Trucking

The idea of truck platooning started long ago. While today we refer to smart highways and semi-autonomous rigs when we discuss platooning, the technology got its start much farther back than many of us realize. The fact is, governments, universities, and car and truck manufacturers have been investing heavily in preparing truly advanced platooning technologies … Read more

Just as with so many other industries, sometimes what the customers, companies and government want aren’t all the same things. While every company wants to answer to its customers and shareholders first, sometimes there’s a bigger boss to deal with first: The federal government. Generally, when trucking and government collide, messes ensue. With government already … Read more

We love working in the trucking industry, but let’s face it, any job where you’re sitting for a prolonged period of time – whether in an office chair or truck cab – can be problematic for our backs. The addition of physical labor, in lifting cargo and moving large pieces of equipment, means truckers have … Read more

In its very purest form, a 6×2 axle configuration is merely a three-axle set up with power being distributed to just one of the tandem rear axles. Simply, only two of the six wheel positions are actually powered. Earlier 6×2 configurations were composed primarily of a drive axle and a dead axle, with most dead … Read more

When there’s movement in global supply chain, trucking feels it, and is about to feel it again. With containerized cargo undergoing some maritime treaty changes, there could be some impact on trucking interests. The problem lies with the Coast Guard’s desire to make major changes that will pit two trucking bases against each other. The … Read more

You’ve likely heard of the Internet of Things (IoT), but have you heard of the Interstate of Things? The Interstate of Things represents more than just smart highways and communication between intelligent vehicles and the road. It represents wireless connectivity in trucking – taken to a whole new level. Now that mobile fleet management platforms … Read more

Welcome back to the second part of our series, What Is A Connected Shop? In our last installment we took a look at the basics of a connected shop, from what the term means to the many uses of diagnostic software and hardware tools. Today, we will dive into the specific of trucks and telematics … Read more

With all the talk of smart highways and autonomous trucks, some of us forget how truly advanced the modern shop has become. We’ve come a long way from the days of static tools and dumb (paper) communication. Today, multi-use tools – in both hard and software – combine with wireless technologies to make the shop … Read more

Have you ever heard of work truck upfitting? Upfitting is a process by which a vehicle is “upfitted” to become more specialized for a certain type of work duty. For instance, one might spec a Dodge Ram 4500 for light maintenance duty. The upfit may consist of six main components: Chassis painting Service body mount … Read more

While we’ve spent plenty of time talking about autonomous trucks, what we really need are autonomous tires. We’re talking about tires that do things like maintain their own pressure, report excessive tread wear and alert technicians to potential balance issues. How about if they also reported back when the truck is out of alignment? Imagine … Read more