Five truck trend takeaways from August

Five truck trend takeaways from August

We know it’s not easy to keep up with everything that happens in the world of trucking. So here are the biggest stories from August focused on the latest truck trends, all in one place.

5. We had electric truck questions, and fleets had answers

With electric trucks starting to make their way into fleets’ real-world applications this year, FE checked in with fleets to see how their experiences have been with these trucks; how the trucks have held up compared to their expectation; and whether they will consider investing further in electrification, among other burning questions. So far four fleets have weighed in with their experiences; you can find them below.

Six electric truck questions with DHE

Five electric truck questions with Schneider

Four electric truck questions with Penske

Five electric truck questions with Manhattan Beer Distributors

4. It’s time to take truck data rights seriously

Right now, there are conversations happening in the industry between OEMs, suppliers and telematics solutions providers about who has rights to the data that the truck is generating. Do you notice an important and relevant party missing from that conversation?

That’s right! You!

The future of how truck data is used is being decided today, and you, as the fleet that’s putting the truck through its paces, NEED to be in the conversation.

Watch the video below with Neil Cawse, chief executive officer at Geotab for more on this topic.

3. Electric trucks make their way to New York City

Volvo Trucks North America held an event delivering the first of five VNR Electric trucks to Manhattan Beer Distributors in New York City. FE was there to cover the event, and both Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve and members of Manhattan Beer Distributors (as seen in takeaway #5) were on hand to answer questions.

2. The right truck tire pressure puts cash back in your pocket

What if there was a simple way to save as much as $1,000 per vehicle, per year on fuel and maintenance costs? Depending on the state of your tires, there might be.

Watch the video below for more.

1. The new offerings from Mack Trucks aim to meet demand in both the present and the future

Amid a year fraught with challenges, Mack Trucks managed to make a splash in two areas of the truck market in 2020: with the LR Electric refuse truck, and its re-entry into the medium-duty market with the MD6 and MD7 lines.

Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of North American sales and commercial operations, has been with the company for several years and joined at an interesting time in the trucking industry, just as the lights were coming up and the sustainable future started to become visible. In bringing both the LR Electric and the MD Series into existence this year, the OEM showed a simultaneous focus on the past and the future.

FE caught up with Jonathan on both sides of this coin—read the story below to hear about both.

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Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 completes winter trials

Tested in the cold of Finland, and the heat of Spain, Mercedes-Benz says the BEV eActros 600 is slated to launch at the end of the year.

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PrePass comes to four new states, adds 116 sites

With this expansion, the PrePass Safety Alliance says fleets with the PrePass app now have 20 percent more bypass sites nationwide.

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XL Specialized Trailers launches Knight MFG trailer

The Knight, a 48-ft.-long detachable gooseneck lowboy with an overall capacity of 80,000 lbs., is now available form XL dealers.

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