PACCAR

April Class 8 truck orders: Too much of a good thing?

A year after the global pandemic nearly zeroed out Class 8 truck orders, the reopening of the economy is stressing supply chains, making it unlikely that any of April’s 33,500 orders will be produced this year.

The situation is practically a repeat of 2018, when manufacturers produced 325,000 trucks for the year. The build rate through the first quarter was the same as that year. But the backlog is bigger and supply constraints are unrelenting, Kenny Vieth, senior analyst and president of ACT...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/april-class-8-truck-orders-too-much-of-a-good-thing

SPAC rumor mill churns over autonomous truck software developer Plus

Self-driving truck software startup Plus is reportedly in talks to merge with the same investor group that brought public electric vehicle startup Canoo Inc. (NASDAQ: GOEV), school bus maker Blue Bird Corp. (NASDAQ: BLBD) and flatbed logistics specialist Daseke Inc. (NASDAQ: DSKE).

Rumors of the Cupertino, California-based startup aligning with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) have circulated for months. Bloomberg reported Friday that Plus is in talks with Hennessy Capital Investment...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/spac-rumor-mill-churns-over-autonomous-truck-software-developer-plus

Yellow takes delivery of 1,200 tractors as part of Treasury relief loan

Day cabs roll off Peterbilt assembly line in Denton, Texas

Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp. (NASDAQ: YELL) announced Tuesday it will take delivery of 1,200 tractors as part of its ongoing restructuring initiatives.

The Overland Park, Kansas-based company facilitated the equipment purchase using the second tranche of a $700 million Treasury loan the company received in 2020. The highly scrutinized loan made to the carrier described as in “precarious financial condition” at the time was done so under a special carve-out afforded under the CARES...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/yellow-takes-delivery-of-1200-tractors-as-part-of-treasury-relief-loan

Truck makers warn Biden of inability to meet freight demand

The world’s leading manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and truck engines have warned the Biden administration that a severe shortage of semiconductors is hindering their ability to produce enough trucks to meet freight demand.

In comments filed with the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) asserted that the current supply constraints for semiconductors are causing manufacturers to adjust and suspend truck production.

“At...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/truck-makers-warn-biden-of-inability-to-meet-freight-demand

Playing nice: PACCAR siblings take turns in product spotlight

The Peterbilt and Kenworth divisions of PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) share many of the same underlying products. But they practice great courtesy in steering clear of each other when it is time to talk about them.

Kenworth revealed the first full makeover of its Class 5-8 work truck in three decades on Monday. The brand invited media to Phoenix a few days earlier for a preview and short drives. Kenworth closed off part of Third Street downtown to film Monday afternoon’s virtual dealer reveal.

On...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/playing-nice-paccar-siblings-take-turns-in-product-spotlight

Kenworth overhauls medium-duty truck lineup for first time in 30 years

PHOENIX — Kenworth Truck Co. revealed its first all-new medium-duty trucks in 30 years on Monday, featuring taller and wider cabs adapted from their Class 8 siblings. 

The PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) brand captured 11.7% of the medium-duty market in 2020. That was a record despite an aging lineup.

Now, with fresh products coming in the third quarter from Class 5 to a small Class 8, Kenworth is targeting leasing and sales to individuals at the lower end of the range. It emphasis has been Class 7...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/kenworth-overhauls-medium-duty-truck-lineup-for-first-time-in-30-years

Transmission: Can Class 8 truck producers keep up with demand?

There was good news and some questionable news over the weekend. The good news can be summed by the trucking industry deciding it needed more vehicles last month, pushing up sales 108% year-over-year. There was another sale, though, that could generate more questions from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is investigating former Nikola CEO Trevor Milton. He sold 3.5 million of his Nikola shares for $49 million six months after he resigned in a cloud of controversy.

Read all...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/transmission-can-class-8-truck-producers-keep-up-with-demand

Volvo partners with Aurora for hub-to-hub autonomous trucking

Volvo Group (OTC: VLVLY) will partner with Aurora Innovation OpCo Inc. for hub-to-hub autonomous trucks in North America, aligning with the same startup working with rival PACCAR  Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR).

The Swedish truck maker is the last major manufacturer to pick a technology partner for autonomous operations. Volvo and Aurora quietly worked on a software system beginning in early 2018. They created a prototype truck late that year.

“Despite our early progress, our shared values and our common...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/volvo-partners-with-aurora-for-hub-to-hub-autonomous-trucking

A virtual ride-along in Waymo Via’s latest Class 8 autonomous truck

Waymo Via took to the freeways outside Phoenix on Wednesday to demonstrate its fifth generation of Level 4 autonomous Class 8 trucking. 

The system is still “years away” from production. And while the drive was real, invited media experienced it virtually.

Lessons from Waymo Via’s Peterbilt-based heavy-duty trucks traveling Interstate 10 and Arizona 202 freeways are shared with Waymo’s more mature autonomous ride-hailing service.  Waymo operates Chrysler Pacifica minivans without drivers in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/a-virtual-ride-along-in-waymo-vias-latest-class-8-autonomous-truck

Kenworth delivers first — and last — natural gas-electric hybrid trucks

Kenworth recently delivered its first two natural gas-electric hybrid trucks to drayage and warehouse supplier Total Transportation Systems Inc. in Southern California. But the state’s   regulatory shift from lower to zero emissions means they likely will be the last.

The prototypes were developed over four years, funded by a California Air Resources Board (CARB) grant. They share components that Kenworth, a PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR) brand, is using in a fleet of hydrogen-powered fuel cell...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/kenworth-delivers-first-—-and-last-—-natural-gas-electric-hybrid-trucks

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