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The cost of fuel consistently ranks among the top three expenses for trucking fleets, putting fuel economy at the top of fleet managers’ minds. Increasing fuel efficiency and consequently reducing operating expenses is a major reason fleets turn to vehicle lightweighting, especially on components such as truck wheels.

WASHINGTON — State freight plans indicate various levels of detail regarding the ways freight is discussed and measured, according to a transportation expert from Northwestern University.

From the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen announced this week plans to invest $800 million in its Chattanooga, Tenn., plant, expecting to create 1,000 jobs in the United States.

Oaktree Capital Management is investing $450 million and forming a strategic partnership with Watco Cos., a privately owned company that provides a broad range of rail transportation services in North America and Australia.

LAS VEGAS — Nikola Motor Co. founder and CEO Trevor Milton said two key customers — private fleet Anheuser-Busch Cos. and truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Enterprises — will begin fleet tests of Nikola’s zero-emisssions hydrogen-electric Class 8 trucks by the end of the year, as the first shoots of the necessary fueling infrastructure are emerging in Phoenix.

LAS VEGAS — Autonomous truck developer TuSimple said it will expand its U.S. test fleet to 40 vehicles by June, which the company claims will make it the world’s largest self-driving truck business.

WASHINGTON— Transportation employees who work alongside roads and behind the wheels of maintenance vehicles can offer valuable perspectives on worthwhile projects, according to panelists gathered to discuss innovation at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting Jan. 15.

WASHINGTON — More freight is moving and e-commerce is booming, but there is a finite amount of urban space for road use and parking for delivery vehicles. It’s a problem known as the final mile, and it’s especially profound in cities.