Technology

Data is a crucial resource that enables fleet managers to streamline their internal processes and GPS technology is a key part of the equation.

Though the ELD mandate has been in effect since December 2017, the compliance rates for fleets with less than 10 trucks have been low and will stay that way this year. 

We discuss our list of cities that made up our long-wait times for drivers and our methodology for how we came up with the list 

The recent Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas gave Virgin Hyperloop One the opportunity to promote its vision and potential of hyperloop technology.

Washington D.C., is often credited with killing the American truck driver and their ability to work. Now, we have ELD data to prove that, in-fact, Washington D.C. is where a drivers available hours go to die! 

Daimler in association with Loadsmart is launching its custom digital platform for its contracted freight carriers in the U.S. to match them with the company’s spot loads.

5 days into the trial, Uber settled the Waymo lawsuit on the cheap. But who really benefits? We break down the deal here.

Shaw Industries Group, a leading global floor covering provider, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

what3words has created a unique three word addressing system which can accurately pinpoint any location on earth, without the need for local street addressing. 

Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) has announced that Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is the association’s most recent member, including a membership on the BiTA board.

The heat map of areas affected by today’s Uber outage shows how vulnerable an Uberized freight industry would be.

Manufacturers surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers have been slow to implement autonomous, mobile robotics in their operations–they’re waiting for proven ROI. But they may be too focused on driverless trucks, overlooking other technologies that are closer to commercial viability.

Predictive maintenance is something that has been talked about for several years. The ability to identify when particular components might fail, or to proactively replace components before they fail based on past data trends has been referred to as the Holy Grail of vehicle maintenance.

Cass Information Systems, Inc. has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), a consortium of industry leaders committed to developing standards and guiding the widespread adoption of blockchain technology in logistics.

According to a report from Tech Crunch, Elon Musk’s Tesla is preparing to test autonomous driving on a cross-country trip within 3 to 6 months.

Landstar System, Inc., a worldwide, asset-light provider of integrated transportation management solutions delivering specialized transportation services, today announced it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

The BuildCoin Foundation is envisioning a blockchain related ecosystem which can help expedite the construction of global infrastructure projects via public-private partnerships.

Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), the largest industry-specific blockchain standards organization in the world, today announced its newest member, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America.

Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), the largest industry-specific blockchain standards organization in the world, today announced its newest member, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America.

Blockchain technology has the potential to massively improve processes within the freight industry. LoadBlock, an Arizona-based start-up, is capitalizing on this shift in technology by developing blockchain-integrated systems.

Senior UPS Economist, Ibrahiim Bayaan joins the FreightWaves team as Chief Economist. 

The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance and BiTA announced a partnership to define the impact of blockchain technology for the global transport markets.

Velocity Freight Transport, Inc. (Velocity Transport) announced today it has joined BiTA.

Jury deliberations in the Pilot Flying J trial begin tomorrow. We’ve learned as much about the importance of data analytics as we have about fraud.

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) recently became the first Class I railroad to join the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) recently became the first Class I railroad to join the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Supply chains are such a complex enterprise, that it’s nearly impossible to solve any one problem without it impacting another part of the chain. That was one of the main points that Michael Zargham, founder and CEO of BlockScience, said during a discussion last month in New York City.

Transparency18 Sponsored article An estimated 17M ocean shipping containers make approximately 200M trips globally on an annual basis. A typical international shipping container is interchanged between 8-10 parties before the […]

The Nuro is a self-driving vehicle designed to run your errands for you. It is poised to change the way that businesses interact with their local customers.

In spite of a sea change in technology, the US DOT report released Jan. 31st, says the costs of rigorous data collection and analysis would likely outweigh the benefit. Instead, they provide a lot of data from 2013-2014.

Automotive cybersecurity is even more critical in the era of connected vehicles. Trillium has finally delivered a solution that’s unhackable… so far. 

Some early adopters of the Tesla Semi are receiving another advantage – help with designing and building electric charging stations for the trucks.

SDG&E is working on electrification projects in the region of San Diego to expand its electric vehicle charging network and cater to the growing EV needs of the region.

It wasn’t that long ago that many analysts believed the demise of Blackberry was close at hand. They were so wrong.

JD.com, China’s largest retailer and one of Asia’s largest internet companies, joins BiTA 

Sabrewing’s battery-less, gas-electric hybrid can fly anytime, anywhere, over and around weather –- and can carry up to 3,000 lbs. of cargo up to 5,000 miles.

With one round of electronic logging device (ELD) madness behind, and another likely upcoming ahead of the April 1 hard enforcement date, Transflo President & CEO Frank Adelman says his company is prepared for another round of drivers rushing to get compliant devices.

Fleet Complete, a provider of global IoT provider of mission-critical fleet, asset, and mobile workforce management solutions, has expanded its European operations with the acquisition of Ecofleet, a telematics provider in the Nordic and Baltic regions of Europe.

Conditions improved slightly for shippers in November according to FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index (SCI). The SCI recorded a -8.9 for November, slightly better than October but still solidly negative, the firm said.

Energy Transport Group, a diversified cross-border transport company serving North America, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). 

With all the purchasing of team apparel and snacks that takes place around the Super Bowl, it’s imperative those goods make it to retail locations on time. It takes a Big Game logistics operation to make it happen.

FedEx, in association with BiTA, is looking to create more transparency and data security in logistics operations through blockchain technology.

Telematics and data expert joins FreightWaves to help develop thought leadership and a forum for interpreting telematics and market data for the freight markets 

Typically, about 12% of any fleet of drivers on any given day or night will fall well outside the company’s operational safety parameters. How can you use your ELD and GPS data to improve driver safety and productivity? Compliance doesn’t necessarily mean safer.

Reliance Partners, a leader in transportation and logistics insurance and risk management, announced today that it joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). 

The race to self-driving and electric vehicles has focused medium and heavy-duty vehicles lately, even though many believe local and urban is the best place for electric trucks. udelv, though, is focusing on that last-mile.

Aidant Technologies, a data integration firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

American Global Logistics announced its membership in the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

General Motors (GM) has positioned itself to be “the prime mass-market manufacturer of self-driving cars” according to a report by Automotive IQ.

Even trucking original equipment manufacturers are not immune to spot freight volatility. Because of that, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), is working to shore up its supply chain relationship with contracted freight carriers through a new digital platform.

A quote by Oren Harari sums up a lot of how CEO Trevor Milton feels about Nikola has achieve with the hydrogen fuel-cell electric semi: “The electric light did not come from the continuous improvement of candles.”

Two-year-old startup NEXT Trucking has secured $21 million in a Series B round of financing, led by Sequoia Capital, as it seeks to stand out in a crowded field of competitors looking to match available truck capacity with freight.

Logistics Plus Inc. (LP), a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, is proud to announce that it has joined the Blockchain In Transport Alliance (BiTA) to help develop and set standards for blockchain technology within the transportation industry.

Multi-awarded European tech startup OriginTrail has developed a blockchain protocol for the food supply chain, Food Safety Magazine reports

Transparency18 is designed to be a unique freight conference for participants. Towards that end, the two-day event will dedicate one day to live product demonstrations. Companies are encouraged to sign up to demonstrate their innovative solutions.

FedEx Corp. will accelerate pay increases for hourly employees this year as part of its response to the new tax law and expected benefits from it. The company will also make investments in facilities in Indianapolis and Memphis.

In the future of freight, relationships will take a back seat to data and how carriers use the data to speed price and capacity discovery.

Alexa is turning out to be one helpful person. The AI-based gadget’s utility was given a new spin, thanks to an innovation brought to life by Garmin Speak.

Building “a trust-free and distributed business ecosystem to enable transparent information flow, efficient collaboration, and high-speed value transferring” is the business model of blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) company VeChain. In other words, it’s seeking to stop counterfeiters.

According to a survey of participants on a recent FTR webinar, only 11% of the people believe the ELD impact has been severe. A full 52% say the impact has been moderate while 34% say it is minimal. Three percent don’t believe it’s had any effect.”

Samsung SDS has successfully completed a pilot run of its blockchain platform Nexledger in the shipping industry of South Korea, along with different players in the market including shipping logistics companies, the Korean Customs, and major ocean liners.

Thousands of European cryptocurrency debit card users were left in the lurch when Visa suddenly discontinued their services to crypto debit card issuer WaveCrest earlier this month.

Call it the Internet of Things, the Sharing Economy, a result of the ELD mandate, or the emergence of blockchain-style applications, but we are witnessing a digital gold rush when it comes to developing technologies bent on improving supply chains.

The Teamsters have opened negotiations with UPS on a new contract and they have a significant request: no drones or driverless vehicles.

Redwood Logistics (Redwood), a top-100 3PL provider and one of the fastest growing logistics companies in North America, announced today it has been selected as the newest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Global ag giant Louis Dreyfus Company has successfully concluded its first international shipment utilizing blockchain technology.

Industry-wide ELD adoption is forging a yellow brick road for blockchain and other technological marvels.

Yesterday Maersk Line announced that it joined the New York Shipping Exchange (NYSHEX), a new digital platform offering standardized contracts, locked-in prices, and space security for ocean container shipping.

At least for one week, seasonality has impacted rates, according to the latest data from DAT Solutions. Spot rates for dry vans and flatbeds fell for the week ending Jan. 20.

Chattanooga, TN-based Lync America has joined other transportation industry visionaries by collaborating with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), an alliance formed to ensure standardization of blockchain technology in logistics and throughout the supply chain.

Manual processes may appear cheaper at first, but studies have shown that switching to automated accounting programs for account payables and receivables saves money in the long run, even for small operations.

TRAFFIX, one of Canada’s longest-serving third-party logistics specialist, based out of Milton Ontario with offices in Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, and Dallas, is proud to announce that they have joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

The compliance rate for ELDs among fleets sits at 86%, according to the latest rolling survey of 318 fleets by CarrierLists.

“It’s fairly mind-blowing what’s happening in the industry right now,” says Chris Polk, An American Trucker podcaster.

Last Friday, the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) decided to keep its standards intellectual property open, to encourage ease of adoption. 

Learning Machine Technologies, a leading global provider of blockchain-based records for institutions including MIT and the Republic of Malta, has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Back in November, KeepTruckin launched a petition drive asking FMCSA to provide a 2-hour exemption for long-haul drivers delayed at a shipper.

South Carolina is looking to increase the fines for driving slower than the average speed in the passing lane, and that is just one of the legislative bills working their way through state legislatures that will affect transportation.

Bettina Warburg explains blockchain to a child, a teenager, a college student, and an expert in this video from Wired Magazine.

IBM and Maersk have teamed up to build blockchain solutions for the maritime container shipping industry, apparently focusing on automating costly import-export documentation.

Really want to guess where HQ2 will end up? Follow the tech talent pool and logistics network.

SCLogic, a leading provider of in-building logistics systems, announced today that they have joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

The long-awaited infrastructure plan from the White House is taking shape and could be part of President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Jan. 30, according to Reuters. CNN, however, reports that the plan will not likely be finished by that time due to the president’s travel schedule.

Pay particular attention to analytics-driven IoT platforms, computing at the edge, and data exchange brokerages (DEBs), as IoT influences everything from home security systems, to oil and gas exploration, to smart cities, to retail experiences, and beyond.

Tropos Technologies’ electric vehicles are capable of hauling over 1,000 pounds and can be configured for cargo and last-mile delivery, perhaps making them an ideal alternative for local delivery.

If you’ve ever had your doubts about Elon Musk’s grand visions, you aren’t alone, but at some point maybe we should get on board the Tesla fan-wagon. Production issues are one thing, but they’re breaking new ground all over the world.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has rented out as many as 60 data centers worldwide for the Bitcoin-dependent enterprises using the blockchain.

FreightRover, the freight exchange and streamlined payment platform, announced today that it has joined forces with other industry leaders in the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).

Even though hyperloop has not yet been officially launched in mainstream transportation systems in the United States, it has piqued the interest of the Chinese government enough to consider a 16-man passenger pod system using the Maglev technology.

The biggest hurdle to overcome is the long-distance infrastructure of superchargers.

Craig Fuller, Managing Director of BiTA, says that blockchain-enabled smart contracts will facilitate more detailed, specialized transactions without the high fees of credit cards.

Dutch company, Port Liner, has an innovative solution, introducing an autonomous electric barge for the European market beginning in Q3 of 2018.

Singapore-based blockchain startup LALA World has confirmed a joint development project with Bermuda-based cybersecurity firm, Verifiable Identity-Based Encryption (VIBE), to secure its blockchain-enabled banking system.

A combination of factors continued to drive dry van trailer orders as 2017 came to an end, with December orders up 38% year-over-year, according to FTR.

RoadLaunch, a startup based out of Ontario, Canada, has developed a solution that digitizes the available capacity of trucks and trailers to make the process of getting freight quotes and managing fleets a seamless process.

Regulations surrounding autonomous vehicles are taking different approaches in the U.S. and Europe, with Europe writing specific technologies into its laws.

Last-mile delivery might get very interesting very soon. Boeing has unveiled a prototype “unmanned electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) cargo air vehicle (CAV) prototype” capable of hauling 500 pounds.

Based in Ashford, AL, Alabama Motor Express has joined forces with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) to help with the implementation of blockchain technology in the supply chain.

Lost in the flurry of news yesterday from Walmart was a little nugget of information that will have profound impact on freight movements both within the Walmart supply chain and for carriers who transport goods to Walmart.

FreightWaves had a chance to speak with Jason Schenker about what’s ahead for the freight and automotive industries, and what that means for our lives.