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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).

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, Heartland Express announces an operating income improvement in its Q4 earnings. Plus, an appeals court says California can’t regulate a truck driver’s meal and rest breaks, and Daseke’s board chairman talks the future of the company.

A catastrophic ransomware attack like the one that hit Forward Air is not inevitable. But transportation and logistics companies need to take cybersecurity seriously.

Former Google exec was not currently in prison but faced 18-month sentence eventually

J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ fourth quarter came in better than expected. However, the company said it was reviewing long-term margin targets across all segments. Intermodal margin forecasts may be reduced but other units could see upward revisions.

Fresh from its takeover of Uber ATG in December, autonomous vehicle company Aurora has signed an agreement with heavy-duty truck manufacturer PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR) to commercialize autonomous Peterbilt and Kenworth […]

Operation Warp Speed hits speed bumps, will trucker protests happen, DroneWaves and more in the newsletter.

Run of hikes a rare occurrence in 27-year history of data series

This has been the best January for dry bulk shipping rates in a decade. Is this the long-awaited turning point or yet another head fake?

Former DOT secretaries weigh in on Polly Trottenberg, Biden’s choice for deputy secretary of transportation.

Kevin Hill and Michael Vincent discuss how imports and retail sales continue to support intense freight activity.

Cortera report shows surge in business spending as the year drew to a close.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ fourth quarter outpaces analysts’ forecasts. Brokerage, truck and final-mile divisions benefit from revenue surge.

There is a widespread view that the new Department of Labor standards might be pulled back by the Biden administration, but it has an impact on this latest opinion.

Airlines are heavily in the red and a big shrink in passenger revenue last year is to blame. The International Civil Aviation Organization quantifies the results and gives its outlook for 2021.

As global e-commerce soars, businesses are looking for solutions that enable seamless payment options designed for local markets. Payments technology firm PPRO just raised $180 million to help design local payment solutions.

Freight giant DHL will permanently close its Baytown, Texas, facility and lay off 97 workers by May 31.

Reshoring had been in a slump the past decade, but 2020 saw it increase by more than 45%. As companies look to bring home operations, nearshoring will be on the rise.

Rivian has closed an investment round of $2.65 billion as the electric truck company best known in freight circles for making the Amazon custom delivery van gears up for mass production.

Fourth-quarter results for Heartland Express displayed a revenue dip on driver employment headwinds but operating income jumped 35%. The company mentions getting back into M&A.

Toy seller Joyin thanks Convoy for its doubled year-over-year revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A pay dispute leads to about 1,400 warehouse workers and truck drivers in Teamsters Local 202 walking the picket line.

From hurricanes to earthquakes, natural disasters are featured in a number of films that truckers may enjoy on the road.

The Trump Administration announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products originating in China’s Xinjiang region citing evidence of forced labor. This ban is much bigger than just cotton and tomatoes. It is a call to action for all retailers to better understand their sourcing practices.

Freight flow delays possible in portions of California and the Rockies (with forecast video).

A Democratic “trifecta” in Washington could finally push a long-term infrastructure past the finish line.

U.S. operations of the Class I railroads employed fewer employees in 2020 than in any year since at least 2012. Headcount was 14% lower than in 2019.

Pitney Bowes’ Jason Dies said SMBs need not be sitting ducks for higher parcel-shipping expenses.

U.S. Xpress announced Monday that Jake Lawson has joined as chief commercial officer and Justin Harness will head the dedicated division.

General Motors will spend $800 million to make a plant in Ingersoll, Canada the home of its first electric commercial delivery vans.

The public needs to be educated about the quality control processes in place for the manufacture of vaccines.

The Fuels Institute dives deep to find the impacts that different transportation-related environmental initiatives have on consumers and the environment.

Interview with Daseke’s leadership team covers recent changes and the return to M&A.

Truckers will hit heavy snowfall and periods of whiteout conditions Monday and Tuesday in the Rockies of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, impacting freight flows on Interstate 25 and […]

The Southern California warehouse industry is pushing back against a proposed emissions rule that would make operators of distribution centers responsible for pollutants generated by trucks going into and out of their facilities.

Asia-West Coast spot rates are up 173% year on year. Rail and trucking volumes from ports are up double digits.