Commercial vehicle electrification developer Proterra Inc. will go public via a reverse merger with special purpose acquisition company ArcLight Clean Transportation Corp. Daimler Trucks is among lead investors raising $648 million Proterra is expected to receive.
Daimler Trucks North America signed a consent order with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agreeing to pay up to $30 million for tardiness in reporting safety recalls in 2017 and 2018.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Republic Services has canceled a 2,500-truck order with embattled hydrogen-electric truck maker Nikola Corp. Plus, Forward Air is on the road to recovery following a ransomware attack and Roehl is the latest carrier to announce a driver pay increase.
Daimler Trucks North America CEO Roger Nielsen flatly stated in 2019 that “The Future is Electric.” In 2020, the company backed the pledge with multiple actions.
Deals with Daimler Trucks, Samsung and McLeod help fleets manage myriad solutions to make life easier for drivers.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Boyle Transportation’s pharma expertise leveraged in vaccine delivery. Plus, Frozen Food Express boosts driver pay and Forward Air adds California LTL terminals.
It’s the most wonderful episode of the year as Dooner and The Dude reflect on 2020 with the whole FreightWaves crew. 2020 has put us through the wringer, but it […]
Daimler Trucks North America says its Portland, Oregon, manufacturing plant has no carbon dioxide emissions and is the first facility to achieve carbon neutrality in Daimler’s global network.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, YRC’s loan is facing scrutiny from Congress, plus LTL tonnage is on the rise and prosecutors ask for the reinstatement of the conviction of former Pilot CEO Mark Hazelwood and two others.
Daimler Trucks and Portland General Electric are creating an Electric Island for commercial vehicle charging, a novel approach to meet the growth in battery-powered freight movers.
Daimler Trucks North America built the 700,000th truck in its medium-duty assembly plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina, marking 41 years of Freightliner production.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, tightness in the reefer market could drive up the price of COVID vaccine distribution. Plus, a charity group is helping truckers in need this year, and investment firms are buying into digital freight brokerage.
Clutch failures in a 2-year-old Eaton recall are responsible for the callback of 8,267 Daimler Trucks models from 2018-2019 in the U.S. and Canada.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, FMCSA tells Washington state it can no longer enforce state meal-and-rest break rules on truck drivers operating under HOS regulations. Plus, carriers continue to be in a strong position as peak season rolls on, and delivery robots are suddenly in hot demand.
A car-crazed high schooler, Samatha Parlier learned long before becoming vice president of vocational market development for Daimler Trucks North America that even though both have wheels and engines, off-highway trucks are quite different from passenger cars.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, the Teamsters have asked a judge to delay oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging California’s meal and rest break rules. Plus, Alibaba is expanding its third-party logistics footprint and it has repercussions for Amazon, and Daimler Trucks launches a new division dedicated to connectivity.
Daimler Trucks is bringing its global connected vehicle development efforts under a single group that will be based in the United States.
Daimler Trucks’ electric truck mileage milestone and new orders for battery-powered trucks at Workhorse Group and Motiv Power Systems keep the juice flowing in industry’s nascent transition from diesel.
Manufacturers take varied approaches to avoiding the chicken-and-egg conundrum of electric trucks. PACCAR is selling and financing them with leases for battery-powered trucks.
Volvo Trucks North America will begin building Class 8 VNR Electric day cab trucks in Virginia in December, continuing an industry surge in bringing battery-operated commercial vehicles to market.
The Q3 pattern for truck makers continued at Daimler Trucks with orders recovering dramatically from the second quarter but sales and earnings trailing because deliveries fell due to the pandemic.
The numbers will be small but the competition fierce as major truck makers debut their first fully electric Class 8 trucks in 2021. Kenworth will be in the zero-emission mix with its T680E built on a Meritor electric drive system.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Amazon is altering the industry’s perspective of peak freight season. Plus, Women in Trucking named the top employers for women and XPO could be looking to downsize.
Daimler Trucks is recalling 142,110 units of the brand’s flagship Freightliner Cascadia from the 2017-2021 model years because the brake lights may stay on after the brake pedal is released.
Six years in development, the new vocational truck adopts safety technology from Daimler Trucks’ on-highway models with other firsts for extreme-use trucks.
Daimler Trucks North America is expanding a recall of medium-duty models because the engine harness could chafe. If the wires are damaged and short, some of the 10,500 recalled trucks may stall and not restart.
Two Volvo VNR electric trucks enter testing; Kenworth dealers taking orders for medium-duty battery-powered trucks; and reverse merger vote date set for startup Hyliion.
While startups announce deployment tests of highly autonomous trucks, Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics are unapologetic about their deliberative approach..
Schneider has announced it will test Daimler Trucks’ eCascadia electric truck while Navistar and Volvo Trucks ink deals to expand charging opportunities.
Makeup orders for tractors and trailers lead to rehiring of some laid-off workers and rebuilding shrunken backlogs from March and April coronavirus shutdowns. But how long will it last?
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 5,604 M2 Business Class medium-duty trucks. Engine harness chafing could lead to a short circuit and an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, FMCSA seeks input on broker transparency, logistics is well represented on the Inc. 5000 list, truck orders returning and Daseke CFO talks the future of the company.
For electric trucks to really catch on, recharging time will have to be on par with a diesel fill-up. More powerful chargers like Tritium’s direct current charger that can juice up a vehicle to 80% in 15 minutes are on the way.
From 15,000 workers on furlough in April, Daimler Trucks North America has seen steady build activity to meet replacement demand into 2021 as its order backlog grows.
J.B. Hunt Transport got first dibs on a Freightliner heavy-duty eCascadia in an expanded customer outreach that Daimler Trucks North America hopes will amp fleet interest in when it begins taking orders in late 2021.
Diesel engine leader locks up engine supply agreement with Navistar through 2026.
Daimler Trucks North America has named Rainer Müller-Finkeldei the new senior vice president of engineering and technology.
Freightliner’s test fleet of 30 electric trucks has circled the world an equivalent of a dozen times as they make drayage runs and a variety of deliveries in Southern California. Daimler Trucks North America plans regular production of electric trucks in 2022.
Freightliner Custom Chassis inspected for brake light malfunctions in 2018 are now being recalled after Daimler Trucks North America found the problem in vehicles it looked at but did repair in the first recall.
Open-platform technologies are allowing innovative trucking fleets to create custom technology solutions that increase driver productivity and improve customer service.
Better-than-expected performance across the board buoys Daimler prospects. Job cuts are a big part of the picture in a preview of second-quarter earnings.
Partnering with TuSimple, Navistar shaves up to five years off industry timeline for driverless trucks, targeting 2024 to sell autonomous semis.
Mexico’s new “Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Heavy Vehicles” will contain monthly data from trucking companies, including wholesale and retail sales, as well as import, export and production numbers for trucks in Mexico.
The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening today in the state of freight.
Daimler trucks is recalling Freightliner Cascadias from the 2017-2021 model years because corrosion of an antilock brake component can cause the brakes to pull the truck to the right, increasing the possibility of a crash.
DTNA’s decision to install Platform Science technology at the factory level opens opportunity for the truck maker and others to generate more driver and vehicle productivity at lower cost.
To gain the most productivity from drivers and vehicles, fleets need a variety of technologies and open platform approaches are allowing quicker deployment at lower cost
Nikola will break ground July 23 for an Arizona plant that will hire 2,000 workers to assemble battery-electric Class 8 trucks before moving on to hydrogen fuel cell models.
A panel featuring OEMs and utilities discusses regulatory issues, incentives and technical solutions designed to make electric truck adoption more affordable and convenient.
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mission Produce to open vast avocado distribution center in Laredo; RCR Rail Co. marks groundbreaking for new Taylor Logistics Park; Daimler Trucks Mexico appoints first female plant manager in Saltillo; CBP seizes 577 of pounds marijuana from shipment of plastic scrap.
Perhaps motivated by the buzz that newly public rival Nikola is getting, Tesla’s Elon Musk says it is time for the oft-delayed Tesla semi-truck to move to full production. Tesla’s share price crosses $1,000 for first time.
Daimler Trucks looked at the mileage data of 130,000 trucks it monitors and predicts mileage driven could reach pre-COVID-19 levels by the end of June.
Near-shutdown of Class 8 truck production in May resulted in stagnant orders as COVID-19 lockdowns took hold.
Growing competition leads Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. to decide against selling medium-duty trucks in the U.S. and Canada after current inventory is sold. Parts and service pledged through 2028.
One manufacturer’s decision to erase 10,000 Class 8 trucks from its build plan threw the industry into negative territory in April; experts expect scant improvement in May.
Major truck manufacturers are using digital tools for ordering parts, repairing equipment faster and transporting trucks for service because of staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a transformational partnership for a growth-stage company, Platform Science will embed connectivity software at the factory in Daimler Trucks beginning in 2021.
Uncertainty beyond loss-making second quarter concerns Daimler leaders, though robust supply chain and cash position suggest fast production ramp-up when economy recovers
The largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks puts worker protections in place as it tries to make up for production lost to the coronavirus pandemic.
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 63,175 trucks dating to 2005 because reflective tape near the mudflaps may be obscured, preventing a following motorist from seeing the truck ahead.
Improperly lubricated steering axles resulting in two equipment recalls by Meritor Inc. leads to callback of 1,532 Freightliner trucks following Navistar reporting similar issue in 2019.
Major truck manufacturers extend production suspensions as the coronavirus pandemic worsens. J.P. Morgan upgrades PACCAR and holds a neutral rating on Navistar.
Daimler Trucks North America is adding 700 service bays to its network this year even though near-record sales of new trucks during 2018 and 2019 suggest a lower need for service.
All four major heavy-duty truck manufacturers now have suspended production for at least two weeks, with market leaders Daimler Trucks North America and PACCAR Inc. the latest to stop building trucks because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Supply chain disruption from coronavirus adds Navistar plant in Ohio to truck operations suspending production and pulling earnings guidance.
ACT Research cannot model downturn scenarios fast enough for Class 8 trucks, but high inventory levels make the coronavirus crisis a good time to take a production break as demand is practically nonexistent.
Crafting a mission statement and values for TravelCenters of America is among myriad tasks veteran turnaround expert Jon Pertchik is taking on in his latest project.
Western Star celebrated a production milestone the same week as parent Daimler Trucks elevated the off-highway truck segment for which the 53-year-old brand is best known.
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexican trucking officials discuss cross-border goals; CBP finds $590,000 of meth in shipment of stone items; Mexican automotive industry’s 2019 foreign investment: $3.9 billion; Helion targets car and heavy-duty truck dealers around Dallas.
Customers and society are demanding more environmentally friendly vehicles, including electric, and manufacturers are trying to meet those demands with smart business decisions that meet the key imperative of any commercial vehicle: to make money.
Volvo Trucks North America and its sibling Mack Trucks later this year will allow individual truck drivers to schedule over-the-air updates typically handled by fleet managers.
With predictable short-haul drayage round trips from inland California to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, battery-powered trucks could account for up to half of NFI Industries’ 4,000-truck fleet by mid-decade.
As Daimler and Volvo leverage their global capabilities for battery-powered trucks in California, PACCAR picks Dana and Meritor as systems suppliers for its medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks.
The van is donated by Daimler’s Freightliner, and the decal wrap by Stoops Freightliner.
Truck manufacturers claim improved aerodynamics could save a driver up to 400 gallons of fuel a year.
Daimler Trucks is executing structural changes around the world because of sliding sales.
Kenworth skipped the fanfare in showing its Class 8 autonomous truck for the first time ar CES 2020.
As more and more carriers close up shop, leasing equipment has become a gamble that some companies may not want to take.
New Class 8 truck orders dipped to their lowest level in a decade in 2019, payback for an ordering frenzy a year earlier.
Ryder is partnering with In-Charge Energy and ABB to make transition to electric vehicles easier.
It is sort of a hostage situation. New truck orders are stalled until used truck prices go higher.
The hype surrounding zero-emission electric trucks is evolving into real-world results for two major freight haulers. Both Penske Truck Leasing and NFI Industries have crossed 10,000 miles of battery-powered, zero-emissions freight hauling.
Preliminary orders for new Class 8 trucks tumbled again in November after one month of improved bookings, new evidence that a slowing manufacturing economy is sapping all but critical replacement demand.
In this week’s round-up of trucking stories from around Australia: truckers slugged by box terminal operators; truckers slugged by tax hikes; truckers slugged by safety regulators; drivers slugged by Queensland politicians; Freightliner Cascadia rolls into the Outback; Linfox buys 90-truck fleet to transport booze.
Daimler AG announced that it has reached an agreement with employee representatives to trim its workforce by at least 10,000 workers.
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling 2,725 Western Star brand 4900 and 5700 sleeper cabs from the 2016-2020 model years. About 4% of the recalled trucks are suspected of having an improper adhesive that could allow the vent windows to detach and fall from the trucks.
Volvo Trucks North America will lay off about 700 workers in January, extending an industry pullback in production to match slowing orders of new Class 8 trucks.
The number of used Class 8 trucks for sale continues to grow as new equipment deliveries drain the backlog created during a 2018 order binge.
Volvo Trucks North America and the Western Star brand of Daimler Trucks North America will recall nearly 3,700 trucks between them for separate steering-related issues that could cause a crash. Neither issue has resulted in any crashes or injuries, according to postings on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
FreightWaves donates new Daimler Freightliner Sprinter delivery vehicle to Jayson Gonzalez so he can continue his successful donut delivery venture in Minnesota.
Western Star is recalling 2,546 heavy-duty trucks because the sleeper side door can detach while the truck is in motion, creating a risk of the falling door striking another vehicle.
Daimler Trucks North America, the industry sales leader, is not sweating the loss of big chunks of heavy- and medium-duty market share trucks through the first nine months this year.
Allison Transmission announced it is partnering with Freightliner Trucks to launch its new 3414 Regional Haul Series (RHS) transmission on Oct. 29 at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show in Atlanta.
Daimler AG reported high sales and earnings in the third quarter but is cautioning that tougher times lie ahead for its Mercedes-Benz car and Daimler Trucks businesses.
Designs of future vocational trucks by students at the ArtCenter College of Design may contain some long-term value for the Western Star Truck Sales subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America.
Paccar Inc. delivered 31,000 trucks in the third quarter, helping the parent company of Kenworth Truck Co. , Peterbilt Motor Co. and DAF beat earnings estimates.
A United Auto Workers strike against Mack Trucks could soon impact its sibling Volvo Trucks because both get engines and transmissions from the same plant in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Preliminary Class 8 retail sales for September set an all-time record, but large fleet deliveries likely inflated the results that erased the previous record set in December 2006. Meanwhile, the backlog of trucks waiting to be built is falling, which is leading to layoffs..
DOT safety group seeks comment on replacing rearview mirrors with cameras.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working with the trucking industry to educate small fleets and owner-operators about advanced driver assistance systems that could reduce crashes and fatalities.
Hear from owner-operators and safety personnel to stay ready for the challenges of the road
