Lytx Reports Noticeable Drop in Commercial Collision Severity
Lytx’s 2026 Road Safety Report, based on 341 billion miles from 6.3 million commercial drivers, shows a mixed safety picture for 2025. While overall collision rates rose 4.53% due to more low‑severity incidents, severe collisions fell 4% and moderately severe crashes plunged 41%. Near‑collision events dropped 23.4% after a 2024 spike, and driver‑coaching on device use increased 40%. The report credits improved fatigue detection (over 90% accuracy) and better speed‑for‑conditions monitoring for the severity decline.
R&J Trucking Migrates From Legacy System to Cloud-Based TMS
R&J Trucking, a bulk carrier with over 600 trucks and 1,000 trailers, retired its IBM AS/400‑based system in favor of a custom cloud transportation management system called BulkOffice. The new TMS was built on the Microsoft Power Platform by TwoSommers,...
How Chameleon Carriers Influence Trucking Insurance, Risk Management
Chameleon carriers—trucking firms that shed their identities to evade FMCSA violations—are re‑entering the market under new DOT numbers, masking prior safety issues. This recycled risk distorts insurers’ underwriting models, leading to unexpected losses and higher premiums across the industry. Regulators...
How Fleets Can Maximize Fuel Efficiency
U.S. trucking fleets are still lagging behind top performers, with many averaging 6 mpg while leaders like Mesilla Valley Transportation achieve 10 mpg or higher. Aerodynamic drag—responsible for roughly half of highway fuel consumption—offers the biggest upside, especially through gap‑reduction, under‑body panels,...
Vehicle Maintenance Certs Boost Tech Careers & Pay, Fleet Uptime
Voluntary ASE and other vehicle maintenance certifications are proving to be strategic assets for both technicians and fleets. ASE‑certified teams deliver 40% higher shop productivity, 60% fewer rework incidents, and a 30% reduction in turnover, while technicians command roughly 20%...
TEL Truck Leasing to Beging Offering Volvo VNL 860
Commercial truck lessor TEL announced it will add the Volvo VNL 860 to its Class 8 leasing lineup, expanding options beyond the Freightliner Cascadia and Peterbilt 579. The new model will debut at the Mid‑America Trucking Show in late March, highlighting TEL’s push...
Crawford Trucking and Fortigo Freight Services Names Best Fleets to Drive For 2026
Crawford Trucking of Des Moines earned the Best Overall Fleet award in the small‑carrier category, marking its first overall win and third consecutive Top 20 placement. Fortigo Freight Services of Etobicoke, Ontario captured the Best Overall Fleet title for large carriers, its...
How Leading Fleets Unite Safety and Operations
At the Best Fleets to Drive For conference, safety leaders from Nussbaum Transportation and TransPro Freight Systems highlighted how integrating safety and operations teams can eliminate friction and boost performance. Both companies train driver managers on operational tasks and create...
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Knight‑Swift Transportation’s corporate vice president of equipment, Mark Kennedy, was installed as the 2026‑2027 general chairman and treasurer of the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) at its Nashville annual meeting. The council also presented its Silver Spark...
Iran Conflict Threatens 2026 Trucking Recovery
ATA President Chris Spear warned that the Iran conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, has pushed diesel prices to about $105 per barrel and added roughly $1 per gallon, jeopardizing the trucking industry's expected 2026 recovery. He also highlighted that 45%...
2027 CCJ Career Leadership Award Recipient Is Kroger's Dan Umphress
Dan Umphress, a veteran of the trucking industry, was named the 2027 CCJ Career Leadership Award recipient. After leading fleet operations at FedEx Freight, he revitalized Kroger’s aging delivery fleet, slashing maintenance costs and introducing LED trailer lights for safety. He...
Carrier Leaders on Navigating the Freight Downcycle
Truckload 2026 panelists warned that fleet size alone no longer guarantees profit in the three‑year freight downcycle. Executives from Knight‑Swift, Hill Brothers, Cargo Transporters and Bison Transport highlighted earnings per mile, cost efficiency and driver productivity as the new success metrics. Companies are...
Werner Celebrates 70th Anniversary in 2026
Werner Enterprises commemorates its 70th anniversary in 2026, marking seven decades since founder C.L. Werner launched the business with a single truck. The carrier now operates one of the nation’s largest fleets, employs over 12,000 associates, and offers a full...
Q4 2025 Major Trucking Earnings Roundup
Q4 2025 earnings reveal a deepening freight recession, with most major truckload carriers posting net losses or sharply reduced profits. Regulatory enforcement of stricter CDL and language standards is accelerating capacity exits, tightening the spot market and offering a potential rate...
Do I Qualify for a Workforce Pell Grant?
The U.S. Department of Education proposed a new “Workforce Pell Grant” that would allow Pell funding for short‑term, high‑quality training programs lasting 8 to 14 weeks and 150 to 599 clock hours, targeting in‑demand sectors such as trucking and diesel...
What Happened to ECM Transport?
Werner Enterprises announced a restructuring of its One‑Way network, dissolving ECM Transport, which it acquired in 2021. The move reflects a strategic shift toward higher‑margin segments such as expedited, dedicated and cross‑border Mexico freight. Werner’s One‑Way truck count fell 10%...
Ace Doran Acquires NHH Services to Expand Heavy Haul Capacity
Ace Doran, a subsidiary of Bennett Family of Companies, has acquired Indiana‑based NHH Services, adding 50 trucks to its fleet. The deal expands Ace Doran’s heavy‑haul capacity and deepens its footprint in the Midwest. NHH brings expertise in flatbed, general...
Test Drive and Review of Mack Trucks Pioneer Model
Mack Trucks unveiled the Pioneer, a ground‑up redesign aimed at the long‑haul segment, replacing the Anthem with a wider, more aerodynamic cab and a new MP13 powertrain. The model promises up to 7% fuel‑efficiency gains from aerodynamics and an additional...
Detroit Diesel Unveils Gen 6 Engines for 2027 Compliance
Detroit Diesel unveiled its sixth‑generation DD13, DD15 and DD16 engines, slated for release in early 2027, to satisfy the EPA’s 2027 heavy‑duty NOx rule that trims tailpipe NOx by more than 80 % and particulate matter by 50 %. The Gen 6 platform...
Real-World Fuel Savings Vs. Fuel Economy: What’s the Difference?
Fleet managers often receive aerodynamic device claims of 5 % fuel‑economy improvement, but those figures stem from controlled tests that may not reflect daily operations. Real‑world fuel savings emerge when test results are combined with a fleet’s specific speed, mileage, load,...
Shippers Wary of Rising Transportation Costs
The 2026 State of Transportation Report shows shippers overwhelmingly expect tariffs to lift transportation costs, with 97% flagging price pressure and nearly half foreseeing higher contract rates. Carriers are curbing capital spending, as 64% postponed equipment upgrades and 47% plan...
Key Trucking Acquired by Division of Estes Express Lines
Estes Logistics, a division of privately held freight giant Estes Express Lines, has acquired Washington‑based Key Trucking, adding the regional carrier’s 21 trucks and established Pacific Northwest network to its portfolio. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, preserves...
Is Your Fleet Ready to Grow? 5 Key Considerations for Carriers
Carriers eye fleet expansion when freight volume steadies, but adding trucks reshapes risk, costs, and operational complexity. Insurance premiums rise with each new vehicle, and driver retention becomes a critical factor as industry turnover climbs. Adequate cash flow and maintenance...