Equipment

Truck driving — one of the most in-demand and stable jobs in Ohio — could face major changes as the industry develops new automated, driverless technology.

China’s Tencent Holdings has developed its own autonomous driving system, according to people familiar with the matter, becoming the latest technology player to dive into a crowded field that could become a $42 billion industry.

What is a trade secret? That seemingly simple question dominated discussions Nov. 14 during a federal court hearing on Waymo vs. Uber, one of the last pretrial sessions before the case, which could shape the future of autonomous vehicles, heads to a jury on Dec 4.

Uber is working on a fleet of self-driving semi-trucks, but it won’t completely replace traditional drivers, the company said.

The number of truck drivers wearing safety belts increased by more than 20% since 2007, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —An improving economy and higher number of vehicle miles traveled “don’t tell the whole story” for continuing increases in the number of fatalities on U.S. highways, National Safety Council CEO Deborah Hersman told executives attending a safety meeting here.

U.S. retail sales of medium-duty trucks in October remained strong amid broad-based demand, pushing past 18,000 units, according to WardsAuto.com.

Tesla Inc. will unveil its electric Tesla semi-truck on Nov. 16 in southern California. It’s all part of CEO Elon Musk’s “Master Plan Part Deux” in which he vowed to expand the company’s lineup to “cover the major forms of terrestrial transport.”

Wang Gang, a backer of Yunmanman and an angel investor in ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, is the top candidate to become CEO if the companies merge, officials said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.