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The freight transportation industry, much like many other core segments of the economy, has experienced its share of growing pains in the Information Age. But trucking companies are tackling those challenges with fresh ideas, increasingly spearheaded by a new crop of leaders.

UPS Inc. and an estimated 255,000 members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are now working under a new five-year agreement that brings labor stability to the Atlanta-based shipping giant. The contract took effect on April 29 after workers in Michigan ratified the last outstanding supplemental agreement.

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.

Condition-based maintenance is coming to commercial vehicles, and bringing with it transformative possibilities to expand real-time operational insights, foster an improved warranty process and, perhaps, accelerate sales of replacement parts, experts said.

Fleets find that by performing their own repairs, they can better control repair and wait times, and going commercial enables them to offset costs. Repairs can happen quickly while drivers are at home during their off-duty hours, making it a recruiting and retention tool.

Trucking groups prepared their drivers with tips on operations and safety as a polar vortex gripped the Midwest, delivering extremely cold temperatures and harsh wind chills.

Camera monitor systems designed to replace a truck’s conventional side mirrors are getting favor­able reviews from drivers, according to exec­utives at fleets that are testing the new technology, which also recently received a nod of approval from federal regulators.

Two motor carriers are closing out the year with pay increases for drivers, capping off a 2018 trend that saw many fleets boost compensation in order to attract and retain drivers.

Manufacturers that supply over-the-road trucks, as well as those who operate them, have something to say about their trucks’ cab design. And ergonomics plays a critical role to help enable drivers to perform efficiently.