Technology
Canadian company Quarterhill announced it has been awarded a contract by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to handle maintenance, calibration, and technical support for the state's weigh-in-motion (WIM) project. The contract has an initial value of $4.6 million, a duration of three years, and an option for a two-year renewal. This marks Quarterhill's collaboration with a seventh state-level agency in 2026, further strengthening its business pipeline.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Wednesday that it plans to simplify procedures for state transportation departments and railroad companies to lease land along highways, railroads, or utility tunnels, in order to deploy critical utility facilities such as transmission lines, fiber optics, and water pipes. The plan aims to utilize existing transportation land, reduce land acquisition costs, and accelerate project progress through environmental exemptions. The DOT will lead an interagency working group, using public-private partnership models, to support infrastructure needs for the power grid, hyperscale data centers, intelligent transportation, and AI technology. Lease revenue will be used for the repair and upgrade of roads, bridges, tunnels, and railroads.
Global port operator APM Terminals (part of A.P. Moller-Maersk) announced an additional order of 96 electric terminal tractors from Orange EV for its largest terminal on the U.S. East Coast, the Elizabeth, New Jersey terminal. This follows the company's expansion of a pilot from 20 to 60 units at Pier 400 in Los Angeles, marking the transition of electric terminal equipment from pilot to large-scale deployment.
Einride, a Swedish electric and autonomous transport provider, announced a partnership with Tesla to deploy 500 Tesla Semis over two years, beginning in September. The order triples Einride's fleet and will expand its network across California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas. Tesla's Semi director highlighted cost advantages over diesel, while Einride's CEO cited the scale customers demand. This follows other large Tesla Semi orders, including WattEV's 370 trucks and Walmart Canada's 130.
The final installment of NACFE's four-part series on the Run on Less – Messy Middle demonstration highlights how four fleets—Albert Transport, Frito-Lay, Mesilla Valley Transportation, and Schneider National—achieved fuel efficiency ranging from 9.03 to 11.8 MPG, far exceeding the industry average of 6.852 MPG. The report also explores the role of renewable diesel, biodiesel, and other alternative fuels, while noting that diesel's financial advantage is finite due to rising total cost of ownership.
Kodiak AI has received approval from California to test its autonomous trucks on state roadways with drivers onboard, the company announced Aug. 14. The permit allows immediate operations, and CEO Don Burnette says it enables the first phase of scaling coast-to-coast autonomous trucking. The company must complete 1 million miles of testing before applying for a commercial deployment permit.
In a move to bolster zero-emission freight, the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles have agreed to dedicate $40 million for electric-truck charging infrastructure. The funding, overseen by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, will support the ports' Clean Truck Fund programs and advance a new financial incentives initiative for zero-emission trucks.
Quarterhill has been awarded a $5.25 million contract by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to deploy an intelligent transportation system at a commercial vehicle facility on Interstate 35. The project, announced July 30, includes weigh-in-motion and electronic screening systems, and is part of a series of infrastructure wins for the company in 2026.
Einride has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Flipturn, a developer of charging and energy management software for electric fleets, for an estimated $38.4 million. The all-stock purchase, announced July 21, is expected to double Einride's managed energy capacity and support its U.S. expansion strategy.
FedEx announced on July 30 the deployment of Dexterity's Mech robotic trailer-loading systems at its Hagerstown Hub in Maryland. The systems use Foresight, an AI model for real-time package placement. This expansion follows years of testing and is part of FedEx's plan to automate trailer loading and unloading across more than 20 U.S. hubs in the coming years. Other companies like DHL and Amazon are also expanding robotic deployments.