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December 2, 1999 9:51 AM, EST

DETROIT — It is said that technology will alleviate the national shortage of truck drivers.

Probably not, but that statement illustrates the theme at the Society of Automotive Engineers International’s Truck and Bus Meeting and Exposition in November that technology’s influence in the coming years will reach far beyond the truck.

The annual meeting of vehicle engineers also took advantage of its venue in the Motor City to shift its usual focus from heavy-duty truck issues to examine the growing impact of light- and medium-duty trucks on the nation’s economy.

“Given the fact that trucks and light trucks account for more than half the total automotive business in the U.S., the conventional wisdom that technology starts in cars first just isn’t true anymore,” said Bernard I. Robertson, senior vice president of engineering and technology with DaimlerChrysler Corp.

For the full story, see the Nov. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. .