Latest news about logistics and trucks

Ridge Corp. says it has a solution to help prevent trailer front-end top rail and corner damage due to limb strikes and impacts from other trailers being moved around in the terminal lot. These impacts can cause repairs, downtime, and, if unreported, lead to wet-freight claims days or months later due to leaks.

The Trailer Helmet is made out of a resilient, reinforced high-impact polymer that absorbs the impact and rebounds to the original position. The trailer front corners stay protected, and the cargo stays dry. In addition, the aerodynamic shape of the Trailer Helmet has been shown in the wind tunnel to provide aerodynamic drag reduction, according to the company. It weight about 50 pounds...

IntelliTrans introduced a functionality within the IntelliTrans Transportation Management System mobile app that allows truck drivers entering a facility to follow loading instructions while in the cab.

By eliminating the need for drivers to get out of their cabs or wait in line for loading instructions, the new Kiosk feature improves driver safety, speeds up the check-in process and reduces on-site time. The entire process is self-service – from arrival at the facility to being called in for loading via text/push notification...

Foodservice distribution company Sysco received its first series-produced battery electric Freightliner eCascadia, adding to the company's existing private fleet.

Sysco’s first zero-emission Class 8 truck was presented to Marie Robinson, Sysco’s executive vice president and chief supply chain officer, at the Daimler Truck manufacturing plant in Portland, Oregon. The company’s first Freightliner eCascadia is expected to operate at Sysco’s Riverside, California site, which will receive additional eCascadias in the coming months...

Supply-chain problems have caused Tesla to once again push out its estimated date for production of its battery-electric Class 8 Semi truck. According to published reports, during the 2021 Tesla shareholder meeting, co-founder and CEO Elon Musk explained that supply chain issues for batteries, automotive chips, and other components have been limiting production of all Tesla products.

Musk said that no matter how many more vehicle models the company sold, it wouldn’t be able to deliver more units this year. Considering how many more batteries and chips the Semi needs compared to a Tesla passenger car, it is being delayed until these supply chains ramp up, noted CleanTechnica. The Tesla Cybertruck is delayed until the end of 2022 for the same reasons...

Drivers, technicians and office workers in the trucking industry are more likely to be satisfied at small- or medium-sized companies, according to WorkHound’s mid-year report.

WorkHound’s mid-year report results, presented during a Truckload Carriers Association webinar on Aug. 31, outlines the trends in driver feedback so far in 2021. The feedback were gathered weekly through anonymous submissions from over 10,000 drivers, technicians and office staff from 77 trucking companies. The report revealed that drivers tend to prefer smaller companies (under 500 workers), where drivers, techs and office workers reported more positive comments, more praise, and reported a higher satisfaction with their career..

Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage demonstrated the importance and fragility of our global supply chain. These disruptions have fostered a greater focus on investment and technologies by private and public entities looking to alleviate similar future shocks. While these initiatives will help the global economy in the future, certain areas of the supply chain, such as trucking, still face crucial issues here and now.

The trucking industry’s biggest challenge is the shortage of truck drivers to keep up with demand. It’s not new, growing over the past few decades, but the problem came to a head as COVID-19 ran rampant across the world. Because this shortage has been an issue for many years, it’s surprising that there hasn’t been more progress to attract and retain labor. Could it be that many see truck driving as a thankless profession? There are players out there that look to take a “driver’s first” approach, but as many know, this is a massive industry, and this approach is not the current standard...

Economic growth and freight rates are expected to remain solid well into 2022, according to transportation analysis firm FTR, but the struggle to find drivers is expected to continue to plague the industry.

With its annual conference cancelled due to rising COVID-19 cases, FTR has launched a series of webinars in its place. On Sept. 2, FTR’s vice president of transportation, Avery Vise, noted that according to FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index, motor carriers are still enjoying conditions “as good as they had seen prior to the pandemic, although they’ve moderated somewhat from what was a record level.” (This index combines data on freight volumes, freight rates, fleet capacity, fuel price, and financing.)...

National Trucking Week, which runs from Sept. 5-11, has kicked off with messages of thanks from industry representatives and politicians. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney issued a video statement thanking the province’s truck drivers.

“Truck drivers are the backbone of Ontario’s economy,” said Ford. “They’ve stepped up during the pandemic, continued to deliver goods and are always working to protect the supply chain. This National Trucking Week let’s come together to show our appreciation.”

The chairman of the Ontario Trucking Association, Wendell Erb, also joined political leaders in encouraging the industry and the Canadian public to send thanks during National Trucking Week to the women and men who make up the Ontario trucking industry for their critical role in keeping the economy moving and Ontarians safe and secure...

Toyota has spent several years designing a fuel cell heavy-duty truck but previously has relied on Paccar’s Kenworth brand as a vehicle partner. The companies are in the process of building about a dozen trucks for testing in Southern California. Hino announced its plans to also develop a fuel cell truck in October.

“It’s amazing what our team has been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time,” said Glenn Ellis, senior vice president of customer experience, Hino Trucks. “We are looking forward to validating the performance, reliability and efficiency of our hydrogen fuel cell electric system in the XL Series chassis,” Ellis said...