News

Uber Inc. has introduced Powerloop, an affiliate company to Uber Freight, which would rent out power-only trailers to carriers looking to grow their business and thereby ease the industry’s capacity crunch.

One quarter ago, their earnings were feared to have marked a peak. But there’s no signs of that reading the third quarter numbers.

The Trump administration suggested delaying the Jan. 1, 2020, implementation of a global regulation to lower the sulfur content in ship fuel, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Railroad sees better volumes in energy and other bulk freight, with road-to-rail opportunities coming next year.

The American Association of Port Authorities inducts officers; California businessman is sworn in; and longtime employee is promoted.

User trials are under way as the Chinese retailer opens its logistics network to consumers.

45 companies applied for a spot in the annual Innovators Pavilion at the FIA Futures & Options Expo, 15 finalists were chosen, 5 were selected by a panel of judges to present at the at FIA Innovator of the Year pitch competition, but only 1 came out on top.

Excess rain, record snowfall made North Dakota fields muddy last week. Crop damage not likely, but harvests will be delayed.

We pull public safety statistics from the ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card in our latest Infographic.

The CEO of Heartland defends the company’s strategy that saw a lot less revenue but a lot more in profits.

Flooding in central Texas has killed several people, washed away roads and homes. More rain will fall at times rest of the week.

FreightWaves is excited to announce that Mark Solomon, formerly the executive editor at DC Velocity, has joined our editorial team as Managing Editor of freight markets.

Continuing efforts to fight what he says are unfair trade practices, the administration of President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will pull out of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaty, which sets how much can be charged for international shipping.

Deal for Australian freight forwarder and customs broker to increase exposure to growing regional economy.

The FreightWaves Research Institute has announced the list of 55 voters who will be choosing the inaugural winners of the Freight.Tech 25 awards, and it’s who’s who of freight leaders.

The credit rating agency says that well-capitalized, risk-sharing joint ventures between incumbent automakers have the best chance of successfully bringing AV products to market safely and at scale.

Though blockchain is a technology with immense potential, there needs to be some commercial incentive for food supply chains to adopt it in its mainstream processes – the absence of which might let the technology remain constrained to pilot programs.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …A Canadian research team is trying to better understand factors that impact driver’s health, safety, and wellness.

Also in today’s issue: a beating shows the dangers to truckers, even off the road; an Indian company looks to disrupt that company’s trucking sector.

American Chemistry Council says retaliatory duties have erected a huge barrier to China’s growing markets.

A significant falloff in revenue went along with the rise in profitability as the operating ratio took a big leap forward.

Lithium is going to be in there, the industry wants cobalt out or lowered, and a few other metals are lining up to take its place in the next generation of batteries.

Load consolidation expertise, U.S. offshore markets coverage and Asia Pacific import business will “markedly enhance” networks.

Agency has 45 days to study changes planned by Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals.

Supply chain stakeholders use volume pricing rates when they need a spot quote for shipments that don’t fit within traditional LTL or truckload parameters.

A significant falloff in revenue went along with the rise in profitability as the operating ratio took a big leap forward.

Non-stop rain has flooded central parts of the Lone Star State, possibly responsible for four deaths. Bridges washed out, homes damaged, potential crop losses.

The number of trucks sold at auction climbed notably in September, and pricing trended lower. Model year 2015 trucks took a particularly hard hit thanks to higher volume and higher average mileage.

Which stops are preferred by truckers? We look at the 2018 King of the Road survey from Atlas Van Lines to find out.

Right now it’s actually not a dearth of coders that we face; it’s a dearth of people who possess the skills necessary to manage others, including one’s own self.

October of 2018 has been very different from the same month a year ago thus far. We have had 2 major hurricanes make landfall and the economy is still strong. So why does it seem so different?

VAYAVISION, an Israeli startup that works on providing raw data fusion and perception systems for autonomous vehicles has raised $8 million in seed financing, which it plans to invest in its productization process.

From on-demand trucking to blockchain, loadboards and freight matching, the list of companies bringing innovative technologies to the freight industry is growing by the day, which makes the 100 that have made the cut to be honored by the FreightWaves Research Institute as part of its inaugural Freight.Tech 100 all the more special.

SONAR’s signature index has a birthday; Ocean Network Express to lose $600M; oilfield service companies guide for tight margins in Q3; President Trump bails on coal industry incentives; pros and cons of blockchain in container shipping; spending 60,000 hours reverse-engineering a Tesla Model 3.

Housing starts fell more than expected in September, as the impact of Hurricane Florence caused a massive decline in construction activity in the South.  This put a damper on what would otherwise be a decent report and leaves some uncertainty about the underlying strength of one of the key components of freight demand.

The Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) is pleased to announce that BP, a global energy leader, has joined the organization.

Although some of its individual ORs were less than a year ago, the company said its 14-month record on OR is its best ever.

German logistics giant DB Schenker is partnering with what3words to help its customers optimize supply chains by specifying accurate pick-up and drop-off points through three-word addresses.

In Partnership with Arrive Logistics… we talk freight market data with executives from Arrive Logistics and ask them how they’re preparing to handle surging volumes in Q4 and beyond.

CSX beats estimates as coal volumes post strong gains, but increasing share in intermodal is the railroad’s next plan.

Linx Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, announced that it successfully sold its investment in Grammer Industries to Stellex Capital Management.

Move comes on the heels of last week’s rejection of a purchase offer from DSV.

Be mindful of new EU sanctions against chemical weapons proliferation as they relate to U.S. companies’ European branches and affiliates.

American Shipper webinar featuring experts from Schneider, Carrier Corp. and CLC Solutions begins at 2 p.m.

The White House has notified Congress, as required by the Trade Promotion Authority, to begin negotiations for three separate trade agreements.

Parcel and LTL shipping software provider SmartFreight is added to the growing portfolio.

Action could be reversed if negotiations with the Universal Postal Union are successful.

35 companies are being spotlighted in Venture Atlanta 2018, double the number of last year. These companies are already successful and making strides in a variety of venture and tech-related firms. Here’s a brief look at 10 of these companies, each of whom had a mere 5 minutes to pitch.

People in part of Mexico’s west coast are bracing for wind, life-threatening flooding, mudslides from Tropical Storm Tara.

It started with an open nomination period, and after culling through hundreds of submissions, the FreightWaves Research Institute has announced the inaugural Freight.Tech 100 companies.

The FMCSA took public comments on possible changes to the hours of service rules. We polled our own subscribers to get their thoughts on what changes they’d like to see.

Dave DeWalt has been a part of creating 17,000 jobs, $20 billion in shareholder value, $2 billion in revenue, and has 32 years in high tech.

Driver iQ’s third quarter recruitment and retention survey found that driver turnover costs the truckload industry over $10.6 billion per year, and over one-third of fleets surveyed expect turnover to increase or remain the same.

Santa Ana winds on Monday knocked out power across parts of California, killed one person, and continue to pose risk of spreading wildfires.

Despite an exceptionally strong year for trailer orders, Wabash National’s stock took a hit when the company guided downward for its Q3 results, blaming higher input costs and labor issues.

Industrial output continued to push ahead in September, signaling that one of the key drivers of freight demand remained solid at the end of the 3rd quarter. Production was restrained slightly by the impact from Hurricane Florence, but not enough to prevent growth in the sector from reaching a near 8-year high.

Electric bikes and scooters are dominating the transit scene in U.S. metropolitan areas, and residents are beginning to see them as less of a solution and more of nuisance. Groups representing livestock, bee and fish haulers have petitioned DOT to allow them to drive up to 15 hours each day.

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Go ahead, whack your tires. Are they properly inflated? Do you really know? The manual way of checking tire pressure may be costing your fleet money.

Groups representing livestock, bee and fish haulers in the nation have asked the Department of Transportation to extend their available driving time up to 15 hours a day, up from the current federally regulated 11 hours.

As e-bike sharing startups flush cities with bikes for rent at dirt cheap prices, city administrations need to take a look in and understand the impact an unregulated e-biking scene could have on its roads.

The reports by FTR and ACT showed the preliminary September numbers way above previous records.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee fired up over U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke’s proposal.

The latest on legislative, regulatory, administrative, and enforcement issues across the industry.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has extended for a fourth time the expiration deadlines of three general licenses involving U.S. business dealings in the oil and gas sector.

U.K. company’s customers will gain access to the CargoWise One integrated global logistics platform.

Arkansas-based motor carrier sees driver wages up 18%, but it aims to recoup those costs through new shipper contracts.

We look at data from ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card to see where the U.S. stands on its infrastructure upkeep.

To Hurricane Michael victims inland, relief seemed to come slower than to those on the coast. Situation improving as more supply chain routes able to reopen.

Retail activity eked out a meager gain for the second consecutive month, as a sharp decline in spending at restaurants weighed down the headline numbers. Retail conditions remain generally solid, however, as the sector looks poised for healthy growth to round out the year.

It’s not unusual for tropical systems to intensify quickly, but just how fast it will happen and to what level is still a challenge to forecasters.

Avancargo, a freight logistics startup from Argentina has on-boarded over 18,000 trucks on its platform and is helping them connect with shippers digitally.

FreightWaves improves watchlist functionality with new heat mapping feature as well as improves searching with new categories and search bar improvement.

In partnership with Trucker Tools…

BM recently announced that its food supply chain network, IBM Food Trust, has become generally available and is now open for any member of the food ecosystem to join. The network aims to improve food safety and reduce waste.

Truck drivers could get slowed down this week from snow and ice in the Southwest, heavy rain in Texas, and strong wind in southern California.

We spoke to Dave Dallas, CMO and President of Brokerage at SunteckTTS, about the addition of a brokerage centered on the West Coast.

Oil anxieties across the Middle East are ratcheting up. Waymo racks up 10 million test miles ahead of launching its robotaxi business. The US threatens to act over China’s online cost advantage on postal fees.

The city hopes to use its role as a landlord to help move truck traffic on to barges and to trains.

The Freight Movement is in partnership with Arrive Logistics …Arrive Logistics has partnered with freight analyst and economist Donald Broughton to teach shippers how to take advantage of freight flow trends to benefit their business.

The Indian trucking ecosystem suffers from a lack of visibility and transparency, which Vaahika is looking to address by digitizing logistics and creating a bridge between carriers and shippers.

In his preview of the railroads’ Q3 earnings reports, Susquehanna’s Bascome Majors set optimistic price targets but warned that P/E valuations are at historically high levels.

Freight rates and U.S. West Coast ports are still showing no sign of weakness in the wake of tariffs imposed on China.

Lawyer Carlos Rodriguez offers insight on Federal Maritime Commission and hours-of-service regulations and opportunities in e-commerce.

Shippers will pay a flat fee day and night to have containers picked up at Los Angeles and Long Beach container terminals.

TRAXENS expects to have 100,000 “smart containers” in use by the end of 2019.

Individuals knowing of a reason why an applicant should not receive a license should contact the Office of Transportation Intermediaries.

The Coast Guard found that Iraqi ports “failed to maintain effective anti-terrorism measures” and vessels require onboard security if they’re bound for the U.S.

Edge technology and infrastructure will play a key role in everything from autonomous, to final-mile delivery applications, to IoT solutions and smart cities as a whole.

Mike Roeth, executive director of NACFE, spoke last week at the Meritor/P.S.I. Fleet Technology Event, telling the audience that one of the lessons he learned from NACFE’s Run on Less program in 2016 was that drivers still have plenty of influence over fuel economy, despite technology advances.

Outbound tender volumes have shot up 26% out of the Savannah market as the Southeast deals with hurricane Michael

Long known for its automatic tire inflation system (ATIS), P.S.I. adding a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to its portfolio of solutions to help fleets more effectively manage tire maintenance.

Michigan-based asset-light logistics provider aims to boost western U.S. presence with latest acquisition.

These are the 10 strongest hurricanes ever recorded out of the Atlantic Ocean.

There’s no telling how long power restoration will take in the Florida Panhandle. The combination of State, county, and local crews isn’t enough. So, federal help is coming.

Barclays forecasts a drop in oil price; China is witnessing a historic fall in auto sales over stock market crash and U.S.-China trade war; banks are discussing on emergency financing to liquidate Sears.

Rail seems to be benefiting from higher diesel prices and capacity constraints with SONAR data suggesting more loads are shifting to intermodal in shorter lengths of haul.

Syfan Logistics, a third-party logistics and transportation company, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

FreightWaves is planning to add 260 jobs in Chattanooga and open new HQ

The major east-west highway was closed for less than 48 hours. The biggest impact on trucking may come in the next few weeks, when the crops normally hauled out of Georgia just aren’t there.