°®¶¹´«Ã½

Equipment and component manufacturers in the trucking industry are looking to expand their online presence and also see potential in 3D printing, both of which could help them reach more customers, they said.

A growing economy and strong new truck sales have increased demand for aftermarket parts, creating supply chal­lenges. Truck manufacturers and component ­suppliers said they’re working to alleviate pressure on the industry by expanding offerings, ­improving distribution channels and using predictive forecasting tools to get ahead of demand.

For online retailers, one of the challenges with the reverse logistics process is knowing what to do once items are returned. Some products could be returned to a finished goods warehouse whereas defective ones could go to a location to refurbish or recycle the product.

As the continued rise of e-commerce increases the number of product returns, retailers and shippers are working to ease the returns process to boost customer satisfaction. They’re doing so by turning to logistics providers for technology and services that can optimize their reverse logistics networks and keep costs low.

Distracted and drowsy driving creates risk for drivers as well as fleets, but various forms of technology can alert drivers to these hazards and enable fleets to tailor training to prevent future events.

Fires in tractor-trailers, often referred to as thermal events, can result in significant damage to equipment as well as cargo, but despite an ongoing focus on preventing them, the number of incidents doesn’t appear to be dropping.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Representatives from UPS Inc. and Walmart Inc., two of the country’s largest fleets, said electric vehicles can provide environmental, economic and community benefits, which make efforts to work through challenges surrounding duty cycle, charging infrastructure and cost worthwhile.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A strong collaboration among all parties involved in the life cycle of electric vehicles, including original equipment manufacturers, fleets and utilities, is needed to advance the technologies. 

Large fleets typically have been the first to benefit from the spread of technology in trucking, but digital freight brokers are working to extend some of the same advantages to smaller carriers and independent drivers.