John G Smith

John G. Smith is Newcom Media's vice-president - editorial, and the editorial director of its trucking publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, and Transport Routier. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.

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Truck market has bottomed out: Volvo chief

DUBLIN, VA - Volvo Trucks has set an ambitious target for itself - to be nothing less than "Number 1" in the world. "It doesn't necessarily mean we want to be the biggest," said Volvo Trucks president Claes Nilsson, during the launch of the company's new VNL long-haul tractor. "We want our customers to make more money and be more successful." That said, Volvo is clearly on a growth curve. Globally it now has 2,000 dealers and shops - 420 of which are in North America - and sells models in more than 190 countries. "Our dealers truly believe in the future," adds Goran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America. About US$600 million has been invested in the manufacturer's North American dealer network since 2010, adding 65 new locations and increasing service bay activities by 51%.

Volvo unveils VNL tractor

DUBLIN, VA - Volvo promised that its new regional VNR tractor was the "shape of trucks to come", and it delivered on that promise on Tuesday with the reveal of its long-haul counterpart - the VNL. The new tractor comes as the VNL 300 daycab, VNL 400 flat-roof sleeper, VNL 740 mid-roof, VNL 760 high-roof, and VNL 860 with its 77-inch sleeper. The VNL 740 and VNL 760 are also available with a new 70-inch sleeper. "It's so nice to see this truck without a cover on it," quipped Jason Spence, product marketing manager, noting how prototypes had been moved around North America under the cover of darkness. "We've been hiding the truck from you for 10 months."

OBIT: Don Anderson, Don Anderson Haulage

STOUFFVILLE, ON -- Don Anderson, the founder of Don Anderson Haulage, died at his Stouffville home July 1 at the age of 80. "Through all the successes of his life, my dad always retained a sense of integrity and humbleness," company president and son Michael Anderson said in a statement released shortly after his passing. "We are comforted in knowing his legacy lives on. In fact, his name lives and will continue to live in each and everything that we do."

An EZ-ELD offering

The pending U.S. mandate for Electronic Logging Devices can seem complex, but Pollak is looking to simplify things with the new EZ-ELD. The plug-and-play device is fitted into a truck's diagnostic port, and the driver connects to the device through a mobile app. There's no need to worry about the type of On Board Diagnostics port that is used, either. The EZ-ELD comes with three interchangeable connectors, making it easier to switch between vehicles, too. There are nine-pin, six-pin, and OBDII connectors on board.