Sean reports and comments on trends affecting the many different strata of the trucking industry -- light and medium duty fleets up through over-the-road truckload, less-than-truckload, and private fleet operations Also be sure to visit Sean's blog Trucks at Work where he offers analysis on a variety of different topics inside the trucking industry.
Though the manufacturin of its aerodynamic devices for trailers is contracted out, SmartTruck Systems constructs and tests its prototypes in an engineering facility located just outside Greenville, S.C., connected to a warehouse that keeps a broad array of its products on hand -- a building that even serves as a storage spot for its test vehicles as well.
GREENVILLE, SC. Changes may be afoot as to the types of testing protocols used to certify heavy trucks and related components to the greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards put in place by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) several years ago.
Chrysler’s Ram Commercial Truck division is finalizing plans to roll out a small cargo van for the North American market in 2015 – a van dubbed the Ram ProMaster City and based off the popular European Doblo model, built by Chrysler’s parent company, Italy’s Fiat S.p.A.
Though radically rethinking funding strategies that have been in place for decades is by no means easy, it’s largely being considered by many at the state government level as the only way to bring the U.S. freight transportation network back up to full speed.
Average U.S. retail pump prices for both diesel and gasoline increased this week, according to data tracked by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday when travel by automobile is only expected to drop slightly from last year’s volume.
Changes made to hours of service (HOS) rules back in July combined with the potential for electronic logging device (ELD) mandates may eliminate a source of “flexibility” used by the trucking industry to meet ever tighter just-in-time (JIT) shipper deliver requirements, according to experts.
Sponsored by the American Highway Users alliance and AB Volvo, the Infrastucture of the Future summit brought together transportation industry executives, association groups, and government officials to discuss the growing challenges and possible solutions surrounding the funding and expansion needs for highways, railroads, ports in the U.S.
General Motors recently rolled out an all-new version of its previously discontinued Chevrolet Colorado mid-size pickup for the 2015 model year; a pickup that will eventually feature a diesel engine option by the 2016 model year. GM said the Colorado is expected to go on sale in the fall of 2014. All photos courtesy of GM.
Seeking to capitalize on the demand for more fuel-sipping yet work-capable vehicles, General Motors officially took the wraps off its retooled mid-sized 2015 model Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck this week; a model discontinued by the OEM, along with its GMC Canyon cousin, several years ago.
To win a greater share of the truck parts market in the U.S. – and potentially lay to groundwork to boost both new and used commercial vehicle sales – Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is overhauling its aftermarket parts business; an effort that includes completely revamping its retail inventory management or “RIM” system, raising the level of dealership performance, as well as improved leveraging of its network of six component re-manufacturing facilities.
