News

German drone manufacturer Wingcopter has raised $22 million, with plans to expand health care-related delivery programs and build a U.S. facility.

Dooner and The Dude explore sales optimizations, faster payments for truckers and being charitable on this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?

“Driver detention is a leading cause of lost earnings and driver dissatisfaction,” said Elkins.

Tight spaces and tight law enforcement can make these bridges nerve-wracking for some truckers.

Joe Biden plans to sign a “Made in America” executive order that reiterates support for the Jones Act.

“Not only are we at the height of the Christmas season, but we’re at the height of the Y2K concern as well. Importers and major trading houses are trying to move their goods now to beat any chance of problems with the changeover to the new millennium.”

UPS’ sale of UPS Freight to Canadian firm TFI International will end the company’s not-very-happy venture into LTL.

A tractor-trailer hauling a load of honeybees overturned Sunday, releasing a swarm in downtown San Antonio.

Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks are making parts easier to find and order by integrating a truck’s vehicle ID with its fleet unit number.

With consistency in cold emailing, you’ll find consistency in your response rate.

TFI International has agreed to buy UPS Freight for about $800 million in its largest acquisition to date.

Sustainability efforts are becoming a major focus for CPG companies as consumers demand investments in a cleaner future.

FreightWaves’ Sales & Marketing Summit will feature insights and in-depth knowledge from some of the leading sales and marketing professionals in freight today, including keynote addresses from Emerge’s Andrew Leto and leading marketing expert Joe Pulizzi.

Truckers will have to chain up as snowstorms hit several Western states this week (with forecast video).

Mexican authorities have seized seven tanker trucks and more than 178,400 gallons of stolen fuel since Jan. 1, 2021.

The Inland Empire continued a record streak of warehouse development, with over 50 million square feet of transactions in 2020.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Tecma acquires cross-border trucking firm; Mexican carrier achieves CTPAT certification; Boyd Corp. opens factory in Juárez, Mexico; and massive new industrial/logistics park set for Arizona.

If you can’t rent an entire cargo plane for yourself, you might have trouble finding space on an aircraft to make an international shipment.

Freight volumes have exploded out of southern California over the past two years. Is this pattern sustainable?

KCS plans to deploy the third phase of its precision scheduled railroading program this year as it eyes an operating ratio goal in the mid-50s by 2022.

Deliveright, a digital delivery network for heavy goods, announced the launch of a new app with e-commerce company Shopify.

A deal has been reached to end a strike by workers at the Hunts Point market in New York, with a vote by rank-and-file Teamsters to take place Saturday.

A Feb. 5 sentencing date has been set for a bookkeeper who pleaded guilty to devising an elaborate scheme to defraud a family-owned trucking company and farm in Missouri out […]

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, raising fuel taxes could be an option to pay for infrastructure, and a truck driver who faced a life-or-death decision on a bridge is rewarded for his choice.

Normal January seasonality may be upon us.

Dooner and The Dude discuss President Biden’s executive orders, circular economies and moving to sustainability on this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?

The Triumph acquisition of TFS has had plenty of problems since it was first announced.

A Shell and Deloitte joint study addresses economic, technical and regulatory factors related to decarbonizing road freight.

Phoenician Energy’s aluminum-air batteries will be developed and piloted as part of the Yara Marine X program designed to create a greener maritime industry.

Although the defendant’s role in the staged accident scheme was relatively minor and he had cooperated with authorities, Mario Solomon still was sentenced to 21 months behind bars.

Revenue generated could help fund infrastructure investments, DOT Secretary nominee says in confirmation hearing.

Now is the time to transform the United States’ dominance of information technology into a durable leadership position in innovations that will characterize supply chains the rest of this century.

FreightWaves Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter adding perspective, context and commentary to industry news and trends.

NACFE’s Mike Roeth talks about a year like no other

Marty Oberman has been appointed to serve as the chairman of the Surface Transportation Board.

We may be seeing signs of a traditional January lull, but at a much higher level than years past. On a rejection-adjusted basis, tender volumes are running up 23% yoy versus 20% last week. Tender rejections continue to decline modestly, but carriers are still rejecting more than 1-in-5 contracted tenders. Stimulus can only carry the freight markets so long. Fortunately, the industrial economy is revving up and retailers have significant restocking ahead.

Steve Ferreira makes his case why ocean freight logistics managers should be paid more for their skills.

There’s a push for more digitization and a growing need for more software as more EVs emerge and more self-driving capabilities are added to cars. Automakers are finding themselves without the expertise to fulfill the need for connected services and AI insights.

Retailers with physical footprints have been able to leverage new modes of fulfillment to pass increased costs associated with online delivery to consumers and their suppliers. But for digitally-native brands without access to physical stores, this could be painful should it become the new normal. If you ask FedEx, it already has.

Trucker Morgan Kirkland after narrowly avoiding a head-on collision: “My worst fear almost came true, that I would die in this truck.”

Elevated numbers of CSX employees who contracted COVID-19 or are in quarantine have resulted in operational challenges to the railroad in the fourth quarter and into 2021.

KCS’ fourth-quarter 2020 net profit was $165.7 million, compared with $127.2 million in Q4 of 2019.

Truckers will hit periods of heavy snowfall and gusty winds out West for the next week (with forecast video).

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, conditions remain favorable for LTLs and the overall freight environment. Plus, a new SPAC targets transportation companies in the heartland, and rising commodity prices could soon impact trucking.

There’s a steep learning curve for importers and exporters now that the U.K. is no longer part of the European Union. Botched customs forms are leading to freight backlogs.

Nearly 700 dockworkers in California have COVID. Hundreds more are out due to quarantines. Pleas for fast-track vaccinations intensify.

Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce chief, Marc Lore, departs with the company well positioned, but with a mixed bag of results.

Biden’s executive orders address the COVID-19 supply chain and mask mandates among transportation modes.

Fourth-quarter figures at Triumph were impacted by the third-quarter acquisition of Covenant’s factoring business.

FreightWaves identifies importers who use the Asia-West Coast service.

CSX’s fourth-quarter net income slipped 1% to $760 million amid a 2% decline in revenue.

Transfix has released a transportation management system (TMS) for small and midsize shippers, continuing a trend in which digital freight brokers expand their reach with software targeting carriers and shippers […]

Kevin Hill and Michael Vincent give an update on the state of maritime freight ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Instacart is cutting approximately 1,800 in-store shoppers nationwide as it moves to a technology-focused “Partner Pick” model.

Pete Buttigieg weighs in on infrastructure, trucking regulations and the Jones Act during a three-hour nomination hearing.

Reliance Partners’ John Seidl explains that managers can avoid pestering drivers for their signatures altogether by simply using limited queries for their annual Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse checks.

This white paper, brought to you by MeMD, explores how COVID-19 changed the healthcare landscape for good and which options trucking companies now have.

Union Pacific has the network capacity to handle an anticipated rebound in rail volumes in 2021, executives said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday.

Fast-growth startup ClockWork focuses its solution on improving the lives of drivers

The past 12 to 18 months have been nothing short of spectacular for Peloton. It has cemented itself as a prominent fitness brand with a base of fiercely loyal customers while growing revenues 233% yoy in Q3. But the company has outkicked its coverage and capped potential growth due to its supply chain constraints and lack of visibility.

BBAM Aircraft Leasing & Management plans to add up to a dozen Boeing 737-800 converted freighters to its portfolio in response to high demand for regional cargo jets that can […]

Nissan Mexicana is upgrading the Aguascalientes factory where it rolls out Kicks and March vehicles.

DOT announces slate of 40 to the department’s leadership team as the Biden administration kicks into gear.

A modern day Bonnie and Clyde, an Arizona prison break, and the two team truck drivers who became hostages. Hear the harrowing story on the newest episode of Long-Haul Crime Log, the true crime podcast from FreightWaves.

A St. Louis restaurant is alleging that DoorDash purposely drove customers away from its location and to other area restaurants that used its services.

The MDH Acquisition Corp. looks to raise more than $200 million in an IPO.

Rail could leap forward with on-time management of shipper goods if it were bolder and faster at innovating.

Supply chain-focused private equity firm Red Arts Capital acquires Canadian third-party logistics provider Radius Logistics.

From mist versus fog to hurricane versus typhoon, it can be practical and fun for drivers to know the differences between commonly misunderstood weather terms.

Union Pacific’s net profit was $1.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020, on par with the fourth quarter of 2019.

Truckers should expect delays heading through several Midwest states beginning late this weekend (with forecast video).

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, congestion and gate restrictions from rail partners hampered J.B. Hunt’s intermodal growth in Q4. Plus, stopping a ransomware attack is not as simple as it sounds, and business-to-business activity is booming.

Are oil and diesel prices leading other commodity prices, or are they lagging?

United Airlines is outperforming the competition on cargo and officials say they have a good strategy for returning to profitability.

An economic outlook report from truckload carrier U.S. Xpress calls for tight truckload dynamics to remain in place at least through the third quarter. The forecast calls for contractual rates to increase as high as 15% in the year.

CSCMP President and CEO Rick D. Blasgen will step down March 5 after more than 15 years at the helm.

More than $3.6 million in marijuana, methamphetamine and e-cigarettes were seized from Texas ports during three recent incidents.

Ocean carrier ZIM has hiked its fleet capacity with new charters and is planning to price its New York IPO next week.

Find out why Luke Falasca and Kyle Taylor are saying “We told you so!” about the direction of the freight market.

“These best practices are needed now more than ever to relieve pressure on the supply chain due to the ongoing surge,” Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka says.

Anthony Smith and Zach Strickland lay out what it will take to loosen the stranglehold on America’s ports.

The Western U.S. railroad expects to invest $2.99 billion in capital projects to maintain and upgrade its infrastructure and assets.

WebCargo has landed a big boy in the cargo world. Qatar Airways will sell space to shippers through the third-party platform.

Another supporter of improving less-than-truckload fundamentals was identified this week. UBS analyst Tom Wadewitz initiated coverage of the group with a favorable outlook.

Dooner and The Dude sit down with two women who are leading their companies through the e-commerce boom.

Kansas City Southern’s new, more stringent emission target will keep the company in line with the Paris Agreement emission goals.

Prices for used Class 8 tractors should maintain the momentum from the last half of 2020, but the nation’s unemployment rate could affect that, according to J.D. Power Valuation Services.

Capital Logistics COO Michael Feig says it’s too early to tell if the summer will bring tight capacity to the reefer market.

FedEx Express unveils its dual-hub strategy in Europe and says redundancies will result in significant attrition.

The right tool can help brokers turn a measly 5% success rate into sales wins at 50% or more.

U.S. weekly rail traffic rose nearly 6% last week amid a 43% increase in grain carloads and a 13% rise in intermodal traffic.

Autonomous trucking company TuSimple establishes a high-powered executive advisory board; takes equity investments from Werner Enterprises and Schneider.

Walmart will begin using drones from Zipline International to run a pilot delivery program along the Arkansas and Missouri border this summer.

The owner of a Maine-based trucking company denies his firm is the subject of a Maine CDC ongoing investigation into a COVID-19 outbreak that has sickened more than 20 employees, calling it “old news.”

Cardinal Logistics has acquired heavy-goods final-mile provider NRX Logistics. The deal marks the third final-mile transaction for M&A advisory firm Tenney Group in the last year.

Cross-border logistics platform looks to scale sustainably as it prepares to raise more capital.

Andrew Cox and Seth Holm explore the impacts of container shipping issues through Peloton’s experience.

Despite losing momentum sequentially for the last three months of the year, holiday sales grew 8.3% year-over-year. The surprising data is further evidence of the resilience of the American consumer, and the ability for retailers to influence how and when people shop.

Airlines are bleeding red ink and are asking incoming DOT nominee Pete Buttigieg to focus on testing and other steps to give people confidence to travel.

Drivers will run into midweek heavy rain and snow, high wind from Texas to California (with forecast video).