News

2021 best fleets to drive for, ecommerce’s return problem, the cat came back, more in the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? newsletter

A new pairing between C.H. Robinson and SAS has no clear precedent as the large 3PL and a source of massive amounts of data on retail movements get together in a new initiative.

ShipMatrix reports a solid performance by carriers, while a Convey survey shows that U.S. consumers were tolerant of shipping issues.

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse penalties of up to $5,833 issued by FMCSA are more than double what had been used as guidance over the past two years

DHL Supply Chain experts share how the company has adapted its sustainability efforts due to the COVID-19 pandemic and offer sustainability tips for businesses.

Andrew Cox and Seth Holm debate how companies should look to expand their operations for the coming year.

California’s proposed 2021-22 budget would sink $1.5 billion into clean trucks, buses and cars, as well as infrastructure to fuel those vehicles.

General Motors has created a new battery-electric first-to-last-mile business eyeing an $850 billion delivery market. Following a second pilot program, FedEx Express is slated to get the first 500 units of the EV600.

A roundup of the latest trade news in the world of freight tech and autonomous trucking. Embark, Kodiak and TuSimple join Self-Driving Coalition Embark, Kodiak and TuSimple became the first […]

As more modes of transportation are experimenting with the use of hydrogen fuel solutions, there are still major challenges that green hydrogen production and adoption faces.

Boeing is pulling the plug on its 747-8 production line, and Atlas Air is snapping up the last planes. DHL Express is also ordering 777 freighters.

French company Scallog is partnering with Bastian Solutions to bring “goods-to-person” robotics to North American e-commerce warehouses.
French company Scallog is partnering with Bastian Solutions to bring “goods-to-person” robotics to North American e-commerce warehouses.

Michelle Schultz’s appointment brings the board to five members, the full complement prescribed by federal law.

Temperature-controlled carrier Nagle Toledo announced a 17% pay increase for its drivers. The company was one of the first to start paying drivers a straight salary.

These are more bridges that frighten some truckers, especially in bad weather.

Dealerships across the nation are already feeling the pressure of low inventory levels. A chip shortage is turning up the heat even more.

A TMS catering to everyone is simply landing somewhere in the middle, and very likely a better solution exists for any of those given parties.

This is an excerpt from Monday’s Point of Sale retail supply chain newsletter. The UK grocery supermarket sector was once highly oligopolistic, but in recent years, European brands have expanded […]

​Relay Payments, a fintech company operating in the logistics space, has raised $43 million in funding over the last six months as it seeks to digitize an industry that has long relied on checks and cash.

Truckers face a high risk of rollovers in Montana and Wyoming over the next few days (with forecast video).

Cawston, Chowdhury are tapped for top positions at the new company.

Electric vehicle chassis maker Motiv Power Systems has secured $20 million in debt financing from Crescent Cove Advisors.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, could an influx of capacity drive down spot rates? Plus, ArcBest President Tim Thorne is retiring, and federal regulators consider nixing a vision exemption for CDL holders.

The Postal Service’s Priority Mail Cubic may be the best value in parcel shipping, for those who qualify for it.

Award-winning journalist Mike McAllister has been named editor in chief at FreightWaves. His background includes editing and writing positions at PGATOUR.com, ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated and The Dallas Morning News.

A Mexico-based driver involved in a multivehicle crash in Georgia has been prohibited from operating commercial trucks in the U.S. by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

As car plants curtail production because of a global semiconductor shortage, suppliers and truck makers try to discern what to expect amid near-record Class 8 truck orders.

DOT Chief Elaine Chao announced a plan for autonomous vehicles on her last day at the department.

Kevin Hill and Blythe Brumleve say the new year is the perfect time to change up your email marketing strategy.

Consecutive streak of increases is longest in almost eight years

The opening of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal and deepening of Charleston Harbor are expected to make for an even brighter 2021.

An LNG ship is now earning more than any other vessel in history. Extreme weather in Asia has propelled LNG rates into the stratosphere.

ORBCOMM’s privately transacted $200 million refinancing means the ELD provider is entering 2021 with a markedly different balance sheet than in recent years.

Dooner and The Dude discuss how logistics helped TrophySmack win a deal with Mark Cuban on “Shark Tank.”

A new type of air cargo plane is entering the market to much fanfare. The Airbus A321 has many capabilities. Titan Airways is getting the second freighter ever produced.

Deutsche Bank’s December geofencing data suggests LTL volumes continued the positive trends seen in the first two months of the fourth quarter.

Bed, Bath & Beyond reported EPS of less than half consensus estimates. CEO Mark Tritton pointed to tight shipping capacity and elevated freight costs for the miss. Get used to hearing this.

The Seattle-based e-tailer currently operates 10 sites in Detroit that support customer fulfillment and delivery operations.

A parameter setting in 20,000 Navistar work trucks can allow engine revving during power takeoff to overwhelm the parking brake and allow the truck to move. It is the truck maker’s second recall for the condition in a year.

With factories across Mexico getting back to full capacity in 2021, the cross-border freight market is already impacting truckload capacity, supply chains and trade strategy.

Owners of Chrysler, Ram and other FCA vehicles can now use a Grubhub app through their in-vehicle dashboards to place online food orders.

FMCSA wants to replace the current vision program by giving medical examiners the ability qualify drivers.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the factors that may have contributed to a fatal accident at the Acca rail yard in Richmond, Virginia, in October.

The marriage of consultancies underscores parcel delivery’s growing appeal.

ABF Freight head Tim Thorne announces his retirement after a 31-year career with the less-than-truckload carrier. ABF’s current VP of linehaul, Seth Runser, will become the carrier’s new president in July.

“FreightWaves has developed this incredible media company” around its SONAR platform, says Matt Waller, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

Reefer trailer orders were over 100% above replacement levels in November which shows capacity is trying to return to the reefer markets.

Driver hiring is the first step in building a safer fleet. A simple five-step approach ensures this process is conducted properly and the drivers you hire represent the least amount of risk.

Canadian last-mile delivery company partners with California’s Royale EV to electrify vehicle fleets.

Kodiak Robotics, one of a handful of startups aiming to automate commercial trucking, has successfully completed “disengage-free” deliveries on a 205-mile stretch of Texas highway.

Truckers will hit a barrage of snow and rain from the mountains to the valleys (with forecast video).

Dachser promotes Burkhard Eling to CEO; GlobalTranz hires Bryan Foe as SVP; the Containerization & Intermodal Institute appoints Randy Bayles to its board; and Illinois Railroad Association taps Michelle Kelm as executive director.

Even after a wave of just-ordered container ships is delivered by yards, cargo shippers are unlikely to see lower freight rates.

Did you miss one of our live podcasts this week? Good news, you can catch up on all the action here!

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Border bridge project gets presidential permit; Honda to build electric vehicle in Mexico; Texas-based Spirit Truck Lines acquired by Forgelight; and CBP seizes meth hidden in tortilla press.

Schiphol Airport is moving its commercial cargo unit under the airline operations division in an effort to streamline functions and benefit users.

Class 8 truck orders are surging signaling carriers are once again willing to invest in their fleets. Does this mean another overcorrection of capacity is in store?

The purchase of 12.5 million shares of Hyliion stock with warrants issued to initial stock purchasers in SPAC sponsor Tortoise Acquisition Corp. netted $142 million for the hybrid truck driveline maker.

U.S. short line rail operator OmniTRAX confirms it was the victim of a ransomware attack and data breach targeting its owner, Broe Group.

Trucking groups OOIDA, WSTA and ATA condemn the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, call for truckers to focus on policy, not politics.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, the freight bull market shows no signs of slowing; Chao says goodbye; and trucking continues to add jobs.

Q1 should be one of the stronger first quarters in recent history from a consumer and freight volume standpoint.

For the second month in a row, China was the main trading partner of the U.S., followed by Mexico, Canada and Japan.

The deal with NorthPoint, believed to be valued at $160 million, ends US Steel’s 67-year ownership of the complex.

Uber’s stock dips on a report that Goldman Sachs is looking to unload 38 million shares. The company has made several moves recently to shore up the balance sheet and sustain its cash-intensive brokerage segment.

Road Hunter, a popular navigation app for truckers, surveyed its users to find out more about their ELD providers. The app’s founder said there is a huge market for truckers potentially willing to switch ELD providers.

Expect better times in 2021, industry observer says

First-round borrowers can get more money in the second round but need to show some financial downturn to do so

A federal district court judge in Nebraska determined that it would be illegal for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way – Employes Division to take action against Union Pacific over the railroad’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airlines operating in the U.S. are once again collecting the federal excise tax on freight shipments that were suspended for most of last year to help the industry survive the […]

DOT Secretary Elaine Chao emailed a farewell letter to employees on Friday detailing her resignation and COVID-19 challenges.

MSU’s Miller: Not seasonally adjusted numbers show a market with some weakness but trends are still higher

Steve Ferreira highlights what to expect with continued backlogs in ports and shortages of shipping containers.

Here is the first issue of FreightWaves Truck Talk, a weekly newsletter adding perspective, context and commentary to industry news and trends.

A change in plans for the Brazos yard in Texas contributed to Union Pacific reaching an operating ratio in the mid-50s.

Robert Primus gets confirmed as the newest member of the Surface Transportation Board while the Intermodal Association of North America names Barbara Melvin as its new board member.

The Swiss logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel has extensive pharmaceutical experience and will handle the storage and transportation of COVID-19 vaccines for Moderna around the world.

With 2020 in the rearview, there are promising signs that point towards industry growth if one crucial thing takes place: tight inventory levels need to be replenished.

COVID induced demand for goods and spending in the home. How will spending behavior change when vaccines are widespread? Retail Analyst Andrew Cox believes consumer spending will be “A Tale of Two Halves”. See what he means:

The stage is set for a historically strong Q1 for freight with a slow vaccine rollout keeping a lid on services spending, and consumers are flush with recent stimulus as well as the hopes for more to come. The freight bull market rages on to start 2021.

Truck transportation jobs grew by more than 7,000 last month, but that number remains well below year-ago levels.

Emerge founder Andrew Leto and content marketing expert and best-selling author Joe Pulizzi will keynote FreightWaves’ upcoming virtual Sales & Marketing Summit.

Truckers may want to chain up. Weekend snow is in the forecast from the Panhandle to Dallas (with forecast video).

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has resigned. Plus, safety groups are concerned about an HOS exemption for ag haulers, and a worker classification rule could be scrapped.

Rail shippers discuss what issues they would like to see addressed in 2021. Among them: further action by the Surface Transportation Board and Congress on ensuring rail competition and adequate rail service.

The Geotab reseller segment will be the initial target for VideoProtects transport technology, which J. J. Keller has acquired.

The division of work between state employees and union members at the new South Carolina container terminal goes to the labor board.

A Biden administration teamed with a Democratic Congress should lead to even more stimulus, a recipe for even more container imports.

The airfreight sector is nursing itself back to health and should be discharged from intensive care by April. Find out why.

Traffic is expected to spike 23% compared to the highest-volume period in last year’s peak.

A rideshare drivers union that has helped push up wages and benefits for gig economy workers in New York City has expanded to Chicago.

Kevin Hill and Michael Vincent discuss the best fleets to drive for this year.

Truckers need snacks that provide energy and curb hunger to stay alert between rest breaks.

Getting people to think about visibility in a more dynamic and collaborative manner requires dismantling the idea that visibility refers only to a moving dot on a map.

Reliance Partners’ Brian Runnels explains that driver trainers should be everything from instructor and mentor to trainer, psychologist and friend to their students.

UBS equity research analyst Tom Wadewitz’s 2021 outlook calls for a continuation of healthy freight activity during the first half of the year with a little more uncertainty in the back half.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is first cabinet head to quit after storming of U.S. Capitol.

FreightWaves launches Long-Haul Crime Log, a weekly true-crime podcast about the dark side of the world of freight. Our first episode covers the crimes of an executed trucker, drug busts at the U.S.-Mexico border and cyberattacks on the trucking industry.

Ridgemont becomes Seko’s majority investor by buying Greenbriar Equity’s stake. Greenbriar retains a minority position.

Volvo’s decision to discontinue the sale of Class 8 trucks in Mexico concerns cross-border carriers’ ability to resell vehicles.