News

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter where FreightWaves adds context, commentary and color to industry news and trends.

The battle between brands and retailers is not new, but it’s more acute than ever because of the options each side has. For brands, it’s never been easier to own and operate sales channels both online and IRL. For retailers, there’s never been more digitally native brands seeking out offline homes than there are right now. And giants like Target, Walmart and Amazon have proven that consumers are willing to purchase and even be very loyal to private label brands.

As more millennials enter the workforce and the global economy deals with COVID-related work-from-home trends, more business e-commerce transactions have moved online.

Yard services provider Lazer Spot acquired Firefly Transportation Services to “accelerate the adoption” of environmentally friendly electric spotter trucks.

Other highlights from the monthly report: Soaring employment in warehouses is starting to moderate.

Truckers may hit wildfire smoke this weekend in the Plains as the weather stays warm, dry and breezy (with forecast video).

In today’s edition, we highlight a column from FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller, a big acquisition by TriumphPay and more.

As hackers exploit the interconnectedness of the global supply chain to stage ransomware attacks, executives say technology and strategy are key to avoiding a knockout punch.

President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan is light on details, but it could affect the health care supply chain.

After a February decision not to increase output, which was unexpected, the group does the unexpected this time again and decides to put more oil on to the market.

Freight rail associations and shippers praise President Joe Biden’s efforts to modernize U.S. transportation infrastructure, but some are worried about how to foot the costs. Also, congressional leaders introduce bills on railcar recycling, highway grade crossings, and loans for rail and intermodal facilities.

The driver shortage, while not a new problem, requires new approaches to resolve.

Trucking’s ever-changing demographics make the thoughts and opinions of minority drivers increasingly an invaluable asset.

On this episode of Midday Market Update, Kaylee Nix and Michael Vincent look at top headlines and figure out if the Panama Canal is at risk for blockage.

Fleets on the East Coast need to make every attempt to maximize capacity and assets

The pandemic shook up the way Americans shop, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On this episode of Point of Sale, Andrew Cox explains why.

This is an excerpt from Monday’s (3/29) Point of Sale retail supply chain newsletter sponsored by ArcBest. Yee-HAW, people. The third round of fiscal stimulus is causing an immediate and significant boost to […]

Tyltgo has set a goal to serve 100 new retailers by the end of this year and to double its current team, which consists of nine employees.

Crafts retailer Michaels is adding same-day delivery through Instacart from more than 100 stores as more consumers order materials for projects online.

Emerge CEO Michael Leto talks about building a digital freight marketplace that moves over a billion dollars in freight spend

Also on this week’s podcast: Why return to air travel could have impact on diesel prices.

Daniel Maffei becomes chairman at a time of massive disruption in the world of trade.

FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller writes about FreightWaves, as well as transportation today and moving forward.

Canadian Pacific has submitted a 531-page filing to the Surface Transportation Board that includes letters from 259 entities supporting the proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern.

Amazon Air has hired Canadian all-cargo carrier Cargojet to provide crews, maintenance and insurance for two aircraft it plans to use to move e-commerce parcels.

California has proposed a sustainability regulation for transportation network companies, including Uber and Lyft, that would require 90% of all rides to take place in electric vehicles by 2030.

Luke Falasca and Kyle Taylor try to decode the future of the freight markets on this episode of #WithSONAR

Freight Club’s carbon offset initiative, which launched on Jan. 1, uses tree power to counteract emissions at no expense to its members.

Starting April 5, the company will resume refunds for late or missed next-day air deliveries.

UrbanFootprint is looking at case studies on drone deliveries, focusing on how its tools can help municipalities and drone providers with planning logistics.

Truckers may hit minor delays Thursday as a snowstorm hits the interior Northeast (with forecast video).

TriumphPay is acquiring HubTran to integrate machine-learning capabilities for a fully integrated payments network for its customers.

The costs of keeping up with four engine technologies and the pace of self-driving trucks push rival truck manufacturers into partnerships.

With trucking demand expected to surge in lockstep with e-commerce growth, autonomous vehicles offer an innovative solution for an industry with an already strained workforce.

Officials say there’s no public health hazard after a truck carrying radioactive material crashed in North Carolina.

‘Bigger is better’ is the mantra of public tanker companies. The just-announced INSW-Diamond S merger is a step in that direction.

On this episode of Freightonomics, Anthony Smith and Zach Strickland look at the broad and narrow economic impacts of the Suez Canal blockage.

The announced increases this month are a small sliver of the pay rises that companies are needing to hand down to stay competitive.

Truckers, do you have a side hustle? On this show we’re talking to a driver who started his own company based on a daily need.

CIO named for soon-to-be-spun-off company

Once regarded as stubbornly resistant to change, transportation and logistics is fast becoming a high-tech industry as entire supply chains reshape themselves around the demands of 21st century consumers.

Trucking companies cite safety concerns in their request to FMCSA to allow limited use of hair testing to screen for drugs.

Dooner sits down with Direct Traffic Solutions CEO Robert Meehan to talk about the transition from military life to logistics, building a freight company, more.

Drivers often take the blame for roadside violations, but remaining in compliance with regulations is a team effort that includes maintenance personnel and safety operations in a fleet.

A ransomware gang is threatening to leak 2 terabytes of files stolen from shipping firm ECU Worldwide in the aftermath of a cyberattack as the owner vows to “take any steps necessary, legal and otherwise,” to protect customer data.

Self-driving technology startup Embark Trucks develops a universal autonomous driving system that will work in semis from the four largest manufacturers.

The city of Aspen has been running a parking reservation pilot program with Coord that enables commercial delivery fleets to secure parking spaces for their vehicles.

The $3.7 billion partnership calls for the construction of a $1.9 billion passenger rail bridge that would relieve traffic from the Long Bridge.

The rate of technological advancement makes it nearly impossible to rely on in-house developers for every new feature. How do you choose the right third-party partner?

Being a diversified strategic partner is essentially the holy grail of long-term partnership and relationship success.

Scope 3 emissions are often left out of corporate emission-reduction goals and disclosures, but “they have to be on someone’s books,” said Lila Holzman, senior energy program manager at As You Sow.

Digital freight networks level the playing field and aim to revolutionize the industry’s zero-sum game

Investors plow more money into Plus, which expects to commercialize Level 4 self-driving technology in China this summer.

Truckers may hit temporary delays as snow and wind pick up Thursday in the Northeast (with forecast video).

Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan relies heavily on rolling back Trump’s corporate tax cuts.

In today’s edition, we highlight another pay-increase announcement for drivers, FedEx’s carbon-neutral plans for contractors, and more.

The trucking industry sees the costs — but not so much the benefits — of new congestion pricing initiatives.

STORD, which describes itself as a cloud supply chain company, has secured a $65 million funding round as it seeks to expand upon its logistics capabilities.

ASL Airlines United Kingdom on Monday flew its first cargo flight with an ATR 72-200 turboprop freighter. It is the first carrier to receive an air operator certificate from the […]

On this episode of Great Quarter, Guys, Andrew Cox and Seth Holm discuss why American consumers may feel the crunch at the cash register as a lasting effect thanks to freight delays.

Biden taps Daniel Maffei to head the FMC amid the ongoing port congestion crisis.

CN is selling its noncore assets in southern Ontario, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin to Watco.

Godzilla vs. Kong vs. Ever Given, freight rejections on the rise, driver demand driving driver pay, more

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Laredo and Pharr, Texas, discovered almost 800 pounds of methamphetamine in two recent shipments arriving from Mexico. The first case happened March […]

Drug manufacturers are trying to massively scale up production, which will require companies to share information and governments to make financial investments.

On this Midday Market Update, Kaylee Nix and Michael Vincent hear about looming repercussions from the Suez Canal blockage and how the release of the Ever Given could spell continued trouble for freight markets.

Third-party logistics provider GSC Logistics plans to add 100 more drivers and 400 chassis to meet the container volume surge on the West Coast.

Last week Starbucks expanded upon its previously stated goal to be a “resource-positive company,” with specific goals related to sourcing coffee beans, land use and production. What’s striking is how […]

The Georgia Ports Authority has approved projects to increase the annual container capacity at the Port of Savannah to over 6 million TEUs from the existing 4.7 million TEUs.

You think you can just book your cargo on a plane to avoid the ocean shipping congestion at the Suez Canal? Guess again. Freighters were flying full even before the Ever Given got stuck, so finding space will be very difficult.

The New York City last-mile fleet will have 40 electric vehicles, with the Los Angeles region adding 50 more, IKEA said.

The vote to decertify the union in New Jersey was 16-2 and comes soon after a similar rejection of an in-place union in Southern California.

The president of the trade group says he expects a new CEO after “fierce” competition.

“For midsize transportation suppliers, their viability depends on their procurement process,” says Keelvar founder and CEO Alan Holland.

As International Roadcheck 2021 quickly approaches, truck drivers need to prepare for the inspection process. Here are five tips J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. recommend drivers follow to make the process easier.

The South Korean container carrier expects the Suez Canal backlog to be cleared by the time the HMM Nuri arrives in mid-April.

“We want to give a voice to third-party sellers,” said Bringg’s VP of Alliances.

Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking has announced a pay increase for drivers in its regional and national over-the-road fleets starting May 1.

“What is really attractive is the technology platform that enables the retailer to do a full assortment of products.”

PayPal announced it will allow consumers to make online payments with cryptocurrencies through its Checkout with Crypto offering.

Last of major trucking companies to pick an autonomous technology partner, Volvo Group chooses Aurora after three years of quiet collaboration.

More municipalities have been capping the fees DoorDash can charge restaurants, and the delivery company is fighting back with added charges for consumers that it says are necessary to keep operating.

The Panama Canal Authority’s administrator discusses why he’s not worried about a container ship blocking the canal.

This transaction will benefit the automotive supply and distribution network throughout North America.

Truckers may hit more road closures as rain returns to parts of the flooded South (with forecast video).

Employment totals for the U.S. operations of the Class I railroads were flat to higher between January and February, rising 0.5%. But headcount was down nearly 11% year-over-year. Also, rail union BMWED is monitoring CP’s proposed merger with KCS.

In today’s edition, we highlight trucking video game enthusiasts, the impact of the microchip shortage and more.

As a federal definition of an independent contractor moves toward resolution, ongoing litigation could be affected by what the Biden administration finally announces.

Canadian police and border officers seized nearly $8 million in opium found in two shipping containers at the Port of Vancouver and then swapped the drugs with a dummy shipment to let the dragnet continue.

Suez Canal accident aftermath: Extensive disruptions are ahead for key Asia-East Coast container shipping services.

FedEx stays mum on how it will aid its ground delivery contractors to transition to all-electric vehicles.

Twenty-week streak of increases is halted as retail diesel prices react to earlier declines in wholesale and commodity markets.

On this episode of Put That Coffee Down, Kevin Hill explores how sales can be boiled down to an exact science.

The loan size shrinking across the board but the amount of money going to transportation and warehousing sector grew more than $1 billion last week.

The Ever Given is free, NASA joins the show to talk space logistics, and the state of freight markets

Driver pay continues to step higher as truck capacity remains very tight and consumer spending high.

Canadian courier Purolator has added electric trucks and cargo bikes to its Vancouver fleet as it continues to deploy more environmentally friendly delivery vehicles.

U.S. ports are positioned to win big off Biden administration’s offshore wind energy initiative

Officials blame several deaths in Tennessee on weekend flooding.

DPDHL is making large commitments related to sustainable aviation, electric last-mile delivery vehicles and social impact projects in its recently released sustainability road map.