Trucking

This is another in a series of videos produced by FreightWaves and SmartDrive, recorded at the recent SmartDrive Customer Conference in Atlanta. FreightWaves editor-at-large John Kingston discussed several key issues in trucking and transport today with both SmartDrive executives and several conference speakers.   Taking a company that has been known for cameras and developing it […]

Enterprise supply chain solutions provider LLamasoft has introduced a new taxes and duties analytics service on its platform, which will help companies navigate the complex environment of fluctuating global tariffs while optimizing strategic decisions.

A year after announcing a range of e-trucks for the U.S. market, Volvo Trucks has started selling all-electric models in Europe.

Omnitracs reported that 99.9% of its electronic logging devices (ELDs) affected by a four-day connectivity issue are working again, meaning truck drivers can stop manually tracking their movements.

With experience in both freight brokering and non-asset-based logistics, David Broering addresses the challenges facing the ever-changing trucking industry.

Fuel card and business payments provider, FLEETCOR, reports increases in fuel and toll revenue. Management said that they are seeing general softness across all trucking markets, domestically and abroad.

Amazon to build second robotics development complex in Massachusetts

Ballot initiatives included a tax on ride-sharing companies in San Francisco.

U.S. rail trade associations say changes will help employees responding to unplanned events.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found the drugs stuffed in duffel bags inside a container load of scrap aluminum and copper en route to Europe from South America.

One of the biggest U.S. shippers put increasingly tough terms on carrier, leading to lawsuit.

The NCBFAA, which represents the customs brokerage industry, has become increasingly upset with the management at the Customs and Border Protection-contracted test sites and the way applicants are treated.

Semi-trailer manufacturer Wabash National reported higher revenue and profits in the third quarter led by growth in its final mile and commercial trailer segments.

Lorin Seeks, Convoy’s director of quality and compliance, spent nine years leading logistics as a captain in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.

Rates can quickly become dated and the lack of real-time transparency in these movements can result in lost opportunities for both shippers and carriers.

Titanium Transportation Group sees weaker trends in the quarter, but manages to post a modest profit.

FedEx looks to allow flat-rate shipping customers to use their own packaging when they tender boxes.

The traditional ordering season for new Class 8 trucks opened in October with the highest activity in 11 months. Still, the number of orders placed was the weakest for an October since 2016 — and 51% below October 2018.

The costs of operating a for-hire Class 8 truck rose 7.7% in 2018, the biggest jump since 2010. It is the highest per-mile cost since the American Transportation Research Institute began tracking the data in 2008.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE:CTB) recently announced a plan to increase ownership in its joint venture tire plant in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 58% to 100%. The Findlay, Ohio-based company has been involved in a venture partnership at the Corporación de Occidente (COOCSA) plant with Trabajadores Democráticos de Occidente (TRADOC), which has owned 42% of […]

The UW is Starship’s biggest campus client to date.

UPS operates first revenue drone flight for CVS, carrying drugs to customers

Travel Centers of America reported stronger profits and sales for the third quarter as it added locations and sold more fuel at higher prices. Watch for International House of Pancakes restaurants to begin to replace TA’s Iron Skillet and Country Pride eateries.

The impact of IMO 2020 on oil markets is going to be less than projected, at least according to a newly published forecast by OPEC. The cartel, in its voluminous World Oil Outlook report, said it has seen several shifts in oil markets that have led it to believe the transition to lower-sulfur marine fuels […]

On October 29, Bloomberg published an article by Dina Bass, “The ‘Uber for Trucking’ Tries to Navigate Some Uber-Scale Problems.” That was followed by Craig Fuller’s article, Is winter coming for the super-hot FreightTech space?, which ran in FreightWaves on November 3. It would be worth it to read both articles if you have any […]

Truck parking is not only a safety issue, but also an issue of driver rest. Reliance Partners, along with TruckPark, is exploring how truck parking reservation systems could help drivers get better rest and improve roadway safety.

Teknowlogi uses artificial intelligence models to analyze data in real-time and also advises executives on ways to improve efficiency and maximize process automation.

A former New Jersey bookkeeper recently pleaded guilty to bank fraud in federal court, admitting she orchestrated an elaborate $1.7 million check-writing scheme using fraudulent company checks.

Gildan Activewear is closing its operations in Mexico and laying off 1,700 employees at two plants in Sonora, the state across the U.S.-Mexico border from Arizona. “As we looked at our cost structure in the future, we feel that we can achieve a much lower cost by limiting the facilities,” CEO Glenn Chamandy told analysts […]

Meritor is expanding its Blue Horizon brand of electrified products as it positions itself to be a leading supplier for electric and hybrid vehicle powertrain solutions.

The restructuring is keeping 2,500 jobs in place.

Western Star is recalling 2,546 heavy-duty trucks because the sleeper side door can detach while the truck is in motion, creating a risk of the falling door striking another vehicle.

Leaf Logistics aims to give shippers, carriers, and brokers confidence in buying and selling contracts and protect against market fluctuations.

The United Auto Workers voted 79% in favor of a new four-year contract at Mack Trucks following a 12-day strike that idled six facilities in three states and halted production at Volvo Trucks’ only assembly plant in North America.

Uber Freight sees loads more than double on a year-over-year basis, but the division’s losses increased as well. Investors will now likely mull over these results as the company’s stock lock-up expiration approaches.

UPS expects tsunami of returns this holiday season

Uber plans to release safety report by end of the year.

The rule would require half of all new medium- and heavy duty truck sales sold in California by 2030 to be zero-emissions vehicles.

Industry telematics leader Omnitracs is still chasing a fix for a connectivity glitch that caused some models of its electronic logging devices to stop reporting accurate time and location data on Nov. 2.

False submission of shipment information in the U.S. government’s Automated Export System helps sink scheme to smuggle military-style inflatable boats and engines to China, according to officials.

Truck maker TRATON Group S reported higher revenue and profit for the first nine months of the year, but warned of a tougher 2020 with an accelerating slump in orders and global economic uncertainty.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the ports keep watch for untreated wood packaging in cargo shipments to prevent the spread of wood-boring pests.

Blockchain as a decentralized and immutable ledger can help stakeholders within fashion supply chains to improve trustability, reduce counterfeit products and increase labor equality across the horizon.

A federal grand jury recently indicted a Russian trucking owner — who is already awaiting trial on charges that include a $150 million military kickback scam and a murder-for-hire plot — as well as eight other Utah-based trucking company executives in an alleged “pay-to-play” bribery scheme involving a former FedEx Ground (FXG) manager.

With diesel fuel powering 97% of all heavy-duty trucks, it seems silly to predict its industry dominance will end. But don’t tell that to California where the good can be the enemy of the great.

Supply chains are now more susceptible than ever to macroeconomic trends and the rise of consumer expectations in the context of last-mile delivery. To alleviate impact, businesses need to pursue visibility and operational transparency as top priorities.

Logistics real estate developer ESR Cayman (HK: 01821) roared into public life on Friday when it floated on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It was the second-biggest IPO of the year in Asia.

Ontario Trucking Association lauds crackdown by province’s workers’ compensation agency on companies that skirt payroll deductions by misclassifying drivers. But the OTA calls on Canada’s federal government to do more.

Saudi Aramco, believed to be the world’s largest integrated oil and gas company, has announced it will undergo an IPO on the Saudi Arabian stock exchange.

U.S. truck drivers possibly numbering in the tens of thousands are staring at non-working electronic logging device (ELD) screens after their Omnitracs’ systems shut down on Nov. 2. Omnitracs did not immediately confirm the outage.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Appetite for avocados is fueling violence in Mexico; Hyundai picks Claudia Marquez as CEO in Mexico; Arconic closes Texas aluminum plant; and Corona beer to be brewed in China. Appetite for avocados stirs gang violence in […]

Signs of the impending transition to electric vehicles continue to gather apace. The authorities in the Western Australian City of Fremantle are trialing an electric garbage truck. “So what?” a reader might reasonably say. But when the operator of the electric truck is Cleanaway, which operates 4,000 heavy vehicles across Australia, the potential fuel savings […]

truckers hauling construction materials and agricultural products, flyers promoting the protests also have been posted around the ports

Funding bill leaves out protections sought by U.S. House.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said importers of tobacco from the southeast African country must demonstrate the goods are not in violation for clearance.

Freight volumes hint we may have a peak season after all

Andy Peters writes about developments in industrial real estate used for logistics and transportation.

ArcBest posts weak third quarter numbers for asset and non-asset units

Shippers and NVOs urge the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to implement the interpretive rule, while ocean carriers and marine terminals say it needs further refining.

U.S. Xpress cites a weaker spot market and compressed brokerage margins as reasons for the third quarter loss. However, the decision to grow its fleet, a portion of which is reliant on the spot market, drew several questions from analysts on its call.

A leading economist on the question of driver economics will join us on FreightWaves Radio.

Convoy is now offering direct-from-shipper loads on its platform, giving carriers many more choices for hauling freight.

Add USA Truck to the list of carriers finding themselves struggling to find their way in a soft freight market. The carrier found itself forced into the spot market to find freight for its trucks after making an acquisition just a year ago.

While electric trucks, fuel cell tractors, electrification and e-mobility played a large role in the NACV show,, a number of companies introduced lower-profile products that are an important part of ensuring trucks stay on the road and trucking companies are profitable.

The rise of e-commerce and the evolution of customer expectations on delivery schedules have propelled the last-mile segment to be more reactive to demand and highly digitalized.

Microsoft recently announced a $1.5 million investment in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to help expand companies in the manufacturing sector on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. The investment is part of a Microsoft program called the Bridge Accelerator, which will train 75 existing companies in Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas, over the next three […]

Investing in a TMS requires more than just buying an off-the-shelf product. It requires thought, analysis and the right investment to ensure that you buy today is what you need tomorrow.

The color of the Mack Trucks bulldog carries special meaning. Gold means all of the key components were homemade. Chrome says others’ parts are on board. Now, it comes in black.

The U.S. Justice Department said Peter Sotis, former owner of Florida-based Add Helium, is accused of smuggling rebreather equipment without an export license to the war-torn country.

With the bulk of its final mile business shuttered and its tractor fleet right-sized, management believes that the company is on solid footing to see improvement in 2020.

East Coast port expects container volumes to double over next 30 years.

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.  Happy Halloween everyone! Today is […]

YRC’s third quarter earnings show weakness at regionals, some resiliency at YRC Freight

BorgWarner Inc., which makes engine components and drivetrains for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles, reported lower third-quarter earnings on slightly higher sales.

Navistar is skipping the chase for incentives on demonstration electric trucks to consult with customers on custom-built zero-emission medium-duty models with total cost of ownership rivaling a diesel truck.

Donaldson hopes to release this solution in 2020 for commercial trucks, which will increase visibility for fleet managers and ultimately save money.

More carriers install ELDs as compliance deadline nears.

Bendix introduced several new products and updated a number of others at its press conference at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta.

U.S. House green-lights measure to improve big-ship access.

The PACT Act closely mirrors the unsuccessful Graham-Van Hollen Turkey Sanctions Bill in the Senate.

Heartland Express continues to perform. The carrier posts another solid quarter in the face of a “softer” environment.

ElasticRun is an Indian logistics startup that connects convenience stores within specific regions and relays goods between them based on demand and lull times.

Backers seek to put ballot initiative to state voters with aim to redefine independent contractor drivers.

Montreal-based Transport DSquare got an early taste of the platform on a Mississauga-Montreal haul and sees good things for the Canadian freight market.

Jacobs Vehicle Systems is introducing a new engine brake designed for lower rpms as well as two new technologies for improving fuel economy and reducing cabin shake upon engine shutdown. This specially wrapped truck will tour the country in 2020 to showcase the technologies.

Expect rate divergences between FedEx and UPS into 2020, led by dramatic changes in last-mile deliveries

Brian Aoaeh writes about threats to supply chains from cyber attacks and the need for increased cyber security.

Tribunal rules $6 billion class action against manufacturers DAF, Daimler/Mercedes, Iveco, MAN and Volvo/Renault can proceed.

Hendrickson Truck Commercial Vehicle Systems unveiled its next-generation heavy-duty rubber suspension for the vocational truck market, the Haulmaax EX, at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show in Atlanta on October 29.

One way to control supply chain costs is to regularly audit your logistics operations, but doing so, and doing so correctly, are two different things.

Analysts now want CHRW to cut costs.

French freight technology startup Everoad has forged a strategic partnership with French mass-retailer Groupe Casino to help digitalize its supply chain.

U.S. freight forwarders have increasingly embraced canines as part of their technology-driven air cargo security programs.

Cooper Tire has added a long haul tire to its Pro Series, giving it a full complement of tires for each position on commercial vehicles. (Photo: Cooper Tire)

Bill Driegert discussed both the Canadian and Polish expansions.

Hutchison Port Holdings Trust (SGX: NS8U), a Singapore Stock Exchange-listed container terminal operator active in Hong Kong and mainland China, has reported a small decline in unaudited revenues for the nine months to September. That led to a 5% fall in profit after tax.

Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed ocean container carrier SITC (HKEX: 01308) has reported increases in its unaudited third-quarter results despite a global trade slowdown and the China-U.S. trade war. SITC’s container revenues and volumes have both increased.

Truckstop eases load-matching process with voice-recognition technology.

Meritor Inc. is expanding its electric axle line with two new models and announced that it has been chosen as one of seven suppliers for an electric vehicle project in South America,

Carrier411 monitors trucking companies to rate their safety and performance protecting brokers from unsafe carriers.