Truckload Indexes

FreightWaves Staff Tuesday, February 11, 2020

2020 TCA Annual Convention

Warmer weather here I come……!! As I prepare to attend the TCA’s Annual Convention — Truckload 2020: Orlando — I reflect on the many years of education that I absorbed by being a sponge from my peers. I want to say thank you!!

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FreightWaves Staff Sunday, January 26, 2020

Onboarding New Drivers – The Right Way

For years I’ve heard from drivers, staff & management about what’s right & what’s wrong with orientation for new drivers. It’s a Tricky Slope that takes precision & consistency every week of the year. After all, we’re dealing with people & they all want different things. Or do they?

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FreightWaves Staff Sunday, January 19, 2020

As I See It

This weekly opinion will give me the ability to relate my views on current events. Those views will be based from my personal experience over the past 40 years serving the Trucking Business.

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 31, 2019

TCA Profitability Program launches TPP Data Analytics Group

New group will be the first of it’s kind in transportation The TCA Profitability Program (TPP), an exclusive business performance improvement initiative provided by the Truckload Carriers Association, is pleased to announce the formation of the TPP Data Analytics Group. This unique group will be sponsored by McLeod Software, and meetings will be held semi-annually […]

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Chris Henry Monday, December 30, 2019

Top trucking trends for 2020

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner As 2019 comes to a close and 2020 kicks into gear, now is a good time to prepare for the potential regulatory and legislative action that the trucking industry will see in the new year. We can expect big […]

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Chris Henry Sunday, December 22, 2019

TCA, Pilot Flying J honor professional truck drivers at Wreaths Across America event

On the evening of Friday, December 13, TCA Chairman and Trekker CEO Josh Kaburick and Pilot Flying J’s Wendy Hamilton, recognized nearly 100 professional truck drivers during the 2019 Wreaths Across America (WAA) Washington DC Area Wreath Reception and Dinner. The event was held prior to Saturday’s wreath-laying in Arlington National Cemetery. Nearly 900 people […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Congress shows impatience with drug testing delays

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner In just a few short weeks, our industry will be graced with one of the biggest safety advancements in recent memory. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse goes live on January 6, providing an online […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, December 12, 2019

Commentary: Court rules ADA inapplicable where employer believes applicant may develop impairment in future

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel Employers may be well aware of the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in situations where an employee or applicant is “disabled” as that term is defined under the ADA. What about a situation in which an employer purportedly discriminates against an applicant because the employer believes […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Transport the Wall That Heals in 2020

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has announced The Wall That Heals national tour schedule for 2020. The Wall That Heals exhibit includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center. The 25th season of The Wall That Heals will begin on February 20, 2020 in Marco Island, Florida and […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, December 5, 2019

Christmas tree shortage driving prices higher

by FreightWaves’ Linda Baker A limited supply of Christmas trees in Oregon, the country’s No. 1 producer, continues to drive up wholesale and retail costs. The pricetag for Noble Firs doubled compared to five years ago. In the past two years, prices have risen 15% annually. “Supply is definitely tight, said Greg Smith, owner of Molalla […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Don’t punch holes in the ELD mandate

TCA and our for-hire carrier members have repeatedly affirmed our support for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. Unfortunately, others in the trucking industry continue to seek exemptions to avoid complying with the rule.  The most recent example of this comes from the Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC). […]

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Chris Henry Monday, December 2, 2019

TCA unveils new fleet manager certificate program

The Truckload Carriers Association’s Truckload Academy has unveiled the next generation of its Fleet Manager Certificate Program. Produced in partnership with CarriersEdge, the new program includes updated content and a new subscription model that allows unlimited participants in a company to complete the program for a fixed monthly fee. Incorporating feedback from participants completing the […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, November 21, 2019

Commentary: National Labor Relations Act further develops new approach to employer workplace rules

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel We have previously discussed the Boeing decision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In that decision, the NLRB changed its approach to determining whether an employer’s workplace rule violates the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  Before Boeing, an employer’s workplace rule would be struck down if it “could […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, November 13, 2019

TCA’s Truckload Academy launches new, virtual online course

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 […]

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Chris Henry Friday, November 8, 2019

Commentary: National Labor Relations Board further empowers employers to restrict union access to employer property

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 […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, November 7, 2019

Commentary: Small changes won’t cut it on hours of service

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 […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, October 31, 2019

Lincoln’s logs Halloween special: Frightening freight

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 […]

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Chris Henry Monday, October 28, 2019

First annual Truckload Live Summit will arm carriers with knowledge needed to succeed in today’s market

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 […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, October 16, 2019

TCA takes on cross-border issues

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 […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Lincoln’s logs: Actionable SONAR data insights

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 […]

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Chris Henry Monday, October 14, 2019

Driver helps save young girl after fiery crash

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 […]

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Chris Henry Friday, October 11, 2019

Court rules EEOC Overstepped its authority with background check guidance

R. Eddie Wayland, TCA Legal Counsel The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which is based in New Orleans and has appellate jurisdiction over federal district courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, determined that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) impermissibly issued a “substantive rule” when it issued “Enforcement Guidance on the […]

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Chris Henry Friday, October 4, 2019

Lincoln’s logs: Take a look at Houston

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves by FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff Hello and welcome to another edition of Lincoln’s Logs, where I call out some of my favorite data in SONAR that can empower you to make actionable decisions to help keep your trucks rolling and increase revenues.  Today we’re going to take a look at how a weather […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, October 2, 2019

How does your safety program stack up?

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 […]

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Chris Henry Friday, September 27, 2019

Driver helps to save young girl after fiery crash

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 […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, September 19, 2019

By the numbers: Getting scientific with maintenance

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 […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Court rules drivers are employees during carrier’s orientation program

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. […]

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Chris Henry Friday, September 13, 2019

Congress should stick with fuel tax

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 […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Court rules employer’s no-fault attendance policy violates the Family and Medical Leave Act

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 […]

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Chris Henry Monday, September 9, 2019

TCA Scholarship Fund issues awards to more than 50 students

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 […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, September 5, 2019

Lincoln’s logs: Make your way into the Northeast

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 […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, September 4, 2019

TCA and CarriersEdge seek the Best Fleets to Drive For in North America

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, […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, September 3, 2019

By the numbers: Stop rationalizing high turnover

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 […]

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Chris Henry Friday, August 30, 2019

Make Washington work for you

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 […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, August 29, 2019

Lincoln’s logs: Target the upper Midwest

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff delivered an insightful freight market tidbit Thursday, August 29. Hello TPP Group Members, and welcome to my favorite day of the year: The start of college football! (Note: last week didn’t count, it was a good primer, but the football was sloppy and Florida was lucky to get that […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Lincoln’s logs: Reject loads into Cincinnati

Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves FreightWaves’ Lincoln Duff delivered an insightful freight market tidbit from the Cincinnati market Tuesday, August 27. Cincinnati has historically been a positive headhaul market, with more outbound freight than inbound. In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a pretty large shift as inbound volumes are up almost 30 percent from the average […]

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Chris Henry Monday, August 26, 2019

By the numbers: Selling time–using ELD data to better understand your business

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 […]

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Chris Henry Monday, August 19, 2019

By the numbers: Becoming gross margin focused

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 […]

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Chris Henry Friday, August 16, 2019

CalArk driver recognized for heroic actions on the highway

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. […]

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Chris Henry Thursday, August 15, 2019

Potential gap looms for crash preventability proposal

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 […]

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Chris Henry Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Truckload Carriers Association commits to working with government on hours of service

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 […]

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Chris Henry Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Husband and wife team helped driver in fiery crash

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 […]

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Chris Henry Monday, August 12, 2019

By the numbers: Driver to non-driver ratio

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 […]

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