Truckload Freight

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By TCA Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Heller & TCA Manager of Government Affairs Kathryn Sanner The more we hear about the detrimental effects of detention time […]

The operating ratio in every trucking segment of the company was improved and its outlook for 2019 is solid also.

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) Five years ago, I first read a book called The Power of Habit: Why We Do What […]

New truck and trailer purchases currently include a 12 percent federal excise tax, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the purchase price. A new coalition is looking to lobby for the repeal of the tax.

Used truck pricing and volumes posted big gains in 2018 as a combination of factors, including a booming economy and limited availability of new trucks played a role.

KeepTruckin recently nabbed the talents of Jairam Ranganathan, formerly Uber’s senior director of product.

Driver detention has been causing headaches and lost wages for years, but the ELD mandate has shone a spotlight on the issue like never before. For the first time, carriers […]

As of December 16, 2019, anyone running an AOBRD must switch to an ELD. There are steps that can be taken now to ensure the changeover will be painless.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE) While most fleets along the East Coast are focused on keeping equipment and drivers well-equipped to handle winter weather, there’s another threat […]

The numbers that have come out so far are showing few signs that there had been a significant fourth quarter slowdown.

Hard commodity volumes were mixed, but intermodal and coal are better; pricing is the best in seven years.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …Winter has set in, making it hard for truckers to navigate the snowed-in and slippery roads. Marilena Acevedo from PetroChoice outlines measures that could be taken by the fleet leadership and drivers to stay safe during these times.

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program Recently, Knight-Swift announced a 28% positive revision on their earnings guidance for Q4 2018. Details will be confirmed on January 29th when they […]

Port truck operators could potentially increase their wages by using a new service from NEXT that helps them run shorter runs and return to ports with empty containers. The company just secured $97 million in funding to help it expand.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) In New Prime v. Oliveira, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that changes the way arbitration agreements will be handled in the trucking industry, […]

Heartland continues its strategy of being willing to walk away from revenue if it isn’t profitable and it is showing in the company’s operating ratio.

Top supply chain trends and Rhode Island collects more in toll revenue than it expected, plus the growing scooter logistics sector and more container checks.

There are numerous reasons why electric trucks may continue to take a backseat when private transportation fleets and for-hire carriers are developing their truck procurement strategies.

Ashley Coker 2017 DRIVER OF THE YEAR CONTESTS – AWARDS PRESENTATION. PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER AND BIG G EXPRESS, INC.’S STEPHEN RICHARDSON WAS DEEMED THE 2017 COMPANY DRIVER OF THE YEAR. […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Recently, during a conversation with a TPP Best Practice Group member, he relayed his initial motivation for applying to the program. […]

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) Some highlights from this month’s J.D. Power Commercial Truck Guidelines industry update: Class 8 auction market showed little change The number of trucks sold at […]

Intermodal is about half the business. It saw its volumes decline but overall grew its revenue.

The company’s stock took it on the chin for much of 2018 but the company said it had a strong fourth quarter.

In partnership with Reliance Partners …Cargo theft in absolute numbers is minuscule. But that does not negate the havoc it plays on the image of the carrier in question, and the supply chain disruptions it leaves at its wake.

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By TCA Vice President of Government Affairs Dave Heller & TCA Manager of Government Affairs Kathryn Sanner At this point in time, virtually everyone around the world, even […]

Autobon AI is building an aftermarket autonomous vehicle system that would allow any commercial truck to be turned into an autonomous truck.

Click here to nominate your Shipper of Choice FreightWaves announces the Shipper of Choice Award, which will highlight the top 25 shippers in America as voted on by carrier-members of […]

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) A truck hauling frozen chicken crashed in rural Alabama last week, spilling tenders onto the highway. The local sheriff’s office had to warn people against stopping […]

Dry van rates hit air-pocket last month and lose altitude; but other indicators of freight economy still looking up.

The rise of ecommerce has brought it a lot more last-mile vehicles to the urban streets, making them an integral part of the traffic congestion problems that cities face. But there are initiatives that the city administration can work on to alleviate this situation.

Drivers most often commented on equipment issues, logistics, people, pay, and communication on the WorkHound platform in 2018. The platform compiles anonymous driver comments.

Economic and freight indicators are mixed, with some suggesting a downturn is coming, but others pointing to continued growth.

Everyone knew the quarter was weaker than it had been. The question is how much. Stock prices have reflected a significant slowdown.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) The Wyoming Department of Transportation is embarking on a mission to improve safety conditions on a stretch of Interstate 80 that is prone to brutal […]

Fleets are increasingly turning to video to help exonerate drivers of wrongdoing and finding that a side benefit is the coaching opportunity video provides to improve risky driving behaviors.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: DELDOT) Delaware’s newest toll road, dubbed the U.S. 301 mainline, opened to traffic earlier this week. The existing U.S. 301 has been converted to a local roadway, […]

Transflo used its slot during the MarketWaves 18 Demo Day to showcase how its app’s new user interface, along with the broader Transflo ecosystem can be used effectively to reduce time during the lifecycle of a load.

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) In a recent Legal Comment, we considered a situation in which a driver was not hired by a carrier because he was […]

Acquisition of Cory only Hunt’s third deal in nearly three decades.

As administrators for the Black Smoke Matters group on Facebook worked to get a handle on the sudden explosion of members in the group, one administrator announced he is stepping away from the page and the group has posted what it is calling “Truckers Declarations for the 2019 Shutdown” on its website.

The states are at different points in their adoption of the program, but some of them are showing the way in what can be done.

(PHOTO: TCA) Eighteen Companies with Outstanding Safety Records Now Eligible for Two Grand Prizes The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has selected 18 companies as division winners in its 43rd Annual […]

What Northam supports is along the same lines as the recommendation of a recently-appointed commission on the heavily-traveled north/south highway.

A port operator taps into funding for new natural gas tractors; birds and the federal shutdown could cause delays in Oklahoma bridge projects; Sears wants to liquidate; and air freight is flat in November

Price impact of low-sulfur fuel may not be as bad as feared, but still remains unknown; I-5 bridge remains a chokepoint for trucking.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) The Trucking Alliance kicked off 2019 by reaffirming its commitment to safety and making its priority objectives known. Steve Williams, president of the Trucking Alliance […]

Shipwell is a startup that turns “the imperfect into the perfect,” stated company co-founder and president Jason Traff while presenting on the MarketWaves18 demo stage.

While onboard with the group’s goals, not all truckers seem happy with the approach Black Smoke Matters is taking to achieve them.

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Guest Authors: Tim Almack – Partner – Katz, Sapper & Miller (KSM) & David Roush – President – KSM Transport Advisors (KSMTA) In life, as well as in […]

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By Jack Porter, Managing Director, TCA Profitability Program 2018 was the best year for carrier profitability in the sixteen years of tracking the data for TCA. The market […]

Initiative aims to keep good but rejected food out of landfills and onto plates.

ELDs have been required for the majority of the industry for more than a year now, but there are still some that do not have to comply until Dec. 16, 2019. A look back at ELDs, and what the next deadline means.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) Sheriff’s deputies recovered a truckload of stolen Patron Tequila in Hillsborough County, Florida earlier this week. The value of the merchandise totaled over half of […]

Black Smoke Matters, a group formed by truckers, is planning a nationwide shutdown on April 12 to protest several issues facing truckers.

Locating intermodal assets and identifying which of those assets is available for use is one of the key attributes of Phillips Connect Technologies’ Intermodal Smart Solution.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: FREIGHTWAVES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Riverside Transport is making strides toward helping drivers achieve better health in 2019. The carrier, which prizes itself on its driver first culture, offers […]

Adding blockchain to existing order fulfillment software product speeds up event recording required for invoice approval.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: CONTRACT TRANSPORT SERVICES) Contract Transport Services granted a popular Christmas wish for nearly 100 children: a brand new bicycle. The company gave the bikes to Green Bay, […]

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: ALABAMA MOTOR EXPRESS) Alabama Motor Express is celebrating 30 years in business by performing 30 acts of kindness that touch both the trucking and logistics industry and […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) If you’re in the Flatbed / Open Deck segment, you’re probably very familiar with the Daseke name. In recent years, Daseke […]

Bison Transport operates twin 53-foot trailers in Canada, and generally has lower rates of incidents than with single trailers.

Ashley Coker SPC. TREY DODDS, A TRUCK DRIVER WITH THE 110TH COMPOSITE TRUCK COMPANY, ATTACHES A TRAILER TO A VEHICLE ON SEPT. 13, 2018, IN PREPARATION FOR DEPLOYMENT IN HURRICANE […]

The history books will say many things about 2018, but whatever else is recorded, it will go down as one of the strongest years for spot and contract pricing increases in the history of trucking in the U.S. Will that trend continue?

Load matching app keeps focus on drivers as it includes detention charging, terminal feedback ability.

Facial recognition will be tested next year on the Peace Bridge that connects the U.S. and Canada as a possible solution to speed up commercial border crossings.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Some highlights from this month’s J.D. Power Commercial Truck Guidelines industry update: Volume at auction on the rise The number of trucks sold at auction rose […]

The federal guideline is “hearsed, nursed and towed,” and that will be the rule in Pennsylvania now.

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: MEASURE WHAT MATTERS) Objectives and Key Results: Using OKRs to execute in 2019 Earlier this year, TPP (TCA Profitability Program) member Steve […]

No signs of a broader downturn, but the month-on-month numbers are generally a little weaker.

Basic amenities such as snacks and a bathroom rank high among truck drivers as improvements shippers can implement at their locations to improve the driver experience.

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) By R. Eddie Wayland , TCA Legal Counsel The carrier in this case did not hire a deaf driver even though there were apparently many indications that the […]

Rising driver wages can’t slow driver shortage plus a Boston-based company receives funding for autonomous technology development for cargo vessels and more empty containers are leaving U.S. ports

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: FREIGHTWAVES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE 2017 MID AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW) During part one of this two-part series, Omnitracs Senior Data Scientist Emilie Worsham made the case for […]

The charges are growing but there are signs that this lengthy dispute may be coming to an end.

The Nikola Motor tractor is powered by a hydrogen-electric engine and has earned the company Number 24 on the FreightWaves’ Research Institute Freight.Tech 25.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA) North Carolina’s second toll road, the first in the Charlotte area, opened to traffic late last month. The 18-mile Monroe Expressway has been […]

Ashley Coker FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller interviewed Chris Henry, program manager of the TCA Profitability Program, about TPP and Truckload Indexes during Henry’s recent visit to FreightWaves’ Chattanooga, […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: WERNER ENTERPRISES) Ever since Clarence Werner used his car as a down payment to purchase a 1956 Ford F-800 truck, effectively kick-starting […]

Volvo will put an electric powertain in its popular VNR regional tractor. Test vehicles will begin operating next year and commercial units will be available in 2020.

German OEM major MAN Truck & Bus is investing heavily in clean mobility, and is now collaborating with the CNL consortium for testing 26-tonne electric trucks.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: FREIGHTWAVES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Analysts agree that freight market improvements are likely to slow in 2019, and carriers need to prepare now in order to weather the slowdown […]

An Eaton clutch defect leads to a recall of International truck models and other OEMs may have to follow suit, plus Amazon Air takes off and intermodal growth being driven by inland ports.

A truck has moved freight from China to Poland in a record 13 days, via the TIR system, which requires road transport operators to only declare their data once when they are hauling goods across multiple borders.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Between new data surfacing about women’s performance behind the wheel and the driver shortage, there has never been a clearer time for carriers’ to ramp up […]

Merge Transit is a spot market agency that helps owner-operators and small fleets reduce inefficiencies in their business, and looks to automate the process of dispatching.

KeepTruckin continues to expand its leadership team as it works to build out new solutions for drivers, taking advantage of the data now available to it.

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Recently, at an industry event, I was asked by a TPP member what my single largest career goal was. Luckily, I […]

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION) Drivers traveling through Birmingham, Alabama should expect to spend extra time getting around the city for the next 14 months. Interstate 59/20 through […]

Dean Croke, Chief Insight Officer, FreightWaves (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) One of the biggest mistakes the trucking industry makesis assuming that just because a driver had a 10- or 12-hour break, they […]

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) It is not uncommon for trucking business owners to receive unsolicited offers to purchase their businesses. These instances have become more prevalent in the current market, […]

Canadian province tackles stricter driver training and Chinese goods to Europe move along the world’s longest freight route. Plus Uptake takes innovation award and improving truck driving jobs.

FreightWaves Founder and CEO Craig Fuller interviewed Truckload Carriers Association Vice President of Government Affairs David Heller about some of today’s most relevant issues facing the truckload industry during Heller’s […]

Dean Croke, Chief Insight Officer, FreightWaves Though the industry debates over driver safety, hours of service, shipper detention times, high driver turnover, and driver shortages, it still misses an important […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: MARTEN TRANSPORTATION) Since 2014, we’ve been closely following the publicly-traded truckload companies, and in 2015 we started embedding the results from these […]

Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) Two years ago, I had a very enlightening conversation with Thom Albrecht (now CFO at Celadon). We were talking about why […]

Is the economy still healthy? Are people still making things, shipping things, and buying things? According to the railroad car data, the answer is a definitive “Yes.” 

Tyson Foods will be testing a tractor that will utilize Achates Power’s opposed-piston engine technology that is said to reduce NOx emissions by 90% from current standards.

The tax changes of 2017 caused some fleets to consider leasing as opposed to buying, and new accounting rule changes could have a similar effect, says Fleet Advantage.

Ashley Coker (PHOTO: TRUCKSTOCKIMAGES.COM) While some truckload carriers tend to treat their brokerage operations as hobbies or support functions, Chattanooga-based Covenant Transport (NASDAQ: CVTI) is committed to fostering a relevant […]

Despite many truckload carriers reporting record revenues and strong operating ratios, TCA data housed inside FreightWaves’ SONAR shows an anomalous jump in insurance expenses, spiking as high as 4.45% of total revenue at the end of October 2018.