Former FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker on Capitol Hill in 2015. (Andrew Harnik/Associated Press) President Joe Biden will nominate a former Obama administration official to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after his first choice withdrew in March after running into opposition from Republican senators. The White House said Sept. 7 that Biden will nominate Michael ...more
A heavy-duty electric vehicle charging station in California. (Penske Truck Leasing) The California Air Resources Board’s controversial Advanced Clean Fleets rule requires a phased-in transition toward zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, but concerns are growing that the state is falling behind in its ability to provide enough charging options to meet its own aggressive targets. ...more
The SoftBank Corp. logo displayed near a store in Tokyo. (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg News) Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are selling some of their stores in an effort to win regulatory approval for their $25 billion merger, according to people familiar with the matter. C&S Wholesale Grocers — with backing from SoftBank Group Corp. — is ...more
United Auto Workers member John Weyer walks in the Labor Day parade in Detroit. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press) DETROIT — General Motors’ first wage-and-benefit offer to the United Auto Workers on Sept. 7 falls far short of the union’s initial demands. The offer comes just a week before the UAW’s national contracts with GM, Stellantis and ...more
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) outlined a legislative schedule prioritizing the transportation funding measure along with funding bills for veterans programs and agriculture policy. (Mariam Zuhaib/Associated Press) Legislation to fund the U.S. Department of Transportation through fiscal 2024 will be considered in the Senate as early as the week of Sept. 11. Sen. Chuck ...more
“The macro economy is not in a recession, but the freight market has been in a recession, including truck freight," says American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello. (vitpho/Getty Images) Trucking industry experts are expecting a modest peak shipping season due to freight demand and inventory trends. “My assessment is this is not likely to ...more
A truck chassis on the assembly line at Kenworth's Chillicothe, Ohio, plant. (Kenworth via YouTube) North American Class 8 orders ended a three-month streak of positive year-over-year growth by falling 12% in August, according to ACT Research. ACT preliminary data showed orders fell to 19,000 units from 21,600 during the year-ago period. The report did ...more
UPS used drones to deliver coronavirus vaccines in 2021. (Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist) Two more companies have been granted approval to fly drones beyond the sight of ground operators in a key step that could eventually enable widespread package delivery and other commercial uses for the aerial devices. UPS Inc.’s UPS Flight Forward division ...more
Jonathan Dooley of eLeapPower outlines the company’s integrated power electronics systems for electric vehicles. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics) MUNICH — Canadian startup eLeapPower said it is bringing its integrated power electronics to the medium-duty battery-electric truck market in North America. The company’s integrated inverter system is designed to reduce weight, maximize space and save production costs ...more
Drivers are given little or no control over the personal data their vehicles collect. (dusanpetkovic/Getty Images) BOSTON — Cars are getting an “F” in data privacy. Most major manufacturers admit they may be selling your personal information, a new study finds, with half also saying they would share it with the government or law enforcement ...more
