News

Ocean carriers adjust to the partial port closing in Ningbo, China, with minimal disruption so far. Operations could soon return to full speed if COVID remains at bay.

Truck broker Landstar System points to better-than-expected truck volumes and yield trends in the third quarter as reasons to raise its outlook.

In the newsletter supply chain worker stress, what the iPhone 13 supply chain is saying, and Canadian Tires port purchase, Amazon seller woes and more

E-commerce tools have made retail shopping extremely convenient. Now, companies want to bring that convenience to the health care supply chain. Health care’s complex and highly regulated environment may make that difficult.

“The list of integrations demonstrates a pivot in our strategic goals as a company to work more broadly in our customers’ favor. We can now partner with best in class solutions in various product categories in order to build out more customer value.”

14% more transport and logistics companies make the 2021 Inc. 5000 list, which features the fastest-growing privately held firms in the U.S.

July’s volumes are a monthly record and the second highest for 2021.

Romeo Power locks in cell supply for its commercial batteries, paying a big price to assure it can answer demand from truck manufacturers.

Container volumes rose 25% at the Port of Savannah, while auto and machinery units grew 39% at Brunswick.

The rise in volumes continues to outpace the rise in rejection rates, and spot rates keep climbing.

Nuvemshop has raised $500 million to surpass $3 billion in valuation as it seeks to capture more e-commerce platform market share in Latin America.

The numbers coming in for 12 months after the pandemic’s darkest days suggest COVID kept some drivers from switching jobs.

“Traditionally, the private fleets have been very separate from the for-hire or public fleets. … With technology and innovations like this, we can help these small fleets go after the other half of the market.”

Keeping a handle on the driver experience is a priority at TreeHouse Foods.

Three simultaneous tropical systems could temporarily delay freight flows in parts of North America over the next few days (forecast video included).

Double-digit surcharge hikes might be minimized or avoided if customers can adjust their shipping timetables.

FreightWaves selected for Inc. 5000!

Higher prices for used trucks are expected to last into 2022 and when they fall, it will be from a lofty place.

The port ultimately hopes to scale hydrogen production for exports to international markets.

Commodity and wholesale prices are falling sharply, but retail numbers are not falling as fast.

Queue of container ships off U.S. ports keeps building, with months’ worth of peak-season cargo still to unload.

Aircraft leasing and management firm BBAM showed its confidence in the new Airbus A321 freighter design by placing a large order with an aftermarket shop to overhaul passenger planes to carry cargo.

Although Canadian grain shippers anticipate lower grain harvest volumes for the 2021-2022 crop year, adequate rail service remains a chief concern.

Mike Baudendistel looks at the tough role for shippers in the current market on this episode of The Stockout.

Danny Gomez and Tyler Cole look at one dataset showing the latest trends in sustainability.

Shutdowns in Ningbo, semiconductor shortages hit Mexico, thief slams into semitruck and more

The food and drug retailer is taking a page from Amazon’s playbook.

Rising container rates and the semiconductor shortage could hurt electric vehicle startups Arrival and ELMS, but not enough to dampen the outlook, according to the analysts at Cowen.

“There was a lot of flexibility in their API that allowed us to do what we wanted to do with it, compared to others that had a lot of pre-built tools.”

Cervus Equipment is set to be acquired by Brandt Tractor in a $240 million deal that will take the Canadian Peterbilt dealer private.

The Association of American Railroads responds to regulator’s inquiry about supply chain congestion, while GoRail advocates for regulation supporting freight rail industry growth.

“I am not kidding: Scaling this is the hardest thing I have ever done in my career.”

AskWaves looks at the regulatory might of this small, independent federal agency.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Chip shortage sinks Mexican auto exports in July; Bennett Motors acquires American Eagle Logistics; Yokohama opens new distribution center near Dallas; and meth, fentanyl worth $13M seized at Otay Mesa port of entry.

A Michigan truck driver was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday for his role in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 64 that killed one man and injured another driver in Franklin County, Kentucky, in September 2019.

Just as his former company distances itself from him, indicted Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton continues to reduce his stake.

This week: Johnelle Hunt joins in celebration of J.B. Hunt’s 60th anniversary, XPO celebrates graduates of its online university’s LTL leadership class and the ATA prepares for its virtual championship this Saturday.

AskWaves takes a look at gains on the sale of revenue equipment and how they play into the financial results of truckload carriers.

NS plans to reopen a Pennsylvania intermodal facility in response to e-commerce rise, market demand and supply chain congestion.

The Port of Ningbo is in a partial lockdown, putting immense pressure on an ocean transportation system squeezed to the maximum. It’s a replay of the Yantian port slowdown earlier this summer.

The past week in social media images features a fire whirl in Northern California, train derailments in the Plains, humongous hail and more.

The company also imposes sweeping levies on former postal business that’s been brought in-house; a separate 60-cents-per-package residential fee kicks in Jan. 17 with no end date.

URB-E and PenguinPickUp are partnering on a pilot project to conduct deliveries with electric bikes and compact containers.

DRIVE automatically spots areas for improvement so drivers can request coaching to boost their safe driving miles.

Kansas City Southern declined Canadian Pacific’s revised bid, opting to stick with CN. But a shareholder vote to approve the CN-KCS merger agreement could be held off if the Surface Transportation Board doesn’t issue its decision on CN’s voting trust by Tuesday.

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter adding perspective and context to trucking industry news.

The e-commerce-as-a-service provider gets a raise, led by Oak HC/FT.

There is a true broker-to-carrier contract rate that reflects the model of our industry. That rate distorts the true spot rate and should account for maybe two-thirds of the rates brokers provide to benchmarking tools.

The latest IEA report shows an oil supply/demand imbalance may be on its way to easing.

“Industry veterans are even surprised by what’s going on right now,” said Moore.

As wireless providers switch off 3G networks in favor of 5G, some ELDs may no longer work.

The hunger crisis in America has not disappeared, and Move for Hunger, a nonprofit that connects trucking capacity to groups with food to donate, is on the hunt for more partners to assist, including refrigerated fleets willing to help.

Truckers have to beat more heat and humidity this weekend in the Northwest and Northeast.

Labor shortages at Chinese airports and pilot quarantine rules related to COVID are forcing airlines to scuttle many cargo flights to keep operations going and pilots from being put in isolation.

The similarities of solving fleet challenges helped Rich Mohr decide to leave Ryder System after 25 years to join ChargePoint.

Volvo’s first Class 8 VNR Electric truck on the East Coast goes to a beer distributor dedicated to cleaning air in New York City’s South Bronx.

A Texas household goods trucking company with military contracts ceased operations and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Tuesday.

Canadian Tire is acquiring a 25% stake in Ashcroft Terminal in a deal that will allow the retailer to move containers from the Port of Vancouver more efficiently, while securing rail capacity.

According to a Newmark Group study of high unemployment levels among warehouse labor, many workers left the industry and have stayed gone.

The automaker is eyeing locations in Texas and Arizona as possible sites for its second electric vehicle factory.

As high prices continue for freight and raw materials, companies in the health care supply chain are coming up with strategies to weather those costs. Customers may ultimately foot the bill.

On this episode of Medically Necessary, Matt Blois looks at how tech can be used for PPE production.

How do we overcome the driver shortage? And can it be done just by being cool? Blythe Brumleve debates on this episode of Cyberly.

On this episode of Freightonomics, Zach Strickland and Anthony Smith talk about the need to cram for warehouse space with Zac Rogers from Colorado State University.

A return to typical consumer spending drives conventional freight market conditions but the process of returning to normal has been anything but conventional.

Positive feedback from mechanics, dispatchers and management helped Day & Ross choose PowerFleet for its U.S. fleet.

Whether it is difficulty restocking gasoline stations or the need to move agricultural products around due to drought, the waivers seek to boost trucking capacity.

“The FDC is also very focused on equity and inclusion. We are extremely proud that 54% of our network is woman-, minority-, and veteran-owned.”

If DoorDash acquired Instacart, it would create a formidable company, says one analyst.

As businesses struggle to keep up with consumers’ growing demand for sustainability, 81% of respondents in a recent survey said companies use excessive packaging when shipping products.

July data from Cass showed freight shipments remained elevated but labor and equipment shortages constrained growth. Expenditures held near all-time records.

FedEx Ground has begun using robotics from Berkshire Grey in its Queens facility, with plans to add them to more facilities in the coming months.

A Commerce Department advisory group recommends that the department coordinate an interagency approach to addressing the driver shortage.

Gopuff has made its second European acquisition, agreeing to buy U.K.-based Dija and its nearly 40 microfulfillment centers in major European cities.

Several customers have gone live with BravoTran’s technology, including Yusen Logistics and Mitsubishi Logistics of America.

South Carolina ports started the fiscal year off with a bang, moving a record volume of containers in July.

The health services provider launched two new platforms to bolster its DTC offerings.

Brake Safety Week is set for Aug. 22-28, meaning drivers and carriers have only a few more days to tighten up on brake safety.

Fred has lost some steam but will likely strengthen back to a tropical storm prior to South Florida landfall this weekend (forecast video included).

Live from FreightWaves Cold Chain summit

Legislation aimed at aerodynamic retrofits is expected to be introduced this week.

The company will build a limited number of trucks in the fourth quarter for validation and regulatory clearance.

Yantian redux. Shipping activity slowed to a crawl at the Port of Yantian in China earlier this summer after an outbreak of COVID infections, and the same could happen in Ningbo if more cases are discovered.

The levies to hit hardest on heavier parcels going longer distances.

Titanium Transportation Group plans to add two more U.S. freight brokerage offices this year after the Canadian firm reported record second-quarter revenue.

Tridonex factory agrees to pay more than $600,000 in back wages to laid-off workers.

Plaquemines Port announced it has found the site for its state-of-the-art container terminal that will be able to handle vessels carrying up to 22,000 TEUs.

Amazon’s new U.S. air hub is up and running in the Ohio Valley, making it easier to quickly fulfill online orders.

A trucking company CEO describes how carriers stay agile to meet customer demand in the pandemic era.

Learn a bit about the evolution of temperature-controlled containers in the air cargo environment and how Envirotainer has added new technology features to its refrigerated units.

The chain that brings us Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. faced several challenges

abash National is expanding molded structural composite use beyond trailer walls and helping win sustainability points for customers.

Motional is expanding its testing grounds to Los Angeles and adding a new facility in the Bay Area.

“The corridor is vital for everything from long-haul freight to movement of agricultural products,” Colorado officials said of mudslide-damaged areas of Interstate 70.

Moving temperature-sensitive foods using ocean shipping containers takes a collaborative effort in technology.

Last-mile delivery firms say a lack of drivers is their main concern, but more are finding that smartphones are a critical technology to help retain drivers and improve operational efficiencies.

FreightWaves Executive Publisher Kevin Hill chats with Hickey & Associates Managing Director David Hickey about the many factors that companies should consider when looking for a cold storage site.

Kurt George of Property Damage Appraisers explains during a fireside chat at FreightWaves’ Cold Chain Summit why cold storage facilities are particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks.

How did Hyundai survive and advance through the pandemic? Find out on this episode of Transmission.

Perishable Shipping Solutions CEO Mark Nelson said online demand for specialty perishables never leveled off from the start of the pandemic, and the growth has barely scratched the surface.