News

Milwaukee airport wants to redevelop a former Air Force reserve base into an air cargo hub. Officials believe they can capture some shipments from Chicago O’Hare airport.

Truck broker lobby group asserts FMCSA is being negligent on safety while entertaining private contract issues that should be decided in the marketplace.

AskWaves takes a look at the trade group that sets freight classifications for the less-than-truckload industry and where it’s headed.

This week in Borderlands: Mexico recorded 237 cargo thefts the first two months of 2023; Port of Lazaro Cardenas will receive a $322 million investment; Penske Logistics is laying off 152 workers in Fort Worth; and a Texas contract manufacturer expands its logistics facility and trucking fleet.

AskWaves looks at some of the stranger loads drivers have had to transport over the road.

Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD are tabling discussions about how to handle conductor redeployments as congressional lawmakers want more information about what rail safety initiatives should become law.

Now on demand on WTT: Former Bear current brokerage founder Desmond Clark; Covenant’s Matt McLelland; FreightWaves Tony Mulvey

Production of palm oil, a common CPG ingredient, is associated with deforestation and human rights abuses.

The gap between current levels of freight demand and those of 2019 is narrowing, casting doubt on the market’s ability to sustain growth.

A Miami-based trucking company and freight brokerage, which also owns a CDL training school, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

FedEx will exit a maintenance facility at LAX and send the work to its Indianapolis hub to increase efficiency.

Consumers are buying food instead of “stuff.”

The Teamsters union said Thursday it has rejected less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp.’s plan to restructure operations at more than 200 terminals.

Container shipping just experienced a record boom. Some believe crude and product tankers are poised to follow suit.

Transportation secretary takes on lawmakers’ concerns on truck and rail issues while defending his department’s $145 billion fiscal year 2024 budget request.

Acrisure EVP Brian Fielkow joins Taking the Hire Road to discuss the importance of focusing on operational excellence to drive safe results.

Federal investigators in California recently ordered two separate logistics operators to pay more than $1 million in back wages to Mexico-based warehouse workers.

MHI-Deloitte report says tech investments will be pivotal in building agile organizations, attracting qualified talent

CSX inks another sick leave deal with a union, Greenbrier releases some preliminary Q2 results and Norfolk Southern adds two executive roles to its marketing division.

After two years at the helm of Lufthansa Cargo, Dorothea von Boxberg has been tapped to head Brussels Airlines.

Directors of TravelCenters are recommending that shareholders reject a new acquisition bid made by an unidentified company.

Rail is dominated by just a few large players. A new merger is going to make the industry even more consolidated. Some farmers are worried. 

Temperature-controlled warehouse operator RLS Logistics has planted a flag in the Midwest.

The Next Generation in Trucking Association has received a grant that will allow it to expand its training program for high schoolers.

Contract talks for pilots at Amazon contractor Air Transport International have moved to the mediation stage at the federal level.

Some 455 truck drivers who worked under the banner of Flagship Transport haven’t heard from their employer in a week.

Ports in Houston and New Orleans reported strong cargo container flows during February, boosted by exports of plastics and chemicals.

Now on demand on WHAT THE TRUCK?!? FreightWaves’ Craig Fuller shares his unique perspective on the U.S. Xpress/Knight-Swift deal.

On Wednesday, Ver.di, the union representing tugboat and bridge operators among other critical public service jobs at the Port of Hamburg in Germany, announced a strike.

Warehouse robotics firm Locus Robotics announced a major automation solution for AMR fleets, LocusOne.

C.H. Robinson is not rushing to select Jim Barber as CEO, leading some to wonder if he is the perfect fit for the demanding job.

Union Pacific is the latest railroad to set an agreement with several unions granting workers paid sick days.

Shipowners say they won’t order expensive new dual-fuel tankers without charters. They’re not getting charters, so they’re not ordering.

Newtrul has built a marketplace focused on integrity, compliance and credibility.

Knight-Swift Transportation said it’s not backing away from M&A opportunities following its $808 million purchase of truckload carrier U.S. Xpress.

“We have been here over a decade and have deployed thousands of systems using this technology. We are bringing this level of experience with robotics that is just unmatched in this market,” said Mujin Director of Sales Josh Cloer.

Supply chain and logistics firms are making their solutions known at the industry’s largest event. Here’s the most notable news.

The National Transportation Safety Board has published preliminary findings on two recent Norfolk Southern incidents.

Daimler Trucks will likely have to issue an equipment recall for over 24,000 trucks after a federal regulator denies the company’s exemption request.

WestJet can’t seem to catch a break getting its new cargo airline off the ground. It had to postpone the fleet launch another month, and the conversion facility is taking longer than expected to complete the final aircraft.

Fees to register a business or file complaints at the Federal Maritime Commission will be significantly higher in 2023 to account for higher agency costs.

Tesla’s new electric vehicle plant in Mexico could increase cross-border trade with the U.S. by $15 billion annually, officials said.

Although February volumes at SC Ports were down 13% year over year, they still represented the second-highest total for the month in port history.

A new contract between UPS and the Teamsters will be agreed upon weeks before the current agreement’s expiration date, Satish Jindel tells FreightWaves.

DSV is rapidly building up its logistics infrastructure in Arizona, an emerging market for semiconductors and electric vehicles.

Canadian railway CN and the union Unifor have reached a tentative collective deal, thus averting a potential strike. BNSF and Canadian Pacific also have reached agreements.

Making its U.S. debut at ProMat in Chicago, CoEvolution is seeking new partners to get its technology into U.S. warehouses.

The deal to sell itself to Knight-Swift ends a struggle at U.S. Xpress that lasted several years and included the failed Variant initiative.

The DOE/EIA benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges has dropped seven weeks in a row and 16 out of the past 19.

App-based companies fighting AB5 in California got a second court win last week as a three-judge panel cited statements by AB5’s author in its ruling.

Next-generation ELDs have open platforms, more device options, and a consumer-style user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Yet, no product offers a one-size-fits-all solution. The pre-packaged features and functions […]

On demand on WTT: World’s first and only Age of Extinction-era Optimus Prime; Bloomberg’s Lee Klaskow; Spartan 5S Services; Travelers

Cathay Pacific has been tied down by COVID health restrictions much longer than most airlines. The cargo network is getting a big boost as long-haul passenger aircraft rejoin the fleet.

Yale Lift Truck Technologies, formerly Yale, showed off its latest tech at the 2023 ProMat supply chain conference in Chicago.

The Ultra5 machine has a right-sized design that eliminates the need for corrugated boxes, according to Packsize.

In a first-quarter earnings preview, Deutsche Bank analyst Amit Mehrotra said he expects an in-line type quarter but voiced some concerns.

“To get ahead of the curve on stringent climate disclosure requirements proposed by the SEC and [the ISSB], shippers need to transition from manual data gathering and estimations of their scope 3 carbon footprint to tools that efficiently and accurately provide emissions reports in real time,” said Convoy Corporate Sustainability Analyst Kiana van Waes.

CSX makes changes to its operational team and beefs up its industrial development program, while Norfolk Southern reaches another sick leave agreement with a union. Also, RailState names a former BNSF executive to its advisory board.

Shipping line Maersk has unveiled the latest expansion of its cargo airline with a new Eurasia route.

Atlassys TMS, a Georgia-based transportation management system provider, has announced it has integrated FreightWaves TRAC truckload spot rates into its software.  The integration, which is now live and available to […]

Flexport projects trans-Pacific contract rates will decline around 70% from 2022 levels but still be around 30% above current spot rates.

This week in Borderlands: Truck driver salaries in Mexico averaged $4,400 in 2023; Phillips Industries opens a new plant in Mexico; Arcadia Cold Storage firm eyes Southwest distribution market; and Fr8Tech launches freight matching for LTL services in Mexico.

Abundant land, population growth and access to reasonably priced labor are just several factors that make the Dallas/Fort Worth market different from the rest, says David Eseke of Cushman & Wakefield.

A law firm specializing in stockholder rights wants Norfolk Southern investors to join a class-action lawsuit over precision scheduled railroading. The firm says certain PSR practices compromised safety and depressed NS stock prices.

Two congressional representatives from Ohio have introduced a rail safety bill that they say would build off of NTSB’s findings into the cause of the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train.

Historic rainfall has flooded key agricultural areas of California. Farmers there say the deluge has delayed their planting and harvesting — and even sparked disease in some crops. 

Federal regulators have codified provisions of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act that may extract more compensation from ocean carriers for rule violations.

U.S. importers have forsaken their traditional gateway in Southern California. Many may be gone for good.

One key trucking demand metric has been in decline for seven straight months, and more cuts in federal benefits could further challenge volumes. 

A leading environmental organization comes to CERAWeek and urges caution on a rush to a hydrogen future.

The FedEx Ground unit flexed its muscles in the third quarter with strong operating income and cost-reduction prowess.

San Francisco Bay Area-based Nimble Robotics has now raised a total of $115 million to help reduce warehouse size by up to 75%.

Canadian Pacific laid out who will be in key leadership roles after the company merges with Kansas City Southern in April.

The consumer will be key to resolving the present tension in freight demand’s future, but consumers continue to be predictably unpredictable.

Shippers and others weigh in on the Surface Transportation Board approving the railroad merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.

Negative headlines about Nikola Corp.’s finances raise justifiable concern. Visiting its electric truck plant tells a different story.

On demand on WTT Dooner is joined by Gnosis Freight’s Austin McCombs + Michael Rentz; InMotion Global’s Tim Higham; MiiPlan’s Rob Jensen; J.J. Keller’s Mark Schelder

The best way to attract and encourage safety practices within an organization begins with a top-down approach, according to Reliance Partners’ Robert Kaferle.

What would happen if trucks stopped hauling freight?

FedEx Express is aggressively scaling back air operations to save money as shipping demand crumbles.

Tanker capacity for diesel is already tight amid war fallout. With very few ships on order, future transport capacity could fall short.

Volume weakness persists at FedEx, but cost reductions are acting as strong offsets.

FreezPak Logistics plans to open a 212,807-square-foot temperature-controlled warehouse near Chicago.

At March’s FreightWaves “State of Freight” webinar, a slightly positive key indicator is really the only bullish sign anybody can find in the market.

The investment firm Hestia is seeking major changes in Pitney Bowes’ global e-commerce strategy.

A multitude of mixed economic signals make it difficult to predict a recovery in air cargo business this year. Even if global trade picks up, the lion’s share of shipments will go by ocean.

A recruiting manager talks about being a woman in the industry as well as the importance of transparent recruiting and the positive impact it can have on trucking companies.

FLS Transport Services offers a free KPI scorecard to shippers.

Autonomous trucking runs are getting longer and more frequent as Kodiak Robotics and Forward Air begin thrice-weekly Dallas-to-Atlanta roundtrips.

Truck driver essentials: Things truckers describe as “must-haves”

Dog food has become an inflation safe haven for packaged-food giants — because pet owners won’t trade down categories for their “fur babies.”

TuSimple co-founder Xiaodi Hou says his ouster was retaliation for failing to support a pay package for the rehired CEO whom he replaced.

With some big-name backing, Verne is trying to tackle the issue of storing hydrogen on board a truck using it for fuel.

Quarterly net losses could be around the corner for container lines, but EBITDA will stay high even if carriers dip into the red.

Motor carriers can anticipate a registration fee increase in 2025 as the collection agency adjusts how it reconciles with mandated entitlements.

The DHL Global Connectedness Index released Wednesday also sheds light on the future expansion of regional trade, saying more than half takes place within regionalized distances already.