Rick Mihelic

Rick Mihelic

Rick Mihelic is NACFE’s Director of Emerging Technologies. He has authored for NACFE four Guidance Reports on electric and alternative fuel medium- and heavy-duty trucks and several Confidence Reports on Determining Efficiency, Tractor and Trailer Aerodynamics, Two Truck Platooning, and authored special studies on Regional Haul, Defining Production and Intentional Pairing of tractor trailers.

Service and repair
Living with sensor-ship
The implementation of engine controller ECUs and ABS braking systems in the 1990s really began the waterfall growth in software and sensors in the trucking industry.
December 19, 2024
instrument cluster warning lights
Alternative power
We’ve been in the messy middle before
The history of farm tractor propulsion, from steam-powered behemoths to modern diesel engines and emerging electric technologies, is a blueprint currently ongoing in transportation.
December 9, 2024
antique farm tractor
Trucks
Pre-buy and post-buy thoughts
A pre-buy may look inevitable and smart to some, but a longer perspective might mean different things.
November 26, 2024
Mack Truck axle assembly
Technology
Revisiting option content
OEMs would love choice to disappear and for the marketplace to return to Henry Ford’s Model T world, having any color you want as long as its black.
November 19, 2024
Detroit Diesel engine assembly line
Business
Rail and truck competition
When we think of intermodal freight, we often envision a complex system of interconnected transportation modes. However, a deeper understanding reveals an often-overlooked dynamic: the symbiotic relationship between rail and trucking.
November 1, 2024
intermodal container yard
Recalls
Should customers get paid by OEMs for recalls?
If customers were compensated by OEMs for downtime, maybe that would inspire truck manufacturers to have fewer recalls.
October 29, 2024
semi on a tow truck hook
Business
American greed
Getting swept up in the hype seems to be human nature, but how much of fleet, OEM management and engineering, and regulator time will be wasted by attributing too much credit to the hype?
October 21, 2024
Carnival barker
Emissions
OEM emission compliance placed on customers?
The latest twist in the evolving landscape of greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations involves OEMs passing the compliance burden onto their customers and dealers.
October 9, 2024
truck with exhaust
Trucks
Advice to new truck engineers
Management people and customers often change their minds about what they want, and those changes can happen anytime irrespective of how much time and money has been invested to that point or what deadlines are looming.
October 2, 2024
automotive design engineer
Business
Boutique freight
Freight customer satisfaction metrics should matter all the time because brand loyalty is hard to earn and easy to lose.
September 20, 2024
blurred truck
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Top Stories
semi truck in traffic
Business
Cost of congestion tops $100 billion annually, nearly $8k per truck
Traffic congestion cost the trucking industry 1.20 billion hours and $108.8 billion.
Aim 4
CCJ Innovators
Text messaging and AI to revolutionizes roadside assistance for Aim Transportation
trucks getting fuel
Trucks
Study shows fuel economy averages climbing
Combo Group trucks
Mergers & Acquisitions
Heniff acquires European bulk transporter
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