Business

Global ag giant Louis Dreyfus Company has successfully concluded its first international shipment utilizing blockchain technology.

Industry-wide ELD adoption is forging a yellow brick road for blockchain and other technological marvels.

Yesterday Maersk Line announced that it joined the New York Shipping Exchange (NYSHEX), a new digital platform offering standardized contracts, locked-in prices, and space security for ocean container shipping.

With the ELD mandate enforcement date behind us, owners of trucking companies can now focus on the next sweeping change to impact their business; implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 22, 2017.

At least for one week, seasonality has impacted rates, according to the latest data from DAT Solutions. Spot rates for dry vans and flatbeds fell for the week ending Jan. 20.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $54,000 civil penalty against True Value Co. of Jonesboro, Ga. for allegedly violating federal hazardous materials regulations for air transport.

TECSYS hires chief marketing officer; NAVTOR names chief technology officer; Alliance Shippers appoints president and CEO; Direct ChassisLink hires chief strategy officer; and Dachser appoints chief operations officer.

Chattanooga, TN-based Lync America has joined other transportation industry visionaries by collaborating with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), an alliance formed to ensure standardization of blockchain technology in logistics and throughout the supply chain.

The “leaked” plan calls for liberalizing tolling policy and allowing states to commercialize interstate rest areas, among other things, as a means of funding infrastructure.

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.

TRAFFIX, one of Canada’s longest-serving third-party logistics specialist, based out of Milton Ontario with offices in Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, and Dallas, is proud to announce that they have joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

The compliance rate for ELDs among fleets sits at 86%, according to the latest rolling survey of 318 fleets by CarrierLists.

Ports on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts have been nabbing market share from their West Coast counterparts for the last five years, but that trend accelerated last year following […]

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) carried over 700,000 metric tons of cargo last year, a 13 percent increase from 2016, the all-cargo airline said in a statement.

“It’s fairly mind-blowing what’s happening in the industry right now,” says Chris Polk, An American Trucker podcaster.

Last Friday, the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) decided to keep its standards intellectual property open, to encourage ease of adoption. 

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.

A group of leading environmental and maritime shipping organizations have called for the prohibition of transporting non-compliant marine fuels once the global 0.5 percent sulfur cap takes effect in 2020.

Intermodal pricing rose 4 percent in December compared with the same 2016 period, and that growth looks poised to continue into 2018, according to the latest Cass Intermodal Price Index.

Learning Machine Technologies, a leading global provider of blockchain-based records for institutions including MIT and the Republic of Malta, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Back in November, KeepTruckin launched a petition drive asking FMCSA to provide a 2-hour exemption for long-haul drivers delayed at a shipper.

Domestic truckload pricing jumped 6.2 percent for the month compared to December 2016, the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year gains, according the latest Cass Truckload Linehaul Index.

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.

South Carolina is looking to increase the fines for driving slower than the average speed in the passing lane, and that is just one of the legislative bills working their way through state legislatures that will affect transportation.

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.

Bettina Warburg explains blockchain to a child, a teenager, a college student, and an expert in this video from Wired Magazine.

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.

IBM and Maersk have teamed up to build blockchain solutions for the maritime container shipping industry, apparently focusing on automating costly import-export documentation.

The Class I railway revealed that for 2018, it is planning to invest between C$1.35 billion and C$1.5 billion in capital programs, and is expecting mid-single-digit revenues growth.

Really want to guess where HQ2 will end up? Follow the tech talent pool and logistics network.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is finding itself increasingly in the mix as a regulatory agency for exports as well as imports, according to Megan Montgomery, executive vice president of […]

A Government Accountability Office report released Wednesday revealed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection airport officials have not verified licenses for some radiological imports and its processes do not ensure […]

The International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband with Technology (INTERDICT) Act requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to increase the number of chemical screening devices available to […]

SCLogic, a leading provider of in-building logistics systems, announced today that they have joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Mark Lambert, former co-president of a Maryland-based company specializing in nuclear materials transportation, was indicted for his alleged role in bribing officials connected with Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corp.

The U.S. Commerce Department has taken up antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into decorative ribbon imports from China on behalf of a Pennsylvania manufacturer of these products.

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.

In addition to handling a record 2.2 million TEUs in 2017, South Carolina Ports Authority has various projects underway, some of which will be completed in 2018.

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.

The temporary speed restriction in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence was lifted because there have been no sightings of North Atlantic right whales in the area of the slowdown […]

The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act (H.R. 4318), which has now moved to the Senate for approval, promises to eliminate $1.1 billion in import tariffs during the next three years and […]

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. 

Seabury Maritime PFRA appointed managing director, advisory; Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. selected next chief executive; and Truckstop.com named vice president of small and medium business sales.

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.

The U.S. maritime regulator outlined a plan identifying certain regulations under its purview that are suited for reform or elimination, and has adjusted its penalty amounts in line with inflation.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is consulting with the USPS on the feasibility of implementing a bill aiming to combat illicit opioid imports.

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.

COSCO SHIPPING International announces several appointments; Hamburg Süd names global head of corporate communications; JAXPORT hires director, national container accounts; Logistyx Technologies names CEO; and Flexport appoints VP of people […]

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.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has rented out as many as 60 data centers worldwide for the Bitcoin-dependent enterprises using the blockchain.

FreightRover, the freight exchange and streamlined payment platform, announced today that it has joined forces with other industry leaders in the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Even though hyperloop has not yet been officially launched in mainstream transportation systems in the United States, it has piqued the interest of the Chinese government enough to consider a 16-man passenger pod system using the Maglev technology.

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 bill would eliminate $1.1 billion in import tariffs during the next three years and increase U.S. manufacturing output by over $3.1 billion.

The biggest hurdle to overcome is the long-distance infrastructure of superchargers.

ZIM appoints chief digital officer; Schneider Packaging names executive vice president; A.N. Deringer selects director of consulting and a new senior trade advisor; and the Container Owners Association names board […]

Craig Fuller, Managing Director of BiTA, says that blockchain-enabled smart contracts will facilitate more detailed, specialized transactions without the high fees of credit cards.

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.

TraPac appoints new president and CEO; IANA installs 2018 board of directors and officers; the American Maritime Partnership elects leadership positions; and Odfjell names COO, global head of ship management […]

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.

Based in Ashford, AL, Alabama Motor Express has joined forces with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) to help with the implementation of blockchain technology in the supply chain.

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.

Spot container rates from Shanghai to Europe, the Mediterranean and the United States all increased since last week, according to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange’s Shanghai Containerized Freight Index.

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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment in-bond reporting will become mandatory for all carriers in August.

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.

The value of Bitcoin may fluctuate, but the level of energy consumption needed to mine the currency is shooting straight up. This begs the question- will countries with cheap electricity reconsider this as they are forced to look at dirty forms of power? 

National Treasury Employees Union National President Tony Reardon said that prospects of a pay freeze have been a deterrent for potential U.S. Customs and Border Protection field officers he has […]

“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.

The Commerce Department has set preliminary countervailing duties on imports of uncoated groundwood paper from Canada, which is commonly used for printing newspapers.

Can our huge trade imbalance finally catch up with us and throw cold water on our flaming hot economy?

CSX appoints executive vice president of operations; the Port of Seattle welcomes new commissioners and names commission president; Damco Distribution Services appoints president; and Yodel names chief executive officer.

As a result of its recent investigations, the Commerce Department has set antidumping duty rates on carbon and alloy steel wire rod imports from South Africa and the Ukraine.

U.S. companies must use IRS Form 5713 to report operations in or related to countries participating in international boycotts unsanctioned by the U.S., and to report the receipt of boycott […]

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?

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Deputy Administrator Daniel Elwell will serve as acting administrator, following the end of Administrator Michael Huerta’s term.