Manufacturing

With so many fingers pointed at so many targets, the Q1 GDP data must have been an absolute disaster, right? Well, no.

Here’s a sector-by-sector breakdown of how major players are reacting to the mounting pressure of tariffs and retaliatory trade measures.

Demand for loads moving less than 100 miles has been resistant to the intermodal shift. Its representation of consumer and manufacturing activity could be the key to staying on top of the economy amid extreme uncertainty.

America must forge its own path to reindustrialization.

The difficulty in comparing “hard” versus “soft” data is that sentiment influences decisions that will eventually bear out in the hard data.

In the run-up to Tuesday’s promised barrage of tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, the U.S. industrial sector is not looking so hot — a dark omen for domestic freight demand.

If consumers were able to keep pace with the incredible inflation of the early pandemic, they should be able to weather any storm kicked up by tariffs.

New tariffs pose a significant challenge for U.S. refiners, who are already grappling with declining profit margins.

Even cars assembled in the U.S. are not exempt from tariff shocks, as components from Mexico and Canada account for roughly 10% of the value of U.S.-built cars, with an additional 5% to 6% coming from Chinese inputs.

Businesses are heading into 2025 with lean inventories and high demand from consumers.

Consumers’ growing pessimism could trigger a pullback in discretionary purchases, directly weighing on trucking demand.

Despite encouraging signs, the U.S. manufacturing sector remains in the early stages of recovery.

Electric truck maker Nikola Corp. says foul play is suspected in a fire that damaged multiple trucks on Friday.

Negative headlines about Nikola Corp.’s finances raise justifiable concern. Visiting its electric truck plant tells a different story.

In-transit visibility options have skyrocketed over the past several years, making it easier than ever to track a shipment’s en route movements. The same cannot be said, however, for terminal visibility.

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Mexico’s proximity to the Americas and favorable operating environment has made it an attractive location for many U.S. companies wanting to expand or move their manufacturing operation.

Hurricane Ian could slash the flow of Florida products to companies and consumers in the United States and abroad.

Moving manufacturing from abroad back to the U.S. could reduce emissions while improving supply chain resilience.

Electric car sales are continuing to climb, despite the fact supply chain shortages have been disrupting the industry

Unsure that financially struggling Romeo Power could keep supplying batteries for its electric trucks, Nikola is buying the company.

Consulting firm FTR Associates says the freight transportation markets will find support amid a still-growing manufacturing sector, despite perceived softness in the U.S. economy.

New leaders, an electrification push and Scania influence mark the first year after the Traton’s $3.7 billion takeover of Navistar.

Class 8 truck orders fell in May for seasonal reasons and because manufacturers kept a tight lid on bookings.

Startup Xos Trucks introduced full-fledged heavy- and medium-duty electric chassis cabs, signifying its graduation from a powertrain component integrator.

Nikola is helping to bring electric infrastructure companies to the Arizona desert where it has begun production of electric trucks.

Class 8 battery-electric trucks will generate the first meaningful revenue that Nikola can take to the bank.

Q1 sales and earnings at the parent of Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF Trucks posted records despite persistent supply chain issues.

T/CCI makes heavy-duty air compressors in China, but it is looking to do what it can to meet customer demands to localize production.

How did Navistar manage to build its assembly plant in San Antonio for a relatively paltry $250 million? Partly by ignoring a famous baseball movie line.

Truck Tech is a weekly newsletter providing perspective and context on autonomy, electrification and other technologies impacting the fleet ecosystem.

Navistar designed its new $250 million plant to Industry 4.0 standards, including robots that talk to each other and paperless operations.

The industrial sector is one of the first that may see some signs of inflation abating.

Cummins Inc. deals with multiple short-term supply chain glitches, but it could take two years to fix chip shortages, CEO Tom Linebarger says.

“Its rapid customer adoption is clear, demonstrable feedback of the value that Fractory brings to manufacturing supply chains,” says investor.

Supply chain backups and pandemic-weary consumers mean that gifts are in short supply and high demand.

“Companies have to make really smart bets,” supply chain consultant Evan Quasney said about planning for extreme weather.

The last time demand was this high for new Class 8 trucks, fleets placed record orders. Not this time because manufacturing capacity is limited.

Confident that the indictment of founder Trevor Milton won’t lead to legal trouble, Nikola focuses on supply challenges.

Vietnam is the newest epicenter for supply chain chaos. Manufacturing and port activity have been cut by new COVID precautions.

Manufacturing grew at a moderate pace in June, continuing a 13-month hot streak.

Surefront has introduced an end-to-end product lifecycle management tool that connects all steps in the product development and go-to-market process in a single virtual environment.

On this episode of At Your Doorstep, BITCADET CEO Dusty Dean digs into the big challenges facing traditional manufacturers.

More manufacturers are looking into digital sales and marketing channels as their customers increasingly move online.

Today there are two types of manufacturers: old school and new school. Which one you are will help decide the future of your business.

The industrial sector is trying to recover faster than transportation can react. There are numerous factors limiting the economic recovery, illustrating that it is harder to turn production back on than off.

Nikola exposes battery-electric Class 8 Tre to 25 fleet customers and gets first firm order for delivery late this year.

UAW calls walkout after 30-day extension fails to result in agreement. No new talks until at least April 26.

Some global manufacturers could be feeling a cost crunch. Mexico may be the solution they’re looking for.

March Class 8 truck orders fell slightly from February, but still added to an industry backlog that manufacturers are struggling to reduce.

UK electric van and bus startup Arrival adds to Charlotte, North Carolina, presence with second US microfactory targeted to fill UPS order.

“Robotics and automation are a way for industries such as manufacturing to remain competitive in ‘America 2.0.,’ but these advances in technology don’t come without risks,” said Mark Cuban.

Texas weather calamity shows how underinvestment is putting the nation at risk of future disasters, says Alliance for American Manufacturing president.

From truck parts to fuel cells, business leaders face challenges in getting critical components and meeting customer expectations for delivery.

When he tried to sell GM’s iconic Hummer brand to the Chinese a decade ago, Jim Taylor never imagined he would import tiny electric delivery van bodies from China to finish in the plant that spawned the hulking SUV.

Mark Duchesne’s resume includes working at process-driven Toyota Motor Corp. and freewheeling Tesla Inc. Now he is trying to keep Nikola’s $600 million plant on schedule to build battery-electric trucks and the first fuel cell electric trucks by the end of 2021.

The heavy equipment manufacturer is closing its facility in Waco and transferring operations to South Dakota and France.

FreightWaves partnered with Redwood Logistics to assess the current state of the manufacturing industry and assess where it is headed in the new year.

For this study, FreightWaves partnered with Redwood Logistics to assess the current state of the manufacturing industry.

Daimler Trucks North America says its Portland, Oregon, manufacturing plant has no carbon dioxide emissions and is the first facility to achieve carbon neutrality in Daimler’s global network.

A “China+1” or “China+2” strategy makes sense for many reasons, but how much can companies afford to distance themselves from China’s manufacturing prowess?

A week after renewing confidence in embattled Nikola Corp. and indicating its deal to manufacture the startup’s electric pickup truck was on track, General Motors has dropped its supportive language.

Makeup orders for tractors and trailers lead to rehiring of some laid-off workers and rebuilding shrunken backlogs from March and April coronavirus shutdowns. But how long will it last?

The National Association of Manufacturers recognized Kenworth’s Chillicothe, Ohio, plant for taking the guesswork out of bolt tightening and error-proofing truck cabs.

Peterbilt’s Denton, Texas, plant marks its 40th anniversary, evidence of the adage that everything is bigger in Texas — or grows to become that way.

Volvo Cars is facing supply chain issues from factories in Mexico, according to CEO Hakan Samuelsson. Samuelsson said supplier issues in Mexico and lower demand for its S60 sedans were partly to blame for the Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant being idle since June 3. “First is the disturbances in the supply of parts from Mexico. […]

PPP loans have been more prevalent for durable goods manufacturers relative to makers of nondurable goods.

CIE Manufacturing has made the move to U.S. production.

The largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks puts worker protections in place as it tries to make up for production lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read the full article to learn more.

The latest regional survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas shows that general business activity for manufacturing in Texas declined to -70 in March.

logistics workers demand hazard pay; customer traffic fell across storefronts last week; supply chains will diversify post-epidemic.

The financial chickens from the coronavirus are coming home to roost. Lufthansa is belt-tightening, other airlines might try to ease lease terms for assets.

LNG growth expected to double by 2040; shipment volumes in U.S. plunge y-o-y; grocers take control of shelf space.

Continental North America recently announced it will build a 215,000-square-foot manufacturing and research facility focused on technology for autonomous driving in New Braunfels, Texas.  Construction on the $110 million plant is scheduled to begin later this year with production starting in 2021. The plant will employ around 575 workers and produce products for Continental’s advanced […]

Manufacturing outlook: The coming week will give some insights into the outlook for manufacturing activity in the Northeast region via the Empire State Manufacturing Index. The overall segment remains depressed and sustained rise is not expected through the first quarter. Construction outlook: There will be updates for housing and construction from housing starts, building permits, […]

After a long history of bears pulling down its stock price, Tesla is now witnessing an astonishing surge in its market value. Since the start of this year, Tesla’s stocks have risen by roughly 85%, crushing estimates and stunning market analysts. This performance is partially due to Tesla beating analysts’ expectations on Q4 2019, reporting […]

Spartan Motors has sold its emergency vehicle manufacturing division so it can focus on growth opportunities in commercial and last-mile vehicle development. Plus, Connecticut plans a toll vote, a startup wants to move freight transport underground, and Oregon truckers are ready to protest.

What is a Freight Recession?

Diesel fuel price outlook The rack-to-retail spread has widened to more than $1.10/gallon, creating an unearned windfall for trucking carriers. Diesel markets have been sliding in part on an overall decline in oil since the start of the year, but retail is slow to follow. Diesel itself has fallen farther than crude, primarily on fears […]

Shippers in a Morgan Stanley survey are optimistic over the macro environment and expect rate improvement moving forward. Plus, Chinese New Year impacts and supply chain sustainability takes a hit.

Airbus is expanding its aircraft manufacturing operations on Boeing’s home turf.

The amount of capacity allocated to the amount of freight moved is the most important factor in determining freight rates.

Plunge in vehicle and auto parts shipments drive broader softness as manufacturing sales drop 0.7% in October.

Anthony and Zach discuss the recent Celadon shutdown and how it lines up with current freight market conditions; a disappointing manufacturing sector; consumers appear to be on another spending spree funded by debt.

Preliminary orders for new Class 8 trucks tumbled again in November after one month of improved bookings, new evidence that a slowing manufacturing economy is sapping all but critical replacement demand.

U.K.-based yacht builder Sunseeker is in advanced negotiations with DHL Supply Chain to help with its logistics operations.

Caterpillar Inc. notified 120 workers at its Victoria, Texas, facility that they will no longer have a job effective, November 1. Company officials said “market conditions” are the reason for the layoffs. “Caterpillar notified a portion of its Victoria, Texas, workforce that it is taking actions to bring production in line with demand,” according to […]

The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against General Motors (GM) continues to take a toll on its  Mexico-based facilities. GM announced October 7 it was temporarily laying off 415 workers at its plant in the Mexican city of Ramos Arizpe, around 200 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The Ramos Arizpe plant, which is located in […]

A popular manufacturing index is signalling a rough ride for trucking after the holiday season.

The United Auto Workers union strike against General Motors (GM) has forced GM to stop production at more factories across Mexico. General Motors announced it was shutting down its auto factory complex in the Mexican city of Silao as of October 1, due to the lack of needed components from plants located in the United […]

Officials with the McAllen Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will soon take a second tour of China to look for new partnership opportunities in that country. Keith Patridge, president and chief executive officer of the MEDC, said they hope to a land Chinese manufacturing plant during the upcoming trip. Patridge and other officials will again be […]

Navistar is building a new Industry 4.0-ready plant near San Antonio, Texas that will help raise earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

Toyota recently announced a $391 million investment at its Tacoma and Tundra assembly plant in San Antonio. In addition, Aisin AW, a Japanese auto supplier to Toyota in San Antonio, also announced it will be building a $400 million facility in nearby Cibolo, Texas, adding 900 jobs. “We’ve been in the United States for more […]

Navistar plans a new manufacturing plant near San Antonio, Texas and aggressive financial goals into the middle of the next decade.