Cummins, a leading maker of diesel and natural gas engines for commercial trucks, unveiled a Class 7 heavy-duty truck cab Tuesday featuring an advanced 140 kWh battery pack that it will sell to bus operators and commercial truck fleets starting in 2019. The 18,000-pound tractor cab, dubbed AEOS after one of the four-winged horses driving the chariot of the Sun God, Helios, across the sky in Greek mythology, is just…
Read MoreClass 8 Heavy Duty Truck Orders Up 42%
Orders for Class 5-8 trucks rose to a 16-month high in March, according to data from ACT Research. Preliminary net orders rose to 47,300 units, ACT reported, which represents a 19% improvement year-over-year. “Against easy comps, March Class 8 orders were up 42% compared to March 2016,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “On a seasonally adjusted basis, orders were booked at a 267,000 unit SAAR in the…
Read MoreNavistar International Trucks Air Dryer Recall
Navistar Inc. (Navistar) is recalling certain 2016-2018 International LT, 2016-2017 International ProStar, 2017 International LoneStar, and 2017-2018 International RH heavy diesel trucks. The air dryer mounting bracket may fracture, causing air system leaks or a loss of air pressure to the brake system. CONSEQUENCE: A loss of brake air pressure could lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Navistar will notify owners,…
Read MoreInternational Introduces New Class 8 Truck
International on Friday introduced its new flagship line of Class 8 on-highway trucks, taking the mantle from the company’s ProStar. International says its LT Series, the company’s most fuel efficient line of trucks to date, was designed with feedback from drivers that resulted in a final product that Jeff Sass, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Navistar, calls “the most driver-centric Class 8 vehicle we’ve ever built.” The truck…
Read MoreNavistar’s New Cruise Control Doubles MPG
Navistar on Wednesday announced its SuperTruck demonstration vehicle, CatalIST, achieved a freight efficiency improvement of 104 percent – more than double the 50 percent goal set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its SuperTruck program Against a 2009 base line model truck, CatalIST achieved fuel economy of 13 miles per gallon and demonstrated 50.3 percent Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) and a path towards 55 percent BTE, Navistar adds. Mark Stasell,…
Read MoreDOT Regulations for Autonomous Trucks
The U.S. Department of Transportation on September 20th, 2016 issued some regulatory framework guidleines for vehicle manufacturers, state regulators and other stakeholders regarding the development and deployment of autonomous trucks. The proposed policy initiative comes as both traditional automotive makers and tech giants march increasingly closer to readying such technology for public use. The 114-page document, which the DOT is accepting public comment on for 60 days, intends to set safety…
Read MoreMitchell On Demand’s New ShopConnect Blog
Mitchell 1 is using its database of repair information for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, as well as the collective knowledge of its commercial vehicle editorial staff in its new ShopConnection blog, with the idea of offering tips to help truck technicians work more efficiently. In the blog, many of Mitchell 1’s ASE-certified trucking service experts address repair issues that truck technicians may face in the shop. Recent blog topics covered…
Read MoreAugust Truck Sales Up 36% Over July
Orders for Class 8 trucks in the month of August will be slightly above expectations and a 36% improvement over July’s terrible numbers, according to projections from FTR and ACT Research. Class 8 truck orders in August will be around 14,200 units for the month, a significant rebound from July’s dismal 10,358 units ordered, according to ACT Research. July’s order numbers were the worst recorded by ACT since the first…
Read MoreVolksWagen Deal Saves NaviStar from Bankruptcy
Four years ago, many believed Navistar was headed towards an almost certain bankruptcy. The truck maker had squandered billions on a diesel engine that didn’t win the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency, in a move insiders likened to “betting on the diesel version of Betamax when the rest of the world is going to VHS.” One of Navistar’s top shareholders, Carl Icahn, would often refer to then-CEO Daniel Ustian as a “crazy…
Read MoreATA Releases 2016 American Trucking Trends
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) this week released the latest edition of the leading almanac of trucking – ATA American Trucking Trends 2016 – showing the industry posted gains in employment, number of truck drivers and truck sales through 2015. “In many ways, 2015 was a good year for our industry, and Trends clearly demonstrates that,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Trends provides indispensable information to trucking companies,…
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