Crawler Dozers are heavy, driver-operated machines used for clearing and grading land. Usually, they have continuous treads and a broad hydraulic blade in front. Large crawler dozers normally have a set of claws called a ripper that is installed at the machine’s rear end and can crush hard rock.

A Crawler Loader is a piece of mobile construction equipment used to load materials; it’s used primarily in tough, off-road terrain. It’s similar to a wheel loader, except it has treads instead of wheels.

This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink , which provides information on engines, and OE Link, a database of equipment manufacturers.

Trends. In 2025, production of Crawlers in North America (US) decreased 9.7%, and production is expected to remain flat in 2026 with a nominal 1% drop.  The decline is attributed to losing production by Case along with the weakening in construction related activities that include supply chain issues.

High dealer inventory (mostly cost related) and slower demand for new equipment resulted in lower production.

Prior manufacturing increases were reduced with newer efficient models that make tasks more productive and safer. 2021-year declines were mostly due to COVID-19 related factors such as plant shutdowns, parts availability and lack of workforce.

The market also dropped significantly in the Spring of 2020 – 2021 caused by low oil prices along with a lull in mining and construction projects.   PSR

Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research

Americans are warily eyeing prices at the pump as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz grind to a halt amid the threat of Iranian attacks on vessels. The IEA took the unprecedented step of saying it would release 400 million barrels of oil from reserve on Wednesday. But oil is far from the only product for which the world economy is heavily dependent on the shallow, narrow waterway which connects Persian Gulf ports with the rest of the world. From the metals market to agriculture and autos, a de facto closure of the strait would ripple through business sectors and both the U.S. and world economy.

Aluminum is a good example. It is one of the biggest non-petroleum commerce casualties of the U.S.-Iran war. In 2025, the Middle East accounted for roughly 21% of unwrought aluminum imports and 13% of wrought aluminum imports — and those percentages have been rising. Unwrought aluminum is the raw, unprocessed metal in forms like ingots and billets, while wrought aluminum has been mechanically shaped into sheets, rods, or other finished forms used directly in manufacturing.  

“The Iran situation is having an impact, and as the conflict continues, industry concerns may grow,” said Matt Meenan, spokesman for the Aluminum Association, a trade organization representing the U.S. aluminum industry. “This is a highly dynamic situation,” Meenan said. 

The longer the Middle East conflict goes on, the more damage that will be done to supplies of products that Americans expect to be on the shelves. 

“The Gulf is a major supplier of aluminum, and disruptions could tighten supply chains for advanced manufacturing,” said Tony Pelli, practice director of supply chain security and resilience at BSI Consulting, a global risk management firm. “Aluminum prices are already rising, and further disruption could increase input costs for automotive, aerospace, and construction manufacturing in the U.S. and Europe.” 

SOURCE:  CNBC – 3-11-26

PSR Analysis. It is always something.  Just as the North American trucking industry has started a transition into a positive freight environment, an on-going conflict in the Middle East could derail this transition.  During the last three months, the OEMs have seen stronger order books primarily driven by tighter truck capacity, improved freight rates and improving freight demand along with an overall sense of optimism. 

If this conflict ends relatively quickly and the Strait of Hormuz can fully open-up, the commercial truck market will continue to improve this year and beyond.  If this conflict drags on, it will almost certainly give the fleets pause on purchasing new trucks out of fear of a major freight slowdown or even an economic recession.    PSR

Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research

Brazilian vehicle exports showed mixed performance in early 2026, increasing significantly to Mexico while declining sharply to Argentina. Growth in shipments to Mexico reflects stronger demand conditions and efforts by Brazilian OEMs to diversify export destinations, while the drop in Argentina is linked to weaker domestic demand, tighter import controls and foreign exchange constraints.

Overall exports remained supported by regional demand adjustments and production planning by automakers, with light vehicles representing the bulk of volumes. The shift indicates an ongoing reconfiguration of South American automotive trade flows amid macroeconomic instability across key markets.

Source: Automotive Business      Read The Article

PSR Analysis. Diversification supports volume stability but depends on sustained competitiveness against Mexican domestic production and global platforms. Short term performance will remain sensitive to Argentina’s macroeconomic normalization and trade policy conditions. The trend suggests continued adjustments in production allocation, logistics planning and market positioning across the Mercosur automotive value chain.  PSR

Fabio Ferraresi is Director, Business Development, South America, for Power Systems Research

The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.

Tesla reportedly is positioned to receive roughly $165 million in California clean-truck incentives for its Semi.

As per the Times, the Tesla Semi’s funding will come from California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Incentive Project (HVIP), which was designed to accelerate the adoption of cleaner medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Since its launch in 2009, the HVIP has distributed more than $1.6 billion to support zero-emission trucks and buses across the state.

In recent funding rounds, nearly 1,000 HVIP vouchers were provisionally reserved for the Tesla Semi, giving Tesla a far larger share of available funding than any other automaker. An analysis by the Times found that even after revisions to public data, Tesla still accounts for about $165 million in incentives. The next-largest recipient, Canadian bus manufacturer New Flyer, received roughly $68 million.

This is quite unsurprising, however, considering that the Tesla Semi does not have a lot of competition in the zero-emissions trucking segment.

To qualify for HVIP funding, vehicles must be approved by the California Air Resources Board and listed in the program catalog, as noted in an electrive report. When the Tesla Semi voucher applications were submitted, public certification records only showed eligibility for the 2024 model year, with later model years not yet listed.

State officials have stated that certification details often involve confidential business information and that funding will only be paid once vehicles are fully approved and delivered. Still, the first-come, first-served nature of HVIP means large voucher reservations can effectively crowd out competing electric trucks. Incentive amounts for the Semi reportedly ranged from about $84,000 to as much as $351,000 per vehicle after data adjustments.

Unveiled in 2017, the Tesla Semi has seen limited deliveries so far, though CEO Elon Musk has recently reiterated that the Class 8 all-electric truck will enter mass production this year.

Article Source: TESLARATI

The updated article was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.

PSR Analysis. Will the truck subsidies from CARB along with the other state and federal subsidies be enough to support a scale up of the Tesla semi-truck production during the next few years? 

Ultimately, Tesla along with the other OEMs will need to reduce the up-front cost significantly and overcome various other barriers before mass adoption can occur.  Aside from the high up-front truck cost, charging infrastructure, duty cycles and reduced battery weight to increase payload will need to be overcome to achieve mass production.  At some point, the subsidies will likely end.  Class 8 battery electric truck demand will need to increase significantly in order to reduce the truck cost otherwise demand will likely end when the subsidies end.  PSR

Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research

Medium and heavy truck production in North America is expected to increase by 4.9% this year compared with 2025. While class 8 truck production is expected to increase by 6.1% this year, the industry continues to be negatively impacted by the weight of the tariffs, low freight demand, excess truck capacity and relatively high finance rates which is expected to continue through at least the first half of the year. 

With regard to the implementation of the phase 3 GHG emission regulations, it will be later in the spring before the EPA finalizes any revisions to the standards.  Many in the industry believe the EPA will retain the 0.035 g/hp-hr standard along with the 2027 implementation date but cancel the extended warranty requirements which would have added significant up-front cost to the trucks. 

In the EPA revision it is also likely the 0.035 g/hp-hr standard will remain in place for the foreseeable future.  PSR expected class 8 truck demand to improve later this year and be stronger in 2027 – 2029 as the fleets replace their aging trucks purchased in the 2022 – 2024 time-cycle.

Across the Atlantic,medium and heavy truck production in Europe is expected to increase by 5% this year compared to 2025.  After very low truck demand during the past few years, it appears that demand may have bottomed out and will likely improve this year.  Truck demand in Western Europe is expected to improve this year and into 2027 and 2028 as the fleets will need to replace their older trucks purchased in 2022 and 2023. 

A stronger European economy along with implementation of the Euro 7 emission regulations in May 2029 should drive stronger truck demand during the next few years.   PSR

Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward with the 2027 timeline for its heavy-duty NOx rule—currently set to take effect with the 2027 model year—but says changes are in store.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA), National Tank Truck Carriers, Truckload Carriers Association, and 49 state trucking associations in August penned a letter to EPA, asking the regulator to push implementation to 2031, citing “substantial compliance costs and operational burdens at a time when the trucking industry is already contending with historically difficult market conditions.”

Administrator Lee Zeldin in March announced that the EPA was reevaluating the Biden-era 2022 Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle rule that regulates oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and other emissions beginning with Model Year 2027.

EPA told CCJ the agency continues to reevaluate the rule and plans to propose a rule in the spring of 2026 that will take effect the following model year.

“If finalized,” EPA said, “the action will make major changes to the program requirements while maintaining the Model Year 2027 start of the standards, which can significantly reduce the cost of new heavy-duty vehicles, while still protecting human health and the environment, and avoiding regulatory distortions of the heavy-duty vehicle market.”

A spokesperson for Daimler Truck North America told CCJ Monday that the company appreciates EPA’s efforts to reduce costs while maintaining a focus on air quality and legislative consistency, adding “[This] announcement provides the regulatory certainty needed for effective production planning and customer support.”

The new limits currently tighten tailpipe NOx emissions to a level 80%-plus below the current standard and reduce the particulate matter limit by 50%. The agency also will require that OEMs extend warranties to 450,000 miles from 100,000 and useful life limits to 650,000 miles from 435,000 miles.

EPA did not disclose plans for its 2026 revised proposal, but the extended warranty has been cited by OEMs as a major driver of increased costs for MY2027 trucks. Given that EPA expects its changes to the current NOx regulations to drive down costs, warranty provisions are likely to be affected.

Source: CCJ

PSR Analysis: It appears the EPA will proceed with the implementation of the Phase 3 GHG emission regulations for medium and heavy vehicles for MY2027.  However, they are likely to make significant adjustments to the standards.  It is also likely they will eliminate the extended warranty for the MY2027 vehicles thus significantly reducing the up-front purchase price. 

While we will not know the final outcome until this spring, it is possible the EPA will maintain the 2027 nitrous oxide emission rule at the 0.035 g/hp-hr standard moving forward from 2028-2032.  If the EPA flattens the nitrous oxide rule, it would eliminate the need to transition from ICE engines toward zero-emission vehicles during this period.  PSR

Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research

The signs of a freight recovery that appeared early this year are gone, replaced by a tough market where recovery will have to come from a supply-side correction, American Trucking Associations’ Chief Economist Bob Costello said at ATA’s 2025 Management Conference & Exhibition in San Diego.

Costello delivered a blunt and sobering economic warning: new tariffs, persistent stagflation, and a slowing labor market have created “absolutely unsustainable” conditions for many carriers, and the only way out, at least near-term, is to erase capacity from the highway.

“It’s not easy to talk about because it’s people’s livelihoods, but it’s a necessary evil,” Costello said, noting that freight demand is unlikely to improve anytime soon. “This has got to be a supply-driven change in the market.”

The current 18% effective tariff rate, nearly six times higher than it was during the first Trump administration, is a level not seen since the 1930s. Costello warned that the industry is only in the “bottom of the second or top of the third inning” of feeling the impact. “Any benefits of putting tariffs on foreign goods… are years in the future, but the cost hits much quicker,” he said.

Tariffs will impact inflation and could go up to 4% year-over-year, Costello said, before slowing. But prices will rise and stay high unless the tariffs are reduced or eliminated, he added. Overall, prices are up more than 26% since 2020.

A bright spot, Costello said, is that private fleet growth has finally ended and is reversing. “Private fleets grew just after the pandemic. So, as we were in the pandemic craziness and freight was going crazy, there were a lot of frustrated shippers,” he said. “Some of them had fleets and they decided to grow that privately. It was a knee-jerk reaction that I think they sort of second-guessed or regretted. They are contracting again, and I think that will put more freight into the for-hire market.”

Source: CCJ

PSR Analysis. In the medium and heavy truck segment, reduced truck capacity and higher freight demand in the market will be the principal drivers for an increase in new truck sales. Reducing truck capacity to better align with the current freight environment will be the first step of the process followed by increased freight demand.  This will ultimately drive an increase in truck sales.

A rebalancing of the market is likely to begin within the next six to nine months. Moving forward, the big question is not if but when and how quickly the freight market rebounds. Barring an economic downturn or recession, the most likely outcome will be a gradual increase in freight demand beginning late next year. This would allow OEMs and supply chains to gradually increase production capacity to meet improved demand. But what if, for instance, nine months from now the overall state of the market improves significantly and freight demand rises more quickly than anticipated. Will the OEMs and supply chains be able to react to a sharp increase in truck demand?

Meaningful interest rate cuts, a significant reduction in existing tariffs and a stable level of inflation could drive an increase in both consumer and business spending.  This, along with the need to replace aging fleets that were last upgraded during the 2022-2024 buying cycle, could lead to a sharp increase in demand for new trucks, particularly in the class 8 segment.  In 2022-2024, there was extremely strong truck demand caused by the Covid shutdown and very strong consumer demand.

While nobody is certain how this will unfold, it is very important for the industry to pay close attention to the freight market and economy in general so as not to get caught off guard.   PSR

Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research

Jack Prince has joined Power Systems Research as a business development manager. He’ll be working out of the Ann Arbor, MI, office. Jack brings over 25 years of business development and commercialization experience to the global automotive and mobility industries. He uses research and data to help clients identify market opportunities and improve business efficiency while enhancing product performance.

Jack has advised emerging ventures on market discovery, product strategy, and investor engagement. His experience includes supporting global ventures in electromechanical systems, radar and sensor technologies, structural plastics, SaaS platforms, and vehicle access solutions.

Jack holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and is currently completing an Executive MBA at Michigan State University. PSR

4,600 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Combines expected to be produced in North America during 2025.

A Combine is a farm machine that harvests grain crops. Combines can reap, thresh and winnow crops into a single process. Crops include wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, etc.

This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink, which provides information on engines, and OE Link, a database of equipment manufacturers. PSR

For details, download the complete report above.

Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations for Power Systems Research

481,000 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Scooters expected to be produced in North America during 2025.

Scooters/Minibikes/Mopeds are motorized 2-wheeled vehicles used primarily for recreational.

This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink, which provides information on engines, and OE Link, a database of equipment manufacturers.    PSR

For details, download the complete report above.

Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations for Power Systems Research