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Truck manufacturers increasingly are enabling fleets to update truck software and programming parameters “over the air” — an innovation that is saving days of downtime.

After recent hurricanes destroyed transportation corridors in the Southeast part of the country, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Democrats on Capitol Hill ramped up their calls for rebuilding infrastructure that would be far more resilient.

Improvements to truck tire technology in recent years have created a collection of products that man­ufacturers often tout as their most ­advanced, longest-wearing and most fuel-efficient tires ever. But many motor carriers choose to analyze those factory-­tested claims in their own real-life settings before committing to adding the products to their entire fleet.

Effective filtration systems always have played an integral role in the daily life of a truck’s lubrication, air intake and fueling processes.

All major truck builders and several startups are preparing to develop, test and market either battery-electric vehicles or fuel-cell/battery models in the very near term. Replacing diesel-powered Class 8 trucks, though, will present numerous challenges to an industry accustomed to proven and reliable diesel-­engine technology.

The world’s largest chemical shipper and one of the largest bulk carriers in North America are investing $1 million in what they say is the first digital freight-matching network for shipping liquid bulk commodities by truck.

Tesla Inc.’s calling used to be bringing affordable electric cars to the masses. Elon Musk is now ripping up the script, vowing to pair self-driving technology with a sharing service that will make it crazy for consumers to buy other cars.

Minnesota’s recent law banning the use of handheld cellphones while driving will improve safety for motorists and truckers alike, according to Minnesota Trucking Association President John Hausladen.

Not to be confused with the occasional White House announcement of an “infrastructure week,” the actual Infrastructure Week is scheduled for May 13-20, with events in Washington and throughout the country.