Commercial freight transportation businesses rely on data, intelligence, and novel solutions for operational efficiency. Transport Topics technology coverage investigates available technologies, real-world applications of business solutions, and the strategies necessary for advancement. News topics focus on the latest applied science, and issues range from autonomous vehicle and robotics innovations to management software, tracking and transparency, data analytics, blockchain, and the internet of things.
Investment firm Brixey & Meyer Capital announced it has acquired CityDash, a company based in Cincinnati that offers local and regional delivery services for packages and freight.
February 7, 2019
Johnny McIntosh introduces Goodyear's Tire Optix system at an event in 2018. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)
GRAPEVINE, Texas — Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. said during a customer event here that internal data has found that 15% to 18% of truck tires are either underinflated or have other safety-related issues.
February 6, 2019
Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg News)
Elon Musk’s praise for Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van triggered talks between the German manufacturer and Tesla Inc. over potential cooperation on an electric version.
February 6, 2019
Soybeans produce oil that is being used in tires. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)
GRAPEVINE, Texas — Within the next few years, the truck tire you buy may be manufactured in part with soybean oil instead of petroleum. At its annual Customer Care Conference, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. showed off some of the research that is taking place with alternative methods of tire manufacturing.
February 6, 2019Shipment-tracking company FourKites has collected $50 million in funding from a group of existing investors that includes August Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, CEAS Investments and Hyde Park Angels.
February 6, 2019
Tesla Model 3 Sedan (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg News)
Tesla Inc. is cutting the price of its Model 3 sedan for the second time this year, citing the end of a customer-referral program that was a more costly incentive than the company realized.
February 6, 2019
With e-log devices now installed in nearly all longhaul trucks, vendors are adding fleet management features to their products. (Trimble Transportation Mobility)
The telematics-for-trucking market experienced a dramatic explosion in growth over the past three years, driven primarily by the federally mandated rollout of electronic logging devices across most of the longhaul trucking sector. Now that the industry has made that transition to electronic logs, the telematics market is bound to undergo a shakeout because there are more ELD suppliers than the industry needs.
February 6, 2019
Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg News
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he thinks Amazon.com will prevail in building its huge new campus in the city — despite an opponent being recommended to serve on a board with veto power over the transaction.
February 5, 2019
FitzMark
Two Indianapolis-based freight brokerage firms, FitzMark Inc. and Reliable Source Logistics, are joining forces in a quest to build a global “logistics powerhouse,” company officials said.
February 5, 2019
Caitlin O'Hara/Bloomberg News
Waymo is in advanced talks with Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. to develop autonomous cars, according to sources familiar with the matter, in a move that would join a leading self-driving force with the world’s largest automotive alliance.
February 5, 2019