News

An American Transportation Research Institute study finds the cost to deploy and collect a vehicle-miles-traveled tax would be 300 times more than the current fuel tax.

Refraction AI discovered many last-mile AVs used a sensor system known as LiDAR, which was causing bottlenecks in deploying these vehicles into the real world.

Delivery software provider Onfleet is joining forces with Bond, an artificial intelligence platform, to offer e-commerce sellers an integrated solution that takes the customer from checkout to delivery in a single offering.

Great Lakes Petroleum Transportation of Alma, Michigan, which hauls crude oil, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The trucking company has 59 power units and 49 drivers.

“Our goal at FreightFlows is to make near-term market predictions to help vessel owners, traders, brokers and charterers have much better decision-making power in the international freight markets today,” said CEO Matt Morgan.

Truckers in the South will have to dodge many areas of tornadoes, severe winds and large hail Wednesday and Thursday (forecast video).

In today’s edition, we highlight how the boom times don’t negate the headaches among carriers, the impact of SPACs on FreightTech and more.

On this St. Patrick’s Day, truckers tell FreightWaves which cloverleaf interchanges bring them the worst luck.

Deutsche Bank’s Amit Mehrotra on how long import surge could last and upside potential for container, dry bulk and tanker stocks.

Port Houston is positioning itself as a viable option for handling more containerized imports from Asia.

The CBP’s final rule is seen as aiding the U.S. Postal Service in weighing which shipments fail to comply with a data preclearance directive.

“Today we are in the seventh month of a historic import surge driven by unprecedented demand by American consumers,” says Gene Seroka.

A DOT autonomous trucking technology study downplays concerns raised by the FMCSA.

In this issue, freight and diesel costing an arm and a leg, warehouse unicorns, the war on packaging and more

Companies that are normally competitors are making deals to share technology and manufacturing capacity to produce enough COVID-19 vaccines.

Reports of problems in the application process are widespread, but the PPP loans given out total more than $160 billion.

On this episode of Great Quarter, Guys, Seth Holm and Andrew Cox talk about the hot truckload market and give their predictions for the next quarter of 2021.

The fragmented industrial service facilities segment could become the apple of the eyes of big-money investors.

Kaylee Nix and Michael Vincent explore the failures of the Texas energy grid and learn about the benefits of two-way shipping contracts on this episode of Midday Market Update.

In an environment as hands-on as trucking, bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds can prove challenging.

Census Bureau data showed a decline in February sales, but levels remain elevated from a year ago as new stimulus hits

The service will generate customized updates that include projected time out and port dwell times along with recommendations for shipping strategies from the project44 team.

Cargill’s announcement last week that it is making a nearly half-billion dollar investment in soybeans caught my attention because it suggests that one of the world’s largest food producers believes […]

A lawsuit in New York claims that rideshare company Via has refused to pay for and enter arbitration with drivers who believe they are employees and not independent contractors.

SPAC acquisitions are cropping up with more frequency, and we can only expect more deals to go through in 2021.

“Our goal is to empower brands and make it easy for them to scale. As these brands scale, the warehouses experience growth as well,” says Flowspace CEO Ben Eachus.

Truckers will have to dodge severe thunderstorms across several southern states, with good odds for tornadoes (forecast video).

Brands big and small want more control over the customer experience, including data and service, and technology firms and logistics providers can now offer brands an Amazon alternative. The tension between retailers and brands is nothing new, but the battle between them has never been this acute thanks to the likes of Shopify, ShipBob, XPO and others.

In today’s edition, we highlight the latest numbers for trailer orders, an investigative piece about a driver blowing the whistle on illegal activities, increased driver pay and more.

While the less-than-truckload market is experiencing a boom, it’s not without growing pains, according to Recon Logistics’ pricing and analytics expert Curtis Garrett.

The Baidu Apollo fleet consists of 500 vehicles, with open-road tests conducted in 30 cities around the world. The company’s Robotaxi service has carried 210,000 passengers and is available in Beijing, Changsha and Cangzhou, with plans to move into 30 more cities over the next three years.

The email came in stating we were under attack. All 30 servers were taken down and encrypted. Admin lost access to their Microsoft 365 accounts.

A pair of Canadian trucking companies in the Toronto area, Orbit Freight and Delta Carriers, shut down in close succession before their owner filed for personal bankruptcy.

Chicago Rockford and Cologne Bonn airports operate under the shadow of Chicago O’Hare and Frankfurt airports. But they are rising stars in the cargo arena and have decided to pool their resources.

Activist investor Ancora Advisors gains two seats on Forward Air’s board and endorses three others. The company’s former CFO has been brought on in a consulting role.

Kevin Hill breaks down how one company uses flexible business models to succeed.

Since the price started its run in November, it’s up more than 81 cents per gallon.

SmartHop’s plans for its most recent funding round and Spill Bully’s eco-friendly logistics waste solutions.

The new rules approved by the NLRB could be overturned by the Biden administration but only after a formal rulemaking.

“Nimble is a plug and play solution and has repeatedly demonstrated that its robot systems can be integrated and picking in production on day one without changing a single line of code in the warehouse management system,” said Michael Pucker, chairman and CEO of DNS Capital.

As part of Women’s History Month, FreightWaves spotlights the first American woman to make it to the top at sea.

Micromobility company Helbiz will secure approximately $82.5 million when it is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange through a SPAC deal expected to close in the second quarter.

West Coast carrier Cheema Freightlines announces a pay bump for drivers and plans to expand its fleet in 2021.

Global payments technology provider Stripe has raised $600 million in a new funding round at a $95 billion valuation, making it the most expensive startup in the U.S.

“In order to better position the product, you have to be closer to your patient,” House said.

Lane Acuity Plus is a new addition to SONAR SCI, making it even more useful to shippers.

Over the next few years, the team will continue to grow and Red seeks qualified applicants.

Runways and roads remain closed after a weekend blizzard slams the Denver area (forecast video).

A former car hauler claims he was forced into hiding after blowing the whistle on his trucking company’s alleged illegal business practices.

Advancements in tender data science and paid market data now power SONAR SCI (Supply Chain Intelligence) Lane Acuity.  SONAR Lane Acuity provides lane-level insight into market stability and rate benchmarking. […]

Tanker and bulker spot rates can go sub zero — some tanker rates are there now. What do the negative numbers really mean?

Miss one of our podcasts this week? Get caught up here!

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Big changes planned for Pharr bridge; Team Worldwide opens office in southern Arizona; Amazon to open fulfillment center in Texas Panhandle; and CG Railway launches bigger, faster vessels.

Edmonton International Airport is investing in more cargo capacity to support e-commerce and other industries that increasingly are seeking air transport.

Intermodal shipping is dominated by the largest shippers in the U.S. and operates on a more static network, which gains higher cost efficiency than trucking over longer-mileage runs.

Changes in export volumes for certain types of wheat may be reflected in changes in freight flows, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The next CVSA championship is scheduled for Aug. 15-19, 2022, in Indianapolis.

Positive train control, also known as PTC, is a safety technology aimed at automatically stopping a freight or passenger train before a collision. This Ask Waves article describes what it is, its history and its future implications.

In today’s edition, we highlight the Postal Service’s reaction to increased package delivery demands, a conversation with Nikola’s CEO and more.

Spot rates steady well above $3.00 per mile.

The company can deliver over 90% of its orders same or next day, and has access to 99% of the population.

Trailer makers cannot keep up with demand, pushing out delivery times while navigating supply chain bumps.

Container, dry bulk and tanker stocks push forward. Biggest winner since mid-2020: Danaos, up (this is not a typo) 1,202%.

Short seller Hindenburg Research alleges fictitious orders and other fraudulent at electric pickup truck startup Lordstown Motors.

Congressman Sam Graves proposes using the Postal Service to test a new bridge and highway funding effort.

A former freight broker recounts how she and her colleagues averted a sophisticated attempt to steal $60,000 worth of tires through a double-brokered load.

Ocean Audit CEO Steve Ferreira takes you through the important steps for contract success on this episode of Navigate B2B.

The freight market is heating up as we enter the Spring and today we’re turning the clocks ahead on your trucking knowledge

After a fresh round of pay increases at the beginning of the year, some carriers are continuing to raise rates further. Bay & Bay Transportation announced effective immediately it has raised pay for independent contractors by 20 cents per mile.

Witnesses at a U.S. House hearing on Wednesday stressed the need for a multimodal approach in federal support of the railroads, citing freight rail’s connection with both rural, inland towns and coastal ports.

The legal reason cited for the withdrawal is the elevation of two principles of “economic realities,” which the Wage and Hour Division says have not been used by courts in the past.

The freight markets have reentered “chaos is business as usual” territory. All the major indices have been eerily calm since the winter storm disruption. Yearly comps are becoming more difficult given the panic buying that shot volumes and rejections up this time last year. Don’t let the weakening comps distract you, this market can’t get much better.

Major retail brands are reaching consumers wherever they can these days, and that means more livestreamed special events with social media influencers.

Michael Chaves, the former owner of a vehicle-transport carrier, gets 30 months in prison for forging DOT documents and failing to maintain driver certifications.

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

The lending given out so far in the third version of the Paycheck Protection Program is not on track to exhaust the funds that have been authorized.

Nikola has less need for partners for its hydrogen fueling stations now that it has a sweet price for electricity in Arizona.

Beer maker Molson Coors warns that a systems outage brought on by a cyberattack is causing delays and disruptions to shipments.

“For companies that went into the COVID-19 year, if they were strong they came out stronger,” said Moore.

“Together we have ambitious plans to invest in and expand the Remix product suite to offer enhanced capabilities for planning and bus scheduling and operations,” said Via co-founders Daniel Ramot and Oren Shoval.

Retailers are stuck between playing the waiting game and risking delays that wreck quarterly results or ponying up and taking to the skies. The goods will arrive quickly, but at what cost?

UPS needs to step up its weekend game if it plans to overcome FedEx’s advantage in e-commerce transit times, a former UPS executive says.

Weekend blizzard could stop truckers in their tracks in the Rockies and Plains (forecast video).

In today’s edition, we highlight a high-level viewpoint concerning automated trucks, FedEx completing its integration of last-mile delivery operations, and more.

DeJoy testifies that the Postal Service must focus on increasing its 35% share of the package market currently dominated by private carriers.

The remaining assets of bankrupt trucking company Comcar Industries will be liquidated through two trusts, leaving little for unsecured creditors.

More than 178,000 individuals apprehended at the United States-Mexico border in January and February

The effort to stop the COVID-19 pandemic is generating a lot of waste. Now, health care providers have to dispose of those materials.

NFI’s Lance Christensen says, “We’re given two ears and one mouth. If you’re not listening to what the driver has to say, how could you possibly describe to them what your company has?”

E-commerce is the growth engine for air cargo. It’s why DHL Express just added a new air/parcel hub in Milan, Italy.

A global semiconductor chip shortage continues to affect auo factories on both sides of the United States-Mexico border.

During down time, these are some lesser-known weather-themed movies that truckers may like.

“A lot of truck drivers, just like law enforcement, don’t understand that girls in these types of situations are usually not there by their own will; there’s usually someone else behind the scenes compelling them to do it,” said Reliance Partners’ Mark Barlar.

“As retail imports continue to boom during the pandemic, the ability to quickly move goods from ships to the hinterland via rail is paramount,” says CEO Jim Newsome.

Dooner catches up with MoLo Solutions CEO Andrew Silver to talk about building a culture in freight

Southeast Asian rideshare company Grab is in talks to go public through a SPAC led by Altimeter Capital, according to published reports.

What does it take to ace a fulfillment strategy? Andrew Cox looks at what retailers are doing right when it comes to getting out goods.

A third-generation driver from Tennessee becomes trucking’s latest instant millionaire.

A February incident involving an Ontario train derailment led Canada’s Ministry of Transport to issue two orders aimed at preventing the uncontrolled movement of rail equipment.

The low number assigned to one of the key bills signifies it is a priority and is seen as a positive sign by the trade group.