Economics
Freight, orders and optimism continue to populate the minds of many carrier and shipping executives these days as more data points suggest the economy is continuing to improve. And it’s optimism that even uneven retail sales and consumer confidence can’t hide.
While platooning vehicles are close to real-world operation, the world itself may not be ready for them. According to a guide for legislators created by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the varied nature of state laws may limited where platooning vehicles may operate.
Google Glass, those futuristic glasses created by Google a few years ago are back. Discontinued after meeting with only minor success despite great introductory fanfare, they have now made a reappearance with a focus on corporate America.
The on-again, off-again saga over the electronic logging device rule is back on again after language was inserted into a House appropriations bill this week directing FMCSA to review the rule and make a determination if the rule should be delayed or changed.
A world with zero fatalities caused by road accidents sounds pretty idealistic — but is it realistic? The communities around the world backing the Vision Zero initiative think so.
Last week, Volvo Trucks announced that it would soon be adding Apply CarPlay to its lineup as an optional package. More connected trucks will soon become commonplace, and maybe in the commercial transportation space, technologies such as this, Android Auto and WiFi will be welcomed additions.
Starting with just two trucks in Joplin, MO, in 1951, Contract Freighters Inc. (CFI) built a reputation for quality service, professional drivers, and being a good community partner. Today, CFI – after several name and ownership changes in the past 15 years – is reconnecting with the Joplin community and its customer base. The truckload carrier is home, even though it never left.
According to a report in a German newspaper, Daimler has now been swept up in the emissions cheating scandals that have been raging across Europe in recent years.
When the U.S. auto industry came roaring back to life, it was a boon for carriers who made their business hauling autos and related products. But as sliding sales in 2017 show, nothing lasts forever. And it’s possible that the future is even murkier for carriers who rely on the auto business for their livelihoods.
Surprisingly, a new survey from SOTI has found that nearly 70% of transportation and logistics executives have not grasped the importance of rugged handheld mobile devices in the field.
Multiple reports have indicated that Walmart has threatened to withhold business from any trucking company that continues to haul goods for Amazon. Walmart has denied making any such threats, but the mere suggestion of it raises questions that carrier executives need to address.
Seeking to build “greater lane density to improve utilization and yields through more efficient dispatch and capacity allocation,” Heartland Express Inc. announced it is acquiring Interstate Distributer Co. (IDC) of Tacoma, WA, from Saltchuk Resources.
Are you ready for electric vehicles? A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) says that electric vehicle (EV) sales will account for 33% of all light-duty vehicles on the road by 2040.
Following a disappointing retreat in orders in May, Class 8 truck orders rose in June according to data just released. That reinforces the outlook for the remainder of 2017 as many of the orders are for fourth quarter delivery, according to FTR.
Shut downs of operating systems due to cyberattacks are complete handicaps for logistics companies and lead to significant amounts of lost business as well as productivity. But can they be prevented?
The trucking turnover rate at truckload fleets remains near historical lows, but it did tick up a bit in the first quarter of 2017, said the American Trucking Associations.
The Department of Transportation has revised and renamed its FASTLane program to “align [projects] with national and regional economic vitality goals and to leverage additional non-federal funding,” it said.
The logistics of transporting fresh produce from fields and warehouses to store shelves is already complicated by regulations and the seasonal nature of the products, but Amazon's entry into the market could further complicate the journey.
The first unofficial pictures of Waymo’s self-driving truck have emerged, creating a stir among the companies racing to become the first to make a production autonomous truck available.
Across the nation, rising freight volumes, a strong produce season and the ongoing oil boom are driving up spot rates, but how long will the current trend continue?
According to research from KPMG and HfS Research, more companies than ever are outsourcing their supply chain and logistics services as the job of moving product becomes more complicated.
Stanford researchers have successfully charged an object while it was in motion, potentially leading to in-motion charging of vehicles in the future. “The hope is that you’ll be able to charge your electric car while you’re driving down the highway,” says Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford.
Researchers from the National Academies of Science, following a mandate from Congress, have recommended changes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountabilty (CSA) program.
C.H. Robinson's second quarter earnings report missed Wall Street estimates, in large part because of the rise in spot rates in the quarter which compressed margins, even though the company reported a rise of truckload and less-than-truckload volume.