Newsletters

FreightTech 100 nominations end soon It’s the second most wonderful time of the year behind college football returning. If you or someone you know is innovating or disrupting the freight industry, the nominations for the annual FreightWaves FreightTech 100 are ending on Friday. To submit a nomination, use the link here.  An external peer group […]

Inside this edition: Preventing daily fires … the pessimistic outlook on carrier retention … The newest fixer-upper.

Rail service levels are impacting trucking intermodal growth plans. At a Deutsche Bank transportation conference on Tuesday, J.B. Hunt noted that intermodal demand remained strong but poor rail service appears to be creating a bottleneck. 

In this issue of the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? newsletter: ocean rates sink; Walmart inventory woes; Amazon adds peak season fee; and more.

Inside this edition: What is everyone upgrading? … 2021 was the MVP year … More acquisitions in Q3

Trailer pools as a hedge against contract rate declines, Electric truck infrastructure — breakthroughs versus misconceptions

How well will consumer packaged goods (CPG) purchases ultimately hold up?  Not only is CPG demand forecasting arguably more difficult than ever, it is also more critical than normal since many CPGs have to decide whether to continue with high-cost contract manufacturing that served as a way to find capacity during the pandemic when demand […]

Inside this edition: Getting just the right amount of Tech upgrades; A rift among former customer and service provider; and a newbie joins Nuvocargo’s ranks.

ATRI: Costliest year ever in trucking On Wednesday, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its annual report on the operational costs of trucking. The report, which has been published annually since 2008, is based on motor carrier financial and operations data from 2021.  Below are some highlights from the report and press release:  Total […]

In this issue: port protests hit Baltimore; Ford’s drone trucks; world’s largest container ship; and do delivery apps deliver to trucks?

Inside this edition: Getting ahead of claims, the task force with the hottest acronym, and someone just leveled up.

Legal battle over trucking independent contractors The trucking owner-operator business model is getting more legal challenges. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision in May 2021 that ruled in favor of Schneider’s contract terms, creating a situation where an owner-operator is effectively an employee based on its interpretation of the […]

Shareholder letters and earnings call transcripts don’t qualify as page-turning vacation reading. But they say a lot.

Inside this edition: being a better prospector, transportation costs at a minimum, and FedEx has new toys.

Inside this edition: the rise of ESG initiatives, congestion up again and the future of shopping malls.

Trailer pool services are gaining adoption. Wabash, a major manufacturer of equipment, recently announced a partnership with Phoenix-based freight brokerage FreightVana to supply the company with its trailer-as-a-service (TaaS) platform.

A proof-of-concept step van with four-wheel steering by wire and 57% better aerodynamics could revolutionize the segment

CO2 shortages strike breweries; Senate bill proposes $40k tax credit for electric semis; a look at a limp dry van spot market and more

FreightWaves recently conducted a survey of owner-operators outlining business issues and outlooks on profitability in 2022 compared to the previous year.

A common theme during the downward swing in the cyclical freight market cycle is the movement of owner-operators in and out of large fleets.