A new 12-speed AMT, a prototype all-electric tractor, and even a giant Moose statue made appearances on the floor of the very first North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show last week in Atlanta. Here are pictures of those three items, along with a host of other products spotted on the trade show floor. (All photos: Sean Kilcarr/Fleet Owner)
...Read the rest of this storyHaving reliable equipment you can count on is extremely important. The decision of whether to own or lease should not be taken lightly. How you pay for that asset — buying or leasing — also requires careful thought. Either way, you are entering into a contract that you will have to live with for a long time. And with leasing, that contract can be anywhere from three to seven years.
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...Read the rest of this storyTotal Quality Logistics, the nation's second largest freight brokerage firm, last week launched the TQL Carrier Dashboard, the company's new web portal and free mobile app exclusively for carriers.
The technology replaces TQL's Carrier Web Portal platform and adds features designed to simplify how commercial carriers search for loads and maximize their time.
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...Read the rest of this storyThe AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety just released a report, Leveraging Large Truck Technology and Engineering to Realize Safety Gains. It contained some startling statistics.
In 2015, large trucks were involved in more than 400,000 crashes, a 4% increase from 2014. Those crashes resulted in 4,000 deaths and 116,000 injuries.
While it is unlikely that there will ever be zero large truck accidents, there are things fleets can be doing to reduce the number of accidents and their severity, and to make their vehicles safer.
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...Read the rest of this storyLeaders with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee announced they reached an agreement on legislation overseeing self-driving vehicles that excludes commercial trucks. The Senate bill is similar to one the House unanimously passed in September that would allow automakers sell thousands of autonomous vehicles, provided they demonstrate they are as safe as current vehicles with human controls.
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...Read the rest of this storyScania said it would appeal a decision by the European Commission to charge the truck maker with a 880.5 million euro ($1.03 billion) fine for fixing truck prices between 1997-2011.
“Scania strongly contests all the findings and allegations made by the European Commission, the company said in a statement. The company added it “has co-operated fully with the European Commission by providing it with requested information and explanations throughout the entire investigation period.”
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...Read the rest of this storyiStockPhoto.com/Karneg
">The noise surrounding the development of autonomous vehicles is getting louder. We're being told what the future looks like, but without the ability to harness the technology now, it's easier to just turn down the volume. iStockPhoto.com/Karneg
">Yet it's clear that the future we envisioned five years ago is not the future we see today. In this context, Bobit Business Media has launched a new event, Fleet Forward Conference.
“As intelligent transportation systems, shared and connected vehicles, and changing public policies converge on the path to autonomous vehicles, Fleet Forward will be the nexus between traditional fleet stakeholders and the smart mobility revolution,” says Chris Brown, conference chair.
“Through curated networking and high-level education,” Brown continues, “Fleet Forward will connect new technology vendors with fleet services providers and end users with the end goal to create more efficient fleets — for the future and today.”
While autonomy is still largely a concept, fleets should be aware of emerging initiatives now — from new safety technologies and telematics platforms to the automotive Internet of Things and the federal mandate to connect all vehicles.
Automakers are now mobility service providers, and they're developing programs that are not only for consumers but also businesses. Dealer groups are rolling out subscription-based vehicle acquisitions plans. Corporate and government fleets are harnessing carsharing technology to reduce fleet size while increasing efficiencies.
Fleet Forward is designed to educate fleet operators on how and when they can take advantage.
For some fleets, the changes will come sooner, for others, much later. Nonetheless, no matter the fleet size or type, in the words of Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, “Companies should start thinking about their autonomous strategy now.”
The inaugural Fleet Forward Conference convenes Nov. 7-8 at Hilton Miami Downtown. For more information, visit www.fleetforwardconference.com.
