Jim Park

Former HDT Equipment Editor

Jim Park served as Heavy Duty Trucking's equipment editor from 2006-2024. Specializing in technical and equipment content, Park is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the trucking industry since 1998.

Before joining HDT, Park was a truck driver and owner-operator for 20 years and served as an editor for HighwayStar magazine, which ceased production in 2011. He maintained his commercial driver’s license to bring a real-world perspective to Test Drives, as well as to features, videos and podcasts about equipment spec’ing and trends, emissions regulations and developments, maintenance and drivers.

He is the recipient of 16 Jesse H. Neal honors (both finalist and Neal awards), including “Best Range of Work by a Single Author” in 2020.

Articles•by Jim Park•October 9, 2019

The Challenge of Migrating from Diesel to Electric

Thinking of going electric? There's more to worry about than the price of the trucks and the weight of the batteries.

Articles•by Jim Park•February 19, 2018

Can the Electrical Grid Handle Electric Trucks?

Very few new power plants have been built in the U.S. in the past 10 years, yet demand for electric energy is rising, fueled by a boom in battery electric vehicle sales. Does the grid have the capacity to handle it?

News•by Jim Park•August 10, 2017

Chanje Bringing Class 5 Electric Cargo Van to U.S.

Can an electric medium-duty vehicle manufactured at a global scale and priced on par with a diesel finally achieve mass-market appeal? Chanje is betting on it.

News•by Jim Park•September 25, 2014

Mid-Size Mercedes-Benz Van Arriving in Late 2015

Following on the success of the Sprinter van in the U.S. market, Daimler plans to introduce a mid-size van sometime next year. The van made its debut in Berlin, Germany, in late July, but Daimler execs were coy on an actual release date for the American version of the van, saying only that it would be introduced in the fall 2015 in a MY 2016 designation.