News

A winter storm slammed the eastern U.S. over the holiday weekend (video forecast included).

Data indicates delivery companies may have been overstaffed for the peak shipping season, leading to fewer delays and a successful season.

The railroad wants stricter penalties for those caught stealing from trains.

Freightos is expanding its North American air cargo customer base with the acquisition of 7L Freight.

A confluence of critical events will determine if the company can deliver on its margin improvement pledge.

Warehouse robotics firm Exotec has raised $335 million in funding as it looks to deploy more of its solutions in fulfillment operations.

Clean up on Runway 2, please! We’ve got rubber deposits.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexican fishing vessels will be barred from US Gulf ports; Mexico drops to third place among U.S. trade partners; Canada joins Mexico in a USMCA automotive dispute; and FedEx will open a distribution center in central Texas.

Reefer demand remains strong heading into late January, breaking seasonal patterns that many have come to expect.

This week: the transportation industry supports Truckers Against Trafficking, J.B. Hunt drivers donate school supplies to their kids’ teachers and Mayor Pete gets a bobblehead.

As the vaccine mandates begin for truckers at the U.S.-Canada border, here are five burning questions about what’s required, how many drivers might leave and what the freight markets are telling us.

Time is running out for trucking companies to upgrade or replace third-generation mobile devices to 5G network services or face possible violations if logging devices can’t function properly.

Rates reach new highs as capacity was slow to return to the road following the holidays. Tender volumes are soaring as demand is unrelenting…

“Climate protection is an issue that impacts everyone. While we can work towards this goal internally, we also wanted to provide an opportunity to enroll our customers in our mission toward carbon neutrality,” said Mark McCullough, Gebrüder Weiss USA CEO.

“The global supply chain will be further strained because of these lockdowns in China and the result would be a further gap in global demand and supply,” says Container xChange CEO Johannes Schlingmeier.

Schneider National says it will shut down its Canada-based business, impacting 150 personnel including truck drivers, by the end of March.

Jackknifed trucks were a problem during the recent snowstorm that shut down I-95; a senator thinks he has a solution.

The Biden administration unveiled on Friday the state allocations for a historic $27 billion bridge replacement and construction program with California coming out on top.

Autonomous sidewalk delivery company Serve Robotics completed robot deliveries with zero human interaction — an industry first.

A compilation of the past week in social media images includes whiteout conditions, floods, icy roads and more.

Marketing and sustainability go hand in hand in the success of any organization, and the balance of the two in the media can widely affect the perception of the organization.

This week’s CPG news items reflect a continuation of recent food/beverage trends.  More crossover between soft drink and alcoholic drinks: Monster Beverage is the latest soft drink company to get […]

FedEx Logistics is the latest company to find an alternative to big-port congestion by taking freight business to the Port of Hueneme in California.

Among Friday’s notes: Intermodal spot rates declining from LA to Chicago, SLC rejection rates drop to 26%, and more.

BLET and SMART-TD say the attendance program is overly restrictive and repudiates numerous collective bargaining agreements in place.

Robotic Assistance Devices Mobile is looking to bring to market a 700-pound autonomous robot for logistics and last-mile delivery operations.

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

Also covered on the podcast is the spillover from the natural gas price surge.

The 10th circuit court of appeals ruled that Oklahoma’s blocked crossing mandate violates the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act, ending a court battle that lasted over two years.

Australian officials’ resolution of recent raven-on-drone attacks isn’t much to crow about.

Truckers could hit significant delays this weekend due to harsh winter weather in the Southeast and Northeast (video forecast included).

Sandeep Kar, Noregon’s new chief strategy officer, pinpoints the issues facing his industry and his priorities in his new role.

In this edition, Fontinalis partner Chris Stallman describes his life-long passion for finance and his favorite 2022 FreightTech themes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is ramping up studies analyzing truck driver pay and unpaid detention time.

Delta Air Lines is on the path to recovery from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, but omicron remains a hurdle.

Worker outages and parts shortages becoming status quo for beleaguered trailer manufacturers.

Canadian officials say rules for unvaccinated Canadian truckers at border are still coming into force after erroneous statements sow confusion.

The partnership between Trucker Path and Loadsmart aims to provide more freight hauling opportunities to small carriers and owner-operators.

There is no turning back on the transition from diesel to battery- electric trucks, especially with hefty incentives offsetting their higher upfront cost.

American Trucking Associations was one of the many plaintiffs in the lawsuit that challenged the OSHA rules on 100-plus worker companies.

CN is asking the Surface Transportation Board to require Canadian Pacific to divest KCS’ Springfield Line in Missouri and Illinois to help ensure competition.

United opposition from four major U.S. cargo airlines has made Saudia reconsider its request for an exemption to fly freighters outside the normal regime governing air services.

Among Thursday’s notes: Rejection rates decline from Atlanta to Dallas, spot rates drop from Charlotte to Jacksonville, and more.

JK Moving Services and Kido are two very different businesses, but both SMBs can teach other companies about how to weather a global crisis.

Amit Bose becomes the 15th head of the Federal Railroad Administration.

There had not been formal guidance on truck driver status since the secretary of labor said they would not fall under the rule.

Vantiq is joining forces with IBM, Infosys and others to create a low-code retail development platform designed to encourage innovation.

North American freight railroads can pursue sustainability that not only benefits customers but also the railroads’ bottom line, according to panelists at a Transportation Research Board session.

Truckers may not be able to run in several regions this weekend due to a potential strong winter storm (video forecast included).

Growth in air cargo volumes decelerated in the last two months of 2021. Blame it on too much demand stressing the freight system.

An IBM and NRF survey of consumers finds that hybrid shopping options are becoming the default preference for many.

At least one Canadian carrier is taking it on the chin when it comes to losses suffered after devastating floods.

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.