News

Ransomware could cripple our nation’s transportation infrastructure if firms don’t protect their data and demand more stringent security compliance.

Despite all the hype and promise of autonomous trucks, the professional driver is not going anywhere.

Western Star celebrated a production milestone the same week as parent Daimler Trucks elevated the off-highway truck segment for which the 53-year-old brand is best known.

Company responds to Senate hearing alleging spying and market distortion by China.

Each week, FreightWaves will release a short video highlighting the top moving markets around the country using our proprietary datasets. Included in this weekly update will be a combination of […]

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexican trucking officials discuss cross-border goals; CBP finds $590,000 of meth in shipment of stone items; Mexican automotive industry’s 2019 foreign investment: $3.9 billion; Helion targets car and heavy-duty truck dealers around Dallas.

A forum on dual-trailer trucks, to discuss the economic benefits and road safety, was held in Mexico’s Senate Wednesday through Friday.

The current talk on the Coronavirus has basically created a huge pause in the market. The fear of the unknown of this virus is only adding to the further unknowns the industry is tackling. The capacity of trucks seems to be dwindling with financial failures; carriers just quitting business; the low number of new units purchased in 2019 and on order now; plus the plummeting used truck values.

I have enjoyed my tenure as TCA Profitability Program (TPP) Retention Coach for many reasons but mostly as it has given me the opportunity to visit several trucking companies on both sides of the border. I genuinely love taking a brief look “under the hood” of these great companies and relish the opportunities in helping to reduce the driver turnover numbers. Helping to make a company successful gives me great deal of pride when drivers don’t have to go home and tell their families they no longer have a job.

Chart of the Week:  Outbound Tender Volume Index – USA  SONAR: OTVI.USA  People have been clearing store shelves in parts of the country as if they were preparing for a […]

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen wants freight and passenger railroads to temporarily alter their sick leave policies and provide stronger sanitizing materials.

Steel giant working to restore normal operations “as quickly as possible” as trucking companies report disruptions in freight from Canadian facility.

Former Texas DPS employee pleads guilty to role in issuing more than 200 fake CDLs over two-year period.

Volumes show signs of life.

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times,” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Had Charles Dickens been a trucker in 2019, it would have been highly likely that he would have truncated this famous sentence to “It was the worst of times.” The freight recession that started in early 2019 has unfortunately continued, and for many has gotten worse. Profits have been almost non-existent for carriers of all sizes, and for a large portion of the carrier population, the entire year of business ended with absolutely nothing to show for it, not to mention cash injections from owners.

With 60,000-plus members, Timber Unity seeks to quash greenhouse gas emissions regulations.

“Strawberries are a crop that doesn’t like heat.” Temperatures cracking 90 degrees have pretty much ended Florida’s strawberry growing season.

State’s monthly toll collections from trucks now exceeding $1.5 million.

OPEC recommended steep cuts and a Russian-led group balked.

Unprecedented uncertainty will likely delay annual contracts between shippers and ocean carriers.

The autonomous track inspection technology is mounted on a locomotive, allowing NS to inspect rail track in real time.

Trucking Freight Futures appeared to find their footing on Thursday amidst the return of mild to moderate volatility in freight rates.

Trucking company says the shutdown of the Saskatchewan facility from purported ransomware attack will have a “significant impact” on operations.

Snow, rain and wind may slow down truckers this weekend in some Eastern high-volume markets. Overall impacts should be manageable.

JAXPORT hosts seminar on the often misunderstood and misused International Commercial Terms.

Spin works with local governments to receive permits for using e-scooter shared mobility across city streets, rather than aggressive expansion by flouting city rules.

Good day, StradVision, an AI-based camera perception system, has announced it is developing animal detection capabilities for its SVNet software, which is used in advanced driver assist systems as well […]

Airfreight demand from China is still lower than normal this time of year, but it is finally picking up as the coronavirus scare gradually subsides. The new dynamic is reflected in higher cargo rates.

Profitability is the key to any business staying in business. In trucking it is harder than in many other businesses. Chris Henry explores the “trucking profitability paradox.”

The test in Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment will be the third between the Fish and Wildlife Service and relevant importers since May 2016.

An exclusive interview with SIA Flexitanks CEO Damien McClean on what’s happening right now with Chinese manufacturing, trucking and ports.

A panel of experts on the issue offers suggestions — but no easy fixes.

Jim Blaze writes about the outlook for intermodal rail in 2020.

Anthony Levandowski still faces criminal charges after federal prosecutors allege he stole secrets about Google’s self-driving arm.

Company accused of cheating its way into U.S. markets while posing a security threat

Slashed oil production is bad for tankers, but fallout for container ships hinges on price action.

The carriers gained pricing power this week as volumes jumped over 6%, capacity tightened slightly and spot rates increased across the country.

Will capacity tighten and raise rates, or will volumes evaporate and crash them again?

The city is at the center of the U.S. coronavirus epidemic, with 70 cases confirmed and 10 deaths.

It’s now possible for managers to virtually ride shotgun with their drivers—and that’s a good thing.

Group claims full-query requirement adding “millions of dollars” in production costs.

Companies have to work harder than ever to differentiate their offerings from all the other tools and applications flooding the market.

Calm continued as the Trucking Freight Futures markets ended Wednesday mixed to fractionally lower and the Atlanta to Philadelphia lane continued to strengthen.

The Eastern U.S. railroad moves its leaders to new positions as the railroad continues to roll out its operating model based on precision scheduled railroading.

Risk of rollovers as winds howl across the Midwest. Freight flow delays a good bet as the South gets soaked.

Spike in demand for household essentials; Chinese manufacturers suffer under virus attack; H&M opening up its supply chain.

In this week’s “Drilling Deep” podcast, host John Kingston sits down with Dave Heller of the Truckload Carriers Association at the TCA’s annual meeting in the Orlando, Florida, area. Dave […]

Airlines are taking it on the chin from the coronavirus. To balance revenues with expenses, airlines are cutting schedules. Lufthansa and United Airlines have taken cost-cutting even further.

“In 2020 both governments expect to implement low-cost, high-impact strategies to simplify customs and immigration screening and reduce wait times,” the U.S. State Department said.

Data Gumbo has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance. Learn about Data Gumbo’s services and what BiTA is doing to develop blockchain standards.

FreightWaves SONAR clients will have access to Truckstop.com rates

Excluding coal carloads, U.S. carloads in February fell only 0.8% from last year, according to the Association of American Railroads.

CarrierHQ introduces a new portal that helps owner-operators and small fleets gain authority in the market by providing them services to get started and run successful businesses.

Brian Aoaeh explores the vulnerability of supply chains in an interconnected world that is threatened by a potential pandemic.

From small, medium to large, Drone Delivery Canada has an automated flying machine for multiple transport applications.

El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, benefit from their proximity to Juarez, Mexico, “the king of maquiladoras.”

The robotic trucking company will expand its UPS runs to 20 trips per week and has added an extra run between Phoenix and El Paso, Texas.

At TCA meeting, agency administrator says FMCSA will need help acting on reports of cheating.

The logistics startup aims to improve delivery performance for construction industry.

CEO of Canadian logistics software provider says China’s surprise recovery may signal a better prognosis for supply chains around the world.

As fewer ships arrive from China, there’s less capacity and equipment for U.S. and European container exports.

Transportation and logistics software provider 3Gtms acquires cloud-based shipping software provider Pacejet.

Morgan Olson’s new Storm vehicles are purpose-built for last-mile delivery operations.

Isuzu continues to invest in its medium-duty truck lineup, adding two new gas engines for its Class 3-5 models, giving users more power choices.

Airlines continue adjusting their flight schedules and capacity to contain costs as traffic dries up due to the coronavirus scare.

Rather than talk about the proposed TRATON buyout of the company — the elephant in the room — Navistar executives unpacked reasons behind the disappointing first fiscal quarter they had predicted.

Orders for Mack Trucks new MD Series Class 6-7 trucks are starting off strong, company officials said, during the first public unveiling of the trucks at the Work Truck Show

After a wild couple of sessions, calmness returned to the Trucking Freight Futures markets on Tuesday.

Ram Commercial has added additional safety features to its ProMaster van as the company seeks to take marketshare in the van space.

In this episode, Zach Strickland looks at maritime import shipments in the Los Angeles, CA market, Luke Falasca discusses growth in the Spokane, WA market , and John Kingston returns […]

Tonnage headwinds and better yields are the story so far in 2020. Old Dominion Freight Line reports modest revenue decline.

The 2019 Protecting America’s Food and Agriculture Act provides funding to help Customs and Border Protection close a shortfall among its agriculture specialist ranks over the next three years.

Canadian National CEO JJ Ruest still expects the company will meet 2020 targets despite a significant hit from rail blockades.

Dangerous winds continue across Wyoming and Montana, increasing the risk of tractor-trailer blow-overs.

project44 has introduced the industry’s first carrier onboarding service level agreement (SLA) that promises shippers a significant reduction to their time-to-value.

The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has been active for nearly two months now, but many carriers and drivers remain confused on what steps they must take to comply.

Profits grew in the fourth quarter and full-year 2019 at ATSG as its leasing and airline subsidiaries both performed well.

Difficult quarter met expectations as truck maker weighs unsolicited buyout offer from TRATON SE that would assure Big Four manufacturers remain in North American trucking industry.

Cummins said that its B.67N natural gas engine has been certified at 0.02 NOx levels.

Already feeble orders of new tractors took another hit in February as uncertainty over the business impact of the coronavirus kept fleets out of the market.

The UN Human Rights Council has developed a database identifying companies that conduct business with Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Mercado Libre operates in more than a dozen countries. Its three largest markets are Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, which accounted for 63%, 19% and 13% of its gross billings, respectively, last quarter.

Darren Prokop writes about California’s AB 5 and its impact in California – and nationwide.

Ford has not released many details, or images yet, but starting with the 2022 model year, the Ford Transit van will be available with a fully electric powertrain.

By providing leases that include hydrogen and maintenance for its fuel cell electric trucks for seven years, Nikola projects it will generate $3 billion in revenue by 2024.

Tennessee governor declares state of emergency after deadly storms damage several neighborhoods.

FreightWaves LIVE heads north of the border Sept. 17!

Green delivery vehicle arms race heats up

Baltimore terminal reduces working hours; Georgia ports brace for volume dive

Customers and society are demanding more environmentally friendly vehicles, including electric, and manufacturers are trying to meet those demands with smart business decisions that meet the key imperative of any commercial vehicle: to make money.

Trucking Freight Futures remained under pressure on Monday, despite a rebound in the U.S. equities markets, as March becomes the new spot month.

CargoMetrics data reveals that Chinese port activity has recovered much faster than some had feared.

Matthew Taylor of Shintan Inc. was ordered by the U.S. Department of Justice to pay back $7.5 million in illicit tax credits obtained from the IRS.

A nuclear verdict was “the beginning of the end” for Arkansas-based RCX Solutions, which shuttered operations on March 2.

‘Strong sales’ in February are expected to continue through Easter. Disruptions to the company’s supply chain continue to be monitored.

In this episode, Zach Strickland looks at the Nashville and Denver markets, Donny Gilbert breaks down 1-week changes dry van tender rejections, and Andrew Cox talk about the slowing rate […]

Interstate 40 near Nashville is “still a mess.” Interstate 80 in Wyoming is not doing much better.

Making the 30-minute rest break more flexible is one of the proposed changes.

With the possibility of rail blockades fading, the railway is seeking to ramp up its eastern operations again after it had shut them down for roughly two weeks because of protests.

The travel and hospitality industries are getting battered by falling demand for their services as the coronavirus spreads. Less economic activity and aircraft capacity hurts shippers too, who can’t sell or ship as many goods.