Industry News

Torc Robotics and Daimler Truck kick off their third year of partnership to commercialize the first scalable, profitable Level 4 autonomous truck. Torc is currently testing the Level 4 trucks on public roads in Virginia, New Mexico and Texas, with continued route expansion in the works. The two companies are pursuing a focused, safety-oriented approach…

Source: AAA press release: AAA forecasts a strong rebound in holiday travelers this Thanksgiving. The Auto Club Group predicts 53.4 million Americans will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, up 13% from 2020. This brings travel volumes within 5% of pre-pandemic levels for the 2019 holiday. View the full report here. “It’s beginning to look more…

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) was named as one of the recipients awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the third SuperTruck initiative. In total, the DOE will be funding 25 projects with $199 million following the goal of putting cleaner cars and trucks on America’s roads, including long-haul trucks powered by…

A tow operator in Colton, Calif., has died in a collision with a school bus and another other vehicle. According to the Colton Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of La Cadena Drive and Litton Avenue on Nov. 9 at 1:08 p.m. The Colton Joint Unified School District bus involved in the collision did…

Source: ATA press release: On October 25,  American Trucking Associations’ Chief Economist Bob Costello said the current driver shortage has risen to 80,000 – an all-time high for the industry. “Since we last released an estimate of the shortage, there has been tremendous pressure on the driver pool,” Costello said. “Increased demand for freight, pandemic-related…

Source: AAA Press Release: AAA Inc. donated $50,000 to the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum’s Survivor Fund at the  annual Wall of the Fallen ceremony commemorating roadside heroes who have lost their lives in service to others. [Editor’s Note: The October 9 ceremony was part of Museum Weekend, held during the…

Murphy-Hoffman Company (MHC) has announced that it won the Safety Excellence award from the National Safety Council’s Green Cross for Safety program. MHC was recognized for its highly effective vehicle safety program, which was developed in 2012 to train employees on the importance of defensive driving skills. The National Safety Council Green Cross for Safety…

Source: AAA news release: A new report finds unsafe driving behaviors, including red-light running, drowsy driving, and driving impaired on cannabis or alcohol, have declined in the past three years. Some dangerous driving behaviors have fallen more than others, with drivers still admitting to speeding and using a handheld cell phone, posing a danger on…

A tow operator is recovering after being struck by a hit-and-run driver Wednesday, Oct, 20, in southeast Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Police Department said operator Troy Stewart, 47, was in the southbound lane closest to the curb on Sunnylane Road between SE 59th Street and SE 74th Street securing a vehicle to his tow truck…

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. has confirmed its long term collaboration with Decisiv, provider of dealer Service Relationship Management (SRM)software. The program, branded as Isuzu Connect, has been enhanced for the Isuzu dealer network. The program is being implemented in all Isuzu commercial truck dealerships across the United States and Canada over a multi-year…