Trucking News

PACCAR and Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (Toyota) have announced an expansion of their joint efforts to develop and manufacture zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) trucks under the Kenworth and Peterbilt brands.

Western Star today introduced the newest addition to its purpose-built vocational line-up, the all-new Western Star 47X. The truck complements the Western Star 49X to establish the Western Star X-Series and extend the platform’s reach into entirely new vocational applications. With a standard 111.6" BBC, the 47X is well suited to regions or applications that require a shorter overall vehicle length, such as drywall trucks, and for those that need to meet federal or local bridge law requirements, such as mixers or super dumps, an optional 110.8" BBC. With the shorter hood and a wheel cut up to 50 degrees, the 47X further optimizes maneuverability for work on construction sites or operation in congested urban environments.

Vermeer upgrades its truck-mounted vacuum excavator line with the new VXT300 truck vac. The VXT300 is outfitted with an 8-cubic-yard (6.1-m3) spoil tank, 6-inch (15.2-cm) dig tube and the ability to carry up to 800 gallons (3,028 L) of water so crews can maximize productivity on the job. It is one of the lightest truck vacs in its class and designed with a low overall height of just 11.5 feet (3.51 m) to efficiently transport spoils from the jobsite to the dumpsite.

KeepTruckin has launched a new AI Dashcam, powered by the leading edge AI processor and advanced computer vision algorithms that instantly detect unsafe driving with unrivaled accuracy and alert drivers in real time. The AI Dashcam is supported by an enhanced safety platform that transforms the way fleets manage driver safety. KeepTruckin’s event intelligence technology and in-house safety team analyze every video within seconds to determine the context and severity, so safety managers can focus on what matters most.

Royal Truck & Trailer, a premier midwestern transportation supplier of new and used trailers and heavy-duty truck and trailer service, parts, and accessories, announced it has acquired Arista Truck Systems. Arista is a leading Morgan truck body dealer, which specializes in designing and installing commercial truck equipment. The purchase of Arista Truck Systems, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, continues Royal’s mission to be the best resource for the transportation industry.

Peterbilt revealed the all-new medium duty Model 535 and Model 536, designed for the Class 5/6 non-CDL lease and rental markets. Working from a clean sheet of paper, Peterbilt designers and engineers have developed a truck designed for maximum efficiency and versatility. The five-year project involved talking directly to customers to fully understand their needs. The all-new Model 535 and Model 536 deliver the highest level of quality customers have come to expect from Peterbilt.

Peterbilt unveiled the all-new medium duty Model 537 and Model 548, designed for the Class 7/8 segment. Peterbilt spent considerable time working with customers to define the key attributes necessary to ensure the new Model 537 and Model 548 provide maximum versatility and rugged performance.

Kenworth introduced a comprehensive new medium duty conventional truck lineup ranging from Class 5 to light Class 8. The new models are the Kenworth T180 (Class 5), Kenworth T280 (Class 6), Kenworth T380 (Class 7) and Kenworth T480 (light Class 8). In addition, for customers needing FEPTO, full parent rails and fixed grille, Kenworth added the Kenworth T380V and Kenworth T480V with a vocational hood.

LineWise has introduced its TLL-500A Series 3 Triple Line Lifter for sub-transmission applications. Designed to support three phases of energized conductors between 34.5 kV and 72.5 kV, the product features all-new hydraulic articulation, allowing operators to easily rotate phases up to 90 degrees from horizontal to vertical orientation while servicing sub-transmission lines. It also includes hydraulic cylinders to extend and retract the outer phases.

The most widespread pandemic of modern history has been active for the better part of a year. With that, there isn't much that hasn't already been said in terms of the emotional toll and drastic subsequent effects of COVID-19. From the initial shockwave to now, much of this crisis has been about acquiring the right tools to ward off an invisible threat.

From personal protective equipment, to cleaning supplies, and additional food rations, the American public might say they have never relied on grocery stores as much as they did during 2020. But what Americans may not realize is that they were actually relying on the trucking industry to keep those stores open. A resource covering the trends of trucking and transportation published by Linchpin reported that almost 70% of goods transported in America are mobilized by trucks, and if truck drivers stopped delivering their products, the majority of grocery stores would find their inventory depleted within three days.

It's safe to say that the trucking industry made a substantial impact toward supporting Americans since the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. But how has the trucking industry itself fared during this unprecedented time in history? As longtime supporters of the trucking and transportation sector, the team at My Little Salesman has reviewed statistics and testimony from across the industry in order to draw a consensus.

The new SnowEx RDV V-plow includes many of the features found on heavy-duty plows, but is specifically designed for half-ton trucks. Constructed of high-strength, low-alloy steel, the RDV V-plow is stronger and lighter than conventional steel and configures to varying vehicle heights for optimum performance on some of the most popular truck models, including GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, RAM 1500 and Toyota Tundra.

SnowEx has introduced its new HELIXX stainless steel hopper spreaders. In addition to the proven durability and corrosion-resistant benefits of stainless steel, the spreaders feature the revolutionary HELIXX material delivery system, an innovative design that helps optimize material flow. Furthermore, by adding a pre-wet and direct liquid application kit, the HELIXX becomes a triple threat – with the ability to spread, pre-wet and spray with one machine.

Palfinger has introduced new service crane boom tip lights for mechanics truck fleets, which make job sites brighter and allows for fewer blind spots and less shadows. With its wide illumination zone, Palfinger’s boom tip lights are capable of covering 2,700 sq. ft. at a 30’ radius with fewer blind spots and less shadows.

The Diversified Products brand LiftWise has introduced its Single Man Folding Basket for service cranes. It provides fall arrest and fall protection, while helping to eliminate the need for ladders or climbing on equipment. When not in use, the basket’s space-saving design folds for easier transport and storage.

Minimizer is answering the commonly asked question: “Do you have a larger toolbox?” Thier new 50-inch box is hitting the heavy-duty aftermarket just in time for the holidays. This Christmas, give the gift of ultra-durable storage space for even the largest of tools.

The Volvo Group and NVIDIA have entered into a new partnership to jointly develop the decision making system of autonomous commercial vehicles and machines. Volvo will be incorporating NVIDIA’s end-to-end artificial intelligence platform in order to further their ability to safely handle autonomous driving on public surface streets and highways. The new platform will enable better training, simulations, and in-vehicle computing, and in order to ultimately provide the company with enhanced safety and efficiency.

Hiab, part of Cargotec, debuted a new crane specifically designed for use with underground refuse containers at the ReinigingsDemoDagen (RDD) trade show in Utrecht, the Netherlands earlier this June. The HIAB S-HiPro 230W has been engineered for operator ease of use in order to safely and efficiently perform job duties in chaotic urban environments. With this crane, even new operators can learn how to quickly get the job done in increasingly crowded city centers without incurring damages or injuries.

The global self-driving truck company, TuSimple, announced that they have awarded their two-week pilot program to the United States Postal Service. During this time, USPS will haul their trailers on five round trips over 1,000 miles between their Phoenix, Arizona and Dallas, Texas distribution centers. To ensure public safety, an engineer and driver will be on board each truck for the entirety of the pilot program in order to monitor vehicle performance.

Allison Transmission will provide their newly developed e-axle solution to Peterbilt for evaluation on their Class 8 truck. The global leader in commercial-duty propulsion solutions developed the highly efficient and powerful axles for electric vehicles. This comes amidst the global pursuit of electrification in the commercial vehicle industry.

Peterbilt Motors Company displayed their electric vehicle lineup at the ACT Expo in Long Beach, California at booth #1934. Featuring a Model 220EV, a Model 520EV and a Model 579EV, the lineup showcased an impressive array of new features.