Despite widespread concern about deficits, President Obama’s 2014 federal budget proposal doesn’t shy away from addressing the need to reinvest in our transportation infrastructure. It calls for an immediate $40 billion to repair highways, bridges and other transportation assets, and another $10 billion for programs involving “high-value infrastructure projects.”

GAGGENAU, GERMANY.  Production of a new heavy-duty automated mechanical transmission (AMT) for the North American market has begun ramping up at Daimler Truck’s global powertrain plant in Germamy’s Black Forest.  The first Freightliner Cascadia models with the new 12-speed will head down the assembly line at the company’s Cleveland, NC, plant on May 6.

We’ve just completed a major survey of our readers, asking them a number of questions about the issues they face in running their fleets. Some of the results were not too surprising—the state of the economy is the chief concern for the majority. And some, like the general opinion on electronic driver logs, were unexpected.

LOUISVILE, KY. Michelin Retread Technologies has announced a new pre-mold retread for the Michelin X Line Energy D that comes with a mileage guarantee as well as EPA SmartWay verified fuel economy performance. 

LOUISVILLE, KY. Kicking off a renewed marketing effort at the Mid-America Trucking Show for its Firestone truck tire brand, Bridgestone Commercial Solutions has introduced four completely new tires -- three for on-highway applications and one for on/off-highway.

The new on-highway tires are EPA SmartWay and CARB certified and combine longer tread life with the promised fuel economy advantages, according to Chris Ripani, director of marketing, strategic brands and channels. 

LOUISVILLE, KY.  Predicting that trucking will experience “the power of advanced technologies over the next two to three years,” Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems president and CEO Joe McAleese said it is the responsibility of industry suppliers “to drive acceptance [of technology] by providing payback to fleets” that goes beyond meeting federal regulatory requirements.