Kate Wade

Kate Wade
Kate Wade is the managing editor of Utility Fleet Professional and Incident Prevention magazines. She has been employed by Utility Business Media Inc. since 2008.

Stellar Highlights Work Truck Solutions
Stellar Industries recently showcased their product lineup at Work Truck Week 2026 in Indianapolis, including the new 2026 model-year TMAX Aluminum Mechanic Truck and the new EC3200 Electric Service Crane. The 2026 TMAX features new taillights with a high-intensity, cascading LED turn signal for improved on-road and jobsite visibility. The EC3200 Electric Service Crane features […]

DTNA Expands Engine Portfolio
Daimler Truck North America has announced an expanded power-train portfolio for upcoming 2027 products, adding new Cummins engines alongside Detroit’s Gen 6 diesel lineup across Freightliner and Western Star models. These additional offerings from Cummins – which include the new B6.7 Octane gasoline engine, the clean sheet X10 and a redesigned X15 – complete the […]

Green Truck Summit to Become Future Truck Summit
Green Truck Summit, the commercial vehicle technology conference that kicks off Work Truck Week, will become Future Truck Summit in 2027. NTEA – The Work Truck Association and NAFA Fleet Management Association are collaborating to develop an expanded curriculum, which will focus on the rapidly evolving fuels, software, hardware and on-vehicle technology driving improvements in commercial […]

Reading Unveils New Truck Bodies
Reading Truck, a business unit of J. B. Poindexter & Co. and one of North America’s leading manufacturers and distributors of work truck bodies, showcased two work truck models at Work Truck Week 2026 earlier this month. Reading Truck’s new Combo Body combines the secure storage of a service body with the open utility of […]

Fleetio Launches AI Service Advisor
Fleetio, a leading fleet maintenance and optimization platform, has announced the open beta launch of Service Advisor, an artificial intelligence capability that helps fleet managers approve high-volume repairs faster and more consistently. Early results show assets spending 16% fewer hours in the shop when Service Advisor guides repair decisions. As escalating costs impact maintenance budgets, […]

Xwatch, RodRadar Announce Utility Strike Prevention System
Xwatch Safety Solutions, part of Hexagon, a leader in excavator safety systems, and RodRadar, developer of the field-proven Live Dig Radar (LDR), have announced the industry’s first safety-grade solution for preventing underground utility strikes. The integrated system automatically stops excavator bucket movement when subsurface utilities are detected during active excavation, making RodRadar’s Zero-Strike vision a […]

Vermeer Vacuum Trucks
Vermeer’s new VXT400 and VXT500 vacuum trucks feature a 25-foot boom with 330-degree rotation, dual-digging capability that lets two operators work simultaneously. The VXT400 delivers 4,131 cfm airflow and 18 in Hg vacuum with spoil tank options of 8, 10 or 12 yd3 starting at 32,500 pounds dry weight. The VXT500 features 5,018 cfm airflow […]

Navigating the Road Ahead
Commercial vehicle industry professionals are about to converge on the Indiana Convention Center for Work Truck Week 2026. Produced by NTEA – The Work Truck Association, it is North America’s largest work truck event. The activities kick off March 10 with the Green Truck Summit, a premier technology conference expanded this year to include sessions […]
The View From the Starboard Seat
I’ve spent the last 15 years in the co-pilot’s chair. As managing editor of Utility Fleet Professional since the very beginning, my job has been to navigate – checking the maps, verifying the data and ensuring that every article we publish meets the high standards of the utility fleet community. But the seating chart has […]

Smith System Launches Trainer Center Platform
Smith System, a global leader in driver risk management solutions, has launched the Trainer Center, a new digital platform designed to modernize and expand how fleets operate, scale and sustain the Smith System Certified Trainer Program. The platform directly responds to what the market has been asking for: a way to run trainer-led safety programs […]

