19 May Electric Trucks Need Infrastracture Development of electric-powered commercial trucks in the 21st century takes the industry full circle to the infancy of the automotive revolution that began in the late 1800s, when battery-powered cars pioneered modern society's fascination with mobility. Early on, at least, battery-powered cars were preferred because they were easy to operate - no cranking the engine to start them. Read more...
19 May Electricity Is in the Air Electric commercial trucks have generated a lot of buzz in recent months, particularly, it seems, since the unveiling last December in Salt Lake City of the upcoming Nikola One, a Class 8 for longhaul use developed by startup Nikola Motor Co. Read more...
19 May CK-4 Oil Makes Headway; Opinions Differ on FA-4 The American Petroleum Institute has licensed about 400 oil marketers to sell the new CK-4 diesel engine oil since Dec. 1 and more than 60 to sell its slightly lower-viscosity relative, FA-4. These new oils, collectively labeled PC-11 during development and testing, promise fuel savings and, in most applications, longer oil-change intervals. Read more...
19 May Electric Trucks Make Inroads in Shorthaul Applications Today, the use of electric trucks is confined mostly to niche specialty and shorthaul operations, but the advances made in those applications could carry over to the longhaul Class 8 market. Read more...
19 May Zero Emissions, Potential Savings of Electrics Appeal to Some Carriers Nikola Motor Co. founder and CEO Trevor Milton said he has figured out electric power for longhaul trucks with his upcoming Nikola One, due in production in the 2020 timeframe. Read more...
19 May Industry Looks Beyond Batteries to Power Longhaul Electric Tractors Technological advances soon could make electric Class 8 tractors feasible for longhaul applications, but rather than relying solely on plug-in battery systems, those trucks likely will incorporate other power configurations such as hybrid solutions and hydrogen fuel cells. Read more...
19 May New DTNA Chief Roger Nielsen Says GHG Rule Will Stick MADRAS, Ore. - Fleet owners should not expect the truck and engine sections of the federal Phase 2 rule on greenhouse gas emissions to change before implementation starts in 2021, said Roger Nielsen, the CEO of Daimler Trucks North America. Read more...
19 May Kansas City Southern Invests Money to Improve Railroad Tracks Kansas City Southern announced a $24.6 million investment to replace cross ties and improve crossings on the railway track between Neosho, Mo., and Blanchard, La. Read more...
19 May Forward Air Closes Deal With Atlantic Trucking Co. Forward Air Corp. has acquired the assets of Atlantic Trucking Co. in a deal finalized May 18, just more than one month after it was first announced. Read more...
19 May Former Celadon President May Purchase Company's Subsidiary Although Celadon Group Inc. President Eric Meek resigned April 28, he'll remain tied to the truckload carrier for a while longer, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Read more...