The J.B. Hunt first-quarter conference call provided a mixed bag of anecdotes. While concerns mount over economic disruption, the company has some offsets.
Cass data plummets further, erasing any chance of second-quarter year-over-year growth in shipments and freight costs, according to report.
While transportation industry participants have an abundance of questions loaded for management teams this earnings season, answers on the future will be tough to provide.
Chris Henry writes about the true costs of “unseated” trucks and what carriers can do to keep their number of unseated trucks as close to zero as possible.
The Department of Labor has issued new guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that may not require companies to offer paid leave in certain situations.
Attorney R. Eddie Wayland answers many of the questions that have arisen from the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, including whether all companies need to comply.
Clear benefits in its truckload and dedicated divisions, but challenges in brokerage.
P.A.M. Transportation says it has temporarily laid off approximately 75 employees as auto plant closures increase.
Morgan Stanley upgrades its freight transportation industry view from “cautious” to “in-line.” The firm lowered its earnings expectations for the group.
Virus-related demand headwinds bring fresh declines in February Cass data. Visibility into a potential trucking recovery is further clouded.
Deliveries of contracted freight with actual trucks will be the focus of the three-year partnership.
Daseke expects weakness in the industrial markets and oil and gas sectors to persist. Management said the environment was sequentially weaker in the first quarter.
Profitability is the key to any business staying in business. In trucking it is harder than in many other businesses. Chris Henry explores the “trucking profitability paradox.”
FreightWaves SONAR clients will have access to Truckstop.com rates
‘Strong sales’ in February are expected to continue through Easter. Disruptions to the company’s supply chain continue to be monitored.
Schneider National’s new Dallas operating center set to open as the company looks to grow its active fleet.
Lowe’s sees positive sales comps in 14 of 15 regions, but full-year fiscal 2020 guidance disappoints.
ORBCOMM lowers full-year 2020 guidance given recent coronavirus developments.
Bankrupt Celadon Group reveals employees in Mexico recently restarted operations of its transportation businesses after labor disputes. Court filings paint a murky picture of what’s happening at the Mexican subsidiaries — including Jaguar Transportation — and who is in charge.
Winter weather can have a major impact on freight movement. Read meteoroligist Nick Austin’s article about winter weather conditions.
This is part of our ongoing weekly feature called the “Online Haul of Fame.” FreightWaves will feature companies that have had a lasting impact on the trucking industry, past or present. Check out the Online Haul of Fame series posted each Friday on FreightWaves. M.S. Carriers was founded in Memphis, Tennessee by Michael Starnes in […]
Declines in Cass data accelerate but report calls for rates to inflect higher in 2020.
Walmart’s fiscal fourth quarter comes in light of expectations as holiday activity was lower than expected.
It’s AMX’ first big acquisition in more than 20 years.
Fuel card provider WEX Inc. reports a solid fourth quarter but calls out weakness in the trucking market.
Stock in Canadian transportation company trades more than 7% above offering price after CEO Alain Bedard rings opening bell on New York Stock Exchange.
The key metric “net revenue per truck per week” is explained by Chris Henry.
Analyst forecasts tough sledding for freight in first half of the year
C.H. Robinson President and CEO Bob Biesterfeld told FreightWaves that Robinson Labs will develop solutions, both technological and otherwise, for its customers, carriers and Robinson employees.
Intermodal struggled while Brokerage also has a strong period.
Trucking insurance continues to get more expensive. Chris Henry and Daniel Pickett provide information about captive insurance agencies.
Ben Thrower examines the issues surrounding California’s AB-5, which impacts truckers who are independent contractors.
Chris Henry runs fleet profitability benchmarking and analytics for FreightWaves and facilitates the TCA’s TPP program. If you are interested in benchmarking your fleet’s performance with the best operators, join TCA’s TPP. The data presented in this article come from analytics of over 230 truckload for-hire fleets, representing more than 70,000 trucks. A wise trucker […]
Seth Holm of FreightWaves Freight Intel Group writes about the impact of nuclear verdicts on the trucking industry. Will 2020 be a tipping point for these huge awards?
A number of readers responded to Brian Aoaeh’s 12/26/19 “Commentary: Trucking industry observations heading into 2020.” His current commentary features some of those responses and information from Anthony Campo, a trucking industry veteran.
Outlook for future improvement to earnings is still hazy as Morgan Stanley analyst lowers fourth-quarter estimates for most transportation companies.
Major weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards, and historic flooding can produce immediate volatility as well as lasting effects on supply chains, depending on where they hit.
Market Expert Zach Strickland provides timely advice for shippers that need to choose either a carrier or a 3PL.
Trucking fundamentals still strong as peak season ends
By R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers nine States including California, recently affirmed a decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) which found that prohibitions on secondary boycotts under Section 8(b)(4)(i)(B) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) do not violate the […]
The Truckload Carriers Association, in conjunction with the TCA Profitability Program (TPP), offers a new, virtual, interactive learning experience available to all professionals in the trucking industry. The Truckload Live Distance Learning model offers a fresh perspective, one which includes facilitation from instructional design experts and a collaborative online classroom. Participants will engage in insightful […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel In a recent Legal Comment article, we discussed how the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) went back to following a rule established by the United States Supreme Court, holding that an employer can bar any nonemployee from soliciting its employees, including union organizers, so long as they bar all […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner On October 21, the public comment period closed for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on hours of service (HOS). More than 2,700 comments were submitted to the Agency, with arguments both in […]
by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I point out some of my favorite datasets in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues. Today I’m back in Chattanooga after another week on the road. Last week I […]
The transportation industry is in a constant state of flux, experiencing market changes influenced by everything from macroeconomic conditions to hurricane season. Understanding data, learning to benchmark and knowing how to take advantage of any market can help carriers stay profitable during downswings. TCA Profitability Program’s first annual Truckload Live Summit is designed to help […]
by Ray Haight, TPP Retention Coach The issue of driver turnover has plagued the industry for decades and, it seems to me, that trucking companies should have made better progress in bringing it under control. The fact is that many trucking companies see the published numbers on driver turnover coming from industry groups, and as […]
by Ray Haight, TPP Retention Coach I have done a dozen or more Retention Action Plan rollouts over the past couple years and one of the key questions that I pose to folks during the on-site workshop that revolves around the TCA’s “Best Fleets to Drive For” contest and “the Safest Fleets in North America” […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner There are many hot-button issues in the U.S. press right now, but the one which may have the greatest impact for the entirety of North America is the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This trade agreement, intended to replace the North […]
IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Lincoln’s Logs is brought to you by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I point out some of my favorite datasets in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues. Today I’m coming to you […]
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Brian Smith of Madisonville, Tennessee, a professional truck driver leased to Mercer Transportation Company of Louisville, Kentucky, a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping at the scene of a fiery crash that killed four people. On March 25, Smith was driving his flatbed near Lordsburg, New Mexico […]
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Robert Wheeler of Crestwood, Kentucky, a professional truck driver with Walmart Transportation of Seymour, Indiana, a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for his quick action in helping at the scene when an SUV pulled into the path of oncoming van. On August 9, Walmart driver Robert Wheeler had just […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner For the past several years, the crash statistics for large trucks and buses have been getting worse. While this could be driven by many different factors, from the prevalence of cell phone use and distracted driving to the deteriorating […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel In the last Legal Comment, we discussed a recent Massachusetts federal district court ruling. Specifically, we looked at the aspect of that decision which dealt with compensating drivers during various phases of an orientation program. As noted in that article, the court also addressed whether sleeper berth time in […]
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Brian Smith of Louisville, Kentucky, a professional truck driver leased to Mercer Transportation Company also of Louisville, Kentucky, a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping at the scene of a fiery crash that killed four people. On March 25, Smith was driving his flatbed near Lordsburg, New […]
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Terry Whittington, a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, Inc., a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping a fellow truck driver that was struck by a passing motorist while inspecting his vehicle. It was 7:30 a.m. in June 2018, Whittington was leaving Fontana, California on Interstate […]
Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK) A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform for […]
(IMAGE: ALAN ADLER/FREIGHTWAVES) Guest post by FreightWaves’ Linda Baker Truck manufacturers are pushing full steam ahead into connected vehicle platforms, using telematics and data integration to drive value for customers while providing countless other benefits for partners, the community and the OEMs themselves. Paccar started its digital transformation journey in 2015 with a remote diagnostics platform, […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel A Massachusetts federal district court recently issued an important ruling addressing whether driver trainees attending a carrier’s orientation program were in fact “employees” of a carrier and therefore subject to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Background The carrier operates its own truck driver training school. […]
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Terry Whittington of Fort Smith, Arkansas, a professional truck driver with ABF Freight System, Inc., a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for helping a fellow truck driver that was struck by a passing motorist while inspecting his vehicle. It was 7:30 a.m. in June 2018, Whittington was leaving […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner On Wednesday, September 11, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit held a hearing to examine funding options for nationwide infrastructure improvements. The hearing, titled “Pricing and Technology Strategies to Address Congestion on and Financing […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel An automotive supplier will be required to revise its no-fault attendance policy after the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s recent determination that an employee’s lawsuit challenging the attendance policy should go forward. The employee was terminated after accumulating more absences than allowed by the employer’s […]
The Truckload Carriers Association’s (TCA) Scholarship Fund will be providing financial assistance to 52 undergraduate college students for the 2019-20 academic school year. Each student will receive a scholarship ranging from $6,250 to $2,725 from a total pool of nearly $150,000. Since 1973, the Fund has been providing scholarships to students associated with the trucking […]
IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Post by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff I hope you had a great long weekend and enjoyed some time with family, football and good food. Although I bet if you were anything like us here at FreightWaves, the threat of a category 5 hurricane barreling towards the 3rd largest port in the US probably […]
The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge encourage professional truck drivers and independent contractors to nominate their companies as Best Fleets to Drive For®. The annual contest and survey, now in its 12th year, evaluates and identifies those employers who provide exceptional workplace environments within the trucking industry. Visit www.BestFleetsToDriveFor.com between September 3 and October 31, 2019, […]
Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Have you ever heard the saying, “there’s no time like the present?” According to Dictionary.com, this adage dates back to 1562. While life in the 16th century was certainly much different from our own, one thing […]
Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform […]
Chris Henry, Program Manager, TCA Profitability Program A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform for the North […]
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Kevin Phillips of Sheridan, a professional truck driver with CalArk International, Inc. a Highway Angel. He is being recognized for aiding a woman after vehicle rollover. Phillips has been a truck driver for 30 years, but said he’s never experienced anything like what happened May 22. It was 5 a.m. […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner (PHOTO: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES) On August 5, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) announcement of its intent to make the Crash Preventability Determination Program permanent brought many cheers from the trucking industry. Penalizing carriers for non-preventable crashes, particularly through […]
Earlier today, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to make changes to the federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. These include granting additional flexibility for drivers utilizing a truck’s sleeper berth, standardizing the 14-hour driving window for short-haul drivers, alterations to the 30-minute rest break requirements and updates […]
Ashley Coker The Truckload Carriers Association has named Ed and Tracy Zimmerman, a husband and wife team who drive for Hirschbach Motor Lines, Inc. “Highway Angels.” They are being recognized for their selfless courage in racing to pull a trapped motorist from his burning vehicle. The duo left fear behind them one Saturday morning when they […]
A weekly review of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that all trucking companies should be tracking on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. These standardized KPIs are the foundation of the TCA Profitability Program’s inGauge Benchmarking Platform – the largest (and only) online benchmarking platform for the North American Truckload market. There are endless Key […]
The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named Justin Rockcastle, a professional truck driver with Melton Truck Lines, a Highway Angel for stopping and rendering assistance when a vehicle filled with minors veered off the road and rolled. It was a miserable day to be on the road. It was May 23, and it was raining and […]
Jim Higginbotham, a professional truck driver for Stone Trucking Company, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). He is being recognized for his willingness to stop and render aid following a serious two-car accident that ejected one of the motorists. On Friday, May 3, Higginbotham, was heading out of Ramona, […]
Christopher Lemaire, a professional truck driver for Revere Transportation, has once again been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). He is being recognized for his willingness to detain a drunken driver involved in a hit and run. Lemaire is no stranger to the Highway Angels program. He’s been nominated twice before […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been in high gear in recent weeks. The Agency has several pending regulations which are currently open for public comment and which could dramatically impact the truckload segment of the trucking […]
Cody Crisler and Kenneth Meekins, professional truck drivers with Henderson Trucking, have each been named Highway Angels by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). Both men are being recognized for their willingness to stop and assistance a young family whose baby was accidentally locked in their vehicle. On June 7, Henderson Trucking colleagues Jessica Graham, Crisler, […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel A federal trial court in Iowa recently ruled in favor of a carrier in a sexual harassment case. The basic factual allegations are all too familiar: a male driver and a female driver are driving together in a truck, and alleged sexual harassment occurs. The carrier here prevailed because […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel PHOTO CREDIT: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES On July 22, 2019, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter as to whether the time a driver spends in his or her truck’s sleeper berth qualifies as compensable hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel A trucking company retained two drivers to serve as independent contractors and, on that basis, the company was allowed to make wage deductions, including for insurance, membership dues, and truck lease payments. The lower court disagreed that the drivers were independent contractors but ultimately determined that the deductions were […]
Ashley Coker PHOTO CREDIT: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended its comment period concerning its possible pilot program that would allow non-military drivers under 21 to drive commercial vehicles across state lines. The previous July 15 deadline has been pushed back to August 14, giving people an extra month to […]
Ashley Coker IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Carriers steering clear of Louisiana due to precarious weather conditions can start accepting loads into the state again. While Hurricane Barry caused serious flooding over the weekend, most of the damage was limited to rural areas with little freight activity. “Most of the damage occurred in rural areas where there […]
The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) announced its support of S. 2033, The Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act of 2019. The bill would require new trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds to be equipped with speed limiters set at a maximum speed of 65 mph. Existing trucks already equipped with the technology would be required […]
Ashley Coker PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK Small business owners across the nation slipped off their rose-colored glasses last month. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Optimism Index fell 1.7 points to 103.3 in June, reversing May’s gains. The NFIB Optimism Index is intended to track small business sentiment and is released each month. The index takes […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel The employer ejected two union organizers from its public cafeteria where the organizers were meeting with employees. The union organizers challenged these actions and won before an administrative law judge. Following an appeal, however, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overruled the administrative law judge on two of the […]
Guest post by FreightWaves’ Noi Mahoney More than $400 billion in freight crossed in both directions through the United States-Mexico border by truck in 2018. In Laredo, Texas, alone, more than two million trucks carried goods across the border last year. While President Donald Trump’s trade wars with Mexico and China have destabilized business markets, […]
Guest post by FreightWaves’ Alan Adler Class 8 new truck orders rose in June from a three-year low a month ago, but the first six months of the year accounted for the slowest first half since 2010. June orders of 13,100 were 69 percent below one of the peak months of a 2018 ordering spree, […]
IMAGE: TCA Professional truck drivers Scott Wagner of Spartan Direct, based in Pevely, Missouri, and Robert Barnette of Swift Transportation Company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, have each been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA). They are being recognized for their willingness to drive nearly an hour to rescue a colleague stranded […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES The day of reckoning is finally upon us. On June 13th, Canada’s Minister of Transportation, the Honorable Marc Garneau, announced that Canada’s electronic logging device (ELD) mandate will take effect on June 12th, 2021. This means […]
PHOTO COURTESY OF OTAY MESA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Post by FreightWaves’ Noi Mahoney Business is good at the Otay Mesa port of entry, California’s largest commercial land port of entry, which tallied a record $50 billion in two-way trade with Mexico during the last fiscal year. For June, the latest SONAR data shows outbound tender […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel The employee here requested intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) but was instead forced to go out on continuous leave. Under the FMLA, “intermittent leave” is taking leave in separate blocks of time for a single qualifying reason. Reducing the employee’s usual weekly or daily […]
Guest post by FreightWaves’ Kevin Hill Amazon’s entry into online freight matching is being met with skepticism and unease by much of the logistics industry, according to a market research report from the FreightWaves Freight Intel Group. The report, Amazon and the Logistics Industry, builds on the news FreightWaves broke on Amazon’s beta version of its online […]
Guest post by FreightWaves’ Todd Maiden The Cass Freight Index Report showed further deceleration in the freight markets in May. Donald Broughton, Founder and Managing Partner of Broughton Capital and author of the report, warns an economic contraction could be underway. Cass’ May 2019 report shows signs of weakness with both the shipments and expenditures data sets […]
Ashley Coker CHART: FREIGHTWAVES’ SONAR Volumes out of the Tifton, Georgia market have been moving upward since the beginning of the month, with FreightWaves’ SONAR Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI.TMA) showing a 33 percent surge since June 2. Outbound rejection rates (OTRI.TMA) have been climbing over the same period of time, increasing 274 bps from […]
DREAMSTIME by FreightWaves’ Chief Economist Ibrahiim Bayaan Economic data from the goods side of the economy showed some signs of life in May, as growth in retail sales and industrial production exceeded expectations during the month. This is an encouraging sign that activity may be stabilizing in the second quarter, though details in manufacturing point […]
TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner Even though no one has officially designated June as “Detention Time Awareness Month,” the issue has received plenty of publicity in recent weeks. First, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a request for information in the Federal […]
Ashley Coker IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Data across all modes of traffic is signaling a dramatic slowdown in the freight market, but U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) continues to come in strong. FreightWaves Chief Economist Ibrahiim Bayaan and FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller teamed up to explain this apparent disconnect. Bayaan and Fuller regularly host a webinar, […]
R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK The employee, a male executive, failed to allege claims for actionable sex discrimination and sexual harassment where he failed to allege that the complained-of conduct occurred because he was a man. This case is a good case for employers to be familiar with because it illuminates Title […]
IMAGE: JIM ALLEN/FREIGHTWAVES Guest post by FreightWaves’ Clarissa Hawes The International Roadcheck inspection blitz kicked off earlier this week in North America, but some U.S. truckers reported that scale houses in some states were closed or they were waved through the scales because inspectors were busy reviewing other commercial vehicles. Truck driver Joel Morrow ran […]
