Business

Ransomware attacks are on the rise and transportation companies are a prime target.

The Trucking Freight Futures markets found their footing on Wednesday after falling off a cliff earlier this week as the spot National contract rose a fraction to $1.358 per mile

British Airways and its sister airlines are taking some comfort from increased cargo business and helping keep global supply chains intact, but the dominant passenger business is at least three years away from getting back to pre-crisis levels.

Like most industries, the work environment of brokers and 3PLs has changed dramatically in the last couple of months. Here are some tools that are being used to cope.

As demand for flatbed capacity sags, Daseke sees strength in some end markets and continues to push forward with a company-wide overhaul.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created choppy conditions in the airfreight market, but air cargo companies like Atlas Air are mostly seeing upside for their business.

Excluding several items, Daseke reported a near break-even first quarter. Demand headwinds in most of the markets it serves have ‘plateaued’ in recent weeks.

The U.S. wind energy sector is “a huge bright spot during these difficult times,” said Gene Lemke, vice president of projects at Anderson Trucking Service.

It’s aggressively moving away from “perpetual” sales to subscriptions.

An app aims to connect hungry drivers on the road to restaurants

Are larger funds now heading for the exits and giving up on tanker stocks?

Interest is rising in Workhorse’s electric truck-based drone delivery system as the company seeks $40 million credit line to scale production.

How the COVID-19 spotlight could accelerate change for global supply chain.

The need for social distancing will push companies to look at increased automation of their warehouses.

“We have the instant ability to integrate with any robot system on our platform.”

Canadian e-commerce firm says Q1 saw the largest increase in merchants joining Shopify Fulfillment Network as $1 billion push into Amazon’s territory continues.

ATA intermodal group alleges $1.8 billion in haulage overcharges

Amazon has expanded its brokerage service to 48 states, allowing shippers to easily connect with carriers on a digital platform.

The Honolulu-based carrier has used some passenger airplanes to transport face masks from China, as well as food and medical supplies between islands.

Self-driving fleet transports products for “middle-mile” delivery

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.  A funny paradox says that there is a particular restaurant that is so busy nobody bothers to go there anymore. Well, after the siege of sheltering at home is lifted in various cities […]

ir Transport Services Group is making money from its aircraft leasing and outsourced transportation businesses as express carriers and other customers seek more aircraft to support supply chains.

Driver said pay should include tank wash revenues in the base, but he didn’t say it fast enough

Employees that are fired for falling asleep on the job can’t claim a disability after the fact, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled.

FreightWaves LIVE @HOME kicked off its three-day virtual event with keynote addresses from J.B. Hunt’s Shelley Simpson, Revolution’s Ron Klain, and Echo Global Logistic’s Doug Waggoner among many others.

Public tanker owners post impressive earnings on an ugly day for tanker stocks.

Alaska Air lost $232 million on a net basis in the first quarter, but everything is relative these days and the loss doesn’t look so bad given the state of the airline industry.

The same health crisis that made TravelCenters of America an essential business during the coronavirus pandemic burned into non-fuel revenue in late March, leading to a first-quarter loss.

Nearly 80% of owner-operators and small fleets do not have plan in place, ATRI finds.

Singapore-based container carrier digs out from $586 million fiscal-year loss to report $105 million profit and procures 5,000 40-foot units.

Trucking Freight Futures went off a cliff on Monday, posting the largest single-day drop across the board since launch, as the market recalibrated after the April-to-May contract roll.

At FreightWaves LIVE @ HOME, the CEO indirectly pushes back against criticism of broker margins.

ArcBest managed through the first quarter largely unscathed by the coronavirus outbreak. That has all changed in April as revenue is off 20% year-over-year.

Industry experience, continual innovation drive J.B. Hunt 360 technology platform

Continental customers will switch from using the RoadLog ELD to KeepTruckin ELD solutions.

Kirby Corp pulls 2020 guidance but inland barge utilization is still strong at 90%.

FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller introduced three new products at FreightWaves LIVE @HOME – Lane Signal, SONAR Signals and Mission Control.

Idelic and Samsara have forged a partnership where Samsara ELD and camera data will be integrated into Idelic’s driver management platform. Plus, GE cutting 25% of aviation workforce, Amazon exec quits over employee firing, and road funding takes a hit.

ArcBest sees “one of the best first quarters” in company history, but COVID-19-related demand headwinds took a toll on April’s results.

API integrations with shippers and carrier density were key.

In a transformational partnership for a growth-stage company, Platform Science will embed connectivity software at the factory in Daimler Trucks beginning in 2021.

XPO Logistics Inc. (NYSE: XPO) on Monday reported first-quarter revenue of $3.86 billion, down from $4.12 billion in the first quarter of 2019, as the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March derailed what had been a relatively good quarter. Net income was $21 million for the quarter, compared with $43 million for the same period in 2019, […]

The family of a Wyoming man killed in a head-on tractor-trailer crash has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and trucking company

The railcar lessor is looking for further add-ons to its fleet as competitors face pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic and the volatile crude oil market.

Trump says meeting with administration officials “will work out well.”

Freight Futures data to watch today: May “spot” month settlement prices Friday marked the first trading session for the May “spot” month Trucking Freight Futures contracts. The spot National contract (FUT.VNU202005) settled unchanged at $1.419 per mile, nearly $0.10 above where April closed and moved to expiration. The East regional average (FUT.VEU202005) ended 0.74% lower […]

Multimillion-dollar backlog will help the rail equipment and locomotive manufacturer stay afloat, executives said.

U.S. Federal Maritime Commission asks lawmakers to consider “financial bridge” to help container terminals make their lease payments.

Air Canada is trying to navigate the darkest period in aviation history through cost cuts, financing and new cargo operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic dented volume growth in the first quarter for the privately owned railroad.

Volkswagen truck holding company Traton Group urges a Euro-style “cash for clunkers” program to boost new truck purchases following lower first-quarter sales, profits and orders.

Continental is shutting down its Roadlog ELD service, as of Aug. 14. Plus, FreightWAVES LIVE@HOME is one day away, Trump pushes severing of supply chain from China, and Walmart launches two-hour delivery.

United Airlines is steeling itself for a worst-case scenario that leisure and business travelers will not resume flying anytime soon, even with coronavirus restrictions lifted.

Like all industries, the coronavirus has impacted railroads. What should they be doing to gain market share and better serve their customers?

Flexport CTO James Chen articulates his vision of the future of global trade technology.

Chief marketing officer, service center manager and executive vice president are named.

Plummeting prices make ExxonMobil’s fuel system-friendly diesel formulation that eliminates additives and reduces NOx emissions a better deal.

Thursday’s session was the last trading session for the April Trucking Freight Futures contracts, and prices were lower across the board for a seventh consecutive session as the spot National contract finished down 0.7% to close at $1.320 per mile.

United Airlines isn’t sugar-coating the airline industry’s economic reality. United expects to survive the coronavirus crisis, but business will be slim for months to come.

Company reports 30% plunge in revenue during month, but CEO Tim Phillips hopes the resumption of auto and heavy truck plants will bring some relief this month.

Online shopping surge, coronavirus breed new e-commerce alliances

Shippers and forwarders will be cautious with how much cargo they commit to the ocean container carriers this contract season, industry experts say.

“So All Forward not only gives us access to rates, but it gives us the platform to get opportunities,” said Derek Scarborough of Global Logistical Connections Inc.

COVID-19 can accelerate many existing but slow-moving trends in the industry as it has forced changes in behavior and altered industry priorities.

“Each morning at 6:00 a.m., Chris Hoisington at Kraft Heinz receives an emailed report detailing everyone who touched the forklift on the previous day.”

Magnus Technologies offers a solution that can run the entirety of a trucking fleet’s business operations over a single platform.

Trimble is adding an alert service to its navigation and routing apps to notify drivers when speeds are reduced up ahead due to work zones or other incidents.

Hub Group’s first quarter miss included several one-off expenses unlikely to recur. However, volume headwinds are expected to persist in the near-term.

Several steps being taken will affect the supply chain

ULH withdraws 2020 outlook and suspends dividends after slowdowns in retail and manufacturing weigh on first-quarter financial results.

A family-owned Massachusetts trucking company fell victim to a ransomware attack

From slashing salaries to borrowing money to get to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic, suppliers Meritor and Dana are keeping electrification programs on track while slowly restarting production.

The drop in North American rail traffic could push railcar leasing rates lower.

The autonomous trucking outfit has so far avoided the economic carnage that has hit other startups in the self-driving industry

Combined transportation and logistics powerhouse grows gross profit despite impact from COVID-19.

Trucking Freight Futures prices continued to tumble and were lower across the board for a sixth consecutive session on Wednesday as the spot National contract closed lower to $1.329 per mile.

International association of forwarders says members have tools and knowledge to ease container-shipping pain of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A better than expected first quarter yields to expectations that a recovery may not occur until June. Some of Schneider’s customers are starting up again, but demand in May will likely be choppy.

While others have seen a decline in shipments, April held firm: CEO

Orbcomm operates in transportation and distribution, heavy equipment, industrial fixed assets, oil and gas, maritime, mining, and government.

Schneider Logistics is seeking to smooth and expedite the process for paying carrier partners by pairing TriumphPay’s payment solutions with Transflo’s document management tools.

American is slashing expenses, but not fast enough to stop big profit losses. Here are the details on its first quarter and what it expects going forward.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.  On Friday, April 17, FreightWaves ran my Commentary: Grassroots organizations move faster in crises. In that commentary I argued that in order to effectively confront crises characterized by uncertainty, large, centralized organizations must […]

Schneider reports TL volumes are down upper single-digit percentages in late April, but notes that some of its customers shutdown by COVID-19 are set to come back online.

Fewer brokers and more engineers make operating costs less flexible, and we question the “take market share” mantra.

Boeing took a big loss in the first quarter and the rest of the year doesn’t bode better for a company plagued by ongoing technical problems with key products, and now facing little demand for aircraft.

Regulatory credit sales and streamlined operations helped drive the electric vehicle maker to its third consecutive quarterly profit; CEO Elon Musk rages against the coronavirus lockdown

Trump and Republicans at odds over using pandemic as bridge to transportation funding.

Digital freight brokerage Transfix laid off about 10% of its staff on Tuesday

COVID-19 pandemic challenges American seed producers to secure airfreight capacity to meet spring planting.

Mayor Eric Garcetti grateful for “lifesaving purchase agreement” with Honeywell.

Uncertainty beyond loss-making second quarter concerns Daimler leaders, though robust supply chain and cash position suggest fast production ramp-up when economy recovers

Trucking Freight Futures were lower across the board for a fifth consecutive session on Tuesday, as freight volumes and the uncertainty of economic recovery weighed on the market causing the spot National contract to fall 0.74% and close at $1.339 per mile.

The cuts to train starts are part of the railroad’s wider objective to implement precision scheduled railroading.

Accelerated depreciation it set at a “trough” level from 2002

Saia’s first quarter performance placed its recent terminal expansion campaign on full display. Unfortunately, COVID-19 headwinds will mask near-term results.

The new tracking system allows real-time monitoring of transported goods across a variety of markets including food & beverage, pharmaceuticals and micro-mobility.

FourKites has introduced an interactive map that tracks congestion and delays at border crossings and ports around the world while DriverReach and Trucker Tools have added solutions aimed at improving driver efficiency.

Small fleets file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April

Darren Prokop explores the reasons for the huge drop in oil prices and what the ramifications are because of the drop.