RoadSigns A Transport Topics Podcast

When the U.S. Department of Energy challenged truck manufactures to create a truck that improves freight efficiency by over 100% — Volvo’s Keith Brandis and Eric Bond said "challenge accepted." Volvo's new Super Truck 2 comes with advanced cab aerodynamics, adjustable ride height, a camera-based mirroring system, low rolling resistance tires and most importantly... helps push the industry toward a...

“We know that the future favors the prepared.” But improved management practices, Mcleod Software CEO Tom Mcleod reminds us, are not the bastion of the big and the lucky - small and midsize companies also have the opportunity to upgrade their efficiency and service levels. The transportation software veteran, responsible for one of the industry’s most successful TMS platforms, joins the show to di...

Adopt new tech, and you’ll run a more efficient operation... right? But what happens when your trucking tech stack becomes unmanageable...? With copious amounts of data sitting in different silos and redundant in-cab hardware — fleets are finding it difficult to keep their tech stack streamlined and efficient. In this episode, we ask, how can we cut down on these redundancies? How can carriers, sh...

To be a successful fleet technician, you not only need to diagnose and fix various problems with engines, transmissions, brakes, steering, suspension, but also the determination to silence the bangs and clangs and hone in on the mechanical detail of a 60,000 pound machine. At this year's ATA TMCSuperTech, the nation's premier skills competition for commercial vehicle technicians, a room full of 41...

Is UPS' Gragg Wilson America's greatest truck driver? The new National Truck Driving Competition's Grand Champion has managed to survive the grueling, four-day gauntlet of skills competitions and tests to achieve the industry's most vaunted prize. In 37 years on the road, he has learned how to do the hard, labor-intensive job of truck driving for one of the nation's largest fleets just as successf...

How much should a loaf of bread cost? How about a dress shirt? Or a gallon of gas? The cost of goods are subject to their respective levels of supply and demand. With today's strong consumer demand, private motor carriers are adapting — increasing tractor counts by the thousands, optimizing efficiency, improving asset utilization — and creating value for the end consumer. In this episode, Transpor...

According to fleet executives, as well as maintenance managers, the death of the internal combustion engine may have been greatly exaggerated in spite of the excitement about electric powertrains. In fact, a panel in the House recently approved a bill that would block efforts meant to prevent the sale of internal combustion engines. We wonder though, how long until sustainability goals challenge t...

Quick! Can you explain the differences between predictive maintenance and preventative maintenance? Those who can usually save their heavy-duty truck fleets a lot of money and get a lot of kudos. Those who can’t? Well… Transport Topics RoadSigns host Michael Freeze has you covered. In this episode, he clarifies the differences between predictive and preventative. He gives fresh commentary on every...

Finance is about the money you make, compliance is about the money you keep — if you follow the rules, the money you make will be the money you keep. Whether a motor carrier is expanding or not, keeping up with regulatory compliance rules and back office maintenance can be expensive, confusing, and hard to follow. In this episode, we examine the perks of outsourcing these costly tasks to designate...

Despite a softer freight market, the largest trucking companies in North America managed to grow their businesses last year even as spot market rates dropped, truck capacity loosened and bargaining power swung back toward shippers. In the face of these challenges, how were the top players in trucking able to stay on top? What acquisitions and strategies proved to be successful? And how can you lea...

Your trucking business success depends on who you have at the wheel. The right truck driver in the right seat at the right time could mean everything for fuel economy and risk profile. All-star drivers focus on fundamentals; they tend to be tenacious, disciplined, and hardworking. In fact, they are very likely to be running your loads already. Identifying them, Kriska’s Guy Broderick tells us, req...

Driver safety is pivotal for trucking companies, especially in a time where roadway crashes are at an all time high. Determining dangerous driving behavior and predicting accidents is key to make roadways a safer space for drivers. Tapping into a variety of data sources, predictive analytics software and scoring driver practices helps to reduce guesswork. What will this new, predictive technology...

In 2018, Peter Voorhoeve became the president of Volvo Trucks North America. Since then he has overseen the rollout of Volvo's VNR Electric model and zero-emission initiatives such as the Volvo LIGHTS project — an union of public and private stakeholders creating a realistic ecosystem for battery-electric trucks. What will it take to make electric vehicles successful in the trucking industry? Is t...

In this post-Covid era, where freight market fluctuations and staffing issues loom, trucking companies must find creative ways to keep up. For many, keeping up means looking for outside help for those arduous, non-freight-related tasks. Today's trucking decision-makers employ professional specialists who handle tasks like freight billing, document management, and call-center support. Globally, bus...

Destiny (and orders) fulfilled. Third-party logistics providers expanded their share of the freight market during the supply chain challenges and surging demand brought on by the pandemic. Now, in 2023, the most profitable third-party logistics companies are more collaborative, more attuned to the fast-changing market demands and more technologically prepared than they have ever been. In fact, the...

Class 8 truck dealers are taking a new approach to customer service — they are implementing an adaptive, dealer-managed service plan that is paired with enhanced connectivity to cover all fleet preventative maintenance. Expanded visibility allows dealers to analyze a fleet’s needs, empowering their customers to make the right maintenance decisions. How? What factors feed the data to make these rig...

UPS' Anthony Marshall is no stranger to electric and alternative-fuel vehicles. Over the course of Marshall's tenure at UPS, the company has invested more than $1 billion in alternative fuels and advanced-technology vehicles — amounting to more than 1,000 electric vehicles. Marshall has tested and tested again the best approach to the repair and maintenance of electric vehicles. So, what's the gol...

Fleet Advantage’s Brian Antonellis has all the answers; in fact, companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi leaned on him for fleet management solutions — overseeing 102 locations, 29 supervisors, 350 technicians, and 16,500 assets. Today, he travels across America advising the country’s biggest trucking fleets —delivering programs and processes that maximize effectiveness. He holds a record of successful...

Truck maintenance parts and labor costs increased 13% year-over-year in Q4 2022, according to a recent report by ATA TMC and Decisiv. The costly increase left fleets wondering — how can we prevent expensive truck repairs? Can historical data help reduce maintenance guess work? How can my technicians react to fixes in a timely way? In this episode, we find answers with Kayne Grau, CEO of Uptake, a...

Since childhood, Todd Cotier has had an eye for detail. He would spend hours after school and on weekends greasing backhoes and checking tires on dump trucks for his family’s construction business. Today, he brings the same spirit of quality and responsibility to the big stage as the new TMC chairman. In this episode we ask, how will Todd's spirit differentiate him from past chairmen? And, how wil...

On the road, he is known as a professional driver with over a million miles. At Volvo, he is the star of the "No Compromise" video series which features him interacting with other drivers on truck design to optimize their driving experience. Joel Morrow, chief executive officer for Alpha Drivers Testing & Consulting traveled across America asking one simple question: what if a trucker designed a t...

Has the trucking industry finally found its very own white knight? And, is it electric trucks? Although electric trucks have a higher price tag than their diesel counterparts, the return on investment is high. With a battery-powered engine, fewer moving parts, and essentially zero fuel — electric truck adopters are not only decreasing their emission levels but saving on maintenance and fuel costs....

Our highways allow commercial vehicles to move, but what infrastructure is in place when they need to stop, and their drivers need to safely rest? The need for ample and safe parking for large semi-trucks could generate the next great business idea. But, as a business problem, the issue is complex: parking requires real estate, investment, and a will to work through red tape. This RS episode sits...

Your modern trucks are telling you when they are ailing. Your in-house technicians know how to read the symptoms and make the fixes. But you still seem to have many diagnostic-related headaches. Before you head for the office aspirin cabinet, check out Online Transport Inc. VP of Safety and Maintenance Randy Obermeyer's treatment plan that starts at the dealer and can scale to shops across North A...

Did you know? With the power of driverless technology, a 50,000 pound semi-truck can stop in less than a tenth of a second. Autonomous technology also halts the burden of driver turnover, hours-of-service regulations, and unreliable deliveries. Yet, some industry folks are still asking, what are the benefits of driverless cars and trucks? To weigh the pros and cons of autonomous technology, we bri...