Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Avocado prices soar 59% ahead of the Super Bowl; Mexican court halts $1B expansion plans for Port of Veracruz; Tesla is expanding its factory in Austin; and Gebrüder Weiss expands into Texas for nearshoring opportunities.
On-demand air charter companies are providing emergency parts deliveries for automakers trying to cope with demonstrations blocking a key U.S.-Canada border bridge.
This week: Russia-based Aviacon brings animals of U.S. troops and contractors from Kabul to Canada; Averitt Express raises over $1 million for St. Jude; and FedEx launches its HBCU student ambassador program.
Canadian police officers begin operation to remove protesters blocking access to the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest commercial U.S-Canada border crossing.
Trucking giant Schneider National confirmed on Friday that a “temporary systems issue” is to blame for a massive outage that has knocked out the company’s network since Thursday.
Nikola hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks and BYD battery-electrics conducted beer runs to Los Angeles-area bars before Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Automotive supply chain drivers express their frustrations with border closures.
Universal Logistics inks a record year despite challenges. Implied 2022 earnings guidance surprises to the upside by 20%.
Driving a big rig isn’t a vacation, nor is it as flexible as one would expect — there’s a job to do.
The premier of Ontario said protesters who remain at the Ambassador Bridge and in Ottawa face “severe consequences” as the border disruption grips the supply chain.
Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter providing perspective and context on autonomy, electrification and other technologies impacting the fleet ecosystem.
Besides the daily challenges drayage truckers face to keep their small businesses afloat at the Port of Oakland, some are questioning whether they will be operating this time next year.
The organizers of The People’s Convoy released a statement late Thursday that their group “has no intention or plans” to protest the Super Bowl in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The American Trucking Associations warned that supply chain disruptions caused by protesters in Canada will affect the U.S. economy.
Kendra Tucker joined Truckstop.com as the chief revenue officer in 2020 and became chief operating officer last September.
Although attorney involvement is alleged in the indictments, only one lawyer has been indicted in the scheme to crash cars into trucks and collect insurance payouts.
The protest at the Ambassador Bridge is continuing to block traffic, and anger grows over impacts to cross-border trucking and the supply chain.
With Transplace now in the fold, Uber Freight’s revenue topped $1 billion for the last three months of 2021.
Covenant Logistics Group adopts a $30 million stock buyback plan and acquires AAT Carriers.
Forward Air head Tom Schmitt was bullish about the company’s prospects on a call with analysts Thursday. Forward is already on track to achieve recently issued 2023 targets ahead of schedule.
The Biden administration wants the Canadian government to step in to end the increasingly costly blockade of the Ambassador Bridge.
The Variant initiative is not yet showing signs of turning the company around.
The LTL segment remains a work in progress, but analysts are confident that Jacobs & Co. can turn it around.
Nearly 420 trucking and logistics companies are collectively owed millions of dollars after a California oil distributor ceased operations and filed Chapter 7.
Trimble expects organic revenue growth in 2022, despite the ongoing impact of constrained supply chains across the global economy.
The intersection of Interstate 95 and New Jersey Route 4 is the worst bottleneck for the third year in a row.
Engine braking technology invented by Clessie Cummins is part of the $325 million Cummins acquisition of Jacobs Vehicle Systems.
Record earnings per share of $2.48 beat analysts’ estimates.
A.P. Moller – Maersk announced the $1.8 billion acquisition of U.S. forwarder Pilot Freight Services. The deal is the company’s latest move in building out a land-based logistics network.
Ongoing supply chain constraints and the need to get a handle on e-commerce fulfillment is driving interest in logistics companies among retailers.
The CEO of Canada’s largest trucking company, TFI International, says the cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandate affected a small number of its Canadian drivers.
“Across the board, our businesses showed momentum and ended the year on a strong note,” said Charles Freund, CFO at Fleetcor.
A Postal Service reform package passed by the House on Tuesday would eliminate massive financial burdens at the agency while maintaining a unified package and mail network.
Cummins takes sole ownership of the natural gas joint venture as it moves to a new onboard storage partnership with Rush Enterprises’ Momentum Fuels.
Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp. adds two driver academies as part of a plan to train 1,000 drivers in 2022.
XPO Logistics has issued 2022 guidance and vows to fully right the LTL segment’s operating ratio by midyear.
TForce Freight pickup and delivery drivers will be driving less and taking on more freight as TFI International pushes efficiency in its U.S. LTL operation, says TFI’s CEO.
The Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River is a vital trade link between Canada and the U.S.
The U.S. Postal Service reported a widening net loss in the fiscal 2022 first quarter due to higher compensation and benefits costs. Transport costs rose 9% due to higher fuel expenses.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has put the first round of funding in the state budget and sees no roadblocks to the “new urbanism” plan.
Embark Trucks’ connection with Knight-Swift will lead to the installation of high-autonomy software by the end of 2022.
Leverage is an AI-powered cloud platform giving logistics providers real-time purchase order visibility.
OOIDA is urging U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to exempt cross-border truckers from vaccine rules implemented in mid-January.
Rishi joined the supply chain SaaS company in 2017.
Becoming an independent agent can provide workers with the autonomy and independence they crave, but knowing where to begin can be difficult
The owner of a Wisconsin fuel company admitted he defrauded investors out of nearly $6.3 million over a two-year period.
With protests showing no signs of easing up, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency Sunday for his city.
On-demand training and live sessions cover every aspect of today’s LTL sector to help share valuable supply chain industry expertise and insights.
AskWaves dives into the potential benefits and drawbacks of using blue hydrogen on the path to green hydrogen.
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Vaccine mandate has varied impacts on Mexico cross-border trucking; Texas toll road truck traffic rises 57% year-over-year; Chinese ATV maker to build $152M plant in Mexico; and drug seizures surge at Texas-Mexico border.
Trucks, cars and supporters clog Toronto as protests tied to the Freedom Convoy come to multiple Canadian cities to protest vaccine mandates and other issues.
This week: DHL reaches its 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine delivery milestone, United Petroleum names its Driver of the Year and GXO donates over 20,000 pounds of food to families in Europe.
AskWaves lists the five most important actions driving schools need to take to comply with FMCSA’s new training regulation set to start on Monday.
Owner-operators and independent contractors say the defunct LTL carrier owes them thousands in escrow and maintenance funds, along with safety bonuses.
The latest government data reveals that an increase in truckers testing positive for drugs in 2021 was driven by cocaine and marijuana.
Navistar’s new CEO aligns with parent Traton Group in declaring batteries will be the ultimate solution to zero-emission transportation.
USA Truck beats fourth-quarter expectations and plans to grow revenue through expanding capacity east of Interstate 35 and doubling logistics business.
Michigan State’s Miller says the figures are undercutting any argument that the transportation industry is having trouble attracting adequate workers.
Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter providing perspective and context on autonomy, electrification and other technologies impacting the fleet ecosystem.
The LTL carrier has ambitious plans for growing its footprint over the next two years.
For some truck drivers at the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, the cause of protesting border vaccine mandates means putting up with uncomfortable bedfellows.
“There is an urgent demand for new and innovative ways to increase visibility and efficiencies in the supply chain and improve driver experience, and this investment from our new and existing partners is going to power us to fill that need,” says Platform Science co-founder and CEO Jack Kennedy.
Raul Saucedo, president and CEO of SBGroup, explains why Mexico is a good choice for your next international shipments.
The seasonally adjusted jobs number for truck transportation has now been more than the previous high level for two consecutive months.
Also on the podcast: Some numbers that point to why the diesel market is climbing.
Werner Enterprises beat fourth-quarter expectations and announced plans to grow revenue by 10% on average over the next five years.
USA Truck Inc. rode a robust freight and pricing market to revenue of $200.9 million and earnings per share of $1.38 during the fourth quarter.
“A complete transition to ZET technology would not only help mitigate the impacts of climate change and poor air quality but could eventually lower total cost of ownership for fleets and create job growth in the U.S.,” the report said.
Nearly a year and a half into a tight truck market and carriers continue to raise driver wages. Midwest Carriers and CFI are the latest to announce increases.
The introduction of the entry-level driver training rule is a boon for truck safety and could help reduce the industry’s driver shortage and retention concerns.
It took a delicate dance by truck manufacturers and fleets in January to keep Class 8 orders from adding to the industry’s huge backlog.
Schneider provided a better-than-expected earnings outlook for 2022 on Thursday. The company also raised margin targets in two key segments.
Supply chain challenges and higher material costs dented profits, but Cummins Inc. posted record revenues in 2021.
Donations to Freedom Convoy 2022 had reached CA$10 million on GoFundMe, which paused the fundraiser and said it wanted to “ensure the funds are going to the intended recipients.”
The truckload carrier’s OR is one of the best in the industry but it’s being done on a smaller base of business.
Truckload carriers have been raising pay for 18 months now to meet heightened demand. But when this trucking cycle cools, don’t expect wages to follow in lockstep.
Traffic is beginning to move at the U.S.-Canada border in Coutts, Alberta, after protesting truckers agree to reopen some lanes.
Less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp. reported better-than-expected adjusted fourth-quarter results Wednesday after the market closed.
Trucking regulators have issued updated guidance that could help new drivers get on the road faster.
Wabash retires its legacy brands to focus on the company name as its swollen backlog all but closes 2022 order books except for multiyear purchases.
RLS Logistics builds out its national cold storage network with two acquisitions.
Top executives resigned at ELMS Inc. following a board probe into their discounted stock purchases before a SPAC merger.
Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop, formerly Virgin Hyperloop One, has raised more than $400 million in private capital since its founding in 2014.
Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion raised its long-term margin target when it released better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday.
Pitney Bowes’ Nita Lathia becomes head of marketplaces for Passport.
While major parcel carriers offer a one-size-fits-all service under the guise of simplification, ACI Logistix applies a consultative approach.
By gathering this information at pickup, DDC Sync is enabling near-time logistics planning and cross-team communication that can be made before a truck ever makes it back to the terminal.
Shippers may benefit from limiting the number of partners they work with in a loose market, but this exclusionary approach has become a serious — and seriously expensive — problem as capacity has tightened and rates have climbed to record highs.
Saia’s operating ratio was up more than 500 basis points in Q4 2021 compared to the final quarter of 2020.
Despite strong revenue growth, freight broker productivity fell sharply.
TuSimple advances its commercialization timetable for driverless trucking and adds intermodal freight for Union Pacific at the Port of Tucson in Arizona.
Police are taking action to remove a truck blockade at the U.S.-Canada border that stranded some cross-border drivers.
Bottlenecks and a lack of transportation capacity led many retailers to order extra merchandise in the fall. Inventories are now piling up at points along the supply chain for some companies because they still can’t find the transportation to move the goods, a supply chain survey finds.
UPS posted its best quarterly operating profit in its history. It also declared a 49% dividend increase.
Computer glitches are being blamed for the delay of the Project Infinity rollout that some fear could break up long-standing relationships with carriers.
After investigators uncovered a variety of safety violations, Adversity Transport was issued a federal out-of-service order on Jan. 25 forbidding the company to operate.
Canadian trucking firm Pride Group Logistics dramatically expands its U.S. presence with the acquisition of Texas truckload carrier Arnold Transportation Systems.
ArcBest raised long-term expectations Tuesday in conjunction with its fourth-quarter results, which were better than expected. The company now eyes doubling its size by 2025.
Daimler Truck North America and two partners plan to spend $650 million to build public electric charging for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Forager founder and CEO Matt Silver will continue to work closely with his team as Arrive’s vice president of cross-border solutions.
