News

A tanker transiting the Bab al-Mandab, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, was attacked by Houthi rebels Tuesday.

The Class I railway’s train was en route from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tenn. with mixed freight when it struck a semi-truck at a rail crossing in Acworth, Ga.

ANA Holdings will boost its air-cargo handling capacity by adding two new Boeing 777 freighters to its fleet in 2019.

Cargo airport Rickenbacker International in Columbus, Ohio, will add the Russian airline to its list of scheduled services.

The number is 175,000 out several years, against a base of a half-million.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the arrival of the hard enforcement period of ELD carrier compliance, but according to the Tender Rejection Index it has mostly been a non-factor to the overall freight market. 

Demand for cheap products is rising, and a national “just-in-time” delivery network has placed trucking companies under economic pressure to move heavier and heavier loads.

Construction spending in the economy remains essentially unchanged since the start of the year, as the sector continues to disappoint after a solid 4th quarter. This has implications for flatbed carriers and dry vans, as weakness in construction and home building affects freight demand.

Cashflow Corner presented by TriumphPay …Large fleets are benefited for years from fuel and maintenance discounts. Now, smaller fleets and owner-operators are starting to reap some of those same benefits.

The investigation “identified errors that will require adjustments” to the financial statements from 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 “and potentially periods prior thereto.”

Fraight AI, the industry’s first AI-enabled freight brokerage, announced today that it has joined  BiTA.

Transportation is increasing its usage of technology in many areas, but apparently relationships still drive the small to mid-size carrier market when it comes to load generation. Freight brokers could also be blind to an untapped resource…until now. 

China has increased tariffs by up to 25% on 128 U.S. products, in retaliation for the tariffs added by the U.S. last week. The Chinese tariffs target farm products, with the severely hit being pork exporters. 

Companies are challenged to hire the right personnel and create the internal wherewithal to keep up with compliance challenges bursting forth in 2018.

Miami-based Ryder System, Inc. said the $120 million deal positions it to become the second largest last-mile delivery provider of big and bulky goods across the United States and Canada.

David C. White, vice president of the Virginia Maritime Association (VMA), who has produced the VMA’s International Trade Symposium for 15 years, has been named executive vice president of the […]

NYK, MOL and “K” Line, which make up the Ocean Network Express, completed an aggregate investment of $3 billion into the container shipping joint venture, which commenced operations on Sunday.

The U.S. maritime regulator calls on ocean carriers and terminals to provide details on detention and demurrage practices as part of its investigation, dubbed Fact Finding 28.

The valuation of leases and equipment is at the center of the accounting investigation.

Smart Trailers:  How the new “IoT” can help improve trailer health and optimize utilization across trailer pools.

New management addresses analysts with a pile of back earnings.

BNSF hauls more coal than any other railroad, but the future of American coal production and consumption is an open question. Is BNSF heavily exposed to downside risk or will it be the last coal carrier standing?

Data from the ISM index showed that manufacturing activity pulled back slightly in March, and responses from the survey highlight the impact that trucking shortages and tariffs are having on performance.

The U.S. maritime regulator asked container carriers and marine terminals to provide detailed information about their port demurrage, detention and free-time practices as part of its investigation announced last month.

Trump and China continue to trade blows as threats of a trade war increase. The ELD mandate gets the next level treatment as enforcement gets real. 

Motiv is producing an all-electric chassis that offers the same performance and functionality as a diesel or gasoline equipped equivalent.

Wages continue to rise for America’s truckers as the trucking industry contends with driver shortages coupled with an increased demand for shipping services.

ORBCOMM Inc., a global provider of industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced that it has joined BiTA.

To help fleets maximize the value of their equipment, Ryder has launched an Airbnb-type sharing platform that facilities the rental of idle equipment to those in need.

A monthly synopsis of events and results in the macroeconomy from the past month and a discussion of implications for freight markets going forward. Results released in March were generally more favorable than the previous month and suggests that freight demand should remain strong going forward.

The United Nations Security Council designated 27 vessels for port bans, de-flagging, or asset freezes, and prohibited transactions with several shipping companies that have links to North Korea.

U.S. courts wrestle over whether the Montreal Convention’s liability provisions apply to air cargo damaged while in a warehouse near the Miami airport.

The proposed Harbor Performance Enhancement Center on Terminal Island at the Port of Los Angeles is designed to speed the flow of containers.

The U.S. Trade Representative released its 504-page 2018 National Trade Estimate on Foreign Trade Barriers report, documenting foreign trade and investment barriers over the past year.

Rates between Asia and the United States, Europe and the Mediterranean all declined considerably last week compared with the same period a year ago, but rates from Europe to the […]

Several United States airlines awarded flights to Cuba in 2016 have since returned them, and now the Department of Transportation is seeking to reallocate those flights to other airlines that […]

The Memphis-based integrator’s purchase of Laindon, U.K.-based last-mile delivery specialist P2P Mailing Ltd. is expected to complement and help expand FedEx’s e-commerce offerings, the company said in a statement.

The total value of cross-border trade between the United States and its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rose 9.9 percent year-over-year to $87.96 billion for the […]

The Texas port also posted a 7 percent year-over-year boost in cargo tonnage for the first two months of 2018.

The largest port on the U.S. East Coast set yet another monthly record in February, handling 521,921 TEUs after hitting a new January high a month ago, according to the […]

We have received word that the FMCSA is reportedly deploying military drones to beef up the ‘hard enforcement’ of the ELD mandate beginning April 1.

The FTR Shippers Condition Index slid to -11.1 in January, continuing a declining trend that began in the middle of 2017.

Convoy put the freight brokerage industry and shippers on notice with it’s automatic detention system. 

PAM Transport, Inc., a top 100 largest For-Hire Carrier in North America, announced today that it has joined BiTA.

Businesses with complex supply chains need to stop assuming infinite capacity capabilities and be pragmatic with their capacity planning by leveraging technology.

A limitation on soliciting customers is upheld. Restricting the movement of employees is not. 

DHL’s new Global Trade Barometer showed improvement in March, indicating that global trade volumes are likely to gain momentum in the near future

The REST act would only make one significant change in the Hours of Service rule: to extend the day by three hours from its current top limit of 14 hours.

The number of oil rigs and the demand for flatbed trucking are rising in tandem, as WTI prices go up and the Brent-WTI spread widens.

One thing that hasn’t changed (yet) with the ELD mandate is the way drivers get treated at shippers and receivers. The old adage of “hurry up and wait” has never been more apt, especially in the over-the-road truckload sector.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a status report detailing progress by major freight and passenger railroads in the federally mandated implementation of positive train control (PTC) systems.

JD Logistics, the delivery arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, uses electric bikes as just one last-mile delivery solution. The delivery drivers pick up goods as local “delivery stations” for final delivery.

Just four years after its initial launch, on-demand shipping startup Shyp shuttered operations earlier this week, becoming the latest in a string of cautionary tales for new entrants into the […]

South Korea’s largest ocean carrier revealed its planning to secure ultra-large containerships, expand service coverage, enhance cost-competitiveness and prepare for new environmental regulations.

Under the terms of the preliminary agreement, global port operator Gulftainer Group would lease the Port of Wilmington for 50 years and invest more than $580 million in the port […]

Container volumes from Asia to the United States will grow 6.8 percent in 2018 if there is not a trade war, according to a projection from Drewry Senior Economist Mario […]

Hong Kong-based third-party provider Kerry Logistics Network’s full year profits jumped 13 percent to $2.12 billion Hong Kong (U.S. $269.6 million) as revenues rose 28 percent from the previous year.

Babin has been active on the ELD/HOS rule previously; he has the backing of OOIDA.

The trucking group expressed support for a bill introduced by Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, that would allow drivers to take one rest break per shift for up to three straight […]

The $126.7 million Mason Mega Rail Terminal at the Port of Savannah “will open a new corridor for American commerce to and from the Midwest” Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said.

The multinational oil and gas company is planning to seek a new 30-year lease with upgrades from the port authority in the next five years.

Rep. Babin introduced a bill that will overhaul the hours of service rules and if it passes it will end up making the industry safer.

TOTE Inc.’s president and chief executive officer announces retirement, as well as the Global Shippers’ Forum’s secretary general.

The White House released a list of objectives for a new infrastructure investment bill that reiterated President Trump’s objective of streamlining the project permitting process, but was scant on details […]

The power has shifted to the carriers, and shippers need to work at staying on their good side. 

Between increasing consumer demands and omnichannel complexity, it’s no easy task to automate and optimize global supply chains—even for one of the world’s largest technology companies.

Several states say online retailers should have to collect sales tax, even in states where the companies don’t have a physical presence.

China approves drone package delivery; driver pay is up 15% in 3 years; Hapag-Lloyd has a plan to switch to low sulphur fuel; Trump gears up for fight with Amazon; Barclay’s thinks WTI crude will drop to $51 this year.

Profit Tools has developed an Optimization Platform which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and intermodal data points to deliver breakthrough performance and visibility.

The April 1 deadline is a few days away and the ELD compliance rate does not look as good as the surveys make it out to be.

Presented by Reliance Partners …Cargo theft doesn’t just happen on the road, it can also happen at the warehouse. To prevent it, leading experts noted some of the approaches that scare away thieves.

The data can’t be revealed. But it sounds very healthy.

The cost, size, complexity and power consumption of the supercomputers and sensors on each car are the main factors preventing today’s autonomous cars from scaling.

Techpertise together with TMW Systems …Tim Leonard and Daniel Pickett discussed blockchain in front of an audience of trucking executives at the TCA Annual Convention in Kissimmee, Florida, this week. 

The agency will collect comments from stakeholders on costs, benefits, risks, and challenges to adopting positive train control systems through May 7.

Without compromise, there is a risk of no agreement on a meaningful strategy to cut down on carbon dioxide emissions, the International Chamber of Shipping said.

The containership owner and operator, which was established in 2017, closed out the year with a fleet of 41 vessels, 29 of which had been taken over by the end […]

Container volumes at the Port of Jacksonville in North Florida jumped 25 percent year-over-year to 100,346 TEUs in February 2018, thanks in large part to a 35 percent increase in […]

Norfolk Southern (NS) promotes vice president strategic planning and vice president industrial products; Port of New Orleans adds to board of commissioners; and CSAFE Global names new CEO.

The Texas port has pushed for more funding for its channel project as the booming energy industry in the area continues to grow.

Today’s tools and approaches for managing contract freight are broken. LE offers a potential solution. 

Spring has sprung in the Southeast as warmer weather sends shippers into full throttle. The unofficial capital of the South is leading the way according to a new index. Could this mean higher rates in an already heated market?

Slync, an enterprise blockchain platform for shippers, carriers and brokers, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), a first-of-its-kind trucking industry consortium for developing and promoting industry standards in blockchain use. The organization’s mission is to provide more clarity and education around blockchain applications and encourage its adoption through exemplary implementation.

Burning vehicles and rival automaker are certainly problems, but with Tesla the song remains the same: how to fund it.

The trade deficit in goods widened for the sixth consecutive month in February. Total goods trade volume was up however, which bodes well for transportation and freight markets

Enterprise technology provider will conduct product demo at Transparency ’18 and work with leading logistics companies to educate the market on blockchain applications, standards and best practices

Blockchain, digital freight brokerages, and heavy-truck telematics are just a few of the themes that will be addressed at the upcoming Transparency18 Future of Freight conference, powered by FreightWaves and in conjunction with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance and Georgia Tech.

It’s pay, it’s treatment, it’s training: a long list of personnel issues facing the trucking industry.

The JOBehaviors Assessment helps carriers identify applicants who possess the behaviors, core values, and attributes of top performing truck drivers. Fleets who implement the assessment see higher productivity and lower turnover.

Some say the current drop off in ocean freight rates is indicative of weakening fundamentals caused by persistent overcapacity, while others argue it’s just part of typical seasonal demand swings, […]

The board of the Diamond State Port Corp., which oversees the Port of Wilmington, is scheduled to consider Gulftainer’s proposal April 6, John Haroldson, director of marketing and trade development […]

Imports of steel to the United States stood at 2.36 million net tons in February, an 18 percent decline from the previous month and a 13 percent year-over-year drop, according […]

United States gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to the “third” estimate from the Department of Commerce, […]

Fleets have reacted to concerns about the driver shortage by raising pay, improving benefit packages, and offering other enticements to recruit and retain drivers, said Bob Costello, American Trucking Associations’ […]

The cargo divisions of Delta Air Lines and partner Air France/KLM have placed their cargo operations into a single warehouse at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Thanks to its merger with UASC last May, Hapag-Lloyd has strengthened its presence on routes between Asia and North Europe, and now has the strong fleet it needs to prosper, […]

FreightWaves adds stock tickers for publicly traded stocks in the freight space

As Phil Wilt, the president and COO of American Central Transport said, “I had heard about a driver shortage for the 12 years I’ve been in the industry. It’s finally arrived.”

What happens with increased turndowns in this context is that carriers don’t want to go inbound into a place—in this case, Philadelphia—as they assess the cost of outbound.

Regional manufacturing data from the Dallas and Richmond Fed suggests that manufacturing activity has cooled in March as the impact of tariffs has affected output