Interest rate hikes persist, optimism for taming inflation wanes
According to ACT Research’s latest State of the Industry: NA Classes 5-8 report, persistent inflation, continued interest rate hikes, and the potential for recession remain overarching themes. Although themes remain the same as last month, the biggest change is in ACT’s declining optimism that inflation can be easily tamed. “On the bright side, supply-chain disruptions continue to
August preliminary US trailer net orders rising
Preliminary reports show that net trailer orders in August were 17,700 units, up about 6% from July, but a significant 39% higher than the same month last year, according to ACT Research. Final August results will be available later this month. This preliminary market estimate should be within +/-3% of the final order tally. “With
Volvo Trucks to begin customer testing fuel cell trucks in 2025
The testing of fuel cell electric trucks in commercial traffic will start in 2025 with selected customers in Northern Europe, followed by additional trucks in more countries over the coming years, Volvo Trucks says. The goal of the pilot tests will be to look at all different aspects of the truck’s operation including working components,
Are your truck drivers fleeting? Here are equipment-based driver recruitment tips
High turnover rates are unfortunately very common in the industry as a lot of different factors and a number of variables play into the overall retention rate for any fleet. Don’t feel bad though! Retention and recruitment is an ongoing challenge impacting the industry as a whole. There are a few things you, as a
Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia and Steelworkers Union agree on new four-year contract at Salem Plant
Continuing its strong relationship with its union partners, Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia announced it has agreed in principle on a new four-year contract with United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1023. Tetsuro “Tex” Murakami, president of Salem, Virginia-based YTMV, made the announcement. Local 1023 represents approximately 500 employees at the Salem plant. The new agreement will replace
Lytx adds new capabilities to Vision Platform
Lytx Inc. has released reusable user interface (UI) components to help technology partners reduce time to market and accelerate digital transformation by integrating pre-made UI components into their offerings. Lytx is creating a library of reusable UI components for its open application programming interface (API) functionalities along with step-by-step guides for integration. The components are reusable
Schneider, Torc Robotics pilot program to guide Level 4 autonomous truck development
Torc Robotics announced that Schneider and Torc are working toward implementing a pilot program utilizing Torc’s autonomous test fleet. As part of the agreement, Schneider will provide freight loads for Torc’s pilot operations and unique insights on truckload freight that will help guide the development and ongoing commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications. Additionally,
Five truck trend takeaways from September
September was a busy month for the FE Team as we worked to cover all the latest and greatest the heavy-duty industry has to offer. From OEM offerings to seasonal maintenance to electrification to data integration, we were constantly on the ball capturing the stories you want to read. With so much going on, you
ABB expands US manufacturing footprint with investment in new EV charger facility
ABB E-mobility, a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, today announces the continued expansion of its global and US manufacturing footprint with new manufacturing operations in Columbia, South Carolina. The multi-million dollar investment will increase production of electric vehicle chargers, including Buy America Act compliant ones, and create over 100 jobs. The new facility
Volvo Trucks presents a new fully electric axle for extended range
Volvo Trucks unveiled a completely new, fully electric rear axle at the IAA transport show in Hannover, Germany. Freeing up space for more batteries, the new e-axle means even longer range for Volvo’s battery electric trucks. Volvo Trucks has the widest offer of battery electric trucks in the industry, with six different models in serial production.
Platform Science expands leadership team
Platform Science has recently announced leadership additions to its executive management team. Greg Ivancich has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer and Gerald Choung as Chief Revenue Officer. Ivancich joins Platform Science from Saban Capital Group, a private investment firm where he served as CFO. Ivancich’s experience prior to Saban Capital includes Logistics Real Estate investments, most recently
Despite likely inbound recession, factors continue to dull sharp truck downturn
According to ACT Research’s latest release of the North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook, forecasts this month are essentially unchanged from last month. Demand remains healthy, production remains constrained by supply-chain disruptions and tight labor markets, and freight rates and volumes managed to squeeze out small improvements. “We’re hardly at the ‘edge of the cliff’ stage when it