Steve Krug: 2026 Early Career Award recipient

BSME ’16
Founder and chief technology officer, Axicle

A mechanical engineer and forward thinker who leverages technology to enhance the safety, efficiency and productivity of over-the-road trucking.

More than 9,000 people were injured and another 400 killed by large truck rollovers in 2024, and these crashes cost the trucking industry billions of dollars. With Axicle, the startup company he solo founded in 2021, Steve Krug aims to end semitrailer rollovers.

Krug first learned about the extent of this problem—in which strong winds, turning and adverse driving conditions can cause truck rollovers—while working as a vehicle dynamics consultant at Telsa on the company’s semi project.

“Even though technologies like roll stability control and electronic stability control are helpful, the problem still isn’t solved,” Krug says. “The total amount of rollovers hasn’t really changed over the past few decades even with these mandated technologies, so that inspired me to try to find a solution.”

Krug and his team at Axicle developed a tractor anti-roll system that intelligently separates the trailer from the tractor when the trailer starts to roll over, keeping the highly valuable tractor—and the driver inside—upright and safe while the detached trailer is allowed to fall to its side. The system consists of a robotic coupling component mounted on the tractor that functions as a release mechanism. It incorporates advanced sensors, an AI physics model and robotic actuators to detach the trailer only when there is 99.99% certainty the trailer is beginning to roll over. “The trailer tipping over is the root cause of rollovers, so our technology solves this problem at the fundamental level by removing the trailer from the equation,” he says.

In 2021, Krug used Boeing 777 jet engines to create 60 mph winds to test the anti-roll system on a tractor-trailer in the Mojave Desert. The test was successful, validating the technology in real-world conditions and helping the company raise additional investment. Axicle has raised $3.2 million to date. Krug has formed partnerships with major automative equipment manufacturers and is starting to deploy Axicle’s anti-roll system on tractor-trailers.

Which engineering professor made the greatest impact on you?

Mechanical Engineering Associate Teaching Professor Glenn Bower, hands down. I was very involved in the Formula vehicle teams as a student, and Glenn was an excellent team advisor. He helped us avoid common mistakes and focus our efforts on the key challenges that had the greatest impact on the team’s success. Glenn also helped to bridge the gap between engineering textbook knowledge and the hands-on, physical projects we were working on for the vehicle teams, which made a big impact on my education.

What advice would you give to today’s students?

Work on building good relationships. A lot of the opportunities that become available are the result of communicating with your peers, making connections and trying to define the right problems to focus on.

Which do you like best?

Fun on the Terrace or fun on Lake Mendota?
It’s hard to choose. I’ll pick the Terrace overall, but if I can be on a boat on Lake Mendota with some friends, that would be super fun.

Camp Randall Stadium, the Kohl Center or the UW Field House?
Kohl Center, because hockey is my favorite sport.

Sweet Caroline or Jump Around?
Jump Around, definitely.

Favorite Babcock ice cream flavor?
It’s really a tie between vanilla and chocolate.

Favorite campus lunch spot from when you were a student?
It’s got to be Ginger Root. It’s just too good and too easy to go there.