News

The fledgling containership owner and operator (together with its subsidiaries) recorded a profit before taxes of $200,000 on revenues of $7 million for the quarter, according to the company’s most […]

Already a hot commodity in Asia, exports of frozen and chilled meat from the U.S. Midwest and California could get a boost from a $90 million temperature-controlled rail transloading facility […]

Embark, Ryder and Frigidaire are testing Embark’s semi-autonomous trucks on routes running from Texas to California.

Yesterday, the Small Business House Committee heard how forthcoming ELD regulations will stifle competition, and how it won’t actually provide safety benefits.

Kroger has joined Walmart in charging accessorial fees for late deliveries to their retail stores, citing lost sales of 10% due to spoilage and understocking. 

One of the common questions surrounding blockchain is how it will be utilized in the supply chain. Many people assume smart contracts, transparency and quicker payments will be early uses. For Rana Basu, founder and president of Consurgo, that discussion is ongoing on a daily basis.

CMA CMG and MSC have entered orders for a total of 20 record-breaking 22,000 TEU ships, reflecting a long-term trend toward consolidation in larger vessels and growing confidence in maritime shipping rates.

Any job that involves repetitive action is an easy target for mechanical replacement. Many economists and employers wonder how long the warehouse hiring boom will last before robots prevail.

LoadDelivered, a leading temperature-controlled third-party logistics (3PL) provider in North America, announced today that it has become a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

FourKites has launched its own ELD certification program that operates on an open architecture platform to help shippers and 3PLs to assist carriers in choosing ELD solutions that offer visibility into location data.

The French freight industry is one of the largest markets in the world. But like its North American counterpart, the industry suffers from considerable fragmentation, with 90% of the fleet companies owning fewer than 10 trucks. Convargo is working to solve this by connecting shippers and carriers in real-time.

Sheer Logistics, a 3PL and transportation services provider headquartered in St. Louis, MO, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance.

Larger fleets sometimes control their insurance costs by self-insuring. Smaller fleets, though, often don’t have the financial resources to self-insure, so more of them are turning to “captive” insurance programs.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a proposed rulemaking that the agency says “expands flexibility and deregulates” Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier Service Arrangements (NSAs) and Negotiated Rate Arrangements (NRAs).

The ocean freight rate benchmarking and market intelligence platform said that over 30,000 reefer container rates are available immediately for beta program customers.

Third-party logistics provider Kane Is Able signed a letter of intent to purchase Vintners Logistics, with the deal expected to close in the first quarter of 2018, the company said […]

DHL Global Forwarding has introduced a new online freight quotation and booking service for international airfreight transportation, already making the product available in over 40 countries across the globe.

Supply chain software provider BluJay Solutions has launched its MobileSTAR mobility platform to increase shipper and carrier productivity while reducing operations costs, the company said in a statement.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations to allow fresh mango fruit imports from Vietnam to enter the continental United States […]

Just as people are getting used to the concept of blockchain and Bitcoin, now we have something called initial coin offerings (ICOs), which use cryptocurrencies to raise money. Sometimes called token sales or TGEs, they are becoming a popular way for companies, especially startups, to raise funds.

The North American Chassis Pool Cooperative (NACPC) has added 1,200 chassis that will be integrated into its South Atlantic Consolidated Pool and Chicago & Ohio Valley Consolidated Pool common-use and […]

UPS hires chief transformation officer; Canadian Pacific names vice presidents for its three business units within the sales and marketing team; SeaCube Container Leasing names chief commercial officer; and MPC […]

Fuel surcharges have a long history in the transportation industry, dating back to the Arab oil embargo in 1973 by most accounts. While the early days of surcharges were straightforward to calculate, that is no longer true, and they may not even be the best way to manage costs anymore.

Arke Technology, a company dedicated to improving driver retention, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). This membership will allow it to influence the future of transportation technology by taking part in the development of blockchain technology standards and education for the freight industry.

British startup Tevva Motors was one of the companies that took advantage of the exposure afforded transportation companies at the recent Freight in the City 2017 event in London. The company introduced its greenest truck ever, Trucking TV reports.

American oil production and the number of rigs should reach record highs in 2018. This is good news for trucking: both demand for truckload miles and overall economic growth will increase.

When people discuss blockchain, often the concept is too abstract to grasp. In many respects, you need a phD to understand it. So it was fortuitous for Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) members that the group’s first meeting in Atlanta recently had just such a person.

Used-truck sales volumes continued their upward trend in October, but the industry is still facing an oversupply of vehicles, according to ACT Research. Class 8 same dealer used truck sales increased 12% month-over-month and 37% over October 2016, the firm said.

Velodyne LiDAR in San Jose, CA, announced this morning the release of its ground-breaking new sensor for autonomous vehicles, the VLS-128, which offers double the range and 10x the resolution of its previous industry-leading sensor.

What’s technology is next in line to become the new normal? Blockchain technology? Drones delivering anything under five pounds within hours or minutes? Maybe. Just as likely, and maybe even sooner: self-driving cars and, especially, self-driving trucks.

Shipbroker and research consultant Clarksons revealed Wednesday that sensitive data had been potentially compromised by an outside hack and that the attacker may release some of the breached data today.

The total value of cross-border trade between the United States and its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rose 3.6 percent year-over-year in September, but the future […]

FedEx Express will purchase 50 clean-sheet Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft from Textron Aviation, with options to buy up to 50 additional aircraft, the parcel carrier said in a statement.

DHL Supply Chain will test the trucks at its customer operations in major U.S. metro cities, and they will be used for shuttle deliveries and same-day customer deliveries when they […]

The Icelandic ocean carrier will up the frequency of its Green Line service by adding a third vessel between Reykjavik, Halifax and Portland, Maine.

Regardless of their level of knowledge on blockchain, attendees at the first BiTA meeting were engaged by Ken Craig, senior vice president of special projects for McLeod Software, as he delivered an energetic and entertaining primer on Blockchain 101. 

A.P. Møller-Maersk appoints members to executive board; ShipMoney selects head of the company’s Scandinavian operations; CRST International names president of CRST’s Logistics Inc.; and the IACSC elects new officers and […]

The U.S. Justice Department will make permanent a program that encourages companies to self-disclose violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), but it’s not a get-of-jail-free pass for wrongdoing.

As the talks concluded last week on Round 5 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the 3 NAFTA ministers included among the 30 negotiating parties agreed to “step back” to give negotiators additional time to “analyze proposals and conduct internal consultations,” according to LandLine Magazine.

Logis9, a tech-enabled, non-asset based 3PL based in Sunnyvale, CA, that designs customer transportation solutions, announced it has joined as a new member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Pilot CEO Jimmy Haslam III insists he had no knowledge of the fuel rebate fraud scheme his company perpetrated against thousands of its customers. But why does his name keep coming up in court?

Could the economy be starting to slow? That is a conclusion that FTR’s Don Ake has drawn after reviewing a number of economic indicators. He bases his evaluation on current GDP growth and what he thinks will be coming in 2018.

Electric vehicles have a hidden carbon footprint: their intensive use of aluminum and copper, and the dirty electric grids that charge their batteries, make them much less environmentally friendly than their boosters admit.

Nearly 60% of people find blockchain interesting, but remain unclear on its usefulness, according to a Gartner Research survey. That was just one of the nuggets of information Bart DeMuynck, research director at Gartner, imparted on the audience during the recent Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) meeting.

If your small trucking company seems like it is operating on a week-to-week basis, you are not alone. According to a new survey from Mercator Advisory Group, 75% of small businesses in the U.S. routinely delay purchases at least once or twice a year because of cash flow issues. You can minimize this impact, though, through proper planning.

The autonomous trucking company raised $55 million in a Series C funding round led by Composite Capital, with participation from existing investors Sina and ZP Capital.

Hackers could potentially cause environmental damage and incur heavy fines for shipping lines by using nefarious techniques, according to a recent report from security testing company Pen Test Partners.

BiTA, previously known as the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance has expanded its mission and renamed the Alliance the Blockchain in Transport Alliance to reflect its focus on all forms of transportation, not just trucking.

On Black Friday, Morgan Stanley released its research report “Blockchain in Freight Transportation: Early Days Yet but Worth the Hype”–we break down the key takeaways, from lists of current use cases to potential obstacles to implementation and how they’ll be overcome. 

Despite continued complaints about CSX’s delays and no-shows, the railroad’s new CEO has made a controversial commitment to raising fees on everything from hazardous materials and overloaded cars to refrigerated cars.

ShipChain, the blockchain platform disrupting the trillion-dollar freight industry, announced its membership in the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance (BiTA.) In doing so, it also made clear its intention to partner with other major players in the logistics space, like UPS, in order to scale unified transport management as far and wide as possible.

Innovation is sweeping across the trucking industry; technologies such as autonomy, blockchain, and electrification are beginning to demonstrate real value potential. However, the question is, where innovation has been stagnant in the past, is the industry ready for change?

The spot market, which has been trending up for much of this year and is near record highs, is showing no signs of slowing down, according to DAT.

The Israeli ocean carrier had a net profit of $25.2 million for the quarter compared to a net loss of $37.6 million for the third quarter of 2016, thanks to […]

Automation and digitization continue to infiltrate the shipper and 3PL markets, even as those industries lag in investment, according to a study conducted by Infosys Consulting and presented during a Stifel conference call on Tuesday.

The Taiwanese ocean carrier finalized the rights offering of 500 million new shares at 12 new Taiwan dollars per share, cashing in a total of NTD 6 billion (U.S. $200 […]

Air Canada’s agreement with Cargojet will not be extended once it expires at the end of the year, Air Canada Cargo said in a statement.

CMA CGM names chairman of the board; DB Cargo AG appoints chief executive officer; IAG Cargo announces three new executive team appointments; and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association elects new […]

China-based autonomous driving technology start-up, Tianjin TSINTEL Technology, has successfully secured $15.15 million in a Round A fundraising spearheaded by the CMG Innovation Investment Management Co., Yicai Global reports.

Injury insurance claims from ports involve vehicles or other heavy equipment 85% of the time. An insurance provider has studied the claims and is making recommendations to ports on how to prevent them.

Following the collapse of a rail tunnel at the district of Rastatt in the city of Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, the European Union has adopted new rules to “improve international coordination of infrastructure works,” the Handy Shipping Guide reports.

Nikola Motors, a leading startup that is building the next generation of truck tweeted out that Elon Musk was full of it and his claims on performance and range were invalid 

Around Thanksgiving every year, lettuce growers in California’s Salinas Valley move their processing facilities south to Yuma, Arizona for the winter growing season. Click through for a video showing how they accomplish this logistical feat.

In a mere seven months, the trucking marketplace has gone from over-capacitized to the most under-capacitized in recent history as the market dynamics have dramatically changed.

The story of railroads is as old as the independence of the United States. The growth of railroads ran in parallel with the economic surge and transportation expansion of the 19th century. Fast forward two centuries and the grasp of railroads on the freight transport market has all but waned.

Data from the freight markets indicate a super-strong economy 

Tesla updated its Semi website over the holiday, publishing a $150,000 base model version going to $200,000 for a limited run special Founder Version. The company also increased the deposit for orders to $20,000 each from $5000. 

UK-based fleet management solutions company Microlise told attendees at the recently concluded Freight in the City 2017 conference how big data can boost productivity for truck drivers and operators alike with an emphasis on safety.

Data from the freight markets indicate a super-strong economy 

TMW’s Tim Leonard has been at the forefront of big data in transportation for decades. Now he’s leading the charge on developing blockchain business applications. Yesterday, Leonard spoke to FreightWaves about his recent product demos.

Following on the heels of a 90-day waiver from the ELD rule for agriculture haulers, and several other exemptions granted by FMCSA in recent months, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has submitted a new exemption request to the agency.

Walmart’s commitment to digital sales, grocery pickup, and two day delivery mean a newly intensified supply chain: more truckloads to its stores, which are now acting like fulfillment centers, more expedited service in the holiday shopping capacity crunch, and more demand for last-mile delivery to its customers’ homes.

Fleets do not have to be stuck paying high insurance premiums as there are a number of choices they can make to lower their risk profile and cost. Here are 10 ways to help do that.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) agricultural specialists undergo extensive training in order to identify dangerous species and diseases carried on international cargo and prevent them from entering the country.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has placed North Korea’s government agencies in charge of maritime transport, as well as half a dozen North Korean shipping […]

The port’s 2018 budget, which is $16.7 million lower than 2017 levels, projects operating revenues of $38.22 million, an increase of 3 percent over estimated 2017 operating revenue results.

The Icelandic shipping company’s net earnings totaled 8.8 million euros for the quarter, down 6.3 percent from the third quarter of 2016 due to adverse currency exchange fluctuations, but operating […]

The Belgian port authority is gaining ownership and control of 720 kilometers of pipelines through its acquisition of Nationale Maatschappij der Pijpleidingen.

The seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index stood at a reading of 147.6 in October, up 3.3 percent from September’s reading of 142.9, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

NetraDyne, a company based out of San Diego, is using artificial intelligence and computer vision to track drivers through intelligent and situationally aware cameras on deck.

“The NAFTA renegotiation is a disaster,” said longtime Washington trade attorney Jon Fee to attendees at the Apparel Importers Trade and Transportation Conference in New York this week, “I think […]

North American intermodal pricing in October inched up 1.9 percent from October 2016, marking the thirteenth consecutive month of year-over-year increases, according to the latest Cass Intermodal Price Index.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will implement various cargo processing fee increases for importers and carriers, effective Jan. 1.

CEVA Logistics names chief operating officer of freight management, and managing director for North America; Roadrunner Transportation Systems appoints board chairman; and ShipServ names business and account director for EMEA.

Last week, FreightWaves published a commentary suggesting that solving the driver shortage may be as easy as raising pay – a supply and demand issue. We got many comments on that, including from Stifel Equity Research’s John Larkin, who said economics is not the only issue at play.

Cargill’s in-house blockchain will allow you to trace the journey of your Thanksgiving turkey, from farm to table. If this experiment in giving consumers unprecedented visibility into their food is successful, it will be expanded after the holidays.

FMCSA has made two recent changes to hours-of-service and ELD compliance that affects the agricultural community.

Weeks after Mastercard announced its foray into blockchain technology, American Express (AmEx) has launched its own blockchain-based payment service through the fintech startup Ripple, according to a report by Reuters.

Third-party logistics provider Bolloré will integrate Oro’s business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce interface with its global logistics platform to better coordinate online orders with downstream activities.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a 90-day waiver from the electronic logging device mandate for agricultural commodity transporters after hearing concerns from the agricultural industry, especially with regard […]

In an annual report on pressing management challenges, the U.S. Department of Transportation said that safety remains the agency’s top priority.

The arrival of the block train in France saw the transit time for the 10,815-kilometer journey slashed by 20 days, according to Maersk freight forwarding subsidiary Damco.

Linehaul truckload shipping costs in October increased 5.5 percent from 12 months prior, according to the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index.

There are times in every business owner’s life when you need cash. The business has hit a rough patch, an unexpected expense has arrived, or a new business opportunity has presented itself, but you don’t have the money to take advantage. So how do you get the money?

On Monday Uber announced its agreement to purchase 24,000 self-driving Volvo XC90 SUVs for $1.4B, accelerating the auto industry’s shift to shared, autonomous transportation-as-a-service.

Höegh Autoliners names chief executive officer, and the Railway Supply Institute appoints president.

On Thursday night, Elon Musk announced Tesla’s new Semi tractors. Although the promised range of 500 miles impressed industry observers, the event left analysts and investors with even more questions about the truck’s specifications and Tesla’s production capacity.

The man behind the trucker march on Washington last month is back with a new group and a new billion-dollar lawsuit. James Lamb and his Small Business in Transportation Coalition has sued Indiana over the collection of Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) fees.

Global freight and logistics company DHL has confirmed its investment to the Airport Authority Hong Kong for the latter’s expansion plan for the Central Asia Hub, the Handy Shipping Guide reports.

Total Mexican maritime container imports increased 14 percent year-over-year for the third quarter of 2017, while the nation’s maritime container exports slipped 3 percent, according to A.P. Moller-Maersk’s Q3 2017 […]