BNSF Railway and Union Pacific came to an agreement on routing of intermodal trains ahead of a meeting with regulators.
The official overseeing White House maritime policy is leaving, according to a published report.
The American Association of Port Authorities and legislators want to limit the ability of Customs and Border Protection to bill them for inspection services.
The Federal Maritime Commission has opened a probe into possible anti-competitive pacts between Port Houston and ocean carriers.
The Port of Los Angeles saw container volume surge 8% to a monthly record in June.
Ocean container indicators turn negative as importers wait for developments on tariffs and trade policy.
When dispatch handoffs get sloppy, mistakes multiply and money slips through the cracks. Drivers get left in the dark, loads fall through the cracks, and your business starts to bleed in places you can’t afford. Whether you’re running two trucks or twenty, this article will show you how to build a clean, repeatable dispatch handoff […]
If you’re operating trucks without a complete, organized, and regularly updated safety binder, you’re playing a dangerous game — one that ends with audits, violations, or worse, lawsuits. Too many new carriers treat compliance like an afterthought. They get their DOT number, get insurance, start moving freight, and figure they’ll “clean it up later.” That’s […]
When you bring up broker transparency at a truck stop or in an owner-op Facebook group, you’ll see two things happen fast: tension and division. Some drivers will shout, “Show me the money!” Others will tell you it doesn’t matter — that chasing rate details is just noise. What started as a call for fairness […]
In this business, your dispatcher can either be your biggest asset or your biggest liability. Period. They’re not just booking freight — they’re controlling cash flow, driver morale, and your company’s reputation with every call they make. And if you hire the wrong one, you’re not just dealing with inefficiency. You’re setting your whole operation […]
If you’re running loads without a formal review process in place, you’re running blind. Every missed appointment, every unpaid detention, every “I thought we agreed on that” moment — it all comes back to one thing: a lack of structure. And in this industry, mistakes don’t just cost time — they cost money, relationships, and […]
A global alliance of union dockworkers is planning to meet later this year to map out a strategy to fight automation they say eliminates jobs.
If your load intake process looks like scribbled notes, missed emails, and “I’ll remember it later” — you’ve already lost. Not to the load board, not to rates — but to disorganization. And disorganization is the silent killer in this industry. It’s what clogs your cash flow, confuses your drivers, and burns you out before […]
Ocean container rates on the key Asia-U.S. trade lanes continued their downward trend in the latest Freightos index.
Let’s set the record straight—brokers aren’t the enemy. They serve a purpose. They connect capacity to freight when a shipper doesn’t have time to build direct relationships. But if you’re a small fleet trying to grow your business and secure long-term, profitable freight, depending on brokers will keep you running in circles. Shippers want more […]
If your maintenance budget feels like a moving target, you’re not alone. Most small fleet owners and owner-operators either guess at their maintenance costs—or worse, react to them only after something breaks. That’s not a strategy. That’s survival. And in this industry, running your business in survival mode will kill your margins faster than a […]
Containerized imports through U.S. ports staged a modest comeback in June following a sharp drop in May.
BNSF asks Surface Transportation Board for emergency order to start southern California-Salt Lake City service over Union Pacific tracks.
In a move toward zero emissions operations, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has introduced an electric truck charging station at Port Newark.
Let’s get one thing straight—hitting seven figures in revenue with a small fleet isn’t a fantasy. It’s a formula. But it’s a formula most small carriers never get close to cracking, not because they lack hustle, but because they lack the strategy and discipline required to operate like a high-performing business with low overhead and […]
Let’s say this upfront: if your dispatcher doesn’t have a one-page SOP taped to the wall, you’re already behind. I’ve walked into hundreds of dispatch offices—some as clean as a cockpit, others looking like a paperwork tornado touched down. But there’s one thing that separates a dispatcher who owns the day from one who reacts […]
If you’re the one still booking loads at midnight, chasing down PODs on your lunch break, and jumping under a truck on Saturday morning—this one’s for you. Every small fleet owner hits the same wall: you built the company, you know every lane, every customer, every truck. And now that it’s growing, you’re afraid to […]
Everyone in trucking talks about cost per mile. And yes, it matters. But if that’s the only metric you’re tracking, you’re missing a major part of the profitability picture. Because time—not just distance—is what really determines if you’re winning or bleeding in this business. Cost per hour gives you a real-world, down-to-the-minute view of how […]
Crowley is expanding its Northeast Atlantic container vessel services to include a key bi-state destination in the U.S. Northeast.
If your trucking operation feels like organized chaos, you’re not alone. One truck becomes two, then three, and before you know it, your phone’s ringing nonstop, your drivers are texting about breakdowns, and you’re booking loads with no strategy—just survival. Sound familiar? That’s exactly why small carriers hit a wall when they try to grow. […]
As a carrier with enough units that you hire an internal dispatch team, understanding how to measure their performance is critical. If your dispatcher is only focused on picking loads and calling drivers, you’ve got a major blind spot in your operation. Because in today’s market, dispatch isn’t just about movement—it’s about measurement. And if […]
Everybody wants to scale. Get more trucks. Add more drivers. Land bigger contracts. But here’s the truth nobody wants to say out loud—if you can’t make one truck profitable on one lane for one year, you’ve got no business growing. Expansion doesn’t fix broken math. It magnifies it. It’s why so many small fleets go […]
A merchant vessel has been attacked in the Red Sea, the first such incident in 2025.
July didn’t pull any punches. Volatile rates. Tightening capacity. Diesel spikes that tested everyone’s cash flow. For small carriers, it was either a month of smart moves—or hard lessons. What separated those who protected margins from those who scrambled to survive? Discipline. Strategy. Execution. In this recap, we break down what small carriers got right, […]
Many small fleets don’t have a safety problem—they have a communication problem. Unsafe driving, HOS violations, maintenance issues—those don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen when expectations aren’t clear, coaching is inconsistent, and drivers feel like they’re being scolded, not supported. If you want to improve your CSA scores, it’s not about throwing another training […]
If you’ve been in the game long enough, you’ve seen this coming. Quiet acquisitions. Big-name brokerages merging. The same five players showing up on every load board. Broker consolidation isn’t a trend—it’s a tidal wave. And like every major shift in this industry, it’s the small carriers who feel the hit first. But this ain’t […]
Shippers are paying an average 21% tariff on containerized imports entering the United States, ocean line Maersk said.
If you’ve ever wondered how a company with trucks falling apart and drivers dodging scales can stay in business—don’t blame the carrier. Blame the system that let them in and never bothered to check if they belonged. The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) is supposed to be the gatekeeper of safety in our industry. […]
The outlook for Asia trade agreements is improving, which is more than can be said for container rates on the eastbound trans-Pacific.
For a lot of new owner operators stepping into the industry, nobody hands them a guidebook. There’s no checklist stapled to the rate confirmation that says, “Hey, here’s what to look for before you take this load.” And too many carriers assume drivers just know what makes a run worth it—or worse, they shame folks […]
Many carriers skim through setup packets just to get the load—especially when they’re scrambling to fill backhaul miles or respond to a hot reload alert on a load board. That urgency makes it easy to treat all brokers like they’re the same, assuming the terms must be standard. But buried in that rush is where […]
Ocean carriers to reduce cancelled sailings by 44% in July, says Drewry, but weaker trans-Pacific trades to account for almost half the total.
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-taking-closer-look-at-ocean-carriers-antitrust-immunity
The Port of Los Angeles expects to boost exports from a rail-served logistics park in California’s Central Valley.
The Federal Maritime Commission is reviewing a 2020 agreement to determine whether global ocean carriers have overstepped their antitrust immunity.
The trucking industry’s “driver shortage” debate has persisted for decades. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) claims a chronic shortage since 1987, citing nine studies. Yet, researchers and industry experts argue the labor market functions well when freight demand is strong. A December 2024 study by Professors Jonathan Phares, Jason Miller, and Stephen Burks, published by […]
Container rates are giving back recent gains, as U.S.-bound container traffic slumps after a surge fueled by the tariff pause. Shipping consultancy and SONAR data partner Drewry saw its World Container Index fall 9% this week, the second consecutive weekly drop following five weeks of gains. “This decline is a direct result of low demand […]
The Port of New York-New Jersey led all U.S. container hubs in May as tariffs dragged imports at the southern California port complex.
Maersk said it has re-opened services to Haifa port days after Iranian missile barrages hit the Israeli city.
Maersk has rolled out an AI-powered program aimed at streamlining complex customs processes.
Ports in both Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, recorded mixed results in May, with increases in container shipping, but a decline in crude oil exports.
Hostilities among Israel, Iran and the United States failed to disrupt most transportation markets as container rates fell in the eastbound trans-Pacific.
Trump appointee Louis Sola is stepping down as Federal Maritime Commission chairman after less than six months on the job.
Maersk said it was suspending service to Israel’s busiest port just prior to Iran’s missile attack.
Rising rates for the largest crude oil tankers climbed higher as the U.S. bombed nuclear weapons facilities in Iran.
The completion of a 7.2 megawatt (MW) solar installation at PNCT in New Jersey marks a landmark achievement for the hub’s sustainable future.
The conflict between Israel and Iran has yet to hit tanker or container rates, while prices on the eastbound trans-Pacific may have peaked.
Tariffs helped snap 10 straight months of growth at the Port of Los Angeles, but a Yale economist says that the worst could be yet to come.
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an agreement lowering tariffs on some imports from the United Kingdom.
May volumes decline by 5% but container traffic is up year-to-date.
Israel’s ports are operating as usual as Jerusalem and Tehran trade missile strikes.
Shipping analysts warn Israel’s attacks on Iran could lead to another Red Sea situation if carriers avoid key trade route.
For the second year in a row, the chief worry among maritime executives is political instability, according to a new industry survey.
Container rates on the Asia-U.S. trade lane surged as shippers rushed early peak- season traffic and carriers announced general rate increases, according to SONAR and Freightos data.
The largest U.S. railroad is taking a customer-focused approach as it deploys technology across it 32,000-mile system.
Two of the co-authors of “Zero Point Four” said the U.S. maritime industry is lagging behind China, which is leading to national security challenges.
The pause in tariffs will boost containerized imports through U.S. ports this summer, according to the National Retail Federation, but at lower levels than a year ago.
Four sailors are missing and five were injured after an explosion aboard a Singapore-flagged container ship off the coast of India.
Carload freight showed solid growth in May, but a marked decline in containers and trailers signals caution for the second half of this year.
Trac Intermodal is positioning its leading fleet of 200,000 chassis to support a tariff pause-fueled surge of import containers.
Container rates continue to soar, says Xeneta, as shippers look to take advantage of the pause in the China-U.S. tariff fight.
Freightos Baltic Index container rates showing the effects of the China-U.S. tariff break and carrier rate hikes.
The Port of New York-New Jersey saw April container volumes rise 6% from the same month a year ago.
Two weeks after a strike ended, long delays are still affecting operations at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo.
The American Association of Port Authorities said cuts to EPA anti-pollution programs will hurt jobs and weaken the U.S. maritime sector.
Liner operator CMA CGM and launch customer Nike are partnering on an electric barge project in Vietnam.
Retaliatory tariffs from trading partners, like China’s response to the retaliatory tariffs, could linger, complicating cross-border freight.
A federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration in temporarily staying a ruling that blocked most of the president’s tariffs.
Freight on U.S. railroads posted another win against year-ago shipments.
In the calm before the surge, BNSF is confident its network can handle the coming wave of import containers from Asia.
Carriers are pushing for big increases in the Asia-U.S. trade, but it remains to be seen how desperate shippers are to secure capacity, says a Xeneta analyst.
French container line CMA CGM is partnering with Saigon Newport Corp. on a $600 million container terminal project in northern Vietnam.
Maersk (OTC: AMKBY) and Hapag-Lloyd (OTC: HPGLY) announced new container services from East Asia to the U.S. Port of Long Beach. The additions by the Gemini Cooperation partners, which include the redeployment of at least one ship back into the eastbound trans-Pacific to U.S. West Coast trade, come as carriers scale up during a 90-day […]
A.P. Moller-Maersk, parent of the world’s second-largest shipping line, said that as of late May it has bought back almost $600 million worth of stock.
President Donald Trump on Friday made new trade threats against the European Union and iPhone maker Apple.
Ocean container rates are surging after the tariff ceasefire stoked demand from China to the United States.
Coal remained the commodity leader as U.S. rail carloads stayed ahead of year-ago levels.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are looking for a new harbor rail operator for the first time since 1998.
Federal regulators are opening an informal investigation to determine whether less costly foreign-flag ship registries are undercutting U.S. foreign trade.
The Port of Savannah saw record container traffic for the month of April, the third straight record month for the Georgia gateway.
The ITS Logistics US Port/Rail Ramp Freight Index shows looming issues at rail terminals and an early peak season ahead.
Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. said better volumes and freight rates boosted profit in the first quarter.
Los Angeles’ port chief doesn’t foresee a “huge surge” of import traffic at the busiest U.S. container hub during the tariff pause.
The U.S. trade representative on Monday will hold a second hearing into proposed port fees on Chinese ships that could add substantial costs to moving cargo through American ports.
The Port of Long Beach, California, saw record container volume as the China-U.S. tariff fight spurred frontloading by importers.
The tariff pause saw Hapag-Lloyd bookings from China to the United States increase 50%.
Cross-border tensions are moderating Canadian National’s outlook, but its CEO still expects around 3% growth in freight volumes this year.
Shippers are rushing to bring in stalled China imports following a pause in the U.S.-Sino tariff fight.
The world’s second-largest container carrier wants to kick-start the reset of China-U.S. shipping with a sale on freight rates.
After China and the United States paused tariffs, ocean shippers and carriers watch and wait to see how demand develops.
Container lines welcomed a pause in the tariff war that has crippled trade between the United States and China.
The Port of Virginia wants container shippers to know that it’s not beholden to China.
The parent of Maersk, the second-largest ocean container carrier, revised its full-year box outlook, saying tariffs could cut global volumes by 1% from a year ago.
The world’s second-largest container shipping line sees no immediate changes from U.S. ship fees.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they have not agreed to cease attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, contradicting claims made by President Donald Trump.
