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Does your trucking company write off thousands of dollars of small losses due to the negligence of other drivers? While small-dollar claims might not seem worth the hassle of collecting, they can add up quickly and amount to significant business losses.

Most of the talk surrounding 3D printing in the trucking industry centers on how it can be used to supply replacement parts for older vehicles. But its real value is much greater than that.

No law on the books can prevent the lone-wolf intentions of a madman set on harming people with a vehicle. But we can take steps to prepare.

The historic cold snap that gripped New England and the Mid-Atlantic to kick off the new year challenged fuel handlers, causing sporadic operational issues for diesel fuel distributors and their fleet customers.

Pretty much everyone knows tires are second only to fuel among operating costs for fleets. What's new is how the industry will deal with the potential for tire failures on autonomous trucks.

The electronic logging device mandate for tracking hours of service has brought a lot of attention to truck telematics, and many experts are providing advice on how to prepare for that transition. But one aspect of telematics that few are addressing is how underutilized most existing systems are. In my estimate, only three in 10 fleets are utilizing their telematics system to the max.

As reported in Transport Topics in early December 2016, (12-12, pp. 4, 43) American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear told a roundtable of lawmakers at a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC, represents the future of secure transportation.

Aftertreatment systems are unequivocally becoming the Achilles’ heel for all fleets and a leading contender for high cost, load delays and asset downtime. However, there is much more to the root cause of this escalating issue.

The new year often brings changes. And rarely has that been as true as this year, as we have just inaugurated a new president who appears poised to change Washington. It’s also a time of renewed focus, to reflect on where we are and look forward and position for success.

You don’t have to be a diesel mechanic to know that extended idling is bad for business. Frequent or prolonged idling increases emissions, wastes fuel and puts unnecessary wear on your engine. That’s why, due in large part to increasingly strict emissions standards, the trucking industry has seen a dramatic increase in idle-reduction technologies.