First Brands to Sell 12 Brands Including Autolite for $25M
Bankrupt auto parts maker First Brands Group has agreed to sell 12 of its most recognizable brands, including Autolite, Fram and Trico, to PGI Northstar for $25 million. The transaction also transfers certain liabilities tied to the brands and must be approved by a bankruptcy judge. The deal follows First Brands shuttering 17 facilities, laying off 4,000 workers, and previously selling its fuel‑control division for $50 million amid fraud investigations. Proceeds will be distributed to creditors harmed by the alleged corporate fraud.
Hormuz Ship Traffic Stays Frozen Despite Move to Start Fees
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually halted four weeks into the Iran‑Israel conflict, with only six vessels recorded on March 26 versus the pre‑war average of nearly 60 daily transits in 2025. Iran announced a toll system demanding...
US Insurance Program to Support Hormuz Shipping to Begin Soon
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. insurance and naval‑escort program for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz will launch imminently, aiming to revive oil and gas flows that account for roughly one‑fifth of global supply. The initiative, run...
Shutdown Chaos at Airports Sends Hertz, Avis Shares Higher
A partial U.S. government shutdown has triggered lengthy airport security lines, prompting investors to bet on increased ground travel. Hertz Global Holdings shares jumped 8.6% and its website traffic rose 15% as travelers seek alternatives, while Avis Budget Group surged...
Oil Prices Rise as Wall Street Swings to Doubt on Iran Talks
Oil prices jumped on March 26 as Brent crude rose 4.8% to $101.94 a barrel, driven by renewed doubts over the Iran‑U.S. cease‑fire talks and heightened tension in the Strait of Hormuz. The rally pushed the S&P 500 down 1.2%, the Dow...
Windrose’s First US Deliveries Due in May Through Xos
Windrose Technology will begin U.S. deliveries of its fully assembled R700 Class 8 battery‑electric trucks in May, with Xos acting as importer, dealer and aftermarket provider. The R700 is offered in a short‑range 436 kWh version (200‑250 mi) priced around $270,000 and a...
Rep. Rouzer Touts Stronger CDL Rules With Dalilah's Law
Rep. David Rouzer is steering Dalilah’s Law, a bill tightening English‑language proficiency rules for commercial driver’s licenses, toward an April House vote. The legislation, highlighted in President Trump’s State of the Union, seeks to standardize state verification of CDL eligibility...
Medium-Duty Truck Demand Falls Again in February
U.S. medium‑duty truck sales slipped 14.1% in February, falling to 13,591 units and marking the 13th consecutive month of year‑over‑year declines. The drop follows a 15.2% sequential decline from January and reflects soft demand across classes 4‑7. Ford remained the...
Honda, Sony Drop Afeela EV Project, Reassess Partnership
Honda Motor Co. and Sony Group have scrapped their joint Afeela electric‑vehicle project, ending development of the first‑ and second‑generation models. The decision comes as Honda faces $15.7 billion in EV‑related charges and a broader EV overhaul, while Sony Honda Mobility...
Nebraska Seeks Truckers to Haul Hay After Massive Wildfire
Nebraska’s Cottonwood Fire has scorched more than 800,000 acres, displacing roughly 35,000 cattle and destroying grazing land. The state, together with the Nebraska Trucking Association and the Department of Agriculture, is recruiting truckers to haul hay, feed and fencing, offering...
Analysts Doubt Canada Can Meet IEA Oil Target
Canada pledged to add roughly 130,000 barrels per day to meet the IEA’s 400‑million‑barrel oil‑supply initiative, but seasonal maintenance, limited pipeline space and wildfire risk threaten that goal. Upstream firms have already scheduled over 300,000 bpd of spring turnarounds and...
Oil Tanker Market’s Key Rate Thrown Into Chaos
The Baltic Exchange’s TD3 tanker rate, which benchmarks Middle‑East‑to‑China freight, was forced to continue referencing Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port despite the Strait of Hormuz being effectively closed. With almost no actual voyages, shipbrokers were left to price a hypothetical risk,...
TMC Welcomes Mark Kennedy as Its 67th General Chairman
The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) introduced Mark Kennedy, corporate vice‑president of equipment at Knight‑Swift Transportation, as its 67th general chairman and treasurer. Kennedy, a TMC member since 2015 and former vice‑chairman, highlighted the council’s role in...
FedEx Lifts Profit Outlook as Network Plan Gains Traction
FedEx raised its full‑year adjusted earnings outlook to $19.30‑$20.10 per share, up from a $19 ceiling, after reporting stronger‑than‑expected third‑quarter results. The upgrade reflects progress on its network integration plan that merges express air‑freight with ground delivery to boost efficiency....
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...
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...
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...