News
Tesla rolls ahead with Class 8
HAWTHORNE, CA - Elon Musk has officially unveiled the all-electric Class 8 Tesla Semi, following months of speculation and delays. Now the question is whether his company will become the industry disruptor it wants to be. A pair of prototype day cabs unveiled in California on Thursday featured a streamlined bullet-like design, evoking a look traditionally left to concept vehicles. And there were plenty of world media representatives there to share in the experience, each shepherded into a secure hanger for a brief peek. Just a day before, Musk went so far as to tweet this truck "can transform into a robot, fight aliens, and make one hell of a latte". Yes, it was hyperbole - there was no cappuccino machine anywhere -- but the Chief Executive Officer and product architect attracted plenty of attention for his latest announcement. More than 1,000 people were on hand for the launch, cheering every point that Musk made, especially when a new roadster rolled out of the back of the trailer.
Penske rolls out ELD compliant app for rental trucks
READING, PA - With less than a month to go before the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate takes effect in the United States, Penske Truck Leasing has released a new application (app) for its commercial rental customers to help them be compliant when on the road.
Dauch named chairman of the HDBF
DEARBORN, MI - The president and CEO of Accuride is the new chairman of the Heavy Duty Business Forum (HDBF). Rick Dauch is the 38th chairman of the HDBF, and won the position for 2018 at elections held following the group's 80th biannual meeting last week. Dauch succeeds Stephen Mance, president and CEO of Defiance Metal Products.
Pirelli brand truck tires coming to Canada
SAN DIEGO, CA - A Pirelli-owned brand of commercial truck tires will get a wider distribution network in Canada through a partnership between TP Commercial Solutions and Dynamic Tire. The companies announced the partnership to distribute the tires as part of TP Commercial's North American expansion plan since its roll-out of the Pentathlon D, Formula Driver II, G:85 Series, and Pentathlon C tires earlier this year.
18 wheels is bringing Christmas to those in need
DIEPPE, NB - The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) and the Trucks for Change Network are loading up Christmas on to 18 wheels, and bringing it to those in need this year. The groups are organizing an industry-wide food collection drive from Nov. 27 to Dec. 11 to support food banks in communities across Atlantic Canada. The drive is being called the "18 Wheels of Christmas in Atlantic Canada." The groups say it was inspired by Rosenau Transport who originally developed the project several years ago to support food banks in Alberta.
Tesla Class 8’s will hit Canadian roads
MONTREAL, QC - More than 30 of Tesla's new fully-electric Class 8's could be on the road in Canada as soon as 2019. Three companies - including Canadian grocery and pharmacy giant Loblaw Companies - have wasted no time in making the move to the newly launched trucks. Tesla showcased the new Class 8 vehicles with an unveiling event in California last Thursday. Loblaw, J.B. Hunt, and Walmart announced Friday they each had secured pre-orders with the company. Although a final price for the trucks hasn't been listed yet, Loblaw put deposits of $5000 per truck on 25 of the vehicles, currently set to be released sometime in 2019. Walmart is also reporting a buy-in of 15 trucks, 10 of which will go to its Canadian operations, while the others will go to operations in the United States.
