Features

Technology’s making trucking cool again

I just returned from a couple of weeks spent in Germany, where I had the opportunity to see some incredible new technologies that have the potential to drastically and…

WHAT WOMEN DEAL WITH

There’s a really good article on Trucknews.com now from Motortruck Fleet Executive editor Carolyn Gruske. It’s called A Woman’s Job and looks at the types of issues women in the…

ZF WITH A TRUCK THAT CAN BE PARKED BY TABLET. AND A NEW TRANSMISSION.

James here. There’s one thing I can’t neglect to write about in this week’s Hooked Up, and that is ZF’s recent demonstration of technological capabilities. The company hosted about 150…

PASSING THE PEN TO PENNER

Well, this is a first. Since I launched Hooked Up five years ago, I’ve never turned over the reins to a guest contributor, no strings attached. But that’s exactly what…

PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS VS. FAST FOOD EMPLOYEES

There’s been a lot in the news regarding temporary foreign worker programs and the government’s tightening of the rules in an attempt to stem the flow of foreign workers entering…

6x2s SHOULDN’T BE ILLEGAL. BUT SINCE THEY ARE, WE SHOULDN’T RUN THEM.

And it’s a double-edged sword. Canadian regulatory policy is putting Canadian truckers at a distinct disadvantage with our American counterparts on all cross-border business and worse yet, American trucks spec’d…

EXPOSING A GOVERNMENT COP-OUT

Sticking with the theme of fuel economy, nothing has been more frustrating than dealing with our governments and enforcement agencies on the above matters. We have taken up these issues…

FUEL-SAVING TECHNOLOGIES WE’D LOVE TO USE IF ONLY WE WERE ALLOWED

When will Canada and the provinces put their words into actions. We say we are serious about the environment, yet there is tried and true technology that we as responsible…

WHY DO SUCH TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED TRUCKS LACK THESE BASIC OPTIONS?

Have you ever stopped to think about the technology on-board today’s tractors, both from an OEM and an aftermarket perspective? The additional technology to promote fleet and driver safety is…

A CAUSE THAT’S IMPORTANT TO ME

Wreaths Across Canada (WAC) is a non-profit organization that specifically honours veterans buried in Canada. Not all of them died in battle, although many served in combat and peacekeeping missions, and…

AUTONOMOUS-DRIVING TRUCKS HAVE ARRIVED

I’m writing today from Berlin, where I’ve spent the last few days exploring, writing and yes, I’ll admit, doing a little bit of relaxing. I arrived here Monday June 30…

BUNDLING EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES AND THEN SOME

You’ll already be familiar with some of the technologies that make up the Highway Pilot, such as commercially available systems that monitor following distances, apply the brakes when required and…

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK REQUIRED

Daimler contended during the event that it could begin commercial production of its autonomous trucks nearly immediately, but there first must be a legislative framework put into place to allow…

WHY DO WE NEED SELF-DRIVING TRUCKS?

As with any radical new technology, there’s going to be a lot of skepticism. Daimler emphasized its autonomous trucks are not intended to replace drivers. They went so far as…

THE ADVANTAGES OF ‘MANAGEMENT BY WALKING AROUND’

I heard a term at the Technology & Maintenance Council meetings several years cited by truck maintenance guru Darry Stuart, which really stuck with me. He was promoting the MBWA:…