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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.

by HDT Staff
December 29, 2016
HDT's Most Popular Blog Posts of 2016

Photo via U.S. Department of Transportation

3 min to read


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.

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Here are the most-read blog posts from 2016: 

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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.

2. Of Spuds, Sleep, and Faulty Statistics

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

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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.

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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. 

7. Whole Lotta Leasin' Goin' On

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

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“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.

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