Trucking News

Toyota has recently unveiled the second iteration of their hydrogen fuel cell electric Class 8 truck. Project Portal 2.0, an expansion of Toyota’s first test vehicle, is a giant leap towards a future of zero-emissions trucking.The announcement was made for media and industry leaders in Northern Michigan at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management briefing seminars.

As of this July, Kenworth will now be offering predictive cruise control as standard for their T680 on-highway flagship truck model. This addition will serve to boost fuel economy and ultimately make the life of the driver easier. The predictive cruise control functionality is also available as an option for the Kenworth T880.

If power and proficiency are what you look for when choosing to buy a new commercial van, Ram has upped the ante with their new updates to the ProMaster and ProMaster City series. Improvements include significant increases to both payload capability and towing capability. With three new models and notable changes to existing models, the lineup offers a fit for whatever your needs may be.

Freightliner Cascadia truck models will now have a new battery powered HVAC system available as a factory-installed option. The new Battery Powered HVAC system has replaced the previously offered ParkSmart system. Now available, you can order yours today for an impressive 10 hours of cooling or 34 hours of heating to the cab when parked.

Kenworth announced that their T680 on-highway flagship truck will now come standard with both Bendix ADB22X front and rear air disc brakes. While the Bendix ADB22X front air disc brakes have been standard for the past several years, the addition of the rear air disc brakes as standard is thanks to Kenworth now offering rear air disc brakes as standard in general.

As an effort to help customers realize maximum fuel efficiency, Mack Trucks recently announced they will be offering the Mack MP 8HE and HE+ packages for Mack Anthem models. These models, when outfitted with the aforementioned packages, will deliver up to a 9.5 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. The packages also help models to achieve the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay designation.

The recent event for Daimler Trucks and Capital Market and Technology Day saw an exciting announcement from Daimler Trucks, when they unveiled their two new freightliner electric test vehicle models. The eCascadia heavy-duty truck and the eM2 106 medium-duty truck are both scheduled to begin customer testing later this year. These are the first two of the company’s Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet, which will offer the widest range of commercial electric vehicles of any OEM in North America, consisting of 30 vehicles.

Volvo is leading the way in electrified transport solutions with the unveiling of their second all-electric truck, the Volvo FE Electric. Their first truck, the Volvo FL Electric, was introduced just three weeks prior to this announcement. This new truck is designed for heavier city distribution and refuse transport operations with gross weights of up to 27 tonnes, and can be expected to go on sale in Europe in 2019.

Volvo Trucks is following in the footsteps of Volvo cars by introducing their cloud-based service, Connected Safety. This technology allows Volvo trucks and Volvo cars to communicate with each other by sharing real-time traffic hazard information in order to cut down on accidents due to risks that lie on the road ahead. This collaboration between two independent vehicle manufacturers is a move to spearhead the future of vehicle safety with the hopes that more will follow suit.

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, unveiled their fully electric version of their Kalmar Ottawa T2 Terminal Tractor. Producing zero emissions at the source, this fully electric powertrain is not only economical, but comfortable as well. The new tractor has been designed for trailer-handling in dispersed warehouses, container terminals, and for other jobs where short-term highway travel is unavoidable.

Volvo Trucks has announced that they will officially be selling and producing their first all-electric trucks for commercial use in Europe next year. The Volvo FL Electric ror urban distribution and refuse operations, among other applications, is an exciting and logical next step in the company’s move towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly operations. This launch will certainly cement Volvo as a leader in solutions for electrified goods transport in cities.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and XL, a leader in fleet electrification solutions for commercial and municipal fleets that has worked with many Fortune 500 companies to make the change to electrification, recently announced that PSE has finished outfitting forty new vehicles with hybrid conversion technology. This change will serve to reduce each van’s carbon footprint, support the change from petroleum to XL hybrid gas/electric systems, and reduce CO2 emissions by 1.3 million pounds annually. PSE also showcased one of these new hybrid vans at the Green Transportation Summit and Expo on April 17-19th in order to showcase how easy it is for companies to convert fleet vehicles to cleaner systems, in turn, saving costs.

Volvo’s new VNX heavy-haul series has all the brawn you need for heavy-haul applications like logging, heavy equipment transport, and long combination vehicles. These durable, yet polished, additions to the lineup have up to 605 horsepower and 2,050 pounds per foot of torque. In the midst of the company’s revitalization of their product range, this series was the next logical step in complementing both their VNR series for regional hauls and their VNL series for long hauls.

Visitors at the recently held 2018 Work Truck Show had the privilege of visiting the Freightliner Trucks booth in order to explore their wide range of truck models. Guests could also explore the powertrain and connectivity solutions that Freightliner Trucks has established in order to meet the needs of vocational and medium-duty applications. The booth also showcased several alternative-fuel solutions, which contributed to making the experience both relative and informative.

At the recent 2018 Work Truck Show, Knapheide Manufacturing Company unveiled their all new aluminum service and aluminum platform bodies. These additions are, in part, thanks to the company’s new approach to design, manufacturing, and testing, as well as a long-standing dedication to high-quality work-ready solutions. The incorporation of these new body types reinforces Knapheide’s commitment to providing an optimum portfolio of aluminum truck bodies to their customers.

Mack Trucks recently announced enhancements made to their Mack Granite Medium Heavy Duty (MHD) model. Meant to increase functionality and application flexibility, the model is now a great lightweight option that doesn’t sacrifice durability. The announcements was made at the 2018 Work Truck Show, March 6-9, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

International Truck has now added the last piece of the puzzle to their lineup by introducing the new medium-duty trucks. The launch of their 6/7 International MV series completes the company’s Project Horizon product refresh. The debut came at the recent 2018 Work Truck Show, where the project’s initiatives were demonstrated via the truck’s improved cab design and driver-centric enhancements already typical of their Class 8 vehicles.

Muncie Power Products’ investment in the latest noise reduction technology has now brought you the all new quiet power take-off, the FR6Q. A patent-pending spring-loaded rocker mechanism means that gear rattle noise is essentially a thing of the past when it comes to a quiet power take-off. The part is designed to fit Ford 6R140 transmissions in several Ford truck models and is suited for several heavy-duty jobs.

XL Hybrids has announced that the first-ever hybrid-electric Ford F-250 will be unveiled at the 2018 NTEA Work Truck Show March 6-9 in Indianapolis, IN. For trucks using rugged towing, hauling, or utility applications, these new hybrid-electrics enjoy up to 25% increased miles per gallon and reduced CO2 emissions. At booth #3075, you’ll be able to see three electrified Ford pickup trucks, including the XLH hybrid-electric F-250 and the XLP plug-in hybrid-electric F-150, and you’ll also have the opportunity to hear from a panel on vehicle electrification. You’ll even be able to walk underneath the lifted trucks in order to easily see you yourself how easily XL systems integrate with Ford trucks.

Starting on February 5th of this year, vehicle production with the use of their new Detroit DD8 engines would be underway at Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). The latest addition to their already extensive powertrain portfolio, the overall success of the engine thus far is a testament to the company’s dedication to high quality and variety. Since the announcement, overall market leadership for the engine has increased, as well as Detroit’s leadership for medium-duty and vocational markets.