News

Two Volvo VNR electric trucks enter testing; Kenworth dealers taking orders for medium-duty battery-powered trucks; and reverse merger vote date set for startup Hyliion.

FreightWaves Director of Research Zack Strickland speaks with Associate Editor JP Hampstead about contracted freight.

Multi-month exemption will apply to groceries, livestock, and medical supplies.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, spot rates are climbing quickly across the country, and a specialized hauler thrives during COVID-19.

Bullish backdrop for trucking remains.

Truck driver Tim Philmon, along with millions of Americans, marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday by remembering the nearly 3,000 people who died that day.

Truck driver Christopher Sedrick Brown pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 132 kilograms (292 pounds) of marijuana.

Suppliers face noncompliance fines of 3% of cost of goods.

Amazon is pushing the envelope on fast delivery, increasingly replacing long-haul trucking with air transport. A new report shows how the retail giant is expanding its Air wing to do that.

FreightTech veteran Travis Rhyan has been appointed to head FreightWaves Media.

As prosecutors rack up guilty pleas in 2019 case, more coke crosses via ship from South America to Europe in 2020.

Ro-ro vessel remains on its side awaiting dismantling and removal off the Georgia coast.

TRATON parent Volkswagen AG will cover the cost of the additional $700 million offer for Navistar, and it’s willing to go higher. How much will it take to close a deal?

J.B. Hunt’s Shelley Simpson joins the show to talk about leadership, electric fleets, 9/11, more. Plus a full breakdown of the Nikola report.

Last-mile logistics company USPack continued its mostly under-the-radar consolidation of its segment by acquiring Toledo, Ohio-based Freight Rite, a regional business-to-consumer delivery provider.

Iowa transportation company Travero plans to open a multimodal cross-dock operation by next September.

A global, end-to-end visibility solution for rail, air and trucking

“Depressed railcar demand” and the need to cut costs factored into the manufacturer’s decision.

But overall outlook that S&P and Moody’s see for the telematics company is positive as a result of the purchase

New medicines and life science products are more valuable and temperature-sensitive than before, requiring special storage and transportation conditions. Will there be enough of this infrastructure to handle a COVID vaccine?

Carriers are rejecting as much freight now than at any point in the past three years. Spot rates poised to break $3/mile on a national level.

Whether or not President Donald Trump’s optimism about an October surprise comes to fruition, there could be an approved coronavirus vaccine next year. A giant flotilla of all-cargo planes will be deployed to deliver the medicine around the world, but airlines are already short of capacity and there isn’t yet enough refrigerated infrastructure to safely store that much vaccine. Airlines are issuing a call to action.

A Colorado county has paved the way for the construction of a 620-acre rail-served industrial park in the greater Denver area.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, a short seller has laid out a blistering report on Nikola; plus, Trimble has announced layoffs within its transportation business and HOS changes could impact safety.

More than 20 years of investment and dedication to the U.S. wind energy industry pays off for Anderson Trucking Service even during the worst of times.

Canadian border officers arrested a truck driver after finding over $10 million worth of suspected cocaine during an inspection of a tractor-trailer coming from the United States.

In August, Mexico’s production of heavy-duty vehicles was 12,592 units, a decrease of 30% compared to the same period in 2019.

Inside Uber Freight’s latest plans, plus economics, trucking, ocean and more.

USPack building last-mile scale through acquisitions.

Retailer Meijer has worked with FourKites to develop a new product that tracks shipments based on the purchase order associated with the shipment.

Listen in to this candid story based interview between FreightWaves’ President George Abernathy and Greg Sanders, CEO, RDS Logistics Group

Shipping line works with APM Terminals Mobile, the Alabama State Port Authority and Team Rubicon to get 36,000 pounds of needed goods to the people of Louisiana.

New ocean container floor design developed and tested by the Institute of International Container Lessors over the past 10 years reduces wood use by up to 45%.

Reliance Partners’ Joe Schreiner explains that elevated CSA scores limit the markets available to you. Drivers and carriers alike can take steps to clean up their scores and help keep their premiums lower.

Hindenburg Research, which makes money betting against companies with high stock prices, issued a blistering takedown of Nikola, alleging massive fraud by founder Trevor Milton. Nikola says the report is trying to manipulate its stock.

Executive moves over from supply chain COO role.

Trimble’s (NASDAQ: TRMB) transportation group has laid off an undisclosed number of employees amid ongoing challenges tied to the coronavirus pandemic, new business strategies and the company’s electronic logging device […]

Doug Hoehn said that during the height of COVID-19, location tracking was a necessity.

CEO Tim Hindes also talks about race and the trucking industry.

Landstar System raises earnings outlook on higher truck volumes and pricing improvements. New third-quarter expectations are 25% higher than the midpoint of the previous guidance range.

The shift to 5G technology will bring challenges that require companies to enhance the skills of their network managers.

In a new report, Commodity Futures Trading Commission calls for using market and regulatory forces to alter behavior.

Just over a month after a massive explosion killed nearly 200 people, Lebanon’s capital city again filled with choking smoke

John Hagi of AIT Worldwide Logistics addresses the large integrators’ efforts to shift away from shipping heavy, bulky packages.

Carriers may not be able to eliminate risk, but they can minimize it with a strong and consistent driver training program.

Tightening truckload and intermodal markets have carriers expecting the hot freight market to carry forward. One carrier is calling for large rate increases in 2021.

COVID-19 could dramatically push up wage rates.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, a startup believes it has a solution for fleets with equipment and freight but no drivers. Plus, ArcBest reports improving results, Roadcheck kicks off, and the inside story of how General Motors and Nikola Corp. became partners.

Critics see a FMCSA proposal as extension of driver workday.

Canadian supply chain software provider Descartes Systems Group reports increase in profits and sales in the second quarter as the company eyes acquisition opportunities

Marrying video with Omnitracs telematics system the driving force behind one of the biggest acquisitions in company’s history

YRC Worldwide reported trends worse than its competitors for the first two months of the third quarter. Recent postings show the carrier is moving forward on its turnaround by rationalizing its terminal network.

U.S. intermodal traffic continues upward trend; separately, Kansas City Southern reportedly rejects takeover bid.

After creating about 50 millionaires on paper a couple of weeks earlier, Nikola founder Trevor Milton gives another million shares of his personal holdings to 350 employees.

Information sharing is part of Executive Director Gene Seroka’s quest for more efficient operations.

$305 billion, five-year FAST Act is set to expire Sept. 30.

Some U.S. importers worry the Trump administration’s actions could lead to new tariffs or other restrictions.

Hurricane Laura quickly left the nation’s media radar. That’s a problem for survivors and relief workers.

There are plenty of options available for commercial vans, and each fleet will have its own requirements, but there aren’t many options that provide the all-around value the Ford Transit does.

U.S. importers now paying three times more per mile than Europeans for transport of Chinese goods.

On-time deliveries are more complex than knowing exactly when a container will arrive at a port.

Against the backdrop of a tough third quarter when key businesses posted losses, Navistar looks ahead to building electric trucks on the same assembly line with diesel models at a new plant in Texas.

Amazon has outsourced aircraft operations again to long-standing vendor Air Transport Services Group. But Amazon is diversifying how it operates, adding an owned aircraft to its fleet.

Mexican cartels are using more commercial trucks to smuggle drugs across the border, CBP acting commissioner says.

On the whole, deregulation of transportation is beneficial to the economy.

Foreign-flagged tanker receives 225 metric tonnes of LNG at the Talleyrand Marine Terminal in Jacksonville, Florida.

Increases go into effect Oct. 18.

“Look, Mom, no seats!” That’s Korean Air saying it’s flying a passenger plane with the seats removed because it can make more money putting cargo on the floor.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual International Roadcheck set for Sept. 9-11 will focus on driver requirements.

The railroad didn’t say where the layoffs occurred, but they affect union and management employees across the 23-state network.

ArcBest’s results for the first two months of the third quarter confirm recent positive updates provided by other less-than-truckload carriers.

Canadian trucking and logistics firm TFI International buys U.S. bulk carrier CCC Transportation, its third acquisition from bankrupt Comcar Industries.

Walmart partners with drone delivery company Flytrex to deliver select items from its stores.

Former General Motors Vice Chairman Steve Girsky, who led startup truck maker Nikola to its public debut in June, earlier suggested to GM that its battery and fuel cell technology could create value for both companies.

Video-tech company that has been expanding will now be part of Omnitracs

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, General Motors and Nikola Corp. strike a deal for fuel cells; diesel engines are a big winner from the fallout of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal; and trucking’s exemption from AB5 could be at risk.

Tech startup Haul connects fleets with on-demand drivers to operate their trucks.

CBP’s Virtual Trade Week symposium kicked off Tuesday with a panel on the advantages of United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The OEMs and IoT provider will explore telematics solutions aimed at improving fleet safety and efficiency.

Deutsche Bank’s Amit Mehrotra becomes increasingly bullish on the future of trucking. The analyst is forecasting earnings growth at the publicly traded carriers much higher than that of his peers.

Will the Nikola-GM partnership kick the Badger into high gear? Plus, air freight, trucking and today’s market news.

Kevin and I are joined again by Ben Gordon, Managing Partner and CEO, Cambridge Capital and BGSA, to discuss the importance of the Nikola-GM partnership. We also debate whether there […]

Competitors in ELDs now allied across platforms

After decades of safety improvements, a deadly stretch of casualties for ocean shipping.

ArcBest, Crane Worldwide, Fullen Dock & Warehouse, Grupo TMM, Premier Manufacturing, Southeastern Freight and United Airlines announce promotions and hires.

Smith Transport driver says managers retaliated after he made a complaint, fired him on a trumped-up charge

General Motors is putting its battery and fuel cell expertise to work for startup electric truck maker Nikola in exchange for an 11% ownership stake worth $2 billion.

Building a blueprint for a safety-first trucking fleet requires flexibility, but it also requires the right tools. A new on-demand safety course looks to arm fleets with those tools.

Illinois-based hardware giant joins The Home Depot and Walmart as U.S. retail companies betting big on Mexico’s home improvement market.

Carriers can control data shared with third-party brokerages and monitor how frequently they use it.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) will become an 11% owner of electric truck startup Nikola Motors Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) and build the battery-electric Badger pickup as well as providing the […]

Carrier invoice disputes becoming a thing of the past after Walmart Canada deploys DLT Labs’ blockchain freight payment platform.

Scopelitis take: Signs of skepticism about the earlier injunction were heard from two out of three judges

Is hydrogen or renewable natural gas the better path to powering emission-free battery-electric trucking? Hyliion is all-in on its RNG-fueled generator to make electricity. Nikola’s hydrogen-backing founder predicts its rival will fail if it sticks to fossil fuel.

The Class I railroads update agencies on service issues; shippers use the opportunity to ask for data collection on first-mile and last-mile movements.

VW settlement money is helping fleets replace polluting vehicles with cleaner equipment, but so far most of the money is invested in diesel, not electrification.

Load volumes continue to increase week-over-week like clockwork.

Contentious deal with former CEO is settled, allowing the sale of CCC

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: FedEx Logistics expands in El Paso, Texas; Stanley Black and Decker picks Mexico for new plant; Grupo TMM appoints new CEO; CBP officers seize $4 million worth of narcotics.

Companies that need to move goods by air will need to increase their transportation budgets to get through the fourth quarter as low capacity ignites airfreight prices.