News

Canada has scrapped plans to subject unvaccinated Canadian truckers to testing and quarantines after returning from the United States.

No letup yet: It’s taking even longer for Asian exports to get across Pacific to American buyers.

Federal watchdogs tell the Biden administration that more research is needed to ramp up a national user fee system to eventually replace the gas tax as the main way to fund highway construction.

Ascend is a new dry van regional middle-mile carrier offering driver pay in the $71,000 to $82,000 range annually.

With dry van rates hitting all-time highs and a record number of ships off of SoCal will ’22 be more of the same. We have predictions.

December data from Cass Information Systems shows freight shipments and expenditures continued a surge to close 2021.

Sales focus on Asia by spin-off of Horizon Fuel Cell Technology brought weak prices despite surpassing delivery projections.

Private money can add parking better than public money because there is only so much that can be done with public spending on interstate rest areas.

Among Wednesday’s notes: Intermodal issues for spot shippers, lanes to watch, shipper update, and more.

The finger-pointing of blame and the political promises and suggestions are not improving the flow of trade.

“This year will be the year for Maersk to ensure green solutions are developed end to end,” said Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of fleet and strategic brands at Maersk.

Transport refrigeration company Thermo King’s R452A refrigerant will reportedly reduce carbon emissions by 50%.

Google-backed Nuro has released its third-generation delivery vehicle, simply called Nuro, and will partner with Kroger to roll it out in Houston.

Because it costs more money than it’s worth to return the item to its vendor for reuse, returns often end up in landfills.

Rio Tinto is the second Australian mining company that will use Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive in mining operations.

Ricoh USA will provide technical and customer support for warehouse fulfillment robotics made by 6 River Systems.

The latest state of fulfillment report from Bringg finds retailers adapting to faster delivery and fulfillment demands, but many challenges continue to hamper efforts at meeting consumer demands.

Truckers will hit heavy snow Friday across the Midwest, then possibly in the Southeast this weekend (video forecast included).

Following numerous transportation and logistics deals in 2021, industry insiders discuss lofty expectations for 2022.

Berkshire Grey has introduced software that allows two of its popular sorting and picking products to efficiently switch to reverse logistics operations when needed.

Walmart InHome customers in Florida will get first access to HomeValet’s Smart Box, a lockable, temperature-controlled porch box.

DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg touted holiday season wins at the ports of LA and Long Beach while addressing shipping-sector prices.

The Project Evolve initiative may take UPS’ visibility tools further than they’ve ever gone before.

Kevin Hill and Richie Daigle discuss the use of non-competes in freight with Omar Singh, the founder and president of Surge Transportation.

Port X Logistics adds warehousing and transportation provider Denver Express to its portfolio.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants the Biden administration to spend less time correcting economic problems the chamber feels don’t exist, and more on trade.

A truckload carrier-backed study finds cocaine and opioid abuse by truckers are underreported at FMCSA.

With a growing stack of letters of intent, Nikola approaches player status in electric trucks if its demonstration units meet performance requirements.

A bill in the state of New York proposes environmental and social disclosure requirements for fashion companies.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) predicts the industry will be a record 80,000 drivers short in the next year.

Cart.com, an end-to-end e-commerce platform, has completed the purchase of Dallas-based fulfillment and logistics company FB Flurry.

Premium experiences, mobile access and fast delivery are among the keys to driving e-commerce sales, two new surveys find.

Among Tuesday’s notes: Tight market in Omaha, Atlanta favorable for carriers, and more.

Estonia-based Bolt offers a platform similar to Uber’s, with a ride-hailing business and food and grocery delivery services.

2021 was a banner year for The Port of Virginia, SC Ports and Alabama Port Authority.

While Amazon is the 800-pound retail gorilla, most retailers are focused on more immediate concerns, such as meeting fulfillment and delivery demands.

Fuel savings realized from the SuperTruck II program could translate to less battery mass and greater driving range for electric trucks.

Canada Cartage makes its fifth acquisition in the past year as it buys Quebec-based dedicated contract carrier Laurentien Transportation.

TPG, Thoma Bravo and Goldman Sachs led a $240 million investment round for the Chicago-based real-time visibility provider.

Intermodal trucking company RoadOne adds dedicated carrier EHS Trucking to its network. The deal marks its ninth acquisition in the last five years.

Truckers will hit snow, sleet and freezing rain Tuesday from central Washington to western Montana (video forecast included).

FreightWaves chatted with former STB Chairman Dan Elliott on the history of the board’s relationship with reciprocal switching and why the board should still review it today.

DOT wants to prepare for increased scrutiny as it gets ready to distribute half a trillion dollars in new infrastructure funds.

More COVID control measures in China are impacting international goods movement.

Shares of Zim are flirting with a new peak while shares of ship-leasing, dry bulk and tanker companies lose ground.

A U.S. trade agency said lower cucumber and squash import volumes would have led to higher import prices and a shift toward consumption of domestic varieties.

The gain is 4.4 cents a gallon, while the price on the key commodity exchange is even higher.

The panel on rail consolidations also addressed different approaches to creating competition on monopoly networks.

A perplexing power distribution module causing lighting failures on Freightliner Custom Chassis has led to a third recall for the problem.

A look at the driver experience at Port of New York/New Jersey from a trucker’s perspective; abandoned truck recovery; mental health and more.

A federal district court has ruled that two rail unions must work with Chicago commuter rail Metra as it pursues a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The omicron variant is depleting aircrews at FedEx just as it has among passenger airlines, resulting in customer delays for both industries.

The terminal in Orange, Texas, serves a diverse range of customers and is located between Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Miami-based Elion is adding 10 last-mile logistics assets in a $245 million deal.

Among Monday’s notes: Reefer capacity is a volatile mess, carriers seeing a mixed bag to Elizabeth, and more.

The Top 500 list of the largest U.S.-based for-hire trucking fleets is ranked on the basis of tractor count.

Christenson Transportation announced Monday that it is expanding its freight network with the recent acquisition of Sharp Transport Inc.

“The first thing to do is to have an understanding of what type of offset it is that you’re looking for because there’s quite a range of pricing,” said Andrew Hall, director of sustainable finance at Trayport.

Truckers will hit heavy snow and high winds early this week from Michigan to New York (video forecast included).

The Biden administration wants consumer protection regulators to examine whether giant retailers are creating supply chain distortions for smaller businesses.

The year 2023 and beyond could boost railcar production volumes for Greenbrier as global low-carbon mandates drive freight to rail, say Greenbrier executives.

An NLRB judge appears mostly critical of the trucking company’s behavior but ruled in its favor on the key legal question.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Asian firm to build $43M EV motor core factory in Mexico; Mexico requests USMCA resolution panel to settle dispute; East West manufacturing expands into Texas and Mexico; and CBP seizes fake AirPods, Nintendo consoles in Houston.

Prices have increased 17% but carrier compliance shows only marginal improvement

This week: Operation Lifesaver celebrates 50 years of rail safety education, PCG donates 20,000 boxes to service organizations and Gopuff begins delivering COVID-19 tests in 20 mins.

A collaborative effort kept the delivery Grinch at bay this peak season.

Minnesota trucking company Bay & Bay Transportation says it was recently targeted in a ransomware attack for the second time since 2018.

Truckload volumes are beginning to erase holiday noise associated with Christmas and New Year’s. Rejection rates are staying elevated…

Popular interest in the supply chain may have faded, but the pileup of ships waiting offshore keeps growing.

UPS matched last year’s performance, while the Postal Service improved considerably, ShipMatrix says.

A compilation of the past week in social media images includes blizzards out West, Southern tornadoes and snow, as well as Northwest floods.

A small COVID outbreak is curtailing industrial operations in the Chinese city of Ningbo and the port could soon feel the ripple effects.

Despite being stymied by labor shortages and lack of equipment such as chassis in the second half of 2021, U.S. intermodal volumes were actually pretty high considering the yearly total.

On the show we hear from a trucker turned Ironman. Plus how St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund is putting drivers on a highway to health.

Warehouse executives see great potential with AI, but most feel it is being underutilized due to a lack of understanding.

Brad Mackler, most recently with Convoy, has purchased executive recruiting firm Milestone Partners from founder Sam Herman.

The latest partial closure of the Port of Ningbo has forwarders shifting strategies to keep the flow of trade moving.

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter focusing on autonomous, connected and electric innovations in the trucking ecosystem for fleets.

Canadian Pacific and CSX want to show federal regulators and the broader public that they have widespread support for their proposed acquisitions.

A new report predicts that the adoption of drones and self-driving delivery vehicles will accelerate in the years ahead, creating a $4.9 billion market by 2030.

Host John Kingston dives into the surging price of oil and diesel.

The December report closes out a year with a gain of more than 44,000 jobs in truck transportation.

Plow crews can’t keep up with the snowstorms slamming western Washington.

Supply chain visibility provider project44 sees record top-line growth during the fourth quarter, with bookings, account wins and retention coming in better than expected.

The leading spokesman in Washington for the world’s container trades offers his take on the implications of potential regulatory changes in 2022.

Like the doorman at a posh nightclub who decides who gets in, truck manufacturers are choosy about what Class 8 orders they’ll accept.

Taking a minute to remember there is a human with his or her own needs and desires behind that big rig wheel; freelancers are great if you have a task you hate doing; and bringing back what we outsourced is the new hotness.

Atlas Air is one of the biggest cargo airlines in the U.S. Four big jets will join the fleet in the next two years.

The driver of a flatbed truck died Tuesday when the load he was hauling smashed through his cab and killed him.

Uber has announced it will no longer deliver from restaurants in Brazil through its Eats platform, focusing instead on growing its grocery and retail delivery businesses.

The Biden administration is attempting to bolster the truck driver workforce by allowing younger drivers into the ranks.

Infrastructure and capacity expansion projects, regulatory uncertainties and progress toward supply chain visibility and sustainability are the themes that rail and intermodal stakeholders have set their sights on in 2022.

Among Thursday’s notes: TRAC rates from Detroit to Atlanta level out, intermodal spot rates from LA to Chicago decline 27.4%, and more.

After Amazon announced it would become the first customer for Stellantis’ ProMaster electric van, Rivian stock tumbled, dropping more than 20% at one point.

18 truckload carriers have been honored in the 46th Annual TCA Fleet Safety Awards competition and will now vie for two grand prizes.

While diversity programs can and should be a positive vehicle for promoting diversity in the workplace, employers should take time to review diversity programs and initiatives to ensure the clear communication and implementation of their programs.

Consumers of diesel saw their prices rise by about 17% in 2021.

Heavy rain and potential flooding could delay truckers in the Northwest the next few days (video forecast included).

Companies are rethinking their supply chains by nearshoring or reshoring operations to North America to reduce risk caused by the pandemic and political uncertainty.

Cathay Pacific Cargo is limping back to service after shutting down most flights for a week to adjust its schedule to lower pilot availability.