Trailers, by definition, are inert objects that are pulled by something else to get it moving, but in terms of the trucking industry, part of that definition may be changing due to a new technological innovation from Range Energy.DetailsRange Energy’s new electric trailer, the RA, has its own battery that it pulls power from to […]
Similarly to Vermont, the Bluegrass State is now suffering from an overabundance of water. Governor Jim Gray has declared a State of Emergency in direct response to these events. Details This Declaration is very different from the one in Vermont. Whereas Vermont’s Declaration was very vague about who it applied to and what it allowed […]
We talked about a potential strike incoming from Yellow workers that would have gone into effect by the time you read this, but the situation has changed. While a strike is still on the table, Yellow now has an additional month to mitigate it.DetailsThe entire debacle started when the Yellow Corporation failed to make proper […]
For the fifteenth consecutive year, The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) approved of a 5% toll increase for 2024. It is a small amount, but it is still helpful to know for our east coast truckers.DetailsIf you use an E-ZPass, the toll will increase from $14.40 to $15.20. If you travel on the Turnpike rarely and […]
Here is a fact that appears to be not so well known by people on the road: speeding is a bad idea. A coalition of eleven states wants to remind drivers of that important detail, and as such on July 26th they are working together to enforce speed limits more than usual, while also hopefully […]
Bills that are introduced into Congress often die, but the good news is that they can always be tried again and again, and only have to get through once. That is the case with the Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act of 2023, or H.R. 1440, which is the latest attempt to get a bill […]
With a different Congress now in session, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, essentially a national version of California’s AB-5 law, is attempting to make its way through the chambers of Congress to become a law.DetailsThis will mark the third iteration of the PRO Act that we have covered. The short version is […]
It is now the dog days of summer, and you know what that means: heat and dryness for a majority of the country. Where has all of the water gone? Apparently the answer to that is Vermont, as the state is suffering from widespread flooding. Governor Phillip Scott has issued a State of Emergency regarding […]
We wrote about UPS workers with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), but there is another potential strike looming that, while not having as much reverberating effect on the economy as a UPS strike would entail, is certainly something too large to be ignored. Yellow Employees represented by IBT, approximately 22,000 in total, may go […]
When we post these recorded findings on average auction rates for Class 8 trucks across the nation, we stay put when it comes to saying whether now is a good time to buy or a bad time to buy. After all, if a truck’s price is dropping, will it drop further? If it is increasing, […]
The United Parcel Service is one of, if not the, largest carrier(s) in the United States. They are estimated to handle 20 million parcels every day. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) union represents 340,000 UPS employees, and the two sides are unable to reach an agreement regarding labor terms. If they cannot reach an […]
The Iowa 80 Truckstop prides itself as being “The World’s Largest Truckstop”, but it is also home to the largest trucking event of the year. This year the folks over in Walcott, Iowa are planning to maintain that record by aiming higher than ever before.DetailsThe previous year’s Walcott Truckers Jamboree had 45,000 attendees, and the […]
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) believes its compiled statistics for the start of 2023 brings some good news for the future of traveling on the road, not just for 4-wheelers, but for trucking as well.DetailsNHTSA estimates that in the first quarter of 2023, there were 9,330 traffic fatalities. In a vacuum this may […]
One of the most important topics we cover here at TopMark Funding regarding the trucking industry is the country’s infrastructure, and how it is often in desperate need of repair. International truckers traveling to Canada and back by way of the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron, Michigan, need to know that for the next few […]
Another month has gone by, and as such the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has updated its number regarding employment in NAICS 484 (transportation). Here are those updated numbers.June 2023 Employment DataThe first June 2023 estimate says 1,609,700.The revised number for May 2023 is now 1,609,900, an increase of 700 from the first.The final number […]
You may remember how we have been reporting that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is placing some of the strictest truck emission regulations in the entire world. Now, CARB has reached an agreement with other truck manufacturers under the banner of the Clean Truck Partnership.DetailsMembers of the new Clean Truck Partnership include:CarbFordNavistarPACCARVolvo Group North […]
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has performed some data collecting to find out the average cost a truck will pay when it comes to operating a truck, at least for the years 2013 to 2022. This information can be quite helpful for fleet owners in making business decisions.DetailsThe listed costs on a per mile […]
One of the greatest problems facing the trucking industry in the transition from diesel to electric battery power is the lack of charging infrastructure. After all, it took approximately 100 years for fossil fuel stations to reach the prevalence they have right now, so replacing all of that with electricity is bound to be difficult. […]
Regardless of whether you deliver specifically to a place in New Mexico or use the state as an easement to get somewhere else, it is important that you know this new information. Starting July 1st 2023, which is before the time you are reading this, truckers can be fined for traveling in the left lane […]
A little over a month ago, we wrote an article asking if automatic emergency braking (AEB) will ever become standard on heavy-duty trucks. We now have our answer, as the Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to require it on all medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles in the year 2027 and beyond.AEB and How it WorksSimply put, […]
