The trucking industry is facing a historic shortage of qualified CDL drivers. To aid distribution networks, truck manufacturers have developed vehicles that don’t require a CDL.

Fleet video telematics provider Lytx, San Diego, shared new insights about changes in driving risk tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated guidelines to help control the spread of the virus.

Here are some snapshots of what’s happening with the industry’s top fleet equipment suppliers and what to expect in 2020 and beyond.

There’s been a massive focus on improving not just the quantity of what’s delivered, but the quality of life for those delivering it.

Perhaps the biggest fleet-related issue that probably isn’t going away any time soon is the shortage of drivers, especially those with a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Beverage fleets now are getting creative with the types of applications for which they deploy lighter, non-CDL-required vehicles.

With the move to rear-load bulk trailers versus traditional side-loaders, liftgates have been playing a much more prominent role in beverage distribution fleets.

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc. unveiled new road-ready bodies for select Isuzu N-Series trucks.

According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), the nation needs an estimated 50,000 additional truck drivers immediately as the shortage is expected to grow to more than 174,000 by 2026.

The program’s expansion is designed to help Isuzu dealers and customers have a wider selection of bodies from which to choose, the company says.