectancy of an engine, but the figures are sometimes misunderstood.
June 17, 2016