Wabash National

Truck Talk is a weekly newsletter offering perspective and context behind news in the trucking industry.

Wabash National spent $364 million to buy into final-mile products in 2017. It is finally starting to realize the hoped-for potential.

After four straight months of near-record orders, trailer bookings took a breather in January as some manufacturers slowed taking reservations.

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In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, offering up a to-do list for new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Plus, recapping the latest earnings and how Bezos changed logistics.

Trailer maker Wabash National is pruning its product portfolio to redeploy resources for growth it sees in refrigeration and last-mile delivery.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, an activist investor is pushing Forward Air to create more shareholder value. Plus, retail supply chain trends to watch in 2021 and Deutsche Bank’s Amit Mehrotra shares his truckload stock outlook.

Wabash National discloses Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions in its first sustainability report.

Trailer maker Wabash National plans to sell Beall tankers unit to MAC Trailers for an undisclosed price. It plans to use the proceeds for its parts and services, cold chain, and home delivery markets.

Concern over the supply chain for wood and aluminum components to build new trailers adds to consumer goods-driven demand that pushed equipment orders over 50,000 for a second straight month in October.

Wabash National saw a 37% surge in its backlog of trailers to build from the second to the third quarter as record orders piled in. Third-quarter margins declined but the trailer and last-mile equipment builder was profitable.

OEMs, regulators put reefers on a path to zero emissions.

Demand headwinds will place “downwards pressure on revenue and earnings likely into 2021” for trailer manufacturer Wabash National. This was part of the rationale behind credit rating agency Moody’s lowering its ratings on the company.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, second-quarter earnings are coming fast and furious, and if you are looking to them for definitive answers on the economy, you might be disappointed. Plus, how hackable are ELDs and why is diesel engine maker Cummins so interested in hydrogen?

Trailer builder Wabash National kept the business impact of COVID-19 to a minimum in the second quarter. It even paid back money it borrowed and maintained its dividend.

In today’s edition of The Daily Dash, drug test refusals could serve as the trigger to accept hair testing; introducing a solar-powered reefer trailer; and carriers have negotiating power.

Wabash National says using the sun to power batteries on a refrigerated trailer could save 50% over the cost of diesel power with none of the emissions.

Wabash National felt the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter, but the trailer maker said its earlier preparations for a softening market helped offset deeper trouble.

Order cancellations and only essential replacement bookings dropped new trailer orders to just 6,500 units in March. Separately, Wabash National announced a two-week suspension of production and cash-conservation moves.

Engine maker Cummins Inc. joined Volvo and Mack Trucks in suspending production because of the coronavirus pandemic . Cummins and trailer maker Wabash National also pulled their earnings guidance for the year.