Business

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has received 15 ocean transportation intermediary license applications and changes for review.

Don’t get hung up in the back-end weeds of blockchain technology – it’s about transferring value between parties

It’s so simple, that it’s somewhat surprising someone has already come up with the idea. Einride, a Swedish startup, has developed an electric-powered, self-driving box on wheels. The T-pod made its debut this week with a promise to revolutionize cargo movement.

Following a disappointing retreat in orders in May, Class 8 truck orders rose in June according to data just released. That reinforces the outlook for the remainder of 2017 as many of the orders are for fourth quarter delivery, according to FTR.

State-run Chinese conglomerate COSCO Shipping Holdings is projecting a net income for the first half of 2017 of around 1.85 billion yuan (U.S. $272 million).

The revised rules from the BIMCO-led group include information on insurance issues, how to effectively segregate cyber networks, and how to handle cyber security during port calls and when communicating […]

United States gross domestic product increased 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2017, down from from a 2.1 percent growth rate the previous quarter but up from previous projections, […]

The State Council of the People’s Republic of China held a meeting Wednesday in which guidelines were approved to take measures to reduce logistics costs and improve logistics efficiency.

United States railroads originated 1.07 million carloads and 1.11 million containers and trailers in June 2017, year-over-year increases of 4.4 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo names head of global accounts and regional sales manager for the United Kingdom, while the Short Line Safety Institute selects its executive director.

Shut downs of operating systems due to cyberattacks are complete handicaps for logistics companies and lead to significant amounts of lost business as well as productivity. But can they be prevented?

The trucking turnover rate at truckload fleets remains near historical lows, but it did tick up a bit in the first quarter of 2017, said the American Trucking Associations.

​The settlement agreement, which resolves all legal issues related to allegations the Kuwait-based 3PL overcharged the Department of Defense while supplying food to U.S. military troops, will allow Agility to […]

Other factors contributing to the derailment of a BNSF ethanol train on Sept. 19, 2015 near Lesterville, S.D., included an FRA regulation that allowed high-hazard flammable unit trains to continue […]

Logistics enterprise software provider WiseTech Global reached a deal to acquire Bysoft Solucoes em Sistemas Para Comercio Exterior Ltda (Bysoft), the largest provider of automated customs solutions to the logistics […]

The Indian trucking market is not unlike that of the U.S. Technological change is happening, albeit a little slower in India, Numadic is one company that is trying to quicken the speed of change.

The Department of Transportation has revised and renamed its FASTLane program to “align [projects] with national and regional economic vitality goals and to leverage additional non-federal funding,” it said.

ZIM names president and chief executive officer, Kane Is Able appoints senior vice president of sales and marketing, and the 21st Singapore Shipping Association introduces SSA Council 2017/2019.

Blockchain is a technology that is rapidly growing in many industries, and its potential to disrupt traditional work flows in transportation is large. This graphic illustrates some of the potential areas where blockchain can be used to improve operations.

The logistics of transporting fresh produce from fields and warehouses to store shelves is already complicated by regulations and the seasonal nature of the products, but Amazon’s entry into the market could further complicate the journey.

The first unofficial pictures of Waymo’s self-driving truck have emerged, creating a stir among the companies racing to become the first to make a production autonomous truck available.

U.K. Customs has approved a new electronic “fallback” system to take over the processing of air cargo shipments should the agency’s umbrella IT system experience a prolonged outage.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program, which advances a pre-existing grant program established in the 2015 FAST Act, will place a heavy focus on […]

A group of 13 companies have joined forces with the International Maritime Organization as part of the Global Industry Alliance to reduce carbon output in maritime transportation.

Spot container rates from Shanghai to Europe, the Mediterranean and the United States all increased since last Friday, according to the latest figures from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange’s Shanghai Containerized […]

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released a report that gave recommendations on reforming the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability program.

According to a recent report from the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, global trade in U.S. media and entertainment goods in the next three years is expected to increase 8.3 […]

Across the nation, rising freight volumes, a strong produce season and the ongoing oil boom are driving up spot rates, but how long will the current trend continue?

According to research from KPMG and HfS Research, more companies than ever are outsourcing their supply chain and logistics services as the job of moving product becomes more complicated. 

Chairs of the House PORTS Caucus – Congressmen Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Ted Poe (TX-02) – sent a letter to DHS Secretary John Kelly to get a classified understanding on […]

The Federal Aviation Administration said Dan Elwell, who has both extensive government and private sector aviation experience, has been sworn in this week as its deputy administrator.

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $63,000 civil penalty against Terrazzo USA & Associates of McLoud, Okla. for allegedly violating federal hazardous materials regulations.

The Lake Oswego, Ore.-based railroad transportation equipment manufacturer’s revenues for the quarter, which ended May 31, 2017, tumbled 28.3 percent year-over-year to $439.2 million.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approves director of human resources services; and the Port of Corpus Christi Authority hires director of operations and financial controller.

The world’s largest liner carrier and its associated businesses are gradually recovering from Tuesday’s massive cyber attack, but some systems remain shuttered.

Stanford researchers have successfully charged an object while it was in motion, potentially leading to in-motion charging of vehicles in the future. “The hope is that you’ll be able to charge your electric car while you’re driving down the highway,” says Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford.

Researchers from the National Academies of Science, following a mandate from Congress, have recommended changes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountabilty (CSA) program.

The world’s largest container line is one of many companies and organizations that have reported being hit by a cyber attack this week.

The latest deployment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), originally scheduled for July 8, will include liquidation, reconciliation, drawback, duty deferral, collections and the Automated Surety […]

A new market analysis by Noel Perry, truck & transportation expert for FTR Transportation Intelligence, argues the economics of 33-foot doubles – and, based solely on economic reasons, there is a valid case, Perry says.

After five days, the port truckers strike in Los Angeles and Long Beach came to an end on Friday with striking truckers delivering a petition with 10,000 signatures on it to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed two separate bills in an effort make it easier for qualified military veterans to obtain their commercial driver’s licenses.

By using FourKites’ technology, HaulFox’s customers can experience full visibility of location and estimated time of arrival, including predictive weather and traffic impact on delivery times, every 15 minutes, FourKites […]

Class I freight railroads in the United States employed 149,032 workers as of the middle of May 2017, down 0.05 percent month-over-month and 2.4 percent year-over-year.

The ContainerPort Group, Inc. appoints senior vice president-Midwest, Cargo iQ names chairman of its membership board, and Transervice Logistics, Inc. appoints director of sales, Midwest.

Fatigued and drowsy driving remains a major cause of vehicle accidents in the U.S., but as yet, the only solutions have been lane departure warning systems and in-cab, driver-focused camera systems which many drivers don’t like for their intrusive nature. A Hong Kong team is trying to change that.

Founded in 2013, KeepTruckin set out to make it easier for drivers to legally log their hours. The startup has since expanded from its free, smartphone-based ELD to creating a hardware telematics platform. A recent round of investor funding is reaffirming its approach.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg visited the Iowa 80 truck stop last week, taking time to talk to truck drivers and learn about life on the road. Also, Amazon wants to build a drone platform, a lack of warehouse space and J.B. Hunt tests augmented reality.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La., has filed the License Natural Gas Now Act, while Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced the Natural Gas Export Expansion Act, both of which aim to […]

Since the start of 2017, newbuild contracts for the dry bulk and tanker shipping industries have collectively increased 20 percent from the corresponding 2016 period, according to the Baltic and […]

TaaS seems like another in a long line of acronyms that have infiltrated the transportation industrypromising to disrupt the world as we know it. But what is TaaS, and why will this be an acronym that might deliver on its promise?

The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board has weighed in on the port truckers’ strike taking place in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Its opinion: clean up emissions at the ports, but don’t put the financial burden to do so on truckers.

Despite a split vote among the four commissioners currently making up the Federal Maritime Commission, a discussion agreement between the Port of New York and New Jersey and OCEMA will […]

Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Calf., who co-chairs the PORTS Caucus, has introduced legislation that would create a dedicated revenue source to improve the country’s freight infrastructure.

Spot container rates from Shanghai to the U.S. East Coast and U.S. West Coast both declined since last Friday, according to the latest figures from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange’s Shanghai […]

MCC names CEO, Maersk Line appoints South East Asia managing director, Port of New Orleans’ board of commissioners elects chairman, Deutsche Post DHL Group names labor director and board member […]

While many fleets simply trade in their older equipment for newer equipment and forget about it, the value of used trucks can influence how many new trucks you can buy. That’s why paying attention to the used market can be a good financial strategy for determining trade cycles.

Seven fleets will participate in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s Run on Less program to showcase the benefits of fuel-saving technologies.

The Competition Commission of South Africa said a merger between NYK, MOL and “K” Line would encourage anti-competitive behavior in the liner markets and the car carrier sector.

World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said more needs to be done to ensure women have better access to the economic benefits of trade.

project 44 hires chief strategy officer; Crowley Maritime Corp. appoints vice president of safety, security, quality and environmental stewardship; and the Little Rock Port Authority’s board of directors elects chairman.

DAT has been one of the leading data providers for load and rate information for years thanks to its large database. Now, the company’s data is being used in even more ways, reinforcing the value the overall dataset provides.

Facing increasing pressure from investors, Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick stepped down Tuesday night from the $70 billion ride-sharing and transportation company.

A survey conducted by Hart Research Associates found that 53 percent of respondents believe President Donald Trump’s proposal to shift the air traffic control function of the Federal Aviation Administration […]

Following extensive testing for potential pests, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has proposed a rule to allow the import of fresh pomegranate from Turkey […]

The Taiwanese ocean carrier will initially offer direct, online booking to Alibaba.com’s customers from China’s main ports to Israel and the South American region.

AFN Logistics appoints vice president, customer supply chain; Virgin Atlantic Cargo names managing director; and Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg hires two compliance attorneys.

The average U.S. logistics cost for shipping goods fell 1.5 percent last year after growing at a 4.6 percent compound annual rate from 2010 to 2015, according to the annual […]

The Trump administration has proposed less federal spending as part of his $1 trillion infrastructure investment outline. In a recent Tax and Budget Bulletin, the Cato Institute’s Chris Edwards lays out the argument for why Trump’s approach to less federal spending is the proper approach to building world-class infrastructure.

Citing the need to cover additional costs during peak holiday shipping periods, UPS has announced a new peak surcharge that will be added to packages shipped during certain weeks this holiday season.

Although fines for no-show shipments are the right move for ocean carriers, for freight forwarders and non-vessel-operating common carriers, they could create a much larger challenge, according to Klaus Lysdal, […]

The Ocean Network Express – consisting of Japanese ocean carriers “K” Line, MOL and NYK – will have a containership fleet of close to 1.4 million TEUs when it launches, […]

The Montreal-based Class I railway has been ordered to pay a federal fine of $2.5 million Canadian (U.S. $1.9 million) and a provincial fine of C$125,000 in relation to a […]

Meanwhile, UPS Freight rates are scheduled to increase by 4.9 percent effective June 26, the Atlanta-based parcel giant said.

The Commerce Department has determined that Chinese hardwood plywood is being dumped on the U.S. market at less than fair value.

Pilot Freight Services names new chief executive officer and president, while the Port of Tacoma hires new director of engineering, and Americold hires executive vice president and chief commercial officer.

Teamsters union Local 848 has initiated a strike at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach today to protest what they say is misclassification of their employment as independent contractors.

Amazon sent shock waves through the grocery business on Friday with its announcement that it will acquire Whole Foods in a deal valued at $13.7 billion, which includes assumption of Whole Foods’ debt. But the purchase may be giving Amazon something even more valuable than Whole Foods’ customers – a distribution network.

After a few years of “rest” XPO Logistics is again in acquisition mode. CEO Bradley Jacobs, speaking at a supply chain conference in Chicago, says the company is looking for potential takeover targets, including options in Europe.

President Donald Trump’s announcement in Miami on Friday that he will roll back the Obama administration’s U.S.-Cuba trade policies has left many industry groups in a sour mood.

The International Chamber of Shipping is urging the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization to back a proposal that seeks to change the installation deadline for the Ballast Water Management Convention.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as part of its recently announced reorganization, has appointed Jason Hafemeister to acting deputy undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

The flight from Afghanistan to India, which officials from both countries hope will be the first of many, departed Monday carrying approximately $5 million worth of goods, according to a […]

TOTE Services hires vice president, marine operations, government & commercial; while the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey names new director of tunnels, bridges and terminals.

In another step into the food space, Amazon has announced it will buy Whole Foods for $13.4 billion plus debt, giving the e-tailer a physical presence in the $700 to $800 billion consumer grocery world. But like many things with Amazon, the end game may be something different.

A Buzzfeed writer has turned President Donald Trump’s visit with trucking leaders into a kids book. Also, manufacturing output declines and the uneven economy is causing some questions to be asked by trucking executives.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is examining a false threat that a “dirty bomb” was on the Maersk Memphis at the Port of Charleston’s Wando Welch terminal, according to […]

Three previous chief operating officers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have expressed their support for President Donald Trump’s proposal to shift the air traffic control function of the FAA […]

Clayton Harris III, executive director for the Illinois International Port District at the Port of Chicago, is pushing for the passage of House Bill 1797, which would forgive a $15 […]

Global third-party logistics provider annual revenues reached $802 billion in 2016, and are on track to exceed $962 billion by 2020, the consulting firm said in its latest 3PL market […]

As the industry prepares for the December enforcement of the electronic logging device rule, there remains one area of the law that continues to create confusion for drivers – personal conveyance. What is personal conveyance and why does it cause so many problems?

Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed in a Bloomberg interview on Tuesday that the company is working on autonomous technology, further fueling speculation that the software giant is developing a self-driving Apple car.

Vessel losses declined 16 percent last year compared with 2015 and the number of shipping incident casualties also dropped on a year-over-year basis, according to a new report from insurance […]

Over 250 members of Congress have written a letter to House Ways & Means Chairman Kevin Brady calling for a long-term fix to the Highway Trust Fund, which serves as […]

Ports covered by the Global Port Tracker handled 1.61 million TEUs in April 2017, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available, a 4.8 percent increase from the previous […]

The Silicon Valley-based trucking applications technology provider has already raised $21.5 million from Renren and Wicklow Capital of Chicago, among others, and is currently talking with investors about a Series […]

The Federal Reserve voted to increase its key interest rate today, upping the rate 0.25% to a target of 1% to 1.5%. The increase, while small, could have a profound impact on trucking companies, shippers and consumers.

President Donald Trump’s apprenticeship program may provide an avenue to solving the truck driver shortage issue. But to make it work, it will require a little give on the government’s part.

In Pakistan, drivers care so much for their trucks that they turn them into works of art. Also, NATSO opposes rest stop privatization plan, working with robots and the path to better trade deals.

Lawmakers from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Tuesday released six principles for bipartisan legislation on self-driving vehicles ahead of the committee’s hearing on the subject Wednesday afternoon.