FreightWaves, in partnership with the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance, will be presenting the inaugural Transparency18 Future of Freight Conference, May 22-23, 2018, in Atlanta, GA, at the Georgia International Convention Center. The event promises to be unlike any previous trucking or logistics show.
Have the good days of high rates ended? While not declaring an end to rising van spot rates, a blog post yesterday by DAT Solutions’ Matt Sullivan did note some indications that the rapid rise may be slowing.
The value of Bitcoin may fluctuate, but the level of energy consumption needed to mine the currency is shooting straight up. This begs the question- will countries with cheap electricity reconsider this as they are forced to look at dirty forms of power?
Trucking and logistics have grabbed a share of the spotlight this year at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. None, though, has grabbed more attention than Toyota’s E-Palette concept and alliance that includes such big names as Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut and Uber.
Mexico’s ambassador to the United States told CBS News there is a 50% chance that the end result of NAFTA negotiations will be termination of the trade pact.
FreightWaves’ readers made the past year a great one for our young brand. Today, we take a fond look back at your favorite articles from 2017.
FLS Transportation Services, Limited (FLS), a North American third-party provider of logistics solutions and transportation management services, is the latest 3PL to become a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).
The push-pull of technological innovations in transport and communications is nothing new. It’s all a matter of how the technology is adapted and brought into the current marketplace’s way of doing business.
Uberization has been a hot term to describe digital transactional brokerage. But a bigger, untapped opportunity might be available in the market
Mangbang CEO Wang Gang believes there is plenty of available opportunity in the Chinese freight market for his company develop technological solutions to solve freight issues.
In the developed countries of the West, autonomous driving technology is widely touted as the thing of the future. Move halfway across the globe to one of the densest and the world’s second most populated country, the idea of self-driving vehicles might still be a distant dream.
Tesla is taking pre orders for its Semi, asking for $20,000 each. Participating in such an exercise is likely to end in disappointment
The company that purchased Trucker Path last week is now looking to raise funds through an ICO and Ripple makes a stir in the cryptocurrency world.
The popular parking and roadside amenities app Trucker Path changed ownership last week. Here is why Renren made the purchase.
Truckers in the U.S. deserve better pay, but despite what many think, it’s not the fault of the carriers that they are not getting it. The system is broke and needs to be overhauled.
MSTS has become the newest member of BiTA and promises to revloutionize the world freight payments.
How rapidly the autonomous truck becomes a common sight on local roads and interstate highways – both in the U.S. and abroad – depends on numerous factors. Maybe we should check ourselves at the propaganda and hype-machine door.
In today’s market carriers have more leverage than ever, and are going to start holding shippers accountable.
“The main objective was to develop a solution that was able to help the customer gain a competitive advantage by getting more out of their assets,” says Victor Perez, president & CEO, of Alchemy IoT on its asset intelligence solutions.
The China Aerospace Science and Industrial Corporation (CASIC) has begun development of a Supersonic transportation technology, which would shatter Musk’s initially proposed 745 mph design should it come to fruition. Advantage China.
This year shippers will abandon low-tech brokers en masse as digital freight solutions reach their tipping point.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, announced he will step away from Congress at the end of his current term.
Peloton announced that vehicles equipped with its platooning technology have covered over 1,000 miles in Florida testing.
Block Array LLC, a Chattanooga, TN-based startup, today announced its membership to BiTA – the Blockchain in Transport Alliance.
The sharing economy is generally organized around a technology platform that facilitates the exchange of goods, assets, and services between people across a varied and dynamic collection of sectors.
Tesla is now accepting orders for its Tesla Semi in three European countries. The different dynamics of the European freight market represent some different challenges for the company.
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.
California-based electric charging companies are set to benefit from the $2 billion settlement that VW agreed to with the government.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The ELD mandate has finally arrived, but lets stop pretending this is a safety issue. Its not. The ELD mandate is about money. If we wanted to talk safety, our attention should focus on the real-evil: Hours of Service rules.
With truck drivers across the country being required to have electronic logging devices in their vehicles as of Dec. 18, some have complained about the move to electronic recording of hours when paper logs work just fine. For BigRoad CEO Tony Lourakis, the rule presented an opportunity.
Don Tapscott, business executive and blockchain thought leader, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for FreightWaves’ Transparency18 conference. Tapscott combines a deep knowledge of the ways that technological innovation has changed business over the past thirty years with his up-to-date network of blockchain researchers.
Taiwanese company Foxconn Technology Group is planning to build a manufacturing plant in Mount Pleasant, WI, and now wants the state to build it a roadway for autonomous vehicles
In 2009, Jason Schenker founded Prestige Economics, a top-ranked financial market research firm.
CSX Corp. CEO Hunter Harrison has taken a medical leave of absence from the railroad due to complications from a recent illness. Investors sold off the company stock, causing a 12% drop and $6 billion loss in company value in morning trading.
Go99, a digital freight-matching marketplace based out of Vancouver, Canada, has achieved a major revenue milestone and now it is setting its sights on expansion with the rest of Canada and busy lanes in the U.S. on its target.
Trains are easier to run with autonomous vehicle technology, so they should come before self-driving cars, right?
While all projections point toward a big future for EVs, one big question remains—what type of battery will emerge as the winner?
With the evolution of trucks into computers on wheels, cybersecurity becomes more of an issue. Autonomous trucks are especially an attractive target for the hacking community.
YRC Worldwide CEO James Welch announced he will retire in July 2018. Current YRC Freight President Darren Hawkins is expected to be named to succeed Welch by the Board of Directors at its July 2018 meeting, the company said in a release.
To get a more detailed look at the impact ELDs are having on the industry, FreightWaves talked with drivers and a fleet that has been running the devices, and each has reported different experiences, but in the end, the concern of all of them is that the devices simply work.
The adoption rate for ELDs is slowly inching up as more fleets come into compliance with the law, which goes into effect on Dec. 18.
The enormity of the trucking industry can be realized by looking at the myriad of industries that depend on freight hauling for their sustenance and growth. Add the fracking industry to that list as frac sand has become a major commodity.
The Budweiser brewer says this is part of its strategy to reduce the company’s carbon emissions by 30% by 2025.
Both East Coast Transport (ECT) and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) believe blockchain is one of the most significant developments for the industry since the creation of the internet. ECT has joined BiTA to part of that development.
In an interview with FreightWaves, Tadmore Transportation CEO Pete Emahiser says the blockchain will create a common language that carriers, shippers and brokers can all speak, but he also forsees other possibilities, including a capacity blockchain.
Technology startup FR8 Revolution has received an investment from Sandhills Publishing as well as announced a new technology partnership with the company.
The demands of today’s marketplace are moving in one direction: giving us exactly what we want, when and where we want it. In his 2016 Ted Talk, Alan Amling reimagines the supply chain of the future. By integrating ideas from the past with today’s most promising technologies, he paints a surprising picture of how we might manufacture and move things in the years to come.
Walmart has patented an ‘unattended retail storefront’ that would be located in customers’ homes and stocked by autonomous vehicles, part of its quest to compress or eliminate delivery delays altogether.
North American third-party logistics provider (3PL) and specialist in less-than-truckload and multi-modal shipping, Cerasis, is the latest transportation entity becoming a member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). With […]
South Africa’s Heavyweight Group starts a digital load board and joins Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA).
Last-minute efforts to delay or stop the electronic logging device rule (ELD) are continuing, but it may be too little, too late unless President Donald Trump throws a Hail Mary.
One of the questions many ask as the electric and autonomous vehicles are introduced to market is: What happens with the “last mile” delivery? It can be the most expensive leg of deliveries, especially in rural areas.
Supply Chain Dive has announced its list of awards for 2017 and one award that garnered some interesting attention is the Buzzword of the Year: blockchain.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has taken over the transportation industry. In a press release from Microsoft, the tech giant has officially confirmed the launch of Azure Location Based Services (LBS).
For millions of football fans, a trip to the Super Bowl is the ultimate bucket list item. For blue collar workers, though, attending the game is often out of reach with ticket prices reaching $5,000 and above on the secondary ticket market. For two lucky truck drivers that will change.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has issued a letter to state attorneys general in all states asking them to review potential problems surrounding upcoming enforcement of the electronic logging device mandate.
The process of sending bills-of-lading with cargo has changed little in generations, but the problems have remained: BOLs arrive at different times than the cargo, causing delays and added cost. But blockchain could eliminate these expenses and streamline the process.
Let go of your fear-of-missing-out (FOMO): the blockchain revolution is just beginning.
Anheuser-Busch’s private fleet is among the leaders in the country when it comes to efforts to cut carbon emissions through alternative fuel use. The company is taking another step, announcing it has reserved 40 Tesla Semi electric tractors.
The growth in cargo volumes at London’s Heathrow Airport has created severe congestion across the region, which has the airport facing a dire situation due to long queues, which is increasing waiting times and thus delaying an already slow-moving air freight operation.
ZED Connect offers an ELD device that comes with a one-time purchase fee and no monthly charges. COO Chris Harlow offered up some last-minute thoughts as the deadline quickly to implement ELDs quickly approaches.
Tesla is losing investor support as losses continue to mount as competition from the Chevy Bolt stiffens and Model 3 production issues linger. This might impact their ability to compete in the commercial vehicle market
TuSimple, a Chinese autonomous truck technology startup that is backed by Nvidia with offices in San Diego, has raised an additional $55 million in venture capital.
Following a Thanksgiving week that saw loads depressed, but not rates, the spot freight market was going full steam ahead last week with loads climbing 64% on the DAT network of load boards.
Blockchain is a foundational technology, said Jason Kerner, vice president of sales engineering for Project44, that will allow the building of transformational technologies in the future.
Like all of the companies at the first Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) meeting, held last month in Atlanta, TMW Systems sees blockchain technology playing a critical role in the freight transportation industry going forward.
Don Hummer Trucking is betting on the future of blockchain technology to radically transform the trucking industry. The company recently announced it is joining the Blockchain in Transport Alliance.
BNSF Logistics, a leading multi-modal third-party logistics service provider, announced it has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA) to help lead, develop and promote benchmark standards for blockchain applications; the next generation of secure transactions in logistics and supply chain management.
Following on the footsteps of its European counterpart, Daimler Trucks North America will begin shipping 3D printed parts under a pilot program. Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz unit started a similar pilot in Europe last year.
Truck drivers are concerned with pay, but it’s not the most important topic on their mind when providing feedback to their employers. WorkHound compiled a list of topics drivers talked about the most, and pay only came in fourth. What was number one?
