TA Sparks #0172

Volvo autonomous VNL adds Dallas–Oklahoma City lane, targets driverless ops

Volvo Autonomous Solutions opens third commercial route with safety driver still aboard — expects to remove driver within quarters, not years.

Earnings & Financials

Carriers Report Double-Digit Rate Gains — What Brokers Are Paying in Q2

Knight-Swift, XPO, and Schneider execs say mid- to high-single-digit rate renewals are the floor. Some are pushing for double-digit increases as April tonnage climbs.

United Road Services Takes No. 1 Auto-Transport Spot — What Fleet Growth Means for Hauler Spec

FleetOwner's 2026 rankings show United Road overtaking TruckMovers, Horizon Transport jumping five spots, and Jack Cooper's closure reshaping the top 10.

Fuel & Energy

Gas Tax Suspension Floated as Pump Price Hits $4.52

Trump administration considers temporary federal gas tax waiver after Iran conflict pushes diesel and gasoline to multi-year highs.

Trump Administration Issues $35.5 Billion in Tariff Refunds to Importers

Refund payments now flowing to importers who filed claims — including fleets and parts suppliers hit by earlier tariff rounds on truck components.

Federal Appeals Court Pauses Ruling Against Trump 10% Tariffs

Temporary stay keeps global tariffs in place while appeal proceeds — truck chassis, axle, and parts importers remain liable for the 10% levy.

Electric Vehicles

Natural gas and battery-electric trucks gain ground as federal ZEV push stalls

Cummins X15N reports 71% cost savings over diesel in first full year; medium-duty BEV registrations up 21% despite policy rollback.

TMS & Software Reviews

AI Predicts Truck Breakdowns Before They Happen — What It Costs

Artificial intelligence is moving from buzzword to shop floor, catching parts failures before they strand you. Here's what owner-operators need to know about predictive maintena…

TMS & Software Reviews

Project44 Autopilot cuts freight coordination labor 70% — no coding required

New AI platform automates load tracking, carrier sourcing, and disruption response for brokers and 3PLs without engineering teams or custom prompts.

Equipment & OEM

OEMs Split R&D Between Diesel Updates and Zero-Emission Platforms

Truck makers are funding both 2027-compliant diesel engines and battery-electric production lines as emission rules tighten and fleet adoption remains uneven.

Equipment & OEM

Why Small Fleets Are Buying Used Trucks 600+ Miles From Home

Regional sourcing patterns are breaking down as smaller carriers travel farther to find late-model units ahead of 2027 EPA changes — and Northeast buyers are landing trucks in L…

Private Fleets Top 1 Million Units — What Retail Consolidation Means for Spec'ing

FleetOwner's 2026 rankings show Home Depot up 66 spots, Quikrete up 90, and GM up 249 after M&A and USDOT data updates. What the shifts mean for equipment orders and maintenance…