2018 was electric. Early in the year, Tesla and Nikola allowed us to glimpse the future; soon, the major OEMs followed.In such a charged atmosphere, the promise of this truck technology seems exciting. But does that promise amount to anything more... practical?

Get to the answer with the Transport Topics team this December when they jump behind the curtain and talk one-on-one with the companies making these trucks and hedging their businesses on an electric future.

It's a time of uncertainty in the trucking world for those in charge of making sure drivers are safe on the road.

What techniques are fleets using to pursue lower insurance costs as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revamps its Compliance, Safety, Accountability scoring system?

What are shippers doing to orchestrate the supply chain? How are they tackling capacity, service, visibility and control? That's the focus of our Aug. 22 LiveOnWeb program, "Orchestrating the Supply Chain."

Our July 18 LiveOnWeb program, Reimagining Trucking took a look at how for-hire carriers are embracing technology and innovation. We also discussed the 2018 Top 100 For-Hire Carriers rankings.

It's been six months since the electronic logging device mandate went into effect, and three months since stepped-up-enforcement kicked in. So now's a good time to ask: How Have ELDs Changed Trucking?

Our June 27 LiveOnWeb program tackled that topic, with the perspectives of three people on the front lines of business and enforcement; Tom McLeod, president of McLeod Software, Edin Selimagic, safety manager for Midwest Freight Systems of Warren, Mich.and Kerri Wirachowsky, director of Roadside Inspection Program at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

Host Seth Clevenger, TT's Managing Editor/Features, guides the conversation with the assistance of staff reporter Eric Miller, who covers regulation and other government-focused topics.

It was just an idea until it found a $38 billion market in desparate need of finding new efficiency...

Then came the seed capital, the incubator mentorship, and the accelerator program. Now, that small idea is on the verge of changing the supply chain completely -- and everybody is interested.

The thing is, this story is not exceptional; these days, it's the rule. Good ideas now stream into the logistics marketplace, where investors wait, hungrily eyeing business potential. In fact, Transport Topics Senior Features Writer, Daniel P. Bearth reports that since 2013, investors have poured a whopping $14.4 billion into this space. Constant innovation is the only way forward for those hoping to meet the changing needs of shippers and carriers.

But that notion can be difficult to digest, especially in a space where margins are tight and risk needs constant managing. How will you exist in this change-or-be-changed space? How do you put it all together in a way that makes business sense today?

Take a deep dive into three topics that can help fleets gain greater visibility into their trucking operations: Blockchain, predictive analytics and remote diagnostics. Watch the replay of our Feb. 21, 2018, LiveOnWeb program, "Mega Trends in Trucking Technology," with host Seth Clevenger of Transport Topics.

Clevenger was joined by Jack Legler, technical director for American Trucking Associations' Technology & Maintenance Council.

The program also featured interviews with Tim Leonard, chief technology officer for Trimble Transportation and a pioneer of blockchain technology in the transportation industry; and Peter Covach, director of IT at Paper Transport, Inc., a dry van carrier with over 900 employees and 725 power units based in De Pere, Wis.

Transport Topics' Eugene Mulero hosts this authoritative look at the regulatory and legislative action expected to come out of Washington this year and how it will affect trucking businesses. Featuring Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Jeff Davis, senior fellow with the Eno Center for Transportation, Bill Sullivan, American Trucking Associations' executive vice president of advocacy and TT reporter Eric Miller.

Our Nov. 17 LiveOnWeb program took a look at fuel efficiency and cost-savings gains that cleaner-running diesel and natural gas promise, as well as the intriguing potential that electric offers, even for Class 8 trucks.

How will 2017 be remembered in the trucking industry? TT reporters and editors are joined by ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello to put the year's top business and government stories into perspective.