Based on comments provided to a federal registry, many truckers believe a proposal to require side underride guards on heavy trucks needs more research, data collection and real-world testing. About 2,000 parties filed comments on the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration proposal, with many questioning whether the costs are worth the benefits.

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Truck maker Nikola agreed to sell its Phoenix Hydrogen Hub project to partner Fortescue Future Industries for $24 million, the companies said. Nikola teamed up with Australia-based FFI to develop the Buckeye, Ariz., project, with a memorandum of understanding signed in January. FFI has the funds and resources required to fully develop the green hydrogen project, Nikola said, and the companies are working on a fuel supply deal for Nikola’s Class 8 trucks.

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UPS Inc. and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters jointly announced July 19 that negotiations between the two sides for a new labor contract for unionized workers will resume the week of July 24. No specific date or location has been announced, but the two sides said decisions on those details will be made soon. The high-profile negotiations broke down on the morning of July 5 after several days of productive talks.

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U.S. medium-duty truck retail sales increased 22.7% in June compared with the year-ago period, according to Wards Intelligence data. Retail sales of Classes 4-7 trucks rose to 21,924 in June from 17,866 in June 2022, in what was the third consecutive month to see a year-over-year increase and the fourth overall in 2023. Sales also climbed marginally on a month-on-month basis, with 21,687 units sold in May.

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A new study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform found that trucking in America is “under siege by litigation.” A review of 154 trucking litigation verdicts and settlements from June 2020 to April 2023 revealed a statistical mean plaintiffs’ award of $27.5 million and a statistical median award of $759,875 for settlements.

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The transportation funding committee in the U.S. House of Representatives will consider a fiscal 2024 transportation bill July 18. The bill, which would dedicate $90.2 billion for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, was advanced by a subcommittee last week. The measure would provide $891.3 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency tasked with regulating commercial trucks and buses.

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UPS Inc. plans to train nonunion employees to help deliver packages in the event of a labor disruption in the U.S., underscoring the potential for a strike as a crucial negotiating deadline nears. The training sessions in the coming weeks won’t affect negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters or have an impact on operations, UPS said in a statement July 14. UPS is negotiating with the union, which represents about 340,000 UPS workers, to renew a five-year contract that expires at the end of this month and could lead to a potential strike on Aug. 1 if a deal can’t be reached.

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U.S. Class 8 retail sales rose 7.7 percent in June compared with the year-ago period. Sales dipped slightly from May, totaling 24,085 units. Daimler Truck’s Freightliner brand sold 8,991 trucks in June, the largest market share for the month, accounting for 37.3 percent of all sales in June.. Western Star saw the largest year-over-year sales increase, jumping 62.7 percent when compared to June 2022.

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The West Coast’s growing demand for renewable diesel and biodiesel fuel will drive petroleum diesel usage there next year to the lowest level in more than two decades, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. From January through April this year, diesel consumption in California, Washington and Oregon dropped to about 400,000 barrels per day, down from 450,000 barrels per day in 2000. Biofuels have become alternatives to diesel and are helping meet emission requirements set by California, Oregon and Washington. The EIA pointed out, however, that in the rest of the country, diesel consumption has risen to pre-pandemic levels.

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During an event on July 11 in Boston, Daimler Truck reported second-quarter sales gains across its business units and boosted full-year guidance based on the strength of global sales across the first half of the year. It also said it was launching a share buyback program for its investors. In a release, Daimler reported year-over-year Q2 gains for Daimler Truck North America, Daimler Buses, Daimler’s Asia division, and Mercedes-Benz. For DTNA, Daimler raised its full-year sales growth forecast to a range of 11% to 13%, up from a previous range of 10% to 12%.

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