C.R. England adopts AI-powered driver-facing cameras
(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
Nationwide truckload carrier C.R. England recently announced it has chosen safety and telematics provider Lytx to equip its 3,500-truck fleet with driver-facing cameras. The cameras are part of a larger suite called Lytx Drive Cam Event Recorders, which use AI and computer vision to “identify driving risks, including distracted driving, handheld cell phone use, lack of seat belt use, following too closely, and more.”
This comes as other large truckload carriers including J.B. Hunt and Prime Inc. have tested or adopted camera technology. For J.B. Hunt, Trucking Dive reported that the fleet had completed adopting driver-facing cameras across its entire fleet after having piloted the technology back in 2018.
For large truckload carriers, the legal benefits appear to outweigh the privacy costs. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) wrote in a 2023 report, “According to surveys of legal and insurance experts, DFC [driver-facing camera] footage, when available, exonerates drivers in 52 percent of insurance claims and 49 percent of litigation cases as well as leading to settlements in 86 percent of cases versus proceeding to trial.”
Despite the benefits, road-facing cameras remain the primary camera option for surveyed fleets. The same ATRI report noted that as of 2023, only 32% of survey respondents used DFCs compared to 72% who use RFCs.
100-year-old federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks under scrutiny again
(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
An over 100-year-old federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks is again under scrutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives recently reintroduced legislation aimed at removing it. The bipartisan legislation is called The Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act of 2025.
Trucking lobby groups supported the measure. American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said in a release, “First implemented over a century ago to help finance America’s effort in World War I, the FET has become the largest excise tax on any product, adding $24,000 to the cost of each new clean-diesel tractor-trailer.” Spear added that keeping the tax on the books would continue to impose enormous hardship especially for small fleets and independent truckers.
The ATA estimates that the federal excise tax, currently at 12%, the highest levied on any product, creates $6 billion in an added annual burden on the trucking industry. The Commercial Carrier Journal reports that during testimony to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, the FET was noted as adding an average of $22,000 to the cost of each vehicle. CCJ adds that similar efforts in recent sessions of Congress have failed.
The exact costs added vary. CDL Life reports that according to Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., “it adds $15,000 to $30,000 the cost of new heavy trucks, trailers, semitrailer chassis, and tractors for highway use. LaMalfa also says the FET encourages the sale of used trucks because these vehicles are not subject to the 12% tax.”
Market update: March preliminary Class 8 orders retreat further
March preliminary Class 8 orders further retreated based on year-over-year comps, according to data released Wednesday by ACT Research. March preliminary North America Class 8 net orders were 16,000 units, down 8.3% y/y. A central theme for March and Q1’s overall performance remains uncertainty.
Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research, wrote, “Whether the slowdown in orders is a result of moderating economic activity, private fleets’ pausing expansion, or a response to trade and policy uncertainty is difficult to surmise and remains an open question.” Vieth adds that while March orders were down 8.3% y/y compared to February, seasonally adjusted Class 8 orders rose 1.1% from February to 16,500 units, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 198,000 units, “one of the lowest 1-month SAAR readings in almost three years.”
The impacts of reciprocal tariffs announced by the Trump administration on Wednesday add further uncertainty, due to the extensive supply chain integration between Mexico, Canada and the U.S. when it comes to producing a Class 8 tractor. While the recent tariffs avoid items under the existing United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the raw materials such as aluminum and steel used in making the tractors may increase.
Dan Moyer, senior analyst of commercial vehicles at FTR Transportation Intelligence, added in a February release, “Approximately 45% of all Class 8 trucks built for the U.S. and Canadian markets will be subject to the 25% U.S. tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico and planned Canadian counter tariffs. About 40% of U.S. Class 8 trucks are produced in Mexico, and roughly 65% of Canada’s Class 8 trucks are assembled in the U.S.”
SONAR spotlight: Dry van conditions in holding pattern amid tariff uncertainty
(Source: SONAR)
Summary: For the dry van segment, the beginning of spring brought little change in tender rejection and volume rates, with the past week seeing little movement. On a positive note, compared to the previous year, dry van conditions are more favorable for carriers despite lower dry van tender volumes. Dry van outbound tender rejection rates were flat w/w at 5.48% but are 183 basis points higher than last year’s value of 3.65%. Dry van outbound tender volumes saw slight gains w/w but remain lower compared to y/y comps. VOTVI rose 86.16 points or 1.2% w/w from 7,188.76 points on March 24 to 7,274.92 points. Compared to last year, VOTVI is 359.63 points or 4.71% lower than last year’s value of 7,634.55 points.
Tariffs and their potential impacts remain an important concern for the dry van segment, with manufacturers’ demand planning struggling due to uncertainty. Manufacturing indexes saw dips in their March releases. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said, “A key concern among manufacturers is the degree to which heightened uncertainty resulting from government policy changes, notably in relation to tariffs, causes customers to cancel or delay spending, and the extent to which costs are rising and supply chains deteriorating in this environment.”
Less consumer demand means less spending and fewer upstream replenishment orders. For the dry van space, a marked downturn in automotive, retail and other durable goods orders could explain some of the poor performance in dry van tender volumes compared to seasonal expectations.
The Routing Guide: Links from around the web
The $3,500 Divide: Trucker Pay Trails National Average, Impacting Truck Driver Job Satisfaction (FinditParts)
Lawmakers try again to improve truckers’ bathroom access (FreightWaves)
Freight industry: Which regulations should DOT cut? (FreightWaves)
Mullen preps more layoffs, lease terminations (Fleet Owner)
Truck driver triumphs at Supreme Court in case involving marijuana testing (FreightWaves)
FMCSA calls fraud a ‘public safety crisis masquerading as an economic problem’ in tech-focused MATS talk (Overdrive)
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