New Hybrid TRUs Highlight Utility and Cargobull Partnership
Utility Trailer Manufacturing introduced hybrid transport refrigeration units on March 16, leveraging Schmitz Cargobull’s advanced TRU and telematics technology. The 625+ Mono‑Temp Hybrid and 655MT+ Multi‑Temp Hybrid models feature micro‑channel condensers, two‑stage hermetic compressors, and a Body Control Unit for real‑time fleet monitoring. The launch coincides with Utility’s aggressive North American network expansion, including a new full‑service dealership in Chilhowie, Virginia. Executives highlighted the partnership as a strategic response to a market downturn, aiming to deliver smarter, more efficient refrigerated transport solutions.
SAF-Holland Launches Real-Time Brake Pad Wear Monitor
SAF‑Holland unveiled BrakeSight, a real‑time brake‑pad and rotor wear monitor, at the ATA Technology & Maintenance Council event on March 15, 2026. The sensor integrates directly into Haldex ModulT air‑disc calipers and reports wear data to a frame‑mounted ECU, covering temperatures from ‑40 °C...
Phillips Connect Expands Trailer Intelligence Platform
Phillips Connect announced six platform enhancements aimed at deepening trailer intelligence for fleets. The upgrades introduce a new JumpStart service that delivers six sensor data streams, an upgraded CargoVision system that flags unauthorized occupants, and driver‑behavior analytics that work even...
Trucking Costs Decline for Parts and Labor in Q4 2025
The Decisiv/TMC Parts & Labor Service Benchmark Report shows that combined parts and labor expenses for U.S. trucking fell 1.3% in Q4 2025 versus Q3, with parts down 0.4% and labor down 2.6%. Despite the quarterly dip, year‑over‑year costs rose 2%,...
Valvoline, Cummins Extend Engine Oil Drain Intervals Up to 100,000 Miles
Valvoline announced that its Premium Blue One Solution Gen 2 oil has received Cummins validation for extended drain intervals up to 100,000 miles on 2021‑2026 X15 engines. The new interval adds 25,000 miles beyond previous limits, promising less downtime and lower total cost of...
API Finalizes PC-12 Heavy-Duty Engine Oil Category
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has finalized the PC‑12 heavy‑duty engine‑oil category, which will replace the current CK‑4 and FA‑4 specifications. PC‑12 is designed to boost fuel economy, extend oil‑drain intervals, and improve heat tolerance and after‑treatment performance. A mandatory...
Peterson Introduces ‘Fail-Safe’ Trailer Safety Lighting
Peterson Manufacturing has launched the Genesis Truck and Trailer Light, a ‘fail‑safe’ LED safety lamp designed to stay illuminated as long as the trailer has power. Each diode operates independently, automatically redistributing output when a diode fails, removing ambiguity for...
W.W. Williams Acquires Valley Power Systems
W.W. Williams announced it has acquired Valley Power Systems, a California‑based OEM distributor. The purchase gives Williams an immediate foothold in California’s industrial corridors and adds a portfolio of power‑generation products and rebuilt Allison transmissions. Valley’s long‑standing relationships with manufacturers...
Western Star Retires 57X in Sharpening Vocational Focus
Western Star will cease production of its 57X on‑highway tractor in 2025, redirecting resources toward its growing vocational X Series. The move reflects Daimler Truck North America’s strategy to capture a larger share of the heavy‑duty vocational market, where the...
CVSA to Enforce New ELD‑Tampering Out‑of‑Service Rule April 1
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will enforce a new out‑of‑service (OOS) condition on April 1, imposing a mandatory 10‑hour OOS order for any driver or carrier caught tampering with electronic logging devices (ELDs). The rule follows CVSA’s 2026‑02 inspection bulletin,...
Senators Signal Interest in Infrastructure Funding
Senators Steve Daines and Catherine Cortez Masto urged Congress to use the pending surface transportation bill to modernize permitting, expand freight corridors, and close supply‑chain gaps. They emphasized bipartisan cooperation and public‑private partnerships as essential to delivering a robust infrastructure agenda....
Economy Expanded at Sluggish 0.7% in Q4
The Commerce Department’s third estimate cut fourth‑quarter 2025 GDP to a 0.7 percent annualized rate, half the 1.4 percent advance figure. Growth fell sharply from a 4.4 percent surge in Q3 2024, driven by a 43‑day federal shutdown that slashed government spending and...
Daimler Truck 'Well Positioned for Defense Growth,' CFO Says
Daimler Truck Holding AG announced its strategy to capitalize on rising European defense spending, aiming to double its defense segment by 2030. CFO Eva Scherer highlighted the company's capability to quickly scale production, leveraging its experience managing cyclical markets. The...
Smarter Heavy-Duty Towing for Fleets
Fleet managers are adopting structured processes to locate, dispatch, and monitor heavy‑duty towing providers, cutting response times and operational friction. By using digital tools to identify nearby, qualified vendors and confirm rates up front, fleets gain tighter cost control. Real‑time...
Reduce Pressure on Fleet Safety Teams
ISAAC Instruments unveiled ISAAC InView, an AI‑powered video safety system that pairs dash‑cam footage with telematics to deliver fewer, more relevant alerts for heavy‑duty fleets. By integrating AI event detection, a rugged DVR, and contextual vehicle data on a single...
LTL Segment Health Improving as Q1 Progresses
The less‑than‑truckload (LTL) market is showing a clear rebound in Q1 2026, highlighted by ArcBest’s tonnage per day rising 9.9% YoY in January and a 6% quarterly increase. ArcBest’s operating ratio is projected to improve by 100‑200 basis points, reflecting better...
Duffy Touts Safety Potential for Autonomous Vehicles
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a series of DOT regulatory moves aimed at creating a consistent national framework for autonomous vehicles, with a focus on safety and innovation. The agency approved updates to safety standards that strip away unnecessary requirements,...
Torc Joins Virginia Autonomous Truck Training Grant
Torc Robotics has joined Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Dock to Door Coalition under a one‑year Go Virginia Region 2 grant to shape training for autonomous Class 8 truck technicians and inspectors. The initiative will map workforce needs, identify curriculum gaps, and develop...
Total Solutions for Your Fleet
Rush Truck Centers launched a comprehensive, one‑stop fleet solution portfolio, covering premium brands, parts, service, and financing. The offering includes 24/7 RushCare Concierge support, customizable maintenance plans, and a fleet of over 800 mobile service trucks. With more than 3,700...
Truck Makers Debut Exterior Safety Camera Expansions
Truck manufacturers are expanding exterior camera offerings as construction season peaks in North America. Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) has begun factory‑installing a three‑view camera system—left, right and forward—on Freightliner and Western Star medium‑duty and vocational models, integrated with an...
Samsara Expands AI Driver Coaching Features
Samsara has broadened its Coach platform to cover the entire driver shift, adding pre‑shift audio briefings, continuous in‑drive AI voice coaching, and post‑trip feedback. The system now monitors over 45 risk factors, using AI to triage low‑risk events for self‑coaching...
Plug Power Plans Hydrogen Offering in Power Grid Auction
Plug Power Inc. is preparing to offer up to 250 MW of hydrogen‑generated electricity in a potential emergency auction run by PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest power grid. The bid targets AI‑driven data centers and utilities seeking long‑term, seven‑year contracts. The...
Truck Driver Uses Hacked Carrier Emails to Heist Cargo
A Jamaican immigrant, Romoy Forbes, is charged with a multi‑state cargo‑theft ring that used hacked email accounts of three truck‑load carriers to book and divert shipments. The scheme stole frozen snow crabs, blueberries and high‑value cologne, totaling over $1.1 million in...
SK Lays Off Nearly 1,000 Amid Cooling Automaker EV Plans
SK Battery America announced the termination of employment for 958 workers at its Commerce, Georgia plant, marking the largest layoff in the facility’s two‑year history. The cuts follow Ford’s December decision to cancel the fully electric F‑150 Lightning, a key...
CK Hutchison Unit Seeks $2 Billion in Panama Ports Dispute
CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports Co. has filed an ICC arbitration seeking at least $2 billion after Panama seized the Balboa and Cristobal terminals in February. The company alleges an illegal state takeover, breach of a bilateral investment treaty, and unlawful seizure...
Beef Prices Spur Senate Drive to Split Meat Giants
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation that would require meatpackers to process only a single type of protein and impose tighter limits on beef market concentration. The bill also restores FTC antitrust authority over meatpacking and targets foreign‑owned firms...
More Than 20 States Challenge Trump's New Tariffs
Around two dozen Democratic‑led states have filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s new 15% global tariffs imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The states argue the president exceeds his authority, noting that Section 122 was designed for narrow...
Congressional Policymakers Reintroduce Railway Safety Act
Senators Maria Cantwell and Jon Husted have reintroduced the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, a bill first proposed in 2023 after the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The legislation mandates deployment of defect‑detection technologies, two‑person train crews, stricter emergency‑response...
Shippers and Oil Traders Seek Details on Trump’s Convoy Plan
President Donald Trump announced a U.S.‑backed plan to guarantee free flow of energy shipments through the Persian Gulf by offering insurance backstops and naval escorts for commercial tankers. The proposal comes as recent attacks have choked the Strait of Hormuz,...
Mack Debuts Keystone Class 8 Tractor as Pinnacle Replacement
Mack Trucks unveiled the Keystone, a new Class 8 vocational tractor that replaces the two‑decade‑old Pinnacle model. The vehicle features Mack’s MP13 powertrain delivering up to 540 hp and a modular bumper system, and it is the first Mack tractor offered in...
Samsara Uses AI to Help City Fleets Clear Snow After Storms
Syracuse, the nation’s snowiest city, has cut snow‑removal complaint calls by 30% after deploying Samsara’s AI‑enhanced GPS and dash‑cam system. The platform provides real‑time vehicle locations and video, feeding a public map that refreshes every five minutes and helps dispatch...
Sunbelt Enters US Market as Asset-Heavy Bets Gain Traction
Sunbelt Rentals Holdings listed on the NYSE on March 2, closing at $73.79, a 3% gain, marking its transition from a London‑listed Ashtead entity to a major U.S.‑listed equipment‑rental player. The debut aligns with a broader investor shift toward “HALO” assets—heavy,...
Wabash Parts Network Swells as Manufacturing Plants Are Idled
Wabash Corp. is expanding its parts and service‑center network while idling two manufacturing plants as trailer demand stays weak. The company opened a new Phoenix facility with Ready‑to‑Mount capabilities, adding to existing centers in California, Texas, and the Midwest. In...
Maersk Ground Freight to Open Up to 7 More Facilities in 2026
Maersk Ground Freight announced plans to open five to seven additional U.S. facilities in 2026, following the January launch of its 165,000‑square‑foot Fontana, California hub. The Fontana terminal, featuring 22 docks, is expected to cut turnaround times by up to...
Driver Recruiters Turn to Agentic AI to Streamline Hiring
Driver recruiters are adopting agentic AI to streamline candidate engagement. Tyson Foods recently deployed AI agents that handle initial outreach, pre‑qualify drivers, and schedule calls, allowing its six recruiters to efficiently support a 2,800‑truck fleet. Industry leaders at the 2026...
TMC 2026 Meeting to Spotlight New Era of Truck Technology
The Technology & Maintenance Council’s 70th annual meeting convenes in Nashville March 16‑19, featuring nearly 400 exhibitors across 350,000 sq ft. The event is split into education, exhibition, and voluntary standards tracks, with over 100 task forces shaping new recommended practices. Sessions...
First Brands to Sell Units That Produce Parts for Ford
First Brands Group, currently in a multi‑billion‑dollar bankruptcy, has identified four prospective buyers for its auto‑parts factories, three of which supply components to Ford Motor Co. Ford is prepaying for parts and administrative expenses, a move described by its counsel...
OEMs Monitor Shifting Tariff Landscape
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s broad “reciprocal” tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, but Section 232 duties on medium‑ and heavy‑duty trucks and key components remain untouched. Within days, President Trump announced a new...
Ford Recall Includes Some F-150 Pickup Trucks
Ford Motor Co. announced a recall of nearly 4.4 million vehicles due to a software defect in the trailer‑control module. The flaw can cause loss of communication to trailer taillights, turn signals and brakes, potentially compromising safety. Affected models span the...
US Signals Steady Tariffs Ahead of China Meeting
U.S. Trade Representative Greer announced the administration will keep tariffs on Chinese imports between 35% and 50%, matching the levels set under the Trump administration. The U.S. does not plan to raise rates beyond this range and aims for continuity...
InMotion Global Buys LoadPilot TMS
Transportation management software provider InMotion Global announced the acquisition of LoadPilot TMS, initiating immediate migration of LoadPilot’s freight brokerage and agent customers to its cloud‑based AscendTMS platform. The transition includes a 30‑day complimentary access to AscendTMS Pro, onboarding support, and...
GXO Closes Out Record-Setting Revenue Year
GXO Logistics reported record revenue of $13.2 billion for 2025, a 13% increase year‑over‑year, with Q4 sales climbing 7.9% to $3.51 billion. Net income fell to $36 million for the full year, while quarterly profit was $43 million, reflecting higher investment in growth initiatives....
Autonomous Vehicles Steer Robotics Growth
Barclays analysts project the AI‑powered robotics market could reach a trillion dollars by 2035, with autonomous vehicles acting as the catalyst. The report identifies roughly 200 public companies, half of which already have corporate bonds, as potential beneficiaries. Automakers, logistics...
Making the Business Case Amidst the Rapid Proliferation of Advanced Fleet Technology and Digital Innovations
Commercial fleets are entering a rapid digital transformation, with AI‑driven analytics, connected‑vehicle platforms, and software‑defined trucks promising predictive maintenance, condition‑based service, and over‑the‑air updates. Operators can now forecast failures days in advance, shift from fixed service intervals, and make data‑backed...
