The Fleet Lead

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of April 2: Indiana removed nearly 1,800 non-domiciled CDLs International and Ryder are using an autonomous truck for real freight Out-of-service orders will now treat ELD tampering differently EPA is removing DEF sensor requirements? Diesel prices rose three cents  

With cross-border tariffs making headlines and the average North American tractor reaching the oldest age in years, fleets are caught between a soft freight market and the impending 2027 emissions cliff.  FleetOwner was at Volvo Group's largest manufacturing plant in the world this week and sat down with Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve in Dublin, Virginia. He breaks down how a $500 million investment in the New River Valley plant and a new $700 million facility in Mexico are insulating Volvo's supply chain—and what that means for your next purchasing cycle. We also discuss how Volvo Trucks' redesigned VNL and VNR models are serving as "smartphones on wheels," leveraging automated over-the-air updates to slash unplanned downtime by 24%. Plus, Voorhoeve explains why the all-new VNR's "Swiss Army knife" versatility and standard safety features are critical tools for regional fleets trying to survive on thin margins. Catch this episode of The Fleet Lead podcast here or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorite podcast app. Timestamps: 1:37 – Are customers following Peter’s previous advice to buy trucks now? 4:27 – The new VNR model 8:06 – Connectivity, over-the-air updates 9:47 – A $700 million investment in Monterrey, Mexico 12:17 – How tariffs impact Volvo 14:34 – Peter's advice to fleets on equipment purchasing

The Supreme Court took up the opportunity to standardize how states look at negligent hiring claims against freight brokers. The decision could change how brokers view the risk of small carriers. The case is Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, also known as Montgomery v. C.H. Robinson. The legal battle started with a truck collision in 2017. Hear more from FleetOwner's Jeremy Wolfe and Matt Reh, a partner and trial attorney with Armstrong Teasdale who represented C.H. Robinson in the lawsuit.

Heavy-duty repair businesses are doing better, survey finds Hendrickson shows off its new wheel-end sensor In the spot market, refrigerated and flatbed rates are still up In fuel this week, diesel is up 30 cents and counting

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of March 19. Another House bill mandating English proficiency just passed committee Stoughton Trailers successfully completed a 40-mph rear impact guard crash test Trailer manufacturer Hyundai Translead is bringing manufacturing to the U.S. In the storied Motive-Samsara legal battle, Samsara recently won $30 million Diesel prices shot up 21 cents and continue to rise

Autonomous trucking has real-world operations today—and the developers have bold plans for commercialization within the next two years. This week, the Fleet Lead's Jeremy Wolfe is hosting interviews with four of the industry's autonomous developers. PlusAI is taking a software-first approach to autonomous trucking, supplying its virtual driver technology to several major OEMs, rather than operating its own fleet. Dr. Shawn Kerrigan, co-founder and COO, joins the Fleet Lead to discuss the company's global data strategy, its factory-integrated trucks, and its roadmap to commercial launch in 2027. Timestamps: 0:35 - PlusAI's company history 1:35 - PlusAI's global partner strategy 2:32 - Roadmap for commercializing in the U.S. 4:50 - Technology designed to work across various truck platforms 6:46 - Where are PlusAI's trucks on the road today? 8:48 - Recent breakthroughs and the road ahead 14:10 - Benefits of autonomous trucking 15:18 - Challenges for fleets adopting autonomous trucks

A looming trade ruling could upend the North American trailer market with claims of low-priced imports harming U.S. builders. Testimony covers pricing pressures, layoffs, and industry overcapacity. Importers counter that a prolonged freight downturn, not unfair trade, explains the slump. Regulators face complex value and duty decisions ahead.

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of March 12: California removed 13,000 non-domiciled CDLs. Pell Grants might pay for some workforce training Daimler producing new camera system for medium-duty, vocational trucks Harbinger Motors is launching a medium-duty cabover truck Diesel prices shot up by a whopping $0.96

Autonomous trucking has real-world operations today—and the developers have bold plans for commercialization within the next two years. This week, the Fleet Lead's Jeremy Wolfe is hosting interviews with four of the industry's autonomous developers. Torc Robotics is integrating autonomous software into the Freightliner Cascadia, the most popular Class 8 truck in the U.S. for many years. The developer is also using generative AI to develop training simulations for its virtual driver. Andrew Culhane, Torc’s chief commercial officer, describes the company’s work and the state of the technology. Timestamps: 1:54 - Benefits of autonomous vehicles 4:56 - The growing pains a carrier might face 6:12 - What makes Torc unique? 8:29 - Torc’s current operations 10:19 - Recent major milestones 18:09 - Torc's near-future plans.

Xiaodi Hou, founder and CEO of Bot Auto, leads an autonomous trucking company focused on transportation-as-a-service. He talks about real-world autonomous operations and how nonstop efficiency unlocks capacity. He covers operational challenges, driver-out validations, Texas commercial hauls and a roadmap to drive down all-in cost per mile.