Equipment

Motorists on Interstate 95 might be doing a double-take this summer as they share the road with a tractor-trailer hauling a highly unusual piece of cargo — a 5,500-pound Mars rover replica.

U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks in June climbed to an 11-month high amid a moderately improving economy, experts said, but at just over 17,000 were down nearly 6% year-over-year; and through the first six months of the year, sales were off 19%.

Sales of construction equipment in China and Europe and to the global mining industry increased second-quarter sales and net income for Volvo AB, while the diversified manufacturer’s truck division, its largest, treaded water.

Mack Trucks reached an agreement to sponsor Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack.

Trailer orders in June notched the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year gains, as they topped 20,000, ACT Research Co. said.

Mining companies in Australia, the world’s biggest exporter of iron ore and coal, are poised to approve fresh investments in projects, driven by rallying commodity prices and the need to replace depleting deposits, according to global equipment supply giant, Komatsu Ltd.

Navistar International Corp.’s OnCommand Connection Telematics product is available for purchase, as scheduled, after being introduced in March.

A technology developed by researchers at Purdue University could provide an “instantly rechargeable” method that is safe, affordable and environmentally friendly for recharging electric and hybrid vehicle batteries, according to the West Lafayette, Ind., school.

U.S. retail sales of medium-duty trucks in June jumped almost 20% year-over-year, led by strong gains among the lightest-weight segments.

Tractor trailer drivers who crest a hill shouldn’t rely solely on brakes to slow them on the way down. Trucking experts say doing so can result in brake failure and preventable accidents, which they say are often caused by young and inexperienced drivers.