Drones

Some fleets may feel overwhelmed by all the new technology coming at them because they don’t have the expertise. Let’s face it, at the rate new technology is rolling in, no one really has the expertise yet, says Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge in her April editorial.

Industry observers say a rumored Amazon parcel delivery fleet would disrupt today's P&D business climate. Those analysts are missing the bigger picture. Blog commentary by Senior Editor Jack Roberts

The Teamsters union is seeking to prevent UPS from using driverless vehicles or drones to deliver packages, the latter of which the parcel delivery company had already performed a number of tests on, reports the Wall Street Journal.

How fast are autonomous and electric trucks coming? That may be up for debate. But Jack Roberts says in his Truck Tech blog, it's the fleets that are already tracking new technology and considering its potential that will be the ones riding trucking's coming technology wave.

Mercedes-Benz recently concluded a three-week test program in Zurich, Switzerland, that used drones and Mercedes Benz vans to make on-demand deliveries, calling the pilot a success according to a recent Bloomberg report.

Workhorse Group Inc. has commenced implementation of an agreement to test and operate its new N-Gen electric van. The van will also feature an optional integrated HorseFly Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Package Delivery System.

Workhorse Group has announced that it will unveil the N-Gen low delivery-platform electric van with an integrated HorseFly drone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

The Trump administration issued a memorandum on Oct. 25 directing the Department of Transportation to establish a program in conjunction with state and local governments to regulate drone operation in delivery applications.

The Matternet M2 drones used in the pilot can carry packages of up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) over distances of up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles).

The pilot program will cost $35,000 and is expected to take about a week to complete. Video from the drone will be analyzed to identify loose connections, leaking oil, rust and deterioration, and any hot spots.

Ryder System has formed a 10-year strategic partnership with Workhorse Group that makes Ryder the primary distributor and provider of service and support for Workhorse light- and medium-duty range-extended electric vehicles in North America, Ryder has announced.

Steril-Koni's new video takes the viewer on a behind-the-scenes look at LBCT and its utilization of Stertil-Koni’s latest super heavy-duty mobile column lifts – the ST 1130 – which have a lifting capacity of 29,000 pounds per column, or 116,000 pounds for a set of four.

UPS has successfully tested a drone that launches from atop one of its package cars, the company announced. The system is designed to autonomously deliver a package while the truck is driven on a route.

An Amazon patent filing surfaced on Dec. 28 describing an airborne fulfillment center for the company’s drone delivery system, according to a report by CNBC.

Drones, self-driving trucks, so-called “Uber” for freight transportation as well as the Internet of Things and Big Data all have the power to disrupt today’s ways of moving freight.

UPS staged a mock delivery of urgently needed medicine from Beverly, Mass., to Children’s Island using a drone delivery system it is testing with CyPhy Works.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Expect big changes over the years in the way trucking and supply chains are managed, including turning it upside down. That was one of the messages those attending the FTR Transportation Conference heard Thursday morning.

Mercedes-Benz has developed its Vision Van concept vehicle that looks to the future of delivery by incorporating mobility concepts, robotics, and automation highlighted by a pair of roof-mounted drones.

The Federal Aviation Administration has finalized its first operational rules for the “routine commercial use” of small drones.

Throughout history, people have conceptualized the technological future only as a fancier version of the present.