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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UPS reports successful drone delivery

LITHIA, FL - UPS says it has successfully tested a drone that launches from the top of one of its famed package cars, delivering a package to a home and returning to the truck while the driver continues along the route. The test was conducted in Tampa, Florida on Monday with Ohio-based Workhorse Group, which developed the electric truck and drone used in the test. The Workhorse HorseFly™ UAV Delivery system includes an octocopter delivery drone that docks on the roof of the truck. A cage underneath the drone extends through a hatch in the truck. The driver loads the package into the cage and sends the rechargeable drone on its pre-set autonomous flight. It has a 30-minute flight time and can carry packages that weigh up to 10 pounds.

TFI “cautiously optimistic” about economy

MONTREAL, QC - Just months after acquiring a major truckload carrier in the U.S., TFI International is cautiously optimistic about the state of the North American economy. "Unemployment is low and consumer spending remains solid. Moreover, rising oil prices have given way to a modest rebound in the level of investment in that sector," said chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer Alain Bedard, when releasing year-end results. "These factors should produce a gradual recovery in freight volume and rates." Referring to 2016 as a "transformational" year for the business - which now collects half its revenue south of the border