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 March focused on the latest truck trends, all in one place.
5. New truck launches abound
What bigger news could there be in the trucking industry than the launch of a new truck? March being the center of the trucking industry’s trade show season means there was no shortage of new trucks being announced and released. There was the International MV series; the Fuso gas-powered FE series; Chevrolet’s 2019 Silverado Class 4, 5, and 6 models; and Hino’s first foray into the North American Class 8 market. Additionally, the Volvo VNX was announced, and you can watch the first video look at these new trucks here.
4. It’s tax season: find out what the new tax laws mean for your fleet
Passed on Dec. 12, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits and deductions for many individuals and businesses. Editor At Large Carol Birkland reached out to several fleet financial experts to find out how it may impact your business.
3. The newest cabs are being designed with driver comfort and retention in mind
If the latest Class 8 on-highway models from truck manufacturers have one thing in common, it’s that the driver’s point of view was central to their design. Read Seth Skydel’s rundown of the newest Class 8 cabs and their driver amenities here.
2. Air disc brakes continue to increase in popularity
“The brake manufacturers polled for this story pegged the take rate of air disc brakes at around 18% to 25% for heavy-duty tractors. For context, FE asked the same question for a 2015 story and the range at the time was 12% to 15%. That’s solid growth for what’s still a relatively new option, but many of the brake makers see ADBs carving out an even larger slice of the pie in the near future, spurred by the OEMs offering disc brakes as standard.”
The popularity if air disc brakes has been increasing for years; clearly, these brakes aren’t going anywhere. Senior Editor Alex Crissey goes through what you need to know about this emerging category of brakes.
1. The ELD enforcement deadline looms; it’s time to get prepared
“The Dec. 18, 2017, effective date for the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate has come and gone, but fleets are beginning to realize that it didn’t mark the end of the ELD saga—it was the beginning of a new ELD era. The next mile marker on the road toward the mandatory use deadline is April 1—the date when enforcement officials can start putting trucks that aren’t ELD compliant out of service.”
If you don’t have an ELD solution, or maybe you have a solution in place but are having problems getting it off the ground, Editor Jason Morgan is here to help with these three steps to compliance.
