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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.

Jacobs Vehicle Systems announced the availability of its 5783A engine brake as standard equipment on the International A26 engine.

Whether truck drivers are classified as employees or independent contractors is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge for many motor carriers when it comes to workers’ compensation and other insurance coverages, industry experts said.

An aging workforce of drivers is elevating the risk of workers’ compensation claims for fleets even as trucking companies are seeing stable or even lower premiums for workers’ compensation insurance, industry experts said.

Old Dominion Freight Line has been steadily growing its internal Forklift Rodeo competition. What began as a single event at its Salt Lake City service center in 2016 has grown into ODFL hosting seven or eight a year.

Cummins Inc. reported higher net income and revenue in the first quarter reflecting the strength in the North American truck production and power generation markets, plus global construction demand.

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.

Remote diagnostics systems available on modern trucks are helping fleets avoid costly repairs and reduce vehicle downtime, and this technology is rapidly advancing toward offering better predictions of when problems might occur.

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.