Steel tariff relief tied to US plant build, what it means for trailer costs
Commerce Dept offers Canadian and Mexican mills 50% tariff cuts if they shift capacity stateside. Trailer OEMs and component suppliers caught in the middle.
Hank Rivers
Equipment, OEM & Electric Vehicles
Hank Rivers covers truck hardware, tractors, trailers, engines, drivetrains, emissions aftertreatment, battery-electric and hydrogen trucks, charging infrastructure, telematics hardware, ADAS, tires, APUs, recalls, and the maintenance economics that decide what a fleet actually spends per mile. Former fleet manager. He treats OEM press releases like used-truck listings until proven otherwise.
BP Stock Surge During Iran War, No Fleet Equipment Impact
BP emerges as top oil supermajor stock amid Iran conflict trading profits. No truck specs, fuel hardware, or maintenance changes for fleets.
Volvo, Mack Q1 Sales Drop 34% as Plants Cut Output 25–30%
Parent company Volvo Group reports combined first-quarter sales decline for VTNA and Mack Trucks amid production throttle.
Wheel-End Bearing Adjustment Cuts Fuel Waste, Or Adds It
Loose or overtightened bearings create friction and heat that cost MPG. Technicians can spot the problem early through hub temperature, noise, and seal leakage.
Cummins Exec: Fleets Choose Gradual Tech Upgrades Over Rapid Shifts
Jim Nebergall says tight margins and uptime demands push fleet managers toward evolutionary adoption rather than revolutionary equipment changes.
DOT Bottleneck Survey, No Fleet Hardware Impact
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asked governors and mayors to identify worst traffic bottlenecks for federal congestion relief. No equipment specs,…
Freightliner Cascadia Fuel Economy Up 35% Since 2007 on Aero, Powertrain Tweaks
DTNA engineers detail the incremental changes, bumper air ducts, combustion timing, and aerodynamic refinements, that delivered the efficiency gains in the…
USPS Owes Maine Island Air Carrier $349K, Not a Fleet Story
Penobscot Island Air halted mail flights to three Maine islands after the Postal Service fell nearly $350,000 behind on payments. The carrier operates four…
Does the 2026 Volvo VNR Deliver Measurable Safety Gains Over Prior Gen?
Volvo showcased the redesigned VNR at its Virginia Customer Center, claiming it's the safest regional hauler the OEM has built. We look at what's new in the…
Freightliner Adds Left-Turn Collision Warning to Detroit Assurance
Active Side Guard Assist 2 monitors oncoming traffic during left turns and can apply brakes before the truck enters the intersection.
Knight-Swift Reports Q1 Net Loss, No Fleet Hardware Impact
Phoenix truckload carrier cites improving freight conditions as invalid capacity exits market. No equipment spec changes, recalls, or maintenance updates…
Panama Canal Auction Fees Hit $4 Million, No Direct Fleet Impact
Companies without reservations pay premium auction fees to cross the canal. No change to trucking equipment, maintenance schedules, or parts supply chains.