Truckload Freight

Driver churn continues to plague the industry as the turnover rate at large truckload carriers has reached its highest point in five years.

Just weeks after a federal judge sided with the company and decertified a class of about 11,000 current and former drivers who filed suit, J.B. Hunt has reportedly reached a $15 million settlement with the drivers.

Rising driver wages and fuel costs pushed up the cost per mile to operate a commercial vehicle in 2017, according to an annual report released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). The group said it cost $1.69 per mile to operate a truck last year, up 6% from 2016’s cost.

Industry veteran Jeffery Barrie has been named CEO of DB Schenker USA, effective Nov. 1, 2018. Barrie will lead all operations in the U.S. and report directly to Philippe Gilbert, Region Americas CEO.

Tired truck drivers? That’s a big concern based on a new survey by the National Safety Council that found 97% of transportation employers are worried about employee fatigue.

Tender volumes are taking many by surprise, but not those that understand what is happening with the use of ELD’s by small carriers, especially in the dry van segment.

On Thursday night at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kenworth Truck Co. introduced its newest long-hood tractor, the W990.

Volvo Trucks will introduce an all-electric truck in California next year before making them commercial available in North America in 2020, the company said.

Military members looking to become truck drivers may have an easier time in doing so as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has authorized states to waive the commercial learner’s permit (CLP) knowledge test and driving skills tests.

The long-anticipated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill is up for a vote and it does not include the controversial meal-and-rest break provision that the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and other industry forces were seeking.

The smartest minds on Wall Street use charting analytics to quickly identify and then track trends in multiple data sets. Why? Because it works. And now freight professionals are learning how to do the same. 

Schneider National has a Crisis Communications Team that is responsible for planning the safety of employees, equipment and customer freight during hurricanes and other adverse weather situations. Here is some of what they have learned.

Despite publicizing that hours-of-service (HOS) violations would be the focus of this year’s International Roadcheck, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual June event resulted in 43.7% of all drivers placed out of service done so because of HOS violations.

FEMA stands ready to address the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has now issued a “Regional Emergency Declaration” for 13 states and the District of Columbia as the southeast braces for the historic storm.

A lack of crews and a slowdown in system operations is squeezing intermodal capacity and shutting off an alternative for those looking to move away from trucks.

With all the talk of the impact from Hurricane Florence as she comes ashore, likely in the Wilmington, NC, area on Thursday, much of the impact will take place for days and even weeks after the storm is long gone.

Hurricane season brings an increased risk to transportation energy in the United States, both from a supply and price perspective.

Probably to no great surprise to attendees in the room, American Trucking Associations’ Chief Economist Bob Costello painted a very positive picture of the current and near-term freight environment during the ATA’s 2nd Annual Economic Summit last week in Washington, DC.

The orders suspend rules regarding everything from registration to length, width, weight, load and HOS.

The truckload carrier is offering the Full Ride program to both recruit new drivers and retain the ones they have, paying full tuition at online Ashford.

Speaking at the American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) 2nd Annual Economic Summit on Thursday in Washington, DC, ATA President & CEO Chris Spear touted the accomplishments of the association but told attendees now is not the time to become complacent.

In today’s pickup: J.B. Hunt and marijuana testing; a court case about something that doesn’t exist; another FMCSA listening session

J.B. Hunt has a zero tolerance policy toward testing positive for marijuana and uses hair testing to back it up. Will that hold up as legalization spreads?

Drones may someday soon become a primary delivery method of last-mile, but they likely won’t be the only solution, as flexibility in methods will be key to successful delivery.

ELDs are one part of the overall telematics picture that fleets can utilize to greater efficiency, according to a new survey of fleets.

It’s no surprise that truck drivers who travel during peak times face slower average speeds and that more flexible HOS regulations could not only speed those travel times, but also would not impact the miles drivers cover in a day, according to ATRI.

Joe DeLorenzo, director of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance for FMCSA, went through some of the common problems the agency is seeing since the ELD mandate went into effect, and there have been plenty.

HCI Equity Partners says in amended filing it may enter transaction to help Roadrunner’s balance sheet.

All three modes of truckload freight are reflecting an environment in which demand exceeds capacity by a wide margin, which sets up for continued strong contract pricing.

The recent slide in spot rates is typical for this time of year, according to FreightWaves’ CEO, and data indicates another peak before Thanksgiving is possible.

A big reaction to a local battle over parking, a market index looks strong, a unionization vote in the last mile.

The Cass indexes are showing no signs of a freight slowdown, despite some concern that a peak may have been reached.

Universal is bullish on its intermodal division, and the Southern Counties acquisition will allow it to expand its footprint in that area.

Overall revenue at Roadrunner is up, but it remains burdened by high interest charges necessary to have given the company a strong capital base.

Uber shut down its self-driving truck platform last week but promised in an exclusive interview with FreightWaves that Uber Freight was not going anywhere. Today, the company has not only confirmed that promise, but it has doubled down on the future of Uber Freight.

Opus9 launched its digital platform, automating every step of the truckload and LTL shipping process, Tuesday. The new platform is intended to “digitize an old industry and bring it forward,” according to Vice President of Product Management Jeff Hiller.

Receipts from the June IPO allowed a significant reduction in debt while other initiatives cut its OR to the lowest level in years.

Schneider National became the latest carrier to announce that it has benefited financially from the strong pricing and capacity squeeze when it announced its second-quarter operating revenues were up 15% year-over-year.

All of the metrics were strongly positive, but the CEO expressed disappointment with two of its main activities, automotive and dedicated

The U.S. truckload operations of TFI are mostly at CFI and Truckload America, and both had stronger quarters.

USA Truck had an aggressive plan to add trucks to its fleet, but delays at the OEMs are falling short of the targets.