Canadian Fleet Pulse

05/27/2026

Industry Update: Walmart is changing how suppliers move freight

Walmart has launched a new program that allows suppliers to send freight to a single consolidation point, where smaller shipments can be combined before being distributed across Walmart’s network. The goal is to reduce transportation costs, improve efficiency, and get products to stores faster.

Why is this interesting?

For years, many suppliers have shipped multiple smaller LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) loads to different distribution centers. Walmart is essentially saying:

“Send it to us once, and we’ll handle the rest.”

The bigger story is what this says about the future of supply chains.

Large retailers are investing heavily in consolidation, network optimization, and freight density. Every empty trailer space, unnecessary touch, and inefficient shipment is being scrutinized. The companies that move freight more efficiently often gain an advantage without selling a single additional product.

It’ll be interesting to see whether other major retailers follow a similar approach and what impact this has on LTL networks, suppliers, and transportation providers over the next few years.

Fleet Pulse takeaway:
Sometimes the biggest supply chain innovations aren’t new trucks or warehouses—they’re finding smarter ways to move the same freight.

Source: Walmart / FreightWaves article

05/15/2026

A major U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week could have a pretty big impact on the trucking and brokerage side of the industry.

In simple terms, the Court ruled that freight brokers can potentially be sued for negligent carrier selection if they hire carriers with serious safety issues and a major accident happens. The case involved a lawsuit against C.H. Robinson after a severe crash involving a carrier the broker had hired. The Court unanimously ruled that federal law does not automatically shield brokers from these kinds of state-level negligence claims.

Why this matters is that it could change how aggressively brokers vet carriers going forward. A lot of people in transportation are now wondering whether brokers will become more selective, rely more heavily on larger fleets with stronger safety records, or demand more documentation and monitoring from smaller carriers.

There’s also debate about the long-term effect:

* Some believe this could improve safety and reduce shady carrier activity.
* Others think it may increase insurance costs, compliance pressure, and make life harder for smaller carriers and brokerages.

Either way, this feels like one of those rulings that could quietly reshape parts of the transportation industry over time.

Curious to see how people in trucking, brokerage, and logistics think this plays out.

05/06/2026

Sometimes a truck gets blamed for a problem that is actually coming from the operation around it.

The same model can perform very differently depending on driver habits, idle time, maintenance discipline, route profile, and whether the spec actually matches the job.

In other words, fleets are not always comparing trucks — sometimes they’re comparing operations without realizing it.

If you are running short haul or crowded routes, check out this new VNR options available in mid and high roof sleeper.

05/05/2026

Industry update:
Alberta has launched a new Canadian Trucking Regulations Hub designed to bring important trucking rules and route-planning information into one place. It includes things like permit information, National Safety Code details, vehicle configuration requirements, and tools to compare rules across jurisdictions. For fleets moving interprovincial, specialized, or oversize freight, that could be genuinely useful because one of the biggest headaches in Canadian trucking has always been how fragmented route and regulatory information can be.

Alberta’s transportation minister says a new national digital hub for truck drivers is expected to improve route planning, reduce costly bridge strikes,

05/01/2026

The all-new Volvo VNR is a big step forward in how regional and urban-focused trucks are evolving.

A lot of the attention naturally goes to the exterior design, but what stands out more is how much focus has gone into the overall driver environment, visibility, aerodynamics, and day-to-day usability.

For fleets running shorter-haul, regional, or city-connected operations, those details matter more than people think. A truck is not just about horsepower and specs on paper — it’s also about how it fits the work, how the driver feels in it, and how efficiently it performs in real-world operations.

The new VNR definitely feels like a truck built with that in mind.

I’ll share a few practical observations on the all-new VNR here over time.

04/29/2026

Fun fleet fact / thought:
One of the most interesting things I came across recently is the idea that UPS tries to avoid unnecessary left turns on its routes.

Sounds small — but when you think about it, left turns can mean more waiting, more idling, more fuel burn, and more lost time.

Across one truck, that may not sound like much.
Across a fleet, every day, it becomes a completely different story.

That’s what makes fleet operations so interesting — sometimes the biggest gains don’t come from major changes, but from small decisions repeated thousands of times.

Disclaimer: The exact numbers/facts behind this may not be fully accurate, but the idea itself is what makes it worth thinking about

04/27/2026

After two years of weak freight demand and surplus capacity, Canada’s trucking market is showing signs of recovery. Early 2026 saw freight volumes and rates improve on tighter capacity. Many smaller, undercapitalized carriers left the industry, leaving a leaner carrier base with more pricing power. From the shipper’s side, that means trucks have become harder to find and costlier. On the finance side, banks have taken note: transportation loans (~C$54 billion at the major banks) suffered rising delinquencies and impairments through 2023–24. Lenders report they are proceeding carefully with new loans. In early 2025 one bank (BMO) even tightened mortgage and lending rules for tariff-exposed trucking firms. As a result, borrowing will remain challenging in the near term unless the economy or rates change. Carriers should therefore protect margins (by cutting variable costs), plan replacement purchases around upcoming regulations, and strengthen risk controls (insurance, cargo security, compliance).

04/22/2026

What you need to know about EPA 2027

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that new emissions regulations for heavy-duty trucks will take effect on January 1, 2027.
Here’s what you need to know.
What is EPA 2027?
EPA 2027 refers to a new regulation which sets criteria pollutant emission standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles with a goal of significantly reducing certain air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx). The rules also mandate a reduction in diesel particulate matter. This is separate from the EPA Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas regulation that was also expected to take effect in 2027.
For heavy-duty engines, NOx emissions must be reduced to 0.035 g/bhp-hr, a reduction of up to 90% over current levels.
Is this regulation subject to change in light of recent EPA announcements?
EPA has confirmed that it will maintain the 0.035 g/bhp-hr emissions level that was adopted in 2022; however, we expect the agency to introduce a new draft rule later this spring which will make changes to other areas of the regulation including warranty and useful life provisions.
Considering the EPA’s rescindment of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and the Department of Justice’s recent enforcement discretion, will we still get an EPA’27 engine update?
Yes. EPA’s rescindment of the endangerment finding impacts only greenhouse gas emissions regulations and does not affect EPA’s 2027 regulations on traditional air pollutants, such as NOx, which affect health and air quality. All heavy truck engine OEMs will still need to offer an engine compliant with EPA’s 2027 emissions regulations.
What is Volvo’s solution?
Volvo Trucks’ EPA 2027-certified engine is built on the new Volvo powertrain platform, designed to deliver superior performance and fuel efficiency. More details about the new engine will be shared at ACT Expo in Las Vegas on May 4, 2026.

How can you prepare?
1. Be proactive
Review your 2026-2027 plan. Proactive preparations now help minimize operational disruptions and position your fleet for a smooth transition when you need additional equipment. Emissions compliance is determined at the time of truck build, so you can be confident that trucks produced in 2026 will be compliant in the future.

2. Plan for future cost changes and a compressed pre-buy window during 2026
Plan for potential increases in equipment costs for trucks delivered starting January 1, 2027, due to EPA’27 technology evolution. As a result, the industry could see a surge in demand as we move into the second half of 2026.

3. Stay informed
Stay tuned for the EPA’s upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which could bring changes to engine warranty and useful life provisions. The NPRM will be followed by a public comment period and then the final regulation text in late 2026.

For more info contact me.

Call now to connect with business.

04/22/2026

Welcome to Fleet Pulse.
This page is for fleet owners, drivers, and people in the trucking industry who like to stay updated on market trend, truck prices, replacement planning, and practical fleet-related insights.

I’m Prashant with Mid-Ontario Truck Centre, and I’ll be sharing regular updates from the market along with occasional Volvo-related content that may be useful to fleets.

Good to have you here.

07/29/2020

Brand New 2021 VNL 760 Available for Sale. Contact Prashant 647.936.4177