News

Lufthansa and Germany have agreed on a rescue plan for the airline, but the European Union wants to take a pound of flesh from the German carrier before allowing the deal to go through.

Mundi seeks to finance exporters by offering their clients the option to pay locally in 100 countries and 65 currencies.

Growing competition leads Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. to decide against selling medium-duty trucks in the U.S. and Canada after current inventory is sold. Parts and service pledged through 2028.

Listen to the podcast to hear a breakdown of the survey.

Operator of Staten Island terminal spurned by container giant is not giving up without a fight.

Coronavirus hit to Brazilian exports is a nightmare scenario for dry bulk — and cases in Brazil are mounting fast.

The intertwined economies of the U.S. and Mexico mean that trade will play a large role in the economic recovery of both nations from COVID-19-related shutdowns.

United Airlines’ new CEO is putting his stamp on the company right away with a new tteam to steer the company through the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Rates for ocean transport of propane could surge if the worst of the coronavirus crisis is past.

Canadian supply chain software provider posts a 51% increase in net income, but says it will reduce its global workforce by 5% in the face of economic uncertainty

The coronavirus isn’t slowing down UPS Airlines. It’s continuing with a major fleet expansion and new routes because of e-commerce trends.

Despite U.S. rail traffic remaining sharply lower on a year-over-year basis, rail volumes for commodities such as grain and motor vehicles and parts helped to push volumes higher on a week-to-week basis.

The numbers game is intensifying as falling used truck prices and swelling inventories persuade fleets to hang on to younger equipment until they can break even.

For specialized industries such as health care and aerospace, the stakes of supply chain interruptions and service failures have never been higher.

As the first recipients face the end of the Paycheck Protection Program, the Small Business Administration has issued long-sought guidance on the program, including information on forgiveness.

APL England escorted to Port of Brisbane after 40 containers are lost and nearly 75 others are damaged

“Crew changes cannot be postponed indefinitely,” warned the world’s largest maritime and air transport organizations.

The courier and less-than-truckload subsidiary of Canada’s postal carrier had a decent first quarter considering the impacts of COVID-19 and C$1 billion expansion of its network.

Love’s faces opposition in Arizona; ODFL likely to get tax breaks in Ohio.

Increases in beef and chicken inventories are in contrast with reported meat shortages. The rise in inventory bodes well for the already burgeoning cold storage sector.

Zach Strickland expands on capacity tightening nationally in the Carrier Update presented by PowerFleet, Luke Falasca talks to brokers about what areas of the Northeast are showing signs of tighter […]

Tropical Storm Bertha could flood parts of the Southeast Wednesday into early Thursday.

Amazon is looking to acquire self-driving technology startup Zoox, with talks being underway between the two companies.

The retail apparel sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how international trade, supply chains and tariffs complicate things further.

The 2020 International Trade Impact and Outlook survey from DHL compiled responses from more than 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the U.S.

The Neurored platform connects health care organizations and government agencies with PPE sourcing and transportation experts

Canadian judge approves heavy-equipment hauler’s plans to operate under creditor protection as CEO urges U.S. bankruptcy court to recognize proceedings.

Expeditors International sees digital platform acquisition as key to advancing its less-than-truckload shipping platform.

Airlines like Air Canada are raising private capital through various means, while also seeking emergency government assistance.

Startup’s request to extend driving limit and workday gets broad pushback.

The Canadian government shifts from planes to ships to import larger volumes of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies for COVID-19 pandemic.

Airlines are in a no-win situation. They need money now to keep from going under but know that debt payments will make it more difficult to make ends meet in the years to come.

Authorities blame heavy seas off Australian coast for loss of medical supplies, household appliances and building materials

The bipartisan bill seeks to streamline the application process and lower the application costs for a loan program for short line and passenger railroads.

Zach Strickland expands on how Memorial Day weekend volumes are stronger than they were in 2019 during the Carrier Update presented by PowerFleet, and Mike Baudendistel discusses intermodal economics being […]

The direct mail segment accounted for 23% of USPS 2019 revenue, which is decreasing as a direct result of the pandemic.

Trucker Tools’ Book-it-Now and predictive freight matching tools will now be available to users of financial services firm OTR Capital. Plus, major markets showing volume gains, DC truck protestors could return, and driver pay increased in 2019.

Reefer drivers will need to be extra careful protecting temperature-sensitive loads in the West this week.

LATAM Airlines is looking for protection from creditors as it downsizes, something that all airlines are trying to figure out how to do in the face of a pandemic that has wiped out travel demand.

Program was for eight weeks, starting in April, setting up an end to some protection

The “Modernization of Cross-Border Trade” virtual summit is being hosted by Borderless Coverage and sponsored by Cargocast.

Trucking and crane services provider pursues interim financing and court approval to market its Canadian and U.S.-based subsidiaries while under creditor protection.

Lufthansa will temporarily become a German-state owned company again with a pending plan to give the airline billions of dollars in emergency aid to withstand the fallout from the coronavirus.

Making the transition from a freight broker to freight tech sales.

Leasing companies say a neutral chassis pool lacks incentive to invest the tens of millions of dollars each year to maintain viable chassis equipment.

Opponents of increasing size standards for trucks fear permanent changes post-pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic and declining coal volumes hit employee levels at freight and passenger rail companies.

Like many of you, I have been inconvenienced by COVID-19 throughout the last several weeks. But, as you know if you have been reading any of my mostly weekly posts, I have focused on being productive during this different time.

Over the past two weeks I have seen the plans and the strategies that the “best in class” carriers are putting in place for their business during recovery. The key takeaways for me were plenty, but it starts with the phenomenal job these fleets have already done. Their main mission of keeping their workforce healthy, and the supply chain secure, should be a roadmap for all businesses when re-opening. It starts with strong leadership, open communication, and a “do it now” philosophy when deploying critical resources.

How COVID-19 is changing Uber’s focus; diesel inventories rise tremendously; preparing your freight sales team to return to normal; and so much more!

The payments have two weeks down, with company in arrears on payments

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: CBP beefs up security at US-Mexico border; Kenworth restarts truck factory in Mexico; Love’s Travel Stops opens new location in Laredo; Port of Brownsville ranks third for “financial resilience.”

Imports of nondurable goods are outperforming durable goods imports this month, which may indicate warehouses are full of their durable counterparts due to lack of demand.

U.S. retailers face two options: selling at a discount in the domestic market or going online to sell globally.

New Orleans Public Belt Railroad brings on eight new engines, which will reduce the operation’s fuel consumption by 25% and emissions by 40%.

Dairy Max, Convoy team up to deliver fresh milk to food banks in Texas with plans to expand in other states

“The Impacts of COVID-19 on the United States, Mexico, and Canada Cross-border movements” webinar was presented by the Transportation Intermediaries Association.

The trucking market continues to heat up.

Car rental giant Hertz files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after failing to reach an agreement with creditors; blames COVID-19 pandemic for economic freefall

Ontario-based Joseph Haulage buys Bergland Transport to build on its growing business serving agriculture and food sectors.

$26.5 million ‘nuclear verdict’ stands in fatal road-rage crash in Oregon

Fewer sailings will be canceled starting in July but that won’t help restock shelves in June.

Kuehne + Nagel’s Bill Rooney takes aim at RFQs and bunker surcharges in remarks to Agriculture Transportation Coalition

On today’s Memorial Day weekend episode, we talk about broker margins coming in weak, Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25, woeful auto cybersecurity, and can supply chains cause allergies?

(Updated May 25, 2020, 8:10 P.M. ET, with news about Emirates.) Air France-KLM Group (FP: AF) said it has permanently eliminated double-deck Airbus A380 aircraft from its fleet, joining other […]

Ship calls and volume expected to pick up in July, officials from South Carolina and New York/New Jersey ports tell the Agriculture Transportation Coalition

A new rule adopted by the Surface Transportation Board, effective July 20, calls for the Class I railroads to report when railcars designated for chemicals or plastics are held for longer than two days.

Canceled shipments hurt carriers as much as blanked sailings sting customers, says Hamburg Süd’s president for North America

Plus: Unions see opportunities to organize Amazon workers

Data shows an industry that struggled, like the rest of the trucking market

Fleet Advantage offers book value cash and leasebacks to help trucking companies weather the economic crisis while banking on selling them new trucks down the road.

Pennsylvania Turnpike cites surge in e-commerce as a factor.

Quick action sets the bar for terminal operators across the country, says Agriculture Transportation Coalition chief

One of the big innovations for passenger airlines during the coronavirus era is using their planes as dedicated cargo haulers. Cargo 2.0 was putting boxes in storage bins and other seats. Cargo 3.0 is cargo on seats.

Putting on a virtual event is a complex and difficult process. FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller provides an overview of what went into putting on the recent FreightWaves LIVE @HOME, a three-day virtual event that raised the bar.

Panel of importers and exporters will advise the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission on policies of competitiveness, reliability, integrity and fairness in ocean shipping.

Also on this week’s show: the tremendous rise in diesel inventories.

This week the carriers gain some pricing power on the back of surging volumes. Tender rejections are beginning to show signs of life and spot rates are up in most markets.

Pharmaceutical supply chains are becoming increasingly complex as the path from production to consumption isn’t as linear as one may think.

As car manufacturers resume production, the trickle-down effect may breathe new life into the hard-hit auto hauling industry.

Lineage Logistics’ bid for food service distributor Maines expected to save 850 jobs.

Port of LA chief promotes nationwide port optimization system to enhance visibility and improve execution

Ford reopens Dearborn and Chicago facilities; U.S. GDP predicted to slide by 40% in three months to June; Target saw sales rise by 10.8% last quarter.

Digital freight matching has pushed the industry to adapt.

Abduvosit Razikov, chief executive of DM World, who was individually named in the breach-of-contract lawsuit, isn’t new to the trucking industry, having started at least four companies in Florida since 2008.

U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner Rebecca Dye said Fact Finding 29’s work will help the American ocean shipping industry better prepare the supply chain for the post-virus economic recovery.

Late season snowfall may slow down truckers this weekend heading through Northwest mountains.

At least two governments, Australia and New Zealand, are helping to correct distortions in the airfreight market.

The Class I railroads are hoping that the restart of U.S. automotive production will be one of the first significant steps towards growing rail volumes. Automakers are resuming production as weekly U.S. carloads tumble 30% year-over-year, the widest decline since 1988.

The word of the day: deep clean. Except for picking up trash, cleaning airplanes before the coronavirus happened mostly after a long day of flying. Now cleanliness is a top priority. Planes and terminals are being cleaned throughout the day, and much more thoroughly.

FourKites has announced several new features, including paperless document transfer and communication tools, to enhance worker safety, improve shipment tracking, and speed payment processes.

The most recent court filings are part of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware hearings for trucking company Celadon Group, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 9.

Expanded services come as the coronavirus outbreak accelerates demand for e-commerce fulfillment

Funds from the Paycheck Protection Program has allowed some fleets to remain in business despite low rates, but as the program ends, some companies may not survive and capacity will tighten as a result and rates will rise.

Agriculture Transportation Coalition hears pandemic’s effect on global movement of goods

TravelCenters of America is focusing on franchise growth to close the gap in travel center locations with its larger competitors Pilot Co. and Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores.

Tanker owners increasingly point to upside to come after floating storage unloads.

The fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021 might be when the intermodal sector will see some volume growth. But truck capacity, fuel pricing and pandemic uncertainties make a recovery hard to pin down.

Fleet management solutions provider also raises $400 million in equity to help sustain operations during coronavirus downturn

One manufacturer’s decision to erase 10,000 Class 8 trucks from its build plan threw the industry into negative territory in April; experts expect scant improvement in May.