The Daily Dash is a quick look at what’s happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, we highlight the latest numbers for trailer orders, an investigative piece about a driver blowing the whistle on illegal activities, increased driver pay and more.
Looking ahead, FreightWaves will host a virtual 3PL Summit on March 24. Check out the speakers, agenda and details — and don’t forget to register.
The High Five
1. Trailer orders in February moderated slightly but still challenged manufacturers to keep up. Year-over-year comparisons will look especially strong in coming months compared to pandemic shutdowns in spring 2020. For example, net orders were effectively zero in April last year. Alan Adler with more: Trailer makers maxed out as February orders stay strong
2. A former car hauler said he and his family were forced into hiding after blowing the whistle on his trucking company’s alleged illegal business practices, which he claimed included dispatchers falsifying electronic logs in violation of federal regulations and withholding his pay for various reasons, leaving him with just enough money to buy food. Clarissa Hawes investigates: Driver says trucking company threatened family after he alleged illegal practices
3. West Coast truckload carrier Cheema Freightlines announced it has raised pay by 4 cents per mile for its mileage-based drivers.The Sumner, Washington-based company has raised pay for its drivers by 13% since August. Todd Maiden with the details: Cheema Freightlines latest to raise driver pay
4. The freight markets have reentered “chaos is business as usual” territory. There has been very little change to any of the major indices this week as the Outbound Tender Volume and Reject Indices have both moved horizontally for two weeks now. Seth Holm analyzes the data: Tender volumes flat week-over-week at very high level
5. Speeding up commercial truck traffic will be a priority when the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge’s largest expansion project in history is completed in 2023, said Luis Bazán, the bridge’s general director. Noi Mahoney with his weekly Borderlands roundup: Big changes planned for Texas border bridge
Five more to check out
Lawmaker: Use Postal Service to test vehicle-miles-traveled fee
Spot launches proprietary software brand Red Technologies
Nimble Robotics raises $50M for fulfillment automation
CVSA cancels inspectors competition for second consecutive year
