Perspective

A question to ask the decision-makers in Washington: If the goal is to get more cleaner, greener trucks on the road, why does the federal government keep the 12% federal excise tax on the sale of a new truck?

There are so many developments occurring in the electric vehicle space that it is becoming hard to keep up. But before fleets rush out to invest in battery-electric trucks, there are important things that need to be taken into account — and not all of the considerations are obvious at first glance. Fleets interested in EVs need to start preparing now.

Quantum computing might be a new frontier in easing logistics management.

Many technologies exist to help fleets monitor cargo in their trailers, but carriers must be mindful of how the cargo itself — including what it’s made of — might impact the effectiveness of their tracking systems, especially if they look to make a change. Better trailer management can also improve drivers’ job satisfaction by mitigating issues they sometimes face in detention time and finding empty trailers.

Remote work can open trucking and logistics companies up to talent from new markets and people.

Truck parking is a major pain point for the industry, and needs more investment from the government. It’s time to get creative about urging that investment, and potentially look to an unconventional source to find it: states’ climate budgets.

Multiple factors coming together can be a perfect storm, and the imminent 3G cellular network shutdown in 2022 certainly qualifies.

Automated truck companies make for popular industry conversation, but with great automated truck power comes great trailer responsibility. When exploring automated solutions, fleets must ensure their trailers get technological attention as well.

Being part of an association is about getting involved, and one of the easiest ways to get involved with a group is to tell your story. I think about that because the story of my journey to becoming chairman of American Trucking Associations isn’t all that different from most of your stories.