Amazon.com, Inc. plans to add 100,000 workers, increase hourly wages and limit items received into its fulfillment centers in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Transporting legal marijuana and related products remains difficult. Learn why in this article.
Head of academic center sees spike in rates, or continued pain through the sector.
2020 is shaping up to be a difficult year for the airline industry because of the coronavirus and uncertainty over when demand for China travel will pick up once the outbreak has subsided.
Jim Blaze explores whether the Class 1 railroads are downsizing their railcar fleets.
Jim Blaze writes about the long, slow decline of coal as the key commodity for railroads, and whether plastics might replace the lost volume.
What is a Freight Recession?
Digging into some of the most recent LMI components.
Quarantines and factory shutdowns could deepen and extend the traditional Chinese New Year trough.
Analyst forecasts tough sledding for freight in first half of the year
FreightWaves’ maritime Market Expert Henry Byers provides insight regarding the Phase One trade deal between the United States and China.
Hey hey hey, welcome to the workin’ weekend! We never hesitate to jump right in and hit you with the headlines: TA Logistics claims Celadon was insolvent in late November 2019, and for fear that future access to the shared IT system would again be blocked, and the failure to remit millions of dollars in […]
Darren Prokop writes about international trade and the World Trade Organization. Are disputes among member countries being handled correctly?
The World Economic Forum opened today. Climate change is the most-feared risk of respondents to a WEF poll. Brian Aoaeh comments that disruption of global supply chains is the real fear.
We gear up into this frigid week with a wild ride of headlines and industry updates. First, some bad news: a fatal shooting at a family-owned trucking company in San Antonio leaves two dead. A new cap-and-trade carbon emissions bill unveiled in Oregon last week continues to draw criticism from the trucking industry that helped […]
We gear down into the backhaul of our week with news of a headline glitch. Starting early Thursday, small-business truckers who rely on the spot market began reporting problems logging in to the DAT load board to find freight. While the DAT online load board and mobile app are back up and working now, DAT […]
Market Expert Anthony Smith provides insight into the all-important housing market as 2020 gets underway.
Tanker rates haven’t shot up further on new Iran tensions, yet they remain extremely high.
Seth Holm of FreightWaves Freight Intel Group writes about the impact of nuclear verdicts on the trucking industry. Will 2020 be a tipping point for these huge awards?
The principles of Environmental/Social/Governance are going to be a factor in the future, according to Morgan Stanley
Happy top of the weekend! Thanks for making us a part of the backhaul of your week, and boy do we have some news for you. First, we hit the headlines: Applying the restrictions of AB5 in California to the trucking industry runs afoul of federal law, according to a court case just handed down. […]
We kick off the week with headlines involving major trucking crashes in Pennsylvania and Indiana, the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse websites opening day struggles. Don’t worry, though, if you’re trying to register, the site is now up and operational and you can find it by clicking here. We spend Five Good Minutes with Chief Insight […]
The overall GDP number is not very useful when looking for insight into freight conditions in the economy. The U.S. economy is dominated by the service sector, which includes segments like healthcare, education and financial services. These areas make up over half of all of the economic activity in the U.S., but do not play a significant role in freight movements in the economy. As a result, as long as the service sector is healthy, the U.S. economy can continue to grow even if the production and transportation of goods is stalling.
Market Expert Anthony Smith writes about the factors that will affect the U.S. economy in 2020 and what that willl mean for business.
FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller writes about the issues the trucking industry dealt with in 2019 and what is ahead in 2020.
Jim Blaze writes about the financial issues inherent in an Alaska-to-Alberta rail route.
For many people around the world, celebrating the holidays involves sharing food with family and friends. As we approach the holidays to celebrate the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, it occurred to me that it would be good to spend some time examining what startups are doing to try to solve the […]
Railroad market voice Jim Blaze writes about technological advances that are making railroads’ capital expenditures on infrastructure more efficient.
Plunge in vehicle and auto parts shipments drive broader softness as manufacturing sales drop 0.7% in October.
Warehousing employment grew at an 8% CAGR from 2011-8, but slowed to 2.7% this year.
Consumers want more information about their food – where does it come from, was it ethically sourced, was it shipped in a safe and sanitary manner, etc. Ben Thrower provides information about how this trend is impacting food companies, growers and consumers.
The DHL Connectedness Index analyzes the flows of trade, capital, information and people across the world to understand its impact on globalization.
Ben Thrower writes that venture capital funds continue to flow to digital freight brokerages, but legacy companies continue to fight back.
This is the first time outbound tender rejections have remained above 6% for consecutive weeks since March 2019.
The first of a four-part series teaching the crucial basic elements in freight and shipping.
Last-minute meeting in Washington likely will hash out changes to make NAFTA’s successor palatable to congressional Democrats.
Potential strategy to increase efficiency in a down market
Federal Minister of Agriculture suggests government would consider back-to-work legislation or binding arbitration for striking Teamsters members as disruption brings 37% in drop in Canadian National revenue ton-miles and worsening supply-chain conditions across the country.
Darren Prokop writes about the need for a solution to repair and improve the nation’s highways and bridges. What are the options and is there the political will to develop a solution?
This white paper examines ways to combat detention by looking at smarter detention management solutions to alleviate bottlenecks.
Kayla Matthews writes about the changes coming to the shipping and logistics industry as IMO 2020 takes effect in less than six weeks.
Brian Aoaeh writes about changes in the energy/fuel mix over the next 30 years in developed and developing economies.
New Jersey is the newest battleground for motor carriers that use owner-operators, as the state Senate takes up legislation aimed at limiting what workers can be considered independent contractors. On Thursday, the labor committee is scheduled to debate S4204, a bill introduced by New Jersey Sen. Stephen Sweeney just seven days ago. Sen. Sweeney’s office […]
As truck-plus-rail becomes increasingly popular, shippers need to find sites where the modes meet.
A United Nations report concludes U.S. consumers and Chinese exporters are the primary losers in the trade war. Taiwan, Mexico, Europe and Vietnam are net beneficiaries.
This is another in a series of videos produced by FreightWaves and SmartDrive, recorded at the recent SmartDrive Customer Conference in Atlanta. FreightWaves editor-at-large John Kingston discussed several key issues in trucking and transport today with both SmartDrive executives and several conference speakers. Taking a company that has been known for cameras and developing it […]
The costs of operating a for-hire Class 8 truck rose 7.7% in 2018, the biggest jump since 2010. It is the highest per-mile cost since the American Transportation Research Institute began tracking the data in 2008.
Shipping liquified natural gas by rail is a controversial topic. Read what Jim Blaze thinks about the idea in his latest commentary.
Ben Thrower writes about the positive and negative aspects of precision scheduled railroading in this commentary article.
Ben Thrower writes about the importance of American agriculture – not just to the U.S. population, but to the country’s trade negotiations.
Automaker reducing output and laying off about 450 workers at Oakville, Ontario, facility as its phases out Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT models, adding to woes of Canada’s auto sector.
Jim Blaze explains the new CSX trip compliance reporting… perhaps the first step for railroads to compete more effectively with the trucking industry.
Japan’s freight industry is set for a downturn on the back of declining economies in the U.S., China and the Eurozone, new research reveals.
Brexit is now only two weeks away but the dangers facing truckers and shippers continue to mount.
FreightWaves finds growing evidence that manufacturers and distributors are transferring operations from the U.K. to northern Europe.
Big air trade drops with major trading partners leaves industry looking for backfill
Noel Perry heads Transport Futures in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition, he heads Transportation Economics, a consulting company focused on strategy, market research and forecasting for the North American freight transport market. Previously, he was a Corporate Economist at Schneider National, and Director of Market Research at CSX Transportation and Cummins Engine Company. Broker margins are […]
The International Air Transport Association said Wednesday that overall global demand for airfreight declined at a faster rate in August than July, contracting 3.9% compared to 2.4% the month before. And international airfreight volume fell 4.6% year-over-year versus the 3.3% decline in the previous month. The July figure is a revision from the previously reported […]
The Indian economy is crumbling on the back of an engineered crisis brought on by current government through measures like demonetization, a botched attempt at unifying the country’s tax system, and economic reforms that stifled consumerism.
For decades, the European freight rail system has had no major upgrades with regard to axle load capacity, train length or car vertical height.
The transfer of production out of China to avoid U.S. tariffs of up to 25% is having a tangible impact on global trade flows.
Spain’s road transport sector faces a “profound” shortfall in drivers, says IRU
Energy markets appear to believe that capacity constraints will raise diesel prices next year.
Salesforce drew on three years of data from 4,500 e-commerce sites to generate its forecast.
Less-than-truckload volumes to continue to be pressured by weak September ISM report
In 2020, growth is expected to slow further in nearly every global region, except Latin America and emerging Asian economies.
John “JT” Engstrom has spent 10 years studying the freight world. Here’s what he learned:
More scooters are hitting the streets, but investor sentiment is still mixed.
Germany has unveiled a climate package which experts believe is not ambitious enough, coinciding with the time Germany inches closer to an economic recession.
Larger fleets positioned to reap benefits from carrier bankruptcies
But a lot depends on stabilizing global growth and an industrial recovery in the United States.
European auto unions and trade groups have come out with a statement that warns of a seismic impact on the auto economies of the EU and the U.K. in the absence of a Brexit trade deal.
What is the Logistics Managers Index and why should you care? Anthony Smith explains:
BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO call on charterers, bunker suppliers and nation states to “double their efforts” to ensure a smooth transition to low-sulfur fuel.
Airlines use a lot of skills to maximize freighter and wide-body space for cargo
Can carload rail become a volume and market share leader in today’s emerging high-tech freight logistics world? Or will it continue to exhibit a declining role?
Healthy container throughput growth suggests they might be.
Do U.S. corn producers have an opportunity to sell more to Brazil for ethanol production?
There isn’t a driver shortage. In fact, there is a glut of capacity on the road, and not enough freight to haul.
GDP growth hits 3.7 percent on trade surge, but patches of weakness in householding and business spending paint a mixed picture.
Several intermodal containers on trains running between China to Europe run empty due to lack of exporter demand for capacity.
Bob Costello still believes in the driver shortage.
Fed policy talk and China’s retaliatory tariffs couldn’t spook the markets. It was the President’s tweets that sent the markets into a tailspin. With tariff increases on the horizon, we can be somewhat certain that more uncertainty and volatility will likely ensue for the transportation stocks.
How Flexport is managing the challenges of todays air cargo environment
The German economy shrunk by 0.1 percent in the second quarter of 2019, sparking fears of a recession.
China will impose additional tariffs on U.S. imports worth about $75 billion in response to a forthcoming fourth tranche of U.S. tariffs across about $262 billion worth of goods from China in annual import value, China’s State Council announced Aug. 23. Additional tariffs of 5% or 10% will be imposed in two batches on 5,078 […]
The freight industry is being battered by falling volumes and loosening capacity, with tightening credit standards further exacerbating the situation.
Using data from FreightWaves SONAR, economist Ibrahiim Bayaan writes about the state of the U.S. retail market and what is ahead for this key sector.
Sanguine outlook could flip, but retailers look well stocked ahead of peak season.
Since Uber went public in May 2019, journalists and analysts have sharpened their skepticism regarding the viability of the company’s sweeping ambition and future-reliant success. A 23 percent drop in the company’s stock shares (as of August 19) and its second quarter loss of $5 billion, mostly due to stock-based compensation, cause investors to wonder […]
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was the hot topic at the most recent meeting of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association (LMCA). Trucking industry leaders, customs brokers, freight forwarders and trade professionals from both sides of the United States-Mexico border gathered August 15 in Laredo for a presentation entitled “Modernization of Cross-Border Trade.” Speaking at the […]
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexico’s transport industry grows; AIT Worldwide expands Mexico operations; Nuevo Laredo sees more border crossings; and Mexico freight forwarders unveil new maritime index. Mexico’s freight transport industry continues to grow despite theft and fuel crises In the first […]
A lot of new pipeline capacity is kicking in and the need for trains is going to be greatly reduced.
Retail remains a rare source of strength in the economy while manufacturing struggles
The jobs of 449 workers are at stake as Aspray Transport closes down on August 16, after reeling under insurmountable debt and a worsening Brexit situation.
Tariffs are dampening enthusiasm for apples grown in Washington state, the country’s number one producer.
Volatility appears to be the only certainty for transportation stocks as trade concerns loom. The transportation stocks walked through a less than stellar earnings season, but renewed trade concerns has them bouncing about.
As protests continue at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), the disruption has not caused major delays in air cargo shipments or dramatic increases in rates, experts told FreightWaves. Protests at Hong Kong’s airport continued on Tuesday, August 13, causing a second day of mayhem for travelers at one of the world’s busiest hubs. Hundreds of […]
Some tech goods, including cellphones, laptops and video game consoles, won’t be subject to Section 301 tariffs when a new round takes effect September 1.
In Texas, several major and regional airports posted large increases in air cargo trade for the first six months of 2019. Amarillo International Airport’s trade with the world rose a whopping 19,028 percent compared to the first six months of last year, with a shipment of aircrafts to Brazil accounting for 99 percent of the […]
