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John Kingston

John has an almost 40-year career covering commodities, most of the time at S&P Global Platts. He created the Dated Brent benchmark, now the world’s most important crude oil marker. He was Director of Oil, Director of News, the editor in chief of Platts Oilgram News and the “talking head” for Platts on numerous media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business and Canada’s BNN. He covered metals before joining Platts and then spent a year running Platts’ metals business as well. He was awarded the International Association of Energy Economics Award for Excellence in Written Journalism in 2015. In 2010, he won two Corporate Achievement Awards from McGraw-Hill, an extremely rare accomplishment, one for steering coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and the other for the launch of a public affairs television show, Platts Energy Week.
Mar - 2025 -
06 March
John Kingston

New York City wants wider use of WIM technology to fight overweight trucks 

With success in cutting down the number of overweight trucks on a key highway, New York City looks to expand use of weigh-in-motion technology around the state.

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05 March
John Kingston

Tariff impacts on diesel prices will likely hit New England first

New England may be the first location in the country to see an impact from the tariff on imported Canadian oil.

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04 March
John Kingston

Project44 and MyCarrier can both claim partial win in Delaware court decision

The Delaware Chancery Court dealt a short-term setback to project44 in its case against MyCarrier, but the longer-term impact is uncertain.

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03 March
John Kingston

Benchmark diesel price heads lower as futures markets drop even more

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges dropped for the first time in five weeks.

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John Kingston

Penske Truck Leasing hangs on to investment-grade debt rating from Moody’s

Moody’s has affirmed its debt rating for Penske Truck Leasing, a key supplier of trucking rentals.

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Feb - 2025 -
28 February
John Kingston

Ravaged by Helene, I-40 in North Carolina to reopen, with limits

A large stretch of interstate 40 in North Caroline, shut by Hurricane Helene, is reopening this weekend.

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27 February
26 February
John Kingston

‘What did these men do?’ judge asks in throwing out indictment of NFI’s Brown

In dismissing the case against NFI CEO Sidney Brown, the New Jersey judge took aim at some of the charges against him.

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25 February
John Kingston

BMO’s numbers on trucking credit suggest worst may be over

The numbers in Canadian bank BMO’s quarterly earnings suggest credit problems in trucking may have hit bottom.

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24 February
John Kingston

Diesel benchmark goes up a bit, again, as stability continues

The DOE/EIA benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges posted a small increase Monday.

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John Kingston

Chalk up another nuclear verdict: More than $21M in Los Angeles case

The trucking industry has been hit with another nuclear verdict, this time in Los Angeles.

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22 February
John Kingston

3 ratings agencies weigh in on Patriot Rail’s finances amid debt structure change

A debt issuance by shortline operator Patriot Rail provides a look into its finances.

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21 February
John Kingston

TFI acknowledges US LTL ‘disaster’ and difficult Daseke integration in Q4

The fourth quarter was a “disaster” at TFI International, and its CEO gave an update on how the Daseke acquisition is doing.

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20 February
John Kingston

State of Freight: Taking stock of the market after a month of Trump

The State of Freight webinar for February focused on the market uncertainty brought about by the first month of the presidency of Donald Trump.

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19 February
John Kingston

First look: More weak numbers out of TFI’s US LTL operations

The fourth-quarter earnings report of TFI International had bad news for investors.

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John Kingston

EPA starts uncertain attempt to revoke several California truck emissions waivers

An EPA action initiating the process of revoking three California emissions waivers faces legal hurdles.

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18 February
John Kingston

Quiet diesel market awaits potential tariff impacts on Canadian oil

Oil markets have been quiet, but the impact of potential tariffs on Canada and Mexico is on the horizon.

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John Kingston

Strong quarter for Expeditors as disruptions and uncertainty led to a volume increase

Expeditors International had a strong quarter, beating analyst estimates on profitability and revenue.

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John Kingston

XPO lawsuit against 2 ex-employees gives look into noncompete agreements

LTL carrier XPO has filed suit against two workers who had a noncompete but went to Central Transport.

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17 February
John Kingston

Flatbed operator and aggregator PS Logistics holds on to debt rating at Moody’s

PS Logistics hangs on to its debt rating at Moody’s, giving a look at the finances of the privately held flatbed operator.

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14 February
John Kingston

Missouri truck company owner gets 9 years for PPP fraud, other felonies

A Missouri truck company owner who was convicted of Paycheck Protection Program fraud was sentenced to nine years in prison.

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John Kingston

Manhattan Associates’ sudden C-suite change not what it seemed, executives say

The change at the top of Manhattan Associates looked like an ouster, but former CEO Eddie Capell met with analysts to say it wasn’t.

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13 February
John Kingston

Ryder not counting on stronger freight market in ’25, so it touts broader trends

Ryder System’s outlook doesn’t see a lot of gains from a stronger freight market, so it is looking to more structural changes.

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12 February
John Kingston

First look: Ryder data offers mixed signals on strength of used vehicle market

Ryder System’s fourth-quarter used vehicle sales were flat from the third quarter but down from a year ago.

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11 February
John Kingston

Proficient, in midst of huge upheaval for auto carriers, is cautious in analyst earnings call

With the Jack Cooper closing set to roil the market for auto haulers, Proficient met analysts on a momentous day.

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John Kingston

In 3 months, Jack Cooper went from discussing new funding to closing its doors

Jack Cooper’s end came just a few months after it was reportedly talking about some form of financial support from GM.

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10 February
John Kingston

Auto hauler Jack Cooper shutting down: CEO letter to workers

Auto hauler Jack Cooper is closing after recent contract difficulties with Ford and GM.

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08 February
John Kingston

Jack Cooper-GM relationship under siege, cars not loaded onto JC trucks

The Jack Cooper-GM relationship has been severed, with GM no longer providing cars to the auto hauler.

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07 February
John Kingston

BLS revision: Far fewer workers in truck transportation than earlier estimated

The annual revision to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment report showed a lot fewer jobs in truck transportation than earlier thought.

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05 February
John Kingston

Senators seek answers from Ford about Jack Cooper contract cancellation

Two U.S. senators are asking Ford to explain why it canceled its contract with auto hauler Jack Cooper.

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John Kingston

First look: RXO earnings

RXO predicts in its fourth-quarter earnings report that it will have greater synergies from its Coyote acquisition.

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04 February
John Kingston

Georgia-based RSTZ, with operations also in New England, files for bankruptcy protection

A Georgia-based carrier has filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a weak freight market.

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03 February
John Kingston

Benchmark diesel up a tiny bit; futures markets on tariff-driven wild ride

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges was up a small amount as oil futures went on a wild ride.

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John Kingston

Trucking-backed suit may be arena for dumping Biden independent contractor rule

The ping-pong question of how the National Labor Relations Board defines independent contractors is on hold, for now, in a key trucking case.

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Jan - 2025 -
31 January
John Kingston

Saia starts its engines: LTL carrier will sponsor a leading NASCAR team

Saia is turning to NASCAR as a new marketing platform, sponsoring a car from the Joe Gibbs Racing team.

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30 January
John Kingston

Takeaways from State of Freight: Volatility in Washington, intermodal surge

In the first State of Freight webinar for the year, intermodal and politics were on the agenda.

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John Kingston

C.H. Robinson’s Q4 performance soars year on year but slows sequentially

C.H. Robinson posted strong year-on-year gains, but some of the sequential numbers were softer.

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29 January
John Kingston

C.H. Robinson fourth-quarter earnings: first look

C.H. Robinson’s fourth-quarter earnings show some continued improvement sequentially, which has been a key metric for investors.

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John Kingston

Love’s in California: Gauging impact of Advanced Clean Fleets rule demise

Love’s Travel Stops built a new travel center in California even as diesel was targeted for phase-out; now that’s not an issue.

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28 January
John Kingston

Project44, MyCarrier trade courtroom claims of contract violation, poor service

The project44 vs. My Carrier dispute over eBOL technology has reached a Delaware court, with both sides asking for injunctions.

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John Kingston

Western Express prevails at federal appeals level in ‘wall of water’ case ATA saw as important

Western Express prevailed in federal appellate court in a case involving a Virginia wreck from 2018.

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27 January
John Kingston

After 4 straight increases, benchmark diesel price falls

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges fell for the first time in five weeks.

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24 January
John Kingston

A disconnect: EBITDA at Triumph Payments is all-time high, but Triumph Financial’s stock plummets on earnings

Trucking-focused bank Triumph Financial had a solid EBITDA performance at its Payments unit, but a lower bottom line.

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22 January
John Kingston

Drivers settle class action with Lytx over in-cab surveillance, data gathering

In an Illinois case involving gathering biometric data from truck drivers, telematics provider Lytx has settled for $4.25 million.

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21 January
John Kingston

Big jump puts benchmark diesel price back at August levels

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges rose to the highest level since August.

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20 January
John Kingston

Connectivity, generative AI’s impact key supply chain software themes at NRF ’25

Manhattan Associates and Blue Yonder were key supply chain software providers highlighting their new capabilities at NRF ’25.

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17 January
John Kingston

Louisiana staged accident murder: Harris pleads guilty but fingers others for the shooting

Bombshell in Louisiana: a guilty plea in staged accident murder and an accusation against two others.

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16 January
John Kingston

The day after: Speculation abounds on California trucking regulation with no ACF

California’s trucking industry is starting to try to figure out what the world looks like with the Advanced Clean Fleets rule dead.

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15 January
John Kingston

CARB, in a stunner, drops request for EPA waiver on Advanced Clean Fleets rule

The California Air Resources Board has withdrawn its request for a waiver to implement the Advanced Clean Fleets rule.

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14 January
John Kingston

Carrier loses fight against Biden independent contractor rule in New Mexico court

A New Mexico carrier came up short in its lawsuit against the Biden administration’s independent contractor rule.

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John Kingston

Daimler Truck NA resumes Oregon sales after dispute over Advanced Clean Trucks rule

Daimler Truck North America has lifted its ban on sales of new internal combustion engine trucks in Oregon over a dispute about the Advanced Clean Trucks rule that several states have adopted following California’s lead.

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13 January
John Kingston

Benchmark diesel price up for third week as oil futures markets soar again

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges rose for the third week in a row.

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John Kingston

Supreme Court, in case involving TQL, again declines to review broker liability

In a case involving 3PL giant TQL, the Supreme Court has again chosen not to review the issue of whether a broker is liable when a carrier it hires is held liable in an accident or other incident.

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John Kingston

Battles over California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule rage far beyond state line

The impact of California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule extends far beyond the Golden State’s borders, as recent developments show.

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11 January
John Kingston

C.H. Robinson – and 3PL industry – win another broker liability case in 7th Circuit

A federal court has again ruled in favor of the 3PL industry on the issue of broker liability.

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10 January
John Kingston

Slight drop in trucking jobs in December wraps up overall down employment year

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a slight decline in truck transportation employment in December, wrapping up a down year in the sector.

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09 January
John Kingston

Daimler halts ICE truck sales in Oregon, citing dispute on clean truck credits

Daimler North America is not selling internal combustion engine trucks in Oregon over a dispute the state believes was settled.

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07 January
John Kingston

Kuebix TMS relaunch a key part of new FreightWise-Estes deal

Kuebix is being relaunched as a TMS by FreightWise in a recent deal with less-than-truckload carrier Estes.

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06 January
John Kingston

Jump in benchmark diesel price biggest since June

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges rose Monday by the biggest level since June.

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03 January
John Kingston

Project44’s latest lawsuit in intellectual property dispute targets SMC3

A ruptured deal between project44 and MyCarrier now has spawned a p44 lawsuit against SMC3.

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Dec - 2024 -
31 December
John Kingston

OOIDA’s latest move against AB5 focuses on leased owner-operators in California

OOIDA is looking at the issue of leased independent owner-operators as it keeps up its legal fight against AB5 in California.

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30 December
John Kingston

Diesel benchmark up slightly; futures market soars on forecast of extreme cold

The benchmark price for most fuel surcharges was higher against a backdrop of climbing diesel futures prices.

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John Kingston

Oil in 2025 increasingly looking like a buyer’s market

The supply/demand outlook for oil increasingly points to downward pressure on oil prices next year, as does greater use of electric vehicles.

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26 December
John Kingston

Trac Intermodal’s outlook at Moody’s now negative, but debt rating affirmed

Chassis provider Trac Intermodal saw its debt rating affirmed by Moody’s, but its outlook is now negative.

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24 December
John Kingston

Benesch 2024: Pent-up dollars could be big factor in logistics M&A next year

Participants in a key conference discussed how private equity dollars sitting on the sidelines could boost logistics M&A.

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23 December
John Kingston

After cleaning up mess, Roadrunner CEO Jamroz plots new future

Chris Jamroz doesn’t mince words about what he found at Roadrunner, but a new ownership structure launches its next phase

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20 December
John Kingston

EPA OKs California’s tighter diesel NOx rule; can waiver survive under Trump?

California has received a waiver that allows tighter rules on diesel emissions; will it have a short shelf life?

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19 December
John Kingston

Strike against Amazon reveals complicated interrelationship among warring parties

Surveying the issues in the strike against Amazon by the Teamsters union and defining an “employee” can get tricky.

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18 December
John Kingston

Teamsters have some legal issues to overcome after wins at Amazon and with DSPs

The Teamsters are making gains at Amazon and among the company’s direct service providers, but the e-commerce retailer says not so fast.

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16 December
John Kingston

After last week’s big drop, benchmark diesel price turns higher

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges rose this week from the lowest level in more than three years.

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John Kingston

Supreme Court won’t review Ohio case, boosting California’s emissions rules

A key case regarding California’s ability to receive environmental waivers, Ohio vs. EPA, won’t be taken up by the Supreme Court.

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John Kingston

Despite win on appeal, TQL wants Supreme Court to review broker liability issue

TQL isn’t satisfied with its victory in a federal appeals court; it wants the Supreme Court to take up the question of broker liability.

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14 December
John Kingston

Question over ability of California to be granted environmental waivers headed to SCOTUS

The ability of California to receive a waiver for tougher environmental rules will be taken up by the Supreme Court.

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13 December
John Kingston

C.H. Robinson speaks to investors – and Wall Street’s support soars anew

C.H. Robinson had its first investors day in seven years, and the audience liked what it heard.

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11 December
John Kingston

Fireside Chat: Wrong people getting key supply chain jobs, consultant says

Supply chain consultant Brittain Ladd sees the wrong people going into key supply chain jobs.

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10 December
John Kingston

2 lawyers, 2 law firms indicted in burgeoning Louisiana staged accident case

The latest indictments in the Louisiana staged accident case have pulled in two attorneys and two New Orleans law firms and eight persons in total.

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John Kingston

Supreme Court again asked to rule on broker liability; case involves TQL

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined previously to review cases involving the question of broker liability after serious trucking accidents but has been asked to weigh in again.

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09 December
John Kingston

Benchmark diesel price hits a low it hasn’t seen in more than 3 years

The benchmark diesel price used for most fuel surcharges fell to its lowest level since fall 2021.

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08 December
John Kingston

Court decision opens the door for reimplementing Rhode Island truck toll

The Rhode Island truck tolling plan got a mixed verdict in a federal appeals court but has new life.

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06 December
John Kingston

November trucking jobs see healthy rise; a one-time move or start of a trend?

Bureau of Labor Statistics data on truck transportation jobs showed one of the bigger gains in a long time in November.

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05 December
John Kingston

Credit position of BMO’s transportation clients worsens in the fourth quarter

The transportation sector at Canadian bank BMO, heavily oriented toward trucking, showed further deterioration in the fourth quarter.

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John Kingston

TriumphPay’s LoadPay a new tool in fierce battle to get drivers paid faster

TriumphPay is in the middle of a rollout of LoadPay, a payment tool aimed at owner-operators.

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04 December
John Kingston

As dealmakers gather in New York, logistics merger activity holding up

The volume of logistics private equity deals is relatively stable as private equity dealmakers gather in New York.

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03 December
John Kingston

Werner case at Texas Supreme Court: Did driver fail to perform a legal ‘duty’?

The Werner case, now more than 6 ½ years old since it became a nuclear verdict, went before the Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday.

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02 December
John Kingston

Benchmark diesel price up slightly as OPEC+ meeting looms this week

Despite declining futures prices, the benchmark retail diesel price rose by a small amount.

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John Kingston

New Jersey AG fights effort to dismiss indictment that pulled in NFI CEO Brown

The New Jersey attorney general has filed arguments against tossing the indictment that includes NFI CEO Sidney Brown.

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Nov - 2024 -
27 November
John Kingston

Great Dane settles with DOJ over hiring practices for some non-US citizens

Trailer manufacturer Great Dane has reached a settlement with the DOJ over the company’s hiring practices for noncitizens who are in the U.S. legally.

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John Kingston

Walmart driver wins defamation case against retailer for almost $35 million

A former driver for Walmart has won an almost $35 million verdict against Walmart after he was fired following an injury.

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26 November
John Kingston

Another win for brokers: No liability for Echo Global in fatal South Carolina crash

Echo Global has been removed as a defendant in a fatal crash case, another victory for brokers seeking to avoid liability.

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25 November
John Kingston

Diesel benchmark moves higher; OPEC+ group prepares for key meeting next week

The benchmark price used for most fuel surcharges rose for the first time in four weeks.

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22 November
John Kingston

UPS hit with SEC fine over its internal valuation of UPS Freight before TFI sale

UPS is paying a steep fine to the SEC for how it valued UPS Freight before it was sold to TFI.

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20 November
John Kingston

Werner nuclear verdict case in Texas is hugely significant, says attorney at F3

At FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival, trucking-focused attorney Matthew Leffler said the $100 million-plus Werner case is “the most important case facing the trucking industry now.”

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19 November
John Kingston

State of Freight live: A bullish post-election trucking market assessment

At an in-person State of Freight, FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller and SONAR Director of Freight Market Intelligence Zach Strickland talked about why they think the freight market has turned.

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18 November
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