HDT's Most Popular Blog Posts of 2016
In addition to Heavy Duty Trucking magazine's news coverage of the trucking industry, our editors also provided commentary to give insight and context to 2016's stories, both big and small.

Photo via U.S. Department of Transportation

Photo via U.S. Department of Transportation
In addition to Heavy Duty Trucking magazine's news coverage of the trucking industry, our editors also provided commentary to give insight and context to 2016's stories - both big and small.
Here are the most-read blog posts from 2016:
1. Bernie Sanders vs. Trucks – and the Importance of Context
Bernie Sanders was just one of the politicians in 2016 who's words were sometimes taken out of context finds HDT Editor in Chief Deborah Lockridge in her All That's Trucking blog.
Deborah Lockridge writes that an accident that closed I-77 in North Carolina illustrates how driver fatigue is a problem that is a lot more complex than just creating regulations saying when truckers can and can’t drive — and how enforcement sometimes erroneously targets truckers in the name of safety.
3. NTSB Confirms Tesla Was Speeding When It Hit That Trailer
Senior Editor Tom Berg examines the circumstances that led to a Tesla car on autopilot to hit a big white trailer in broad daylight in his Trailer Talk blog.
4. Whose Infrastructure— Ours or Theirs?
Listen carefully when you hear a politician or a lobbyist speak of “infrastructure.” To really mean anything, that big ugly word has got to be qualified cautions Executive Editor David Cullen in this Passing Zone blog entry.
5. Phase 2 GHG Regs for Trailers Both Simple and Complex
Trailers have long been regulated for safety. But trailers’ contributions to fuel economy and reduced emissions are new matters for federal authorities.
6. Tailgating Driver Not a Complete Idiot
A motorist doing some high-speed tailgating on an Interstate highway in Arizona loses control, bumps a semi and crashes big time.
Anyone who knows trucking knows an awful lot of the trucks running around this big country are not owned by the company whose name is stenciled on the truck’s door or emblazoned, logo and all, along the side. Maybe even more than you think.
8. Powered Trailer Axle Provides an Off-Road Boost
“SAF Trak” axle is powered from the tractor’s hydraulic wet kit. On the trailer, two hydraulic motors, one at each axle end, turn the wheels to help get the rig moving in slippery conditions.
9. Leaky Roofs, Plugged DPFs and a Rainbow of Coolants: TMC Tackles Them All
What Equipment Editor Jim Park learned from sessions like TMC's Fleet Forum is that you probably aren't the only truck owner having a particular problem. It puts the boots to the oft-heard comment from dealers, "Gee, I've never heard that one before."
10. What Does a Skateboarder Have to do with CSA?
A tragic accident illustrates why carriers want the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program to include crash accountability.
More Fleet Management

Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking
An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.
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ITS Logistics Settles Religious Harassment Case
The Nevada-based logistics firm agreed to pay more than $396,000 to settle a religious harassment charge involving an employee's Jewish identity.
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Your Trucks Are Busy. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Winning.
High utilization doesn’t always mean strong margins. Looking beyond the current load can help fleets make better dispatch decisions and get more value from each truck’s time.
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Why This Trucking Recovery Is Different
Freight demand remains sluggish, but rising costs and tougher enforcement have taken enough capacity out of the market to change the outlook for motor carriers.
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Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools
Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.
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PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data
PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.
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Motive Adds AI Agents for Fleet Operations
New tools automate follow-up on fleet data, from maintenance work orders to driver alerts, with two-way voice conversations planned for later this year.
Read More →Can You Beat Our Trucking Trivia Challenge?
Test your truck knowledge with 19 trivia questions from Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange. Can you keep up with the fleet pros?
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BeyondTrucks Adds Rules Checks to Dispatch
New Compatibility Engine checks driver qualifications, equipment requirements and fleet policies before loads are dispatched.
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Diesel Prices Hijack Trucking’s Worry List
ATRI’s annual survey finds cautious optimism about freight, but diesel costs, litigation, and insurance continue to squeeze fleets. Drivers have different priorities on several issues.
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