Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025:
Windrose partners with Xos to offer charging solutions
The Xos Hub delivers power to a Windrose electric truck through a mobile charging setup.Windrose
Zero-emission, long-haul Class 8 truck manufacturer Windrose is partnering with mobile charging solutions provider Xos to bring scalable charging to fleet operators across the United States and international markets.
Windrose's Class 8 electric truck is engineered from the ground up for global deployment across 6 markets: North America, Europe, South America, Oceania, Asia, and the Middle East. Windrose’s truck offers up to 420 miles of loaded range, the company said.
Now, through the partnership with Xos, Windrose fleet customers will gain access to the newest generation of the Xos Hub, a mobile charging solution that enables fleets to scale fast without waiting for traditional infrastructure.
The latest version of the Xos Hub features a 630 kilowatt-hour onboard battery and integrated DC fast chargers capable of delivering up to 150 kilowatts per port, or 300 kilowatts when operating in series. The flexible, off-grid solution enables true dual-shift operations for the first time, the companies noted, in which drivers can return mid-day, recharge their trucks quickly, and get back on the road for a second full shift.
“Together with Windrose, we’re removing the single biggest barrier to fleet electrification: infrastructure delays,” said Dakota Semler, CEO of Xos. “This partnership enables large fleets to get trucks on the road and charging in a matter of days, not years.”
The Xos Hub is already proving itself as an alternative to fixed DC fast chargers. Without the need for trenching, switchgear, permits, or utility interconnection, the Hub can be deployed in a matter of hours, the company added.
“At Windrose, we are building the most advanced Class 8 electric trucks in the market. But technology alone isn’t enough,” said Wen Han, founder, chairman CEO of Windrose Technology. “Charging access is critical. Xos brings the hardware and logistics to ensure our customers can operate at full scale on day one. We will start deployment in the United States and expand to our other markets including Canada, Mexico, Australia.”’
Daimler Truck named in lawsuit over R&B singer’s death
Two children of R&B singer Angie Stone are suing Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), among others, over the crash that killed her earlier this year.
The driver of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that Stone, 63, and her bandmates and entourage were in lost control of the vehicle in the early hours of March 1 on Interstate 65 near Montgomery, Alabama. The van flipped over, but most of the occupants managed to escape before the van was struck by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia, operated by CRST, killing Stone.
Diamond Stone and Michael D'Angelo Archer, two of Stone's children, filed the suit. Included are the van driver, the truck driver, the owners of the van and the truck, and DTNA. The suit alleges the truck's collision avoidance system was faulty and failed to detect the van laying in the interstate.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the victims of this incident and their families during this difficult time," DTNA said in a statement to CCJ sister publication Truck, Parts, Service. "We cannot comment on pending litigation at this time."
The suit further claims the truck driver was listening to music on headphones, wasn't paying attention and did not brake before hitting the van at 70 mph, killing Stone. Everyone else in the van survived.
The Detroit Assurance 5.0 advanced driver assistance systems included on the 2021 Cascadia include:
- Adaptive cruise control to 0 mph, which automatically accelerates and decelerates the truck to maintain a safe following distance.
- Active Brake Assist 5.0, which provides full braking should a moving pedestrian enter the truck's path. It issues visual and audible warnings to alert the driver with partial emergency braking. If the driver doesn't act, the system brings the truck to a full stop.
- Automatic wipers and headlamps, intelligent high beams and traffic sign displays.
- An optional feature is Side Guard Assist, which detects objects in the passenger-side blind spot along the full length of the tractor and trailer.
Stone was a singer-songwriter who created No. 1 hit "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" and "Baby" with Betty Wright, "Wish I Didn't Miss You" and "Brotha." --Beth Colvin, TPS
Peruvian national charged with fraud after driving commercial vehicles using stolen identity
A Peruvian citizen has been charged with immigration fraud offenses for allegedly stealing an American citizen’s identity to obtain a commercial driver’s license.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut filed a criminal complaint on Aug. 13 against Flor Consuelo Del Carmen Caballero Bernabe.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Caballero Bernabe traveled to the U.S. in 2000 on a non-immigrant visa and subsequently began using the identity and social security number (SSN) of a U.S. citizen to reside, work and maintain a Connecticut CDL. Caballero Bernabe also used the fraudulent identity and SSN to apply for a U.S. passport in 2005, renew it in 2015, and use it to travel internationally.
This investigation began after the individual whose identity Caballero Bernabe had originally stolen allegedly applied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) seeking Social Security Disability benefits in 2022. SSA informed the individual that a person in Connecticut had been earning income using the same SSN.
It was further alleged that Caballero Bernabe used a CDL to operate commercial motor vehicles for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-regulated entities. Caballero Bernabe allegedly made false statements on an FMCSA-administered medical examination form to maintain the CDL.
The complaint charges Caballero Bernabe with passport application fraud, misuse of a passport, making a false claim of U.S. citizenship, misuse of a social security account number, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements.
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) is conducting this investigation with Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, SSA-OIG, and Homeland Security Investigations.
