Alaska validation program takes the trucks on a 3,000-mile journey from Colorado
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Volvo Trucks pushes new VNL to the max with extreme Arctic testing
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(Photo: Volvo Trucks North America)
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The only way to test a truck in the cold is to put it there. For Volvo Trucks North America, that involved subjecting its all-new Volvo VNL to a 3,000-mile road trip from Colorado to Alaska. The site in Fairbanks, Alaska, is one of the world’s most rigorous testing environments, where temperatures routinely plunge to 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 40 C). The extreme cold-weather testing program aims to validate the truck’s performance, reliability and comfort capabilities under the most challenging operational conditions.
The validation process first involves getting the trucks to Alaska, where Volvo’s test team conducts comprehensive real-world evaluations that surpass laboratory testing limitations. Over several months, engineers subject the trucks to various driving scenarios ranging from long-haul highway routes to stop-and-go city traffic. The goal is to simulate actual customer operations across diverse conditions.
A critical component of the testing regimen includes the “cold soak” procedure, where vehicles remain outside overnight with engines off until all components reach subzero temperatures. After 12 hours in these extreme conditions, engineers then test the startup procedures similar to what drivers would require in real-world situations.
The stakes are more than table stakes, as waiting on the roadside in subzero temperatures poses unique challenges, in addition to being hazardous to one’s health. During testing, professional drivers with extensive experience navigating Alaska’s terrain provide detailed feedback to the test team daily. These insights, combined with real-time performance data, enable engineers to fine-tune every aspect of the truck.
“The all-new VNL was designed to change everything and that includes how we approach testing and refinement in real-world conditions—to challenge our trucks and gain insights that would be impossible to replicate in a lab,” Voorhoeve noted in a press release. “What we learn in Alaska helps us deliver a truck that is not only innovative but proven where it matters most: on the road, in the real world, and in the hands of our customers.”
The Arctic testing environment is part of five distinct American biomes that the company uses. These biomes include urban, desert, prairie, coastal forests and Arctic tundra environments.
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Feds put the brakes on speed limiter mandate
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(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
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Federal regulators have withdrawn proposals that would have mandated speed limiters on large commercial trucks, citing significant data gaps and uncertainties about the rule’s costs and benefits. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) canceled two proposed rulemakings that would have capped speeds for trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds.
The canceled proposals include the original 2016 rule initiated during the Obama administration at the request of the American Trucking Associations and Schneider National, and a follow-up proposal issued in 2022 under the Biden administration. The controversial measures generated over 16,000 public comments from stakeholders across the industry.
“In light of significant policy and safety concerns and continued data gaps that create considerable uncertainty about the estimated costs, benefits, and other impacts of the proposed rule, FMCSA and NHTSA have decided to withdraw the proposal,” the agencies stated in notices posted on Wednesday.
The 2016 proposal, which examined engine speed mandates of 60, 65 and 68 mph, had projected that a 65 mph limit would save between 63 and 214 lives annually, with estimated benefits between $716 million and $2.4 billion, plus $848 million in fuel and emissions savings.
The proposed mandates polarized the trucking industry between two camps: large versus small motor carriers and owner-operators. Major carriers supported the measures, highlighting safety benefits and fuel economy improvements. However, small fleets and owner-operators strongly opposed the regulation, viewing it as detrimental to their competitiveness.
“By establishing a one-size-fits-all federal mandate restricting heavy-duty CMVs to a speed separate from passenger vehicles, this regulation would create dangerous speed differentials between CMVs and other cars and thereby increasing the likelihood of crashes,” wrote a group of 17 associations, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, in a January letter to President Trump.
Regulators cited several key concerns that factored into their decision, including the uncertainty about the impact of speed differentials on crash rates and the inability to quantify potential increases in rear-end collisions involving commercial vehicles. The agencies also noted that advances in crash avoidance technologies like automatic emergency braking systems might already address some of the safety concerns the speed limiters aimed to solve.
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July State of Freight webinar recap
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FreightWaves recently recorded its July State of Freight webinar, which saw a shift in focus from tariffs to freight market data sets. Craig Fuller, founder and CEO, was joined by Zach Strickland, director of freight market intelligence at SONAR. The duo noted that while freight volume isn’t rising, capacity continues to get tighter.
The webinar highlighted a puzzling market dynamic: the Outbound Tender Rejection Index (OTRI) is rising while the Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) is falling. This suggests tightening of truckload capacity despite lingering freight recession conditions. One area experiencing a decline in capacity is independent owner-operators, who are either exiting the market or, as other research notes, joining a larger for-hire nationwide carrier.
The webinar also showed a significant shift in trucking length of haul, with short-haul activity now outpacing long-haul business—a reversal of historical patterns. This trend could be influenced by changing supply chain strategies, though Fuller suggested that reindustrialization efforts could potentially reverse this shift.
In the earnings segment, Heartland Express’s continued financial struggles were highlighted, with Fuller noting the company’s acquisitions have focused on “a 1990s long-haul business that is no longer there.” By contrast, Knight-Swift has successfully improved U.S. Xpress’s operating margin by 300 basis points since acquisition.
Other topics included rail trends, such as the potential impacts of Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific negotiations that could create the first true transcontinental railroad. On the FreightTech front, Fuller predicts a revival in freight technology investment, particularly in AI-powered solutions.
You can watch a recording of the full webinar here.
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SONAR spotlight: Seasonal softness returns to the dry van space
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Summary: As July moves closer to August, the dry van segment continues to experience its seasonal downturn, which has seen spot market rates return to rates observed last year, while the contract space remains in a more favorable position.
Dry van spot market rates, according to the SONAR National Truckload Index seven-day average, fell 4 cents per mile all-in week over week from $2.34 on July 17 to $2.30 per mile. The NTI is now at the same rate as last year, when spot rates were at $2.30 on July 25, 2024. Looking into next week, the NTI is forecast to fall an additional 2 cents per mile to $2.28 by July 31 when looking at a seasonally adjusted two-year moving average.
In the contract space, carriers continue to have more favorable pricing power compared with last year but were not immune to the seasonal downturn in dry van outbound tender rejection rates. VOTRI fell 54 basis points week over week from 5.96% on July 17 to 5.54%. Compared with last year, VOTRI is 80 basis points higher than 4.74% on July 25, 2024.
Based on recent second-quarter earnings, large truckload carriers continue to face freight market headwinds, especially in their operating ratios. Heartland Express, known for its pricing discipline in its legacy segment, posted a 106% adjusted OR in the second quarter, owing to continued challenges from purchasing Smith Transport and Contract Freighters Inc. in 2022.
Knight-Swift saw improvements in tractor utilization at the expense of having fewer tractors in its fleet. The company reported 1,517 fewer tractors in the second quarter than in the second quarter of 2024, from 22,828 to 21,311 units. FreightWaves’ Todd Maiden writes the company is “focused on cost control as it awaits a material inflection in demand. While management is ‘still cautious,’ it noted that customer conversations are a little more stable now that tariff concerns are easing.”
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Routing Guide: Links from around the web
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Registration Now Open for Supply Chain AI Symposium in Washington, D.C.
The future of freight is intelligent. Are you ready?
The Supply Chain AI Symposium, which will be held at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., on July 30, is your exclusive opportunity to delve into the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Join business leaders, pioneering technologists and leading supply chain companies to explore how AI is revolutionizing transportation, logistics and supply chain management.
Whether you lead a Fortune 100 supply chain, build AI models or sling freight for a living, this symposium offers a unique opportunity to explore how AI is being implemented in the world of the supply chain. Gain insights into cutting-edge advancements, practical applications and trends shaping the freight industry.
Space is limited, so register now to save your spot!
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FWTV EVENT | JULY 23, 2025
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WASHINGTON, DC | JULY 30, 2025
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DALLAS, TX | SEPTEMBER 2025
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