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.
Daimler chief unfazed by NAFTA talk
MADRAS, OR - Roger Nielsen, the recently named president and Chief Executive Officer of Daimler Trucks North America, doesn't seem concerned by talk about renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement - even though its manufacturing footprint includes Mexico. "We're a global company, and globally we believe in free trade. And we're prepared to engage everybody and anybody in discussions," he said during his first media briefing. "I don't anticipate any major changes in the NAFTA." The company has reserve manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and Mexico, he noted. The supply chain is also dual-sourced. "They have the ability to source worldwide or source domestically."
Daimler unveils new proving grounds
MADRAS, OR - Daimler Trucks North America has officially opened its High Desert Proving Grounds, representing a US$18.7-million investment that will put the company's trucks through their paces - including connected, platooning and autonomous vehicles of the future.
U.S. freight market will continue to improve: FTR
BLOOMINGTON, IN - FTR remains confident in this year's freight market, despite a March drop in its Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) that measures freight volumes, rates, capacity, fleet bankruptcies, fuel prices and financing. Spot rates are improving, and that indicates a market-wide move to tighter capacity, the analysts add.
Commercial vehicle registrations down: IHS Markit
SOUTHFIELD, MI - Canada had 16,495 new Class 3-8 commercial vehicle registrations in the first quarter of this year, down 4% from the same quarter in 2016, according to IHS Markit's Quarterly Commercial Vehicle Report. The largest levels for a first quarter were reported in 2012, when there were 17,476 such registrations, and in the last five years the first quarters have been within 1,500 units of that peak, the analysts say. Canada now has 1.355 million Class 3-8 registered vehicles, 40% of which are Class 8 models and 32% are Class 3.
Canadian Solar invests in commercial transportation
GUELPH, ON - Canadian Solar has acquired a 10% interest in eNow, a U.S. business that specializes in solar energy management systems for commercial transportation. The partnership leverages Canadian Solar's expertise in developing and producing photovoltaic systems. Its module technology will interface with eNow's power management system - delivering a solar-based energy management system that can help to reduce idling needs. "While we have become one of the world leading solar energy solution providers with close to 20 GW module deployment since 2001, I still remember we started very small in 2001 when we provided a 3-watt solar power battery trickle charging system for cars," said Shawn Qu, Canadian Solar's chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Clad in plaid for your dad
TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Trucking Association was the top fundraiser among workplaces participating in Prostate Cancer Canada's 2016 Wear Plaid for Dad campaign, and the Canadian Trucking Alliance is looking to build on that success -- and help fight a cancer that will affect one in eight men in their lifetime.
Navistar’s Sass surveys the road ahead
As Navistar works to move past the mistakes of the past and looks ahead to the future, International Trucks' Jeff Sass opened HDT's inaugural Heavy Duty Trucking eXchange fleet networking conference in Phoenix this week with a peek at the future, from electric trucks to autonomous vehicles. HDTX is a new invitation-only event for select truck fleet executives co-hosted by an array of suppliers.
‘The future is here’: Nikola CEO
GATINEAU, QC - The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nikola Motor Company suggests today's truck manufacturers face a fate similar to Kodak, which watched its film business collapse during the advent of digital cameras. "They [Kodak] were so powerful that they never expected to change anything," Trevor Milton said in an address to the 66th annual meeting of the Quebec Trucking Association. "Why change something that already works?" His Utah-based company is certainly looking to reinvent the idea of a Class 8 truck, as it looks to produce a hydrogen-powered electric model known as the Nikola One.