News

Hurricane Florence bears down on the Carolinas. Freight markets are reacting before the first rain drops have fallen.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for all the state’s counties earlier today due to the threat of heavy rainfall and windy conditions.

Goldman Sachs issued a report last week highlighting the risks to incumbent brokerages’ margins and market shares, with useful information about the brokerage landscape and recent developments in VC funding that have powered new entrants.

We look at average annual growth rate and ton-miles by freight mode in our latest infographic.

U.S. coal shippers face hiccups as one of the largest export facilities offline during Florence.

Some expected impacts include prolonged power outages and potential reductions in refined product supply in the Northeast, according to a S&P Global Platts report.

Bulk trailers, including walking floor and end dumps, are commonly used for cleanup following hurricanes. The timing of Florence could create a capacity issue in the southeast for ag products as owners of these types of trailers shift to cleanup efforts.

At the time of Riskpulse’s webinar, the center of Florence was 530 miles southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, the current projected area of landfall.

RTS is injecting technology into the archaic garbage industry processes, helping bring visibility and transparency into waste disposal and recycling.

FEMA stands ready to address the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has now issued a “Regional Emergency Declaration” for 13 states and the District of Columbia as the southeast braces for the historic storm.

Fourth largest container port on U.S. East Coast will assess conditions on Sunday for restart.

Models predicting Hurricane Florence’s track are shifting the storm southward after it makes landfall, where it will hug the South Carolina coast and unleash extreme rainfall on the Carolinas.

“You have to have the human touch. It’s not robots. How do we take data and take the digital world and do something meaningful with it, do something human with it,” says Keith Mader, VP of analytics.

Data on producer prices shows that overall inflation pressure eased further in the 3rd quarter, declining for the first time in 18 months.  Trucking prices also calmed during the month, as big declines in long-distance trucking and LTL rates offset rising rates among local carriers.

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland sends a letter to Congress today, F1 inspires air taxi development, and more in Today’s Pickup.

The improved efficiencies aimed at dispatchers and billing departments, should prove a boon for drivers too, and therefore is another shot at increased driver retention.

A lack of crews and a slowdown in system operations is squeezing intermodal capacity and shutting off an alternative for those looking to move away from trucks.

FreightWaves spoke to Bill Rinna, Director of Americas Vehicle Forecasts for LMC Automotive to learn more about the threat Hurricane Florence poses to the auto industry.

It’s a good time for 3PLs when capacity is tight and supply chains are speeding up.

The move could lead to further consolidation in the container leasing business.

Most of the gains that helped customers came in the first 25 years after the Staggers Act that deregulated the system. Since then, the gains have not been in service.

The North Carolina and South Carolina port authorities will close their marine terminals to truck and vessel traffic Thursday and Friday.

More input should be added to the mix before legislation is fully cooked.

United States Maritime Alliance says six-year pact “will ensure continued labor peace in our ports.”

Transportation stocks show gains ahead of Florence’s landfall

Storm surge and hurricane watches and warnings remain in effect for parts of the U.S. east coast and have been extended to cover considerably more ground.

We cover Old Dominion’s latest operating metrics in our latest infographic.

Storm expected to impact third and fourth busiest container ports on U.S. East Coast.

With all the talk of the impact from Hurricane Florence as she comes ashore, likely in the Wilmington, NC, area on Thursday, much of the impact will take place for days and even weeks after the storm is long gone.

Ripe.io provides enterprise blockchain technology for the food and agriculture industry in an effort to create greater trust and transparency between food producers, contributors and consumers.

Hurricane Florence has intensified over the last 24 hours Riskpulse’s Chief Meteorologist, Jon Davis, and its Senior Weather Analyst Mark Russo explained in a webinar on Tuesday.

Bowser said she anticipates heavy rain, strong winds and potential power outages across D.C.

U.S. job openings rose in July to a new record, adding to signs of labor-market tightness that may push wages higher. Within the transportation and logistics sector, openings continue to outpace hiring as businesses are finding considerable difficulty trying to fill positions.

Storm surge and hurricane watches remain in effect for parts of the U.S. east coast, from Edisto Beach, South Carolina northward to the North Carolina-Virginia border.

Hurricane season brings an increased risk to transportation energy in the United States, both from a supply and price perspective.

A year later, nothing has changed. The hurricanes keep coming on strong. But the stubborn, antiquated, protectionist law, won’t go away. It’s like a bad dream all over again.

As Hurricane Florence nears the East Coast, and several named storms threaten other U.S. states and interests, ALAN is mobilizing for action – and encouraging industry businesses to do the same.

Acting chairman asserts proposed rule is designed to “get us back into the navigation channel of longstanding precedent.”

Hurricane season brings an increased risk to transportation energy in the United States, both from a supply and price perspective. FreightWaves spoke with Brett Wetzel, senior manager of applied knowledge for Breakthrough to understand the broader impact of Hurricane Florence.

Freight Management Inc. (FMI), a certified veteran-owned and family-run technology- leveraged third-party logistics (3PL) provider, recently became a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …There may never be a better time to replace your current truck, and while It may not be a new one, a low mileage, high-quality used truck could also provide a big tax benefit.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 130 mph with higher gusts. Florence is still a category 4 hurricane, and some re-strengthening is expected.

The Freight Movement is in partnership with Arrive Logistics …In many ways, truckers are quietly excluded from the comfortable, modern lives that they make possible for us. As David Rivers found out, “Until you experience it, you don’t realize how significant the sacrifices are that drivers make.”

This is all part of the startup’s mission to help independent ecommerce businesses battle giants like Amazon.

American Logistics Aid Network launches web page providing updates on transportation and supply chain conditions in impacted areas.

Shippers can leverage operational metrics from the mandatory devices, says Descartes Systems Group.

Robust demand growth has carriers scrambling to get enough trucks on the road, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence.

Forecasters are suggesting that Florence could be a Category 5 storm by Tuesday AM

Third-largest container port on East Coast will close operations ahead of Florence’s expected landfall.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 140 mph with higher gusts, and Florence is now a category 4 hurricane and expected to worsen.

FreightWaves spoke with the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) to learn how drivers can use their resources to help ahead of Hurricane Florence.

Freight forwarding giant needed easy way to transmit container weight data.

One year after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan SELF DRIVE Act, House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders called on the Senate to advance automated vehicle legislation.

Both FTR Research and ACT reported all-time high monthly numbers in August. We highlight them in our latest infogrpahic.

Probably to no great surprise to attendees in the room, American Trucking Associations’ Chief Economist Bob Costello painted a very positive picture of the current and near-term freight environment during the ATA’s 2nd Annual Economic Summit last week in Washington, DC.

A Maersk vessel will be first involved in massive clean-up effort.

The orders suspend rules regarding everything from registration to length, width, weight, load and HOS.

Latest update from the National Hurricane Center sees the storm reaching major hurricane status later today.

Higher sales netted increased volumes, but the bottom line was hit by higher fuel costs and lower freight rates.

As the residents on the East Coast prepare for the potential of the largest storm to hit the coast in two decades, logistics professionals should prepare for the disruption it will mean to their networks

The truckload carrier is offering the Full Ride program to both recruit new drivers and retain the ones they have, paying full tuition at online Ashford.

Container carriers have tried integrating ocean and overland transportation before; it may have a better chance to catch on now thanks to supply chain technology advances.

A device designed to remove plastic debris from the sea left San Francisco on Saturday.

Retail giant launching ad campaign as it looks to add to its workforce of some 7,500 drivers.

The votes are being counted in the first contested election in 18 years.

Container throughput at the Southern California port slid another 1.9 percent year-over-year in August after falling 4.4 percent in July.

As the residents on the East Coast prepare for the potential of the largest storm to hit the coast in two decades, logistics professionals should prepare for the disruption it will mean to their networks

The North Carolina coast is especially vulnerable to hurricanes. FreightWaves spoke to executives at Lync America, a Chattanooga-based freight brokerage, about the trucking activity they’re seeing related to disaster preparedness.

Air freight prices continued to rise this week as capacity tightened, ushering in the beginning of peak season, according to a STIFEL conference call focused on TAC Index’s role in air cargo market intelligence.

Truckers are not singing the blues in Memphis (except on Beale Street): It’s currently the number one headhaul market in the U.S.

A new piece of legislation means that such declarations by the governor won’t be necessary to ease weight limits in the future.

While many in the brick-and-mortar retail businesses applaud the decision as an effort to even the playing field between online and traditional retail, others are concerned with the negative effects the decision is sure to have on small online businesses.

America is taking a week to celebrate its truckers: it’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Thank you, drivers, for all that you do to keep our country moving despite all the obstacles in your way.

Second busiest port in U.S. sees volumes slide from year ago.

Recreational drug use and a new wave of executive departures sent Tesla equity and debt tumbling. Meanwhile, a class action lawsuit filed by short sellers alleges that Musk artificially manipulated Tesla stock by issuing false and misleading information.

A look at drunk driving’s impact on the trucking industry.

Andrew Silver, freight prodigy, is running the hottest brokerage in Chicago, K & L Freight doubles down on data analytics and financial services, Autonomous vehicles, crowdsourcing, drones and even humans are all seeking a place at the last-mile table, BNSF intermodal facility on hold as Port of Los Angeles and City ponder next move. JP and Chad discuss all this and more on this week’s episode.

Amazon is scaling up its asset side on both last mile delivery and linehaul, pursuing a low-cost strategy of leased vehicles, independent contractors, and power-only deals with enterprise carriers.

Union representing 14,500 employees says new deal aims to bring stability and peace to US docks.

“It’s not just about cars and satellites and cereal,” says CEO Lou Rassey. “It’s about feeding and empowering the world with the things we make. That’s the heart of Fast Radius.”

Job growth continued its remarkable pace in August, and data on hourly earnings show that wage growth is advancing at the fastest pace in over nine years. Strength in the overall labor market continues to spill into the trucking industry, which added jobs for the 11th time in 12 months.

If you’re looking for help in bringing talent to your talent pool, we can help spread the word.

Delta bought a refinery to hedge its exposure to the jet fuel market, and now it wants some partners to help share the burden of other fuels.

Speaking at the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) 2nd Annual Economic Summit on Thursday in Washington, DC, ATA President & CEO Chris Spear touted the accomplishments of the association but told attendees now is not the time to become complacent.

Since June, 130 people have reported feeling ill after eating the cereal Kellogg (NYSE: K) recalled on June 14, 2018.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …If you help drivers identify necessary alternate routes ahead of time you make drivers safer, and you make drivers happy. And if drivers are happy, everybody’s happy.

Union says the deal will “bring generous pay increases, landmark protections against job-killing fully automated ports and labor peace and stability.”

Which jobs in the trucking industry are most at risk to autonomous trucking, and what can we do to prepare?

In today’s pickup: J.B. Hunt and marijuana testing; a court case about something that doesn’t exist; another FMCSA listening session

Mode’s relations with asset-based firms will be critical for its survival, says ex-Hub Group principal Brian Bowers.

Leadership of Canadian local recommends approval of five-year contract.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Check the Box campaign aims to educate package shippers about the risks and responsibilities with hazardous materials.

“Using an import container to go straight to your export customer without having to go back to the terminal is a refreshing advancement.”

DeLaney elected to board of directors, Rea joins executive group, Hernandez promoted and Herrera hired.

Logistics firms added another 20,200 jobs in August, bringing the year-to-date total to 112,800 new positions.

Ocean carriers and terminals have seen a boom in the fees they charge for container usage. But U.S. regulators are looking at the practice.

There’s a lot of freight that gets moved on a daily basis. We split it up by commodity.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth District sided with a truck manufacturer in a products-liability case claiming an alternative truck design would have prevented serious injuries obtained when a 19-year-old women crashed into the side of the vehicle.

J.B. Hunt has a zero tolerance policy toward testing positive for marijuana and uses hair testing to back it up. Will that hold up as legalization spreads?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act offers owner-operators more savings.