Fuel prices and developments affect the entire supply chain, and can place a lot of pressure on carriers. Check back here for news and information related to fuel prices and the gas sector, plus insights and analysis on trends and issues impacting the industry.
The fluctuating price of fuel makes it difficult for carriers and shippers to know the exact cost to move freight. Genesis Fuel is offering a way to pre-buy diesel at a set price, adding certainty to the cost for both parties.
Isuzu with partners Supreme and Delivery Concepts have introduced a truck body designed for craft brewers, complete with taps. Plus, ports seek alternative fuels, concerns over fracking, and Walmart pressures suppliers.
The two key new levies will be a percentage of wholesale prices, but with a floor tied to a particularly strong period in the diesel market.
With new backing from Microsoft, start-up readies for technical and geographic expansion of optimization services for shipping assets.
Also in this week’s report: an ExxonMobil recommendation might be problematic for truckers; paying somebody to take natural gas away
More refiners make pledges to supply market for IMO-compliant fuel, but if those efforts fall short, diesel may be next best option.
Auto sales are declining, but the National Automobile Dealers Association still expects strong sales for 2019, plus the one area where Amazon is losing and opposition to Canada’s carbon tax grows.
EIA still sees no uniform international policy on how the IMO 2020 regulation will be enforced.
Problems with some U.S. crude oil exports, more concerns for the IMO2020 switch, and the lessening impact of Donald Trump’s oil tweets.
When a spread like that between gasoline and diesel come in this far and this fast, it can’t go on forever.
Stepping into the system is expected by this economist to be Donald Trump, using emergency powers to halt exports of diesel fuel
Major agencies are checking in on what OPEC production was in February, and reductions are starting to bring world output level down to where the group said it wanted to get to when it met back in December.
The IEA came out with some detailed numbers on what the impact of IMO2020 will be on diesel demand. But its estimate of non-compliance is a lot more than that of a panelist at CERAWeek.
While propane doesn’t pack quite the punch diesel does, it does produce enough power to handle many of the tasks at a fraction of the overall cost, advocates say, so why is not a more popular fuel for commercial operations?
Biofuels created by recycling used cooking oils are being tested by ocean-going ships in pilot trials around the world. Such biofuels may even be gaining acceptance by ocean-shippers, freight forwarders and ship operators.
The systems are nowhere near ready but several panelists at the big CERAWeek meeting see advantages for hydrogen in heavy-duty transport.
Volvo has started testing connected vehicle technology in California, plus Michigan governor pitches fuel tax hike, California legislator wants to phase out diesel engines and Alibaba buys into delivery company.
Electric trucks dominated the vehicle conversations at this week’s Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, plus the cost of charging vehicles, overtime pay changes and another trucker protest planned.
Mitsubishi Fuso said that customers are demanding more gasoline models in medium-duty operations, so it is delivering with this Class 5 gas-powered cabover.
UPS’ Carlton Rose, president of global fleet maintenance and engineering, said he expects electric power to be the long-term solution in medium-duty, but it isn’t there just yet.
