91��Ƶ

WASHINGTON — While truck-to-truck communication, driver training and safety have advanced the effort to hasten platooning to market, another critical aspect is looming and just may cause momentum to pull back some: the impact on infrastructure.

Trucking firms are revved up for 2018, with predictions of tight capacity and strong demand for freight hauling setting the stage for an anticipated big year ahead for the industry, and indicators pointing to a potentially sustained period of business expansion in the United States and around the globe.

No matter your place on the political spectrum, it is undeniable passage of the Republican-led tax reform measure was a monumental feat. This week we highlight our favorite news items from Capitol Agenda in 2017.

The futuristic appeal of the autonomous vehicles that began operating Dec. 21 on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority test track is the prospect that eventually hundreds of them could be shuttling passengers around downtown.

U.S. Route 33 will likely host truck platooning exercises in the future as research at Ohio’s Smart Mobility Corridor continues, according to James Barna, chief engineer and assistant director of transportation policy for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

2017 was a year of anticipation for the freight transportation industry, leading up to the long-awaited Dec. 18 mandate for broad adoption of electronic logging devices to track hours of service.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello (right) looks back on the 2017 year in trucking, calling it a "transition year" and expecting better things ahead for 2018. His interview with TT's Joe Howard is part of our Dec. 13 LiveOnWeb program, "2017 Year in Review."

With a cheery chime, a small, squarish minibus eased forward and tentatively took to the “highway” Dec. 12, advancing to a top speed of 3 miles per hour in the frigid morning air punctuated by a dash of swirling snow.

Trump and trucks on the White House lawn. ELDs and HOS. Autonomous and all-electric technology. Ailing infrastructure and driver wellness. If it made the news in 2017, then Transport Topics covered it. How well do you know who said what over the past 12 months. Take this quiz and find out!