Plus: Purdue charges an EV truck on the move | A supply chain look-ahead for 2026
This feels very futuristic. Purdue engineers figured out how to charge an electric truck . . . as it's cruising down a highway. Would that change your mind about EVs?
We've also got a supply chain look-ahead and what mindset the industry needs for 2026. And there's new bipartisan legislation to crack down on cargo theft.
But first, check out this applause-deserving save by an Amazon driver hitting black ice.
Next gen. Hard to believe, but we're already about to witness the fourth generation of an autonomous big rig, thanks to SANY Group and Pony.ai.
Skilled moves. Watch this driver thread the needle and ease out of a tight spot.
ELD purge. FMCSA has ramped up crackdowns on non-compliant electronic logging devices, revoking 34 so far in 2025 — a 62% jump over last year’s pace
Heavy haul. This train engine outweighs most 18-wheelers. But can it be towed away?
3
The number of ELDs that FMCSA recently removed from the list of registered devices.
Source: FMCSA
Opinion: We need better crash data
The Compliance, Safety, Accountability program that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration puts together does not measure the right meaningful metrics, even though it could. That's the opinion from FreightWaves after looking the CSA scorecard vs. other available data.
Data integrity is also an issue, thanks to CDL mills and black-market EDLs. Then there's the fact that FMCSA doesn't take available crash data into account.
Why this matters: The best scorecard metric for the industry is a "preventable crash rate" so that brokers and shippers can get a handle on what they're doing right . . . and wrong. Get more details (FreightWaves)
ATA PROMOTIONS: ATA President and CEO Chris Spear promoted four key staffers to senior leadership positions.
CARRIER CLOSURES: MinStar Transport and Transport Design Inc. suddenly shut down this week, costing about 200 drivers their jobs.
CRST CUTS: Job cuts are coming to Iowa-based CRST, which is reducing its fleet by 200 trucks.
HOGAN SALE: Enterprise Mobility, parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, bought Hogan Transports and its 50-plus locations. Both companies are based in St. Louis.
PrePass purchases FleetDrive 360
Weigh station bypass company PrePass has acquired AI compliance platform FleetDrive 360, taking the trucking technology firm to another level of convenient operation for drivers.
Why this matters: PrePass leaders believe the further integration of FleetDrive 360 will allow carriers to "navigate complex regulatory requirements with speed and accuracy." In short, carriers should see even faster haul times and better trip data. (American Journal of Transportation)
Breakthrough: Team from Purdue wirelessly charges high-speed truck
An engineering team from Purdue University successfully charged a high-speed truck on an interstate, the first known dynamic power-up.
The wireless charging system sent 190 kilowatts to a truck traveling at 65 miles per hour along a stretch of U.S. Highway 52/U.S. Highway 231 in West Lafayette, Ind.
“To put that in perspective, 200 kilowatts are on the scale of about a hundred homes,” says Steve Pekarek, Purdue professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Why this matters: Wireless and electrified highways would be a game-changer in the demand for electric cars and trucks. (The Trucker)
Blackburn, Klobuchar introduce cargo theft bill
U.S. Senators. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced a bipartisan bill to stem the tide of increased cargo thefts. The Cargo Security Innovation Act would create a TSA program with state-of-the-art technology at key transportation hubs in the U.S. and require regular updates to Congress about the effectiveness of the program.
Why this matters: Cargo theft has become a billion-dollar business, and organized crime rings employ high-tech methods to steal pharmaceutical drugs, food, electronics and other valuable goods. Get more details (Clarksville Online)
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The Inside Lane is curated and written by Alan Schmadtke and edited by Bianca Prieto.
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