News

DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy and the Navy have been collaborating to construct and test what could be North America’s safest railcar — one that would carry nuclear fuel that had been used by power plants.

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.

Donation platform GoFundMe shut down the Freedom Convoy fundraiser after consulting with police and reports of violence

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.

With convenience and sustainability top of mind for consumers and retailers, Ohi is starting carbon-neutral deliveries in under two hours.

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.

Tender volumes continue to outperform year-ago levels. Rejection rates have declined throughout the past week as carriers return to major…

A compilation of the past week in social media images includes major winter storms from the Southwest to Northeast.

FedEx is facilitating exports from Europe and the U.K. to the U.S. with a new cargo service.

USA Truck beats fourth-quarter expectations and plans to grow revenue through expanding capacity east of Interstate 35 and doubling logistics business.

A new children’s book honoring the people who make freight happen; what to know about selling on Amazon; dray update

Axle Logistics has spent the last 10 years perfecting its services and expects, in its second decade, to become a billion dollar organization, which it is projected to reach by 2024.

Michigan State’s Miller says the figures are undercutting any argument that the transportation industry is having trouble attracting adequate workers.

From executive transitions at Union Pacific and Pacific West to January rail volumes to new offerings in the MoW lessor space, here are some news items rounding out the week.

Among Friday’s notes: Charlotte’s volatility is an opportunity for brokers, capacity likely to tighten in Denver, and more.

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter providing perspective and context on autonomy, electrification and other technologies impacting the fleet ecosystem.

While much of the focus in 2021 was on the supply chain, the toll it took on e-commerce sellers was dramatic.

Swissport, a company that gets your luggage on and off a plane for partner airlines, is fending off a ransomware attack.

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.

While the law guarantees the right of employees to strike, the law also places limitations and qualifications on the exercise of that right.

With just about everything in short supply, circular logistics lets companies keep their inventories stocked by sourcing from their own customers.

A winter storm will produce icy weather along Interstate 95 in the Northeast (video forecast included).

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate would give maritime regulators power to shift the carrier-shipper balance.

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.

In this exclusive interview with American Shipper, the port envoy to the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force discusses the state of the ports, the challengers at hand and the outlook for the future.

Accusations fly as shipping lines rake in billions, but the numbers imply more carrier competition, not less.

A winter storm is severely impacting express air and air cargo operations in the middle of the country, which could impact deliveries anywhere in the U.S.

Shares soar 18% in after-hours trading as investors hail fourth-quarter performance.

“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.

Congress, regulators and industry are trying to develop a long-term plan that would allow 5G cell towers to coexist with airport traffic.

Schneider provided a better-than-expected earnings outlook for 2022 on Thursday. The company also raised margin targets in two key segments.

Fatal traffic accidents in winter are most common in unexpected places, according to a recent study.

“Right now it seems like everyone is flying blind, then playing hot potato by giving it to the next party,” Kempisty said.

Supply chain challenges and higher material costs dented profits, but Cummins Inc. posted record revenues in 2021.

Sustainability leaders like Convoy are advocating for the freight industry to focus its attention on working to decrease carbon emissions and eliminate waste.

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.”

Among Thursday’s notes: Volatility on Atlanta-to-Laredo lane, Headhaul Index in Greenville up 19%, carrier and shipper updates, and more.

A new coalition, Justice for App Workers, is aiming to unionize about 100,000 ride-share and delivery drivers in New York City.

Lula has raised $5.5 million for its platform that connects convenience stores with last-mile delivery providers.

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.

Snow and ice have forced airport closures and flight cancellations from Texas to Pennsylvania (video forecast included).

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.

Two rail unions have sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Labor Secretary Martin Walsh criticizing the attendance policies of BNSF and other Class I railroads.

Trucking regulators have issued updated guidance that could help new drivers get on the road faster.

Capacity must expand by 15% just to keep up with normal inventory levels and build resilient operations, the company’s research arm says.

The air cargo market is very strong, but the latest January numbers are deceiving.

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.

Barring an economic downturn, U.S. demand could still be squeezing ports a year from now.

RLS Logistics builds out its national cold storage network with two acquisitions.

What are the plans for the next trucking convoy? Plus, FreightTech CEOs talk about building their tech and businesses

Top executives resigned at ELMS Inc. following a board probe into their discounted stock purchases before a SPAC merger.

Among Wednesday’s notes: Lunar New Year impact, tender rejections surging in Nashua, shipper and carrier updates, and more.

Despite the victory of saving Christmas, the congestion problems at the nation’s largest ports have not improved.

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.

Logistics provider GXO is now using 3D technology to automatically measure and size shipping boxes to the item being shipped.

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.

‘Safe co-pilot’ PlusDrive makes trucking safer, more fuel efficient and comfortable for drivers

“We’re not looking to replace trains. We’re looking to augment trains with a system that is trying to be competitive as an alternative to trucks,” said Matt Soule, co-founder and CEO at Parallel Systems.

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.

The governors of Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma declare states of emergency ahead of a major winter storm (video forecast included).

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.

Canadian trucker protest rolls into week 2, spot rates, restroom shortage, autonomous train cars and more

Paul Titterton will become president of GATX’s Rail North America division and Scott Pelkey has assumed the role of CFO of CSX.

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.

Railcar orders rose more than 50% in the fourth quarter, according to the Railway Supply Institute.

Extra safety precautions, for cargo and crew, are needed when vaccines need ultra-cold transport by air. The FAA wants to fine-tune its safety guidance.

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.

RenoRun, a last-mile delivery provider of building and construction materials, has raised $142 million in a series B round and announced its expansion to Washington, D.C.

Glencore is selling its metals warehousing business to Malaysia-based Infinity Logistics and Transport Ventures.

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.

ANA is moving lots of goods across the Pacific and throughout Asia with its cargo and passenger jets.

As competition for truck drivers heats up, fleets need to take steps to improve their recruiting, hiring and onboarding processes to find candidates and get them into trucks.

WorkHound’s “feedback loop” is an anonymous way for quick driver comments to get into the hands of trucking companies.