News

With third-quarter GDP coming in at 3.2% growth and fourth-quarter GDP also expected to best the 3% mark, which would be the third consecutive quarter of 3%-plus growth, and a newly minted tax plan promising to start moving the economy forward, times would appear to be ripe for trucking.

Producers Port Hawkesbury Paper, Resolute FP, and Irving Paper will see their countervailing duty rates fall following a preliminary administrative review on supercalendered paper from Canada, the U.S. Commerce Department […]

The Canadian province of Ontario has announced an electric truck rebate of 60% of the incremental purchase cost compared to an equivalent conventional fuel vehicle, up to a cap of CA$75,000 per vehicle, under the new Green Commercial Vehicle Program.

An unstable Polar Vortex first warmed the Great Lakes and then brought Siberian temperatures to the region, creating disruptive snowfalls and historically low end-of-year temperatures. These weather events only add to numerous factors keeping spot rates sky-high.

California-based electric charging companies are set to benefit from the $2 billion settlement that VW agreed to with the government.

The Baltic Exchange is scheduled to end its freight futures exchange platform, Baltex, today. 

SureFly re-invents the helicopter, making it safer, easier to fly and much more affordable than a conventional helicopter. Like a drone, its redundant design includes four propeller arms, two fixed contra-rotating propellers on each arm; and a backup lithium battery pack to drive the electric motors in the event of engine failure.

President Trump in July directed the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to initiate talks with South Korea to amend the U.S.-Korea (KORUS) Free Trade Agreement, which has been in effect since […]

As the flagbearer of capitalism and a lynchpin example of consumerism, it is clearly understood where the growth of the U.S. economy lies. It is estimated that consumer-driven spending accounts for nearly 70% of all economic growth in the country.

WABCO and Nikola will accelerate the development of industry-leading safety technologies specifically designed for electric commercial vehicles, including electronic braking, traction control, and stability control. Nikola anticipates offering its fully electric Nikola Two day-cab truck (pictured here) for sale in the U.S. by 2021.

51% of all returns occur in January, when Americans will send back $30B of unwanted gifts. Reverse logistics represent a huge cost increasingly eaten by retailers, while 3PLs stand to make big margins.

From all green e-vehicles to the hyperloop to the rocket-to-Mars, one thing we should all be hoping for is that Elon Musk’s visions become reality. On the one hand, you can say the only way to make a vision happen is to possess the vision in the first place.

With its ICO in mid-January, Shipchain is poised to present the transportation industry with a new way of doing business.

The saying goes that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. If you’re a commercial vehicle operator, though, you can add another: rising insurance costs.

Access to quicker delivery options has boomed sales of perishable commodities like frozen pizza and ice cream, and that has led to a boom in refrigerated freight options.

A group of 15 U.S. senators sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation leadership asking the agency to hold the nation’s railroads accountable for expeditiously implementing the proper levels […]

Starting Jan. 1, China will begin phasing in a new phytosanitary regulation for U.S. soybean shipments that seeks to reduce the amount of foreign materials, such as weed seeds, to […]

It is estimated that international trade-related freight transport accounts for nearly one-third of the total emissions across the world. Such situations call for innovation in the freight industry that could help mitigate carbon footprint through optimizing fuel consumption and improving operational efficiency.

Taiwan-based ocean carrier Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. has established a Thai subsidiary, Yang Ming Line (Thailand) Co. Ltd., which will begin offering services Jan. 1.

The Mexican automobile manufacturing industry has been booming in recent years thanks to relatively cheap labor and facility costs, and proximity to U.S. markets, increasing demand for automotive supply chain […]

JP Morgan likes FedEx, Schneider, Canada Pacific, and JB Hunt–‘sells’ include Union Pacific, Knight-Swift, and CH Robinson.

In a strange twist, Tesla’s stock took a hit yesterday in spite of the apparent good news of e-trucks. Why?

TIRPORT, a startup from Istanbul, understands the Turkish freight market potential and believes it can bring change to a system that urgently needs a revamp to stay ahead of the times.

Mark Lavender, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, awarded DAT’s Tami Hart with a “challenge coin” at the DAT User Conference in October for her efforts in helping the Bureau identify and track down hundreds of cases of false payments, cargo theft, and other transportation fraud.

Could the bitcoin bust be good for blockchain technology?

Over the years, it has become increasingly easier to create online storefronts, with the building blocks for essential infrastructure being made readily available to interested sellers. But for small sellers, shipping costs can make online shoppers unprofitable.

Shipyard operator Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiary have agreed to pay a penalty of more than $422 million to resolve U.S. charges that it violated the […]

Is e-commerce hitting a ceiling? Or is brick and mortar back in style? In November, consumer spending at brick and mortar stores increased by 0.8%, exceeding economists’ expectations by 0.5%. These gains were also coupled with e-commerce growth, indicating Americans are simply spending more this holiday season.

Trade between the United States and Mexico has skyrocketed since the 1993 implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but uncertainty surrounding the agreement’s renegotiation poses serious risks […]

When VW purchased Navistar the nation’s third-biggest seller of commercial trucks, it was vulnerable and had few options. Now, it’s on the rebound in a big way.

For business owners, one of the main questions surrounding the new tax law is the corporate tax rate. At 21%, it is lower than the pass-through rate for businesses, which is capped at 25%. That has some asking the obvious question: Should I change my company’s status from a pass-through corporation to a corporate structure?

What began as an attempt to create a corridor from China to central Asia through infrastructure projects, has grown more ambitious and has encircled 65 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe – all bearing China’s One Belt, One Road initiative.

When the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in August that it was abandoning a proposed rulemaking for sleep apnea, many in the industry were not pleased. While there is no mandate, sleep apnea remains a very treatable problem for drivers.

The failure of the venture capital sector to catch up to the innovations happening at break-neck speed might speed up its imminent demise with the involvement of blockchain-based start-up companies, claims a leading advocate of initial coin offerings.

As Dubai has started positioning itself in the global marketplace as “the metropolis of the long term,” Moeco has secured a tech partnership with UAE-based Yzerchat to test its blockchain-enabled router.

While the holiday rush starts in North America a few weeks before Thanksgiving, there is a holiday rush going on already in China as well, and it impacts shipping.

Like many carriers, Santa has been stressed about the ELD mandate, knowing that compliance is impossible and kids would not understand that the FMCSA was operating alongside the Grinch in a coordinated effort.

Fleet execs are talking about the driver shortage as if it were the worst thing to happen in the industry, but they should be thankful. It keeps gives fleets pricing power. 

If retailers can’t realize savings by wringing efficiencies out of their supply chain, they are doomed to smaller margins, and it could be apocalyptic if they significantly raised prices on customers. 

XPO Logistics stock shot up to ~$90 on a rumored acquisition by Home Depot, and some analysts think the price will rise much, much higher.

Rail Delivery Services, a premier provider of intermodal drayage, dedicated trucking, and consolidation services, has joined the BlockChain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Honda Motor Company’s subsidiary, Honda R&D, has confirmed a “joint research contract” with the Chinese unicorn SenseTime Group Ltd., the Japan Times reported.

Sometimes profound threats to the economy and to people can be brought about by something as small as a single miniscule crack.

Seaford, DE-based Trinity Logistics has joined other transportation industry giants by partnering with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), a recently formed group to ensure the standardization of blockchain technology in logistics.

Uber Freight has added two new features to its app that it believes will help truckers find loads quicker and reduce empty miles.

Just like everyone else who is familiar with the new regulation and the way that the trucking industry works, we expect that adoption of, and enforcement of, the ELD rule will initially lead to some constraints on trucking capacity. How big will that reduction be and how long will it last is yet to be seen. 

U.S. agricultural exports for fiscal year 2017 reached $140.5 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which attributed some of this success to expanded foreign market access and […]

The global logistics and transportation provider reported a 24 percent increase in e-commerce fulfillment volumes throughout last month’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Roads across the world have remained the same for generations, but that is slowly changing as research labs across the world are working on introducing electrically smart roads into the primitive niche.

Benin’s Council of Ministers has tapped the Antwerp Port Authority’s consulting and investment subsidiary, Port of Antwerp International (PAI), to help modernize the Port of Cotonou.

ECU Worldwide appoints global sales head; Crowley Shipping names vice presidents; Manatee Country Port Authority reelects chairwoman; and Port of Tacoma elects commission president.

Strong rates and healthy economic fundamentals will pose opportunities and challenges for trucking mergers & acquisitions in 2018.

ELD fine enforcement hit during peak holiday retail season. Watch out for April’s ‘hard enforcement’ period, which will coincide with increased agricultural and construction demand.

Long Island Iced Tea Corp. today announced that the parent company is shifting its primary corporate focus towards the exploration of, and investment in, opportunities that leverage the benefits of blockchain technology.

Meritor has made a strategic investment in TransPower, hoping to tap into the company’s full electric trucking solutions and integrated drive systems along with energy-storage subsystems.

With millions of commercial vehicles now running electronic logging devices (ELD), concerns have been raised about cyber attacks. That concern is leading to more interest in cyber insurance policies.

Global technology company Wabco Holdings has acquired a 1% equity stake in Nikola Motor Company with a $10 million investment. Nikola is designing a hydrogen-electric Class 8 truck.

This is ELD deadline week, and the sky is falling. Or maybe it already fell. Is it the end of the world as we know it?

CSX acting CEO Jim Foote met with Maryland congressional delegates and port officials on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of resuscitating the now-stalled Howard Street Tunnel rail project in Baltimore, […]

TomTom Telematics North America has identified the top 5 most congested cities in the United States, and the cities on the list should be no surprise to truck drivers.

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT) and Container Corporation of India (Concor) have signed a memorandum of understanding for dedicated container trains in an effort to consolidate multimodal transport.

Singapore-based industrial real estate firm Global Logistic Properties (GLP) says it intends to retain Gazely’s existing management team and brand name.

In a rather unusual move, the U.S. Commerce Department proceeded with recommending antidumping and countervailing duties for Canadian-built 100- to 150-seat commercial aircraft, despite the fact that they have yet […]

The massive tax cut passed by the GOP will benefit trucking companies large and small and will boost economic activity across many sectors.

American Truck and Rail Audits, Inc. (AMTR) announced that it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Virgin Hyperloop One has established a new record for hyperloop technology, appointed Richard Branson chairman, and secured $50 million in new funding.

Thor describes themselves as a “transportation lab with a goal of tackling fleet management problems.”

Carriers continue to feel good about 2018, according to the latest Morgan Stanley survey, however, overall sentiment declined in the past two weeks and underperformed seasonality.

Frustrated truckers lashed out on ELD companies’ Facebook sites, complaining of technical issues and customer service delays on Dec. 18, the first day of the new mandate.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) published a notice identifying 26 individuals slated to testify as witnesses on one of six different panels covering issues related to detention, demurrage, and […]

The logistics software firm is purchasing ABM Data Systems and CustomsMatters, both based in Dublin, Ireland, after announcing several other acquisitions throughout 2017.

APM Terminals and the Alabama State Port Authority (ASPA) have approved a $49.5 million expansion of the container facility at the Port of Mobile.

It is estimated that truck driver vacancies have reached nearly 50,000 this year and if the trend continues, it could explode to six figures in the next decade. Could immigrants fill those gaps?

Barge transport delays of up to 96 hours are occurring at the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp due to increasing cargo volumes, according to intermodal operator Contargo.

The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) received grant funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for port security upgrades at Baltimore’s public marine terminals.

The Port of Seattle names executive director; Port of Galveston appoints director of administration; and Bourque Logistics hires regional vice president of sales.

The global freight forwarder has gone to great lengths to prioritize compliance with U.S. and overseas export regulations, as well as help others do the same.

This afternoon FedEx announced its Q2 earnings for fiscal year 2018, which exceeded analyst expectations. FedEx cited higher base rates, volume growth, and cheap fuel as factors in the company’s performance.

Transport’s carbon emissions have exceeded power plant emissions: the decline of coal electricity generation and consumer preference for SUVs and pick-up trucks help explain the trend.

39,000 citations issued during the 2017 Operation Safe Driver initiative? The results sounded alarming, especially when compared with the 2016 results of 20,648 total citations or warnings issued throughout the United States and Canada.

Travel around the DuPont area of Washington remains snarled this morning as officials work to clear wreckage from the Amtrak derailment over Interstate 5, just south of Tacoma, that killed at least 3 people and injured dozens more.

The days of drivers carrying around multiple credit cards to handle life on the road are quickly disappearing. Once, drivers might have a company credit card for expenses, a fuel card to pay for fuel, and even their own card for non-job-related expenses, but that is all changing as innovations in fuel cards might be making the company credit card obsolete.

Navistar delivers massive quarter, blowing away estimates and showing tremendous year-over-year growth. This reinforces the view that the freight market is strong, as carriers purchase new trucks to take advantage of freight demand. 

The 200,000-square-foot expansion, which includes the addition of temperature-controlled and ambient areas, comes in response to increases in customer demand and inventory moving through the 4PL’s Port of New York/New […]

Article, which currently operates warehouses in Seattle, Los Angeles and New Jersey, will significantly expand its available space with the Jacksonville location.

Chattanooga, TN-based BlockArray is one of the companies working to develop blockchain-enabled solutions, and it is looking for companies to participate in pilot studies.

The Dow Jones U.S. Trucking Index (DJUSTK) surged to an all-time high for trucking today, and ended up at growing to 4.39 for the day.

Target acquired same-day grocery delivery service Shipt for $550M in a bid to boost its online food sales and compete with Walmart and Amazon. Our infographic compares the performance and recent investments made by the three companies.

Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), the freight industry’s first advocacy organization devoted to the development of blockchain standards and education, today announced the first board of directors for its standards council, following the inaugural board meeting on December 5, 2017.

An automated refuse collection vehicle (RCV) was officially launched at the Volvo Innovation Summit in Brussels, Belgium, by the Volvo Truck Corporation.

L.A. is a hotbed for EV talent, and electric truck startup, Thor, is ready to take advantage. Last week they announced plans to bring a heavy-duty electric vehicle to market before the Tesla Semi hits in 2019.

One of the big mysteries around hours of service is personal conveyance. When can a driver use a vehicle for personal reasons without it counting against their driving time? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is now attempting to clarify that usage through regulatory guidance.

On Saturday, two days after taking medical leave from CSX, CEO Hunter Harrison died. Investors have serious concerns about the railroad’s commitment to executing Harrison’s vision, while some observers disagreed with his approach entirely.

World-renowned author, thought leader, speaker, educator and entrepreneur, Tony Seba, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at Freightwaves’ Transparency18 conference in Atlanta, Georgia, next May. 

Nearly 17 years in the making since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration first attempted to require electronic logging devices (ELDs) on commercial vehicles, the day has finally arrived for most of the nation’s 3 million plus driver workforce to begin using the devices.

The sudden passing of the former president and CEO of Canadian National and Canadian Pacific and current CEO of CSX E. Hunter Harrison leaves questions about the Class I railroad’s […]

The Canadian government told the U.S. International Trade Commission today that a petition by Boeing, which claims that it’s harmed by a Bombardier Commercial Aircraft deal with Delta Air Lines, […]

The Commerce Department has instructed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to begin assessing antidumping duties on imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber from China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan.

With both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day occurring on Mondays this year, the two three-day weekends leave more opportunity for shipments to be left unattended or parked in unsecured […]

For many fleets, the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate presents a new variable in the regulatory landscape that must be carefully navigated. Following best practices will help fleet managers identify the most common mistakes and pitfalls that may result in a fine, expensive roadside delays or even worse, a business shutdown.