Productive tech has transformed trucking
TORONTO, Ont. -- Imagine today, with the breakneck pace of our lives, having to wait until a driver arrived at a truck stop, parked, and waited to use the payphone before you knew the truck was empty. Imagine, too, the driver's frustration at hearing dispatch say, “Call me back in half an hour.” Life was different in days gone by.
Pushing 10: Mack test drive shows role of tech in fuel economy
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Equipment editor Jim Park has developed a new appreciation for drivers who post consistently high fuel economy numbers, especially those who push every day to crack 10 mpg (23.5 L/100km). But the trucks also deserve a good chunk of the credit.
Kenworth W990 builds on a lasting legacy
LAS VEGAS, Nev – Kenworth’s W900 has become a staple of the show ‘n shine circuit, its long hood and gleaming accents seem to guide drivers down the highway. The look has had a starring role in movies and been immortalized in belt buckles. Now it has been re-imagined in the form of the W990.
Euro Zone: New and future truck tech at IAA show
HANNOVER, Germany -- The scope and scale of the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover, Germany, is like no other. Daimler and Traton – the recently rebranded Volkswagen Truck and Bus -- stake their claims to entire buildings rather than individual exhibit halls. Some of the aisles in the halls are as wide as streets. The individual buildings are divided by actual streets. And did we mention the Ferris wheel?
Motoring Along: Understanding the role of motors in electric trucks
TORONTO, Ont. -- Do you know who makes the motor in your washing machine? Do you care? Do you know who will make the motor on your first electric truck? Will you need to care? That's just one of the many paradigm shifts we'll be dealing with as electric drivetrains emerge in the trucking industry.
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.
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