The Daily Dash is a quick look at what’s happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, we highlight May’s retail sales numbers, battery technology for locomotives and more.
The High Five
1. Retail sales in May fell 1.3% seasonally adjusted from April, according to data released by the Census Bureau Tuesday. It’s important to note that the headline decline masked what was the second-highest month on record for core retail sales. Todd Maiden’s story
2. Self-driving ride-hailing and autonomous trucking software startup Waymo raised $2.5 billion of new funding from original investors and newcomer Tiger Global. “We may well see Waymo IPO in the next 12 to 18 months,” one industry analyst said. Alan Adler’s story
3. Wabtec and General Motors are collaborating on bringing battery and fuel cell technology to the freight locomotive. The two will seek to develop and commercialize GM’s Ultium battery technology and HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell systems for Wabtec locomotives.Joanna Marsh with more
4. Ukrainian police have dealt a serious blow to the ransomware gang behind the cyberattacks in the U.S. transportation and logistics sector — including the trailer maker Utility and rail operator CSX — arresting six alleged members of Clop and seizing cash, computers and cars. Nate Tabak’s report
5. Starting in late July, Dole’s US Gulf Express will have a weekly direct call at Port Tampa Bay from Puerto Cortes and Puerto Castilla in Honduras and Puerto Barrios in Guatemala. The service will bring bananas and pineapples to the port. Joanna Marsh’s story
Five more to check out
FreightWaves Classics: Big plans for Interstate 11 coming down the road
Bringg reaches unicorn status with $100M Series E
AskWaves: Why should truckers be aware of derechos?
Exclusive first ride: Nikola electric truck can turn on a dime
Can retailers’ marketing efforts reach the right consumer 90% of the time?