Trucking

Amazon announces a leadership shift as it crushes fourth-quarter 2020 estimates and reports $125 billion in revenue.

Trucks hauling COVID vaccines won’t get pulled over, says the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Call Cainiao the Amazon Logistics of China. When most of China normally takes a break for the Lunar New Year, Cainiao will still be delivering packages to Hong Kong this year.

EKA Solutions’ TMS is gaining traction among small and midsize carriers and brokers with “high adoption rates.”

The January Logistics Managers’ Index moves higher as more firms take on inventory and delays throughout the supply chain further deplete transportation and warehouse capacity.

Compliance with record-keeping regulations is a time-consuming task that can easily fall through the cracks as busy fleet executives focus on day-to-day tasks.

Scott Ruffin’s company is poised to exploit weaknesses in legacy delivery networks to take B2C share.

Logistics provider ArcBest sees positive tonnage trends continue in the first quarter. The less-than-truckload carrier is attempting to break the historical margin decline seen from the fourth quarter to the first.

Pete Buttigieg wants to push through an infrastructure package that links highway funding to electric vehicles and climate policy.

With the focus on technology, service and operations, Team Worldwide has appointed Randy Sinker as president of the company.

BrightDrop, the new General Motors business-to-business electric first-to-last-mile delivery subsidiary, will sell 12,600 of its vans to Merchants Fleet.

U.S. Xpress will become the latest carrier to adopt Platform Science’s technology platform, allowing it to deploy third-party and custom apps without the need for added hardware.

SONAR is the leading freight forecasting platform. Two recently added SONAR indices are proving very useful to SONAR subscribers. Learn more.

E-commerce and shipping solutions provider Pitney Bowes reported “the highest modern-day, organic growth rate on record.”

Fuel Transport is the latest Canadian operator to install project44’s visibility technology.

UPS reports all-time annual records for revenue and earnings per share.

Logistics provider ArcBest reported better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter Tuesday. Less-than-truckload tonnage increased by double-digit percentages as weight per shipment jumped 10%.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, TFI International has acquired another carrier. Plus, the CDC says most truck drivers don’t have to wear masks, and flatbed operator Daseke is looking for acquisition targets.

The U.S. Postal Service is exploring the potential of bringing in commercial operators to handle outbound traffic.

Forward Air is the latest transportation provider to implement general rate increases amid a tight capacity environment. The company’s 6% GRI will apply to all shipments.

DHL Global Forwarding recently launched a new bulk liquid transporter system of flexitanks called DHL Reefertanks.

YRC announced Monday the further expansion of its regional next-day service at YRC Freight. This rollout will make the service available out of 13 terminals throughout the mid-Atlantic.

After a difficult 2020, optimism about the supply chain is running high this year — and 11 industry leaders have identified several opportunities for growth with their predictions for the rest of 2021.

Ryder will provide three hours of paid time off for each of the two COVID-19 vaccinations.

CDC implements President Biden’s executive order on mask requirements at transport hubs.

Only a week removed from the $800 million purchase of UPS Freight, TFI International is back at it. On Monday, the company announced the acquisition of van and flatbed carrier Fleetway Transport.

Another issue in the earlier trial: Did the driver blow his horn?

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: A $1 billion warehouse and logistics port is planned for Laredo; RCR Taylor Logistics Park opens in Texas; Volkswagen ends Golf production in Mexico; and Red Sun Farms expands in Pharr.

The meth was found during a traffic stop involving a refrigerated tractor-trailer off Interstate 35 in Denton County, Texas.

An interview with flatbed carrier Daseke outlines the company’s operational focus and plan to get back to growth through acquisitions.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, global logistics operator DB Schenker eyes the U.S. market. Plus, U.S. Xpress’ CEO sees big things coming for its Variant division, and flatbed operator Daseke reports earnings and issues a mixed outlook for 2021.

General Motors is not the first automaker to commit to science-based carbon neutrality. Industry experts agree it will accelerate trucking electrification and the greening of the supply chain.

Trucking markets headed back in the right direction

A federal grand jury has indicted a former fleet manager of Builders FirstSource, a publicly traded construction products manufacturer, alleging Steven Duety used company credit cards to defraud his employer of $1.6 million.

The latest request from the congressional commission overseeing COVID-relief loans seeks pricing information from the Defense Department for all less-than-truckload shipments, including those performed by YRC Worldwide.

FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week will feature media expert Gary Vaynerchuk, Tyson Foods’ John Tyson, and Johnson & Johnson’s Kathy Wengel among dozens of speakers scheduled to appear at the free virtual event, scheduled for Feb. 22 through March 3.

FreightWaves Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter adding perspective, context and commentary to industry news and trends.

Slips, trips and falls can bring about lifelong injuries for truckers, but thankfully, they’re easily preventable. Reliance Partners’ Brian Runnels details basic safety tips around the truck and trailer.

Flatbed truckload company Daseke beats earnings per share estimates in the fourth quarter but revenue and operating ratios slide. 2021 guidance provides a bit of a mixed bag.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Landstar sees a cooling freight market in the second half of 2021. Plus, the Biden administration may consider regulating driver detention, and Werner sells its freight forwarding business.

Could DB Schenker be the next TFI International? TFI just agreed to buy UPS Freight. DB Schenker is ready to become a pure play trucker in the U.S. and will be looking for sellers.

Six people, including the owners of two defunct trucking companies, face multiple charges after federal prosecutors claim they submitted fraudulent loan applications to obtain $1.5 million in funds through the […]

In what amounted to an “encore,” the end of the Q&A didn’t mean an end to the discussion on Variant and its role in USX’s future.

Fuller: Variant initiative was 9.4% of truckload revenues in fourth quarter

When drivers get a chance to give anonymous feedback to their employers, they often use the services of WorkHound, a cell phone-based service that can send back their thoughts, good […]

Love’s Travel Stops is offering $75 to each of 28,000 employees across its businesses who voluntarily get the COVID vaccine.

A record-breaking $28.5 million worth of methamphetamine was found hidden in a shipment of produce at the Montana-Canada border, authorities reported Thursday.

The American Trucking Associations and state trucking groups call on the Biden administration to reclassify vaccine status for truck drivers.

Truck broker Landstar System expects high demand and elevated truckload rates to carry through the first quarter of the year. However, the company’s CEO has a bit of a contrarian “pessimistic” view for the second half.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, we explore the relationship between TFI International and the unionized LTL carrier UPS Freight. Plus, earnings have started in earnest and so far, so good.

UPS lost its 16-year battle to succeed in LTL. Now it’s TFI’s turn.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said constraints on battery production limit the company’s ability to move forward on the long-delayed Tesla Semi.

Truck broker Landstar System set records in the fourth quarter. The company is expecting the high-demand environment and improved truckload pricing to carry through at least the first quarter.

The new owner of the ocean/air forwarding unit is far bigger in the field than Werner.

A trucking lobbyist sees the Biden administration taking up the detention time challenge.

Knight-Swift Transportation reports a big jump in results during the fourth quarter. However, while some may view this as a victory lap, investors appear to be calling the end to the TL trade.

Walmart is making an $800 million investment in Lancaster, Texas, building two e-commerce facilities totaling 1.9 million square feet aimed at growing its online shopping presence.

Uber Freight has rolled out a free rate-locking tool for small and midsize shippers.

Sen. Maria Cantwell seeks COVID-19 vaccine priority for the food transportation sector.

TFI International CEO Alain Bedard praised the partnership of UPS and the Teamsters and signaled his company’s willingness to work with unions ahead of the UPS Freight acquisition. But will it work?

The opinion letter sent last week dealt with issues of driver safety requirements and the relationship between drivers and 3PLs.

An Arkansas-based trucking company, RCX Solutions, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on Monday, nearly a year after it shuttered operations when it was unable to climb out of debt following a $23 million nuclear verdict.

Knight-Swift Transportation capitalizes on strong truckload fundamentals to post much higher year-over-year results. Fourth-quarter numbers came in slightly ahead of expectations and the company’s full-year 2021 guidance remains unchanged.

End-to-end ecosystem combines Navistar trucks, GM fuel cell systems and mobile hydrogen producer in test on dedicated J.B. Hunt Transport routes.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, an activist investor speaks about what changes Forward Air should make. Plus, FedEx Ground is losing a key executive and why UPS Freight was no longer a strategic fit for UPS.

As the trucking industry rebuilds toward meeting replacement demand, PACCAR expects new products will help it continue gaining market share.

UPS takes part in a business panel on why Congress should support last-mile delivery and electric vehicles.

Operating ratios for all its segments improved in the final three months of the year.

Net income rebounded 49.1% year-over-year from one of the 3PL’s worst quarters.

The success of California’s ambitious clean truck programs hinges on giving financial incentives to small trucking companies so they can afford to pay for the vehicles.

Prologis enters the new year with “optimism and confidence” as logistics real estate remains in high demand. Fourth-quarter financial results and 2021 guidance come in ahead of forecasts.

Wall Street reacts negatively to the latest earnings report, but Covenant suggests it’s playing a long game.

Maier is succeeded by FedEx Freight head John Smith; Lance Moll will replace Smith at the LTL unit.

Ryder offers a wide range of alternative fuel vehicles based on customer demands, total cost of ownership and sustainability goals. FreightWaves interviewed Richard Mohr, CTO at Ryder, to dive deeper.

The continuing impact from COVID impacts results but the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF parent company still turns in positive numbers.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, TFI International will acquire UPS Freight. Plus, the West Coast has supplanted Chicago as the king of the freight world, and outbound tender volumes keep falling.

Past Forward Air CFO Andy Clarke outlines his outlook for improving returns at his former company. He represents an activist investor group, which includes turnaround investment firm Ancora Advisors and Forward’s founder.

“Driver detention is a leading cause of lost earnings and driver dissatisfaction,” said Elkins.

A tractor-trailer hauling a load of honeybees overturned Sunday, releasing a swarm in downtown San Antonio.

Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks are making parts easier to find and order by integrating a truck’s vehicle ID with its fleet unit number.

TFI International has agreed to buy UPS Freight for about $800 million in its largest acquisition to date.

FreightWaves’ Sales & Marketing Summit will feature insights and in-depth knowledge from some of the leading sales and marketing professionals in freight today, including keynote addresses from Emerge’s Andrew Leto and leading marketing expert Joe Pulizzi.

Mexican authorities have seized seven tanker trucks and more than 178,400 gallons of stolen fuel since Jan. 1, 2021.

The Inland Empire continued a record streak of warehouse development, with over 50 million square feet of transactions in 2020.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Tecma acquires cross-border trucking firm; Mexican carrier achieves CTPAT certification; Boyd Corp. opens factory in Juárez, Mexico; and massive new industrial/logistics park set for Arizona.

Deliveright, a digital delivery network for heavy goods, announced the launch of a new app with e-commerce company Shopify.

A deal has been reached to end a strike by workers at the Hunts Point market in New York, with a vote by rank-and-file Teamsters to take place Saturday.

A Feb. 5 sentencing date has been set for a bookkeeper who pleaded guilty to devising an elaborate scheme to defraud a family-owned trucking company and farm in Missouri out […]

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, raising fuel taxes could be an option to pay for infrastructure, and a truck driver who faced a life-or-death decision on a bridge is rewarded for his choice.

Normal January seasonality may be upon us.

The Triumph acquisition of TFS has had plenty of problems since it was first announced.

A Shell and Deloitte joint study addresses economic, technical and regulatory factors related to decarbonizing road freight.

Although the defendant’s role in the staged accident scheme was relatively minor and he had cooperated with authorities, Mario Solomon still was sentenced to 21 months behind bars.

Revenue generated could help fund infrastructure investments, DOT Secretary nominee says in confirmation hearing.

FreightWaves Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter adding perspective, context and commentary to industry news and trends.

NACFE’s Mike Roeth talks about a year like no other

Retailers with physical footprints have been able to leverage new modes of fulfillment to pass increased costs associated with online delivery to consumers and their suppliers. But for digitally-native brands without access to physical stores, this could be painful should it become the new normal. If you ask FedEx, it already has.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, conditions remain favorable for LTLs and the overall freight environment. Plus, a new SPAC targets transportation companies in the heartland, and rising commodity prices could soon impact trucking.

There’s a steep learning curve for importers and exporters now that the U.K. is no longer part of the European Union. Botched customs forms are leading to freight backlogs.

Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce chief, Marc Lore, departs with the company well positioned, but with a mixed bag of results.