news

For decades, freight invoice auditing occupied a quiet corner of the transportation or accounts payable department. The function was straightforward and limited in scope: audit the invoice, see if the charges look correct, and pay the bill. Finance teams received post-payment validation and basic reporting. Transportation departments received very little information other than what the […]

Trimac adds to its specialized and flat deck offerings with the acquisition of Searcy Trucking.

Project44 (P44) has a new business plan, and it’s remarkably ambitious. Jett McCandless, Project44’s founder and CEO, has a long-term vision to position Project44 as the operating system for the logistics industry, seamlessly integrating every component and shipment across a shipper’s network, all powered by AI. This vision extends far beyond visibility, which has become […]

As the market continues to challenge brokers and carriers alike, freight agents need an organization to call home that allows them to advance their business. TAB provides that – — as evidenced by its 40% year-over-year growth for the past seven years that continues today.

Now on demand on WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is talking to Yellow drivers Jay and Dwayne; Frayt’s Luke Denny; Reliance Partners’ John Seidl; and Dan Deigan

Now on demand on WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is breaking down the court case to save Yellow with Michael Bookout; Matthew Leffler; Todd Maiden; Zach Strickland

In this issue of the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? newsletter, what to do if Yellow goes belly-up; why you should stop using UPS; AI in trucking; and more.

Now on demand on WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is joined by Dan Parker; Jonathan Colbert; Tyler Harden; Justin Martin and Jimmy Harrison

Ongoing education — from short training to complete degree programs — is one of the best ways to keep employees from feeling stagnant. Companies that offer access to those opportunities will have an edge when recruiting and retaining today’s future-minded workers.

The most-read FreightWaves stories of 2022

Carriers often experience turnover rates above 90%. To combat this staggering statistic, carriers need to know why drivers are leaving. The best way to figure that out is to ask them.

As fleet operators begin to incorporate electric trucks into their fleets, they are turning their attention to two areas: regulations and infrastructure.

As more solutions enter the market and companies’ technological suites have become more sophisticated, integrations have gone from nice-to-have perks to need-to-have requirements for many shippers.

Axle Logistics has partnered with the University of Tennessee’s Haslam College of Business to turn out more well-trained, entry-level sales professionals.

Shippers are beginning to realize that their tried and true RFP methods will no longer keep them competitive in a changing market, pushing them to consider new, data-driven options.

Rising fuel costs have affected every link in the supply chain across all modes of transportation.

Working as an independent commissioned agent gives folks a level of control over both their business operations and their day-to-day schedules that is impossible to come by in a more traditional setting.

While consumers are directly responsible for the majority of food waste, supply chain mishaps cause 40% of food waste in North America. That includes food that spoils in transit.

Commercial vehicle crashes often make front page news, but these accidents — and resulting injuries and fatalities — are actually on the decline.

Companies across the logistics industry will need to start considering their carbon footprint as new regulations come down and consumers start voting with their dollars.

Retention efforts across the industry tend to focus primarily on pay. While pay is certainly an important factor in retaining quality drivers, simply issuing raises is not the answer to the driver turnover issue that plagues the industry.

Parcel data is incredibly complex. Shippers often don’t know how to begin working with this data because it cannot be properly visualized via traditional methods like Excel spreadsheets.

Building the most effective RFPs possible requires self-awareness, attention to detail, industry insights and a willingness to adopt new technologies.

Throughout its successful, 20-year history, Acuitive Solutions has taken the road less traveled by not trying to be all things for all customers.

Many shippers are now looking to shorten the duration of their bid contracts in order to take advantage of current capacity and avoid being locked into sky-high rates as the market shifts.

By using a flatbed-specialized broker, shippers virtually eliminate the risk of their freight being matched with the wrong truck, causing unnecessary delays and damages.

The average percentage of ocean carrier invoices with missing or wrong information jumped from a historical average of 18% to over 45% in 2021.

The current regulatory environment can be opaque and confusing, with each state left to create — or not — its own rules surrounding EVs. So far, six states have adopted a regulatory framework that requires a percentage of each fleet’s trucks to meet the definitions of zero-emission vehicle in the next few years.

Consumers are becoming more aware of both the urgency of climate change and the complexities of the supply chain. Companies should be prepared for consumers to start calculating supply chain sustainability into their purchasing decisions.

As shippers move to digitize their documents and automate their processes, they should focus on making sure both efficiency and accuracy benchmarks are met. One document processing error can sideline an entire shipment, undermining profitability and customer satisfaction.

Companies rely on a wide variety of partners to handle their invoice auditing, including brokers and third-party freight pay companies. This approach can be risky, as these folks are not typically invoice audit experts, increasing the chance that inconsistencies and other issues will slip through the cracks.

Autonomous trucks have garnered a significant amount of attention during this transition thanks to their impressive environmental benefits and inherent ability to solve a variety of industry ills. While technological efforts to get these vehicles on the road have progressed quickly, regulations surrounding their use have been slower to follow.

In order to take advantage of different RFP options, shippers must have access to the data they need to determine which lanes need to be repriced and when. Success requires coupling decision-making with efficient technology.

Most often, hesitation surrounding autonomous vehicles centers on cost and safety concerns. Locomation set out to address these pain points with a phased approach.

Visibility software can all but eliminate annoying check calls, help carriers access better freight and keep trucks loaded.

Companies in the industry have come to expect better visibility from their partners. Just as importantly, end consumers have started expecting real-time visibility on online orders.

Hiring for virtually all roles in the logistics space is fiercely competitive. While all eyes are on the infamous driver shortage, recruiting and retaining top-notch brokerage employees is no easy task either.

A return to typical consumer spending drives conventional freight market conditions but the process of returning to normal has been anything but conventional.

The key to strong relationships can be augmented by finding companies that are willing to share in the inherent risks that come with moving inbound and outbound freight. Relationships and good risk management strategy do not exist to absolve one party of responsibility, shifting blame onto the other.

It is impossible to predict exactly when an incident will occur on the road. It is possible, however, to have a predictable system for processing safety issues and handling corrective training, driving down the odds of the same types of issues continuing unchecked.

Warehouse space is more expensive than ever. In an environment where everyone is scrambling to claim their share of this finite resource, maybe the best strategy is not to use warehouse space at all.

Companies will demand a full, scalable suite of services from their partners over the next few years, leading to widespread consolidation and the emergence of a handful of clear leaders with considerable market share.

The instability of a global pandemic made it clear that up-to-date technology is required to survive, not just thrive.

Faster, safer, better — these consumer expectations for e-commerce delivery are driving a speed-focused freight market.

Seeking collaboration over individualism is vital. In a world — and an industry — that grows more connected by the minute, it is impossible to do anything in a vacuum.

Keeping out-of-date or inadequate files is a costly mistake, leading to avoidable fines and unnecessary hurdles.

Historically, digital platforms and transportation management systems (TMS) have largely existed in their own, individual spaces. Now, platform integrations are taking center stage.

During market shifts, it can be difficult for shippers to decide which modes, providers and contract/rate types will serve their business best.

The coronavirus pandemic inspired retirement-age drivers to leave the industry en masse while also shutting down driving schools for months on end, exacerbating the existing shortage.

For many companies, sourcing talent and growing their IT teams to meet new demands is both time consuming and cost prohibitive.

Whether you’re a large or small business, embarking on the quest for sustainability might feel overwhelming if your operations have been less than planet-friendly in the past.

ARCs — paired with freight optimization services — can lead to operating margin improvements as high as 30% and utilization increases of up to 130% for carriers.

Companies that resist technological innovation or refuse to audit their current systems at this point may be risking more than just favorable rates; they may be risking the viability of their business.

How brokers and logistics providers choose to navigate the current capacity crunch will affect both their own chances of success and their relationships with their carrier partners for years to come.

Driver surveys examining turnover rates have consistently shown that drivers value three things: pay, time and respect.

In a business model in which each company keeps its information to itself, data becomes siloed and consumers ultimately pay the price.

Scientists and government leaders are pushing for a more sustainable supply chain. Consumers are paying attention.

Bestpass provides drivers the ability to use a single transponder coast to coast, provider to provider, but it’s also pushing to provide value beyond toll.

With trucking demand expected to surge in lockstep with e-commerce growth, autonomous vehicles offer an innovative solution for an industry with an already strained workforce.

Once regarded as stubbornly resistant to change, transportation and logistics is fast becoming a high-tech industry as entire supply chains reshape themselves around the demands of 21st century consumers.

The rate of technological advancement makes it nearly impossible to rely on in-house developers for every new feature. How do you choose the right third-party partner?

Sometimes the transportation industry can feel a little impersonal. A people-first mindset can help combat that.

Competitive rates will convince a carrier to pick up a load, but the right combination of relationship and convenience will keep them coming back to the same broker over and over.

Driver turnover is consistently ranked as one of the biggest – and most buzzworthy – problems facing carriers. Research suggests that the solution may be threefold: more home time, higher wages and better treatment.

Industry expectations surrounding information access and transparency have grown. Qualified IT professionals are required to meet these new demands.

Carriers moving cross-border freight have not had the same access to loads as those moving loads within the U.S. Forager is working to change that.

When a single point of contact handles all of a company’s freight needs, customers are rewarded with lower costs, less confusion and more transparent shipments.

Getting people to think about visibility in a more dynamic and collaborative manner requires dismantling the idea that visibility refers only to a moving dot on a map.

Many companies have had poor experiences shipping fragile goods in the past. The right partner could make all the difference.

Small and midsize companies – brokers and carriers alike – often wait to adopt new technologies. They are being eclipsed by both larger companies and their less risk-averse peers.

No amount of technology can take the place of a warm, inviting work atmosphere.

Amazon handles two-thirds of its deliveries in-house as of late 2020 — a rapid departure from the mostly outsourced model the company relied on just a few years ago.

Seeking out capacity the old way—countless phone calls, spreadsheets, undocumented tribal knowledge, physical maps and word of mouth while scouring multiple carrier portals and load boards with stale or unverified data⎯ is chronically inefficient.

To make the best possible match at the best price for everyone involved, shippers post their freight and take market feedback from carriers.

If visibility has moved from perk to table stakes, what exactly is “the next big thing” now? What innovative technology can companies adopt to help them stand out among their competitors?

Flock Freight designed Instant Prebate to provide automatic cost savings on contracted TL freight. Savings vary by lane, commodity and time of shipment, but they can come in as high as 50% on some loads.

Without truck drivers working tirelessly in the days and weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, stores shelves would be barren.

Michael Vincent and Zach Strickland give an update on the headlines of the day, talk maritime rates with Chris Richards and air cargo with Eric Kullisch

The transportation industry’s technological renaissance has inspired a new era of innovators – and a new era of holdouts. In a volatile market, the innovators come out on top.

Presenters brought their best to the final demo block of FrightWaves’ free LIVE @HOME conference on Friday afternoon.

Undefeated champion Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) secured first place in the 2021 FreightTech 25 – a position it has held for the past three years. The Seattle-based disruptor – known most widely for its lightning-fast shipping speeds – seems to have a hand in just about every part of the logistics industry at this point.  The […]

Rapid-fire demos give industry movers and shakers an opportunity to showcase their latest innovations — with added flair and no PowerPoints.

With passenger planes all but out of commission earlier this year – and still lagging considerably in the fourth quarter – shippers had significantly fewer options for moving their products across the world.

The C-1000 electric delivery van from Workhorse Group can travel 160 miles on a single charge.

Spot market transactions are notoriously inefficient and expensive. Digital freight matching can make transactions more straightforward for shippers and carriers alike.

Everyone has been impacted by the current political, economic and health climate in the U.S. For the health science industry, these challenges are amplified.

The road to success is paved with digital tools and technological adoption.

FreightWaves’ newsletters have over 500,000 subscribers combined.

The BNSF Logistics team rallies around a shared purpose: “We deliver what matters.”

Now in its third year, the FreightTech 100 shines a spotlight on some of the most innovative companies across the industry, featuring both young startups and household names.

The Trucker Tools driver mobile app was introduced in 2013, and new features have been added continuously over the past several years.

Some of the most disruptive companies in the logistics industry came together to show off their latest products and solutions during American Shipper’s first-ever Global Trade Tech summit.

Shared truckload offers shippers the opportunity to utilize truckload services to deliver partial shipments – without leaving part of the trailer empty.

Infrastructure can be damaged after a disaster, so the ability to know where something is without picking up the phone is important.

The port is a top choice for Fortune 100 companies that have been integral to the country’s pandemic response.

Some of today’s most innovative and disruptive companies in the logistics industry showed off their products during FreightWaves’ first virtual Carrier Summit on Wednesday.

Many shippers have encountered fulfillment issues and transportation breakdowns as consumer demand for their products surged.

Rentals allow companies to expand their fleet in order to capitalize on short-term opportunities.

To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here.

To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here.