Trucking Around the World Archive
TNT completes testing of TrailerTail
The TrailerTail may be coming to Europe. ATDynamics and TNT Express, combined with European aerodynamics company Ephicas, have completed a five-month test on ATDynamics’ TrailerTail aerodynamic device, achieving 6% in fuel savings, ATDynamics said...
Daimler holds coming-out party for BharatBenz
Touting its “Made in India” profile, Daimler Truck’s subsidiary Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) revealed its new BharatBenz heavy-duty truck brand at a special preview event in New Delhi, India...
Scania to cut truck production levels
Sweden-based global truck and bus maker Scania is cutting its production rates back a further 15% and plans to lay off some 1,000 workers as it said demand for heavy vehicles continues to decline in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere...
Mercedes-Benz debuts ‘Aero trailer’
Mercedes-Benz has been working on a new trailer it said reduces wind resistance by 18% and fuel consumption by 5%. The trailer, dubbed the “Aero trailer,” was formally displayed at the recent Trailer 2011 show in Kortrijk, Belgium....
Mitsubishi Fuso testing heavy-duty hybrid electric
Japan’s Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. (MFTBC) is testing a hybrid-electric version of its “Super Great” heavy-duty truck, which the company plans to commercialize in the future...
Meritor opens Indian facility
The fast-growing trucking industry in India means that components are increasingly needed. To help meet that demand, Meritor HVS (India) Limited has opened a new aftermarket distribution center in Pune, India...
Survey pegs price as biggest EV hurdle
A poll of 100 financial directors in charge of leasing vehicles for companies in the United Kingdom finds that cost remains the biggest barrier to entry for electric vehicles (EVs) in fleet operations...
Shell Chemicals introduces rollover-prevention device
Concerned for its global customers and truck operators, Shell Chemicals has developed a technology designed to prevent tanker rollovers. The device, the “rollover warning device (RWD),” is available for order now around the world, the company said, following testing in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
Coca-Cola deploying biomethane vehicles
A fleet of 14 biomethane vehicles will soon be roaming the streets around London, delivering the beverage of choice for so many – Coca-Cola...
Menlo Worldwide expands presence in Singapore
Menlo Worldwide Logistics, the global logistics subsidiary of Con-way Inc., has broken ground on a new 400,000-sq.-ft. warehousing and retail distribution facility in Singapore...
Cold-chain experience shared with India
In an effort to both preserve its own crops and position itself as a major player in the export world, India has been working to address cold-storage issues for its fresh produce...
Wabco’s next- gen electronic suspensions for Europe
Wabco Holdings Inc. is rolling out what it calls the “next generation” of electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS) systems for truck and bus makers in Europe...
Mitsubishi Fuso earns ISO first
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. (MFTBC) has become the first automotive manufacturer in Japan to earn the ISO/TS 16949 international standard for quality management. The company is the parent of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America (MFTA) and part of Daimler Trucks...
Deal reached to charge trucks
Representatives of the European Union’s (EU) Parliament and Council have reached agreement on a plan that will allow member states to charge trucks additional levies for “external costs” and vary tariffs as a way to ease congestion during peak hours...
Mahindra-Navistar truck wins top award
Only one year after launching commercial vehicles in India, the joint venture between Mahindra & Mahindra and Navistar (MNAL) has been rewarded. The company took top honors at the Apollo Tyres-CV Awards 2011 in Mumbai, India, winning Commercial Vehicle of the Year and the HCV Truck of the Year...
East European trailer market on rebound
A new report suggests that the recovery in the East European trailer market is underway, with 28.1% growth in heavy trailer demand in 2010 alone. The same report, prepared by the consulting firm Clear, is predicting 2011 growth to exceed 20%...
Wabco, Iveco forge long-term South America deal
Truck component supplier Wabco Holdings Inc. is entering into a long -term agreement with Italy-based truck maker Iveco to provide its air processing unit for Iveco’s complete range of trucks sold in Brazil and Argentina, starting in 2012...
Future of electric vehicle maker Modec in question
Coventry, England-based electric vehicle produce Modec has entered into “administration,” leaving the future of the English electric vehicle market in question and Navistar International’s partner on the eStar on the brink of collapse...
Daimler launches truck brand in India
Daimler has officially unveiled a new line of trucks for the growing commercial vehicle market in India, where the OEM hopes to cut into the large market share that Tata Motors holds in that country. The BharatBenz brand will offer a range of trucks from 6 to 49 tons, Daimler said...
Volvo Trucks leads first successful “platooning” test
Volvo Trucks has successfully completed a first test of a new road-safety concept called “vehicle platooning” at its proving grounds in Gothenburg, Sweden. The demonstration is part of the European Union-financed SARTRE project...
China truck demand drops
After hitting record levels in the second quarter of 2010, sales of heavy-duty commercial vehicles in China dropped 36% in the third quarter, according to ACT Research Co...
GPS use seen as exploding in Latin America
A new report suggests that the number of vehicles with subscription-based tracking solutions will more than double in the next four years in Latin America. Brazil, in particular, will see significant growth thanks to a new regulation, referred to as Contran 245, which will require GPS tracking devices in all vehicles sold there...
Cat-Navistar jv debuts new highway trucks in Australia
The NC2 truck manufacturing joint venture between Caterpillar and Navistar recently rolled out its first on-highway models – the Cat CT610 and Cat CT630 – in Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia...
Truck fleets should avoid London and Paris traffic congestion
Any fleet with freight to move in Europe, would be well advised to avoid London and Paris. That’s one of the conclusions drawn from a study of European traffic congestion by Inrix, a provider of traffic services...
Caterpillar-Navistar NC2 venture starts up in Brazil and South Africa
NC2 Global, the joint truck venture between Caterpillar and Navistar, has started operations in both Brazil and South Africa. The venture was set up last September to produce trucks for global markets under the Cat and International nameplates...
