Equipment
Commercial freight transportation is a machine-based business. Highly technical equipment and advanced engineering are at the center of supply chain and require constant innovation. Transport Topics equipment coverage focuses on the machines and other physical assets that make delivery possible. It looks closely at available truck, trailer, and chassis models, developments in the engineering space, and maintenance innovations and best practices.
NTSB: Autopilot Was in Use Before Tesla Hit Semitrailer
DETROIT — A Tesla Model 3 involved in a fatal crash with a semitrailer in Florida on March 1 was operating on the company’s semi-autonomous Autopilot system, federal investigators have determined.
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.
April Trailer Orders Slide Amid Scarce Production Slots
U.S. trailer orders in April dropped 40% to 13,200 compared with a year earlier as open production slots in 2019 remained scarce, FTR reported, citing trailer makers’ preliminary data.
May 17, 2019Unmanned Truck Operates on Public Road in Sweden
An unmanned, self-driving truck now is hauling cargo on a short stretch of public road in Sweden.
Spot Rates for Vans, Reefers Slip in April
April saw strong volumes and abundant capacity in spot market truckload freight, according to DAT Solutions’ monthly report.
Robots Take the Wheel as Autonomous Farm Machines Hit the Field
Robots are taking over farms faster than anyone saw coming.
May 16, 2019Startup Valqari Aims to Prepare Mailboxes for Drone Delivery
You can build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door, Ralph Waldo Emerson noted in the late 19th century. More than 100 years later, Ryan Walsh is building a better mailbox so the world’s goods can be delivered to your door.
Britain Is Falling Behind in Employing Robots
The U.K. is falling behind in employing robots as firms make do with older machines or hire human workers.
Penske Joins Autonomous Vehicle Coalition PAVE
Penske Truck Leasing has joined Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, a coalition of industry leaders that seeks to educate and assure the public about automated vehicles, according to a news release from the two organizations.
Letter: A Future Vision for Diesel Engines
I read with a skeptical eye the article quoting Mr. Roger Nielsen on the demise of the diesel (Transport Topics 4-29, p. 1). It’s true that the clipper ship Cutty Sark had only a decade before the age of steam kicked her off her pedestal as the fastest way to transport tea, but I also wonder if Mr. Nielsen’s predicted demise of the diesel engine may turn out to be an exaggeration.
May 14, 2019Medium-Duty Sales Reflect Stable Demand; All Classes Rise
U.S. retail sales of medium-duty trucks in April posted double-digit gains across all classes, WardsAuto.com reported.