This week: Pilot gifts throwback Peterbilt to driver with sterling record of safe driving, AIT Worldwide Logistics stays committed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and J.B. Hunt gives additional $5 million to Arkansas Children’s health care initiatives.
Striking Volvo workers voted down a third tentative agreement, prompting the exasperated truck manufacturer to “consider all options.”
In this AskWaves, we look at the potential for a driver wage boost if a critical exemption in federal labor law were lifted.
Amazon accounts for its carbon intensity, emissions, renewable energy and decarbonization strategies and provides updates on The Climate Pledge in the 2020 sustainability report.
Critics of the move say truck drivers are already overworked and allowing more time behind the wheel ‘fails to address the underlying issues.’
Trucking owner Carl Bradley Johansson is facing federal charges in an alleged PPP loan fraud scheme. He is also awaiting trial in a separate federal case for allegedly ordering welders to illegally repair an oil tanker that resulted in a fatal explosion in 2014.
Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter offering perspective and context on happenings in the trucking industry.
Also on the podcast: Why the latest OPEC meeting was so unique
The past week in images features a funnel spawned by a wildfire, a trucker who drove his rig into a river and a train honoring the armed forces.
Leased owner-operators and company drivers could be looking to strike gold on their own in a strong trucking market, Vise says.
One alternative: The team moves to Las Vegas, though that would keep Howard Terminal in place.
A truck driver entering Canada from Buffalo, New York, was arrested and charged after border officers found over $11 million worth of cocaine.
“A lot of carriers kind of look the other way,” Reliance Partners’ Robert Kaferle said. “I’ve heard it more times than I can count, ‘They’re a really good driver,’ but upon digging into their history and violations, you may find that they’re in need of some retraining.”
As the push for a more sustainable planet continues to grow stronger, companies across the supply chain will be expected to have a clear plan for cleaning up their operations.
Companies want transparency from their partners, and end consumers want to know exactly when their packages are going to arrive.
FreightWaves experts weigh in on the ramifications of KNX’s $1.35 billion deal to acquire AAA Cooper.
All State Association CEO Steve Avetyan claims his business platform is very different from the double-brokering scheme that landed three relatives in prison.
Federal regulators push for more data as automated trucking rolls from testing to reality.
Vince Paperiello has been named to run the multibillion-dollar unit. The business had been run as a group effort for two years, a source says.
Fleets still want and need trucks but move to sidelines until manufacturers open their order books.
CarrierHQ offers monthly in-term rate adjustments based on driving data from each truck’s ELD.
Findings from a recent Spireon white paper survey, conducted in conjunction with FreightWaves, found that about 40% of carriers reported losing more than $500 per trailer per week in detention costs.
To tackle this bull market, ITF is adding automation to distribution and fulfillment, adding visibility to customer inventory.
NHTSA’s new standing order on autonomous truck crash data is too blunt an instrument, according to a group representing the self-driving vehicle sector.
Knight-Swift’s “transformational” $1.35 billion less-than-truckload acquisition marks the second big deal by a public truckload carrier in less than a week.
The key benchmark price for trucking companies tracked the higher numbers in the wholesale market.
The acquisition modestly bumps Geodis’ brokerage revenue.
Knight-Swift Transportation acquires less-than-truckload carrier AAA Cooper in a deal valued at $1.35 billion.
Daimler Truck, TRATON and Volvo Group will spend $593 million to build a truck charging network across Europe.
NS is working to repair a defect that could affect over 5,000 chassis. The repairs come amid high congestion at terminals and intermodal facilities across the U.S.
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexico trade boomed in May but profit margins are tightening; a Korean auto supplier opens a plant in Mexico; Otay Mesa plans to open a new port by 2024; and Texas trucking company set to build terminal.
Section 202 in postal reform legislation would keep parcel and mail delivery networks integrated. Some interests say it will never require the Postal Service to straighten out its accounting.
Troubled electric pickup truck maker Lordstown Motors reportedly is the subject of a Justice Department probe, according to multiple media reports.
Both defendants had pleaded guilty to their involvement in the staged accident scheme.
The pandemic is still creating big swings in data, according to the Council of Economic Advisers, which urges caution in making big interpretations.
FMCSA is proposing to revise rules for advanced driver-assist cameras.
Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter offering perspective and context on happenings in the heavy-duty and commercial trucking sector.
Mullen Group acquires Harris Transport, the latest in a string of deals for one of Canada’s largest trucking and logistics companies.
In the fourth week of a second strike, UAW bargainers reach a third tentative agreement with Volvo Trucks North America.
Data apparently stolen from Navistar International appears on the dark web as an underground marketplace begins an auction for the heavy truck manufacturer’s internal files.
Transportation and logistics provider Werner Enterprises announced it has acquired an 80% equity stake in ECM Transport Group for $142.4 million. Werner has the option to purchase the remaining 20% of the 500-truck fleet after five years.
The number of drivers prohibited from driving due to drugs matches an estimated shortfall of drivers needed to keep up with freight demand.
Engine stall from broken battery terminal cable leads Daimler Trucks North America to recall 122,056 Freightliner and Western Star trucks.
The effort to replace a 1.4-mile interstate viaduct is part of a movement known as the “new urbanism.”
Cummins is recalling 4,413 remanufactured engines on top of an earlier fuel rail recall that threatened engine fires in trucks, buses and motor homes.
The convenience of GPS often overshadows its flaws. Double-check your route with the hard facts of a map.
U.S. House passes the five-year surface transportation reauthorization that boosts truck insurance requirements and mandates automatic braking on new trucks.
Food service providers can expect to be extremely busy as COVID-19 fears subside.
A lawyer who specializes in cyber incident responses gives the inside story of what happened after a ransomware attack hit a trucking company.
Attorneys general are urging the Postal Regulatory Commission to order the agency to abandon its multiyear focus on parcels until mail delivery problems are resolved.
FreightWaves SONAR SCI adds summary views, giving shippers a snapshot of the entire supply chain and creating an “easy button” providing risk assessment.
The U.S. Department of Transportation targeted highway expansion to improve freight flow in awarding the latest round of INFRA grants.
What does a chief product officer at a trucking sector company do given that the title is usually seen at software firms?
Covenant believes government incentives are vital in helping the trucking industry meet zero-emission goals.
Worldwide Express’ Joel Clum explains how third-party logistics companies are giving small and midsized shippers the technology they need.
Kendra Phillips from Ryder System Inc. discusses on Wednesday how her company is embracing technology.
Charles Craigmile, CEO at Revenova, talks about what it means to be a TMS in today’s market. His take? It’s more than just an operational system to find carriers.
The product, called E-inspection, allows a quick transfer of data from the truck to the inspecting officer for those trucks that need to go to the weigh station.
One of Canada’s largest trucking and logistics firms, Mullen Group, is entering the U.S. market with a $40 million acquisition of Chicago-area freight brokerage QuadExpress from commercial printing company Quad.
The president won’t consider raising fuel taxes to pay for highway and road spending, effectively killing the 65-year-old program, Mullett claims.
Third-party logistics provider FitzMark announced its fifth acquisition, this time picking up the brokerage operations of truckload carriers Riverside Transport and Transco Lines.
Workhorse’s unsealed complaint against the Postal Service claims Oshkosh got preferred treatment and skirted the rules in lobbying for the main truck contract.
Testing in Brooklyn convinced the New York City Department of Sanitation the Mack LR Electric refuse hauler has the right stuff for wider use.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration orders trucking manufacturers and operators to report crashes linked to autonomous technology.
Trucking regulator responds to commenters seeking stronger interaction with industry before the entry-level driver training compliance date starts in February 2022.
Carriers of all shapes and sizes embraced technology with fervency in the face of COVID-19. In turn, technology providers have placed renewed emphasis on convenience and efficiency.
Picking up the phone before partnering up can help identify ill-suited broker-shipper relationships and avoid costly mistakes.
Yard tractors are often found in ports, like this one in Port Houston, but fleets, warehouses and distribution centers are typical users of the vehicles. Anytime a driver is using a yard tractor, it presents a safety risk, so even though it may not be going onto public roadways, driver training is critical to ensure safe operation. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
Can regional carriers and last-mile delivery companies build out national delivery networks?
The long-term vision that helped establish the current interstate highway system 65 years ago is needed again today. A modernized interstate system will be critical to the nation’s ability to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
XPO Logistics announced a 5 million-share equity offering on Monday. Half of the stock would be a new issuance from the company with the other half being sold by an affiliate of Brad Jacobs, XPO’s chairman and CEO.
Every company aims for maximum profitability. For less-than-truckload carriers, that has meant lowering linear-foot caps from 16 linear feet to 12 linear feet and turning away freight that exceeds those caps.
Seeking collaboration over individualism is vital. In a world — and an industry — that grows more connected by the minute, it is impossible to do anything in a vacuum.
Electric Last Mile Systems went public through a SPAC merger on Monday, with its stock initially jumping about 10% before sliding as the morning trading session wore on.
The number of guilty pleas in the various inductments is believed to stand now at 15.
Double brokering has been around since shippers started relying on brokerages to find trucks to haul their freight. However, double brokering is fraught with risk and becomes illegal when a shipper specifies that its loads are not to be re-brokered.
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Trade experts take stock on USMCA’s first anniversary; more factories and jobs for Mexico; Quiet 3PF opens distribution center in Dallas; and border officials see uptick in migrants hiding in trains.
The company plans to build on UNF’s transportation and logistics program with real-life experiences, Crowley’s CEO says.
FedEx Freight is pointing the finger at less-than-truckload competitors for denying service to customers, which it says flooded its network and forced it to cancel certain accounts.
I was there when Marla Maples became homecoming queen. Regrettably, I was also there when a truckload of watermelons attacked her in a four-Rolaids film by “the master of horror.”
Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter that adds perspective and context to issues affecting the trucking industry.
Signs of hope are seen in driver recruitment, according to Tenstreet, as “historic” pay increases continue.
On the path to 100% renewable energy by 2025, Amazon is investing in 14 new projects and touts it is the “largest corporate buyer of renewable energy” in the U.S. and the world.
The past week in images features a dust storm, an explosive Navy test and a mobile national memorial.
Forward Air announced Friday that VP and Controller Rebecca Garbrick has been named the company’s new CFO, a role that had been vacant for three months.
The company reports strong fiscal 2021 fourth-quarter results, but warns that a persistent labor shortage will drive up costs and impede productivity.
The boom in cold storage construction is partly fueled by consumers shopping for groceries online.
The union’s declaration establishes the `Amazon Project,’ with the long-term goal of creating a division to organize company workers.
Reliance Partners Director of Safety Robert Kaferle makes it clear that safety consulting in most cases helps rather than hurts premiums.
President Joe Biden endorses a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package developed by a bipartisan group of senators.
Navigating the logistics of time-sensitive, specialized renewable energy projects is no walk in the park when capacity constraints and port congestion are at play.
The 32nd version of the venerable report waxes philosophical on why more, not less, logistics spending will be needed.
High demand and tight capacity have less-than-truckload carriers testing years of investments that are designed to handle this type of environment. Many of FedEx Freight’s service woes were captured in the data leading up its cancellation announcement.
Nikola Corp. is investing $50 million to buy a 20% stake in an Indiana clean hydrogen company to eventually supply fuel cell trucks in the Midwest.
Another nail in the coffin in the company’s relationship with its largest customers?
An Ohio-based transportation company and three of its trucking company affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, despite receiving PPP loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration to stay afloat during the pandemic.
Three people are arrested as police end a protest that left hundreds of trucks stuck at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border in eastern Canada.
Hirschbach Motor Lines announced that it has acquired Lessors Inc. The deal marks the second combination of two temperature-controlled carriers in the last week.
A double whammy of few new trucks and fleets wanting upgraded equipment in a booming freight market is driving prices to a post-Great Recession peak.
The trucking industry has been taking it on the chin ever since the Interstate 40 bridge over the Mississippi River closed six weeks ago. The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) […]
