Kenworth has updated its Predictive Cruise Control functionality for T680 and T880 trucks equipped with the 2017 Paccar MX-11, MX-13, and Cummins X15 engines to improve fuel economy and overall MPG. The update was made with the launch of 2017 emission engines and provides up to a 1% improvement in fuel economy over the current versions with Predictive Cruise Control, according to Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief engineer. Kenworth’s Predictive Cruise…
Read MoreMack Truck Front Wheel Hub Recall Alert
Mack Trucks, Inc. (Mack) is recalling certain model year 2012, 2014-2015 and 2017 Granite (GU), 2012-2017 Pinnacle (CHU, CXU), and 2013-2015 and 2017 Titan (TD) trucks manufactured January 7, 2011, to September 29, 2016. The affected vehicles were built with front wheel hubs that cannot support the gross axle weight rating of the front axle. CONSEQUENCE: Overloaded front wheel hubs can result in premature failure of the hubs, bearings, and…
Read MoreNikola One Prototype Marks End of Diesel Era
Nikola Motor Co. on Thursday unveiled a working prototype of Nikola One, the company’s fully electric, zero-emissions Class 8 truck. The truck’s fully electric drivetrain is powered by high-density lithium batteries. The truck’s electricity is supplied on-the-go by a hydrogen fuel cell, giving it a range of more than 1,200 miles and delivering more than 1,000 horsepower and 2,000 ft.-lbs. of torque. “This is a real truck. This is not a…
Read MoreSelf Driving Semi Truck Makes First Delivery
Otto and Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch made history in October by successfully making the first delivery by a self-driving semi truck. Yesterday, one of Otto’s self-driving truck prototypes traveled 120 miles on a stretch of Colorado highway between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs to deliver 51,744 cans of Budweiser beer. According to Otto, a professional driver assisted the truck on the entrance and exit ramps but could spend the rest of the…
Read MoreU.S. Proposes Speed Limiter on Trucks
A national association of small-business truckers claims the government’s proposal to mandate speed-limiting devices on large commercial trucks would be dangerous for all highway users. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the nation’s only organization representing professional and small-business truckers, says such devices create speed differentials that lead to more crashes and promote road rage among other motorists. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic…
Read MoreDOC Issues 40% Tariff on Chinese Truck Tires
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) says truck and bus tire manufacturers in China are dumping tires in the U.S. at less than fair market value, and those tires should be subject to tariffs of at least 20%. The tariffs are retroactive. The DOC announced its preliminary results Aug. 29. In every tariff investigation, the DOC selects manufacturers to serve as mandatory respondents. Those companies then provide data and answer…
Read More