Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Report: Amazon Purchasing Class 8 Day Cab Tractors

A report in Business Insider seems to confirm speculation that Amazon is currently building up its long- and regional-haul capabilities in preparation for launching a proprietary logistics division in the near future.

October 11, 2019
Report: Amazon Purchasing Class 8 Day Cab Tractors

A report in Business Insider seems to confirm speculation that Amazon is currently building up its long- and regional-haul capabilities in preparation for launching a proprietary logistics division in the near future.

Photo: Amazon

2 min to read


The rumors about Amazon setting up a Class 8 fleet and eventually going head to head with global logistics companies like UPS and FedEx appear to be true.

A report from Business Insider – primarily citing field observations from alert truckers – confirms that the ecommerce behemoth is acquiring a fleet of day cab tractors and trailers. The story seems to confirm speculation that Amazon sees establishing its own global logistics division as a key enabler of long-term growth. Amazon declined to comment directly on the Business Insider story, but did point to a recent video posted online by Dave Clark, the company’s senior vice president of operations, which showcases Kenworth and Freightliner tractor-trailers pulling up to a modern jet cargo plane. (The Business Insider story incorrectly identifies one of the tractors as a Volvo.)

Ad Loading...

Say hello to my little friend.... pic.twitter.com/6bH1hpgZ7m

— Dave Clark (@davehclark) April 15, 2019

The story reports that the Amazon fleet is comprised of Kenworth and Volvo day cab tractors. A spy photo, used in the story and taken by Brad Phipps, shows a lot of Amazon-branded Kenworth day cabs apparently waiting to be assigned to Amazon freight depots. Kenworth declined to comment on the Business Insider story, while Volvo simply confirmed that Amazon “is a customer.”

Another Youtube video, posted by a trucker who goes by the handle “ThaRightBrotha” noted that he saw an Amazon-branded day cab in Arizona in May.

Ad Loading...

For now, there is still no official comment from Amazon concerning its intentions to enter the regional- or long-haul trucking markets – nor any indication as to the size or scope of any logistics operations it is planning.

However, the evidence at hand paints a picture of a retail giant actively working to place some, or even a high percentage of its global parcel shipments under its own control.

More Fleet Management

Deen Albert in collared shirt superimposed on background showing a Grand Island Express blue tractor pulling a trailer, plus the HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 17, 2026

Deen Albert: Let Automation Do the Math, People Make the Decisions

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Deen Albert makes sure people are still at the heart of operations at Grand Island Express, even while adopting artificial intelligence tools. AI-assisted dispatch helped boost revenue 25% with the same number of trucks.

Read More →
Illustration of computer screen with Trimble Arc Agent screen
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 14, 2026

Trimble’s New AI Agent Takes Aim at Fleet Back-Office Busywork

Arc Agent works across Trimble TMS products to automate repetitive tasks such as freight orders, maintenance, invoices, fuel costs and more.

Read More →
Photos of three men and two women with HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet ManagementCover Storyby Deborah LockridgeAugust 13, 2026

How HDT’s 2026 Truck Fleet Innovators Are Rethinking Fleet Operations

Meet five trucking leaders who are challenging assumptions, solving operational problems, and putting innovative ideas to work.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graph showing how contract rates and spot rates converged in July
Fleet Managementby StaffAugust 12, 2026

Tight Trucking Capacity Pushes Rates Higher Even as Freight Volumes Fall

“Spot rates moving ahead of contract rates have historically signaled a tightening market, but we haven’t seen a capacity-driven market quite like this one,” said DAT's Dean Croke.

Read More →
Line graph showing container import volumes
Fleet Managementby StaffAugust 7, 2026

Import Cargo’s Early Peak Season is Winding Down

There was an early start to peak season this year at the nation's gateway ports, as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of tariff changes in late July and responded to other supply chain uncertainties,

Read More →
Blue infographic with graphs illustrating cargo theft trends in the second quarter of 2026
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 6, 2026

Fewer Cargo Thefts, Bigger Losses: Criminals Target Higher-Value Loads

CargoNet says organized theft rings are stealing fewer shipments but choosing more valuable freight, including metals and technology, resulting in record losses.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Illustration of a chalkboard with a hand drawing an arrow curving away from a partially erased straight arrow with the words "Embracing Change," the Heavy Duty Trucking Logo and the "cover feature" graphic.
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 1, 2026

How Innovative Trucking Leaders Turn Change Into an Advantage

As the pace of change accelerates in trucking, the fleets that adapt best have more than the latest technology. They have cultures that embrace improvement.

Read More →
Illustration of past due invoices with red X on top with background of a truck at a loading dock
Fleet ManagementJuly 27, 2026

Freight Broker Bonds Just Got Harder to Get. Here's What That Means for Your Fleet.

When it gets harder for a freight broker to prove they are financially sound, the ones who cannot clear that bar get pushed out of the market. And those are exactly the brokers who used to leave motor carriers holding the bag.

Read More →
Photo of cable bridge crossing Detroit River
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeJuly 23, 2026

Long-Awaited Canadian Border Bridge to Open in Detroit

For trucking, the bridge opening should offer immediate improvements in efficiency and reliability, with new customs facilities, expanded inspection capacity, and direct freeway-to-freeway connections.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Blue International heavy-duty truck with Aurora driverless truck software coming head-on on an interstate highway
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeJuly 22, 2026

Aurora Rolls Out Next Generation of Driverless Trucks for Commercial Freight

Aurora's latest autonomous trucks it's rolling out with International feature lower-cost hardware designed for a million miles as the company expands commercial driverless freight operations across the U.S. Sun Belt.

Read More →