5 Trucking Headlines You May Have Missed

5 Trucking Headlines to Watch This Week

Let's be honest – between the developments of the Coronavirus pandemic, continued supply chain woes, and the industry grappling with an 80,000 driver shortage, trucking news has been pretty bleak lately.

But despite all the challenges and hurdles facing the trucking industry in the back half of this year and into the next, the show still goes on. There are still a lot of headlines happening in the background that you may have missed, and we're here to make sure you don't miss a thing.

1. Western Star Canceling 5700XE

There's been a large call for energy-efficient commercial vehicles, and after three years of development, Western Star answered that call with the model 5700XE. With the "XE" standing for "extreme efficiency," Western Star has just announced that the 5700XE will be shelved after a short six-year run.

Featuring industry-leading airflow and a Detroit-exclusive powertrain, the 5700XE will be discontinued at the end of the 2021 calendar year, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) said in a previously emailed statement. In the interest of corporate alignment and navigating the continuing supply chain crisis, DTNA said they're planning to replace the outgoing model "in the near future."

2. Tesla May Deliver Electric Semi Trucks Before the End of the Year

On the subject of more efficient vehicles, the industry has also been under pressure to bring more electrification into the market. While Tesla is busy developing its electric semi truck program, the CEO of PepsiCo has stated recently that the company is expecting to start using the electric vehicles (EVs) for a project at its Frito-Lay facility in Modesto, California at the end of the year.

Although PepsiCo has put in an order for 100 of the EVs – one of the biggest orders for the Tesla electric semi truck to date – former comments from Tesla CEO Elon Musk had industry experts believing that the EVs would be delayed until next year due to battery supply issues.

3. Volvo Trucks Wins $18 Million Grant for SuperTruck 3 Program

In 2009, the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) launched the SuperTruck initiative with the goal of improving heavy-duty truck freight efficiency by 50 percent. Volvo will use this funding to focus on a range of approaches to electrification including all-electric, plug-in hybrid systems that use renewable biofuels, and hydrogen/fuel cell technologies.

Volvo's first SuperTruck demonstrator surpassed the program's goals, and their SuperTruck 2 is on track to more than double Class 8 vehicle payload per mile per gallon.

4. First U.S. Fuel Economy and Emissions Program for Trucks Scorecard Released

It's already been 10 years since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set the first-ever fuel economy and global warming emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks. Recently, the first scorecard was released to determine how OEMS are faring under the new standards.

It's good news – the EPA reports that heavy-duty vehicles surpassed expectations in Phase I of the program. Although Phase 2 is more difficult to achieve, the EPA did not foresee or take into account just how rapidly new product and manufacturing innovations would happen in the industry. Cylinder deactivation, 48V mild hybrids, and other innovations over the last 10 years have reduced fuel usage and soot pollution in ways the EPA previously underestimated.

5. Shell Acquires Fuel Card Business

Shell Oil Company, in an effort to enhance the customer road transport experience, has acquired a closed-loop payment network for commercial and transport companies nationwide through MSTS Payments, also known as Trevi Pay.

This investment in the Multi Service Fuel Card business will include an increase in market share for Shell in the fuel card space and will also complement some of Shell's product offerings.

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