Markets

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing states to collect taxes on all sales made through online channels, helping large omnichannel retailers compete online for sales.

Truck tonnage rose for the second consecutive month in May, as improving economic conditions and gains in hiring have helped trucking performance.

The song of 2018 remains the same—and tariffs or no tariffs, it projects to remain so even as infrastructure on the rails and ports expand.

Penske Logistics has reached agreement in principle to acquire Epes Transport Systems, of Greensboro, NC. The deal, expected to be finalized in the next few weeks, will add over 1,200 units to Penske Logistics.

As of late yesterday the Canadian dollar volatility began trending poorly throughout the night and into today, and the short-lived support fell.

U.S. shale oil production is fast-growing, but pipeline bottlenecks at the Permian basin could mean that it can’t completely fill the gap being created by the drop in Venezuelan oil production.

Millennials are helping drive the current economic cycle, which is showing no sighs of slowing down.

The economy remains strong, and capacity tight, although buffeted by some headwinds.

Retail sales rose 0.8% in May, beating economist estimates of 0.4% and showing that economic growth still has some room to expand.

The value of commodity indexes has grown about twice as fast as equities indexes in 2018 so far, prompting a wave of capital expenditure in timber, mining, and oil extraction and keeping demand for truckload miles hot.

For the first half of the year thus far, coal exports are up nearly 24% over the same period last year.

The lumber markets have not cooled off since we last covered them in March: futures prices are still breaking records because of a Canadian rail capacity crunch, and flatbed rates in the Southeast are climbing right along with them.

With transport stocks surging, some market watchers are hopeful that the current expansion period will continue despite downturns in the broader market earlier this year.

The job openings rate in the overall economy hovered at record highs at the start of the 2nd quarter, as companies across industries continue to struggle to find workers. Results from the transportation sector show an industry facing a significant challenge, and wages will likely face additional pressure to rise in upcoming months.

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., says he and others are "crafting" legislation requiring congressional authority over levying tariffs in response to President Donald Trump's imposition of stiff steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

Manufacturing activity continues to expand in the 2nd quarter, and challenges with finding employees and tight freight capacity have made it difficult for producers in the economy to keep up with strong demand.

Candid conversations with leaders in the logistics/truck freight brokerage industry.

A monthly survey of all the important economic developments from the past month, and a look at some of the key trends to watch throughout the month of June.

Job growth improved considerably in May as the unemployment rate matched a near-50 year low. Trucking hires also made significant strides during the month, erasing the large decline in trucking employment from last month.

Oil, which helped drive a rally for stocks Wednesday, began pulling back ahead of U.S. supply data.

Results from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book suggest that manufacturers have shrugged off tariff concerns and are enjoying stronger growth in the 2nd quarter. Labor shortages remain an issue however, broadening beyond the trucking industry.

The US trade deficit in goods narrowed for the second consecutive month, but a decline in both exports and imports means less transportation to and from ports

The U.S. government is looking to levy 25% added tariffs on auto exports, which could set off a spate of trade wars with countries like Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

New IMO regulations asking for the shipping industry to cap the sulfur content in its fuel to 0.5% would have far reaching consequences on crude oil refining and potentially send oil prices to $90 per barrel.

A panel of financial experts were mixed when asked whether the industry would see higher spot rates one year from now, but continued capacity issues was not in debate.

China and the United States issued a joint-statement regarding trade consultations and a desire to support bilateral trade between the countries.

E-commerce sales shrugged off a weak quarter for retail overall, and the resilience of online shopping should continue to drive innovation in transportation and freight markets as businesses look to take advantage.

The Brent-WTI spread has widened considerably to $8.25, a bullish signal for demand for American oil exports and truckload miles.

Output from the nation’s industrial sector climbed for the third consecutive month, as broad gains across industries helped compensate for a lull in auto production. This serves as yet another sign that freight demand will remain solid in the 2nd quarter.

High capacity, steady rise in oil prices, a weaker U.S. dollar and a dull spot market had sunken margins of shipping majors in Q1 2018.