The trucking industry is looking to cut its large carbon footprint in the form of EV and hybrid big rigs. There are now almost 3 million tractor-trailers on the road using more than 36 billion gallons of diesel fuel each year, according to trucking industry experts.With diesel fuel prices rising once again, trucking companies around the country and in Baltimore are not only looking for ways to save money, but also save the environment -- and the answer may be in hybrid electric 18-wheelers.With a fleet of about 200 tractor-trailers, Baltimore's Marino Transportation Services, a family-owned trucking and transportation logistics company, felt it was time to look at what it could do to lessen the impact on the environment."We operate in a very carbon-rich environment. Trucking is historically dependent on carbon, but we at MTS feel it doesn't have to be that way going forward," said Joe Marino, sales manager at MTS.After some research, Marino found Hyliion, a company that is bringing hybrid and electric technology to commercial fleets. While Marino was interested in an all-electric big rig, he opted for a hybrid model as his company's routes are too long and loads were too heavy.Hyliion can outfit just about any long-haul truck for hybrid. The technology works with the rear axle generating electricity as the vehicle goes downhill. The electricity is stored in a battery, for which the power can then be used to assist going uphill, and most importantly, it becomes a power station for drivers that sleep in their cabs overnight, saving fuel and cutting down on exhaust."So, instead of idling your motor and emitting all those greenhouse gases for those eight to 10 hours that you're sleeping, we can now use the power that we generated through the trip that day, the power of the truck," Marino said.So, how does it drive? Nick Saban, area manager and driver for MTS, told sister station WBAL it handles like a regular rig."It's pretty seamless. The power is great. You don't feel any lag," Saban said.Being more conscious about the environment can also be good for business. Marino said they're trying to set the standard. Marino said thanks to Hyliion's technology, and a digital log kept inside the cab, MTS is able to help its customers cut their carbon footprints as well."Our customers all have (environmental, social and governance) initiatives to reduce their carbon footprints, and what we can do is with the alien product, we can give them weekly reports that show how many greenhouse gases we have reduced," Marino said.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — We've all heard of snakes on a plane. Well, some Florida firefighters in Fort Myers found a snake in a truck.

On Thursday morning, the Fort Myers Fire Department said in a Facebook post that firefighters were returning to the fire station when a motorist flagged them down.

When they stopped, the motorist said they found a snake inside their truck's engine compartment.

The fire department said firefighters removed the python safely and notified Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

According to CNN, officials believe it's likely an escaped pet, so they are trying to locate its owner.

As COVID-19 restrictions get lifted, more communities are making plans to make summer more fun.

Outdoor events are slowly returning including many concerts.

"We're ready. We're excited. We think it's time," said Jim Miller, lead singer of Dangerous Jim and the Slims.

Miller said he already booked concerts in Greenhills, Lawrenceburg and Hamilton.

"Rockin' the Roebling, we'll be doing that," Miller said. "I'm sure that people will be booking as much outside stuff as possible."

Party on the purple returns on Wednesdays starting next week.

In West Chester, Takeover at the Square and Keehner Park concerts will be returning late June.

Music in Mason will also be bringing back tunes to the Mason plaza.

"That was actually a very big generator of business for us. So, to see those things being brought back in a safe manner, I think is going to be great for us," said Matt Imm, owner of Quatman Cafe' in Mason.

The city of Hamilton has a jam-packed schedule of outdoor events starting this Saturday with a Main Street spring shop hop. Alive After 5, concerts at RiversEdge and many other activities are also on the calendar.

After taking a year off, one of the largest food truck rallies in the region is headed back to West Chester.

"We have about 40 food trucks and other vendors that will be here ready to get our grub on," said Kerry Hendel, vice president of the Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association. "We also bring in people from northern Kentucky, from over in Indiana as well. So, people who have seen our township before get to experience it for the first time."

Depending on where the event is, who is hosting it and the number of people attending, some restrictions could be in place.

Since state and federal guidelines can change day by day, so can the guidelines for different events.

Most of the items you buy get to you, in part, by trucks. Right now, many trucking companies are facing a driver shortage, which could make it harder for you to get what you need.

“The demand for [commercial driver’s license] drivers has dramatically increased. Right now, it’s as a height I've never seen it, as in demand, as right now,” Don Mutters, an admissions rep at Great Lakes Truck Driving School, said.

Like driver’s ed, students here at Great Lakes Truck Driving School are guided by instructors through maneuvers and cones. After 200 hours and a test, they’ll have their commercial driver’s license.

“The volume, you would be surprised at how many calls and inquiries and people trying to get into school,” Mutters said.

Classrooms are full, and trucking companies desperate for new hires know it -- visiting the students before they’ve finished the course.

“No exaggeration, the demand is, to use a cliche, through the roof. Trucking companies are calling us every single day,” Mutters said.

He explained things have been hectic due to the shortage of truck drivers.

“The need, I don't see it ever diminishing,” Mutters said.

These students have their work cut out for them once they complete the necessary schooling.

“I like it when they’re all running, naturally, but you got to have drivers to put in them, so we got plenty of work,” Gene Carson, VP of Operations at Cleveland Express Trucking, said while standing out in the lot of trucks.

Outside the Cleveland Express Trucking facility sits a giant hiring sign.

“There are not as many resumes to choose from as there were maybe six to eight months ago," Carson said. "The smaller companies, they always had more of a challenge hiring, but it's nothing like it is now. I kind of get excited when I get a resume show up that’s been sent to me.”

He said it’s the worst he’s seen during his years in the industry. He’s having trouble hiring and says it’s due to several factors: more regulations on drivers, long-travel away from home, and concerns about job security as more autonomous vehicles hit the road.

“There’s a lot of things going on,” Carson said.

The American Trucking Association recently announced the industry needs to hire nearly 61,000 drivers as soon as possible to meet demand.

Roughly 1.1 million new drivers are needed in the next decade to support the current economic demands.

“Everything has to work in the right place, right time, the right amount to make everything possible,” Dr. Jen-Yi Chen, an associate professor of operations and supply chain management at the Cleveland State University, said. “People buy more in-house over the internet and online, consume more, and that requires more logistics and transportation. This imbalance creates a big problem for the supply chain.”

Dr. Chen said this could mean higher prices or shipping delays for Americans, some of which we’ve already seen. And without more drivers, the problem isn't going away.

“We are expecting the summer demand to pick up, like back to school. And then we're going to get into the holiday season, so it won't be until next year if ever to come back,” Dr. Chen said.

That’s why schools like Great Lakes continue helping potential drivers graduate. “Once you're enrolled here, we work with the students until they pass,” Mutters said.

They hope to get more drivers on the road and to keep them there.

“Literally every product, every consumable we all use on a daily basis...eventually it gets onto a truck and transported to a store, and we all rely on that,” Mutters said.