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Mack Trucks' lineup of heavy-duty vehicles is about to get a little lighter.

On his final full day as administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Scott Darling said his biggest regret of his 2½ years in charge was not being able to fully implement the Unified Registration System.

A new coalition of shippers and retailers led by UPS Inc., FedEx Corp. and Amazon.com plans to call on members of Congress to support the nationwide access of twin 33-foot trailers, a move likely to ignite a contentious debate among lawmakers during the 115th Congress.

For several top North American container ports 2016 was a record-setting year, and industry analysts are cautiously optimistic that 2017 will be even better despite the uncertainty in Washington that comes with a new presidential administration.

While it’s no secret trucking fleets have been frustrated in recent years when it comes to getting problems with their rigs diagnosed and repaired in a timely manner, truck dealers say they are working harder than ever to improve service and uptime for their customers. But, they say, fleets need to step up to the plate as well.

Equipment and component manufacturers are using new designs and materials such as aluminum to remove weight from Class 8 tractors, which helps fleets increase payload and maximize fuel efficiency.

Fleets that have adopted the latest in active safety technologies, such as adaptive cruise and electronic stability control and, most recently, collision mitigation, report that there is little additional maintenance associated with these complex electronic systems on trucks.

Outside of brakes and oil changes, service in the aftermarket has largely operated as “fix as fail,” but that era is fading. Instead, more trucks have connected components and telematics, which means preventive maintenance is becoming the new norm. That is pushing the aftermarket to know when a truck is coming in, what part it needs and to get it to the service provider at the right time and right price, industry experts said.