News

Is it trick or treat for supply chains; the vaccine mandate and drivers; this week in rates; inside the Tesla Semi in this week’s WTT newsletter

Biesterfeld expects the capacity-constrained environment to continue.

On this episode of Put That Coffee Down, Kevin Hill explores why the biggest successes come in the face of adversity.

The Jacksonville Port Authority handled more than 1.4 million TEUs in its 2021 fiscal year, an all-time annual record, and it says it’s ready to take on more for those wanting “congestion-free” service.

“How do we staff appropriately as we experience this hypergrowth? Detroit just made a ton of sense for that,” said BlueGrace’s vice president of logistics operations.

Media coverage increasingly links consumer price inflation to container shipping and supply chain chaos.

Load volumes are stable with volume growth inbound. Spot rates follow rejection rates on a downward slide.

To make room for more containers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, UP and BNSF are offering incentives to ocean carrier customers to move out the containers already there. UP is also temporarily pausing westbound marine container movement to its Long Beach facility.

FreightWavesTV and FreightWaves LIVE events debut a new platform tomorrow. Read the details here.

The Clure Public Marine Terminal now can handle “international shipping containers transported by vessel.”

Following UP’s recent actions, Norfolk Southern takes the unions to court over its ability to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine.

Among Tuesday’s notes: Headhaul Index up in Cincinnati, national rejections hit annual low and more.

An ATA survey reveals a driver vaccination rate of 50%, with more than half of the unvaccinated saying they will not get a shot under any circumstance.

Flock Freight’s fierce dedication to greening up the supply chain helps it stand out from its peers and attract a wealth of talent from several different backgrounds.

Uber is partnering with EV charging company Wallbox to offer discounted charging units for drivers in the San Francisco area under a pilot program.

The backyard drone delivery company just completed its third expansion in the state and is nearing airplane certification from the FAA.

Freight broker Echo Global Logistics reports better-than-expected third-quarter results in what is likely its last public quarterly report.

Paccar made up for the loss of 7,000 deliveries in Q3 through record parts profits and higher prices for used trucks.

Truckers face a risk of severe thunderstorms the next three days from the heartland to the Gulf and East coasts (video forecast included).

UPS boosts its 2021 operating margin guidance to 13%.

Saks will leverage GXO’s logistics expertise to fulfill e-commerce orders from a new Pennsylvania fulfillment center.

Transport Canada is investigating an ELD certification body after a vendor alleged that it approved a device that could allow drivers to falsify their logs.

The agency bans shipping of vaping products, joining FedEx, UPS and DHL. Regional delivery firm LSO plans to expand vape shipping in its territory.

Canadian trucking and logistics firm XTL Group expands into the U.S. with the acquisition of Georgia freight brokerage CBT.

The latest rise is the smallest of the past four weeks but still a hefty 4-plus cents per gallon.

Amtrak has petitioned the Surface Transportation Board to compel CSX and Norfolk Southern to allow access to their Gulf Coast networks as part of a broader plan to restore passenger service between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans.

News items detailing new facilities, new faces and an environmental nod.

A new initiative from Moves Financial is rewarding gig workers with stock in the very companies for which they work.

Project44’s Jett McCandless, K9 Heroes, NTG talks e-commerce, Zim Kingston fire, drayage and more on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?

In his speech, Chris Spear touted the ATA’s role in the infrastructure act now before Congress.

Many media outlets are reporting that a Long Beach city order will allow bigger container stacks at the port. Not true. It’s for container yards outside the harbor district.

Among Monday’s notes: Richmond outbound volumes, headhaul in Harrisburg, reefer rate projections and more.

Google Cloud steps up its DTC e-commerce presence with a new partnership that emphasizes data innovation for brands.

Upward of 2,000 empty containers are being sent to LA, potentially creating more burden on the congested port.

By placing all assets on the same platform, fleet managers no longer have to manually track asset location, driver hours of service status, or engine condition.

VNR Electric purchases are small but growing consistently as Volvo Trucks North America seeks zero tailpipe emissions by 2050.

Truckers face ongoing risk of flooding and road closures this week in the Northwest (video forecast included).

Descartes Systems Group’s MacroPoint Capacity network adding FreightWaves SONAR’s Lane Score data.

The end of the supply chain as we know it? Not even close, an economist believes.

The research group revealed its list at the annual meeting of the American Trucking Associations.

It’s no coincidence that spiking trans-Pacific trade coincides with more boxes overboard and more shipping accidents.

Railcar order backlogs can help the freight rail industry understand where the railcar market is in the supply-and-demand cycle, according to this AskWaves article.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Texas lawmakers criticize effort to restrict energy sales to Mexico; US blocks tomato imports from Mexican farm; Nuvocargo boosts team with hires from Uber, McKinsey; and Hutchison Port Holdings breaks container delivery record at Mexican port.

The home of the NFL’s Packers also serves as a place to learn about the industry, as well as a steppingstone to employment with local companies.

This week: A Kenworth truck is set to deliver the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree for the eighth time; a project44 partnership offers camper vans for employees to work from anywhere; and ATA’s road team delivers supplies to Afghan refugees in Wisconsin.

It costs roughly $7 million to charter a vessel, but avoiding congested ports may be worth it for some big companies.

Mike Baudendistel looks at sustainable growing practices using containers on this episode of The Stockout.

On this episode of Navigate B2B, Steve Ferreira gets a history lesson about container shipping from Professor Sal Mercagliano.

Tyler Cole looks at the puzzle of fitting renewable natural gas into future truck production on this episode of Net-Zero Carbon.

The suspension of money-back guarantees comes seven months after FedEx restored them on nine air services.

Freight volumes in the largest markets are starting to accelarting, signaling the start of the peak truckload season.

Specialized and flatbed carrier Daseke posted better-than-expected third-quarter results Friday. Management said the company is working on a couple of acquisitions.

Flexport shares insights from their visit to the Port of LA. Guests from Kingsgate Logistics and C.H. Robinson talk about the business of family, more

Cargo Force is the intermediary between the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx on Priority air shipments.

With supply chain delays hitting retailers hard, Modern Shipper spoke with Kwontified CEO Elaine Kwon to figure out what that means for consumers.

Triumph Bancorp CEO Graft revealed the numbers on the new factoring and brokerage companies that have signed up to the processing platform whose capabilities were bolstered earlier this year with the acquisition of HubTran.

Among Friday’s notes: Headhaul Index spikes in Toledo, maritime import shipments by port, carrier update and more

The huge C-suite move puts the supply chain heavyweight in the center of the parcel action right away.

A compilation of the past week in social media images includes a fiery two-truck crash, huge Australian hail, big Plains snowflakes and more.

Chinese investment scrutiny and SPAC renegotiation suggest going public may not happen for autonomous trucking software maker Plus.

The iconic MD-11 has ended its run with Lufthansa Cargo. The 23-year-old planes now head to a U.S. cargo carrier.

A former FedEx Ground senior manager was sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in a decadelong stolen-goods scheme.

Amazon is opening a robotics research and development and manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, bringing 200 jobs to the region.

The e-commerce fulfillment and SaaS provider is tapping into Florida’s retail supply chain.

Also on the podcast: checking on the numbers in the red-hot diesel market.

Union Pacific could’ve handled more intermodal volume in the third quarter were it not for longer chassis dwell times and a shortage of dray drivers, executives said during the company’s earnings call.

Anthony Smith and Zach Strickland have a way-too-early conversation about freight markets in the new year.

On this episode of Cyberly, Blythe Brumleve talks about taking a broader look at your content marketing strategy.

Truckers will hit periods of flooding and whiteout conditions in the Pacific Northwest for several days.

The number of idling vessels has roughly doubled in the past decade, in part due to port congestion, a recent study finds. Idling vessels are at higher risk of biofouling, especially in warm waters.

Ocean cargo shippers are paying more than they ever have before for the worst service they’ve ever experienced.

Sequentially, tractor growth is positive for the first time in more than a year, a sign the company cites as evidence the Variant initiative is succeeding.

Military truck drivers and $1,000-per-chassis tax credit incentives are part of a slate of recommendations for the commerce secretary to consider to help unclog U.S. ports.

Covenant Logistics Group’s managed freight segment revenue grew 89% year-over-year during the third quarter, to $90 million.

Reliance Partners’ Mark Barlar reacts to CVSA’s HM/DG Road Blitz and encourages the industry to clean up its act when hauling volatile materials.

Kyle Taylor and Luke Falasca look at crazy demand growth on this episode of #WithSONAR.

In nearly 20 years of operation, SmartWay has saved 336 million barrels of oil, $44.8 billion in fuel costs and 143 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

CSX has been aggressively pursuing new employees in order to meet network capacity needs, executives said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

We are excited to build out products that free documents and data from legacy workflows and manual processes.

Among Thursday’s notes: Atlanta market deteriorates, mid-haul freight opportunities and more.

Regional operator Mesa Air Group will begin testing last-mile drone delivery in a partnership with manufacturer Flirtey.

Wing, the drone delivery subsidiary of Alphabet, just announced a partnership with Walgreens to deliver in densely populated areas.

American Airlines is riding the cargo wave, like its competitors, but a challenging passenger environment is holding back its financial performance.

Landstar reports record third-quarter results and calls for a similar performance in the fourth and potentially beyond.

Slowdowns and stoppages likely to continue as supply chain disruptions plague heavy-duty truck production.

While dates for other CVSA inspection weeks are announced in advance, the precedent set by Canada was not to disclose the dates for what is known as HM/DG inspection week.

Truckers will hit periods of flooding and whiteout conditions in the Pacific Northwest for the next several days (video forecast included).

E-commerce fulfillment provider ShipMonk’s facility in Mexico will focus on companies that rely on goods manufactured internationally.

On this episode of FreightWaves Insiders, Dooner catches up with Uber Freight head of operations and co-founder Bill Driegert.

Zebra Technologies adds three autonomous robots and a fulfillment software package for operations that require order-picking accuracy.

“Unprecedented” summer rains, mudslides and interstate closures have Colorado carriers digging themselves out of a hole.

Azuga customer fleets of all sizes, from delivery companies to over-the-road trucking operations, can buy into a new carbon offset program to help them make their vehicles carbon-neutral.

Sought-after used trucks nearly double in year-over-year price, according to J.D. Power Valuation Services.

It’s an upside-down world when an airline makes more money flying less cargo than it did two years ago.

Chattanooga-based Covenant benefited from an exceptionally strong freight market resulting from growing economic activity, low inventories and supply chain disruptions.

Lawmakers hear testimony on how smaller shippers are disproportionately hurt by supply chain disruptions.

The railway is working with customers and steamship lines to find opportunities to divert traffic from Los Angeles and Long Beach, executives said during CP’s third-quarter 2021 earnings call.

The Port of Los Angeles had its busiest September ever, while Long Beach had its second busiest.

Two logistics companies at Chicago O’Hare airport are combining as congestion continues to slow freight deliveries.

California port congestion is as bad as ever. Some imports have been stranded offshore for over a month.