News

Boston port’s big gains; traffic woes; Amazon faces a new AB; truckers honk for kid; and more inside the newsletter

A White House plan to counter future pandemics includes billions of dollars for efforts to speed up production and distribution of new vaccines, diagnostic tests and PPE. The White House is also dedicating $3 billion to speed up production of COVID-19 vaccines.

Back at FreightWaves after a more than monthlong fight against COVID, I thank CEO Craig Fuller for moving the F3: Future of Freight Festival online.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has declared a Massachusetts man an imminent hazard after commercial vehicle inspectors claim he crashed his rig into a telephone pole and fled the scene.

“Its rapid customer adoption is clear, demonstrable feedback of the value that Fractory brings to manufacturing supply chains,” says investor.

Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion reported strong operating trends for the first two months of the third quarter. The carrier said it will continue to reinvest in its network to achieve further market share wins.

Hyperloop is a proposed high-speed ground transportation system for passengers and commercial cargo moving at speeds up to 745 mph and powered by emission-free renewable energy, according to Swisspod.

Automotive trade platform TRADE X has acquired vehicle export specialist Techlantic after raising $45 million over the summer.

The supply chain continues to be stretched as the peak shipping season bears down. Capacity declines further while rates soar, according to an August survey.

Oshkosh pushes productivity and efficiency benefits of new mail trucks ahead of whether they are battery powered.

The automaker is committing to hydrogen as its fuel of the future — and not just for its commercial vehicles.

The SmartWay Transportation Partnership, a collaboration between the transportation industry and environmental groups, is designed to track and reduce fuel emissions.

Spireon’s Managed Services provides one-on-one guidance with industry experts to optimize trailer utilization and maximize fleets’ return on investment.

Two ransomware gangs claim they attacked and stole data from freight factoring provider eCapital. But was the company actually hacked twice?

Instead of dimensional pricing, iShared’s shared truckload solution charges the shipper a simple per-pallet fee.

Hurricane Larry will keep Atlantic container ship captains on their toes this week as it heads toward Bermuda (forecast video included).

A group of former Knight-Swift logistics leaders is building something new in Arizona.

Truck driving in Hawaii might sound like paradise. Locals say they face a range of challenges unique to island living.

“The program offers technical and consultative resources that both shippers and carriers can use to reduce their carbon footprints, while improving the speed, resilience and efficiency of their supply chains,” said Bob Shellman, president and CEO at Odyssey Logistics.

One major concern for the opposition is a possible explosion of lawsuits under the state’s PAGA provision.

Plans for the Louisiana International Terminal call for a 350-acre container facility capable of handling 2 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually.

Supply chains work best when they have predictability. One of the biggest risks caused by climate change is how unpredictable everything becomes. Sourcing, infrastructure and transportation will all require more […]

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Texas Trucking Association appoints Ernesto Gaytán Jr. as chairman; Saddle Creek to open new distribution center in Texas; CFI reports four years of accident-free operations in Laredo; and 11 tractors destroyed by a fire at Texas plant.

These are five of the worst hurricanes since the 1930s that have struck on or around Labor Day, causing death and damage.

This week: Bendix employees build beds for local children, Women In Trucking pilot new mentorship program with LeadHER Alliance and C.H. Robinson employees kick off Robinson Cares campaign.

The past week in social media images features deadly Northeast flooding, a 75-ton piece of industrial boiler on a flatbed and more.

How Ida and the shipping crisis are impacting weather data, retail pop-ups, heavy haul, drayage and charters.

Orders of new Class 8 trucks rose to a five-month high in August as manufacturers opened their order books for 2022 just a little.

Most often, hesitation surrounding autonomous vehicles centers on cost and safety concerns. Locomation set out to address these pain points with a phased approach.

Kansas City Southern shareholders pushed back a vote on whether to approve CN’s merger agreement to Sept. 24.

The clock is ticking for all 34 trucking companies that participated in K-Ratio X’s now-defunct fuel hedging program to sign a universal settlement agreement.

Port officials are still assessing Hurricane Ida’s impact, but initial reports indicate no major damage to the facilities.

Truck Talk is a newsletter that applies perspective and context to electrification, autonomy and the future of freight transportation.

The tech-focused online seller is bringing same-day services across Southern California, reaching the state’s five largest counties.

“To satisfy the hiring needs of the companies currently on the platform, we need to find over 220,000 drivers every year for them. That’s not a small number,” says the CEO of YouCruit.

It’s times like these that it’s more fun to write about transportation issues than to actually have to move freight (not that I’ve ever actually moved freight). On Wednesday, topics […]

FreightWaves SONAR data platform adds GLEC compliance to its carbon calculations.

Less-than-truckload carrier Saia sees tonnage gains carry into the third quarter.

The agency is seeking comments from freight railroads on whether it should collect data pertaining to first- and last-mile movements.

Growth in couriers and warehouses took an outsize percentage of the total net growth in jobs last month.

“I have no words,” said a New York City resident about the deadly flooding from what was once Hurricane Ida (forecast video included).

Both candidates said that organizing Amazon is a top priority, noting that Amazon and UPS workers’ futures are at stake.

Most all-cargo carriers that buy used passenger planes rebuild them for heavy cargo. Easter Airlines has a quicker, cheaper idea.

Port X Logistics founder Brian Kempisty joins the show to discuss building his company, inspiring his staff, and issues in drayage.

President Chad Eichelberger details Reliance Partners’ appearance yet again on the list and why 2021 was a major year for the company.

The port and the Texas General Land Office announced an agreement to develop infrastructure to capture carbon dioxide produced during oil and natural gas development.

Supply chain backups and pandemic-weary consumers mean that gifts are in short supply and high demand.

Nikola is licensing Bosch fuel cell technology to use in its Arizona plant, casting doubt on whether it would eventually use General Motors’ fuel cells.

Stakeholders and observers such as Amtrak, Canadian Pacific and the Vermont Department of Transportation want the Surface Transportation Board to consider placing conditions that would bolster both competitive access and passenger rail service.

New details on record 2019 cocaine haul aboard MSC Gayane — which may not have been the first run — as U.S. wraps up convictions.

Truck parking reservation platform TruckPark is making its services available through Roady’s Truck Stops.

For many years, traditional software providers denied their users access to web-based applications, by limiting their ability to exchange data with them.

Short seller Fuzzy Panda dumps dirt on Workhorse, including confirming an SEC probe of the troubled electric delivery van maker.

Halloween is among the most popular holidays in America, so the horrific congestion this year is no treat for the nation’s supply chain.

“Stay off the subways. Stay off the roads,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told the people of New York City Wednesday as Ida’s remnants caused major flooding (forecast video included).

Convoy surveyed nearly 600 U.S. trucking companies and found that more recently founded carriers and younger demographics were more likely to feel pressure to reduce emissions.

Last-mile delivery firm AxleHire has tapped URB-E and Tortoise for nationwide pilots of zero-emission delivery programs.

Target has acquired tech companies and delivery providers, all in a quest to better manage its e-commerce logistics networks.

Shell chose the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo to talk up diesel-powered freight efficiency. An odd choice of venue — or was it?

Supply chain disruptions and the growth of e-commerce have forced Seko Logistics to think differently about its logistics network.

Bed Bath & Beyond knew its supply chain was outdated for an e-commerce world, but a transformation required more than just logistics investments.

ShipMatrix’s forecast projects less of an imbalance than the 2020 peak.

Train engineer Matt Parker of the BLET discusses why precision scheduled railroading isn’t about precision, but about profits.

Live from FreightWaves Intermodal summit Dooner and The Dude are talking safety, infrastructure bill and more

The CEO of BookYourCargo explains how reform could help improve demurrage and detention chargebacks.

Dale Young of World Distribution Services talks to FreightWaves’ Andrew Cox about how the company is responding to meet the warehousing demands of shippers as they contend with unprecedented demand alongside disruptions and congestion in the supply chain.

A family-owned dry and liquid bulk trucking company ceased operations as of midnight Tuesday, leaving 342 drivers without jobs, sources say.

Kansas City Southern shareholders must decide whether to continue to pursue merger plans with CN or go with Canadian Pacific.

“From a price perspective, from a capacity perspective, going into Q2, 2022 is before I’m going to see anything really letting up,” said Sherman Barnes, SVP of sales and marketing at Trio Trucking.

Expedited-delivery surcharge to be imposed on top of basic delivery fee.

Significant investments in technology and equipment are required to optimize rail networks across the United States, according to Wabtec’s Nalin Jain.

“[Logistics] service providers need to embrace, and philosophically be open to, sharing their data,” says the CEO of Terminal49.

These are the states where truckers can face the heftiest fines for not chaining up, and where chain laws last the longest each year.

Walmart is filling positions across more than 250 transportation offices and distribution and fulfillment centers, at an average wage of $20.37 per hour.

After careful consideration and input from numerous sources, we can’t in good faith host the in-person event knowing the risk this virus poses.

AxleHire is adding two new facilities in Newark and Philadelphia to bolster its East Coast presence.

Mike O’Malley, SVP, government and public relations at DCLI, chats about the market for chassis as well as potential regulatory changes with FreightWaves’ Kevin Hill at the Intermodal Summit.

The IPO is expected to take place after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission completes its review.

FreightWaves market expert Mike Baudendistel chats with Norfolk Southern’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Alan Shaw about intermodal challenges and opportunities confronting NS and other Class I railroads.

If a provider of capacity isn’t already preapproved for Hurricane Ida relief, there will be another chance in November to get into the program for future needs.

FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse has several reporting requirements for carriers, but those without proper protocols in place could be reporting violations they shouldn’t, and that is harming drivers.

Amazon Air’s rate of growth is amazing. It will soon have 80 aircraft moving e-commerce shipments for business and residential customers.

The FMCSA continues to prioritize COVID relief, extending hours-of-service Emergency Declarations once again.

This fireside chat recap is a from FreightWaves’ Intermodal Summit. FIRESIDE CHAT DETAILS: A group of U.S. manufacturers that manufacture intermodal container chassis found themselves losing huge market share to […]

Elise Gosch, assistant VP of intermodal sales at Union Pacific, shares strategies the company has implemented throughout the pandemic to address shifting customer needs.

Virginia’s competitive advantages: a naturally deep harbor, semi-automated terminals and its own, newer chassis pool.

Join Steve Ferreira for a look into the world of maritime equities on this episode of Navigate B2B.

Peterbilt takes the convention audience to school on electric truck math while Volvo puts ist VNR Electric to work on its own plant deliveries.

Kiwibot is rolling out delivery robots in four new locations as it continues to expand its service area.

Road closures and evacuations continue as the Caldor fire spreads toward the Lake Tahoe resort area.

Digitization can alleviate supply chain glitches, but it depends on systems that talk the same language.

Grace Sharkey and Sebastian Blanco talk about continued shortages hitting the auto industry on this episode of Transmission.

Kaylee Nix looks at how influencers drive e-commerce trends using social media.

Andrew Cox and Anthony Smith talk about the alternatives to Amazon on this episode of Great Quarter, Guys.

On this episode of Put That Coffee Down, Kevin Hill and Richie Daigle discuss what you should and shouldn’t say to keep communication professional.

Logistics operator NFI Industries will install 34 direct-current fast chargers and convert its Southern California drayage fleet to battery-electric trucks.

Trucking and logistics firms are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after a Nevada-based bottled water company — linked to a hepatitis outbreak — filed Chapter 7.

Cosco and MSC fight back against accusations that they inflated rates, violated contracts and broke U.S. law.

Alliance Ground International found new digs outside Newark airport after officials gave the warehouse lease to Amazon.

About 180 truck drivers being laid off in Texas, New York and California.