News

Amazon’s outsize presence in Seattle has yet to translate into a new wave of start-ups but that is expected to change as the tech giant’s relationship with the city enters a new phase and the region’s venture capital ecosystem matures.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: USX), announced a partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) this week to combat human trafficking.

The requirement is part of a package of amendments under the revised annex to the IMO’s FAL Convention adopted in 2016.

The fluctuating price of fuel makes it difficult for carriers and shippers to know the exact cost to move freight. Genesis Fuel is offering a way to pre-buy diesel at a set price, adding certainty to the cost for both parties.

Despite a 4.7 percent year-over-year decline in cargo movement, the port still recorded the second-busiest first quarter in its history.

People in the Great Plains just can’t catch a break. After a “bomb cyclone” in mid-March slammed parts of Colorado, the Dakotas and Nebraska with heavy snow and destructive record-breaking winds – knocking out electricity to hundreds of thousands of customers – another storm is on the way this week. For an April storm, it may become historic for some places.

The projects in Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Louisiana are part of the Class I railroad’s $2.9 billion capital investment budgeted for 2019.

Some benefits of blockchain that cut through the hype and change the game.

Inxeption introduces Zippy Freight, a new service that helps B2B merchants get shipping costs and complexity under control and obtain flexible logistics options.

ONE CEO Jeremy Nixon says the growing number of typhoons is “creating disruptions to vessels passing up and down within Asia.”

The auction of the terminals in the state of Pará to private operators netted $115.9 million and included leases ranging from 15 to 25 years, according to The Rio Times.

E-commerce has changed consumer buying habits, but it has also changed the supply chain for less-than-truckload carriers, who have had to adapt in various ways to keep pace.

Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) can’t succeed if the Class I railroads aren’t able to fold the shortline railroads into the new operating model, according to one of the early developers of the precision railroading model.

FreightWaves has chosen Predata, the predictive analytics company for geopolitical risk, to integrate data with FreightWaves’ SONAR.

Could this be the year ocean carriers get shippers to pay up? It may be if they want a ‘get-on-the-boat rate’ and not just a ‘paper rate.’

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is tapped to build the first U.S.-flag bulker for the Great Lakes trade in more than 35 years for Interlake Steamship Company. 

Labor, environment and affordable health care among the priorities laid out by Rep. Richard Neal in a letter to to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

The technology company will focus on appointment-making, track-and-trace, and eliminating paperwork.

Drewry’s white paper predicts, if the tariffs are imposed, a rush of U.S. imports of finished vehicles and auto parts in 2019 before declines in 2020 and 2021.

The successful talks will re-establish Peru’s forestry and wildlife supervision agency as an independent entity.

Keppel Offshore & Marine has secured a grant of up to $1.48 million for the vessel, which is expected to be finished in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Ashley Coker IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK A handful of trucking industry leaders will sit on the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. The committee will draft recommendations on […]

One to two feet of snow and 50-mph winds are heading to the Great Plains. It’ll be the second blizzard to hit the region in the past 30 days.

The Women in Trucking Association (WIT) received more than $30,000 in donations during its 10th annual Salute to Women Behind the Wheel ceremony.

Company expects to pass on lower costs to shippers.

Maersk Growth invests in Australian start-up, IncoDocs, that will automate the documentation process for small to medium trading companies.

Chemical hazmat shipments figure prominently on newly created committee within U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

sennder has raised investment to expand its digital freight markeplace footprint across Europe.

First ocean-faring vessel to port following-record breaking year brings 18,920 metric tons of unrefined sugar.

Hundreds of miles of critical freight rails once out of commission due to flooding are back in service.

The White House on Monday declared that an agreement to offer Cuban baseball players “a safe and legal path” to Major League Baseball teams is illegal.

Precision scheduled railroading (PSR) is the latest tactic railroads are using to improve their operations – and their images. Market voice Jim Blaze explores whether PSR is real or just marketing hype…

Brexit should reach a temporary resolution this week with an extension to Article 50 following the approval of the Cooper/Letwin bill that limits the Government’s ability to withdraw from the EU without a deal.

The committee is made up of 35 voting members representing surface transportation users and providers and 14 nonvoting members from federal departments and agencies.

Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) yesterday unveiled plans to invest US$505 million in capital projects along its U.S. corridor spanning from Wisconsin to Louisiana.

It’s time for your weekly fuel report. More information available exclusively for SONAR users.

The Monica Wooden Center for Supply Chain Management & Sustainability at the University of South Florida will help “keep the United States at the forefront of this industry.”

Isuzu with partners Supreme and Delivery Concepts have introduced a truck body designed for craft brewers, complete with taps. Plus, ports seek alternative fuels, concerns over fracking, and Walmart pressures suppliers.

The cranes, on order to Konecranes for about $1.9 million each, are expected to be delivered next year to the Port of Savannah.

Trucking companies using weigh station bypass services save more than $8.68 and five minutes each time their truck bypasses a truck weigh station, according to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration calculation. However, each system operates differently, meaning what works well for one fleet, be it large or small or somewhere in between, doesn’t automatically work for another. This new whitepaper reviews the following items to help trucking operations determine what type of system is best for them.

FreightWaves Radio’s seventh national show was broadcast on Saturday, April 6 on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Channel 146.

Mike Wilson and Don Stephen are tapped as chief executive officers and Neil Dursley is named chief commercial officer.

Truck Parking Europe displays more than 34,000 parking spaces across Europe, and has over a million downloads on its smartphone application.

Read why Insolar has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). BiTA is the largest blockchain alliance in the world; its members collectively generate over $1 trillion in revenue annually.

The two key new levies will be a percentage of wholesale prices, but with a floor tied to a particularly strong period in the diesel market.

The French shipping giant plans to delist CEVA from the Zurich Stock Exchange and set up an operational center in Marseilles.

There is no word yet on whether the Trump administration might appeal the ruling.

The Chicago-based freight brokerage is operating at a $100 million run rate.

CMPort said revenue grew by 16.9 percent and throughput climbed 6 percent year-over-year in 2018.

Outlook for U.S. container imports back to normal levels after 2018’s pre-tariff front loading, but with this administration, you never know.

The Iowa senator linked removal of steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico to a favorable congressional process of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The Hapag-Lloyd containership was verified as the source of tar balls located in a New York park, according to the Unified Command.

The USTR has listed for retaliation about 315 items, including agricultural products, apparel, ceramics, metals and kitchen goods.

Ashley Coker Several markets across the Midwest are experiencing climbing freight volumes, evidenced by jumps in FreightWaves’ SONAR’s Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) values. Cleveland, Indianapolis and Milwaukee saw some […]

Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has admitted that there was a fire that damaged some of its iron ore export facilities at the port of Dampier last weekend. This story also includes a production losses update, a current cyclone weather update and an iron ore market analysis.

Birmingham, Alabama-based McLeod Software has launched its new TopMatch technology, aimed at digitally pairing brokers and logistics providers with the best carriers to haul their freight.

Firms whose trucks operate in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan or New Brunswick face penalties if they fail to register with Canada’s federal tax agency.

The Surface Transportation Board wants to hear from shippers and the Class I railroads on whether the railroads should supply more rail performance data to the board.

Washington Auto Show policy discussion reveals states moving on electric and automated vehicles as feds struggle to keep up.

The last mile has become first priority.

Global air freight demand hit a three-year low in February, down 4.7 percent from last February, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)

A foot of snow or more plus hazardous winds heading to the nation’s heartland.

KeepTruckin has announced plans to launch a first-of-its-kind load-matching platform that uses data collected from its electronic logging devices, or ELDs, to help match small-business carriers with available freight.

Geotab, one of the world’s largest suppliers of sensors for commercial vehicles, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire BSM Technologies.

FreightWaves’ editorial and content staff has been honored with five regional American Society of Business Publication Editors’ (ASBPE) Azbee Awards of Excellence (Azbees).

Insurgent digital brokerage apps are increasing their share of downloads while load boards are largely stagnant.

SES Networks expects the greater capacity and more flexibility will offer fiber in the sky with its third generation Boeing-built satellites due for launch in 2021, reducing costs as well as improving satellite services.

Matilda is a smart transport hub that helps the elderly and the disabled people by providing real-time information on the schedules of their public transportation, mainly targeted at autonomous vehicles of the future.

Around the world, consumers are clamoring for more seafood. Read how airlines and airports are working to move more seafood more quickly around the world.

With new backing from Microsoft, start-up readies for technical and geographic expansion of optimization services for shipping assets.

Sabrewing Aircraft Company has developed an unmanned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo aircraft that is now closer to being a commercial reality, with it getting an order for 10 aircraft from the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI).

A snapshot of what the markets are doing this week.

Norfolk Southern’s (NYSE: NSC) chief marketing officer sought to assuage shippers’ concerns at a rail shippers’ conference on April 5, saying his company would engage with shippers and seek opportunities to grow capacity as NSC transitions to the precision scheduled railroading (PSR) operating model.

The industry’s hottest conference will only get hotter.

Monthly retail imports are expected to grow to nearly 2 million TEUs in August, which would be the most since October, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker.

EXCLUSIVE: a fire at the Port of Dampier has seriously damaged iron ore miner and exporter Rio Tinto’s facilities. Iron ore exports from Dampier are likely to be severely disrupted. Iron ore prices will come under pressure, sources say, adding that dry bulk rates will “fall through the floor”.

Lobbying group considering more legislation and White House action to stop threat to U.S. rail system.

The startup uses machine learning and AI to help ocean shipping companies optimize fleet performance and reduce fuel emissions.

Trips to Africa, Mexico and Austria are on the calendar this year.

Australia’s maritime officials are keeping a wary eye on the oceans around north west Australia as Cyclone Wallace menaces the Pilbara-region coastline. The harbour master for Port Walcott directed that the port be cleared. However, it was a narrow miss for iron ore export facility, Port Walcott, as the cyclone swerved away. And so the harbour master cancelled the direction to clear the port. Iron ore exports are, nonetheless, likely to disrupted. But it’s not over yet as, to the north east of Wallace, a “tropical low” is threatening to build up into a cyclone too.

The third annual survey by Drewry and ESC found shippers and freight forwarders were least satisfied with the clarity of prices and surcharges.

Shipping conglomerate looking to find its focus as other shipping companies have already focused on core businesses.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control added sanctions against two shipping companies and their vessel for transporting crude oil from Venezuela to Cuba.

To date, only three ports — Miami, Colombo and Hong Kong — have announced plans to form alliances.

Bertrand Schmoll is elected to board and Dean Milcos is promoted to CFO.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK Guest post by FreightWaves’ Chief Economisr Ibrahiim Bayaan Job growth rebounded nicely in March as employers added nearly 200,000 workers to payrolls during the month. This strength […]

President Trump named Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan as acting DHS secretary following the resignation of Kirstjen Nielsen.

A digital logistics startup that helps trucking companies automate workflow has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Goldcrest Capital and 8VC.

Acquisitions grew Daseke revenues from $30 million in 2009 to $1.6 billion in 2018 and enabled the firms it purchased to address succession planning and operational issues.

Capacity is still being added to the market. Truck orders numbers for both new and used models support this.

Down Under Trucking: a round-up of trucking news from Australia. Top news this week: revealed – how trucks have accidents in Australia; a new in-depth government inquiry into trucking and transport. And, finally, how one truck driver thought he was being pranked… but, in reality, he was winning BIG!

Also in this week’s report: an ExxonMobil recommendation might be problematic for truckers; paying somebody to take natural gas away

Thousands of miles of damaged roads in Iowa and Nebraska have dwindled to less than 150. Crews have been working hard to restore infrastructure after last month’s historic flooding.

Job growth rebounded nicely in March as employers added nearly 200,000 workers to payrolls during the month. This strength in hiring did not translate to the trucking industry however, where payrolls declined for the first time in nearly a year.

What the Truck is going on in all things freight this week? Weekly Market Update: Survey data shows upcoming improvement in manufacturing, softening service sector, U.S. rail volumes dip as carriers grapple with flooding impacts. War on Detention update: Specialty stores and electronic retail tops the list for longest dock times, And then on to the other big headlines of the week: ICONIQ Capital invests in Truckstop.com at $1B valuation, White House: Trump would let trucks cross Mexican border if it closes, Providence Equity buys GlobalTranz back from The Jordan Company after just 8 months, Stock stumbling, Lyft announces $50 million in transportation initiatives. 

Shipwell has introduced a digital loadboard for shippers and carriers, where shippers can bid on loads or instantly book shipments with a “book now” functionality.

This year, Brie Carere became the first woman to serve as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer (CMCO) at FedEx. Now, as CMCO and Executive Vice President, Carere is using her position to promote diversity and inclusion at FedEx.

The final-mile’s future lies with heavy goods

Ports operator Cosco Shipping Ports (CSP) (HKEX: 1199) has agreed to build a 254,000-square metre (2,690,978-square feet) logistics park in the city-agglomeration of Guangzhou, which has a regional population of at least 64 million people. Guangzhou is one of the world’s busiest box ports with a throughput in 2018 of 21.92 million twenty-foot container equivalents (TEU).

Plus: Chinese AV in Silicon Valley; a Singapore mall, Alibaba and Blockchain; Nigeria’s logistics disrupter