News

The Danish shipping conglomerate cited the freight rate outlook for the rest of the year and high bunker fuel prices.

Survey data in both the manufacturing and service sectors signal that growth continued at a slightly slower pace at the start of the 3rd quarter. Concerns over tariffs, labor shortages, and freight capacity remain issues in the economy overall, and may have contributed to the moderation in growth.

XPO Logistics’ CFO Hardig resigns; Shanghai – Los Angeles container rates spike; watch heavy haulers move SpaceX rockets; Canadian National publishes its first annual ‘Grain Plan’; meet the teen who rides in a self-driving Waymo vehicle every morning.

Waymo is partnering with Valley Metro, a public transportation authority in Arizona, to shuttle people to and from public transportation stops via autonomous cars – thus planting its feet firmly in the race to put self-driving vehicles on the road.

MercuryGate International, Inc., a leading provider of transportation management system (TMS) solutions, announced today that the company has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance.

Sponsored by LaunchIt Public Relations…Kristy Knichel, CEO and president of Knichel Logistics, briefs readers on the biggest transportation trends to be on the lookout for in the coming years.

Tranzport, a logistics technology and services company, has announced it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

As separate brands the combined companies will complement each other but provide economies of scale.

Kellogg (NYSE: K) is the latest company to cite rising freight costs as a threat to profit margins in 2018, according to the Wall Street Journal. It also reported the far-reaching impacts of the trucking strike in Brazil in May 2018.

The United States’ deficit in goods and services trade climbed 7.4 percent in June after narrowing to its lowest level in 18 months in May.

The WCI surged 13.5 percent last week, while the SCFI grew 3.1 percent compared with the previous week.

Carriers are “desperate” to increase their fleets to keep up with demand, but supply is limited, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence.

Ocean carriers transported just under 14 million TEUs in June, a 1.3 percent increase from the same month a year ago.

The Class I railway benefited from increased volumes, higher average revenue per car/unit, a tight trucking market and a lower effective income tax rate.

“Canada remains disappointed with the final duty rates announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce,” says foreign affairs minister.

Alliance wants to ground FAA reauthorization bill provision it calls “dangerous” and “reckless.”

AAR senior VP says despite the continued strength of the U.S. economy, recent trade policy moves could have a negative impact on freight rail volumes.

The government insists it has the right to cancel concession contract.

The waiver granted by FMCSA covers the federal code governing truckers, but only for their activities involving aiding the efforts to fight western wildfires.

A team of former Nokia Research engineers has built a hardware-agnostic video telematics platform that is already being white-labeled by some of the most important telematics service providers.

Wall Street is in a panic over fears that the truckload sector has peaked. Wall Street is wrong. We break down the reasons using data from SONAR.

The price for cartons of lemons (sizes 95-115) at wholesale was $36 to $39 on June 1 and as of last Friday was $52 to $55.

YRC showed gains in most metrics, but not at the level of other LTL trucking carriers. That helped lead to a decline in the price of the stock.

Daseke purchased the Memphis-based steel and aluminum carrier for $53.8 million, including $3.4 million in Daseke stock. Builders Transportation reported an estimated $72.4 million in revenue and an estimated $9.7 million in Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing 12-month period ended June 2018.

As the market for IA technology grows, Slync is expanding and investing in its people to solve customer problems and meet demand.

Europe is witnessing a searing heatwave which has destroyed a chunk of its grain production, providing leeway for U.S. farmers to improve their export percentages this year.

In today’s pickup, CEOs on analysts calls don’t see a peak and see better driver retention for their companies. Also: OPEC output and a change in Chinese scrap policy.

Job growth fell short of expectations in the economy in July after robust hiring over the past several months. Labor market conditions remain tight, however, as the unemployment rate neared historic lows at the start of the 3rd quarter. Within trucking, hiring continued to improve a solid pace in July despite the moderating job growth in the overall economy.

After helping drivers out with automatic detention and its Power-Only program, Convoy has turned its attention to shippers, offering guaranteed, instantly bookable coverage of loads at realtime market rates.

So much for the summer doldrums. New truck orders, which typically take a dip in the summer months as both carriers and OEMs reset for the fall, hit a new all-time high in July, according to the latest data from ACT Research.

Collabrian Design and Technology, a provider of digital transformation solutions to the transportation and logistics industry, has become the newest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

The judgement pertained to a company policy that resulted in drivers who must temporarily move into non-driving roles for medical reasons being paid less than drivers making the same move for non-medical reasons.

The transportation industry continues to problem-solve the driver shortage, and carrier-created training programs are on the rise. One such program is offered by Holland, a regional carrier based in Holland, Michigan.

Drewry says economic fundamentals are likely to win out over tariffs and trade war fears.

Congestion, delays and bad weather created “a perfect storm” and led to $5.6 million net loss.

The multimodal transportation service provider plans to use proceeds from a potential sale toward new service lines, existing businesses and technology.

Hapag-Lloyd says inland transportation severely delayed because of extreme conditions.

Revenues growth of 17.7 percent attributed to yield improvement, higher shipments and tonnage, and increased fuel surcharge revenues.

The purchase of Panatlantic Logistic builds on two acquisitions in the sector last year.

Growth in North America attributed to higher fuel prices, lack of truck capacity and strong economic performance.

The purchase price for the flatbed carrier specializing in the transport of steel, aluminum and other metal products was $53.8 million.

The UPS Store will pack and send furniture and decor sold through online marketplace.

The Italian port concession would be the 21st marine terminal in the Turkish company’s portfolio.

Firms shed 1,300 jobs during July, but June hiring figures were revised upward.

Arbitrator finds government attempted to evade contractual obligations.

Receipts from the June IPO allowed a significant reduction in debt while other initiatives cut its OR to the lowest level in years.

The European Union said it will not allow the United Kingdom to continue benefiting from its customs procedures and duty collection once it exits the EU customs union.

Autonomous vehicles are the future, but how does the path to automation look like?

As polls open today for Tennessee primary elections, you might see an unfamiliar name on the ballot: Aaron Pettigrew. Currently an over the road driver for Big G Express—based in Shelbyville, Tennessee—Aaron Pettigrew has been in the industry for 14 years and has over a million and a half miles to show for it.

XPO Connect, linking carriers and suppliers on a voice-activated phone app, has been a success for XPO beyond its earlier expectations.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …Savvy companies know how to utilize technology to help solve retention issues, which, with patience, will lead to stronger quarters.

Schneider National became the latest carrier to announce that it has benefited financially from the strong pricing and capacity squeeze when it announced its second-quarter operating revenues were up 15% year-over-year.

The acquisition will make Pilot Flying J one of the largest third-party crude hauling fleets in the country.

Hub Group’s earnings per share at $0.66 beat Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $0.50, but executives said that the third and fourth quarters will be even stronger, and margins will grow even against tough comps.

This week in freight showed more of the same with continued stabilization, but history tells us this may not last for much longer.

Cyberattacks increase with technology inclusion in supply chains; Tesla doubles loss this Q2; China is pumping billions into OBOR strategy; Aramco drops IPO as fuel prices rise.

Maverick Transportation LLC, is excited to announce it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Ultimately, the winner of the e-commerce battle, whether groceries or the greater retail one, will come down to which company better understands human behavior.

Nestlé is the latest company to turn to blockchain technology to ensure the safety of their supply chain, particularly narrowing in on the ingredients that go into the baby food purees and pouches produced by Gerber.

ArcBest Corporation (NASDAQ: ARCB) recently finalized a new 5-year contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The new contract brought “major gains” for members, including vacation restoration, wage increases and health benefit preservation.

With no acquisition and integration costs weighing down profits, XPO Logistics has delivered net income growth for nine consecutive quarters.

The Hong Kong-based containership leasing giant’s net earnings shot up 140.5 percent.

“U.S. prices for both soybeans and soymeal are currently the most competitive on the market.”

Former Walmart logistics leader joins drone provider; longtime employee promoted to oversee branch operations.

Attorney Benjamin Trogdon joined the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission in 2000.

An OOIDA Foundation survey found parking problems across the nation, safety issues and cost concerns.

There has been other legislation trying to get livestock haulers a further exemption to the ELD rule, but this one has gone further,

Freight demand remained strong through the end of the 2nd quarter, but growth is likely to normalize through the 3rd quarter as some of the temporary boosts to economic activity fade.

The trucking industry awaits rulings from the courts, and through legislation, regarding the status of drivers. How often will rest breaks take place, and will they be paid? How will drivers be defined as independent contractors? What will be the implications either way?

A very strong quarter for the 3PL, though a mixed message on the impact of ELD enforcement.

Stifel’s super-team of equities analysts took a hard look at trade war risk for carriers in every mode and various types of logistics service providers. Dry bulk maritime is the most exposed, while air cargo is the least. Railroads and intermodal carriers like JB Hunt and HUB Group also have significant risk.

Truck drivers involved in certain behaviors are more likely to have a future crash, ATRI research has concluded.

Supply chain automation company doubles its team in three months

Procter & Gamble prices to increase; The end of Uber’s self-driving truck program; Unilever takes a hit from Brazil truck strike; Gap innovates distribution following a 2016 warehouse fire, and more in Today’s Pickup.

The success of electric vehicles lies in the cost efficiency and scalability of its batteries. The supply of lithium and cobalt over the next decade would end up defining the extent of that success.

Tolls once graced Connecticut highways until the mid 1980s, but the state is now looking at bringing them back to increase revenue. The state trucking association says it is the wrong approach.

A letter from two U.S. Senators has spurred CVSA to begin looking at its role in enforcing a rule on truck underrides.

Delta Air Lines was sued when pricey Savannah kitten landed with a broken hip.

Ocean Network Express, formed by NYK, MOL and “K” Line, posts $120 million loss in the quarter.

Pilot project with Maersk seeks to uncover problems with improperly stowed or declared cargo.

The global third-party logistics provider’s net income jumped 43.3 percent year-over-year in the second quarter as revenues climbed 15.3 percent.

PEIR uses blockchain and digital image technology to allow users to prove they are not liable for container and trailer damage.

Six-month trial of Thor Trucks’ delivery vehicle will be conducted to determine its long-term suitability.

The Danish global transport and logistics provider saw year-over-year earnings growth in all three segments.

CEO Tobin Moore said the retail returns specialist will use the latest equity round to accelerate product adoption and further invest in research and development.

The Bureau of Industry and Security said the Entity List designation is for “acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.”

The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved by voice vote the nomination of Martin Oberman.

Berwick Offray of Pennsylvania petitioned Commerce to launch an investigation.

Cummins Inc. announced record earnings for its second quarter this morning, and that news was immediately overshadowed by an engine recall that has already impacted 230,000 vehicles and now will encompass an additional 500,000 heavy-duty truck models.

Following the announcement of the end of Uber’s self-driving truck program, Uber reached out to FreightWaves for an opportunity to discuss Uber Freight and to check the pulse on the self-driving industry.

UPS today announced a collaboration with Thor Trucks to develop and test a fully-electric class 6 delivery truck in Los Angeles.

Chaos at the New York bus terminal could be a sign of a driver squeeze at Greyhound, but likely isn’t the result of federal regulations.

As the California Air Resources Board (CARB) prepares to finalize the phase 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) standards and amendments to the tractor-trailer GHG regulation, Fresno-based carrier John R. Lawson Rock & Oil has released a statement calling the proposed regulations illegal.

Techpertise together with TMW Systems …Smart city technology, which connects people, vehicles, infrastructure, and organizations, has come to Columbus, Ohio. The city announced its Connected Vehicle Environment project which seeks to reduce congestion and accidents on the city’s busiest roadways.

Hapag-Lloyd believes that data standardization would help various stakeholders to collaborate together and improve the supply chain efficiency in the maritime industry.

The next big thing is food. Not just food, but hot food, and not just hot food but hot–delivered–food.

The former head of innovation for Bridgestone has been appointed as Managing Director of Freight.Tech, an engagement platform built for companies that want to navigate the waters of innovation and market disrpution.

Toyota Motor has been testing a Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell truck in port operations in California, but yesterday it took that program to the next level with introduction of Version 2 of the truck with more range and other features.

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …When it comes time to replace tires, whether they are on the tractor or the trailer, more fleets are turning to retreads as a cost-effective alternative to new tires.