Trucking

Redwood Logistics’ #HeroChallenge and Women in Logistics webinar raised funds to celebrate GivingTuesday.

Retrofitting a passenger plane to operate as a heavy cargo plane is a big engineering job that requires many new parts and disposal of old ones. Logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel says it can reduce inventory and transportation costs to make conversions more economical.

U.S. Xpress brings on the team at MIT to study greater efficiency. A member of that team discusses the program’s activities in this podcast.

Despite record freight markets, number of jobs in government’s trucking category is less than where it was a year ago

Truck drivers were delayed more than 26 million hours on congested roads and wasted 44 million gallons of fuel in Texas during 2019.

Bill Freidel of AIT Worldwide Logistics expects 2021 to be another challenging year for freight as the COVID-19 vaccine is prepped for release. He encourages logistics companies to invest in cold-chain technologies and continue to meet customer expectations.

One perspective: Dwell is like “chunky peanut butter”

Warehousing jobs continue to soar

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Swift Transportation founder Jerry Moyes has taken over as CEO of less-than-truckload carrier Central Freight Lines. Plus, XPO has made the decision to split the company into separate businesses, and FreightWaves’ SpaceWaves event focuses on the logistics of space exploration.

TFI International carrier Transport America has been shifting its fleet to offer more dedicated services in the hopes of attracting and retaining truckers.

Former driver recruiter Michelle Serth-Stein is accused of embezzling nearly $121,000 from two Missouri trucking companies.

Volvo Trucks North America will begin building production versions of its 50-state regional haul VNR Electric truck in early 2021 that include remote battery monitoring.

How long will Brad Jacobs stay on after split and spinoff of logistics business?

Daseke receives a “positive” nod from ratings agency as its restructuring initiatives are being noticed.

newtrul, a freight aggregation platform, has announced an integration with McLeod Software’s PowerBroker platform.

FourKites said it has seen dramatic expansion of companies using its visibility products as shippers deal with uncertainty in the supply chain because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On its way to its debut as a public company, XL Fleet expands its electric drive-making business to include charging and energy storage infrastructure.

The public-private partnership distributing the COVID vaccines is in the starting blocks. Planning is almost done. Now it’s time to execute the race once the FDA says the drugs are safe for public use.

Preliminary Class 8 truck orders posted their third-highest number in history in November, continuing a stunning comeback from pandemic-depressed bookings earlier in the year.

Reliance Partners’ Brian Runnels says, “Communication between a driver and their fleet manager or safety department should be an open line for expressing what you want from them, but also what should they expect from you?”

The railway has started reaching out to First Nations groups and the broader public to share its plan.

Swift Transportation founder Jerry Moyes has been tapped to lead LTL carrier Central Freight Lines of Waco, Texas, which he owns.

PACCAR’s Columbus, MIssissippi engine plant’s proximity to nearby colleges and universities creates jobs at the $400 million facility where 250,000 engines have been manufactured in 10 years.

Asteroid mining holds promise of a $700 quintillion market for freight transportation.

Author Robert Jacobson describes how Main Street investors today can invest in the space-related logistics of tomorrow.

Old Dominion Freight Line reports further improvement in less-than-truckload trends since the positive August inflection. This is the second carrier in as many days to show that metrics have accelerated through the fourth quarter.

The pandemic is leaving its mark on the real Christmas tree market with an apparent uptick in sales, a compressed selling season and direct-to-consumer deliveries that are replacing some retail […]

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, YRC’s loan is facing scrutiny from Congress, plus LTL tonnage is on the rise and prosecutors ask for the reinstatement of the conviction of former Pilot CEO Mark Hazelwood and two others.

The COVID pandemic forced transportation to quickly adopt digital solutions, and Comdata was ready.

Domestic and international delivery rates rise 5.9%; the rate on returns shipments rises 4.9%.

Preliminary Class 8 truck orders in November were the third highest in history as fleets anticipating steady freight demand locked up build slots in 2021.

Cold storage warehouse operator RLS Logistics advances growth initiative with the announcement of plans for a new facility serving New England.

Firm to create two independent companies with each trading on the NYSE.

Companies with 1 or 2 workers got money from the program; TL payout per job was about $9,200

Expansion includes an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in North Las Vegas.

The EV Fleet Savings Calculator allows businesses with medium- to heavy-duty fleet vehicles to explore EV investment estimates based on fleet sizes, infrastructure, budget and other factors.

FedEx goes beyond partnerships to swallow e-commerce platform provider.

Walmart ends the minimum order requirement for shipping benefits on Friday.

A rail blockade in west-central Mexico has ended, freeing key rail lines connecting to the Mexican seaport of Lázaro Cárdenas on the Pacific coast.

Automation, optimization and location are all key in making warehouses function more sustainably.

Less-than-truckload carrier Saia is the first company to provide an update on shipment trends for the fourth quarter, leaving at least one analyst “encouraged.”

Transfix will integrate project44’s visibility platform into its shipment tracking technology as the first initiative under a multiyear strategic partnership.

Prosecutors are asking the 6th Circuit Court to reconsider its Pilot fraud case ruling that tossed out the convictions of Mark Hazelwood and two staffers.

A commission hearing regarding concerns over CARES Act loans made to businesses “critical to maintaining national security” will likely shed more light on the rationale behind the $700 million Treasury loan to YRC.

KeepTruckin has introduced Fleet View, a holistic approach to managing a fleet through a single platform that combines GPS, ELD compliance, driver safety management and asset visibility.

Penske Logistics plans to acquire Black Horse Carriers, a Chicago-based trucking company with more than 2,000 vehicles and 4,000 employees.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, lender BMO’s earnings shed light on the state of the trucking market. Plus, Flock Freight flies high and the top challenge for the next U.S. Department of Transportation leader.

Tens of thousands of data points on who got what are now available for perusing

Experts warn of parcel backlog at U.S. entry points should CBP refuse entry to shipments.

Emergency declaration extended through the end of February.

Cold storage heavyweight Lineage Logistics announces the acquisition of Poland’s largest temperature-controlled storage and logistics provider, Pago.

Most companies have women now, but a second rule would deal with diversity or sexuality.

An update to Jason’s Law highlights congestion issues at U.S. ports.

Lockup expiration sends Nikola shareholders heading for the exits for second consecutive day as stock loses about 40% of its value.

Triten Real Estate Partners announces its latest industrial real estate portfolio addition, picking up the headquarters of Polar Service Centers in a sale-leaseback agreement.

Daimler Trucks and Portland General Electric are creating an Electric Island for commercial vehicle charging, a novel approach to meet the growth in battery-powered freight movers.

The partnership will give shippers access to smaller trucking operators.

Double whammy for the dismissed driver: He owes the grocer more than $15,000 in addition to not getting his job back.

The Alphabet-backed startup is opening a R&D facility for trucking in Menlo Park, California

Partly blaming the COVID-19 pandemic, Best Buy Co. will close all remaining 41 stores in Mexico by Dec. 31.

A November supply chain survey shows the rates at which transportation capacity is shrinking and pricing is climbing are increasing.

Safety requirements established for potential shipping hazards.

FedEx and UPS are running into a van shortage amid a record surge in parcel volumes. As the number of packages increases during the holidays, carriers are finding themselves without vans to make final mile deliveries.

The company pools multiple less-than-truckload shipments onto one truck.

MoLo beta-tested MasterMind for a year.

All measures of bad loans are healthier in BMO’s report

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash Rand McNally’s ELD are finally back online, plus GM and Nikola alter their tentative agreement and J.B. Hunt acquires a final mile provider.

Temperature-controlled carrier KLLM Transport Services is rolling out “one of the largest” increases to driver pay in the company’s more than 55-year history.

Big-city Mayors Garcetti and Emanuel are receiving much of the speculation for DOT secretary.

Navistar makes connected vehicle solutions maintenance standard for five years on all International Trucks on-highway models beginning Dec. 15.

Highway safety trending in wrong direction, Spencer warns incoming administration.

Whatever hit the company also impacted its phone system

Nikola telegraphed that an equity deal with General Motors was iffy following a short seller’s fraud claims by the electric truck startup. On Monday, GM and Nikola said they may work together to integrate GM fuel cells in Nikola trucks, a small piece of the grander plan.

Request follows similar FMCSA waivers recently provided for truck dashcams.

The South Texas border crossings in Laredo and Pharr led the United States in imports of avocados and tomatoes from January through Wednesday.

Canadian electric truck and bus manufacturer The Lion Electric Company expects to list on NYSE and raise $500 million after combining with blank check company though a SPAC merger.

Samsara is adding three features to its AI dashcam product, including live streaming and mask detection, giving fleets more tools to monitor and improve driver safety in a socially distanced world.

J.B. Hunt adds to its final-mile network through acquisition for the fourth time since 2017. The company announces the acquisition of commercial fitness delivery and installation company Mass Movement.

E-log violations during roadside inspections and compliance reviews can add up to thousands of dollars in penalties for carriers. Knowing the most common violations is the first step to avoiding these penalties.

Shipment-specific insurance coverage is now available from UPS Capital directly through InMotion Global’s AscendTMS. InMotion Global has also partnered with Superior Trucking Payroll Services for payroll options.

Excerpt: Nikola and GM signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to use the automaker’s Hydrotec fuel cells in its heavy-duty trucks. But GM walks away from taking an equity stake and the Badger electric pickup is dropped.

Major carriers AT&T, Verizon and others are starting to transition their cellular networks to 4G. That means fleets running 3G devices could soon start seeing performance slip.

Tony Kirik owned both Dallas and Orange Transportation, which had a weak safety rating

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) needs your help to ensure needy families have a gift under the tree – launching its Operation Santa program nationwide in 2020.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Nikola founder Trevor Milton can start selling his shares on Monday. Plus, what roles PACs play for transportation stakeholders and how diesel supporters feel about a Joe Biden presidency.

Expect rebound next week.

Design as a profession is a relatively new animal for the freight industry, which has focused on assets and operations, less so on how a given TMS might look, function […]

American Tire Distributors will utilize on-demand delivery platform OneRail to manage its replacement tire delivery program

Reliance Partners’ Mark Barlar details the steps drivers should take to mitigate the risk of igniting a cargo tank disaster.

Truckers are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after Jamco Services LLC of Midland, Texas, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Wednesday.

EROAD has announced the Clarity Dashcam as part of its strategy to grow its North American market share.

A top general in the Canadian Armed Forces will oversee Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts as questions mount over timetable and logistics.

No longer content to be known only for aerodynamic advances, XStream Trucking becomes TruckLabs to broaden business beyond cab and trailer gap-closing technology.

PCS Software has acquired UltraShip TMS, a cloud-based supply chain transportation management system company.

Minnesota wants to combine the vehicle control skills and on-road driving parts of CDL test requirements.

Walmart’s Mexico unit is being investigated by Mexican authorities for possible monopolistic practices related to wholesale supply and distribution, and retail operations.

There is an ongoing race for EV domination as automakers across the globe push to be No. 1 in the EV market. Today’s focus? Tesla’s strategy to stay on top.

4D imaging radar will help the trucking industry deploy Level 4 autonomous vehicles and preserve the long-haul trucking industry as a major economic engine for the U.S.

Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton can sell his 92 million shares on Monday, creating a glut of stock that could drive the already volatile share price lower.

Transportation PACs offer a way for trade associations — and the smaller companies they represent — to have a political voice, proponents say.