The infrastructure bill outline leaked yesterday provides clues to how Trump wants to incentivize $800B in state, local, and private spending: tolls on interstates, removing constraints on private activity bonds, and value capturing financing for transit projects.
Manual processes may appear cheaper at first, but studies have shown that switching to automated accounting programs for account payables and receivables saves money in the long run, even for small operations.
The compliance rate for ELDs among fleets sits at 86%, according to the latest rolling survey of 318 fleets by CarrierLists.
U.S. Chamber of Congress president, Thomas J. Donohue, is preparing for an uphill battle to push for a raise of the federal gas tax by 25 cents per gallon to help shape the debate about upgrading U.S. roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure.
Back in November, KeepTruckin launched a petition drive asking FMCSA to provide a 2-hour exemption for long-haul drivers delayed at a shipper.
The movement of goods is booming in Latin America (LATAM) and it is resulting in a significant rise in the number of commercial vehicles being sold in the region.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has confirmed its plan to move its truck-making arm from Saltillo, Mexico, to Detroit, MI, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Chad Boblett has built not just a successful Facebook group, but also the largest professional online forum in the U.S. on rates and logistics in the freight industry
Outbound rates from the Great Lakes have held steady at the high prices reached during last September’s nationwide spike, but over the past 7 days, they’re trending upward again.
American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear took to Medium on Thursday to tout the benefits the trucking industry will see from passage of the new tax law, including noting an ATA survey that says 50% of fleets are planning wage increases or one-time bonuses.
Parcel volumes associated with e-commerce continue to show outstanding rates of growth, with both FedEx and UPS reporting strong U.S. domestic volumes, but the current strength is more than just the ongoing growth of e-commerce.
Really want to guess where HQ2 will end up? Follow the tech talent pool and logistics network.
SCLogic, a leading provider of in-building logistics systems, announced today that they have joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).
The long-awaited infrastructure plan from the White House is taking shape and could be part of President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Jan. 30, according to Reuters. CNN, however, reports that the plan will not likely be finished by that time due to the president’s travel schedule.
Pay particular attention to analytics-driven IoT platforms, computing at the edge, and data exchange brokerages (DEBs), as IoT influences everything from home security systems, to oil and gas exploration, to smart cities, to retail experiences, and beyond.
Brexit has brought up various challenges that are set to impact the country, both economically and politically. In that regard, the scenes that unfold in the supply chain scenario is worrying and needs contemplation.
China-based, state-owned shipping behemoth China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) has acquired a 49% stake in a landlocked port under construction in Kazakhstan, the New York Times reports.
Tropos Technologies’ electric vehicles are capable of hauling over 1,000 pounds and can be configured for cargo and last-mile delivery, perhaps making them an ideal alternative for local delivery.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is asking the Trump Administration to increase the federal fuel tax 25 cents per gallon.
If you’ve ever had your doubts about Elon Musk’s grand visions, you aren’t alone, but at some point maybe we should get on board the Tesla fan-wagon. Production issues are one thing, but they’re breaking new ground all over the world.
After a difficult adjustment period in July/August, CSX improved its performance on key metrics like train speed and dwell time, ending 2017 as an industry leader.
The recent mudslides in California have caused a number of travel concerns in California, including along Highway 101, which will likely remain closed until next week, California Department of Transportation officials said.
For fleets that spend time operating on load boards, the high spot rates are a blessing. For shippers, though, it’s been a challenging time as they have been forced to adjust to a new era in trucking.
The biggest hurdle to overcome is the long-distance infrastructure of superchargers.
Dutch company, Port Liner, has an innovative solution, introducing an autonomous electric barge for the European market beginning in Q3 of 2018.
Singapore-based blockchain startup LALA World has confirmed a joint development project with Bermuda-based cybersecurity firm, Verifiable Identity-Based Encryption (VIBE), to secure its blockchain-enabled banking system.
A combination of factors continued to drive dry van trailer orders as 2017 came to an end, with December orders up 38% year-over-year, according to FTR.
Though the Food Safety Modernization Act mandate has already been partially implemented with regard to large carriers and fleet agencies, the hard deadline for smaller fleets is up this year.
RoadLaunch, a startup based out of Ontario, Canada, has developed a solution that digitizes the available capacity of trucks and trailers to make the process of getting freight quotes and managing fleets a seamless process.
Regulations surrounding autonomous vehicles are taking different approaches in the U.S. and Europe, with Europe writing specific technologies into its laws.
The Chinese government is investing in the country of Georgia in a plan to potentially turn the country into a major export hub for Chinese goods.
Click through to the map that shows how North America’s infrastructure is already integrated, despite our political disagreements.
Last-mile delivery might get very interesting very soon. Boeing has unveiled a prototype “unmanned electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) cargo air vehicle (CAV) prototype” capable of hauling 500 pounds.
Losing your job is a painful experience, and buyers of transportation who can’t get things picked up and delivered on time lose their jobs.
Lost in the flurry of news yesterday from Walmart was a little nugget of information that will have profound impact on freight movements both within the Walmart supply chain and for carriers who transport goods to Walmart.
FreightWaves had a chance to speak with Jason Schenker about what’s ahead for the freight and automotive industries, and what that means for our lives.
Indian economy is booming and the government is busy at work in improving its rail infrastructure to facilitate trade and reduce logistics friction across the country.
FreightWaves, in partnership with the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance, will be presenting the inaugural Transparency18 Future of Freight Conference, May 22-23, 2018, in Atlanta, GA, at the Georgia International Convention Center. The event promises to be unlike any previous trucking or logistics show.
Have the good days of high rates ended? While not declaring an end to rising van spot rates, a blog post yesterday by DAT Solutions’ Matt Sullivan did note some indications that the rapid rise may be slowing.
With all the cheering from business over passage of the Republican tax plan, the next step in the tax reform journey has now begun: the real-world impact. And it could fundamentally change the way drivers are classified.
“It is on that legacy, the people of Huntsville have responded, a legacy project that will impact our state and city for years and decades to come,” says Mayor Tommy Battle.
Trucking and logistics have grabbed a share of the spotlight this year at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. None, though, has grabbed more attention than Toyota’s E-Palette concept and alliance that includes such big names as Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber.
Most of this research is being done in other states, far away from this part of the U.S. Places like California, Detriot, Singapore, and Pittsburgh are fast becoming the new epicenter of research in this sector.
Mexico’s ambassador to the United States told CBS News there is a 50% chance that the end result of NAFTA negotiations will be termination of the trade pact.
Can our huge trade imbalance finally catch up with us and throw cold water on our flaming hot economy?
FreightWaves’ readers made the past year a great one for our young brand. Today, we take a fond look back at your favorite articles from 2017.
Jim Johnston, longtime president and CEO of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), has passed away following a year-long battle with lung cancer, the association announced Monday evening.
Celadon’s turnaround team is bringing back generous vacation time and cash bonus incentives to recruit drivers for its tweener business.
Strong economic fundamentals in the U.S. and globally are driving the second-longest bull market since the 1920s. Could the driver shortage ultimately end it all?
Consumer demand, a dwindling inventory of sites suitable for warehouse development, and intensified two- and same-day shipping are keeping warehouse prices at record levels.
The push-pull of technological innovations in transport and communications is nothing new. It’s all a matter of how the technology is adapted and brought into the current marketplace’s way of doing business.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that expands the ability of associations to offer health insurance plans.
Concerns are arising in the EU about the West’s waning influence in Eastern Europe as rampant Chinese investment increases, including the $1 trillion One Belt, One Road project to streamline trade.
In the developed countries of the West, autonomous driving technology is widely touted as the thing of the future. Move halfway across the globe to one of the densest and the world’s second most populated country, the idea of self-driving vehicles might still be a distant dream.
The popular parking and roadside amenities app Trucker Path changed ownership last week. Here is why Renren made the purchase.
The worst kept secret in the industry is that demand is in excess of capacity in every mode of truckload trucking, and has been for several months.
The Trump administration wants to open up nearly all of the outer continental shelf to offshore drilling. That means more energy production, more economic growth, and more truckload miles.
1.4 million returns on National Returns Day, Jan. 3, a fifth consecutive annual record, up 8% from prior year.
Carriers will have an amazing opportunity to participate in RFPs during this bid cycle. Before investing a ton of time, we discuss how best to think of the opportunities
Ever since the United Kingdom pressed for divorce with the European Union, the far-reaching implications have been studied with great interest. Trade is just one of those.
According to ACT Research, preliminary North America Classes 5-8 net order data show the industry booked 58,800 units in December, bringing the full-year net order tally to 543,400. That is an 11% improvement over November and 35% above December 2016.
Smart cities plan to roll out the latest in transportation technology to help keep their towns clean and safe.
A weather bomb hit the East Coast over the past two days and it has left a mark that will take shippers several days from which to recover.
How rapidly the autonomous truck becomes a common sight on local roads and interstate highways – both in the U.S. and abroad – depends on numerous factors. Maybe we should check ourselves at the propaganda and hype-machine door.
Realtor.com is calling for 7% growth in single-family housing starts for 2018, with activity concentrated in the Southern and Western regions of the country.
Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison subsidiary Hutchison Ports has acquired 50% of TMA Logistics BV, the Handy Shipping Guide reports.
Covenant Transport has offered unprecedented signing bonuses to team drivers, demonstrating the challenges in hiring team drivers and the opportunity afforded them if they are successful
A holiday week did little to slow the rising tide of rates as 2017 came to a close. According to DAT Solutions, national spot rates for van and refrigerated loads reached their highest point of the year.
The Permian Basin is breaking production records but drillers cannot find enough drivers to haul the crude, equipment, and crew.
The China Aerospace Science and Industrial Corporation (CASIC) has begun development of a Supersonic transportation technology, which would shatter Musk’s initially proposed 745 mph design should it come to fruition. Advantage China.
While the Chinese economy went from marginal to the global leader in trade in just 40 years, its political position was primarily quiet. Now China’s participation is paramount to global peace and development.
Electric car manufacturers need cobalt for their batteries, a metal that’s scarce, subject to geopolitical threats, and mined by children.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, announced he will step away from Congress at the end of his current term.
The USDA releases a statement claiming 2017 was the third best year ever for US agricultural exports which helped to spur domestic freight markets as well.
Stifel presented reasons why it doesn’t make sense for Home Depot to buy XPO Logistics, but they still think there’s a 31% upside on XPO Stock over twelve months.
The sharing economy is generally organized around a technology platform that facilitates the exchange of goods, assets, and services between people across a varied and dynamic collection of sectors.
Oil prices finished 2017 above $60 a barrel for crude, surpassing their highest level in more than two years. Delivery of light, sweet crude for February was up 1% to $60.42 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude was up 71 cents to $66.78 a barrel.
The latest weekly and monthly DAT Trucking Freight Barometers are continuing to surge strongly into even more positive territory, and proving our September prediction that “the ‘fall surge’ is happening for the first time since 2007,” has come to pass.
Tesla is now accepting orders for its Tesla Semi in three European countries. The different dynamics of the European freight market represent some different challenges for the company.
The Canadian province of Ontario has announced an electric truck rebate of 60% of the incremental purchase cost compared to an equivalent conventional fuel vehicle, up to a cap of CA$75,000 per vehicle, under the new Green Commercial Vehicle Program.
The Baltic Exchange is scheduled to end its freight futures exchange platform, Baltex, today.
SureFly re-invents the helicopter, making it safer, easier to fly and much more affordable than a conventional helicopter. Like a drone, its redundant design includes four propeller arms, two fixed contra-rotating propellers on each arm; and a backup lithium battery pack to drive the electric motors in the event of engine failure.
As the flagbearer of capitalism and a lynchpin example of consumerism, it is clearly understood where the growth of the U.S. economy lies. It is estimated that consumer-driven spending accounts for nearly 70% of all economic growth in the country.
WABCO and Nikola will accelerate the development of industry-leading safety technologies specifically designed for electric commercial vehicles, including electronic braking, traction control, and stability control. Nikola anticipates offering its fully electric Nikola Two day-cab truck (pictured here) for sale in the U.S. by 2021.
51% of all returns occur in January, when Americans will send back $30B of unwanted gifts. Reverse logistics represent a huge cost increasingly eaten by retailers, while 3PLs stand to make big margins.
With its ICO in mid-January, Shipchain is poised to present the transportation industry with a new way of doing business.
Access to quicker delivery options has boomed sales of perishable commodities like frozen pizza and ice cream, and that has led to a boom in refrigerated freight options.
It is estimated that international trade-related freight transport accounts for nearly one-third of the total emissions across the world. Such situations call for innovation in the freight industry that could help mitigate carbon footprint through optimizing fuel consumption and improving operational efficiency.
JP Morgan likes FedEx, Schneider, Canada Pacific, and JB Hunt–‘sells’ include Union Pacific, Knight-Swift, and CH Robinson.
In a strange twist, Tesla’s stock took a hit yesterday in spite of the apparent good news of e-trucks. Why?
TIRPORT, a startup from Istanbul, understands the Turkish freight market potential and believes it can bring change to a system that urgently needs a revamp to stay ahead of the times.
Mark Lavender, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, awarded DAT’s Tami Hart with a “challenge coin” at the DAT User Conference in October for her efforts in helping the Bureau identify and track down hundreds of cases of false payments, cargo theft, and other transportation fraud.
Could the bitcoin bust be good for blockchain technology?
Over the years, it has become increasingly easier to create online storefronts, with the building blocks for essential infrastructure being made readily available to interested sellers. But for small sellers, shipping costs can make online shoppers unprofitable.
Is e-commerce hitting a ceiling? Or is brick and mortar back in style? In November, consumer spending at brick and mortar stores increased by 0.8%, exceeding economists’ expectations by 0.5%. These gains were also coupled with e-commerce growth, indicating Americans are simply spending more this holiday season.
When VW purchased Navistar the nation’s third-biggest seller of commercial trucks, it was vulnerable and had few options. Now, it’s on the rebound in a big way.
What began as an attempt to create a corridor from China to central Asia through infrastructure projects, has grown more ambitious and has encircled 65 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe – all bearing China’s One Belt, One Road initiative.
When the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in August that it was abandoning a proposed rulemaking for sleep apnea, many in the industry were not pleased. While there is no mandate, sleep apnea remains a very treatable problem for drivers.
The failure of the venture capital sector to catch up to the innovations happening at break-neck speed might speed up its imminent demise with the involvement of blockchain-based start-up companies, claims a leading advocate of initial coin offerings.
While the holiday rush starts in North America a few weeks before Thanksgiving, there is a holiday rush going on already in China as well, and it impacts shipping.
