Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Jan. 13, 2025:
Nikola BEV 2.0s driven 1 million in-service miles
Nikola Corporation, via its HYLA brand, announced last week that its updated battery-electric trucks have surpassed 1 million in-service miles from fleets and dealers.
Nikola BEVs are class 8, zero-emissions trucks meant for metro-regional applications. Nikola previously announced in September that all previous Nikola BEVs had reached 1.5 million in-service miles driven. These BEV trucks have been recently updated with software and HMI updates, new batteries, charging and vehicle enhancements to include scheduled departure charging, and Nikola app updates.
“Nikola is thrilled to see our end fleets and dealers making deliveries in our battery-electric trucks,” said Mary Chan, Chief Operating Officer for Nikola. “One million end fleets and dealer miles in our updated BEVs are one million zero-emission miles. Nikola BEVs, on the road and in our customers’ hands, continue to help us reach our zero-emission goals.”
Nikola has released a total of 94 updated BEVs back to end fleets and dealers to-date through 19 different fleet customers, who have driven these units 1,016,929 in-service miles.
[Related: Schneider's battery-electric truck fleet hits 6M miles]
Tennessee waives HOS for certain haulers due to winter weather
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to winter weather impacting the state, waiving hours of service regulations for truck drivers hauling certain commodities. Tennessee joins a bevy of other states that have declared weather emergencies and similar waivers throughout the week.
The declaration and waiver apply to operators transporting fuels, including fuel oil, diesel oil, gasoline, kerosene, propane, liquid petroleum, and other refined petroleum products and heating fuels, or those transporting feed for the livestock or poultry industries or animals in those industries.
The declaration is effective for 14 days through Jan. 23.
[Related: Winter weather prompts slew of emergencies, waiving hours and other regs]
Online bankruptcy equipment auction set for Jan. 16
A live webcast bankruptcy heavy-duty equipment auction will be held Thursday, Jan. 16, hosted by financial services firm Tiger Group.
The auction will feature more than 50 trucks and trailers from most of the major OEMs.
The bankruptcy auction comes as part of the complete liquidation of a leading North American tractor truck and trailer dealer and leasing company, with assets located in California, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina and several other states, Tiger Group said.
The assets are predominantly late-model, ranging in age from 2021 to 2024, noted Chad Farrell, Managing Director, Tiger Commercial & Industrial.
"This court-approved sale is a rare occasion to acquire well-maintained tractor trucks and trailers at liquidation values," Farrell said. "This is also a great opportunity for truckers, trucking companies, dealers, and leasing companies across North America to add to their fleets in early 2025."
The live webcast auction will begin at 1 p.m. Central time on Thursday, Jan. 16 at SoldTiger.com. Veteran auctioneer Wayne Hecht, Senior Director of Operations for Tiger Commercial & Industrial, will take online bids in a live simulcast from Tiger Group's studio. It is the first in a series of sales. "All told, we have approximately 110 tractor trucks and trailers to offer at auction, so interested bidders should stay tuned for the next event," Farrell added.
Highlights of the upcoming sale include:
- (6) 2019-2024 Freightliner Cascadias
- (8) 2015-2023 Freightliner Cascadias
- (3) 2022 and 2024 International LT625 and LT62F trucks
- (5) 2017 and 2023 Kenworth T680 trucks
- (6) 2018-2024 Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt 579 trucks
- (2) 2024 Peterbilt 579 trucks
- (4) 2023 CIMC reefer trailers
- (4) 2008-2022 Great Dane trailers
- (1) 2021 Hyundai dry van trailer
- (9) 2002-2024 Utility trailers
- (1) 2008 Wabash dry van Trailer
Inspections are available by appointment on Wednesday, Jan. 15, in Toledo, Ohio; Fresno, California; and Mooresville, Indiana. To arrange an inspection or obtain other information, email: [email protected] or call (805) 497-4999.
Felling Trailers delivers on custom trailer for North Dakota conservancy district
The Garrison Diversion Conservancy District was created by the state of North Dakota in 1955 to develop the Garrison Diversion Unit (GDU) project, which serves 28 counties across North Dakota.
Garrison Diversion focuses on irrigation, recreation, agriculture and natural resources and municipal, rural and industrial water supply. They are also responsible for operations and maintenance (O&M) of the federal GDU project facilities consisting of canals and pumping plants.
This all entails the need to transport equipment from location to location and their quad axle detach trailer was at the end of its life cycle. Having a long-standing relationship (16 years), GDU looked to Ed Kinvig of Titan Machinery, a Felling Trailers dealer, to assist in the acquisition process of a new 65-ton hydraulic detachable gooseneck.
Garrison Diversion needed a custom 10-foot-wide trailer, capable of hauling several different pieces of equipment like excavators and dozers.
“We needed a custom-built wide trailer and wanted it with a gooseneck lock with a pin style connector for unhooking the trailer bed, and a paint coating that would last,” said Darren Murray, O&M Superintendent at GDU.
Tom Wagner of GDU, Ed Kinvig of Titan Machinery, Darren Murray of GDU and Jake Meyer, Felling Trailers, with the custom-built Felling XF-110–4 HDG.
Felling’s hydraulic detachable gooseneck locking design and coating system had Garrison Diversion sold.
The custom detach incorporated a knuckle trough in the rear of the main deck, 45-degree full height trunnion approach with bolt-on wheel covers to provide a full-length load bearing flat modular top, air lift axles, amber strobe lights, flasher kit, and an oversized load sign.
Upon completion of the trailer build, Kinvig and the Garrison Diversion team made the journey to the Felling Trailers manufacturing facility to tour the plant and pick up their new detach.
