Blog

Lower costs for natural gas-powered highway tractors compared to diesel could make it more profitable for trucking companies to look at longer hauls for intermodal shipments, according to an analyst with transportation/railroad consultant Oliver Wyman. Jason Kuehn, a 20-year veteran of transportation/railroad industry, recently participated in a conference call sponsored by Wall Street investment firm…

A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that trucks operated with electronic hours-of-service recorders (EHSRs) had an 11.7 percent lower crash rate than those not so equipped and 5.1 percent lower crash rates for preventable crashes. The study, conducted by VTTI’s Center for…

Peloton Technology of Menlo Park, California recently demonstrated its Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications and driver assistance technology designed to solve the two biggest challenges facing the $650 billion trucking industry: Crashes and fuel economy. Using a stretch of Interstate 80 east of Reno, Nevada, the company demonstrated with a two-truck platoon. Nevada DOT (NDOT), Nevada Department…

Across the United States, flashing your headlights at another vehicle can mean different things. For some it is a way to tell an oncoming driver that they have their high beams on. Truckers often flash high beams to let a driver know they have reached a safe distance to complete a passing movement. However, the…

The winter of 2013-14 was one of the coldest on record and dropped the 10th largest snow cover on the U.S. since 1966, according to the Rutgers University Snow Lab. The wintry weather disrupted much of the nation’s freight transportation network and created a “target rich” environment for cargo theft, according to insurance industry officials. Trucks…

With fuel efficiency continuing to be a critical element in trucking, industry giant Mack Trucks says its’ focus is to help reduce customer operating costs through a series of technological investments and advancements now on the marketplace. “Customers need trucks that maximize their ROI,” said Stephen Roy, president of Mack Trucks North American Sales and…

Walmart, Peterbilt, ROUSH, Great Dane and Capstone Turbine were among the innovators who unveiled new technology at the recent Mid-American Trucking Show. Walmart showcased its futuristic Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience (WAVE), a prototype tractor-trailer combination that features leading edge aerodynamics, an advanced turbine-powered range extending series hybrid power train, electrified auxiliary components, and sophisticated control…

In addition to new technology and business practices unveiled at the recent Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky, the trucking industry lifted the curtains on its new “Trucking Moves America Forward” (TMAF) image and marketing campaign. The goal of the campaign, according to industry officials, is to market trucking to potential drivers, impart to the…

With an abundant supply of natural gas, many U.S. trucking companies are looking at alternative fuels to power their trucks. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and biodiesel fuels made from corn, soybeans and other natural oils or animal fats are the most popular. Another contender in the alternative fuels race is electricity….

United Parcel Service (UPS) is making the move to propane to fuel its fleet of delivery vehicles in selected markets. UPS bought 1,000 package delivery propane trucks and is building 50 fueling stations at UPS locations, all of which will cost around $70 million. Operations will begin by mid-2014 and be completed early next year,…