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Tag: commercial vehicles

EU Changes Road Transport Rules

Posted on by David Priestman

In April 2025, the European Commission announced new laws to update how road transport works across the EU. These changes are designed to make road transport safer, more modern, and more efficient. They affect drivers, logistics companies, and vehicle owners all over Europe, says Tomasz Mazurkiewicz of Truck1 International.

The new laws will focus on using digital tools, improving road safety, and helping freight move faster across borders. The plan is part of the EU’s larger goal to reduce emissions and support greener transport systems in the future.

What Will Change for Drivers and Companies

The law introduces several important changes:
● Smart tachographs will be required in all new trucks. These devices track driver hours, routes, and rest time using GPS
● New rules for driver working time will help make rest periods clearer and easier to follow across the EU
● Electronic freight documents (e-CMR) will become standard, replacing paper documents and speeding up customs checks

All these changes are meant to save time, reduce paperwork, and create fair conditions for companies working in different countries. But they also mean that some older trucks and systems will need to be updated or replaced.

New Emission Rules Will Push Companies to Upgrade Fleets

The new EU rules will also tighten emissions limits. Trucks will need to be cleaner and more fuel-efficient. This will help reduce pollution and bring the transport sector closer to climate goals.
As a result, many logistics companies will need to replace older vehicles with newer ones that meet these standards. That creates extra demand for trucks that are up-to-date, safe, and legal under the new rules.

During this period of change, companies need a fast and easy way to find the right trucks and equipment. Truck1 is one of the best tools for that. It is one of Europe’s largest online marketplaces for commercial vehicles, construction machines, and farm equipment. Truck1 currently offers over 400,000 listings from more than 1800 trusted sellers. Buyers can search by brand, model, engine type, year, and location. It’s easy to contact the seller directly by phone or send a free inquiry — no sign-up needed.

Who Else Will Be Affected by the New Rules?

The changes won’t just affect truck drivers and logistics firms. Dealers, leasing companies, and even national governments will have to adjust. Dealers, for example, may see more demand for newer trucks that meet the latest rules — especially those with smart technology or low-emission engines. One big challenge in the coming years will be finding vehicles that meet both the legal and practical needs of each business. Truck1 helps solve this problem. The site offers fast filtering, real photos, technical details, and a large network of sellers from all over Europe. It’s especially useful for companies that work across borders or need to upgrade fleets to stay competitive.

The Future of Road Transport in Europe

The EU’s new road transport laws are a major step toward a cleaner, smarter, and more efficient industry. While these changes require companies to invest time and money, they also create chances to grow, improve safety, and work more smoothly across borders. Companies that prepare early will have an advantage.

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DB Schenker to Deploy MAN eTrucks

Posted on by David Priestman

DB Schenker, one of the world’s leading logistics service providers, has signed an agreement with commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus to become the first customer to adopt the new MAN eTruck. DB Schenker will add 100 new MAN low liner and swap body trucks to its fleet by 2026. The first vehicles are to be handed over in the first half of 2024.

Cyrille Bonjean, Head of Land Transport at DB Schenker Europe, said: “We want to build up practical experience with e-trucks as early as possible. In this way, we can quickly create an offer for the business community to make supply chains more climate-friendly. That’s why it was important for us to receive the first MAN eTrucks. This brings us another step closer to our goal to be net zero on the road in land transport by 2040.”

“DB Schenker and MAN are embarking together on the road to an electric future. We are very pleased to have our first customer for the new eTruck. Demand in the market for this all-electric vehicle is already enormous. The topic is now really taking off, partly because more and more of our customers are setting extremely ambitious decarbonization targets. This has a direct impact on logistics chains. However, we will only succeed in achieving a sustainable mobility turnaround in heavy goods traffic with the appropriate political support. Among other things, this relates to the rapid development of the charging infrastructure and also the further design of the funding framework for the acquisition of electric trucks,” said Alexander Vlaskamp, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus.

eTruck from Munich

The first MAN eTrucks will be produced in a small series in the first half of 2024 on the production line at the company’s headquarters in Munich. With the signing of the agreement, DB Schenker is the first pilot customer for these eTrucks. The logistics service provider wants to gain practical experience with the product as early as possible. This also includes setting up its own charging infrastructure, intelligent route planning, and other digital services from MAN Digital Solutions such as eManager, ServiceCare, and MAN Driver App. DB Schenker is therefore supported by 360° consulting from MAN Transport Solutions, including route analysis, charging strategy, charging infrastructure planning, and energy demand optimization.

The first MAN eTrucks for DB Schenker in 2024 will be volume semitrailer tractors, so-called ultra-semitrailer tractors. The reduced semitrailer height of around 950 mm makes it possible to transport volume trailers with an interior height of 3 meters electrically. The other electric trucks to be delivered in 2025 and 2026 are planned as ultra-semitrailer tractors and swap body trucks.

 

Fleet Connectivity for Commercial Vehicles

Posted on by David Priestman

To advance next generation fleet connectivity for commercial vehicles ZF, today. announced that it has acquired intellic Germany GmbH, a Berlin-based advanced tachograph technology company with 20 employees. The acquisition further consolidates ZF’s unique capability to supply innovative solutions across the entire commercial vehicle transport value chain, reinforcing its innovation leadership in road transportation, orchestration and infrastructure optimization. Building on ZF’s ‘Next Generation Mobility’ strategy, the move represents a significant step towards realizing its ambitions to enable Transportation as a Service (TaaS).

“Incorporating Intellic’s smart tachograph technology within our telematics portfolio further advances ZF’s leading position as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for commercial vehicle manufacturers, fleets and industry partners,” said Hjalmar Van Raemdonck, Head of Digital Systems Solutions in ZF’s division Commercial Vehicle Solutions. “As a uniquely regulated and trusted data center, smart tachographs will have an increasingly important role to play in the road transportation ecosystem.”

“Leveraging the data integrity of smart tachographs will open opportunities in logistics, infrastructure optimization and build on ZF’s recent launch of its SCALAR digital fleet orchestration platform,” added Van Raemdonck. As the “black box” of the vehicle, verified data will include the entry of local times, precise real-time clocking, secure Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and an Intelligent Traffic System interface (ITS).

Enabling a “Connectivity Hub,” it is envisioned that a single, certified box will be able to reliably and accurately collect and relay data from a wide range of vehicle sensors and data sources including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and EBS signals.

With the potential to deliver significant added value to fleet customers, ZF is well positioned to become a full digital service provider by providing a complete system with clear, measurable, verified data. This includes displaying remaining drive time limits to ensure regulatory compliance. Offering all the digital software and hardware solutions that fleets need from a single source, ZF will integrate future-proof capabilities with software updates over-the-air, in the same way as updates for the tachograph such as driving and resting times. Adding value for manufacturers, ZF’s tachograph capabilities offer a simple solution to integrate speed, driving and resting time data to their vehicle dashboards.

The integration of trusted smart tachograph data with ZF’s recently launched SCALAR fleet orchestration platform will enable more efficient routing, dispatching and driver scheduling to help significantly enhance fleet efficiency. From 2023, the smart tachograph will become the central trusted device in the commercial vehicle sector in Europe. By third quarter 2023, manufacturers in Europe will be required to install next generation smart tachographs in new vehicles and, by the end of 2024, they will replace analogue tachographs altogether.

ZF is a global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. ZF allows vehicles to see, think and act. In the four technology domains of Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Automated Driving, and Electric Mobility, ZF offers comprehensive product and software solutions for established vehicle manufacturers and newly emerging transport and mobility service providers. ZF electrifies a wide range of vehicle types. With its products, the company contributes to reducing emissions, protecting the climate and enhancing safe mobility.

With some 157,500 employees worldwide, ZF reported sales of €38.3 billion in fiscal 2021. The company operates 188 production locations in 31 countries.

Ford Trucks Announces new Products and Technologies

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Building on more than half-century of experience and dynamic product development in the field of heavy trucks, Ford Trucks is kicking off 2021 with two new product variants, plus updated services and technologies throughout its current product range, launched in 44 countries.

The F-MAX family, which now includes two new variants, F-MAX Blackline and F-MAX L, including new specifications and features, is bringing connected mobility technologies to Ford Trucks customers. The company is introducing remote-control features with its ConnecTruck technology, offering more convenience and greater efficiency.

‘As an innovative brand that listens to our customers’ needs, we focus our R&D efforts on bringing next-generation technologies to the market. We believe we can add the most value for our customers by lowering their total cost of ownership. With each new product we develop, our goal is to help our customers manage their business more profitably’, says Serhan Turfan, Vice President at Ford Trucks. ‘We are proud to introduce a new range of products and technologies to our customers all over the world. We will continue to deliver more efficiency, even better performance and cutting-edge technologies for our customers.’

F-MAX Blackline (pictured) will be produced in a limited edition of only 250 units with special serial numbers

The F-MAX Blackline, an exclusive variant of the international award-winning F-MAX, will be produced as a limited edition. Each vehicle will feature a special serial number and the Blackline Series emblem on its door. Only 250 units will be produced for this limited edition, which will be available in a special ‘moondust’ silver exterior colour, with blue and black stripes that accentuate the vehicle’s style, as well as black LED headlamps, black wheels, and black mirror caps. The F-MAX Blackline features a high-end interior design, with seats trimmed in black with blue stripes and stitch details, in addition to blue highlights and stitch details on the leather steering wheel and spacious overhead storage areas. The F-MAX Blackline’s front console as well as bed and under-bed storage areas also feature distinctive black design details.

ConnecTruck offers new features that make life easier for drivers and fleet managers

Ford Trucks is transforming its vehicles into data-driven, connected mobility products, equipped with next-generation technologies that benefit customers. The new technologies include features such as GPS-based cruise control and multimedia system that make life easier for drivers and fleet managers. The new remote-control features also enable users of the My Ford Trucks app to control their vehicles remotely, giving drivers an even higher level of comfort.

Meanwhile, the online portal ConnecTruckGlobal.com has been expanded to include new features, especially for fleets. Now, it allows fleet managers to track their vehicles on a desktop computer or tablet, with bonus features in addition to the mobile app. The new features give drivers and fleet managers access to historical vehicle data and route information, all within a few clicks.

New F-MAX L, featuring a longer wheelbase and up to 5,000 km range on a single tank

Ford Trucks aims to exceed its customers’ expectations with the new F-MAX L, featuring a longer wheelbase and a range of up to 5,000 kilometres on a single tank. The F-MAX L’s 1350-litre fuel tank is 300 litres larger than the standard F-MAX tank, offering significant transportation advantages in combination with the truck’s expanded 3750 mm wheelbase. Customers can also choose a 1050-litre tank option by simply selecting a longer wheelbase.

”Eco+ Mode” is now standard in all F-MAX variants, reducing fuel consumption by up to 5%

As fuel consumption and total cost of ownership are the most important criteria in the heavy commercial vehicle sector, Ford Trucks introduced “Eco+ Mode”, allowing drivers to increase fuel efficiency by up to 5%. Starting in 2021, Eco+ Mode will be a standard feature in all F-MAX variants.

When Eco+ Mode is activated, the system takes actions to automatically reduce fuel consumption. The Max Cruise feature sets the most efficient vehicle speed based on road conditions and topography identified using GPS data. Eco Roll is also activated, allowing for optimal acceleration when driving downhill, so that the truck covers the maximum distance with minimum fuel consumption. When Eco+ Mode is switched on, engine power is limited to 450 PS and vehicle speed to 85 kilometres per hour. If the vehicle idles for longer than five minutes, the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel. This is especially beneficial if the vehicle is left running while waiting at customs or loading. Finally, the high-performance kickdown feature is deactivated in Eco+ Mode to conserve fuel. Fleet owners can control and monitor all these features remotely using the My Ford Trucks mobile app.
Road Trucks series are now even more comfortable with ZF EcoTronic 9-speed automated transmission

The ZF EcoTronic 9-speed automated transmission, developed by Ford Trucks engineers, caters to customer expectations and preferences, offering significant driving comfort, especially during heavy-traffic urban driving. It also reduces fuel consumption and total cost of ownership. The F-MAX with ZF EcoTronic 9-speed automated transmission offers better driving comfort in 330PS light tipper and light road trucks. And, by eliminating gear shifting, it helps utility vehicles such as fire trucks to perform even faster during situations where every second counts.

Rear Steerable Axle, improved manoeuvrability and turning radius

The engineers at Ford Trucks understand the importance of manoeuvrability and a small turning radius during urban use and they developed a new rear steerable axle to increase manoeuvrability in 9LT 6X2 vehicles. The new system increases the turning radius by 9%, offering a more comfortable driving experience, especially in confined urban settings.

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