Taking the next step: Volvo emphasizes safety, fuel efficiency in its newly announced VNL
It’s a big year for Volvo Trucks. This spring, the company introduced a brand-new regional-haul truck, the VNR, and already, Volvo reports that it has sold more VNRs since its introduction in April than it sold of the truck’s predecessor in all of 2016. A new regional-haul truck would be more than enough to make
Building on the foundation: Freightliner Custom Chassis sets its sights on expansion
Vocational trucks adapt to their applications—one day a box-truck is called upon to tackle P&D; the next, a dump truck is need to haul dirt to a jobsite. Regardless of the truck’s body, all vocational workhorses share a common steel skeletal structure and fuel-fired heart. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) has been crafting truck, bus
Refining growth: Ford continues to evolve and support its F-650, F-750 lineup
Have you driven a Ford lately? No, seriously—that’s not a marketing tagline. It’s a real question because Ford has sold more redesigned 2016 F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks in the past year than any year since 1997. Ford medium-duty trucks are also the fastest growing volume Class 6-7 brand—so chances are that you have driven one. What
A diverse offering: Western Star sharpens its vocational focus
In addition to her duties as Western Star’s president, Kelley Platt is also the chief diversity officer for Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). It’s a position that urges the company to reach out beyond the normal channels one would think to pull from when hiring and promoting. “Daimler Trucks North America, as a company, wants
The driving factor: Kenworth stays focused on driver-centric features
Standing in the center of Kenworth’s massive booth at the equally massive Mid-America Trucking Show, it wasn’t hard to pick out the OEM’s primary focus: the driver. You know there is a driver shortage threatening the industry, so we won’t rehash the numbers. The OEMs are also all too well aware of the impact.
Setting the pace: Volvo Trucks drives equipment advancements forward
Volvo Trucks is setting a blistering pace as the OEM continues to unveil equipment advancements, updated integrated technology and business partnerships that aim to grow its offerings. Last fall, Volvo pulled the sheet off its futuristic SuperTruck, which boosted fuel efficiency by 70%—exceeding 12 MPG, with some test runs showing more than 13 MPG—in road
Evolving the experience: Hino Trucks invests in dealerships, connectivity to strengthen partnerships
“The momentum from November to December has carried over into January and early signals are that it is going to be another growth year for medium-duty truck sales,” said Dominik Beckman, Hino Trucks’ director of marketing and dealer operations. “Taking into account that housing values and consumer confidence are returning to pre-recession levels, unemployment is
The power of choice: International integrates plenty of options into its new LT Series
International’s newly unveiled LT Series is a clear response to the pillars of productivity that International has been talking about for the past several years—from uptime and DriverFirst amenities to connectivity and improved fuel efficiency. “Driver retention is one of the things that every fleet talks about right now. We’re making it easier for fleets
Extreme flexibility: Western Star 4900 FE offers versatility, durability, fuel efficiency
The Western Star 4900 series truck is a model for multiple applications, from trucks and tractors in a variety of vocational configurations to the more aerodynamic on highway tractor model. According to, Guy Lemieux, marketing segment manager Western Star Trucks Inc., “The 4900 base model is like a ‘Swiss Army knife,’ it provides total versatile
