This week in trucking: New vocational trucks, legal decisions

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of March 5. 

Listen to the news on this week's episode of The Fleet Lead podcast here or search for The Fleet Lead on your favorite podcast app.

Summaries of the stories are below:

OEMs announced two new vocational trucks

Kenworth announced a new extreme-duty truck, while Mack Trucks unveiled the new Keystone and a redesign of the Granite.

The new Kenworth truck is the C580, effectively replacing the C500 for off-highway and severe-service applications. The redesigned Mack Granite boasts 3% better fuel efficiency and an improved interior for greater cabin comfort. The new Mack Keystone has very similar specs to the Granite, but the Keystone has a more robust suspension system, boasts a “construction-grade frame,” and comes in several configurations, including sleeper options.

The Trump administration is changing independent contractor classification

The Department of Labor issued a proposed rulemaking that would change how it interprets the definition of an independent contractor. The rule would urge courts to first consider two “core factors” to determine whether a worker is a contractor, a simplification of the historical way courts have made this classification.

Most notably, the first Trump administration tried to issue very similar guidance—and that first attempt included an example that explicitly said a trucking company could require an owner-operator to install speed limiters without necessarily rendering that driver an employee. That example no longer exists in this latest rulemaking.

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments around broker liability

The Supreme Court case on whether brokers can be liable for negligent hiring took its next step: The Court began hearing arguments in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II. The Court’s decision is likely still months away, but if the Court finds that brokers can be liable for negligent hiring, it would be a massive disruption to for-hire trucking.

Torc Robotics is moving autonomous hauls to Michigan

The Daimler Truck subsidiary Torc announced that it will expand its self-driving trucks’ public road testing to Michigan, in the Ann Arbor area. The expansion is most notable because autonomous developers have largely kept testing in the American Southwest: Michigan’s climate could be more challenging for autonomous drivers.

Bot Auto is working with a broker for Texas hauls

Autonomous developer Bot Auto announced that it is working with brokerage Ryan Transportation to haul freight between Houston and Dallas without a driver. Bot Auto could begin its hauls for Ryan Transportation before the end of this spring.

Diesel prices jumped 9 cents

The national average on-highway diesel price increased to $3.90, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Many carriers expect a spike in diesel prices very soon due to the Middle East conflicts.