Technology
Kodiak Robotics pursues autonomous trucks
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Uber may have shelved plans to develop an autonomous long-haul truck, but Kodiak Robotics has emerged with $40 million in financing to pursue the dream. Founded by Otto co-founder Don Burnette and former venture capitalist Paz Eshel, it is dedicated to developing “autonomous technology for long-haul trucking”.
Apps for That
Whatever you need to do, they say there’s an app to help get it done. From smartphones to telematics devices and electronic logging devices, apps are at your side in the cab and on the road. But If you’ve ever looked at the pile of offerings and wondered what they all do, we have you covered with this list.
Proof of Pick-up: Video telematics don’t miss a thing
FONTANA, Calif. – Whether you’re a residential solid waste collector or you service businesses needing private pickup, you know it’s a call you’re going to get: the complaint that the trash was missed. More than just a minor annoyance, dealing with the problem can be a hit to the bottom line with extra runs, lost productivity, or even discounts to make customers happy. And then there’s always that lingering question – was the pickup really missed, or did the customer miss putting the trash out?
Brightness is key for 3M roadshow
MILTON, Ont. – It’s raining, it’s dark, and you’re squinting to see the lines on the road and the signs ahead of you. We’ve all been there, but if you’ve ever cursed your inability to see road markings in the dark or bad weather, you don’t necessarily need to blame advancing age or declining sight, say engineers at 3M. Instead, you should blame the sign technology.
Will in-cab cameras survive privacy challenges?
TORONTO, Ont. -- Canada has a lot of workplace privacy legislation on the books, some of which can be applied to driver-facing cameras. Some jurisdictions seem favorably disposed to the video monitoring of operators (drivers) in safety-sensitive positions, while others suggest cameras might be OK, as long as no other reasonable mechanism exists to achieve the same results.
Volvo Trucks N.A. partners with FedEx to test platooning vehicles in live conditions
RALEIGH, NC -- Volvo Trucks North America drove a long-held secret down North Carolina Highway 540 today. In the first successful on-highway demonstration of platooning technology between a major truck manufacturer and a transportation company, Volvo and FedEx working closely with the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) took three trucks on the road to showcase their advanced driver assisted technology. Volvo has kept its partnership with FedEx under wraps for about a year, using Volvo VNL 300 day cabs and a Volvo VNL 670 sleeper cab first on closed tracks in South Carolina and then for the last three months on the North Carolina Triangle Expressway -- an area designated by the NCTA as a testing place for autonomous vehicles -- to adapt its platooning technology developed in Europe for the North American market.
Border, marijuana, employment law among 2018 challenges: Devine
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. -- You know the trucking industry faces a challenging landscape when a lawyer presents a business update against a framework of lessons learned through Sun Tzu’s Art of War. “It’s not really a friendly environment for us this year,” said Heather Devine of Isaacs and Co., as she stood at the podium to open the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada’s annual meeting. She offered the potential demise of NAFTA and the thickening of the border as proof of the challenges to come.
Daimler rolls out electric trucks for North America
PORTLAND, Ore. – Daimler Trucks North America has unveiled electric Class 8 and medium-duty trucks today, with plans to have a 30-truck “innovation fleet” working in selected applications before the end of the year. “It is our target at Daimler to have the broadest – the absolute broadest – e-truck fleet in North America by 2021,” said president and CEO Roger Nielsen, as an electrified version of the Class 8 Cascadia rolled by.
Bosch unveils emerging safety, self-driving tech
FLAT ROCK, Mich. -- With technology about to transform transportation as we know it, global automotive technology supplier Bosch is right in the thick of things. The company has an extensive list of partnerships with new and established "mobility" manufacturers extending across automation, connectivity and electrification ...
Video: The promise and challenge of electric vehicles
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Julie Furber, the executive director of electrification at Cummins, sees promise and limitations when it comes to the electrification of commercial vehicles. "We do believe in the future," she told a crowd at the recent Canadian Fleet Maintenance Summit. But technologies like batteries will need to continue to evolve.