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Looking like a delegation of toasters from space, a generation of electrically powered, self-driving mail trucks will roll out of a suburban Detroit industrial park later this year. Their mission: Revolutionize mail and package delivery.

Because taxes went down, almost everything else that drives the trucking industry went up in 2018. Look back at a newsy year for the industry.

DETROIT — Cold temperatures can sap electric car batteries, temporarily reducing their range by more than 40% when interior heaters are used, a new study found.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to tailor its new glider truck emissions standard to help protect the glider industry from “going out of business or substantially reducing its economic growth potential,” agency chief Andrew Wheeler said in a document sent to Congress.

Transport Topics has partnered with Spoken Layer to make one-minute daily briefings available on all your smart devices. Simply say “Alexa, play Transport Topics” or “Okay Google, talk to Transport Topics” to get the day’s biggest trucking headlines.

Transportation industry groups are criticizing a plan by some ocean carriers to begin seeking new administrative fees for cargo containers, known as “street turns.” The fees are set to take effect Feb. 4 and range from $30 to $75, depending on the carrier.

Self-driving truck startup Embark has issued a voluntary report on the performance of its automated trucks, providing a more detailed look at its testing process and the current capabilities of its technology.

Large freight railroads functioned with the use of automatic braking technology for 83.2% of miles required by law, the Association of American Railroads announced Jan. 24. That proves the Class I railroads met 2018 requirements, and they are expected to finalize the implementation of positive train control technology by the final deadline of Dec. 31, 2020.

Camera monitor systems designed to replace a truck’s conventional side mirrors are getting favor­able reviews from drivers, according to exec­utives at fleets that are testing the new technology, which also recently received a nod of approval from federal regulators.

WASHINGTON — Members of the Transportation Research Board’s Truck Size and Weight Committee said they continue to face stiff headwinds to garner public and political support for heavier and longer trucks, despite evidence that demonstrates the potential for reducing carbon emissions and increasing cargo efficiency.