Five truck trend takeaways from March

Five truck trend takeaways from March

The end of March can be a trying time for basketball enthusiasts to say the least. As the brackets narrow in and the final four prepare to face off, fans of March Madness are eager to see which team will take home the title of championship winner.

Here at FE, we don’t believe in picking one winner, but we do believe in picking favorites! Here are our top five takeaways from March we don’t want you to miss. Take a trip to Orlando, crawl under a Great Dane trailer, explore the effects of new powertrain technology, find out more about EV charging infrastructure, and tour the new Navistar manufacturing plant. Sounds like an exciting month to us. Take a look!

5. Talk about GROUND-breaking technology

Leave it to Jason to get the best shot! In this video, get a close-up look at the ConMet PreSet Plus eHub on a Great Dane Trailer. This system captures kinetic energy, converts it to electricity and sends it to an electric trailer refrigeration unit (TRU).

4. Tidings from TMC

Back-to-back press conferences made for a busy day at TMC. From product releases to service announcements to partnerships, we had a ton of news to post. Want a recap of what you may have missed? We have it here for you, all in one place.

3. Trucks and balances

As new powertrain technology emerges, more and more questions surface regarding the future of diesel. In this interview, Jason speaks with John O’Leary, CEO and president of Daimler Trucks N.A., about how the new era of truck technology could impact the tried-and-true diesel trucks dominating today’s roadways.

2. Charging forward

On this episode of The Amped EV Podcast, Jason and David sit down with Rich Mohr, global vice president, fleet solutions at ChargePoint, to discuss not just the growing world of EVs and charging infrastructures that support it, but also the current fueling model that serves both consumer and commercial needs.

1. A different kind of plant growth

Navistar did more than just announce the opening of their new San Antonio branch. They also gave us a chance to look behind the scenes of their 1-million-square-foot manufacturing plant that includes a body shop, paint shop, general assembly shop and logistics center equipped to produce Class 6-8 vehicles.

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Class 8 orders strong in February

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According to the latest numbers from ACT Research, preliminary North America Class 8 net orders were 27,700 units, up 600 units from January and 16% from a year ago. With the fourth-largest seasonal factor of the year at 8%, seasonal adjustment reduces February’s Class 8 intake to 25,600 units, up 5% from January.

“Weak freight and carrier profitability fundamentals, and large carriers guiding to lower capex in 2024, would imply pressure in U.S. tractor, the North American Class 8 market’s largest segment,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “While we do not yet have the underlying detail for February order volumes, Class 8 demand continuing at high levels again this month suggests that U.S. buyers continue as strong market participants.”

Kenworth delivers 15-liter natural gas-powered truck to UPS

The truck is equipped with the Cummins X15N, which Kenworth says will meet CARB and EPA Requirements for both 2024 and 2027.

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ACT Research: 2024 could see trucking recovery

Despite trucking demand remaining weak, ACT Research says imports and international data indicate positive trends in 2024.

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Navistar progressing toward autonomous hub-to-hub transport

Autonomous truck testing is underway, and the company expects customer pilots to be delivered later this year.

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FTR Trucking Conditions Index falls in December

FTR says the drop was mostly due to higher capital cost and a deterioration in freight rates, a trend that could stretch into 2024.

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